Categories > Movies > High School Musical > So-Jessica-Alba-Fantastic
The Business
Los Angeles, CA
It had been a fairytale come true thus far for all of them, a magical one filled with every ten year olds' dream - go to Hollywood, get discovered, walk the red carpet... and theirs was that. No one could really believe that it had happened, but it did. At the release of their first single, /Six/, they were named America's Band and had continued to be America's Band throughout their 8 year careers. They were also the best of friends, from the same mold of people on the outside of Albuquerque and nothing could seem to break their bond - nothing. Monique and Chris were the oldest of them all, a few years to be exact and looked over the other four like they were the big brother and sister of them all. Ashley and Lucas were close in age as well. When they always told the story of how they all met one fateful day, it was for Rachel's birthday party almost ten years ago. Forever was the best word to use when describing the group; they really had known each other forever. But as most people in the business have learned, forever doesn't always last forever. For whatever reasons that may come, people grow apart, they fight and they argue; some get back together and resolve their issues, but others don't get past that point. This is what Drew Seeley had to keep reminding himself as he approached the main hallway at Arista Records Headquarters to witness possibly the worst breakup in music history since The Beatles.
He wasn't ready for this, and judging from Monique, Lucas and Ashley's faces, neither were they. The three stood back and watched with the rest of Arista Records as Zac Efron, who was considered the frontman of the group, argued with Rachel and Chris Locke, the brother and sister team within the So-Jessica-Alba-Fantastic Rockers. He was confused and angry and Drew, for once in his life, didn't know how to handle the situation.
In the six years of managing the Rockers, as they were affectionately known as by the world, and getting to know them, he had handled a member of many different things, even fights. But this fight - this was the fight that was going to break them apart. Drew strolled beside Ashley, letting his hand slip to the small of her back as he eyed all three of the silent Rockers. The past year had been hell for the group, requiring special treatment from the record company and him. With family issues, several movie cameos and Monique almost winning the third season crown on Dancing with the Stars, Drew knew that they all wanted to resolve the biggest issue of all - Rachel. Her persistent ideas and threats of going solo weren't toning down and he had always wondered why they all hadn't let her go sooner but he wasn't going to ask. It would bring up many more issues that had been with them since before he was even a part of their world.
Eyeing Lucas from the corner, Drew had to get Rachel to stop snapping, Chris to stop with the threats, Zac to stop walking straight into their traps and the other three to tell the siblings how this is affecting them. Still by Ashley's side, Drew pulled out his high tech phone which held his life and pressed the button that got him straight through to Margie, the elderly woman who ran security at Arista since before he was born.
"Drew, sweetie," her voice greeted him a pleasant way, as it always did, "calling about the Rockers?" She immediately got to the point, knowing and seeing all that was going on by her computer monitors in her office. She was always on top of things.
"Yea, Margie. Who've you got handy?"
"I'll send my Brut Squad," she told him without hesitating, as he heard her tap on one of the windows in her office to alert them to the situation.
"Thanks Margie, what would I do without you," Drew hung up the phone before she could answer, looking back to Ashley with disbelief in her eyes. Monique had the same look while Lucas just stared blankly, things not really registering with him yet. Drew looked out again and immediately recognized Margie's Brut Squad coming in and turning most of Arista's employees back around and ushering them away from the scene. Thank you Margie, Drew murmured as he put his plan into motion in his head. Looking towards Lucas, he nodded towards him and ushered Monique and tugged Ashley away, but she pulled back to him at the last second.
"Drew..."
"It'll be fine, I promise," he told her, squeezing her hand a bit before letting her go as Lucas led both girls back down to the conference room that they normally met in for pow-wow sessions. Now, just getting the other three in there - that was the task at hand. Stepping closer towards the root of the scene, he let another breath out. Things were actually worse than he expected.
"You can't do that!"
"Watch me Zac," Rachel narrowed her eyes and jabbed her once-upon-a-time best friend in the chest. "I can do anything I want. And Chris here, will back me up."
