Categories > Movies > High School Musical > So-Jessica-Alba-Fantastic
Too Talented
LOS ANGELES, CA - 3 WEEKS LATER
Apartment 1
The door flew open and a fiery red clutch was tossed onto the side table. Another night, another event - another day that was getting to her and she wasn't the only one that was feeling this way. They all were - and it wasn't right.
Walking into her spacious, yet feeling cramped at the moment bathroom, Monique Coleman turned on the light and stared at herself in the mirror. Her hair was up with subtle ringlets dangling beside her ears, red lips played off her smoky eyes and the red top Manda had picked out for her to wear to the Image Awards was stunning - Monique looked stunning but it wasn't her. She felt it - they all were feeling it.
"If I told you, that we would last forever..." her voice trailed off as the start of the chorus of one of the Rockers' many hits came along.
Apartment 2
"We could try to be something special..." Zac sang to himself as he shut his door behind him and stared back into the darkness of his small home in the suburbs of Los Angeles. It was just another event - another event where they were asked too many questions to which they didn't have answers to. 'What do you think of Rachel's new single?' 'Are you all going solo?' And of course, he couldn't forget the ultimate and million dollar question that Matt, from IMAGEMagazine, kept asking all four of them - 'When are you replacing Rachel & Chris?' And Zac bit his tongue every time, really and truly wanting to tell him never just so he would quit asking. Shaking his head, he knew better. This was Matt, the press guy who'd been hassling the Rockers ever since they first debuted and wouldn't let down.
Pushing himself off the back of the door, Zac tossed his jacket off towards the stool that sat in the kitchen and headed straight for the cabinets. It was already morning, just passing the two o'clock hour but Zac needed to end it on a good note - with the good stuff.
Apartment 3
Her hand clutched his, squeezing it every so often for reassurance that he was still there and she wasn't having this horrible dream-nightmare that wouldn't end. He would squeeze back everytime, a soft smile always on his lips for her. She wasn't sure when it all happened between them but the smiles and one late night at the recording studio had changed things. And it seemed that that was the only thing good that came out of Rachel and Chris leaving. And even though the Rockers' friendship seemed stronger, it was still awkward to talk about what had happened between them.
Ashley's eyes grazed up Drew's jacket covered arm and to his profile as they arrived at his apartment door. Another event, another evening at his place and another chorus line - 'But if we fell through, baby, it'd all be worth it...'
Apartment 1 - again
Lucas didn't go home - his home wasn't a home anymore. It felt odd to even step foot in it without one of his friends by his side. Of course, it may be because his 'home' was the one he used to share with Chris. Slipping down onto the wine colored sofa, he saw the bathroom light flick off and waited for Monique to come back out. 'Just to have met once in a lifetime, just to have said hello & goodbye...' Lucas sang as Monique came back out in a pair of silk pajama pants and tank top with 'ROCKERS' printed on it from one of their first concerts. He stared back into her chocolate eyes as she made her way in and slid down next to him.
"Six," she said, "We need to be six."
SAN DIEGO, CA
"The moment is ours, open your heart. We'll never know, la la la la..." Vanessa sang aloud as she and Corbin walked back down the hallway to her office from the auditorium.
"We'll never know," Corbin echoed continuing to sing one of their favorite songs from the Rockers. Joining together on the chorus, Vanessa held the small pen up to her mouth pretending it was a microphone and belted it out like she was back on stage in the limelight - like she had been just four weeks ago. A grunt from Mike and Janice, two of Vanessa's co-workers at San Diego Rep, stopped Vanessa and Corbin both from finishing the song. Leaning into her bushy haired friend, they both smiled and burst out in laughter at the fact that they had been caught being them and continued on their path to her office.
Vanessa had landed the perfect job after she and Corbin graduated from USC a couple of years ago. A nearly perfect fit, her title was somewhere between assistant director and the whole human resource department and this was exactly why he couldn't ever do lunch with Corbin except on Fridays. Fridays were the 'light' days, as the company liked to call them and let Vanessa have a major break in her workload which consisted mostly of pointless meetings. Corbin usually came on Fridays and always begged her about the baby grand in the auditorium and on this particular Friday, he got to her.
"I wanna hear some more songs," she told him as they entered her office, both stoppingin their tracks once they saw Alexa frantically changing the channel on the television in the corner. "Um, Lex...you okay?"
