"So, you're actually going to audition?" Ophelia asked Rocky over the face time call. She sat on her bed with her back leaned against the headboard and she had her laptop on her lap. She wore her plaid pj bottoms and her East High hoodie over a black tank top. 

"Yeah," Ricky nods. "I mean, that's what you told me to do, right?"

"Yeah, but, Rick," Ophelia sighs. "You don't know anything about the movie which makes me feel like I failed you as a best friend."

"You didn't fail me as a best friend, Lia." Ricky chuckles, shaking his head. "I know what its about. It's about Zac Efron dancing around with a basketball."

Ophelia points at him. "That's part of it. But it's also about Troy deciding to be true to his best friend Chad or go with heart and be with Gabriella."

Ricky shakes his head, sitting up on his bed as he held his phone that was he facetiming Ophelia with. "I know I'm not the theater type, but I'm gonna try out for this musical no matter what."

"Okay, before you audition you should at least watch the first movie." Ophelia told him.

Ricky nods. "Okay." He sighs softly, looking at her with a hopeful glint in his eyes. "Do you think this plan will work?"

Ophelia looks at him as if she was offended he questioned her plan-making skills. "Of course 'Operation Troy' will work. And I'm sure that you'll get back together at some point."

Ricky's lips form into a smile and then he raises his eyebrows at her. "You seriously named the plan that?"

"Hey, I'm proud of that name." Ophelia pouts, crossing her arms. "It took me like five minutes to come up with it."

Ricky chuckles lightly. "Thank you for helping me get back with Nini." He looks at her with a smile that for some reason made her heart skip a beat. "It means a lot to me."

"Yeah, of course." Ophelia smiles back at him. "You know I'd do anything for you."

Ricky nods, the smile never leaving his face. "Right back at ya. So are you planning to join the yearbook club? I remember you talking about it last year."

Ophelia smiles, surprised that he remembered something like that. "Yeah, I'm planning to join yearbook club. I'm really excited about it since I love photography and it will hopefully help me improve my skills."

****

(this is what ophelia is wearing for the rest of the chapter)

The day of the auditions for the musical Ophelia decided on wearing an AC/DC graphic tee (AC/DC is one of her favorite rock bands), an army green colored jacket, dark blue jeans with holes on the knees, red shoes, and she also wore a black choker necklace. She left her hair curly and went with wearing simple makeup. When she got to school she asked the yearbook club teacher, Mrs. Kelson, if there was an opening since she had hoped she would be able to get into the yearbook club finally. 

The yearbook club was only for juniors and seniors which is why she had to wait until her junior year to get in. Mrs. Kelson is a nice woman who's in her late twenties and used to be a professional photographer until she decided she wanted to work with kids and teach them about photography. Mrs. Kelson told her there was one opening left and gave her some forms to fill out. She said that she would get back to her the next day about if she got in.

Ophelia had asked Miss Jenn when she got backstage in the auditorium if she could help out behind the scenes like with the technical equipment. Miss Jenn told her she can and that they would need all the help they can get. She was happy since her auditions were basically done, but she decided to stay and watch everyone else's auditions. She met some of the others trying out for the play-a red-haired girl named Ashlyn, and a blonde-haired boy named Seb. They were both really nice and she was excited to start being friends with them.

Ophelia began to think that Ricky gave up on going along with the plan because it was minutes into the auditions and he wasn't there yet. Maybe he was just being late to auditions because that's what Troy did. She was not surprised that EJ auditioned in a Troy costume. And, of course, Fallon couldn't stop staring at EJ with a dreamy smile. Ophelia had to hit her a few times to wake her out of her trance like state and every time she would blush and apologize.

"Ophelia," Luca, who sat next to Ophelia, whispers to her. "Where's Ricky? I thought he was auditioning."

Ophelia looks at her phone she held, checking the time. She sighs. "Don't worry," She bites her lower lip. "He'll be here...Hopefully." 

When Gina sang Luca looked at her with a smile. The two teens happened to lock eyes while she was singing and she smiled at him which made him quickly look away shyly. Ophelia smiled at the two, noticing Luca's face was tinted pink. She knew someone's got a crush.