"Hiding behind big brother Chris again, Rach? Yeah, like that'll do any good," Zac spat back just as Drew flew his hand between the two, preventing Rachel from doing what was going through her mind.
Zac backed away a couple steps, his eyes still locked with Rachel's while Drew chose his words carefully. He knew no matter what he did or said though, that this was not going to turn out well. Hell, all of Arista knew that by now, including the President, which he dreaded even telling to later this week.
"No arguing," Drew said curtly, angry with all of them at this moment, "Room 16, now," he finished, sounding like he was their parent instead of just their manager and friend. In reality, he was a year or two younger than Monique and Chris. Zac was the first one to back away and Drew was thankful. Zac was finally being the bigger person, but Rachel and Chris on the other hand, were another story.
"Aww, Zac scared and hiding behind not so scary manager Drew?" Rachel cooed like she was talking to a one year old baby and even Drew rolled his eyes at her. There was only so much he could take in a day.
"Rachel," he snapped again, "room 16 - now," he watched as she brushed her hair back out of her eyes and was a little horrified when he saw that her usual emerald green eyes had turned into silver ones with sting.
"No, Drew," she stammered as Zac stopped tilting from side to side and looked back at her as she voiced her intentions she had had all along. "I'm not going to room 16. I'm not a Rocker anymore. Neither is Chris. We're out!"
The announcement was loud and clear to Drew and he wanted nothing more at the moment than to never see her again at Arista, but unfortunately, she had a contract. So did Chris and there wasn't anything that he could do for them to break it early.
"Are you forgetting you have a contract, Rachel?" Drew asked, hoping she would say yes and not pull the dumb brunette persona that she had down pat.
"Not anymore. Chris and I," she pointed back to her older brother, who had gone silent when he arrived to the epicenter of the spat, "we're done. Already got out of it."
"Rach!" Drew yelled but stopped before he really lost his cool and his respectability at Arista. Waving his hands about, he was done too, at least with them. "Have anything to say here Chris?"
Chris stayed silent, looking away from his former manager and towards the front entrance door where executives were trailing in for the start of their afternoon meetings and new hopefuls looking around like they were five year olds at DisneyLand. There was no where else to go and the four who were still standing knew it.
Waving his hands before him, he didn't want to know anything more. He'd probably find out from the other half of the managing Rocker team soon. "Just go guys, go," he waved towards the doors, closing his eyes shut. Heels and boots walked away in a hurried pace and Drew was half glad, half disappointed in the sibling duo. They had just given everything up for what he could only predict - solo careers. A solo career wasn't all it was cracked up to be - he had told them that several times. Before managing the Rockers full time, he had launched and hit big in the business with his own solo career that spanned the late '90s and early '00s. Drew looked back to Zac as the doors closed and saw his eyes were in the same direction that his were previously in. Patting his hand on Zac's back, Drew wanted the remaining Rockers to face the music, so to speak. "Come on, your friends are waiting."
San Diego, CA
The red curtain fell close for the last time at San Diego Rep, the stage theatre that Vanessa had called home for the past three years and she felt herself let out the deepest breath that she had in her being. The cheers on the opposite side of the curtain kept going and she heard the director yell that that was a wrap. Being from a motion picture background, the director still kept mixing up his terms, but Vanessa wasn't worried about that, nor was she worried about the final review that would come in the community's theatre review paper being printed tomorrow.
Tonight was the last night that she would answer to someone calling her Maria. Vanessa had waited her whole life to be called Maria for a month and she had loved it...up until Corbin, her best friend since she was born, had overused it and caused her to hate it. Jeremy, who had played Tony to her Maria, reached for her hand one last time and kissed her cheek, silently congratulating and thanking her for being his Maria. The rest of the West Side Story cast started to break into a bunch of larger groups and Vanessa wandered backstage, taking off her heels in the process.