"What's up?" Corbin added in but received nothing as Alexa kept clicking the remote. Looking from Alexa back to Vanessa, Corbin watched the chocolate brunette behind the desk shrug her shoulders and fixed his gaze on the other. Slowly taking the remote away from her, Alexa snapped her head towards him.
"E! Now, V, what channel's E! on?"
"14. What's going on?" Vanessa asked and wondered sitting down in her chair and opening a piece of office mail that had been waiting for her.
"This is why I hate living two hours away. The channels are all screwed up here."
"Serves you right for moving to LA," Corbin said, smiling at her widely.
Alexa stuck her tongue out at Corbin and watched as he changed the channel for her. "This is what's up. Volume please," she said, giving him the same smile that he just gave her and sat down on the arm rest of the leather chair.
"As you wish, milady," Corbin added in the famous line from one of, if not Alexa's favorite movie and turned the television up to hear the broadcast. Jane, from E! News, graced the screen and was talking about Nicolas Cage's new movie and Corbin stared at Alexa questionly. "You drove two hours just to watch a news alert about Nicolas Cage? Yea right."
"You're being very mean today," Alexa mentioned, knowing he was joking all the way, "Just watch, okay?"
JANE: Alright, enough about Nic Cage, even though that movie is a must-see on my list. As promised before, we told you that you'd be the first to know about any news concerning the So-Jessica-Alba-Fantastic Rockers and we have it. In the past three weeks, we've been keeping an eye on our Rockers and seen them as four - Zac, Ashley, Lucas and Monique - attending various events around the city including Hollywood Records' Annual Release Party where Rachel & Chris Locke, formerly of the band, were also in attendance. In addition to all the events you're seeing right now, that will be nothing after we give you this bit of news - it's bigger, better and beyond belief of the gossip of that party. Drew Seeley & Manda Turner, the management team behind the Rockers invited us to another press conference and yes, ladies & gentlemen, you are hearing it here first.
Corbin turned the volume up more as he heard the mention of the Rockers and a new announcement. It'd been three weeks since the first news of the split and all three of the friends in the room were following the path.
JANE: What would you say or do if the Rockers went on their own American Idol search? Well, we're about to find out.
The screen flashed into a press conference and Drew and Manda came into view, slowly walking up and standing behind the podium. Vanessa was the first to perk up, clearly the most interested in what they had to say.
DREW SEELEY: Ladies & Gentlemen of the press and boards; we want to thank you for being here today for this announcement. The remaining members of the So-Jessica-Alba-Fantastic Rockers, Miss Manda Turner and myself have come to a decision regarding the bands' future and our lives. So, we are announcing that there are two vacancies in the band.
MANDA TURNER: We will be conducting a nationwide search for not necessarily the most talented but certainly the most worthy, unknown and passionate artists to join the Rockers. Cities have been decided upon but no dates have been set and you will be hearing those later this afternoon.
Vanessa leaned back in her chair and let out a sigh. So many thoughts were running through her mind and one of the first ones was that the Director probably wanted to book a stop here.
JANE: Katie, our own Rocker groupie, had a chance to catch up with the band and get their thoughts.
KATIE: Rockers, thank you so much for sitting with me and letting me pry a bit into this. So, Ashley, how did you guys decide on this - was it mutual?
ASHLEY: You're welcome Katie. We all love doing interview with E! You never let us down. But the decision, which was just about the biggest decision in our lives so far, was mutual. We're more than just a band who just happened to win a Grammy. We're best friends and wouldn't do anything to break that bond.
KATIE: Lucas, what does this search mean for the band?
LUCAS: It mainly means that we're stronger with six than four. Don't get us wrong, we love each other and would do anything for each other like Ashley said, but the harmonies and chords in our music were meant for six. Getting back to that harmony we had with Rachel & Chris is a big thing for all of us. Plus, it means that we get to go on a 'tour' so to speak and all four of us - love tours.
KATIE: I'm so happy to hear that your friendship isn't lacking.
MONIQUE: Our friendship is one of the greatest things about our lives right now. I think that if anything has come or is coming out of this, it's that it's made us stronger and made us realize that we really are still Wildcats at heart.
ZAC: Always will be.
KATIE: Now Zac, many have referred to you and Rachel Locke as the lead singers in the band. How is it adjusting from her leaving and what are all of you looking for in the two new members?
ZAC: Really? I'm the lead? Cool. (Zac flinches as Monique swats his arm and gives her a big smile.) No, seriously though, I don't think there's any distinction between 'leads'. Ash, Monique and Lucas all have multiple talents and I just hum into a microphone. These three carry me most times.
