XVIII. friends don't look at friends that way

Marlowe peaked her head out from behind the curtain. She searched the crowd and she saw her mother and father in the middle row, right in front of Ricky's mom and dad. From across the stage, she saw Ricky doing the same thing. She closed the curtain and walked across the stage. "A little less worried now?"

He was smiling that his mom had actually came. "Yeah. Yeah, I think I am." 

"Wanna do our secret handshake for good luck?"

"Duh."

The two of them did their secret handshake and at their end, their pinkies interlocked and they kissed them. It had been their handshake since they were six years old and it brought them good luck every single time.

The National Anthem started to play and the two of them looked around. "What the hell?" Marlowe uttered, looking confused.

"Are we supposed to. . ." Ricky trailed and hesitantly put a hand over his heart. They looked at each other and nodded. "Big Red."

Suddenly, the disco ball for Start Of Something New dropped and Marlowe's eyes widened. She shoved Ricky. "Go, dude, GO!"

She ran back to backstage to watch. She stood with Luca and they watched Ricky and Nini perform the song. "God, I hope this goes well." She muttered and clasped her hands together.

The audience clapped when the pair ended the song and they walked to center stage. "You have an amazing voice. You're a singer, right?" Ricky asked Nini as Troy.

"Just the church choir is all. I tried a solo and nearly fainted." She acted as Gabriella.

"Really? Why's that?"

"I took one look at all the people staring only at me, and the next thing I knew, I was staring at the ceiling. end of solo career," Nini continued. "But you sound like you've done a lot of singing."

"Oh sure, lots. Yeah, my shower head is very impressed with me." Ricky said sarcastically, directing his line to the crowd.

The twins laughed with the audience.

"Remember in kindergarten, you'd meet a kid and know nothing about them, and ten seconds later you're best friends?"

"Yeah."

"Singing with you felt like that."

"They're doing so good." Luca whispered.

"I know!  I'm so proud of them." Marlowe quietly squealed.

"Oh gosh, sounds like the fireworks have started." The leading lady said loudly when she realized there was no sound. "Can you hear them?"

She shrieked when the scoreboard suddenly started buzzing. "Jesus, Red!"

Luca shook his head. "Poor guy. We really should've helped him more."

"I gave him flash cards!"

After a quick scene change, Marlowe gave EJ a pat on the back when his scene was up. "Good luck, Green Eyes."

He grinned. "Thanks, Star."

Just as he was about to go on stage, Marlowe became stunned. "Star?" She repeated.

EJ turned to her again and smiled. "Yeah. Y'know, cause you're going to be a huge star one day."

There was a flutter in her stomach. Marlowe watched him go on stage and she smiled to herself. Turning her head to the side, she saw Seb standing there, smirking. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

""I've finally found what I've been looking for'?" He repeated what she said earlier. "Come on, Marley. You know you have feelings for him."

Marlowe shook her head. "EJ and I are friends, Seb."

Seb gave a half smile and grabbed her hand. "Friends don't look at friends that way, Marlowe."

Her face changed at his statement and he squeezed her hand before walking away to go back to the dressing rooms. Marlowe turned back around and watched the performance, her eyes watching the scene in front of her.

"You know what, dude? Can't make it tonight," Ricky said to EJ. "Gotta catch up on homework."

"What? Hello, we're only on the second day back," EJ retaliated. "I-I'm not even behind yet and you know I've been behind on homework since preschool."

Marlowe chuckled.

Ricky laughed. "That's hilarious. Catch you later!"

He walked away off stage and EJ pulled a suspicious look. "Homework? There's no way."

The audience laugh and he gave them a charming wink. Marlowe clapped along with the them and he walked off stage. "I am so proud of you guys!"

"I felt like I was going to puke." EJ breathed out, now feeling her nerves.

"I guess our secret handshake worked once again." Said Ricky.

"Secret handshake?"

"Ricky and I came up with this handshake when we were kids. It's kind of our good luck charm," Marlowe explained.

"Yeah, and it's worked every single time." He added and walked off to go get some water.

