Categories > Movies > High School Musical > Start of Something New
Disclaimer: It's probably obvious, but I don't own any of the HSM characters or the cast or their related stuff. 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 10 - Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
"I'll do the Scholastic Decathlon and you win the championships. It's where we belong. Go Wildcats."
A loud crash came from behind the camera as Vanessa handed the sheet music to Zac and started to walk past him. Startled, she lost her balance and fell sideways into him. He caught her easily and righted her. Hey.
"Easy there," he said, grinning.
"Sorry." She blushed, turning and pretending to look for the source of the commotion instead. Over her shoulder, she heard Zac say, "I think a sound thing fell."
Suddenly Kenny's voice rang loudly out into the corridor. "All right, we've got a little technical problem to take care of. Take five, but don't go too far."
Great.
She couldn't see Lucas or Monique anywhere. Turning, she saw Zac sitting at the base of the lockers, looking up at her and motioning gently to his side.
"Got a spot here for you," he said, a smile on his face. "If you want it, that is."
Why does he have to be so cute?
Reluctantly, she nodded and sat down, not looking at him. She watched him lace his fingers on top of his knees and felt her heart start to beat slightly faster. There seemed to be some kind of electricity between them, in danger of overloading if she got too close. But that was definitely against the rules.
For the past week she had been trying to cut him out of her memory, avoiding his eyes, trying not to remember the taste of his lips on hers-trying to move on. But it was tough, having so many scenes alone with him. Not to mention the fact that he wouldn't stop trying to talk to her, connect in some way. She couldn't help but remember how easy it was to be with him, how much she liked being with him. Almost involuntarily she found herself laughing at his dumb jokes, rolling her eyes when he teased her lightly. Wanting to put her arms around him again, feel him close to her.
Stop it, Nessa.
She was trying to steel herself. Be firm. Have strength, as Monique kept telling her.
She closed her eyes. Cut me some slack, Efron. I just need to stop liking you. Don't make it so hard.
Suddenly she felt a nudge.
"So nice work at the theatre yesterday. Toe tapping is really your forte. Ever thought about a career?"
He grinned warmly at her. In spite of herself, she laughed.
"Yeah, I really thought about it, but my parents were really insistent I stay in school and just stick with the acting thing." She lifted her hands, shrugging. "The toe tapping market can get really... tapped out."
She dropped her head and laughed at her involuntary pun. He groaned good-naturedly, nudging her again. "Maybe you should have gone into stand-up instead."
"Yeah, maybe."
She smiled back at him, then bashfully dropped her eyes again.
There was a silence, and then Zac let out an exasperated sounding breath.
"Ness..." he started. His fingers started to fidget. "Didn't we say we'd try to be friends?"
She couldn't look at him. "Yeah..."
"Well... I'm trying," he said. His voice sounded conflicted. "Because you know, I still want to be friends. I thought you did too." There was a pause. "But if you don't... well, maybe I should know now."
The defeat in his voice cut through her like a knife.
She looked up and saw him staring, his blue eyes fixed at the wall ahead, not looking at her. And suddenly, she couldn't stand the fact that it was... because of her.
The distance of the past week began to feel like a bad dream. He had been trying. She had been shutting him down. To protect herself, she'd thought. To keep her distance. Not to... lose him.
And the thought of losing him completely was unbearable.
I don't know what I'd do without him.
She dropped her head down, her eyes burning.
Nessa-you know what you have to do.
Gathering her resolve, she turned her whole body to face his side, crossing her legs. She took a deep breath.
"Zac... you're right. I haven't been very friendly." Her voice was nervous, but clear. "But I said I wanted to be friends, and I do. Let's just say... it's been hard getting over this little hump."
Almost by instinct, she put her hand on his knee and felt him start with a jolt.
"So... I'm sorry, Zac." She smiled softly and met his eyes hesitantly. "But yeah. I'm ready to try again. If you want."
But she could see him already grinning at her, his eyes filled with a new confidence.
"So that means you'll actually talk to me from time to time?" he said.
Efron. Always a goofball.
Sighing playfully, she grinned back. "If you're lucky."
