"Okay, everyone gather round." Miss Jenn announces walking into the room. "We have got a two-hour window before the storm is expected to hit,  and I intend to use every minute of it. Big, splashy group numbers always succeed at the Menkie Awards. So we need to workshop a punchy, breathtaking number that will put us in the number one spot."

     "As our head-choreographer. I am so happy to announce that today we will, at last begin rehearsing one of the most showstopping, iconic, and bar-raising numbers of the entire show." Carlos explains.

    "Be Our Guest. Yeah, it's Be Out guest guys." Gina answers. "Before we begin. I'm going to tell you a little story about hospitality." Miss Jenn says. Carlos whispers to her. "Maybe we should... Okay."

    "Once when I was a little girl, my mom and I heard a clatter come from the kitchen. We thought it was a burglar. So my mom ran over, hog-tied the man, and promptly called the police." Miss Jenn tells them as Ashlyn gasps. "As we waited for the cops to come, I watched my mother place a bowl of iced tea next to his face. 'Because,' she said, 'Until the police come and get him, he's still out guest.'" Miss Jenn finishes.

     "So, did he, like, get arrested or..." Kourtney asks. "No. Turns out, it wasn't a burglar at all, just a repairman who entered the wrong unit. But the point remains the same. Just like our intruder, we need to make Belle and out entire audience feel welcome. And with that, Carlos and Gina, take it away." Miss Jenn says.

     Ashlyn claps for Miss Jenn. Gina goes to stand in front of everybody. "Thank you, Miss Jenn, that wasn't terrifying at all." Ricky laughs. "Okay, so, my vision to make this dance really soar is to stage... wait for it, a Cancan-style dance that features a feather-dusting spectacle. I don't know, it'll probably go a little something like..." Gina explains, doing some high kicks.

    "Absolutely!" Ashlyn exclaims. "Oh? All right." Ricky says. "Yes, Gina!" Kourtney laughs. Carlos chuckles. "Interesting. I had a deferent path that's a little more elevated and less basic. Think. A noir-inspired performance that Lumiere guides our audience through the entire time." Carlos proposes.

    "M'kay. But I actually spent a month in France once, so I kinda know this dance inside out." Gina says. "And I choreographed all three of my sister's quinceañera dances, despite not getting one for myself, so I think I know how to twirl with a salad fork, okay?" Carlos argues.

"Okay! You know what? Let's stick a pin in Be Our Guest and brush up on Gaston. E.J and Big Red, to the front of the room, please." Miss Jenn says, Big Red stands up. "Wait, where's E.J?" Miss Jenn asks.

"Okay, if anybody sees E.J, would you please tell him that rehearsals are mandatory, even for soon to be college students who are obviously suffering from senioritis." Miss Jenn explains. Marie looks over to the door and gasps. "Nini!"

Everybody looks over to the door to see Nini standing there. "I don't wanna interrupt. I just needed one more group hug." Nini says. "Hugs available!" Miss Jenn agrees.

Everybody goes up to hug Nini.

...

"Listen up, everyone. I am going to step out for a little while to make sure that Nini catches her bus. Please go back to workshopping Be Our Guest concepts until I return, and find a path forward. I've asked Mr. Mazzara to pop in." Miss Jenn announces, as if on cue Mr. Mazzara comes in, scaring everybody.

"And make sure that you don't get too rowdy while I'm gone. Thank you, Benjamin." Miss Jenn says, walking out.

...

Seb and Marie we're playing some random songs on the piano when Ashlyn comes in and asks."Has anyone seen E.J?"

"Everybody, listen up." Gina calls to everyone. "Great news. Gina and I agreed to joint custody of you all." Carlos explains. "Oh, so who gets us on weekends?" Marie remarks.

"We're gonna workshop our Be Our Guest visions on you guys separately before adding the dancers. The winning version will then be decided in an anonymous vote. Fun and easy." Gina explains. "Yay." Ricky mutters.

"This number was inspired by my second-oldest quince. Theme, sultry jazz." Carlos pitches "Sebastian, you may begin."

Seb starts to play, but the power goes out. "Oh, what was that?" Marie asks. Thudding was heard somewhere. "Ooh."

