FicWad

They sat silently at the tiny bistro table across from each other, watching the bulk of Los Angeles’ executives and workers pass them by in a hurry as they each headed to their place of work, eager to get Monday started so that Friday would get here sooner. Setting his large cup down on the clear glass table top, Lucas pointed over behind Manda’s shoulder and they spied a man, juggling everything on one arm while he talked on his cell phone eagerly. Both smirking at him, Manda turned back to Lucas and spied another they could mock later on. They were waiting out the early morning together, trying to relax and get enough energy in them both before they headed their separate ways for busy days. Lucas, of course, was headed back down to the audition hall where he had no doubt the finalists would be nervous as ever. And Manda was headed back to the Arista office, doing damage control, as she liked to call it. Drew had left her to finish up all of the television legalities that he would definitely be paying her for.

“What time is it?” Manda asked Lucas and he stuck out his arm for her to pee tar the watch on his wrist. “It is way too early to be doing this,” she murmured, bringing the black coffee back up to her lips.

“I can’t wait until the day we get to sleep in until ten.”

“Ha, Lucas, do you know how long that will be?” Manda rhetorically asked and stood up, straightening her jacket and pants up properly. Manda was going casual to the office today and planned to lock herself inside her own office so she could get everything done – and hopefully before noon. There were three international phone conference calls, five interviews to schedule and confirm, and one big meeting with the head of Arista. “The things I do for you guys.”

“You know you love us,” Lucas smiled up at her as she brushed her blonde locks back from her eyes.

“I do,” she smiled back, “for some odd reason. So, how do I look?”

“Hot as hell, how about me?” Lucas complimented her as he got up as well, turning around and showing off his latest ‘Lucas’ outfit which consisted of a pair of torn jeans, old Converse sneakers and a very old Rolling Stones t-shirt. Paired with his leather jacket of the day, he looked just like Lucas, unique and hot in every way possible.

“Very….Lucas,” Manda laughed, looping arms with him and they headed off to their destinations.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

*

“Coffee!” Ashley’s voice shrieked through the room as she weaved her way through the thirty finalists that were packed in the spacious ballroom and went straight for the coffee table. Zac and Drew watched her from the corner they were in and exchanged looks before laughing at her.

“You really deprived her this morning, didn’t you?” Drew asked him as Monique and Lucas started to converse with some of the finalists around the room, like Zac was supposed to be doing instead of watching and laughing.

“Just paying her back for yesterday,” Zac gloated as he watched Ashley pour herself the hot black coffee into one of the largest mugs on the table. “I love payback.”

“I know you do. Now go mingle,” Drew pushed him away in the opposite direction and looked back down at his own clipboard full of notes and things to get accomplished today. There were vocals, interaction with the others as well as the Rockers and those were just a few on the top of his list. Running his eyes down the list of finalists, Drew listened to the small crowd as they conversed and made small talk while some were warming up their voices for today. Looking from one to the other, he could already tell you who was going and who was staying. There were fifteen that were going home today and he was glad he wasn’t the deciding factor. It was all the Rockers choice now. Glancing over towards Monique’s way, Drew spotted his picks warming up their vocals while the others beside them were just trying to wake up. And if they made it through today, needless to say, he’d be surprised.

A buzz from his pocket broke his gaze and Drew took out the multi-tasking phone that held his life on it to see who it was and if he should even bother answering. Smiling when he saw it was from Ashley, he opened up the text message and laughed even more as he glanced her way with the coffee cup in one hand and her phone in the other. Keying in ‘definitely’ and sending it back to her instantaneously; Drew cleared his throat and decided to get things started. They needed to get things started, especially if they wanted to be out of here by eight tonight. “Okay, finalists…” his voice echoed over the room as they turned their attention to him. “Welcome back to Who Wants to be a Rocker…”

*
The newly formed friends, which included Vanessa and Corbin, died down their conversation about last night’s Desperate Housewives episode and turned their attention towards their possible future manager. Nudging Corbin in the side, Vanessa giggled at him, ignoring his glare that came after. Clasping onto the hook of his arm, the seven of them moved forward and paid attention to Drew and what was going to happen throughout the day. Warming up was the first thing and Vanessa glanced around the room, seeing each of the Rockers with the own clipboard in their hands.

“He is so hot,” Elena, one of their new friends and finalists from Miami, whispered to her and Vanessa followed her gaze to the one and only Zac Efron who Vanessa fully admitted was that and a bit more. “Oh, the things I would do to him,” Elena continued right when Vanessa nudged her and laughed.

“Like you wouldn’t do the same?” Elena semi-questioned and looked over at her while she looked back at Zac for a moment. Biting back a gigantic smile, Vanessa briefly saw Zac look her way and looked back at Elena.

