JENNA RUSSET could only thank Shiloh Molina for saving her life. Well, that's an exaggeration. She could thank Shiloh for pushing her out the way when Ricky fell after the rope snapped. But when Shiloh pushed Jenna out the way, Ricky fell on Shiloh instead of her. So, Ricky and Shiloh managed only to sprain their wrist somehow. They were lucky the damage wasn't worse.

Shiloh stood in a somewhat old-fashioned dress. Miss. Jenn convinced the other members of the Love Club to act as background characters for the musical. Not only did they get their time to shine, but it also calmed Jenna down, knowing that her friends were always watching from close by.

"Can you step to the right... baby?"

"EJ! Take the photo, please." Shiloh said through a toothy smile.

After her family found out that she would be on stage (even if it was only for five minutes), they made sure that they were all there. They had missed the first musical, and if they knew Shiloh would get her time to shine after the musical, they would've come.

Regardless, they were here now, and many of her younger siblings were shocked with how big a high school was.

EJ finally took the photo after Enya (the baby he had been referring to) stepped closer. Once the photo was taken, the family disbanded and Shiloh stepped forward to grab her father's phone, Jonathan standing close beside her.

"Thanks, EJ." She smiled, "So, are you and Gina still hanging out after this?"

"Um..."

EJ glanced up and saw Jonathan staring down at him. Shiloh hadn't noticed and was only scrolling through the failed photos that EJ had managed to take.

Shiloh finally glanced up and saw EJ and her brother staring at each other.

She rolled her eyes and passed the phone to her brother, "Give this to dad."

Jonathan grabbed the phone and headed off, making sure EJ caught his stare.

"He hates me."

"No..." Shiloh smiled, "He hates... the thought of you."

"Because that's better."

"I know you're a good guy, EJ and you've changed. You don't have to prove anything to him."

"I don't think you realize how big and scary your brother is."

The two of them turned and saw Jonathan sitting on the ground with Weston and Caleb, talking about how this was the same school High School Musical was filmed.

"It's a persona, I swear. Come on, we gotta meet with the others."

Shiloh haphazardly threw her arm over EJ's shoulder, and the two of them entered the bomb shelter. The groups getting last minute lines out and any makeup added to their faces.

Shiloh patted EJ on his back as the two of them separated. Shiloh felt a slight tug at her arm and turned to face Ashley.

"How's the arm?"

"Could be worse." She smiled, "It's a funny story to tell. My ex-boyfriend completely wiped out and fell on top of me."

"You can say he fell for you." Ashley laughed.

Shiloh held her smile slightly and chuckled. Every now and then, she could laugh at a relationship joke, but somewhere itching in the back of her mind was the thought of Ricky moving on, specifically with Lily. God, did that blonde ruin how Shiloh perceived the relationship she had. Shiloh had been doing pretty well with blocking out hate and Lily in general, but sometimes her mind would wander further than what she wanted, and she would think about it for hours.

Even worse when East High had been invited to North to watch their performance of Beauty and the Beast, and it was absolutely extraordinary.

Shiloh had sat in between Ricky and Evie that night, and though Shiloh and Evie caught the not-so-subtle glances that Lily would do on stage towards Ricky... he didn't.

Regardless, Shiloh could take some jokes.

Ashley sighed, "I was making sure your arm was okay. With the scar and the arm... maybe Ricky Bowen will finally stop injuring you."

"Maybe."

Ashley was quickly pulled away by Kourtney, who wanted to make sure that everyone was as ready as they could be. This was a big night and could make or break the theater department... in their minds anyway.

As Shiloh held her arm close, examining the velcro cast around it. She had never broken a bone or had anything to this extent happen to her, but she was fine... Ricky, on the other hand.

"Feeling better?"

Shiloh turned, glancing up at Ricky. He was dressed in his prince costume, and his arm wrapped around the same velcro cast.

"I'm fine. I'm pretty much new to this musical theater stuff. Never been on stage before."