After one month, countless hours of rehearsals, holding down a 36 hour per week job at the same theatre and trying to help her best friend in the world break into some type of show business, she was tired. All she really wanted to do now was sleep and eat. Eating seemed more what she wanted right now though. Rolling her neck from side to side, Vanessa entered the dressing room marked with 'MARIA' on the door and only took one whiff to know that Corbin was in there with his signature gesture of flowers...again.
"You're in my spot," she told him, not bothering to look at her reflection in the vanity mirror to know where he was.
"I don't see your name on it," Corbin said from the sofa behind her. Dressed in a pair of slacks and an electric blue shirt, she smirked when she saw him. Keeping it to herself for the moment, he looked like he was going to a karaoke bar only to sing any Lenny Kravitz song that they programmed in. It was his thing, but if he asked her, she was definitely not going with him.
"It does say Maria on the door, doesn't it?"
"It does, but correct me if I'm wrong, but you're not Maria anymore," his classic Corbin-smile was out and about and the only thing Vanessa could think to do was stick her tongue out at him. And she did just that. "Woah, what are you, 5?"
"Funny, I was just about to ask you the same thing," she bantered back, smiling at her best friend since birth through the mirror. Letting her hair down from the within the mousy brown wig they had her wearing throughout the production, Vanessa shook her head and heard her stomach growl. "Please tell me we're eating right after we get out of here."
"Uh..." Corbin stammered for a minute. "We can, but I have to pick up Jag really quick from dance and drop her off at home. Plus," Corbin then gestured to his gift of roses on the dresser, "those have to have water."
"I can't believe you got me more of those."
"Why not? They were pretty and reminded me of you."
"They were also on sale, weren't they?"
"Are you hungry or not?"
"Hey, you should know better," Vanessa turned around and faced him, "you should never threaten to take away food from me. You learned last time around."
"And the time before that and before that and before that and so did Alexa. I have to say she got it worse."
Vanessa remembered the last time the three friends had gotten together to do something together. Alexa, Vanessa and Corbin had been friends for a long time with their parents being even greater friends than all three though possible. But the story went where they were at their favorite restaurant which just happened to be this Mexican restaurant where the wait staff and owners know all their names since they frequent it so much. The salsa and chips before the actual meal were always Vanessa's favorite and Alexa and Corbin knew it. And just to torture her on one particular day, they had decided to take away all the chips and salsa. She was less than happy and let them know about it. Alexa even got drenched with the salsa after it came at Vanessa's demand. Needless to say, they both learned a lesson. "Oh! Can we go?" Vanessa asked after her tiny recollection of the incident, her eyes opening wide like he had just given her an extra tall ice cream cone plastered with sprinkles.
Corbin slyly smiled at Vanessa, knowing very well he could drag this on forever and get so much out of it, but he didn't. Vanessa was one of his 'sister's' and he'd do anything for her - including treating her to her favorite meal and her favorite restaurant on the last day of /West Side Story/. "Since you're begging..."
"Yes!" Vanessa squealed and cut off the rest of his sentence, jumping into his arms at the mention that they were definitely going. "Just let me get changed and we can go."
"Hey, one more thing before I leave you to do your girl stuff..."
"Hmmm?"
"What does the card say?" He asked, knowing she would roll her eyes and tell him the phrase that had been printed numerous times on the tiny card in the bouquet of flowers he brought her at every performance.
"To a Starlet with Charm and Grace, Always, Corbin," she answered.
"Good, now get changed. I hear that Bobby is even letting people watch E! at the restaurant now," he joked but that only made her squeal more. E! was her favorite channel only because they always had something on. Letting himself out of the dressing room with the bouquet in hand because he knew she'd forget them, Vanessa turned back around and flew into the closet, tossing her costume off and switching into a pair of jeans, black cami and gold sweater faster than Superman flew around the world. That is how you could really tell when she was hungry.
Checking her makeup out quickly in the mirror, she smiled back and flipped her hair, "Salsa here I come."
