XXVII. little taste of heaven 

Gina being the amazing leader that she was ordered the group of drama students to gather supplies since they were stuck in school because of the snow storm. While EJ ventured off to help find flashlights and batteries, Marlowe was with Ricky and Big Red getting water and food from the cafeteria and teacher's lounge. "Mars, you're a girl." Ricky blurted out.

She paused from gathering the waters and looked at him over her shoulder, her brows pinched together. "Thank you for the observation."

Big Red laughed and his eyes went wide. "No, no, I just meant — uh, I'm having a bit of a crisis." He rambled.

"Like what?"

"It's about Nini."

"When is it not?" She questioned.

Again, Big Red snorted a laugh and he glared at her.  "Why am I involving her again?"  Ricky asked him.

"Because she's a girl and she's our best friend," Red answered and they ventured off into the dark hallway with the cases of water.

Ricky huffed. "I want Nini to know that I'm happy she's going to YAC, that I want what's best for her," he started to explain. "But I also don't want her to go."

Marlowe sighed. "Ricky, you know Nini's been dreaming about something like this her whole life—"

"I know! But things between us are so good and I don't want them to be ruined." He looked at his best friends.  "I should just text her."

"NO!" Both Marlowe and Big Red shouted at the same time.

He looked them like they were crazy. "Wha—Why not?"

"Because that's emotional manipulation, Ricky."

"It is not!"

"It kinda is," Big Red agreed with her.

"But she wants me to tell her how I feel!" Ricky defended himself.

When they turned a corner, they were met by Gina coming down the staircase with her flashlight. "Oh,  Gina,  perfect! Red announced. "We need a girl's point of view on something."

Marlowe looked offended. "Am I not good enough for you?"

He ignored her. "Ricky wants to texts something so dumb to Nini, and Mars and I are telling him not to."

"Guys, don't—"

"What's the text?" Gina interrupted him, her words quick and her voice went high slightly.

"Guys!" Ricky tried to stop them but they completely ignored him.

"He wants to tell her that he's happy she's following her dreams, but also wishes that he was her dream, and wants her to turn around right now and come back her." Big Red recited the boy's message and Marlowe couldn't help but cringe.

"I believe the word he used was 'forever'."

Gina looked like she didn't know what to say. "Mmm, yeah, don't ever text that. Or say it out loud for that matter. Ever." She responded with a disbelieving laugh.

Ricky almost looked embarrassed. "Thanks. And sorry." He said back. "We didn't mean to suck you into the whole thing."

"I, unfortunately, had no choice." Marlowe added and they laughed.

"Nah, it's all good." Gina smiled. "I'm honestly glad I ran into you. I found part of a Twix bar near my locker, and I can only assume it's your latest Valentine to me."

Ricky chuckled nervously. "I go big, Gina. You know that."

Marlowe and Big Red looked at each other with the same puzzled expression.

Marlowe decided it was probably best to not bother EJ. She tried cheering him up the best she could but ultimately, his heart was broken about not getting into his dream school, and she didn't want to push him any further. He was still wondering the halls while the rest of the theater kids were crowded together in the bomb shelter.

Marlowe was curled into Seb's side while Luca was throwing a fit over not having signal to text Knox about their situation. "I've had nightmares about this," she said out loud. "I dreamed that Ghostface was chasing me and then killed me in the janitor's closet."

"And that's why we don't watch scary movies." Luca said while still looking at his phone.

"That, and also the fact that when we were six, Mars had to leave our sleepover because we watched Saw." Big Red stated further.

Her eyes went wide. "Red!"

Ricky laughed. "And she was afraid to go to the bathroom alone so we had to sleep with all the lights on!"

Everyone around them bursted into laughter and Marlowe pouted. She flipped him.

"How many hours have we been here?" Seb questioned, his head rested on top of hers.

"All of them." Kourtney emphasized.

"Anyone wanna play Charades again?"

They responded with a simultaneous loud groan.

"Sounds like no."

"We can play telephone?" Marlowe suggested, searching for ideas.

"Marley, you're horrible at telephone." Seb winced, patting the top of her head.

"Yeah, you have horrible hearing." Her twin agreed.

Her jaw dropped. "Is this pick on Marlowe day or something?"

"That's everyday."

She kicked Ricky's shin and he yelped in pain.

"Guys, eventually if we run out of food, I just wanna say — you can eat me first. I probably taste like pizza," Big Red volunteered.

"Dude," said Seb, giving him an odd look.

"Hey, whose phone charger is this?" Ricky asked and held up a red charger that he found.

"I'm at 6%. You wanna fight me for it?" Kourtney challenged him.

"This is becoming very Cabin in the Woods."

"Any guesses on how it's going with Carlos and Gina?" Luca asked out loud. He finally gave up on trying to send a text to his boyfriend.

"Hopefully not killing each other." Ashlyn responded, cringing at the thought.

"They're both very stubborn people. I wouldn't surprised if someone doesn't come back with a black eye." Marlowe said and let out another leave sigh. She was bored and starving and her boyfriend was wondering around by himself in a depressed state. They were supposed to be rehearsing. Things couldn't possibly get any worse.

All of a sudden,Big Red started to sniff the air and it caught their attention. "Wait, do you smell that?"

"Yeah, sorry." Rick said, embarrassed.

Luca gagged and moved away from him, the others objecting in disgust.

"No, no, it's my grandpa Noah's pizza recipe!"

"Dude, don't even joke about that, okay? I'm so hungry, I actually would eat you!"

Ashlyn protectively put her arm in front of him.

The door to the bomb shelter opened and Gina and Carlos entered. "Ladies and gentlemen. . ." She announced.

"We present to you. . . A miracle in the snow!" Carlos continued and revealed Howie from the pizza shop with multiple pizza boxes in his arms.

The theaters kids joyed at the sight and immediately stood from their spots. Marlowe squealed. "Finally! Okay, don't eat it all. I'm going to find EJ!" She declared and quickly ran out of the room into the dark hallway.

Searching for EJ wasn't as hard as she thought it would be. When she called out his name, she saw him already making his way down the hall to the bomb shelter. Marlowe sighed out a smile. "Oh good, there you are!"

"Here I am." He responded, his voice slightly flat.

She stood in front of him and titled her head. "How are you feeling?" She put her hands on either side of his arms. "Still upset?"

"Not really upset. Just. . . Disappointed, y'know?"

Marlowe nodded. "If it makes you feel any better, I still think you're pretty damn great. Even if Duke doesn't see it." She spoke with sincerity.

EJ stared down at her, taking in her features even when it was almost pitch black around them. He could still make out her long eyelashes and the softness of her brown eyes. She had the kindest eyes. His heart beat quickened just at the sight of them. He physically felt his spirits start to lift and he smiled at her.

Marlowe felt a tingling sensation in her toes and it went all the way through her body until it reached her hands. It wasn't nerves or anxiety but it was a bubbly feeling; the kind of feeling she only got with him. Her nose crinkled. "Why are you looking at me like that?"  She asked with a slight chuckle.

"I will always look at you like this."

Her smile widened causing her face to brighten.  "Come on. Pizza's here." She said and wrapped her arm around his waist.

EJ's arm overlapped around her shoulder and she fell into his side. The snow fell against the windowpane but they were hiding in a safer place, dry and warm, and Marlowe felt the happiest she had ever been.