"I want to have a handshake. I need some luck, too." EJ pouted.

Marlowe giggled and patted his arm. "We'll come up with one later. Right now, I have a scene to prepare for."

After going through a quick rehearsal, Marlowe and Luca stood in the dressing room with their hands held, praying. Their scene was about to start. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for Stick To The Status Quo!"  Miss Jenn announced when she walked in. "This is our biggest act one showstopper and you're all going to kill it because I love you. Any questions?"

"I have a couple hundred." Kourtney stated and raised her hand.

"Wait, how is the Taylor dance break gonna work?"  Seb asked as he dressed in his Sharpay costume in case he needed to step in for Marlowe. "Gina's
tray-ograohy is really complex."

"I can run to the pit and have the orchestra cut that part!" Carlos suggested.

"What?"

"No. What?"

"Or we could just have Gina do it!"

At Kourtney's statement, Marlowe turned around and gasped when she saw Gina standing there, holding a box of cupcakes. "Gina!" She exclaimed and sprinted towards her. She threw her arms around her neck. "You're here!"

"Oh my god!" Luca gasped.

"Gina!"

"What!"

Gina giggled and Marlowe pulled away. She sat the box of cupcakes down and opened her arms wide. Carlos ran into her arms and then Kourtney and then Luca. "How did you get here?"

"A friend bought me a last minute flight back. I was gonna drop off these cupcakes and then hide in the gym and cheer you guys on," she explained.

"Gina, no one in the gym wants to hide more than I do right now," Kourtney declared.

Gina's eyes widened at her outfit. "Wait, are you playing Taylor?"

"I was, and it was nice, and now it's your turn to save my butt and do the dance. Please. I'm asking you." She begged.

Whe stared at the outreached tray in front of her and all the students gave her encouraging looks. Marlowe smiled at her. "Can I?" She asked Miss Jenn.

Miss Jenn pretended to think about it. "Of course! You can do the curtain call together! Let's hit the halls, people!"

Marlowe squealed and tackled Gina into another hug. "Omg, you have no idea how much I missed you."

Gina giggled. "Thank EJ. It was his idea."

She blinked in shock at her statement. Gina quickly went to get ready and Marlowe stood there, her head spinning out of control even more than it already was.

Almost everyone backstage, especially EJ and Knox,  stood by the curtains to watch the Status Quo act.  Marlowe watched Gina perform her tray choreography and she and Luca walked up both sides of the stairs to the top of the set. "EVERYBODY QUIET!" She shouted in character and gripped the bar tightly. The audience cheered and the twins walked down the steps again,  "This is not what I want. This is not want I planned. And I just got to say, I do not understand!" Marlowe sang her heart out and Luca grabbed her hand. "Something is really. . . something's not right. Really wrong."

He joined in on the singing as they did their choreography. "And we gotta get things back where they belong!"

EJ shook his head in a daze. "Wow."

"They're incredible." Knox nodded, smiling at his boyfriend.

"Not another word." The backup dancers sang. "No. Not another word. No. Not another sound."

One of the dancers grabbed Marlowe's hand and spun her around so she and Luca stood off on the side. They continued to do the Status Quo choreography. "No, no, no, no! Stick to the stuff you know. It's better by far to keep things as they are. Don't mess with the flow, no, no,"

The twins found each other and they moved through the crowd of dancers.

"Stick to the status. Stick to the status. Stick to the status quo!"

Nini dumped her tray of food into Marlowe and she let out the most convincing, distressful scream she could.

The crowd cheered and clapped for their performance and they're exited off stage. When they were out of view, Marlowe let out a squeal and jumped into her brother's arms. "Did we just do that?"

"We just did that!" Luca chanted and spun her around.

Everyone quickly gathered in the bomb shelter and Marlowe could not stop squealing. "Oh my god! Oh my god!"

EJ quickly found her. "Marley, that was amazing!"

With no hesitation, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down into a hug. EJ at the act,  not expecting it at all. "EJ, you did so great! I'm so proud of you."