Los Angeles, CA
It had been a fairytale come true thus far for all of them, a magical one filled with every ten year olds' dream - go to Hollywood, get discovered, walk the red carpet... and theirs was that. No one could really believe that it had happened, but it did. At the release of their first single, /Six/, they were named America's Band and had continued to be America's Band throughout their 8 year careers. They were also the best of friends, from the same mold of people on the outside of Albuquerque and nothing could seem to break their bond - nothing. Monique and Chris were the oldest of them all, a few years to be exact and looked over the other four like they were the big brother and sister of them all. Ashley and Lucas were close in age as well. When they always told the story of how they all met one fateful day, it was for Rachel's birthday party almost ten years ago. Forever was the best word to use when describing the group; they really had known each other forever. But as most people in the business have learned, forever doesn't always last forever. For whatever reasons that may come, people grow apart, they fight and they argue; some get back together and resolve their issues, but others don't get past that point. This is what Drew Seeley had to keep reminding himself as he approached the main hallway at Arista Records Headquarters to witness possibly the worst breakup in music history since The Beatles.
He wasn't ready for this, and judging from Monique, Lucas and Ashley's faces, neither were they. The three stood back and watched with the rest of Arista Records as Zac Efron, who was considered the frontman of the group, argued with Rachel and Chris Locke, the brother and sister team within the So-Jessica-Alba-Fantastic Rockers. He was confused and angry and Drew, for once in his life, didn't know how to handle the situation.
In the six years of managing the Rockers, as they were affectionately known as by the world, and getting to know them, he had handled a member of many different things, even fights. But this fight - this was the fight that was going to break them apart. Drew strolled beside Ashley, letting his hand slip to the small of her back as he eyed all three of the silent Rockers. The past year had been hell for the group, requiring special treatment from the record company and him. With family issues, several movie cameos and Monique almost winning the third season crown on Dancing with the Stars, Drew knew that they all wanted to resolve the biggest issue of all - Rachel. Her persistent ideas and threats of going solo weren't toning down and he had always wondered why they all hadn't let her go sooner but he wasn't going to ask. It would bring up many more issues that had been with them since before he was even a part of their world.
Eyeing Lucas from the corner, Drew had to get Rachel to stop snapping, Chris to stop with the threats, Zac to stop walking straight into their traps and the other three to tell the siblings how this is affecting them. Still by Ashley's side, Drew pulled out his high tech phone which held his life and pressed the button that got him straight through to Margie, the elderly woman who ran security at Arista since before he was born.
"Drew, sweetie," her voice greeted him a pleasant way, as it always did, "calling about the Rockers?" She immediately got to the point, knowing and seeing all that was going on by her computer monitors in her office. She was always on top of things.
"Yea, Margie. Who've you got handy?"
"I'll send my Brut Squad," she told him without hesitating, as he heard her tap on one of the windows in her office to alert them to the situation.
"Thanks Margie, what would I do without you," Drew hung up the phone before she could answer, looking back to Ashley with disbelief in her eyes. Monique had the same look while Lucas just stared blankly, things not really registering with him yet. Drew looked out again and immediately recognized Margie's Brut Squad coming in and turning most of Arista's employees back around and ushering them away from the scene. Thank you Margie, Drew murmured as he put his plan into motion in his head. Looking towards Lucas, he nodded towards him and ushered Monique and tugged Ashley away, but she pulled back to him at the last second.
"Drew..."
"It'll be fine, I promise," he told her, squeezing her hand a bit before letting her go as Lucas led both girls back down to the conference room that they normally met in for pow-wow sessions. Now, just getting the other three in there - that was the task at hand. Stepping closer towards the root of the scene, he let another breath out. Things were actually worse than he expected.
"You can't do that!"
"Watch me Zac," Rachel narrowed her eyes and jabbed her once-upon-a-time best friend in the chest. "I can do anything I want. And Chris here, will back me up."
