"I watched your morning show with Gina. It was pretty good," Nadia complimented in the dressing room where everyone else was since Ms. Jenn had called a special meeting in the middle of the day for everyone to come.

"Thanks, it's actually really fun," he said.

"It looks like it. Oh! And congrats on being elected president of the AV club. I told you Mr. Mazzara likes you," she said, laughing as she lightly shoved him playfully.

He joined in with her laughter. "Thanks."

"Everyone, attention please!" Ms. Jenn called out as she clapped. "I'm sure you're wondering why I called this special midday drama club meeting."

"Oh, are you announcing the fall musical? I vote Dear Evan Hansen," Seb spoke up with a large smile on his face.

"No, Seb. It's March," she replied. "And the rights won't be available for five years, I tried." Seb's smile immediately dropped and Carlos placed a hand on his arm comfortingly. "I am announcing that we are in such a good place after our improv workshop. We're getting one step closer to Menkies gold," she told them, wiggling her fingers. "And today, our wonderful actor/designer, Kourtney Greene, is going to show you your completed costumes!"

Everyone began to clap and cheer before Nini ripped the tarp off the rack to show all the costumes on hangers, making them whoop even more. "Those already look amazing!" Nadia said, placing a hand over her mouth.

"Oh, my God!" Gina exclaimed, her eyes wide.

"Speech! Speech!" Nini chanted, smiling at her best friend.

"Okay, um, guess I'm making a speech," Kourtney started, chuckling. "I'm super excited for you all to see your costumes because—" her phone then made an elephant/trumpet noise.

"What the heck was that?" Marcus said out loud, making them all laugh.

"Oh, uh, sorry, that's Howie," she said cutely, reading the message and starting to laugh down at her phone. She then looked up to see everyone staring at her and she cleared her throat. "Anyway, with your costumes this semester, I really tried to—" her phone then made the sound again and reached in her pocket to read the message again.

"Someone's in love," Nadia whispered to EJ in a teasing tone.

"What? No. No, I don't think that's the case right now. Definitely not," EJ rambled quietly and Nadia gave him a weird look. "Oh, you're talking about Kourtney. Oh, yeah, she definitely is. Yeah," he quickly said, nodding. Nadia slowly nodded, confused by his behavior, before she looked over at Carlos, who had started speaking.

"Can you not keep your phone on silent in rehearsal, like, everyone else?" Carlos asked Kourtney sarcastically.

"'Sorry, everyone' is what Carlos would say if he were more like me," Seb said, a smile plastered on his face once again.

"Uh — Okay, Kourt, I am sorry, but listen to this caption from North High," he said, taking his phone out. "'It took 20 people over 50 hours to create our Belle dress. Beast costumes ever'," he read aloud.

"Terrible pun," Ricky said, shaking his head.

"Lame," Kourtney commented.

"On the day we're unveiling our costumes? How did they know that?" Carlos asked before Kourtney's phone made the same noise again. "They've been trolling us like this for weeks, you guys and I'm trying not to let it get to me, but—" her phone trumpeted again, "Oh, my God, is your phone hungry? I don't understand what I'm hearing."

Kourtney gave him an offended look, so Ms. Jenn stepped in. "Okay, okay, let's get back to our costumes. Go ahead, Kourt."

Kourtney cleared her throat, sending Carlos a look. "Anyway, took me a while, but I built you some abs that would make Captain America proud," she said, taking out the Gaston costume to show EJ.

"I have abs," EJ told her, sounding offended.

"EJ, everyone has abs. These are Kourtney originals," she told them and Nadia snorted, looking down. "Oh, I also padded the tush for you," she added.

"Oh, thanks, I actually need that," EJ replied, and that made Nadia full on laugh out loud, making the both of them look over at her.

"I'm sorry," she said, covering her mouth. "But I just find this so funny, I can't. Please go on with your admiration and ignore me," she said, gesturing to the outfit with her mouth still covered as she went over to the rack to find her costumes.