LUCAS: True, we do.
ZAC: But I guess what we're looking for in the potential two new members and throughout the whole audition process is the same sort of passion that we have for creating music that somehow, everyone tends to like. And, it would also be nice if we just hit it right off with them, like we did with each other.
KATIE: Okay, and a last question before I let you go because I see both your managers flagging me down to wrap it up. Are you excited? What's going through your mind right now as you know you're preparing for this 8-city search?
LUCAS: Very excited.
MONIQUE: A bit nervous, actually.
ZAC: And anxious all at the same time.
ASHLEY: I think our main thing is that we've never done this before. Sure, we've been on American Idol, but actually doing the search ourselves - we have no clue what we're going but I know that I'm so excited.
KATIE: Well Rockers, thank you again so much for the interview and we wish you the best of luck.
GROUP: So-Jessica-Alba-Fantastic!
Shutting the channel off as the interview ended, Corbin turned in his seat and faced Vanessa. Reading her at this moment in time was harder than normal and it was the same for her as she looked back. Taken back by Alexa's eagerness in the situation, Vanessa was literally pushed out of the way as their younger friend easily pulled up the Rockers site and glanced at the city schedule that had already been announced.
"You are way too excited about this," Corbin told her, her cocoa colored eyes meeting his own. "Did you two like switch bodies or something?"
"Lex, now what are you doing?" Vanessa looked over Alexa's shoulder from her chair.
"Signing you two up."
"WHAT?!" They both exclaimed at the same time with the exact amount of surprise in their voices.
"I'm signing you two up and I don't want any arguments," she glanced at them both for a second before keying in their information. "San Diego is third on their list and you both are too talented not to do this," she said, hitting the 'submit' button on the electronic form.
Glancing in Corbin's direction, Vanessa widened her eyes, pleading for help, knowing for a fact that she couldn't stop Alexa if she tried. "Say something," she mouthed over to him.
"Like what?" He mouthed back, positive that nothing would stop Alexa from doing this.
"You know that I can read both of your lips, right?" Alexa slipped in there, hitting the 'submit' button one more time.
"Yeah, we do. But what if we don't want to do this?" Vanessa asked her, her hands moving about and around Alexa's frame.
"Vanessa, you've been on stage more than you've been at home andn with a voice like that, let's just say that San Diego shouldn't be the only place to hear it. And Corbin, you've been writing music since you were 2, can play anything on Julie without any thing in front of you, this is your chance. You two have to try," Alexa finished up, leaving the both of them speechless. Neither knew what to say after that and didn't.
*
The door was green; not a light green either - it was dark, almost an emerald green and Corbin had never really noticed it until now as he stared at it blankly. With a tiny peephole in the center and a golden knocker just below, he had been staring for a near 10 minutes, just standing on her doorstep and think of every possible scenario and situation that could come out of this thing that they were in. There was the dream one - where they both were chosen as the new Rockers and their lives became everything they ever dreamed of. And then there was the icky, as Jag described it, one - where they joined the Rockers and drove the band into the ground.
Living two houses from each other from the day they were born, Corbin Bleu Reivers had often thought of Vanessa's home as his own and never needed to knock to come in. Snapping out of his thoughts as the door swung open, he looked up to see Gina Hudgens, Vanessa's mom that he called Aunt Gina, wiping her hands on a patterned cloth and greeting him with a wide and warm smile. "Corbin, what are you doing out here? Anything wrong?" Mrs. Hudgens asked him as he stood still on the bottom porch step.
"No," he paused, "Nothing's wrong, Aunt Gina. Vanessa here?"
"Yeah, she just got back from a shopping excursion with Stella. You're welcome to go up."
"How about I just head for that piano of yours and avoid the fashion show altogether?"
"That sounds like a survival tactic," Gina winked at him as Corbin stepped into the inviting home and held onto the folded sheet of paper in his hand tightly. Gina shut the door behind him and he turned to watch her walk back off into the dining room area where she had originally been. Strolling past Uncle Greg's, Vanessa's fahter's, den, Corbin came up to the family room to see it in all its neatness and glory. He secretly wondered how Aunt Gina did it - keeping the place so nice. His mom, Martha, had him plus three girls under the age of 14 and ten seconds after they would clean, the girls would have it like it was all over again. Aunt Gina only had two girls, who he had to admit, were much neater than his sisters.
