"I mean, they all said it, so I'm just agreeing with what they said."

'Nice save' he thought to himself.

"Oh good, because I thought you were for real!" Nooshy started laughing, hard. "My best friend, telling me I'm pretty? God, I was like, hey Johnny are you on crack?"

She continued to laugh until buster butted in with a "So are you gonna take the part?"

"Please take it! You're our only choice for this!" Meena begged.

"I guess, but only because you guys can't do it without me."

"Great! See you at 6:30 for measurements and vocal lessons."

"Wait, what? SIX-THIRTY?"

"Yep, you need new measurements and choreography. And vocal lessons."

Silently, she walked out of the building. The moment she stepped out, she wailed, "I DON'T WANNA GET UP AT SIX THIRTY FOR A PART I DON'T EVEN WANT!"

"Sorry, Noosh, but I don't think you have a choice." Johnny said, close behind her.

Little did they know, someone was watching them. Ash was putting away her guitar on the second floor when she saw the two leave the building. She smiled, imagining Nooshy was talking his ear off, complaining about the time she had to get up. Thinking about Johnny's mistake with the "You're pretty" situation, she figured that a slip like that wasn't an accident. Something was definitely there, something the two couldn't see themselves.

As they walked to their apartment complex, Nooshy, as ash predicted, was complaining to Johnny. "Come on, you know me. I would never want to go to a ball or marry a prince. A mistreated ditzy girl is not me."

"Were you even listing to the description of Cindy?" Johnny asked, pushing the button on the stoplight.

"No...not really. I kinda left, especially after everyone elected me to be a dopey princess."

"Well, Cindy is this tough street smart girl who only wants to dance. She would rather die than wear a dress, rather get beat than be tied down."

"Well, if she's like that, how does the prince come into play?" the two crossed the street as he continued the explanation.

"The prince is just a guy who wants to be treated like a normal person for once, not like this great immortal or something. On the night of the ball, Cindy's stepfamily goes out in hopes of getting noticed by the prince. She sneaks out to go dance in the square for people when he bumps into her. She doesn't realize that he's the prince, so then she treats him like she would anyone. He realizes this and uses it to ask her to teach him how it is to live. Any way they become friends but he falls in love with her, and she doesn't want that. She finds out that he's the prince and gets mad that he didn't tell her, and then they fight and you know the way it probably ends."

"Yeah. DAYUM, that's gonna be so weird!"

Entering the elevator, Johnny felt his face heat up. 'What's wrong with me?'

"Johnny? You alright?"

"Oh what? Yeah, yeah totally. I'm good. This is my stop." He walked out on the second floor and said "G'night".

"Night." The short elevator ride from the second floor to the fourth floor had given Nooshy enough time to think over the role, and by the time that she had reached her apartment, she had already embraced it.

RRRRIINNNGGGG!

The alarm went off, but there was no response. A figure tossed in bed, completely knocked out. Eventually, the alarm wore itself out about 10 minutes later. But went it stopped, the figure sat straight up in bed.

"Crap! I'M GONNA BE LATE!" nooshy jumped up and threw on a presentable outfit that she had luckily set out the night before.

"STUPID ALARM CLOCK!" she hollered, running out the door.

She sprinted down the street, frantically pushing the stoplight buttons. By the time she got there, it was almost 7:00. Bursting through the door, heads turned in her direction.

"Nooshy?" Buster appeared at the end of the hallway.

"Hi! Sorry i'm late there was a problem with my alarm clock."

"Oh, that's ok. Meena and Rosita volunteered to be your vocal coaches, but they'll come in at about 9:00. The costume designer just came in, so you better head on in there."

"The costume designer just got here?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You told me 6:30!"

"Somebody had a hunch you'd get here late."

'Grrrrr of course. Of course my best friend would know I had a "problem" with my alarm.'

"Yeah, I'll bet." she grumbled, walking towards her dressing room.

There, a young panther, female in her 20s was unpacking.

"Hello?" Nooshy called out.

"Oh, Ms. Wright! Hello! Sorry, just unpacking."

"No need to apologize. Also, you can just call me Nooshy. Ms. Wright makes me feel too grown up. I've only just turned 19."

"Of course, though I thought your name was Nosiwe."

Nooshy groaned. "That was my mom's idea. She was a bit...eccentric. She also grew up in Africa and moved here when she was 15. Nosiwe Wright. I kinda really hate my name, so everyone calls me nooshy, as a nickname. What's your name by the way?"

the panther smiled. "My name is Shuri." "Pleasure to meet ya! Now, you're here to take my measurements, right?"

"Correct! Let's get started, shall we?" About an hour later, they were done, and she heard johnny come in through the door.

"Ok Nooshy. I think we are done here."

"That's great cause I gotta go." "Where, if you don't mind me asking."

"To go kill Johnny!" Stifling a laugh, Shuri watched the young lynx disappear out the door. She didn't know what it was about, but she knew one thing. Johnny was in deep trouble, and he was gonna pay.

"Johnny Egerton, what the hell is wrong with you?" Nooshy came barreling down the stairs and launched herself at him.

"Um, what are you talking about?"

"Telling everyone I was gonna end up sleeping in!"

"Well, you're not exactly reliable. You only get up when you want to get up. Do you know how hard it is to wake you up?"

"Well, maybe. But still! I'll get it together. I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!"

"Jeez, just trying to help my best friend for once."

"And as my best friend, you should know how much I HATE other people's help!"

"I also know your address, favorite color and food...and your real name."

"Don't you dare. I am going to pound your sorry ass if you ever dare."

"Well then, Ms. Wright, now you know what I will use to blackmail you." laughing mock evilly he walked up the stairs.

"You'll pay for that, Egerton!"

Hiiiiii! ok, so i couldnt resit naming the panther shuri. Also gave nooshy somewhat of an explantion for her admittedly annoying name. Hope you all are staying safe! Thanks so much for the reviews! New chapter coming soon!

Heartless2141: johnny x ash is a super cute ship, and i have to agree about nooshy's name and nose ring. Maybe one of those cartilage ear piercings would have been better.