"Hiding behind big brother Chris again, Rach? Yeah, like that'll do any good," Zac spat back just as Drew flew his hand between the two, preventing Rachel from doing what was going through her mind.
Zac backed away a couple steps, his eyes still locked with Rachel's while Drew chose his words carefully. He knew no matter what he did or said though, that this was not going to turn out well. Hell, all of Arista knew that by now, including the President, which he dreaded even telling to later this week.
"No arguing," Drew said curtly, angry with all of them at this moment, "Room 16, now," he finished, sounding like he was their parent instead of just their manager and friend. In reality, he was a year or two younger than Monique and Chris. Zac was the first one to back away and Drew was thankful. Zac was finally being the bigger person, but Rachel and Chris on the other hand, were another story.
"Aww, Zac scared and hiding behind not so scary manager Drew?" Rachel cooed like she was talking to a one year old baby and even Drew rolled his eyes at her. There was only so much he could take in a day.
"Rachel," he snapped again, "room 16 - now," he watched as she brushed her hair back out of her eyes and was a little horrified when he saw that her usual emerald green eyes had turned into silver ones with sting.
"No, Drew," she stammered as Zac stopped tilting from side to side and looked back at her as she voiced her intentions she had had all along. "I'm not going to room 16. I'm not a Rocker anymore. Neither is Chris. We're out!"
The announcement was loud and clear to Drew and he wanted nothing more at the moment than to never see her again at Arista, but unfortunately, she had a contract. So did Chris and there wasn't anything that he could do for them to break it early.
"Are you forgetting you have a contract, Rachel?" Drew asked, hoping she would say yes and not pull the dumb brunette persona that she had down pat.
"Not anymore. Chris and I," she pointed back to her older brother, who had gone silent when he arrived to the epicenter of the spat, "we're done. Already got out of it."
"Rach!" Drew yelled but stopped before he really lost his cool and his respectability at Arista. Waving his hands about, he was done too, at least with them. "Have anything to say here Chris?"
Chris stayed silent, looking away from his former manager and towards the front entrance door where executives were trailing in for the start of their afternoon meetings and new hopefuls looking around like they were five year olds at DisneyLand. There was no where else to go and the four who were still standing knew it.
Waving his hands before him, he didn't want to know anything more. He'd probably find out from the other half of the managing Rocker team soon. "Just go guys, go," he waved towards the doors, closing his eyes shut. Heels and boots walked away in a hurried pace and Drew was half glad, half disappointed in the sibling duo. They had just given everything up for what he could only predict - solo careers. A solo career wasn't all it was cracked up to be - he had told them that several times. Before managing the Rockers full time, he had launched and hit big in the business with his own solo career that spanned the late '90s and early '00s. Drew looked back to Zac as the doors closed and saw his eyes were in the same direction that his were previously in. Patting his hand on Zac's back, Drew wanted the remaining Rockers to face the music, so to speak. "Come on, your friends are waiting."
San Diego, CA
The red curtain fell close for the last time at San Diego Rep, the stage theatre that Vanessa had called home for the past three years and she felt herself let out the deepest breath that she had in her being. The cheers on the opposite side of the curtain kept going and she heard the director yell that that was a wrap. Being from a motion picture background, the director still kept mixing up his terms, but Vanessa wasn't worried about that, nor was she worried about the final review that would come in the community's theatre review paper being printed tomorrow.
Tonight was the last night that she would answer to someone calling her Maria. Vanessa had waited her whole life to be called Maria for a month and she had loved it...up until Corbin, her best friend since she was born, had overused it and caused her to hate it. Jeremy, who had played Tony to her Maria, reached for her hand one last time and kissed her cheek, silently congratulating and thanking her for being his Maria. The rest of the West Side Story cast started to break into a bunch of larger groups and Vanessa wandered backstage, taking off her heels in the process.