He lifted the cover to reveal the pearl white keys that he hadn't played in a while. He stared at them for a while, still clutching onto that sheet in his hands and noticed a shorter, slender figure step into the room and slip down beside him like it was the most natural think in the world - and it was.
"How was the fashion show?" He asked her, a smile curling up on his lips thankful for the warning Aunt Gina had given him.
"Which one? The one at the store or here?"
"So, it's safe to say that both were the same as always?"
"No, this time she wanted to mix & match everything!" Vanessa told him, her hands expressing the situation of shopping!Stella. He couldn't help it now - laughter come whether he liked it or not and although she was laughing right with him, a slap to his shoulder was received. "It's not that funny."
"Yes it is!" He managed to get out between the chuckles that wouldn't stop. "I now know where she gets the trait from."
"Hey! Now that was so not funny," Vanessa persisted but didn't stop her laughter. "Just wait, your sisters are next."
"Oh dear Lord, no," Corbin's laughter had simmered now that she had halfway threatened to turn his three sisters into shopping robots. Jag, the youngest, was only six and still liked to watch cartoons with him early in the morning so he expected it was a bit early for her but knowing Vanessa, Alexa and Stella, they could easily convert her, Lina and Carrie.
Corbin shook out of his thoughts on all three of them maxing out on their dad's credit cards to feel a tug on his right hand. Vanessa was pulling at the edge, curious as to its contents and instead of watching her concentrate on strategies to get it out of his hand that included her nose becoming crinkly cute, he handed it over to her.
"Oh, I know what it is now," she let out a deep breath, opening the paper up full size without having to read it. "The San Diego Auditions. I got mine, too."
"The date's in a week," Corbin stated.
"Yep," Vanessa folded the paper back up and laid it on top of the traditional style piano. "Play me my song, Cordelia," she asked, teasing him as his hands raked over the keys once more. "Please?"
Corbin was always a sucker for that smile. He couldn't deny her anything when he saw that smile and he immediately started to play the soft harmonies of the song he had written a while ago. It was one of the first he had written and Vanessa had been one of the first to hear it along with Alexa. The chords ran together seamlessly and he closed his eyes, almost becoming the song himself and her hums softly rippled over his eardrums.
"I think you should go for it."
Her voice stopped his hands as he looked at her profile from the side. "What?"
"'Lexa is right, Corbin. You are way too talented for this not to try. You're going to this audition." She admitted and Corbin couldn't believe what he wasn't hearing. He knew that Vanessa would always be there - to push him to do and try bigger, better things; to bring him up when he was down and all that stuff. That's what friends did for each other - always. But what he was hearing was that Vanessa wasn't going to the audition herself and he absolutely could not have that happen. She told him he was talented, but so was she. And he was not doing this without her. They weren't just Corbin or just Vanessa, they were Corbin and Vanessa and that's what he wanted.
"You know, so are you," he told her, playing the first song that his mother ever taught him to play - Heart & Soul, as he went on. "Your voice - like Alexa said - isn't just meant for me or Stella or Aunt Gina, it's meant for the world to hear," he felt her eyes looking at him and continued, smiling, "I'm not doing this without you."
"Way to make a girl feel guilty, Cor,' she told him, picking up the melody in the back of her voice, "Heart and soul, I fell in love with you..."
"Heart and soul, the way a fool would do..." Corbin echoed her, abruptly ending the song and facing her on the bench that they occupied. "I'm really not, V. You don't go, I don't go. We're Corbin & Vanessa..."
"Voice and Song?"
"Voice and song," Corbin latched onto her hands and together they had made possibly the biggest decision of their lives. "We're really doing this, aren't we?"
"There is no way to back out now, Bleu Man. The bigger question is, which song to use?"
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Songs mentioned in this chapter -
Hello & Goodbye - Drew Seeley
Heart & Soul - Hoagy Carmichael & Frank Loesser.
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Stay tuned for Chapter 4 - Nerves
preview
"Last time I checked, the sign outside the door said solo auditions," Zac mentioned between the five of them behind the table they were sitting at but Vanessa caught on to his words. Her hair whipped around and she gave him a soft smile before calling him on it.
"We've prepared a duet and last time I checked, Mr. Efron, you were in a band."
He sat there speechless, his crystal blue eyes watching her cocoa colored ones. He caught her and called him on it, something that no one would ever do, except for his friends that sat around him. Giggles from the girls and Lucas broke his stare and Drew waved towards Corbin and Vanessa by the piano.
