AN - I really wanted to do a High School Musical version of Degrassi story so bad. Let me know what you think. For people who are reading StarStruck, I'm working on the next chapter, so it'll probably be up this weekend, can't be sure.
DISCLAMER: I do not own Degrassi or High School Musical.
Songs Used - Start of Something New by High School Musical Cast
Enjoyyy :D
Chapter One - The Ski Lodge
It was New Year's Eve at a vacation resort in the mountains. Snow covered the ground, and stars were sparkling in the clear air. Everyone was beginning to get in to the party mood. That is, except for Eli Goldsworthy and his dad, Bullfrog, who were on the basketball court playing one-on-one. They were covered in sweat, but that couldn't stop them from playing the sport they love.
Eli had the ball, and he was doing a great job getting around his dad. After all, Eli was the star of the high school basketball game, and he was the captain too. Bullfrog is more than just Eli's dad, he's also his coach. So, naturally, Bullfrog gave Eli advice as they played.
"Keep working left, Eli," Bullfrog said. "The guy guarding you in the Championship game won't expect that. You'll torch him."
Eli nodded, breathing hard. "By going left-" He started.
"He'll look middle, and you'll take it downtown."
"Like this?" Eli said, while spinning past his father, jumping, and sinking a reverse layup. The ball glided cleanly through the basket, nothing but net.
"Sweet." They could've played all night, but Mrs. Goldsworthy, who liked to be called CeCe, walked into the gym. She was wearing a nice party dress.
"Boys? Hello?" She called. When she caught their attention she continued. "Did we really fly all this way to play more basketball?"
Eli and Bullfrog glanced at each other slyly. They knew she really didn't want an answer to that question, but they gave her one anyway. In unison, they shrugged and said, "Yes."
CeCe sighed. "It's the last night of vacation. The party...? Remember"
The truth is, they had both totally forgotten the big New Year's Eve party that they lodge was holding, but they knew that they shouldn't admit that.
"Oh right, right," Bullfrog put in quickly. "New Year's Eve." He hesitated. "Do we have to wear funny hats?" He asked his wife.
"Absolutely," She said immediately. "And we're supposed to be at the party in half an hour. Eli, they have a kid's party downstairs in the Freestyle club."
"Kid's party?" Troy groaned.
"Young adults," CeCe quickly corrected. "Now go shower up." Eli heavily sighed, but did as CeCe said. Eli looked back at the basketball court one last time. The championship game is in a couple of weeks. He should be practicing, not going to a stupid 'kid's party'. Besides, how much could this party actually be...
xoxoxoxoxo
Meanwhile, in another part of the lodge, Clare Edwards comfortably curled up on a couch reading her book, and enjoying the peace and quiet. Everyone was at the party, and she had totally lost her self in her new book from the Fortnight series. It was the best book she's read since, well, the last book from the series.
However, she didn't get to the next page. Her book was lifted out of her hands, and she looked up to see her mother standing over her.
"Clare, it's New Year's Eve," Ms. Edwards said. "Enough reading.
"But Mom, I'm almost done and-" Gabriella started to protest.
Ms. Edwards just shook her head. "There's a teen party. I've laid out your best clothes. Go." Clare eyed her mother's sparkly party dressed and sighed. She knew when she was defeated. She nodded, but asked,
"Can I at least have my book back?" Ms. Edwards handed her the book, and Clare headed towards her room to change. As soon as she was out of her mom's sight, she opened the book and began reading as she walked. She might have to go to a stupid teen party, but she didn't plan to turn her brain off until the very last minute.
xoxoxoxoxo
A little time late, Eli and Clare were in the teen club, feeling out of place. It was packed with kids wearing goofy party hats, blowing on noisemakers, and, of course, laughing. Everyone seemed to be having fun, Eli thought glumly. He had showered and dressed in night pants and a pressed shirt, picked out by his mother, but he just wished he could be back on the basketball court.
In a different part of the room, Clare sat by herself, wearing the clothes her mother had laid out. Clare though, "I could be back in my room reading. I was just getting to the good part too!"
Neither of the two kids was having any fun at all. Most of the kids in the room were watching the karaoke contest that was happening on the stage. As the two teenagers currently singing finished their song, the emcee called out cheerfully, "How about that for a couple of snowboarders?" The audience cheered, and the emcee started looking around the room, trying to spot anyone else willing to sing karaoke to a room full of strangers. Spotlights swirled over the crowd and the music played even louder to get the adrenaline pumping.
"All right," said the emcee into the mike. "Let's see who's gonna rock the house next..." That was the cue. The music stopped. The two spotlights picked out the next karaoke 'volunteers.'
One spotlight was on Eli.
The other was on Clare.
Both of the teens were startled, and even a little terrified. They shook their heads, but it was no use. The emcee jumped into the crowd and pulled them onto the stage.
Clare and Eli were mortified. Somehow, they weren't quite sure how it happened, microphones were put in their hands. They were stuck...onstage...the center of attention...no way to escape.
Before either of them could actually faint or throw up from fear, the music started.
"Well, here goes nothing." Eli thought. He might as well make the best of it. He started singing, softly and carefully. He could barely get the words out. It was all he could do to read the lyrics on the screen of the karaoke machine and try to stay on tune. He sang:
"Livin' in my own world
Didn't understand
That anything could happen
When you take a chance"
No one seemed to be paying any attention to them. That was a good thing. According to Clare. And, after all, if this boy was willing to risk public humiliation, she might as well be a good sport and try to sing too. She opened her mouth and began singing. Although her voice was just above a whisper, it was sweet and pure. She sang:
"I never believed in
What I couldn't see
I never opened my heart
To all the possibilities"
All right, she thought. I can do this. It's not too terrible. Okay, Eli thought. At least people aren't throwing things at us. They were both still too nervous to really belt out the song. They kept singing though, alternating the lines of the ballad.
"I know
That something has changed
Never felt this way
And right here tonight
This could be the start of something new
It feels so right
To be here with you, ooh
And now looking in your eyes
I feel in my heart, the start of something new"
Finally, they looked at each other, hoping for a little help from their partner in embarrassment. As they really saw each other, they both felt something they had never felt before. Eli felt a spark of electricity fun over his skin. Clare felt a warm glow flood through her body. They smiled and, for the first time, began singing to each other. They sang more loudly, more boldly, with more self-assurance.
Suddenly everyone in the room started to notice: there was something special going on up on stage. Kids began crowding around the edge of the stage, listening and swaying to the music. Now Eli and Care were starting to enjoy themselves. Their nervousness was forgotten as they smiled into each other's eyes.
"Now who'd ever thought that
We'd both be here tonight
And the world be so much brighter
With you by my side
I know that something has changed
Never felt this way
And right here tonight
This could be the start of something new
It feels so right to be here with you, ooh
And now looking in your eyes
I feel in my heart, the start of something new"
Before long, they were dancing across the stage and back again, as confident as if they were performing at an arena. As they moved to the music, they never took their eyes off of each other.
"I never knew that this could happen
Till it happened to me, ooh yeah
I didn't know it before
But now it's easy to see
It's a start of something new
It feels so right
To be here with you, ooh
And now looking in your eyes
I feel in my heart
That it's the start of something new
It feels so right
To be here with you, ooh
And now looking in your eyes
I feel in my heart
The start of something new
The start of something new
The start of something new"
When the song was over, the crowd applauded and cheered. Eli and Clare smiled, breathless and a little stunned by what had just happened.
Eli leaned over and said, "I'm Eli."
Clare nodded. "Clare."
Neither one of them could stop smiling. Both of them felt an excited, fizzy feeling inside, as if the world had just become a lot more fun.