Those innocent eyes (eyes)
That smile on your face makes it easy to trust you
If they only knew,
The girl with the tattoo, like I do
East High School
September 9th 2019
8:15am
Its a relatively calm autumn day. The brisk air follows as the leaves swirl colors amidst the madness of teen angst, theater nerds, jocks and skater boi's. East High School was buzzing as everyone made their way to their respective groups of friends on the first day back. So much for not sticking to the status quo, thought curly haired sophomore Gina Porter walking up to the familiar front doors. All around her there seemed to be someone for everyone...except her. Gina Porter, ever the outsider. Heat lightly flares from familiar spot on her shoulder, lightly at the thought almost as mockery to her curse; she feels the beginning of an eye-roll coming.
Yes you heard it right: curse. Soul mark's suddenly making appearances in her family had always been bad omens. When normal people find their soulmates there's the urgency, the need, to run to them, be with them and be happy together but for the Porter family it was a little more complicated than that.
The Porters for generations had been subjected to the shakespearean level tragic one sided soulmate. Or if you were like Gina's parents, then the marks never came and you lived a life never knowing who your soulmate was. Don't get her wrong Gina's parents were content, at least for the short while they had before her father died but unlike any other kid with soulmates for parents there is always the doubt. The startling clarity that there is someone in the world better suited for them, meant for them and they couldn't be found because her family was cursed. Her life would always be subject to change at the drop of a hat. It was safe to say she wasn't very happy when all of a sudden on an already hot summer day in June in sunny California she felt a heat on her shoulder that took her breath away. The product of that being a soulmark the size of a thimble with the presumed initials RB spelled on her skin.
It looks alot bigger in person than it does in the movie, she swallows down nerves at the thought, looking away from the students and to the overarching building above her. Shaking her perfectly coiffed head of curls with reassurances, nope Porter you've done this a hundred times come on you are not getting nerves here of all places.
Gina had moved many times in her life. To so many different places, she would be lying if she said it wasn't rainbows and sunshine in all of them, I mean who wouldn't want the chance to travel to a bunch of different places. Some people don't even get to leave their homes for half their lives. Which doesn't sound so bad if you have people to share that life with not just youtube tutorials and youtubers pretending to be your friends in order to get Adsense money.
So for right now Gina Porter's main focus is on being the best because as her mom always said "if you can't be the best at something you shouldn't do it." Which totally isn't at all tiring or exhausting.
And that's when she see's it. Now walking into the halls of East High with her head held high (the mean streets of New York taught her something's for one or two years), focused on getting to the administrative office she almost misses it. The sign up sheet for the latest musical in the school posted on the wall. High school musical the musical, oh it's almost too easy. The curly haired girl thinks with a resigned smirk, there's hardly anyone on the list. Like they'd be much competition anyways.
Gina maneuvers her book bag to her side without taking her eyes off the sheet, takes out her pen and right as she's about to mark her spot a tiny brunette suddenly finds her way in front of the paper.
"EJ!" The small girl calls out, Gina blinks at her sudden appearance.
"Sorry my boyfriend kinda just pushed me in to signing up, you can go ahead." Nini says as she sends a small glare his way, the tall jock's hands raise in his defense.
"What?! Just a little encouragement. Go on sign up babe."
"How about I sign up because I was here first?" Seriously dude, Gina thinks suppressing the eye roll as she finally signs her name into a slot on the paper. She's about to turn back to find the administrative office again when she hears the tiny girls voice almost call out to her, "oh Gabriella huh cool part, I-I'm auditioning for that too."
Aww she's adorable, I'm gonna kick her ass at auditions.
Gina paints on a pageant smile, "That's so cute. Have you ever played a lead before?"
EJ squints at the question and puts his arm around Nini almost protectively, "Well I-"
"She actually played the lead in our theater summer camp production."
"Well I was originally the understudy but then the actual lead got sick and I stepped in."
"And did amazing" EJ interjects, looking to Nini adoringly.
"Thanks babe." Nini softly looks back. Yep gonna be sick if I stick around for more of this, Gina nearly takes her sly exit and turns. Only to be met with the dreaded question she's been asked all her life: "Are you new here? I don't think I've ever really seen you around?" The letterman jock asks her with curious eyes.
Turning back she responds, "Yep."
"Oh w-well I'm Nini and this is my boyfriend EJ, which you probably got from the whole board blocking thing."
"Yeah I did. Great technique by the way hope your auditioning for Troy with that arm." The couple laughs and Gina lets her self crack a small smile.
Her smile fades as quickly as it comes when another voice enters the vicinity, "Hey Nini there you are girl, you signed up yet? I've already started a look book for the costumes and there's just no going back for me now."
Nini smiles, "Yeah I just did. Oh Hey Gina um this is Kourtney, my best friend and the greatest person with the best advice that anyone could ever ask for." As she's singing Kourtneys praises, they shake hands.