Luca auditioned after Gina, singing parts of the song 'Start of Something New' just like EJ and Gina did. Fallon went after him, singing parts of the same song. Nini was up next. But just before Nini sang the side door to the auditorium opened.

"Am I too late? Am I too late?" 

Ophelia looks over along with everyone else, smiling upon seeing that Ricky made it. "We're all set on Troys. We're low on Chads." Miss Jenn responds. "You can read after the Gabriellas."

"I-I only studied the Troy scenes in the movie." Ricky stuttered, walking onto the stage.

Carlos looks at him and shakes his head. "Troy would've arrived on time."

"No, he wouldn't." Ophelia speaks up, shaking her head. Carlos sent her an annoyed look and she just sweetly smiles at him, shrugging her shoulders. "Don't look at me like I'm not right 'cause I am right."

Miss Jenn sighs, whispering to Carlos, "Thanks. Let me do the talking."

"Okay, Nini," Miss Jenn looks at the girl in front of everyone with a smile as she picks up her mug. "Let's try this again."

"You got this, babe!" EJ cheers. "Whoo!"

His cheer startled Miss Jenn which made her accidentally spill some coffee over the technical equipment that was on the desk she and Carlos sat at. Then the lights went out a few seconds later. The auditorium wasn't completely dark since there were two big lights on the stage, but it was still pretty dark without the main lights on.

"Nobody panic!" Miss Jenn exclaims. "Nini, let's wait for the lights to come back on. I don't want this to throw you."

Nini shakes her head. "I'm not thrown." 

She then began to sing the beginning of 'Start of Something New'. The second part of the first verse came and Ophelia noticed Seb started playing piano at that part. She tilts her head to the side when she saw a light turn on and she looks to her right, smiling when she saw Ricky holding up his phone to Nini with the light on his phone shining on her. Seeing him do this, EJ got up and did the same thing.

Ophelia almost forgot how talented Nini was until she sang. In Ophelia's opinion, Nini was perfect for the role of Gabriella and she deserved to get that role. The lights came back on just after Nini finished singing all of the song. Ricky and EJ turned their phones off and EJ went back to his seat while Ricky went to stand at the side of the stage. 

"Well, thank you, Nini." Miss Jenn smiles. "I only needed thirty-two bars, but I appreciate your commitment." She looks at Ricky. "You, late boy. Let's do the Chad sides."

Ricky and Nini switch places and Nini goes to sit beside her boyfriend. Ophelia glances to her right when she heard footsteps walking up the steps of the stage, smiling a bit upon noticing Big Red give Ricky two thumbs up. She thought it was sweet he came to cheer on Ricky. 

After introducing himself and saying what grade he is, Ricky starts saying the line he was supposed to say from the script he held. Ophelia furrowed her eyebrows, sharing a confused look with Fallon before looking back at Ricky when he crumbled up the scripter once he was done saying the line. 

"I don't know." Ricky continues. "Maybe it's the way Gabriella always had your back. And maybe you can't stop beating yourself up for totally blowing it with her."

"This wasn't in the movie, right?" Fallon whispered to Luca and Ophelia, her eyebrows furrowed together with confusion.

Luca shakes his head, whispering, "No. He's making it up."

"And look, Troy." Ricky continues to stare at Nini as he speaks. "Even if you never said the l-word to Gabriella, 'cause that's, like, not even a word your parents say to each other anymore...That doesn't mean you don't."

"Maybe it just means that you were waiting for the right time to say it..." He gestures to everyone. "So that everyone could hear it. No." He scoffs, shaking his head. "So that she could."

Ophelia glances at Nini, noticing she was looking at Ricky with teary eyes. "Okay, kiddo," Miss Jenn breaks the awkward silence that fell in the room after Ricky was done talking. "Time to sing."

"Oh, no," Ricky stops Seb before the blonde played. "Actually if you don't mind, I kinda prepared my own song?"

