Categories > Movies > High School Musical > Start of Something New
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the HSM characters or anything. Also, though this story involves the names of real people, it is a complete work of fiction in terms of characterization and plot.
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Chapter 5 - Behind Enemy Lines
Moments later, a soft knock came at Vanessa's door. She peered through the eyehole and saw Monique. She pulled the door open.
"Hey, thanks so much for helping us out there," said Monique, hugging her. "Guess we learned our lesson." She laughed, walking in and sitting down on the end of the bed.
"Well, I know one of you probably did," said Vanessa, climbing onto the bed and settling back against the headboard. She told Monique about Lucas's "accident," sending Monique into fits of laughter.
Another soft knock came at the door. Monique pulled the handle and Lucas walked in, carrying his balled up pants and wearing a pair of sweatpants that said Flight 29 Down on the behind.
"So thanks a lot, Ness," he said, sitting next to her against the headboard. "Now Corbin thinks I'm about seven years old when I'm the oldest lead in this movie. And probably the only one who really went to high school, you home schooled child stars."
"You're not really mad, are you, Lucas?" said Vanessa, touching his arm. "I'm really sorry about it-it's all I could think of to get him away from the door."
"No, I forgive you," he said, exaggerating his pardoning tone. "We did kind of bring this on ourselves. But if it gets out over the Internet that I'm a bedwetter, I'm taking that back and starting a rumour about you being bald and having claws instead of fingernails."
They all laughed.
"Hey, what's the deal with you coming back earlier today?" said Monique. "I thought you and Zac were filming together?"
Vanessa felt her cheeks reddening. Act nonchalant. They won't notice. "Well, we were just scheduled for a shoot together today, not scheduled to spend the whole day together," she said.
There was a pause. Lucas and Monique exchanged a look.
"What, guys?" said Vanessa.
"Nothing," said Monique, giving a shrug. "Just that you and Zac... well, it's obvious you guys are really into each other. I thought you would totally take advantage of the extra time /alone/." She pulled out the last vowel sound in /alone/.
"It's /acting/," said Vanessa. /It is acting/. "We're professionals! We're playing a part here. Our characters are hooking up, not us."
The pause was longer this time.
I... guess I wasn't convincing anyone?
In a small voice, Vanessa broke the silence. "So I'm that obvious, huh?"
Monique and Lucas laughed. "There's practically a sign pointing at your head," said Monique.
Ow. Vanessa let out a cry and put her pillow over her face. "Oh man. Soooooo embarrassing." She stopped, and peeked over the top at them. "But you really think Zac likes me?"
Lucas scoffed. "I'd say so. The guy's always got one eye on you, or is trying to hang out with you, or talking to you, or talking about you." He adopted an academic tone. "I mean, objectively, Ness, you're a beautiful girl, so most guys are going to pay attention. Present company excluded, of course-I have a beautiful girlfriend in L.A. and could not possibly want for anything more."
"She can't hear you, you know," said Monique, by now lying on her side on the end of the bed.
"You'd be surprised," said Lucas. "But as I was saying, yeah, Zac's got a special thing for you, Nessa. And it's obvious to all that it's more than skin deep, so to speak."
Is it?
Hugging the pillow, Vanessa said softly, "I don't know... I kept dropping all these hints today at dinner, and he just-he just wasn't picking up on any of them."
"Really?" said Monique. "No way. What did he say?"
Vanessa explained the conversation.
"I don't know," said Monique. "Maybe he just sucks at this relationship thing?"
"He seemed to be pretty good at the flirting thing. Just not so good at-sealing the deal."
Just the most important part.
"You guys would be so sweet together... We all know it. I wonder what the problem is." said Monique.
Yeah... me too.
"I know." Lucas snapped his fingers. "You should ask Ashley. She's known Zac since way back when. She'll know what's up."
This time, a look passed between Vanessa and Monique. Ashley.
"What now?" said Lucas.
"Well... Ashley..." started Vanessa.
Monique was more abrupt. "She's much nicer when the Disney cameras are turned on, but off-not so much."
"It's more subtle than that," said Vanessa, from behind the pillow. "Like, whenever she's nice to you, on camera or off, you just feel like she's not sincere about it." /I don't know how she and Zac are even friends/, she thought.
"Girls." Lucas snorted. "Why can't you just all get along?"
"Oh, guys never notice this kind of thing," said Monique. "She's different with you guys, anyway. All giggly and sweet and everything." She fluttered her eyes and made her wrists limp, then made a vomiting sound.
"OK, so I'll ask her about Zac," said Lucas.
"Oh, no, Lucas..." said Vanessa, cringing. But... Maybe it's worth a shot. "Well... just don't be obvious about it when you ask."
"Come on," said Lucas. "You do know who you're talking to, right?"
Vanessa looked thoughtful. "A bedwetter?"
Monique dissolved into laughter. Lucas looked pained.
