Author's Note: WOW! Thank you all so much for the really overwhelming overnight response on this. I greatly appreciate it. Just to adress a few questions, after rereading I realized I never specified that Averman went with Ryan, so I'll clear that up now! I do intend on having the Ducks try out for the East High hockey team, but I don't intend on bringing in new characters for Eden Hall, I'll just have it be anonymous underclassmen. Poppyfields13, it makes me deeply sad that you don't have HSM 2 yet, because it is excellent. Anyway, enjoy this chapter, we get some really great Sharpay action. She's such a bitch, she's fun to write. Plus I do theater and I know that girl!
Disclaimer: I don't own either movie series :-(
Chapter 2: New Places, New Faces
"WHAT!" Sharpay's shouts were easily heard in the hallway. "What do you mean the auditions are over?"
"Um," the girl who was standing in the auditorium door at Eden Hall, looked at her. "I mean they're over, we hold them the week before school starts."
"I don't think you understand," She smiled sweetly, "I need to be in the show. I'm the most talented girl at East High, and,"
"I'm sure you are," the girl said, raising her eyebrows, fully aware that obviously this new girl was a handful, "But the show's cast, you can be on stage crew, if you want."
"Hey Linda," A tall boy with dark skin and hair walked in, carrying what looked like two heavy bags, "Where do you want these?"
"Um, stage left," Linda pointed, "Thanks Portman."
"What else am I here for," He smirked. "Are you here to join crew?" He smiled at Sharpay, and she looked at him like he was crazy.
"No," she said shortly, "I don't do stage crew."
"Oh," He said, "OK then." He walked in.
"Look, like I said, I'm very sorry." Linda said, "But we really can't do anything about it. I guess we can put you in as an understudy, if you come back tomorrow with an audition."
"Fine," Sharpay said storming off. Linda sighed and walked in to the auditorium.
"Who was that?" Portman laughed at the look on Linda's face.
"Sharpay Evans," Linda said, "One the girls from Julie's little exchange program. What was I thinking signing on to direct this show?"
"You were thinking," Portman teased, "'Charlie's going to be in New Mexico all year, whatever am I going to do with myself?'" She hit him in the arm. "So what'd you do with the Diva?"
"Told her I'd let her be an understudy." Linda shrugged. "I just hope we don't have a Tanya Harding situation on our hands."
"I'll look out for her if you want," Portman smiled.
"Now that sounds safe." Linda laughed.
"Um excuse me?" A small girl with her hair tucked up in a hat walked in. "I'm looking for Linda?"
"I'm Linda," she stood up. "Can I help you?"
"My name's Kelsi," she said with a shy smile, "I wanted to see about playing the piano?"
"Right!" Linda said, rushing down to her. "You're one of the exchange kids right?"
"Yes," Kelsi breathed a sigh of relief.
"Well, its nice to meet you," Linda said, "I already met one of your classmates."
"Blonde hair," Kelsi grimaced, "Too much makeup on her face, too much glitter on her clothes?" Linda nodded. "That'd be Sharpay, I'm sorry."
"For what?" Linda laughed.
"Whatever she did," Kelsi smiled.
"Right," Linda smiled. "The piano's over there, do you know Oklahoma?"
"Like the back of my hand," Kelsi nodded. "An interesting choice."
"We don't have what one would call, a big budget," Portman said.
"This is Dean Portman," Linda said, "Ignore him; he's our stage manager, and an idiot."
"I resent that!" He stuck out his tongue. "So, that Sharpay chick, what's her deal?"
"She's pure evil," Kelsi said casually, sitting down at the piano and lightly playing "Oh What a Beautiful Morning."
"So how was everyone's night?" Charlie said the next morning before homeroom, where the ducks had met up.
"Good," Goldberg said satisfied, "Turns out Zeke is like this amazing chef."
"Ryan's house," Averman said, "Freaking huge! I'm in a guest room, as in a guest room, as in they have more than one."