Zac laughed. "That's good. Because you've been rejecting me all morning with this scene, and frankly, I don't know if I can keep on taking it."
"Awww. So sensitive." She patted his knee.
"I am a delicate flower," he said. Suddenly he opened his arms wide, a playful look on his face. "So, you want to hug it out?"
She paused. Zac froze.
"As friends," he added quickly.
Monique is not going to like this.
But impulsively, she dived in and leaned forward, her arms slipping around his back. He pressed her to him tightly. It felt oddly like... coming home.
Suddenly in her ear, she heard Zac whisper. "I've missed you, Ness."
She grinned and held him tighter, a warmth spreading throughout her body.
"I've missed you too."
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Walking with Lucas and Monique to the van, Corbin's cellphone rang. He answered, jumping into the backseat and settling in. "Oh hey Kristen."
After working with Kristen Stewart in Catch that Kid a few years ago, they'd kept in touch. From time to time they'd call each other, finding out what she was up to, checking in with his life, seeing if they could get together once in awhile. She was a nice girl, easy to talk to. He liked her a lot.
"Hey." Her voice sounded light. "What are you up to?"
"I'm in Utah, actually. Shooting a Disney TV movie." Monique gave him a look and he dropped his voice a few decibels. "It's a musical."
"Perfect," Kristen laughed. "You were always the singing and dancing type."
"And they've got me playing basketball, which is the hardest part." He laughed. "So what's up with you?"
"Oh nothing much. Zathura just came out, so I'm doing a ton of press. Just got a break now, and nobody seems to be around. So I'm calling you." She giggled. "Reviews have been great, actually. And for some reason I get to go to a lot of parties and stuff, mingle with the cream of young Hollywood."
He laughed. Kristen had always been leery of Hollywood networking, though she had a ton of friends in the industry. He was about to respond when a thought occurred to him.
"Hey Kristen... you're in the know. What can you tell me about Danielle Panabaker?"
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Author's Note: So they're back! Which is good, cause I totally missed them being together. As for that Corbin fellow, I feel like we should get him one of those Sherlock Holmes hats and a magnifying glass. Ha ha ha...
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Chapter 10 - Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
"I'll do the Scholastic Decathlon and you win the championships. It's where we belong. Go Wildcats."
A loud crash came from behind the camera as Vanessa handed the sheet music to Zac and started to walk past him. Startled, she lost her balance and fell sideways into him. He caught her easily and righted her. Hey.
"Easy there," he said, grinning.
"Sorry." She blushed, turning and pretending to look for the source of the commotion instead. Over her shoulder, she heard Zac say, "I think a sound thing fell."
Suddenly Kenny's voice rang loudly out into the corridor. "All right, we've got a little technical problem to take care of. Take five, but don't go too far."
Great.
She couldn't see Lucas or Monique anywhere. Turning, she saw Zac sitting at the base of the lockers, looking up at her and motioning gently to his side.
"Got a spot here for you," he said, a smile on his face. "If you want it, that is."
Why does he have to be so cute?
Reluctantly, she nodded and sat down, not looking at him. She watched him lace his fingers on top of his knees and felt her heart start to beat slightly faster. There seemed to be some kind of electricity between them, in danger of overloading if she got too close. But that was definitely against the rules.
For the past week she had been trying to cut him out of her memory, avoiding his eyes, trying not to remember the taste of his lips on hers-trying to move on. But it was tough, having so many scenes alone with him. Not to mention the fact that he wouldn't stop trying to talk to her, connect in some way. She couldn't help but remember how easy it was to be with him, how much she liked being with him. Almost involuntarily she found herself laughing at his dumb jokes, rolling her eyes when he teased her lightly. Wanting to put her arms around him again, feel him close to her.
Stop it, Nessa.
She was trying to steel herself. Be firm. Have strength, as Monique kept telling her.
She closed her eyes. Cut me some slack, Efron. I just need to stop liking you. Don't make it so hard.
Suddenly she felt a nudge.
"So nice work at the theatre yesterday. Toe tapping is really your forte. Ever thought about a career?"
He grinned warmly at her. In spite of herself, she laughed.