"Ha ha ha." He chuckled. "Don't worry. I'll get the goods. And maybe I'll even tell you."
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Chapter 5 - Behind Enemy Lines
Moments later, a soft knock came at Vanessa's door. She peered through the eyehole and saw Monique. She pulled the door open.
"Hey, thanks so much for helping us out there," said Monique, hugging her. "Guess we learned our lesson." She laughed, walking in and sitting down on the end of the bed.
"Well, I know one of you probably did," said Vanessa, climbing onto the bed and settling back against the headboard. She told Monique about Lucas's "accident," sending Monique into fits of laughter.
Another soft knock came at the door. Monique pulled the handle and Lucas walked in, carrying his balled up pants and wearing a pair of sweatpants that said Flight 29 Down on the behind.
"So thanks a lot, Ness," he said, sitting next to her against the headboard. "Now Corbin thinks I'm about seven years old when I'm the oldest lead in this movie. And probably the only one who really went to high school, you home schooled child stars."
"You're not really mad, are you, Lucas?" said Vanessa, touching his arm. "I'm really sorry about it-it's all I could think of to get him away from the door."
"No, I forgive you," he said, exaggerating his pardoning tone. "We did kind of bring this on ourselves. But if it gets out over the Internet that I'm a bedwetter, I'm taking that back and starting a rumour about you being bald and having claws instead of fingernails."
They all laughed.
"Hey, what's the deal with you coming back earlier today?" said Monique. "I thought you and Zac were filming together?"
Vanessa felt her cheeks reddening. Act nonchalant. They won't notice. "Well, we were just scheduled for a shoot together today, not scheduled to spend the whole day together," she said.
There was a pause. Lucas and Monique exchanged a look.
"What, guys?" said Vanessa.
"Nothing," said Monique, giving a shrug. "Just that you and Zac... well, it's obvious you guys are really into each other. I thought you would totally take advantage of the extra time /alone/." She pulled out the last vowel sound in /alone/.
"It's /acting/," said Vanessa. /It is acting/. "We're professionals! We're playing a part here. Our characters are hooking up, not us."
The pause was longer this time.
I... guess I wasn't convincing anyone?
In a small voice, Vanessa broke the silence. "So I'm that obvious, huh?"
Monique and Lucas laughed. "There's practically a sign pointing at your head," said Monique.
Ow. Vanessa let out a cry and put her pillow over her face. "Oh man. Soooooo embarrassing." She stopped, and peeked over the top at them. "But you really think Zac likes me?"
Lucas scoffed. "I'd say so. The guy's always got one eye on you, or is trying to hang out with you, or talking to you, or talking about you." He adopted an academic tone. "I mean, objectively, Ness, you're a beautiful girl, so most guys are going to pay attention. Present company excluded, of course-I have a beautiful girlfriend in L.A. and could not possibly want for anything more."
"She can't hear you, you know," said Monique, by now lying on her side on the end of the bed.
"You'd be surprised," said Lucas. "But as I was saying, yeah, Zac's got a special thing for you, Nessa. And it's obvious to all that it's more than skin deep, so to speak."
Is it?
Hugging the pillow, Vanessa said softly, "I don't know... I kept dropping all these hints today at dinner, and he just-he just wasn't picking up on any of them."
"Really?" said Monique. "No way. What did he say?"
Vanessa explained the conversation.
"I don't know," said Monique. "Maybe he just sucks at this relationship thing?"
"He seemed to be pretty good at the flirting thing. Just not so good at-sealing the deal."
Just the most important part.
"You guys would be so sweet together... We all know it. I wonder what the problem is." said Monique.
Yeah... me too.
"I know." Lucas snapped his fingers. "You should ask Ashley. She's known Zac since way back when. She'll know what's up."
This time, a look passed between Vanessa and Monique. Ashley.
"What now?" said Lucas.
"Well... Ashley..." started Vanessa.
Monique was more abrupt. "She's much nicer when the Disney cameras are turned on, but off-not so much."
"It's more subtle than that," said Vanessa, from behind the pillow. "Like, whenever she's nice to you, on camera or off, you just feel like she's not sincere about it." /I don't know how she and Zac are even friends/, she thought.
"Girls." Lucas snorted. "Why can't you just all get along?"
"Oh, guys never notice this kind of thing," said Monique. "She's different with you guys, anyway. All giggly and sweet and everything." She fluttered her eyes and made her wrists limp, then made a vomiting sound.
"OK, so I'll ask her about Zac," said Lucas.
"Oh, no, Lucas..." said Vanessa, cringing. But... Maybe it's worth a shot. "Well... just don't be obvious about it when you ask."
"Come on," said Lucas. "You do know who you're talking to, right?"
Vanessa looked thoughtful. "A bedwetter?"
Monique dissolved into laughter. Lucas looked pained.
"Ha ha ha." He chuckled. "Don't worry. I'll get the goods. And maybe I'll even tell you."
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