"She got ya Zac. Vanessa, Corbin, please, go ahead."
LOS ANGELES, CA - 3 WEEKS LATER
Apartment 1
The door flew open and a fiery red clutch was tossed onto the side table. Another night, another event - another day that was getting to her and she wasn't the only one that was feeling this way. They all were - and it wasn't right.
Walking into her spacious, yet feeling cramped at the moment bathroom, Monique Coleman turned on the light and stared at herself in the mirror. Her hair was up with subtle ringlets dangling beside her ears, red lips played off her smoky eyes and the red top Manda had picked out for her to wear to the Image Awards was stunning - Monique looked stunning but it wasn't her. She felt it - they all were feeling it.
"If I told you, that we would last forever..." her voice trailed off as the start of the chorus of one of the Rockers' many hits came along.
Apartment 2
"We could try to be something special..." Zac sang to himself as he shut his door behind him and stared back into the darkness of his small home in the suburbs of Los Angeles. It was just another event - another event where they were asked too many questions to which they didn't have answers to. 'What do you think of Rachel's new single?' 'Are you all going solo?' And of course, he couldn't forget the ultimate and million dollar question that Matt, from IMAGEMagazine, kept asking all four of them - 'When are you replacing Rachel & Chris?' And Zac bit his tongue every time, really and truly wanting to tell him never just so he would quit asking. Shaking his head, he knew better. This was Matt, the press guy who'd been hassling the Rockers ever since they first debuted and wouldn't let down.
Pushing himself off the back of the door, Zac tossed his jacket off towards the stool that sat in the kitchen and headed straight for the cabinets. It was already morning, just passing the two o'clock hour but Zac needed to end it on a good note - with the good stuff.
Apartment 3
Her hand clutched his, squeezing it every so often for reassurance that he was still there and she wasn't having this horrible dream-nightmare that wouldn't end. He would squeeze back everytime, a soft smile always on his lips for her. She wasn't sure when it all happened between them but the smiles and one late night at the recording studio had changed things. And it seemed that that was the only thing good that came out of Rachel and Chris leaving. And even though the Rockers' friendship seemed stronger, it was still awkward to talk about what had happened between them.
Ashley's eyes grazed up Drew's jacket covered arm and to his profile as they arrived at his apartment door. Another event, another evening at his place and another chorus line - 'But if we fell through, baby, it'd all be worth it...'
Apartment 1 - again
Lucas didn't go home - his home wasn't a home anymore. It felt odd to even step foot in it without one of his friends by his side. Of course, it may be because his 'home' was the one he used to share with Chris. Slipping down onto the wine colored sofa, he saw the bathroom light flick off and waited for Monique to come back out. 'Just to have met once in a lifetime, just to have said hello & goodbye...' Lucas sang as Monique came back out in a pair of silk pajama pants and tank top with 'ROCKERS' printed on it from one of their first concerts. He stared back into her chocolate eyes as she made her way in and slid down next to him.
"Six," she said, "We need to be six."
SAN DIEGO, CA
"The moment is ours, open your heart. We'll never know, la la la la..." Vanessa sang aloud as she and Corbin walked back down the hallway to her office from the auditorium.
"We'll never know," Corbin echoed continuing to sing one of their favorite songs from the Rockers. Joining together on the chorus, Vanessa held the small pen up to her mouth pretending it was a microphone and belted it out like she was back on stage in the limelight - like she had been just four weeks ago. A grunt from Mike and Janice, two of Vanessa's co-workers at San Diego Rep, stopped Vanessa and Corbin both from finishing the song. Leaning into her bushy haired friend, they both smiled and burst out in laughter at the fact that they had been caught being them and continued on their path to her office.
Vanessa had landed the perfect job after she and Corbin graduated from USC a couple of years ago. A nearly perfect fit, her title was somewhere between assistant director and the whole human resource department and this was exactly why he couldn't ever do lunch with Corbin except on Fridays. Fridays were the 'light' days, as the company liked to call them and let Vanessa have a major break in her workload which consisted mostly of pointless meetings. Corbin usually came on Fridays and always begged her about the baby grand in the auditorium and on this particular Friday, he got to her.
"I wanna hear some more songs," she told him as they entered her office, both stoppingin their tracks once they saw Alexa frantically changing the channel on the television in the corner. "Um, Lex...you okay?"
"What's up?" Corbin added in but received nothing as Alexa kept clicking the remote. Looking from Alexa back to Vanessa, Corbin watched the chocolate brunette behind the desk shrug her shoulders and fixed his gaze on the other. Slowly taking the remote away from her, Alexa snapped her head towards him.