Miss Jenn shares a look with Carlos and looks back at Ricky while nodding. "Sure."

Big Red hands him his guitar and Ricky gives him the script to hold. Ricky puts the guitar on, walking back to stand in front of everyone. Ophelia couldn't help the smile that tugged on her lips while Ricky began to sing and play the guitar. He was really talented. She was honestly jealous at how easy he can play the guitar.

Looking at everyone else, Ophelia noticed that most of the ones trying out for the musical seemed to enjoy the song, but some looked confused and some looked mad while he played the song Nini wrote called 'I Think I Kinda You Know'. Halfway through the song she saw that EJ had took his arm off of Nini, not looking so happy about what was going on.

The auditorium was erupted with applause when the song ended. Ophelia followed Ricky and Big Red out to the hallway while Luca and Fallon decided to stay back and converse with some of the other teens trying out for the musical.

"Well, that happened." Ricky commented.

Ophelia sends him a smile, playfully elbowing him. "I think it went great."

"Yeah," Big Red agrees. "Me too."

Ricky smiles at the two. "I'm glad at least you two think that."

"Hey!"

They each stop walking in the hallway, turning around to see who was the one that called out to them, and saw that it was Nini. Looking at Ricky, Nini shakes her head. "What are you doing here?"

Ricky shares a confused look with Ophelia before looking back at Nini. "I'm auditioning."

Nini furrows her eyebrows. "You hate musicals."

Ricky tilts his head to the side, his lips curving downwards. "That's a little harsh."

Big Red and Ophelia took this as their cue to leave so they began walking further down the hallway to give Ricky and Nini some space while they talked. Ricky had just told Nini that the reason he was trying out for the musical was because of her when Carlos came out into the hallway, holding the cast list.

"Carlos is posting the cast list!" Kourtney walked by them, grabbing Nini's arm and pulled her over to where the cast list is being put.

"I don't not love you." Ricky said to Nini but she had already left by the time he said it. Ophelia walked up to him, noticing it looked like he needed some comfort at the moment. She put a hand on his shoulder, he looked back at her with teary eyes. She sent him a sympathetic smile, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze.

Everyone eagerly went to see who got casted as who while Ophelia and Ricky stood off to the side of the hallway along with Big Red. Fallon then excitedly went over to them with a big grin on her face. "Guess who just got Kelsi!"

Ophelia smiles. "I'm guessing you."

Fallon grins. "Yes!"

"That's great, Lonnie!" Ophelia grins. "I'm happy for you."

"I got Zeke." Luca said as he walks over to the small friend group with a small smile on his lips. He shakes his head. "Not complaining 'cause Zeke is a great character."

"Awesome, Luca." Ophelia sent him a smile.

"You wanna know what's even more awesome?" Luca asks, looking at Ricky with a smile. "Dude, you got the role." 

Ricky looks at him with furrowed eyebrows. "What?"

Luca chuckles. "You got Troy."

"Yes!" Ophelia cheers, fist bumping the air. "My wonderful plan is working." She sheepishly smiles and then looks at Ricky with a smile, quickly adding, "Also happy for you." when she saw the looks she got from Fallon and Luca.

Ricky looks at Luca with surprise. "W-Wait, seriously?"

"'Chad'?" They each look over when they hear EJ speak and it was obvious he sounded upset.  "She thinks I'm a 'Chad'?"

"Dude," Big Red looks back at Ricky from his spot now standing by the cast list. "Luca wasn't kidding."

Ricky furrows his eyebrows, walking through the opening everyone made to let him see the cast list. Fallon, Luca, and Ophelia followed him, watching as he looked at the cast list with wide eyes when he saw his name beside Troy Bolton.

-ˏˋ"So, yay, my plan worked!" Ophelia smiles at the camera, standing in the hallway by the auditorium. "But I didn't realize how awkward things are gonna be since EJ is Ricky's understudy and EJ is Nini's boyfriend." She groans. "Why do things have to be complicated?"ˎˊ-

A/N finally done with the first episode of season one :) ngl the song i think i kinda you know is really good