"Chad's really weird," Luis said, "He sleeps with his basketball, in his bed."
"Gabriella's really nice," Julie smiled. "And her mom's really sweet too. What about you Charlie?"
"Troy's cool," Charlie nodded, "but its like basketball, basketball, basketball."
"Oh as opposed to, hockey, hockey, hockey," Averman nodded, "You guys must have been able to find some common ground."
"Not really," Charlie shook his head. "I mean, football, I could do, baseball even, but basketball is at the same time as hockey, so I never got into it."
"How'd you think they're doing at home?" Julie said wistfully.
"Aw, Julie misses Adam!" Luis teased pinching her cheek, she slapped his hand away. "Didn't you two talk on the phone last night?"
"No Adam you hang up first!" Averman made a phone out of his fingers, "No Jules, you hang up first! I'm not going to!" She hit him. "Ow!"
"Linda hung up first," Charlie sighed, "She's really stressed about that show she's directing."
"And I doubt Portman's helping much," Goldberg laughed, "He's probably just goading her on, making her life a life a living hell."
"Hey, what did you find out about the hockey team Charlie?" Julie smiled changing the subject. "Do you think they'll let me play?"
"I'm going to talk to the coach today," He nodded, still playing captain to his team. "Besides, the minute anyone sees you play, they never care that you're a girl."
"So true," Goldberg nodded smiling at her. After three years he had long forgiven her for taking his spot.
"So Gabby," Chad leaned over to her, "Tell me about Julie."
"Remember your girlfriend Taylor?" Gabriella said, "My best friend, currently away in Minnesota, I'm sure missing you very much."
"This has nothing to do with Taylor," Chad said, "I'm just curious, I asked Zeke all about Goldberg!"
"No you," Zeke started, Chad elbowed him and smiled sweetly at Gabriella.
"Don't get too excited," Gabriella laughed, "She said she has a pretty serious boyfriend back at school."
"Oh," Chad nodded. "So that's perfect, she has a boyfriend, just like I have a girlfriend."
"Exactly," Gabriella nodded. "You have a girlfriend." Troy sulked in and sat down next to Gabriella. "Why the long face baby?"
"I don't get that kid!" Troy said exasperated, "I mean, he's just so, I don't even know!"
"I assume you're talking about Charlie?" Zeke asked, Troy nodded. "Goldberg said he gets really moody, especially in new situations."
"Well, we'll just have to give them a Wildcat welcome!" Ryan said sitting down.
"That was cheesy man," Chad pointed at him. "Troy, practice at free period right?" Troy nodded.
"I was thinking," he said, "Actually what if we skipped practice. I'm with Ryan, we need to make them feel welcome. We weren't exactly in to it yesterday." He smiled. "Zeke, can you get something together food wise?"
"I've got a cake in kitchen already," he shrugged, "I could decorate it for them."
"Perfect," Troy smiled. "Ryan, entertainment?"
"Without Kelsi, I can't really give anything new," he shrugged, "But I'm sure I can throw something together."
"Awesome," he said, "Me and Gabby will uh,"
"Donate our secret spot?" She said, "I mean, just for the welcome party!"
"And I'll talk to Julie," Chad smiled, they all looked at him. "I'm being friendly, I'm sure she's very lonely, and misses her boyfriend. Just like I'm very lonely and miss Taylor!"
"An entire period of unscheduled time?" Luis smiled, lounging on a step outside with the others. "I feel like the East High lifestyle totally agrees with me."
"I hear that man!" Averman nodded. "Did we ever have time like this at Eden Hall?"
"Not in the middle of the morning no," Julie laughed, who was taking the extra time to get a head start on her homework. "It's nice to be in a house again too."
"I kinda miss the dorm," Charlie sighed, "It was home for so long you know?"
"And Charlie's adjustment issues rear their ugly head," Goldberg sighed, "So what's the problem? You miss Coach? Or things in LA weren't what you expected? Oh! I know, the team sucks!"
"Shut up," he laughed, "I just meant its weird, I mean, new year, new school."