"E! Now, V, what channel's E! on?"
"14. What's going on?" Vanessa asked and wondered sitting down in her chair and opening a piece of office mail that had been waiting for her.
"This is why I hate living two hours away. The channels are all screwed up here."
"Serves you right for moving to LA," Corbin said, smiling at her widely.
Alexa stuck her tongue out at Corbin and watched as he changed the channel for her. "This is what's up. Volume please," she said, giving him the same smile that he just gave her and sat down on the arm rest of the leather chair.
"As you wish, milady," Corbin added in the famous line from one of, if not Alexa's favorite movie and turned the television up to hear the broadcast. Jane, from E! News, graced the screen and was talking about Nicolas Cage's new movie and Corbin stared at Alexa questionly. "You drove two hours just to watch a news alert about Nicolas Cage? Yea right."
"You're being very mean today," Alexa mentioned, knowing he was joking all the way, "Just watch, okay?"
JANE: Alright, enough about Nic Cage, even though that movie is a must-see on my list. As promised before, we told you that you'd be the first to know about any news concerning the So-Jessica-Alba-Fantastic Rockers and we have it. In the past three weeks, we've been keeping an eye on our Rockers and seen them as four - Zac, Ashley, Lucas and Monique - attending various events around the city including Hollywood Records' Annual Release Party where Rachel & Chris Locke, formerly of the band, were also in attendance. In addition to all the events you're seeing right now, that will be nothing after we give you this bit of news - it's bigger, better and beyond belief of the gossip of that party. Drew Seeley & Manda Turner, the management team behind the Rockers invited us to another press conference and yes, ladies & gentlemen, you are hearing it here first.
Corbin turned the volume up more as he heard the mention of the Rockers and a new announcement. It'd been three weeks since the first news of the split and all three of the friends in the room were following the path.
JANE: What would you say or do if the Rockers went on their own American Idol search? Well, we're about to find out.
The screen flashed into a press conference and Drew and Manda came into view, slowly walking up and standing behind the podium. Vanessa was the first to perk up, clearly the most interested in what they had to say.
DREW SEELEY: Ladies & Gentlemen of the press and boards; we want to thank you for being here today for this announcement. The remaining members of the So-Jessica-Alba-Fantastic Rockers, Miss Manda Turner and myself have come to a decision regarding the bands' future and our lives. So, we are announcing that there are two vacancies in the band.
MANDA TURNER: We will be conducting a nationwide search for not necessarily the most talented but certainly the most worthy, unknown and passionate artists to join the Rockers. Cities have been decided upon but no dates have been set and you will be hearing those later this afternoon.
Vanessa leaned back in her chair and let out a sigh. So many thoughts were running through her mind and one of the first ones was that the Director probably wanted to book a stop here.
JANE: Katie, our own Rocker groupie, had a chance to catch up with the band and get their thoughts.
KATIE: Rockers, thank you so much for sitting with me and letting me pry a bit into this. So, Ashley, how did you guys decide on this - was it mutual?
ASHLEY: You're welcome Katie. We all love doing interview with E! You never let us down. But the decision, which was just about the biggest decision in our lives so far, was mutual. We're more than just a band who just happened to win a Grammy. We're best friends and wouldn't do anything to break that bond.
KATIE: Lucas, what does this search mean for the band?
LUCAS: It mainly means that we're stronger with six than four. Don't get us wrong, we love each other and would do anything for each other like Ashley said, but the harmonies and chords in our music were meant for six. Getting back to that harmony we had with Rachel & Chris is a big thing for all of us. Plus, it means that we get to go on a 'tour' so to speak and all four of us - love tours.
KATIE: I'm so happy to hear that your friendship isn't lacking.
MONIQUE: Our friendship is one of the greatest things about our lives right now. I think that if anything has come or is coming out of this, it's that it's made us stronger and made us realize that we really are still Wildcats at heart.
ZAC: Always will be.
KATIE: Now Zac, many have referred to you and Rachel Locke as the lead singers in the band. How is it adjusting from her leaving and what are all of you looking for in the two new members?
ZAC: Really? I'm the lead? Cool. (Zac flinches as Monique swats his arm and gives her a big smile.) No, seriously though, I don't think there's any distinction between 'leads'. Ash, Monique and Lucas all have multiple talents and I just hum into a microphone. These three carry me most times.
