Categories > Movies > High School Musical > Start of Something New
Chapter 11 - Picking It Up - Part II
1 reviewOriginal title, I know.... my very first fanfic, and it's a Zanessa behind the scenes! Read and review, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
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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.
Author's Note: Uh... this part took too long, so there will have to be a Part III to this chapter. I know, I wish it didn't have to be that way either.
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Chapter 11 - Picking It Up
Part II
The Gallivan Center was an open theatre stage facing a wide, lush grassy area. Groups of people were sprawled on the grass on blankets and sleeping bags, trying to get the best view of the giant screen set up at the front of the stage.
On the hotel blankets, Zac sat next to Vanessa, trying to concentrate on watching the film. But as she sipped her hot chocolate, or picked at the bag of popcorn from the side booth, her movements kept drawing his attention. His eyes went from the screen to her hair, her hands, the soft curve of her neck.
Stop it/. He shook his head. /She just wants to be friends, remember?
He took a sip of his own cup of hot chocolate and turned back to the movie. It had been a temperate afternoon but the evening was quickly turning cool. Suddenly he shivered. Yikes. He looked around behind him for an extra blanket, and saw none.
"Hey."
Suddenly Vanessa's voice broke in. He looked over and saw her lift the corner of the blanket draped around her shoulders, raising her eyebrows with a smile. "Need some blanket?"
"Thanks." He grinned gratefully, scooting over to sit near to her as she lifted the blanket over him. "Having a good time?"
"Yeah," she said, smiling. "It's nice to see everyone out together for once. Ashley didn't want to come?"
"No, she wanted to go to the improv. I think she got Christopher to go." He felt suddenly distracted. Close to her, he suddenly felt a small charge of energy suddenly running through him. He could hear her breathing gently, smell her soft perfume.
Efron--quit it.
He shook his head, turning back to the film. "Well, I should be quiet." He took another drink of his hot chocolate. "You should get back to the movie. Don't mind me."
But instead, she leaned over and whispered into his ear. "You know, I've actually seen it, so it's OK." Her breath tickled on his skin. Involuntarily, his heart started to beat slightly faster. "I haven't seen much of you lately, anyway." She laughed. "Except in poster form, maybe."
Poster form?
Suddenly he remembered the giant wall poster featuring blowups of all the Wildcat team members. Vanessa had shot her solo song with it earlier that day. He laughed.
"Actually, as I recall you were getting pretty friendly with that thing today." He smiled and lifted his hands as if he were giving up. "Frankly, I don't even know why you'd want to talk to me after that. How can I compete? That guy is easily six, seven times my size."
She looked at him playfully. "And he doesn't give me nearly the same grief."
He nudged her in the ribs and she laughed, swaying over to one side and back, almost spilling the hot chocolate in her hand. "The only grief on this shoot comes straight from you," he said, grinning.
"What can I say?" She shrugged, smiling. "It's a gift."
He laughed, shaking his head, and suddenly there was a comfortable silence between them. Finishing his drink in one gulp, he tossed the cup onto the edge of the blanket--then discreetly, he lifted his head and stole a glance in Vanessa's direction. But looking over, he was surprised to find her eyes were on him, filled with a lingering warmth and a strange sense of... longing.
He felt his heart jump. Maybe there is a chance. But quickly, she looked away, smiling bashfully. She took a sip from her cup and spoke. "Anyway, the first bit was true--we haven't seen each other too much, and we were supposed to be hanging out. And now we're almost wrapped."
Her eyes flicked to Lucas, Monique and Corbin on the other side of the blanket. "I mean, Lucas is gone after tomorrow. I'm going to miss him so much." She sighed wistfully. "I don't know about you, but this whole shoot has been too much fun. Despite everything that happened... it's really been a fantastic time. I'm really going to be sad when it's all over." She laughed, nudging him gently. "I might even miss you."
Watching her, he could see that her motions seemed playful, but her eyes seemed to have a real sense of gloom. Oh, Ness.
"Well... you haven't left yet." He shrugged, grinning. "And I've got to say, I'm having a pretty good time right now here with you."
She looked over, and this time, he was sure he saw the trace of longing again in the soft shine of her eyes. Then suddenly, a wistful look found its way onto her face, and she spoke. "Well, that is true, Efron. It is a pretty good thing to be out with your friends on a beautiful night like this. And there's still a week to start spending more time with each other, before it's all over."
Then before he could react, she had moved to sit right next to him, resting her head lightly on his shoulder. He found his heart thrumming faster than it had ever been, her hair soft against his cheek.
Well--hey.
Hesitating slightly, he put his arm around her waist, and pulled her to him closely. His heart lifted in warm surprise as he felt her snuggle in to him comfortably. And together they sat there under the blanket, both of them quietly smiling in the dark.