"Maybe a power line went down." Gina suggests, Carlos walks out of the room. "Oh, no, you guys. I missed an alert from my Farmers Alman-app. Salt Lake just got half a foot in half an hour." Seb says. Ricky scoffs. "My dad says the roads are completely closed."

"Oh, my gosh, you guys, get out here!" Carlos calls from the hallway. Everybody rushes outside to see a full on snow storm going on. "This is insane!" Ricky states. "Are we the only ones stuck at school?"

"Looks like every other club went home. Should I check on Nini? I'm checking on Nini." Kourtney says. Big Red leans over to Ashlyn. "I don't mind the idea of being stuck together all night."

"Maybe we should hold each other for warmth?" Ashlyn suggests, making Kourtney and Marie look at each other. "Okay, you guys." Ricky tells them.

"Listen up, folks. We need to act fast and gather supplies, in case this gets worse." Gina says. Carlos scoffs. "Love the commitment, Gina, but I don't think it's that serious."

"Rehearsal can wait. Follow my lead. Contact your parents every half hour, but conserve your phone batteries. Waters, flashlights. Let's move, people." Gina instructs. Ashlyn and Big Red were very excited and ran off, everyone else slowly separated across the school.

...

"Oh, there you are. You know everybody's been looking for you, like all day." Marie says, walking up to E.J. "Oh, hey." E.J responds, only looking at her for a second.

"What's with the face?" Marie asks. "What do you mean?" E.J asks.

"Your face looks like this" Marie frowns, mimicking his face. "My face doesn't look like that." E.J states. "Yeah it does." Marie says. He looks away and frowns again. "See, you just did it again." Marie remarks.

E.J chuckles before looking away again. "You know what? I think I know what you're all grumpy about. You're grumpy that we're all gonna die here at school, and I know you expected to die in a much cooler way. Don't worry I thought I would too." Marie jokes, E.J laughs. "Okay, what's the real problem?" She asks.

"I didn't get into Duke." E.J admits. "I'm so sorry E.J. Do you wanna talk about it?" Marie questions.

"Not really." E.J says, sliding down the wall to the ground. "We could talk about how crazy this storm is?" Marie suggests, E.J just looks down. "Or we don't have to talk at all. We could just sit here in silence... until we all die."

"Yeah, I'd like that." E.J says. "Not the dying part... but, yeah." Marie chuckles. "But don't worry I've been a little down lately too. I'm gonna stop talking now."

So they just sat there in comfortable silence, until Marie smelled pizza.

"Am I going crazy, or do you smell pizza too?" Marie asks. "Wait, oh, my gosh. I smell it too." E.J says. "Well, let's go then." Marie says, getting up and heading towards the bomb shelter.

Marie walks in to see everybody in there with pizza. "Oh, my gosh. Marie, I swear you disappeared for like a solid three hours." Gina said. "Oh, yeah. But I found this one." Marie says, gesturing towards E.J who walked in behind her.

"Oh, my god E.J! You're alive!" Ashlyn exclaims. "Technically." He answers. "He was sulking." Marie whispers to Ashlyn.

A cow sound was then heard. "Everyone! That was an alert from my Farmer's Alman-app. It says the roads are clear and the sheep are in heat!" Seb exclaims, leaving everyone a little confused about the last statement. "I should have read that last part in my head."

The lights suddenly turn back on. Everyone cheers.

"Miss Jenn just dropped Nini off at the bus terminal. Big Red, can I borrow your car?" Ricky says. Big Red tosses him the keys. "Thanks. Later." He says before leaving.

"Hey, you want a ride home? You know, 'cause you never get to see me." Ashlyn asks Gina and Marie.

Marie nods. "Yeah, sure." Gina replies. "Um, so want happened back there?" Ashlyn asks Gina. "With Ricky or with Carlos?" Gina asks.

"I'll take either." Ashlyn says. "I... Yeah, I guess I'm still figuring that out." Gina says before walking away. "Do you wanna talk about..." Ashlyn starts. Marie gives Ashlyn a questioning look, to which she just shrugs.

—
a/n
double update
i didn't even realize that there's a e.j, marie talk every chapter this season :| i didn't plan that, i swear

i start school in five days and i'm not ready for it