EJ chuckled and looked back over at the costume. "This is amazing, Kourt," he told her.

"Oh, no problem. Next. And every Gaston need a Beast," Kourtney said, taking out the Beast costume and handing it to Ricky.

"Hey-o!" Ricky said as he received it.

Kourtney then went back to the rack to search for something before she said, "Oh, that's weird. Your mask should be here. Um, has anyone seen a Beast mask?"

"Haven't seen it," Big Red told her.

"We're too busy being obsessed with our costumes," Ashlyn said, spinning around with one of her costumes in her hand.

"You guys...I know where our Beast mask is," Carlos said before he held up his phone to show North High's Instagram, making Nadia pause from taking out one of her costumes and walk over to Carlos.

"Wait, what?" Seb said in confusion.

"What...?" Marcus said.

"I don't get it," Ashlyn said.

"All I see is a blonde bitch with her North High followers," Nadia pointed out, making Gina and Ricky 'ooh'.

"What are we looking at?" EJ asked, shaking his head.

"Look at the trunk," Carlos said, zooming in the photo to show the trunk, but everyone was still confused. "Hello? That is obviously Beast fur. Look, it all makes sense. Our mask just happens to go missing on the same day they post this? They snuck in here and took it."

"I hate to say it, but that did kind of look like a Beast mask to me," Ashlyn said, holding up her hands.

"Classic Beast," Big Red added, pointing at her.

"Do you really think they'd steal from us?" Seb questioned.

"I would," Gina immediately said Nini nudged her, making her chuckle. "No, I mean, I used to be that kind of person, before the present day."

Carlos gestured to Gina, using her as evidence. "We have to get even, right?" Big Red asked slowly.

"Yeah," Ashlyn said at the same time as Kourtney before everyone began to talk about what to do.

"Ms. Jenn, you have to at least say something," Carlos pushed her.

"Guys, guys, guys. Enough. Do you really think North High would stoop so low as to sneak in here, break into the costume room, and steal Kourtney's work?" Ms. Jenn asked and they all seemed to consider the possibility, most of them leaning towards yes.

Carlos' phone vibrated and he made an annoyed noise. "And they just posted something new, captioned, 'North High's gonna steal your heart this spring'," Seb read aloud.

"Well, there's your answer," Nadia muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Are they a witch? How do you explain these coincidences?" Carlos questioned.

"It's just that, a coincidence. Now, I want you kids to keep looking for that mask and let the rest go," Ms. Jenn told them, and Nadia, Ricky, and EJ looked to each other, shaking their heads subtly. "As I learned when I appeared in a regional production of Anything Goes opposite a woman who once sued me for libel, you should never dance with the enemy. Understood?"

"Yes, Ms. Jenn," they all said quietly at the same time, like they were little kids being yelled at.

"Thank you," she said, gesturing with her hands for them to get to it before she walked out of the room.

"Okay, so, we're getting even, right?" Big Red asked.

"Duh," Carlos said.

"What's the plan?" Ashlyn asked.

"Well, Nadia is probably the master at getting even, so we should let her make the plan," EJ said, gesturing to Nadia.

"Wait, really? What have you done to get even?" Nini asked.

Nadia and EJ glanced at each other, laughing awkwardly. "That's a story for another time," Nadia said slowly and everyone gave her a weird look. "Okay, anyway, the plan."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"The plan is simple," Carlos said when they were all at North High High School to commence the plan. "Based on that Instagram post, the mask has to be in their costume shop. We know from their Instagram overshares that North High has dance rehearsal today, so they'll be in their dance studio."

"They have their own dance studio?" Gina questioned.

"We're raiding their costumes and not leaving until we have our mask," he explained Nadia's plan.

"Isn't this kind of trespassing?" Seb asked.

"They trespassed first, so now it's our turn. It's payback time," Nadia said darkly as she narrowed her eyes, almost like she reverting back to her old ways. She then cleared her throat, giving everyone a smile.

