Vanessa Hudgens looked around the room full of people, all auditioning for a role in High School Musical. A blonde girl, with wavy hair and a black tank top, grey Victoria Secret capris, and pink ballet flats plopped down in the chair next to her.

"Hi, I'm Ashley Tisdale," the girl said cheerfully, taking another sip of her coffee.

"I'm Vanessa Hudgens," Vanessa greeted the hyper teen. She also took a sip of her mocha moolate`. They shook hands.

"Who are you auditioning for?" Ashley asked.

"Oh, um, Gabriella. What about you?"

"Sharpay," Ashley replied in a sing song voice. "I like your outfit choice."

Vanessa glanced down. She was wearing a yellow tank top, white shorts, knee-high socks, and black tennis shoes. "Thanks," Vanessa smiled. "Same to you."

"Thank you," Ashley smiled, too. "Nice smile."

Vanessa blushed. "Again, thanks."

Ashley was about to speak, when a man came out of the back room with a clipboard in his hand. He began handing out sticky white papers with one to four numbers on them. Vanessa became number 74 and Ashley was 126.

"I guess this is kinda like American Idol," Ashley pointed out.

"I guess so," Vanessa laughed.

"So, what do you have to sing for Kenny?" Ashley changed the subject.

"The chorus from Start of Something New," Vanessa answered, looking down at the vanilla file filled with papers that had been handed to her by the receptionist when she had come in.

"Cool." Ashley smiled.

They sat in silence for a few minutes and waited for the man to get to their numbers. Finally, he got to the seventies. "74!" He yelled over the excited chattering. There had already been some people who had come out crying and screaming.

Vanessa rose to her feet. "Good luck," she heard Ashley whisper from behind her.

There were two men and a woman sitting behind a large table. Wow, Ashley was right, Vanessa thought, this is like American Idol.

"I'm Kenny Ortega and these are my partners in crime, Bonnie Story and Charles Klapow." Kenny introduced them.

The second guy spoke up right away. "I prefer to be called Chucky."

Kenny shook his head and laughed. "Hi, I'm Vanessa."

"So, Vanessa, you --along with the twenty other girls before you--are trying out for Gabriella?" Bonnie asked.

Vanessa nodded. "Yeah, I guess."

"How long have you been singing?" She asked.

"Since I can remember," Vanessa responded, honestly. "I was going to be on American Idol. I decided that when I was fifteen. But, then, this rolled around and I decided to go for it."

"Okay, Vanessa," Kenny said, "Whenever you're ready."

She took a deep breath. "I know that something has changed, never felt this way and right her tonight, this could be the start of something new, it feels so right to be here with you, ohh. And now, looking in your eyes, I feel in my heart that it's the start of something new."

All three of them clapped. "Wow, great audition." Kenny complimented.

"Thank you," Vanessa grinned.

"We will see you in the next round," Chucky said.

"Oh my goodness!" Vanessa cried. "Thank you so much!" she skipped out the door.

TWO HOURS LATER:

Round Two

"Numbers 74, 88, and 89," the man called. Vanessa and two redheads stood up and went into the room.

This time, it was just the girls and Bonnie in the room. "Okay, girls, I'm going to turn on some music and I'd like you to do the same moves that I'm showing you."

The first redhead just couldn't get it right. She wasn't flexible enough, is what Bonnie had said. She started bawling and left the room.

"Okay, Vanessa and Sarah, I guess we'll see you next time." Bonnie said, looking after the other girl.

The two walked out of the room and Sarah went to find the other girl who had run away crying. Vanessa felt bad for the girl. Ashley walked up to her. "How'd you do?"

"I made it through!" Vanessa exclaimed.

"Awesome!" Ashley cried out. "Me too!" Every head turned toward the two girls who just had an outburst.

Vanessa giggled and Ashley waved at everyone looking at them.

"Here's how it's going to go down," the man with the clipboard's voice boomed. "Next, we are doing boy/girl auditions, where one boy and one girl are paired up together. But, first, we are going to take a lunch break. The break room is down that hall and to the right. It's the first door."

Ashley's hand shot up. "Yes, miss?" The man asked, pointing to her.

"Are you going to pair people up randomly?"

"Yes, ma'am, at first we will be. Then, Kenny, Bonnie, and Chucky will choose who you partner with after that."

"Okay, thank you," Ashley chirped and she and Vanessa walked toward the break room, a long with another hundred people.