"Yeah, I really thought about it, but my parents were really insistent I stay in school and just stick with the acting thing." She lifted her hands, shrugging. "The toe tapping market can get really... tapped out."
She dropped her head and laughed at her involuntary pun. He groaned good-naturedly, nudging her again. "Maybe you should have gone into stand-up instead."
"Yeah, maybe."
She smiled back at him, then bashfully dropped her eyes again.
There was a silence, and then Zac let out an exasperated sounding breath.
"Ness..." he started. His fingers started to fidget. "Didn't we say we'd try to be friends?"
She couldn't look at him. "Yeah..."
"Well... I'm trying," he said. His voice sounded conflicted. "Because you know, I still want to be friends. I thought you did too." There was a pause. "But if you don't... well, maybe I should know now."
The defeat in his voice cut through her like a knife.
She looked up and saw him staring, his blue eyes fixed at the wall ahead, not looking at her. And suddenly, she couldn't stand the fact that it was... because of her.
The distance of the past week began to feel like a bad dream. He had been trying. She had been shutting him down. To protect herself, she'd thought. To keep her distance. Not to... lose him.
And the thought of losing him completely was unbearable.
I don't know what I'd do without him.
She dropped her head down, her eyes burning.
Nessa-you know what you have to do.
Gathering her resolve, she turned her whole body to face his side, crossing her legs. She took a deep breath.
"Zac... you're right. I haven't been very friendly." Her voice was nervous, but clear. "But I said I wanted to be friends, and I do. Let's just say... it's been hard getting over this little hump."
Almost by instinct, she put her hand on his knee and felt him start with a jolt.
"So... I'm sorry, Zac." She smiled softly and met his eyes hesitantly. "But yeah. I'm ready to try again. If you want."
But she could see him already grinning at her, his eyes filled with a new confidence.
"So that means you'll actually talk to me from time to time?" he said.
Efron. Always a goofball.
Sighing playfully, she grinned back. "If you're lucky."
Zac laughed. "That's good. Because you've been rejecting me all morning with this scene, and frankly, I don't know if I can keep on taking it."
"Awww. So sensitive." She patted his knee.
"I am a delicate flower," he said. Suddenly he opened his arms wide, a playful look on his face. "So, you want to hug it out?"
She paused. Zac froze.
"As friends," he added quickly.
Monique is not going to like this.
But impulsively, she dived in and leaned forward, her arms slipping around his back. He pressed her to him tightly. It felt oddly like... coming home.
Suddenly in her ear, she heard Zac whisper. "I've missed you, Ness."
She grinned and held him tighter, a warmth spreading throughout her body.
"I've missed you too."
----------------------------------------------------
Walking with Lucas and Monique to the van, Corbin's cellphone rang. He answered, jumping into the backseat and settling in. "Oh hey Kristen."
After working with Kristen Stewart in Catch that Kid a few years ago, they'd kept in touch. From time to time they'd call each other, finding out what she was up to, checking in with his life, seeing if they could get together once in awhile. She was a nice girl, easy to talk to. He liked her a lot.
"Hey." Her voice sounded light. "What are you up to?"
"I'm in Utah, actually. Shooting a Disney TV movie." Monique gave him a look and he dropped his voice a few decibels. "It's a musical."
"Perfect," Kristen laughed. "You were always the singing and dancing type."
"And they've got me playing basketball, which is the hardest part." He laughed. "So what's up with you?"
"Oh nothing much. Zathura just came out, so I'm doing a ton of press. Just got a break now, and nobody seems to be around. So I'm calling you." She giggled. "Reviews have been great, actually. And for some reason I get to go to a lot of parties and stuff, mingle with the cream of young Hollywood."
He laughed. Kristen had always been leery of Hollywood networking, though she had a ton of friends in the industry. He was about to respond when a thought occurred to him.
"Hey Kristen... you're in the know. What can you tell me about Danielle Panabaker?"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's Note: So they're back! Which is good, cause I totally missed them being together. As for that Corbin fellow, I feel like we should get him one of those Sherlock Holmes hats and a magnifying glass. Ha ha ha...
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