"Hey guys!" Troy and Gabriella came over.
"You busy?" Troy asked looking at the five newcomers, all of whom shook their heads.
"We are not," Luis sighed content, "And I like it that way!!"
"Great," Gabriella smiled, "Come with us!" She turned around, they all stared, "Come on!" She laughed. They looked to Charlie who just shrugged and followed. They all ran after Gabriella and Troy, up a few flights of stairs to an all glass room full of plants!
"Welcome!" The other Wildcats shouted and smiled. The ducks jumped.
"Things got a little crazy yesterday," Troy said, "And I just want to, on behalf of the Wildcats, welcome the Ducks!" The ducks nodded and nudged Charlie who stepped forward awkwardly.
"On behalf of the Ducks," he extended his hand to Troy, "Thanks."
"Alright, let's dig in!" Goldberg smiled eyeing the cake Zeke had decorated with a Duck mask and a roaring Wildcat. The party went on pretty well. Everyone was laughing and getting along. Troy and Charlie still seemed wary of each other, but Julie was enjoying the time with Gabriella and another girl who they hadn't met the day before Martha.
"Gabby said you're a pretty strong student," Martha smiled, "We actually have a spot on the academic decathlon, we lost our old captain to the exchange program, we were wondering if you'd be interested."
"I'd have to see how things work out with hockey," Julie shrugged. "But it sounds good."
"Just be careful," Gabriella said quietly, "Ryan's on the lookout for new talent, I had to drop Drama club to captain Academic, and his sister's at your school, so he's going to try to recruit you."
"He'd be sorely disappointed," Julie laughed, "I'm completely tone deaf!"
"If he can make a dancer out of Chad," Martha shook her head, "The boy can do anything!" Julie looked up and noticed Chad watching her, he smiled, she smiled back, until a putrid smell invaded the room.
"Ugh!" The Ducks sighed, "GOLDBERG!"
"It wasn't me!" He insisted. They grumbled as the bell rang. Everyone started to scramble down stairs. Chad stayed behind as he watched Julie pack up her things.
"Hey," he ducked under to see her.
"Hey," she smiled.
"So it wasn't him," he bit his lip, "It was me."
"Charming way to get a girl's attention Danforth," she laughed. "Walk me to class?"
"Love to," He smirked and followed after her.
"New kids," Fulton nudged Portman, nodding over to the table where the East High Kids were eating breakfast. "The guy's in Physics with me, he's pretty cool."
"I met two of the girls yesterday," Portman nodded, "At drama."
"And?" Fulton nodded.
"The blonde's crazy I think," he said, "But she's kinda cute in a weird way." Fulton nodded. "And the little one with the glasses, is kinda awkward funny, like a girl Kenny."
"Got it," Fulton nodded. "What about the other girl?"
"Didn't talk to her," Portman shrugged. "They look really unhappy."
"Leaving New Mexico to come to Minnesota," Russ came up behind them, "Wouldn't you be? Hell, I can barely stand the weather here."
"True," Fulton nodded. "Should we like sit with them?"
"We're supposed to make them feel welcome," Portman smirked and walked over.
"What's he doing?" Russ asked Fulton.
"Not sure," Fulton shook his head and laughed.
"This seat taken?" Portman said standing behind Sharpay.
"Doesn't look like it," She turned around. "Oh, its you."
"Hey Portman!" Kelsi smiled at him as he sat down.
"You know him?" Sharpay said with her usual looking down on everyone attitude. "How?"
"I'm playing the piano for the show," Kelsi said simply. "Rehearsal today after class right?"
"Right," Portman laughed.
"There's a show?" Taylor asked. Sharpay rolled her eyes.
"Of course there's a show," she said, "They don't know what they're missing."
"You're lucky Linda's even letting you have an audition," Portman sighed, "The girl's a total hardass."
"What do you know about it?" Sharpay snapped. He looked down and held back laughing. He had a feeling that she was going to come down off that cloud pretty quickly.
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