Carlos gave her a quick look before he looked at everyone else. "It'll be fine. There'll be plenty of people still here after school for clubs. We'll blend in. Though, Ashlyn, you may have taken the camouflage thing too far," Carlos said, looking at her North High sweatshirt.

"Oh, no, today, I am Diane. I play volleyball, and I love North High," Ashlyn said, making Nadia and EJ laugh to one another.

"Diane, is it? How would you feel about dating a guy from East High?" Big Red asked with a smile.

Ashlyn gasped. "Oh, a forbidden romance," she drawled, laughing with Big Red.

"Focus! Who's gonna be the lookout?" Carlos asked.

"I'll do it," Nadia said, shrugging, and everyone gave her an odd look. She sighed. "If I help you guys out in there, I might have too much fun and revert back to my old ways. And trust me, we do not want that," she explained.

"We definitely don't," Marcus muttered and she rolled her eyes at him.

"Just stay calm and act natural, okay? You got this. Everyone ready?" Carlos asked.

"Yeah," Ashlyn said coolly.

They then put their hands in. "What team?" Ricky asked.

"Wait, maybe we shouldn't yell," Carlos quickly said. But it was too late because they all shouted, "Wildcats!

"Let's go," Ricky urged.

"Strong start," Carlos said sarcastically before they all walked towards their costume shop.

"Good luck!" Nadia called after them, staying in the hallway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nadia paced in the hallway, keeping her phone in her hand to see any updates from any of her friends about the mask. So far, she had gotten none. "What is taking so long?" she muttered under her breath, sighing.

Then, all of a sudden, this good looking guy walked in front of her and said, "Hey. Haven't seen you before."

"Oh, yeah, I'm new. Just...looking around," Nadia said awkwardly with a nod.

"What's your name?" the guy asked.

"Diane," Nadia immediately said, having that name stuck in her brain from Ashlyn.

"Wow, that is actually my great-aunt's name," he told her.

"Wow, amazing story," she said. "And likely story," she muttered sarcastically under her breath. "Okay, well, it was nice meeting you...I guess. I should continue my tour, though," she continued, trying to get him to leave.

"Can I get your Snap, or..." he trailed off.

"Hey, babe," someone said from behind her, walking up to her and wrapping their arm around her back rather affectionately. She looked over and saw that it was EJ and smiled, leaning into him as she wrapped her arm around his waist since she realized what he was doing.

"Babe! I'm so glad you're here. I wasn't expecting you so soon," she said, glancing at the other guy.

"So, we still on for pizza later?" EJ asked her, smiling at the guy for a second.

"Oh, come on. I would never miss pizza night," Nadia said, looking back at the guy as well.

"And that's my cue," he said, turning around on heel and walking away.

The two then began to laugh once he was out of earshot, and they let go of each other. "You are a genius. How did you even think of that?" Nadia asked him, shaking her head.

"I guess Ms. Jenn's improv class really paid off," EJ told her, making her laugh even more.

"Yeah, I see that. Did you see the look on that guy's face?" Nadia asked and EJ mimicked the look, making her laugh even more. "Wait, what are you even doing here?"

"Uh, I felt bad that you got stuck here alone on lookout," he told her.

"Really? Oh, that's actually...sort of nice of you," Nadia said genuinely.

"Hey, you're the one that said nice looks good on me, right? And besides, what are fake boyfriends if not sort of nice?" he said in a mocking voice, making Nadia laugh.

"I did say that, yeah," Nadia said, nodding.

"Now, I just..." he trailed off.

"Want pizza?" Nadia finished for him.

"Yeah," he said with a laugh.

"Me, too!" she exclaimed, making them laugh even more. "Maybe after we find the Beast mask, we could convince everyone to go to Slices?" Nadia suggested.

"Everyone?" EJ repeated and Nadia nodded. "Oh, yeah, that's a great idea," EJ said, before Nadia got a text, her eyes widening. "What is it?"

"They've been found by Lily and some other North High-ers," she told him.

"Oh, no. Come on," he said, quickly running back to the costume shop followed by Nadia.