Ok, so, here I am, breaking in my new account with a new fandom. In essence, this is my first HSM fanfic, although I've started another one that I might post later, once I get more work done on it. For now, enjoy this (fairly short) one shot, with a brief look at the events of the movie from the point of view of one of my favorite HSM characters... And no, I won't say who it is until the very end. Feel free to make your guess now if you'd like!

DISCLAIMER: Hmm, let me think. Nope, still don't own HSM… Disney still refuses to take my bribes of cookies (not as good as Zeke's) and story ideas in exchange for the rights. Rats. Oh well, it is called FANfiction for a reason!

This was supposed to be our year.

Everyone said that this was our year to really shine. We really believed that all our work was building up to this show, that this would be the year that we would finally show everyone just what we were capable of.

I don't think we've ever worked as hard just for an audition as we did this time. Of course, we assumed that was just one less thing we'd have to work on after we got the parts. Oh, how wrong we were.

You can't imagine the shock of looking at that list after all that work, after all those hours, after all those practices, and instead of seeing Final Cast List, you see the words Call Backs. Do you know what that's like? In seventeen school productions, we'd never been challenged, and suddenly one day these two amateurs come along out of nowhere and decide that they can just step up on stage. And it wasn't even an honest competition, following the whole sign-up procedure. Oh no, from what I've heard, it was them hiding in the back of the auditorium through the entire auditions, and then getting a callback because Kelsi played them the music and they sang along. Fair? I think not.

So what did we do? We did what we had to do- we pushed ourselves as hard as we could, practicing every night for hours, until our bodies cried for relief. This time, we would have to do it bigger, it would have to be bolder, and most of all, it had to be better then ever before. So maybe we would start shining a little earlier than we had anticipated. We didn't think we had anything to worry about, even then.

But we took those extra measures... We went to Mrs. Darbus and persuaded her to change the audition date. But even that wasn't enough. We should have known, of course, that it wouldn't be. In hindsight, that was our downfall. Anyone bold enough to break out of the status quo and into something so far outside of their realm would clearly also go to no end to go through with it. In a way, I admire them for that. It wasn't coincidence that the scoreboard in the gym malfunctioned when it did. No one really believes it, though they don't say anything. Why would they? Their stars got the roles, the coveted roles that belonged to us.

And everyone can be as happy for them as they want, but I know that those roles, in the end, shouldn't belong to them. Those roles should belong to us. Luck, that's what they have. Luck, timing, and a bit of backhanded cunning. But we have the determination it takes to make it through to the end. We have the experience it takes to handle the stinging comments that follow a bad performance, whether in a casual rehearsal or a professional show. We have the drive to follow through on our commitments 110. And they have luck. Fair? I think not.

But who am I to speak out against it? It's not as if anyone would listen to me- I'd get nasty looks if I tried, I know that fact too well. So I try and fade into the background a bit, pasting a pleasant smile on my face as we encounter them in the gym after tryouts. I with them luck, even though the words have a bitter taste on my tongue.

The only thing that keeps me from lashing out is that small fact, that little nagging voice in the back of my mind that tells me that my patience will not be wasted. It tells me that if I just wait, I'll have my comeback. And I will come back; WE will come back. And we will come back bigger and brighter than ever, and no one will ever doubt us again.

So I'll fade into the background for the time being. I'll sit back and make pleasantries with them for now.

But when it comes time for the next musical, they had better be ready. Because Sharpay isn't the only one who has plans up her sleeves.

After all, it's always the quiet ones that are the most dangerous...

Alright, so, there you have it. I love Ryan, and I like to explore all the sides of him. I really do think that he does have a darker streak to him, one that lets him say, "I'm proud to call you my sister" when Sharpay comes up with an evil plot and mean it. And I must say, I think he has more of a backbone than what we usually give him. Hence where this story came from (as well as a night where I couldn't sleep and got bored).

So, please review? It'd mean a whole lot to me if you let me know what you thought of it, seeing as this basically is my first HSM fic. You know that "Go" button is just calling to you, saying, "Push me, push me!" And hey, I've got cookies…