LUCAS: True, we do.
ZAC: But I guess what we're looking for in the potential two new members and throughout the whole audition process is the same sort of passion that we have for creating music that somehow, everyone tends to like. And, it would also be nice if we just hit it right off with them, like we did with each other.
KATIE: Okay, and a last question before I let you go because I see both your managers flagging me down to wrap it up. Are you excited? What's going through your mind right now as you know you're preparing for this 8-city search?
LUCAS: Very excited.
MONIQUE: A bit nervous, actually.
ZAC: And anxious all at the same time.
ASHLEY: I think our main thing is that we've never done this before. Sure, we've been on American Idol, but actually doing the search ourselves - we have no clue what we're going but I know that I'm so excited.
KATIE: Well Rockers, thank you again so much for the interview and we wish you the best of luck.
GROUP: So-Jessica-Alba-Fantastic!
Shutting the channel off as the interview ended, Corbin turned in his seat and faced Vanessa. Reading her at this moment in time was harder than normal and it was the same for her as she looked back. Taken back by Alexa's eagerness in the situation, Vanessa was literally pushed out of the way as their younger friend easily pulled up the Rockers site and glanced at the city schedule that had already been announced.
"You are way too excited about this," Corbin told her, her cocoa colored eyes meeting his own. "Did you two like switch bodies or something?"
"Lex, now what are you doing?" Vanessa looked over Alexa's shoulder from her chair.
"Signing you two up."
"WHAT?!" They both exclaimed at the same time with the exact amount of surprise in their voices.
"I'm signing you two up and I don't want any arguments," she glanced at them both for a second before keying in their information. "San Diego is third on their list and you both are too talented not to do this," she said, hitting the 'submit' button on the electronic form.
Glancing in Corbin's direction, Vanessa widened her eyes, pleading for help, knowing for a fact that she couldn't stop Alexa if she tried. "Say something," she mouthed over to him.
"Like what?" He mouthed back, positive that nothing would stop Alexa from doing this.
"You know that I can read both of your lips, right?" Alexa slipped in there, hitting the 'submit' button one more time.
"Yeah, we do. But what if we don't want to do this?" Vanessa asked her, her hands moving about and around Alexa's frame.
"Vanessa, you've been on stage more than you've been at home andn with a voice like that, let's just say that San Diego shouldn't be the only place to hear it. And Corbin, you've been writing music since you were 2, can play anything on Julie without any thing in front of you, this is your chance. You two have to try," Alexa finished up, leaving the both of them speechless. Neither knew what to say after that and didn't.
*
The door was green; not a light green either - it was dark, almost an emerald green and Corbin had never really noticed it until now as he stared at it blankly. With a tiny peephole in the center and a golden knocker just below, he had been staring for a near 10 minutes, just standing on her doorstep and think of every possible scenario and situation that could come out of this thing that they were in. There was the dream one - where they both were chosen as the new Rockers and their lives became everything they ever dreamed of. And then there was the icky, as Jag described it, one - where they joined the Rockers and drove the band into the ground.
Living two houses from each other from the day they were born, Corbin Bleu Reivers had often thought of Vanessa's home as his own and never needed to knock to come in. Snapping out of his thoughts as the door swung open, he looked up to see Gina Hudgens, Vanessa's mom that he called Aunt Gina, wiping her hands on a patterned cloth and greeting him with a wide and warm smile. "Corbin, what are you doing out here? Anything wrong?" Mrs. Hudgens asked him as he stood still on the bottom porch step.
"No," he paused, "Nothing's wrong, Aunt Gina. Vanessa here?"
"Yeah, she just got back from a shopping excursion with Stella. You're welcome to go up."
"How about I just head for that piano of yours and avoid the fashion show altogether?"
"That sounds like a survival tactic," Gina winked at him as Corbin stepped into the inviting home and held onto the folded sheet of paper in his hand tightly. Gina shut the door behind him and he turned to watch her walk back off into the dining room area where she had originally been. Strolling past Uncle Greg's, Vanessa's fahter's, den, Corbin came up to the family room to see it in all its neatness and glory. He secretly wondered how Aunt Gina did it - keeping the place so nice. His mom, Martha, had him plus three girls under the age of 14 and ten seconds after they would clean, the girls would have it like it was all over again. Aunt Gina only had two girls, who he had to admit, were much neater than his sisters.