"This is Gina she's new here and she's auditioning for Gabriella too." Kourtney fully turns to Gina, and nearly sizes her up. Huh don't know whether I love her or hate her.
"Ohh the competition." Kourtney remarks, eyebrow raised.
"You know it." Gina sassily responds, raising one back. And she can tell Kourtney's made up her mind about her.
"Yeah, your sitting with us at lunch today." Kourtney proclaims, Nini's eyes widen in surprise. "Kourtney I'm sure Gina probably has plans or something for lunch we should at least ask-"
"I do actually have plans for lunch but thanks for the invitation, I might take you up on that." She seems cool, Gina concludes.
"Come Nini on the bells gonna ring soon." EJ says nearly startling Gina, He didn't leave yet?
"It was nice to meet you, good luck at auditions." Nini gives her a small smile.
"See you at auditions." Gina replies with a nod, that role is mine.
xxx
East High School
September 9th 2019
12:37pm
"Babe? Did he just fucking call her babe?" Ricky Bowen was practically buzzing at the scene, leg fidgeting along with his hands, touching the lunch tray. The scene being Nini Salazar Roberts, his girlfriend (that he took a temporary pause with sure) cuddled up to water polo jock #4 or something. Pretending not to know his name doesn't really make it any better, a thought persists in his mind but it doesn't entirely sound like him. This happens at times.
In certain points in his life he's heard thoughts at the back of his mind that weren't entirely his voice but all the same familiar to him. When he was younger he used to think he was going crazy until his dad sat him down and gave him the run down on the whole soulmate thing. Because a stranger should definitely have more stake in his life than he does, he nearly snorts at the thought. Actually maybe they should, maybe my life wouldn't be such a mess right now, Ricky thinks with slightly widened eyes. Shit I'd rather go crazy, he groans.
"Dude-" Big Red says interrupting his crisis.
"Can we maybe not look at my cousin snuggling up to your ex girlfriend for five seconds please and go back to my thing." The red headed girl at the table responds both boys turn to her.
"Sorry Ashlyn it's just-"
"Yeah I know. You're not over Nini and you don't know how to win her back. But dude it's over, she's with someone else and I know it's only been a month or two but you have to move on." Ashlyn states.
The table goes a bit silent after that and everyone sort of avoids eye contact, big Red lets out a sigh.
"Ricky I-" Ashlyn starts apologizing.
"No I'm-yea your right Ashlyn I mean what was I expecting when she was came back from camp? You know it was my fault. I couldn't say...anything to make what happened better." Just like my parents can't...with each other. Ricky thinks looking down toward his lunch tray again.
"We have an idea!" Big Red suddenly exclaims with guilty eyes.
"Red no-" Ashlyn replies, Red's arm is hastily found in a vice grip.
"What?" Ricky asks curiously taking note of his friends weirdness.
"Ash look at his face he's so sad and he's getting mopey all the time and it's kinda bumming me out." Big Red ignores his question and directly speaks to Ashlyn.
"Dude-" Ricky says incredulously, his hands pointing to his face.
"I was kidding! It is a terrible plan. Not to mention she's with my cousin of all people. I'm not getting involved in this." Ashlyn replies slowly as if to get Red to think out the possible situation.
"Uh hello I'm right here! What the hell are you guys talking about?" Ricky asks.
"What if you were to sign up for the musical to win Nini back?" Big Red proposes.
"Oh God." Ashlyn's hand finds its way to her forehead.
"That's a horrible idea Red. I mean I don't even like musicals. Like what do I expect? to just go up there and show Nini I'm not a flake for this show so I'm not a flake for us?" Ricky jokingly says, shaking his head and then contemplates. Wait a second...
Big Red then starts to back track, "well your right it doesn't really seem like a good idea, it was more-"
"Your right Red it's not a good idea, it's a great one. I gotta go watch this movie." Ricky says, already moving fast presumably to get to the library.
"Oh my god." Ashlyn exclaims and releases her head from her hands. She looks to Red who suddenly looks sheepish.
"Yeah admittedly it's not one of my best plans." He says folding his hands.
"You think." Ashlyn remarks, standing up to get rid of the trash. I need more friends, she thinks to herself as she walks to the other side of the cafeteria. She looks to the table where Nini and EJ are cuddled up together, Kourtney with them laughing and thinks of how things used to be. Ricky with his arm around Nini, Red explaining some totally improbable article about aliens with Kourtney rolling her eyes at the story and Ashlyn either laughing or ready to back him up with alien evidence of her own.
But Ricky and Nini's break up sort of changed their friend group and she misses it, her friends all together again. She knows Ricky's does too and that's at least one of the reasons why he's taking the break up so hard. For now Ashlyn can only dump her tray where it belongs and walk away from the high school drama.