"I mean your arm." Ricky smiled.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, "Well, if you bend it in certain ways, it hurts, but I'm fine. Nothing too serious, you know? How about you?"

"Could've been worse... I fell on a pretty girl. So, that's a plus."

"You fell on a pretty girl and also got injured. Who really wins?"

Ricky held his smile and sighed deeply. Shiloh's medieval-ish dress touching the floor. Her short, naturally curly hair fell onto her shoulders.

"Wildcats!" Miss Jenn called, "Villagers! My friends and allies. As you know, there is a judge out there in the audience tonight who is very important to the future of this theater program. He is going to score every
performance, our music, our sets,
Lord help us, even me. And in two
weeks at the Menkies, we could win fifty-thousand dollars."

The group let out cheers of joy.

"So tonight, we are going to put the
U in Utah!" Miss. Jenn smiled.

The only people to applaud were Ashley and Seb. Miss. Jenn sighed and faced Shiloh and Ricky.

"And to Ricky and Shiloh, some words of inspiration. My deep and shameful disappointment in your recent accident has mellowed to a sort of numbness, so there's that."

"Those were your words of inspiration?" Shiloh asked.

"Yes, they were!" Miss. Jenn paused, "Where is LeFou?"

Big Red soon ran into the bomb shelter, heaving as he held a bottle of medicine in his hands.

"Sorry, I'm late. Just some dry heaving."

"Dude." Ricky sighed.

"Dry." He huffed.

Ashlyn smiled, reaching down to
pick up a big basket of flowers,
similar to the ones Big Red had given to her during the opening night of High School Musical.

"Um, Biggie, I got you a little something for your big debut. There's a card and everything." She smiled.

"Oh, wow."

Big Red's smile quickly fell as he gagged and left the room quickly. His hand covering his mouth.

Ashlyn turned towards the others, awkwardly laughing, "He's ready."

The group disbanded. They had either gone to calm their nerves or to run over their lines.

Shiloh, on the other hand, had been called by her father to hold Enya for several minutes before she had to go on stage for five measly seconds.

Shiloh held Enya on her hip, gently bouncing up and down as Enya rested her head on Shiloh's shoulder. The older girl muttering the lyrics to Beauty and the Beast.

Ricky soon entered the halls, also muttering his own song as he played with his fingers.

He soon stopped in his place. Watching as Shiloh paced back and forth with Enya in her arms.

Shiloh turned and faced Ricky, a small smile on her face. She approached him. Enya's eyes shut in Shiloh's arms.

"Almost time." Shiloh smiled, her voice in a hushed tone, "Nervous?"

"Sorta."

"Relax. You have a fan out there."

Shiloh held Enya's hand with her finger and waved it slightly. Ricky chuckled as Shiloh dropped her sister's hand.

"Your crown is falling, king." Shiloh pushed Ricky's crown back onto the center of his head, "Smile."

"I'm a prince, actually."

"Same difference."

The two of them shared a laugh. Ricky stared down at Shiloh.

He noticed his dog tag necklace on Shiloh. She hadn't taken it off since he given back to her. The necklace was gripped tightly in Enya's hand.

"Excuse me?"

Shiloh turned and Ricky glanced up. Lily stood before them. Her dark blue skater dress clad against her. The white bow in her hair standing out to Shiloh the most.

When Shiloh first met Lily, her hair was tied into a ponytail. Ever so slowly, a Lily let her hair down, kind of like her persona.

"Can I speak with Ricky?" Lily asked.

Shiloh nodded, "Sure." She faced Ricky, "I'll see you on stage."

She stepped to the side and began walking off to drop her sister back off to her parents.

"Hey, Shiloh?"

"Yes, Lily?"

"Thank you." She smiled, resting her hand over her chest, "For giving me this chance. I know little you give those out."

Don't say anything. Don't say anything. Shiloh repeated to herself. She shouldn't stoop to Lily's level.