“I would,” she admitted as a giggly laugh escaped the both of them.

“Ready to go, Miss Hudgens?” Drew’s voice startled her a bit as Vanessa now saw everyone looking at her and Elena. Way to bring the attention to yourself Vanessa.

“Uh, yeah,” she answered, regaining her composure and looking straight at him.

“Good,” Drew echoed and continued for just a moment more, “First we’re going to introduce everyone and then get started. But to make everything easier, I’ll just say your name and you raise your hand.”

*

Sitting down on the spare chair inside the one group, Monique looked around at everyone as they went silent. That hadn’t happened in a while and she didn’t know how to feel about it. “Don’t stop guys, keep going,” she encouraged as the group, consisting of the whole Seattle group, Corbin and Georgia continued on their harmonization skills.

There were five groups of six finalists and each Rocker and their manager sat in on and listened to them do their thing. Leaning back into her chair and crossing her jean covered legs, Monique was instantly drawn and impressed with Corbin. He just seemed to have a knack for music – helping Georgia with her ranged and listening to Julia as she tried to jump in with Georgia at the bridge of the song they were working on. He was definitely one worth keeping.

*

Lunch was brought in, courtesy of Arista Records and Ashley held hers in her hands, looking around for someone new to sit with and learn about. Drew was on the phone (again) with Manda and arguing about some interview, Zac and Lucas were busy trying to decide on how many subs and wraps they actually wanted with their mountain of chips already piled high on their plates and Monique had already taken a seat with the group that they had dubbed ‘The Pretty People’. Spotting a dark brunette sitting at a table in the corner with the Afro, a nickname that Ashley stole from Manda, she smiled and made her way over to them. They looked like they were already a mile deep in conversation but Ashley really wanted to sit with them.

“Hey,” her voice prompted the two apart as she set her box of food down, “Mind if I join you?”

“Not at all,” Vanessa didn’t hesitate to answer the blonde and Ashley smiled, remembering the both of them from the San Diego auditions.

“Good. So, how are you both doing? Manda says hi,” Ashley asked and snatched a pretzel from within the box, hoping for some conversation with the two.

“Doing okay, thanks,” Corbin answered with a wide smile.

“Yep, not too bad. Just telling Corbin here that next time his own phone rings, he’s answering it.”

“Nope.”

“I’m not your personal secretary, Cor.”

“Yeah you are.”

“No, I’m not and you need to stop avoiding his calls,” Vanessa countered back as Corbin stuffed another piece of the turkey wrap in his mouth and continued to banter with her.

Ashley couldn’t help but laugh at the two, realizing how much alike they were to her and Zac.

“Can to,” Corbin persisted.

Vanessa rolled her eyes at him and explained the situation to Ashley. “His dad, who I call Uncle David, keeps calling him and he refuses to answer.”

“Uh, why?” Ashley asked, looking at Corbin who didn’t comment.

“Because he doesn’t want to answer the ultimate question that Uncle David’s been asking for three weeks.”

“My mom’s birthday is next week,” Corbin revealed to Ashley as Elena, Christina and Bryan plopped down beside them.

“Really? But isn’t that a good thing?”

“I’m in charge of the party…”

“And has yet to do anything for it,” Vanessa finished for him and snatched a chip from his box and crunched it in her mouth.

Corbin looked over at Vanessa with pleading eyes and she stared back at him, determined not to give in which made Ashley laugh even more than she already had been inside. They really were just like her and Zac and telling him about it would be the highlight of her day.

“Fine,” Vanessa broke down to his puppy dog gaze and turned in her chair, “I’ll call Alexa before we leave and we’ll use that job of hers for your advantage while you call Hunter and try to find the perfect gift for your mother.”

“I love you,” Corbin flat out said with the cheesiest smile on his face towards the brunette.

“Next time, just answer your phone.”

“You two are so funny,” Ashley butted in, brushing back her long bang from her eyes. “You remind me so much of me and Zac,” she said and took a drink of her water and looked back to everyone again. “Are you guys having fun yet?” she asked once more, arching a brow as Vanessa and Christina both counted down from three with their fingers.

“Yes!” Corbin and Bryan almost yelled, catching her by surprise.

“I guess that’s a good thing, right?” Ashley looked back to the girls for confirmation and shared a laugh with them. They were definitely a fun group to sit with.

*

Drew punched the speaker phone button and leaned back in the chair, closing his eyes for the spare moment that he had. It just passed the three o’clock hour and he already knew who was staying until tomorrow - as did Lucas, Monique, Zac and Ashley. It was Manda who wanted an update after she got caught at the office for longer than she had intended to be. Hearing papers being shuffled around and a seat being pulled out and sat in next to him, he waited for a minute before Manda came on speaker.