The Salazar-Roberts Residence
June 25th 2019
8:17pm
I think I kinda you know
I think I kinda you know
Like the way that we flow
like the way that we go
And yea I think I kinda you know
"I do Ricky...I love you". The video loops again but he cuts the audio off and Ricky can see the smiling face and adoring eyes of his beautiful girlfriend waiting for him to say it back in his peripheral. Only he can't focus because the starry lights above her bed that once seemed so calming and serene we're all too blinding now. That voice at the back of his mind went silent, his parents don't even yell at each other anymore and he doesn't know if he prefers the silence.
He has to look at her, "Oh" is all he can really manage to stutter out before all hell breaks loose.
"Oh?" Nini asks, her eyes almost plead. For what he doesn't know or he does but he's afraid of the result.
"I think-I think we need to take a pause."
"You think we need a pause... Ricky what does that even mean?"
"I just think that- ow" he's interrupted mid sentence by a semi-searing pain on his shoulder, only it wasn't blinding or mind numbing just a little mild. Ricky grips his shoulder in pain as he starts to rise from the bed.
"Ricky what's wrong?" Nini hesitantly asks from her position on the bed. She's hugging herself almost like she's protecting herself from the likes of him when they would always say it was them against the world.
"It's nothing I just got like this weird hot flash on my shoulder." He replies turning away from her, rubbing the edges of the pain away.
"Let me see." Nini asks cautiously. "I just wanna make sure it's nothing really bad." She adds reading his still movements.
He's still turned away from her so Ricky can't see her shocked reaction when she peels back the layer of his shirt, over his shoulder. What he does hear is her gasp and a sharp intake of breath, "What? What is it Nini?"
His curiosity takes over claiming the part of his shirt in his hands he sees the product of his temporary pain, black initials written in neat cursive, GMP.
His heart hammers in his chest and he wishes it was just from nerves at the current situation but there was also apart of him that just took the biggest sigh of relief in the overwhelming sense of completeness. In knowing there was someone out there that understood wholly and completely, and they were a stranger but they knew him.
"Nini I- Are-Are you-?"
"Don't say those words right now! Of all the things to say to me right now don't you dare say my words." Nini says sharply, her arm raised that part of her being the only thing facing him. you cant say them when you're not mine, its almost like he hears it being directly whispered in his ear with the startling clarity of the statement but its not. Its just one of the many things that'll go unspoken between two people that aren't soulmates.
Ricky shakes his head and scoffs of course this is about soulmates when is it not.
"Jesus you have the audacity to scoff now. Just what's so incredulous about the situation? Why so over it now?"
"I'm not over it okay. It's because you're really gonna let a phrase written across your ribs and three letters written on my shoulder ruin our relationship we've been in for a year?"
"I believe in it Ricky! I believe in soulmates. I believed that one day maybe when the time was right your mark would maybe show up and it would really make you mine. It would confirm what we already knew. I was stupid enough to believe it even when you didn't say my words when I met you when we were kids." She's crying now and Ricky's never felt more powerless than when his mom left but this feels like a big contender to that. Ofcourse I care about you, more than most people in this world even, the thought carries across his mind yet feels too heavy on his tongue.
Ricky can't help but feel like things are gonna change now. It's not just with his parents, or him and Nini but his other constants. His friends. What would happen if they broke up? Would he still be able to hear Kourtney go on her feminist rants? Watch Nini look at her in awe, have Ashlyn support her with facts of her own leading them to high five and watch Red agree with them both with the head nod that he does. Everything would change and Ricky pleads to whatever force in the universe out there that at least he would have that stay the same. He can't deal with anymore facets of his life being subject to change.
"and its even more real now because you can't even say..." Nini chokes on the words a little and he hates the pain in her eyes. The silence stretches time between them and Nini takes a deep breath. Please don't let me leave,he can't bring himself to say the words in his head.
"You know what I think um, you're right. I think It's better that we take a pause for right now. I think you should go" Nini says a somber finality to her tone.
"Yeah um I'll see you." Ricky nearly whispers, his pride gets the best of him so he goes, avoiding the pain in her eyes. The pain he knows would only be reflected in his, as he clears his throat and closes her door on his way out.
Things do change.
East High School
September 16th 2019
4:05pm
I can't help dreamin' of you
Guess I'm sayin' I don't not love you
You know, you know, you know
His voice sounds way too familiar for Gina's liking.
They're all nearly to the end of the auditions and this curly brown haired guy with a guitar just runs in really late for the Troy auditions. Super unprofessional but super intriguing nonetheless and I don't even get intrigued, she thinks as she watches him awkwardly act out the lines in Chad's scene. And yet he keeps them all on their toes till the very end with his original song that apparently wasn't so original. If she'd gotten the gossip she'd overheard right then apparently Nini wrote the love song claiming she loved the guy and he had broken up with Nini over the summer, cold.
Something about his voice was too known to her. Has he been on the radio before or something? Been on youtube?
Either way he delivered an unexpectedly good performance, it would be interesting to play opposite him to say the least. What was that guys name?
xxx
the aftermath