He lifted the cover to reveal the pearl white keys that he hadn't played in a while. He stared at them for a while, still clutching onto that sheet in his hands and noticed a shorter, slender figure step into the room and slip down beside him like it was the most natural think in the world - and it was.
"How was the fashion show?" He asked her, a smile curling up on his lips thankful for the warning Aunt Gina had given him.
"Which one? The one at the store or here?"
"So, it's safe to say that both were the same as always?"
"No, this time she wanted to mix & match everything!" Vanessa told him, her hands expressing the situation of shopping!Stella. He couldn't help it now - laughter come whether he liked it or not and although she was laughing right with him, a slap to his shoulder was received. "It's not that funny."
"Yes it is!" He managed to get out between the chuckles that wouldn't stop. "I now know where she gets the trait from."
"Hey! Now that was so not funny," Vanessa persisted but didn't stop her laughter. "Just wait, your sisters are next."
"Oh dear Lord, no," Corbin's laughter had simmered now that she had halfway threatened to turn his three sisters into shopping robots. Jag, the youngest, was only six and still liked to watch cartoons with him early in the morning so he expected it was a bit early for her but knowing Vanessa, Alexa and Stella, they could easily convert her, Lina and Carrie.
Corbin shook out of his thoughts on all three of them maxing out on their dad's credit cards to feel a tug on his right hand. Vanessa was pulling at the edge, curious as to its contents and instead of watching her concentrate on strategies to get it out of his hand that included her nose becoming crinkly cute, he handed it over to her.
"Oh, I know what it is now," she let out a deep breath, opening the paper up full size without having to read it. "The San Diego Auditions. I got mine, too."
"The date's in a week," Corbin stated.
"Yep," Vanessa folded the paper back up and laid it on top of the traditional style piano. "Play me my song, Cordelia," she asked, teasing him as his hands raked over the keys once more. "Please?"
Corbin was always a sucker for that smile. He couldn't deny her anything when he saw that smile and he immediately started to play the soft harmonies of the song he had written a while ago. It was one of the first he had written and Vanessa had been one of the first to hear it along with Alexa. The chords ran together seamlessly and he closed his eyes, almost becoming the song himself and her hums softly rippled over his eardrums.
"I think you should go for it."
Her voice stopped his hands as he looked at her profile from the side. "What?"
"'Lexa is right, Corbin. You are way too talented for this not to try. You're going to this audition." She admitted and Corbin couldn't believe what he wasn't hearing. He knew that Vanessa would always be there - to push him to do and try bigger, better things; to bring him up when he was down and all that stuff. That's what friends did for each other - always. But what he was hearing was that Vanessa wasn't going to the audition herself and he absolutely could not have that happen. She told him he was talented, but so was she. And he was not doing this without her. They weren't just Corbin or just Vanessa, they were Corbin and Vanessa and that's what he wanted.
"You know, so are you," he told her, playing the first song that his mother ever taught him to play - Heart & Soul, as he went on. "Your voice - like Alexa said - isn't just meant for me or Stella or Aunt Gina, it's meant for the world to hear," he felt her eyes looking at him and continued, smiling, "I'm not doing this without you."
"Way to make a girl feel guilty, Cor,' she told him, picking up the melody in the back of her voice, "Heart and soul, I fell in love with you..."
"Heart and soul, the way a fool would do..." Corbin echoed her, abruptly ending the song and facing her on the bench that they occupied. "I'm really not, V. You don't go, I don't go. We're Corbin & Vanessa..."
"Voice and Song?"
"Voice and song," Corbin latched onto her hands and together they had made possibly the biggest decision of their lives. "We're really doing this, aren't we?"
"There is no way to back out now, Bleu Man. The bigger question is, which song to use?"
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Songs mentioned in this chapter -
Hello & Goodbye - Drew Seeley
Heart & Soul - Hoagy Carmichael & Frank Loesser.
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Stay tuned for Chapter 4 - Nerves
preview
"Last time I checked, the sign outside the door said solo auditions," Zac mentioned between the five of them behind the table they were sitting at but Vanessa caught on to his words. Her hair whipped around and she gave him a soft smile before calling him on it.
"We've prepared a duet and last time I checked, Mr. Efron, you were in a band."
He sat there speechless, his crystal blue eyes watching her cocoa colored ones. He caught her and called him on it, something that no one would ever do, except for his friends that sat around him. Giggles from the girls and Lucas broke his stare and Drew waved towards Corbin and Vanessa by the piano.
"She got ya Zac. Vanessa, Corbin, please, go ahead."
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