After one month, countless hours of rehearsals, holding down a 36 hour per week job at the same theatre and trying to help her best friend in the world break into some type of show business, she was tired. All she really wanted to do now was sleep and eat. Eating seemed more what she wanted right now though. Rolling her neck from side to side, Vanessa entered the dressing room marked with 'MARIA' on the door and only took one whiff to know that Corbin was in there with his signature gesture of flowers...again.
"You're in my spot," she told him, not bothering to look at her reflection in the vanity mirror to know where he was.
"I don't see your name on it," Corbin said from the sofa behind her. Dressed in a pair of slacks and an electric blue shirt, she smirked when she saw him. Keeping it to herself for the moment, he looked like he was going to a karaoke bar only to sing any Lenny Kravitz song that they programmed in. It was his thing, but if he asked her, she was definitely not going with him.
"It does say Maria on the door, doesn't it?"
"It does, but correct me if I'm wrong, but you're not Maria anymore," his classic Corbin-smile was out and about and the only thing Vanessa could think to do was stick her tongue out at him. And she did just that. "Woah, what are you, 5?"
"Funny, I was just about to ask you the same thing," she bantered back, smiling at her best friend since birth through the mirror. Letting her hair down from the within the mousy brown wig they had her wearing throughout the production, Vanessa shook her head and heard her stomach growl. "Please tell me we're eating right after we get out of here."
"Uh..." Corbin stammered for a minute. "We can, but I have to pick up Jag really quick from dance and drop her off at home. Plus," Corbin then gestured to his gift of roses on the dresser, "those have to have water."
"I can't believe you got me more of those."
"Why not? They were pretty and reminded me of you."
"They were also on sale, weren't they?"
"Are you hungry or not?"
"Hey, you should know better," Vanessa turned around and faced him, "you should never threaten to take away food from me. You learned last time around."
"And the time before that and before that and before that and so did Alexa. I have to say she got it worse."
Vanessa remembered the last time the three friends had gotten together to do something together. Alexa, Vanessa and Corbin had been friends for a long time with their parents being even greater friends than all three though possible. But the story went where they were at their favorite restaurant which just happened to be this Mexican restaurant where the wait staff and owners know all their names since they frequent it so much. The salsa and chips before the actual meal were always Vanessa's favorite and Alexa and Corbin knew it. And just to torture her on one particular day, they had decided to take away all the chips and salsa. She was less than happy and let them know about it. Alexa even got drenched with the salsa after it came at Vanessa's demand. Needless to say, they both learned a lesson. "Oh! Can we go?" Vanessa asked after her tiny recollection of the incident, her eyes opening wide like he had just given her an extra tall ice cream cone plastered with sprinkles.
Corbin slyly smiled at Vanessa, knowing very well he could drag this on forever and get so much out of it, but he didn't. Vanessa was one of his 'sister's' and he'd do anything for her - including treating her to her favorite meal and her favorite restaurant on the last day of /West Side Story/. "Since you're begging..."
"Yes!" Vanessa squealed and cut off the rest of his sentence, jumping into his arms at the mention that they were definitely going. "Just let me get changed and we can go."
"Hey, one more thing before I leave you to do your girl stuff..."
"Hmmm?"
"What does the card say?" He asked, knowing she would roll her eyes and tell him the phrase that had been printed numerous times on the tiny card in the bouquet of flowers he brought her at every performance.
"To a Starlet with Charm and Grace, Always, Corbin," she answered.
"Good, now get changed. I hear that Bobby is even letting people watch E! at the restaurant now," he joked but that only made her squeal more. E! was her favorite channel only because they always had something on. Letting himself out of the dressing room with the bouquet in hand because he knew she'd forget them, Vanessa turned back around and flew into the closet, tossing her costume off and switching into a pair of jeans, black cami and gold sweater faster than Superman flew around the world. That is how you could really tell when she was hungry.
Checking her makeup out quickly in the mirror, she smiled back and flipped her hair, "Salsa here I come."
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