"Of course. I'm just the gift that keeps giving, but mind... that Ricky Bowen came to me and said I love you first." Shiloh smiled, "I was the first girl he'd ever said that to and I keep that close to my heart and I hope you the same no matter what happens today, tomorrow, or in the future. I really mean it."

Shiloh sent the two another smile, boosting her sister on her hip, and left the two alone.

"Was that too harsh?" She whispered to her sleeping sister, "I don't think it was that harsh. I could've pulled an Evie and swore and doused her lemonade, but I didn't. I think I'm improving."

After dropping her sister off, she quickly made her way backstage. She found Mr. Mazzara with a headset and she smiled, approaching... her friend.

"Hey, you got my note."

"How could I miss your handwriting covering the entire front page, Ms. Molina?"

"It's actually Evie's. I think they have better handwriting than I do." She smiled, "But that's not the point. Do you talk to Miss. Jenn."

"I did."

"And?"

"Mike approached."

"Oh..."

Mr. Mazzara turned slightly, "Thank you."

"What did I do?"

"You've always counted on me. Not many people do that, Ms. Molina."

"You don't have to keep saying, "Ms. Molina". I'm not your boss."

"I respect you. That's the difference."

Shiloh smiled bright and gently punched his shoulder, "I respect you too, Benjamin."

"Mr. Mazzara."

"Same difference."

"Hey, Mr. Mazzara." Madison approached, "You got the note."

The note that Shiloh slipped under his door. A very heartfelt letter that she had written on the car ride to the theater the day before. A basic thank you for everything. From the beginning with his slight distaste for the club to now, with him basically becoming their manager. A lot of sappy Shiloh, Jenna, and Ashley banter, with Evie and Madison throwing in their random comments. The note sighed by each club member and Evie's section dedicated to how he could win Miss. Jenn over. Him being here to be the narrator was the first step.

"Oh, course. Supporting the fine arts."

"Gig is up, Benjamin. I read the note." Madison said.

"Mr. Mazzara." Shiloh smiled, winking his way, "Come on. It's almost time for a stage debut."

The Love Club stage debut was small, nothing major to the four others. They really wanted to push that this was about Jenna and that she didn't need to impress anyone... a speech they gave her after she almost threw up in Shiloh's car.

"Wildcats!" Miss. Jenn called as they made their way back into the bomb shelter, "I am mostly proud. And I heard Big Red has not thrown up in over twenty minutes."

"Does she not know he's throwing up now?" Jenna asked.

"Every great performance needs an X factor." Miss. Jenn continued, "Something special that puts it over the top. A little birdie has just told me where our Menkies judge is sitting and I'm thinking that with just a few minor adjustments, we can make this gentleman feel every bit as welcome as the intruder that my mother clubbed over the head when I was a girl."

"I thought she just hog-tied him." Seb stuttered.

"She just hog-tied him." She smiled, "When the next song begins, I have directed Benjamin Mazzara and his lighting-ists..."

"They're called grips." Natalie said.

"... to spotlight our judge. And then I need you all to make him feel especially and uniquely welcome. Any questions?"

Gina held up her feather duster, "Many questions."

"I think it's best to do what's already rehearsed." Shiloh said, "No need to change anything last minute and leave people in the same position as Big Red."

"Doesn't it feel a little desperate?" Seb asked.

"It feels that way for a reason, Sebastian. Besides, Carlos is a seasoned professional who can roll with anything, right?" Miss. Jenn asked.

"He hasn't said anything since he got here." Evie said, "He blinks and hopes we know what he's talking about."

Miss. Jenn heavily sighed. She wanted this to work. She needed this to work.

Nothing could go wrong.

- lucy has something to say !!

this show starts filming on december 2nd (apparently) so i'm expecting season three in mid to late spring 🤨

this app has text-to-speech now so whenever i finish this story (which is soon lol season 3 come beat me with a stick) i'll add it here :)

these last two episodes piss me off RICKY BOWEN WHAT ARE YOU DOING :////

(3-4 chapters left :/)

cool or whatever ^^^^

bye :))))