“Okay, you’ve got about ten minutes and I just want the good stuff,” her voice was stressed and in a hurry.

“How bad it is there?” Drew chuckled after he asked his colleague and friend.

“Let’s just say you’ll be paying for this very soon. Now, tell me stuff,” she sort of demanded as Drew looked towards Monique with a comprehensive list of each of their choices.

“Hey girl, we’ve got twelve decided on that we want to keep.”

“Is Afro in it?”

“Yeah, him and ‘Voice’ as we’ve dubbed her are definitely staying.”

“Yay! I get to see him tomorrow then,” Manda said and Monique and Drew smiled big, just imagining her smile.

“And we both know who your favorite is,” Drew commented, leaning forward and looking on Monique’s list.

“Definitely. Both of them are on the top of mine. I keep replaying what she said to Zac over and over again in my head. We should’ve had cameras going on.”

“We’re setting them up for Wednesday now. How’s the thing coming together for Friday?”

“You and me will talk later tonight and I’ll update you on that. So far though, we’ve got Studio A at Paramount booked for Thursday and Friday.”

“Good.”

*

“If we called your name,” Zac paused and took a breath. He hated doing this part, especially after he pulled the short straw in delivering the announcement, “You are not a Rocker.”

“And if we didn’t call your name, you are staying and coming back tomorrow,” Lucas added on.

Zac looked around the room as some stormed out, some broke out in tears and some rejoiced in excitement that they were coming back. Walking off and around the room, he shook hands and offered hugs to some and came up upon Corbin and Vanessa, who had jumped up into his arms and he had spun her around several times, both were filled with excitement and seeing the beaming smiles on both their faces, made his even bigger. He loved that kind of reaction but hated the other kind – like the one on Alexandra Rae’s. She was one of the ones he liked and wished to stay. But at the end of the day, her voice or her passion wasn’t as strong as the others. “Hey,” Zac patted Corbin on the arm as soon as Vanessa had been swept away by Elena again.

“Hey,” Corbin responded as Bryan passed by, slapping his hand in the process.

“Excited to be staying?”

“More than you can imagine and thanks,” Corbin glanced back to Vanessa and back to Zac in a moment’s time, “from the both of us.”

“I’m glad you’re both staying too. You’re both two of the ones that we all like.”

“Wow. That’s a good thing, right?”

“Definitely a good thing,” Zac laughed at him before he saw Vanessa standing before them again, jiggling a cell phone in front of Corbin’s face.

“Come on, please?” Corbin instantly put his hands together, pleading her to take the call on his phone again.

“No, not a chance. I’m not your secretary,” she smartly replied, pushing the send button and holding it up to his ear.

“Hi Dad,” he answered, mouth a little thread her way before walking off with the phone for the conversation.

“Hi Zac,” her voice popped him out of her trance on her and returned the smile she had on her face.

“Vanessa, right?” Zac asked, even though he knew perfectly well what her name was.

“Yeah, it’s Vanessa.”

“So, what is it that Corbin does again?” he pointed towards the bushy haired guy ahead of them and stepped closer to her.

“Besides writing compositions and annoy the hell out of me? Good question,” Vanessa said, laughter lighting up in her eyes.

“Enjoy today?”

“Most definitely. This was a very cool day,” she said as a strand of her brunette locks flowed down to the side of her face and Zac fought the urge to pull it back behind her ear. Luckily for him, she pulled it back herself, tucking it firmly up in her loose braid. Vanessa looked back into his own eyes and it really hit him that he really wanted her to stay. “I can’t wait for tomorrow.”

“Me either,” he breathed out, not realizing he was holding one in.

“Any hints on what it will be like?”

“I don’t even know what’s going to happen,” Zac told her as he spotted Monique across the way, “And that,” he pointed towards his friend and Vanessa followed his gaze to see Monique curling her finger, “is my cue to come and save her.”

“How do I know that’s not a signal for her to save you?”

“Who would ever want to be saved from you?” Zac said, hoping that sounded just as much a compliment to her as it did in his mind. Seeing her curl her lips a few moments after, he bid her goodnight. “Have a good rest of the night, Vanessa.”

“Thanks, you too,” Vanessa said in a quieter tone as he walked off just when Corbin came back and watched her gaze staring the Rocker down. “I think Zac just gave me a compliment,” she pointed to where he walked to – by Monique’s side as they weaved their way back to Drew.

“And you took it? Wow, what did he say?”

“Um- well, he kind of asked or stated, rather, who would want to be saved from me – that was a compliment, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, V, that was a compliment. Didn’t it sound like one?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Vanessa turned towards Corbin as he wrapped his arm over her shoulder and they started walking towards the exit.

“There’s a first time for everything.”