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Author's Note: Man. It took me three days to write just this part. Still not uber satisfied with all of it... but it will do, I think.
Author's Note: Uh... this part took too long, so there will have to be a Part III to this chapter. I know, I wish it didn't have to be that way either.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 11 - Picking It Up
Part II
The Gallivan Center was an open theatre stage facing a wide, lush grassy area. Groups of people were sprawled on the grass on blankets and sleeping bags, trying to get the best view of the giant screen set up at the front of the stage.
On the hotel blankets, Zac sat next to Vanessa, trying to concentrate on watching the film. But as she sipped her hot chocolate, or picked at the bag of popcorn from the side booth, her movements kept drawing his attention. His eyes went from the screen to her hair, her hands, the soft curve of her neck.
Stop it/. He shook his head. /She just wants to be friends, remember?
He took a sip of his own cup of hot chocolate and turned back to the movie. It had been a temperate afternoon but the evening was quickly turning cool. Suddenly he shivered. Yikes. He looked around behind him for an extra blanket, and saw none.
"Hey."
Suddenly Vanessa's voice broke in. He looked over and saw her lift the corner of the blanket draped around her shoulders, raising her eyebrows with a smile. "Need some blanket?"
"Thanks." He grinned gratefully, scooting over to sit near to her as she lifted the blanket over him. "Having a good time?"
"Yeah," she said, smiling. "It's nice to see everyone out together for once. Ashley didn't want to come?"
"No, she wanted to go to the improv. I think she got Christopher to go." He felt suddenly distracted. Close to her, he suddenly felt a small charge of energy suddenly running through him. He could hear her breathing gently, smell her soft perfume.
Efron--quit it.
He shook his head, turning back to the film. "Well, I should be quiet." He took another drink of his hot chocolate. "You should get back to the movie. Don't mind me."
But instead, she leaned over and whispered into his ear. "You know, I've actually seen it, so it's OK." Her breath tickled on his skin. Involuntarily, his heart started to beat slightly faster. "I haven't seen much of you lately, anyway." She laughed. "Except in poster form, maybe."
Poster form?
Suddenly he remembered the giant wall poster featuring blowups of all the Wildcat team members. Vanessa had shot her solo song with it earlier that day. He laughed.
"Actually, as I recall you were getting pretty friendly with that thing today." He smiled and lifted his hands as if he were giving up. "Frankly, I don't even know why you'd want to talk to me after that. How can I compete? That guy is easily six, seven times my size."
She looked at him playfully. "And he doesn't give me nearly the same grief."
He nudged her in the ribs and she laughed, swaying over to one side and back, almost spilling the hot chocolate in her hand. "The only grief on this shoot comes straight from you," he said, grinning.
"What can I say?" She shrugged, smiling. "It's a gift."
He laughed, shaking his head, and suddenly there was a comfortable silence between them. Finishing his drink in one gulp, he tossed the cup onto the edge of the blanket--then discreetly, he lifted his head and stole a glance in Vanessa's direction. But looking over, he was surprised to find her eyes were on him, filled with a lingering warmth and a strange sense of... longing.
He felt his heart jump. Maybe there is a chance. But quickly, she looked away, smiling bashfully. She took a sip from her cup and spoke. "Anyway, the first bit was true--we haven't seen each other too much, and we were supposed to be hanging out. And now we're almost wrapped."
Her eyes flicked to Lucas, Monique and Corbin on the other side of the blanket. "I mean, Lucas is gone after tomorrow. I'm going to miss him so much." She sighed wistfully. "I don't know about you, but this whole shoot has been too much fun. Despite everything that happened... it's really been a fantastic time. I'm really going to be sad when it's all over." She laughed, nudging him gently. "I might even miss you."
Watching her, he could see that her motions seemed playful, but her eyes seemed to have a real sense of gloom. Oh, Ness.
"Well... you haven't left yet." He shrugged, grinning. "And I've got to say, I'm having a pretty good time right now here with you."
She looked over, and this time, he was sure he saw the trace of longing again in the soft shine of her eyes. Then suddenly, a wistful look found its way onto her face, and she spoke. "Well, that is true, Efron. It is a pretty good thing to be out with your friends on a beautiful night like this. And there's still a week to start spending more time with each other, before it's all over."
Then before he could react, she had moved to sit right next to him, resting her head lightly on his shoulder. He found his heart thrumming faster than it had ever been, her hair soft against his cheek.
Well--hey.
Hesitating slightly, he put his arm around her waist, and pulled her to him closely. His heart lifted in warm surprise as he felt her snuggle in to him comfortably. And together they sat there under the blanket, both of them quietly smiling in the dark.
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Author's Note: Man. It took me three days to write just this part. Still not uber satisfied with all of it... but it will do, I think.
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