Those words warmed him more than she knew and he smiled, hugging her back.

Knox grabbed Luca's face and kissed him on the lips. "And you were nervous for nothing. That was incredible." He praised.

The junior smiled. "Thanks, Knox."

He smiled back and his eyes shifted to the hugging pair not too far away from them. "Looks like you're winning." He mentioned.

Luca looked over his shoulder and saw his sister hugging EJ. He scoffed. "Please. Like I was ever wrong."

"Troy and ballers in five minutes!" Carlos announced to everyone. "Ricky, we need you in your harness,  pronto!"

Marlowe pulled away from EJ and pressed her hands to his cheeks. "Better get going, baller." She spoke with a breathy laugh.

He winked at her and ran out of the room with the rest of the ballers, leaving her standing there smiling wide.

It was time for the Getcha Head In The Game performance and it being Marlowe's favorite, she stood on the sidelines front and center to watch. The music started and the audience started cheering. "Just keep your head in the game.  You gotta get'cha,  get'cha head in the game," Ricky sang.

"We gotta get-a, get-a, get-a, get our head in the game!" The rest of the players joined in.

"You gotta get'cha, get'cha head in the game."

"We gotta get-a, get-a, get-a, get our head in the game!"

Marlowe swayed to the music and felt Luca join her side, smiling in excitement as he watched Knox perform.

"Let's make sure that we get the rebound. cause when we get it then the crowd will go wild. A second chance, gotta grab it and go. Maybe this time we'll hit the right note. . ." Ricky continued to sing and he dragged out the last note.

Marlowe cheered to herself, feeling proud of him.  "Yes!"

"Wait a minute. Not the time or place. Wait a minute,  get my head in the game. Wait a minute, get my head in the game. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. I gotta get my, get my head in the game."

"You gotta get'cha, get'cha, get'cha, get'cha head in the game."

"I gotta get my, get my head in the game."

They brought down the harness with the basketball and attached it to Ricky's back. Marlowe and Luca clutched each other's hands, nervous for how it would turn out.

"Why am I feeling so wrong?" Ricky belted out and Natalie started pulling him up into the air. "My head's in the game but my heart's in the song. She makes this feel so right. Should I go for it?"

Everyone waited for him to drop the ball into the basket but he didn't do it. He froze. Luca shook his head. "What's he doing?"

"I don't know." Marlowe whispered.

Then, Ricky dropped the ball but it didn't go through the basket. It just fell straight to the floor. Now everyone was confused and it was dead silent. "I-I gotta shake this, yikes!" He stammered and the music started again. Natalie pulled him back to the ground. 

"You gotta get'cha, get'cha, get'cha, get'cha head in the game!" The rest of the players continued to sing.

"Get my, get my. . ."

Marlowe shook her head again and stared at Ricky,  wondering what the hell he was doing.

"You gotta get'cha, get'cha, get'cha, get'cha head in the game."

"Get my, get my. . ." Ricky tried to sing but the basketball slipped from his hands.

She covered her mouth and Luca touched his forehead. This couldn't be happening. Not now. Not tonight.

The song ended and Ricky took off, leaving the rest of players to feel confused. They exited the stage and EJ and Knox stood with the twins. Marlowe smiled to encourage them. "Guys, that was great!"

"Probably the best of the night." Luca agreed.

"Thanks guys." Knox smiled back and wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Hey, what's up with Ricky?"

"Yeah, he was fine earlier." EJ told them.

"Did he see something?" She asked, looking between the three of them.

"We don't know."

She nodded. "I'm sure he'll be okay. Nini'll give him a pep talk." She patted EJ on the back, trying to cringe at how sweaty he was. 0Go change, partner."

He smiled at her and the seniors took off to the bomb shelter. Marlowe peaked her out of to look in the audience and her eyes squinted. She saw her mom and dad and she looked up at Ricky's dad, then his mom, then. . . oh. Now she got it. "Oh, Ricky."

"What? What's wrong?" Luca quickly asked.

She shook his head. "Let's just say, his head is definitely not in the game."