Fey clapped her hands.
"Ok, this is the scene that starts it all. Troy and Gabriella meet for the first time, both a little uncertain. I need Skipper, Marlene, and the crowd. Beck, I changed you to one of the handsome geeks... is that ok? I decided a Ms. Montaya is a little too much."
Becky crossed her arms, "But that was a main role!"
Fey smiled at her, "Not really, but if you really want to play the boring middle-aged mom who just follows her daugther around, and not show off and flirt the guys off while dancing... ok, you're choice."
Becky sighed, "I'm in. Yay for the geeks!"
Fey turned to Skipper and Marlene. "Skipper stands over here, bored and macho. I think you can do that. Marlene, you're reading a book, very shy. You're wishing you are somewhere else. Everyone else, PARTY!"
Mort turned on the beat box. Everyone starts dancing. Fey goes between them, swinging to the music, then picks out Becky and Leonard. "You guys are singing, until Troy and Gabriella are on, alright?"
Becky climps on a type of podium and starts screaming in the mic, while Leonard is opra-singing.
"Darn it, that almost sounds like Julien," Skipper mentioned.
"Never mind it..." Fey whispered back to him. "You guys are the main stars, not them."
"Ok," she climbed up on the podium. "How about a round of applause for our two stars here?"
Silence. Just Mort, clap clap clap.
Fey coughed.
Everyone got her hint and started cheering...
"Now that's called acting," Kowalski mentioned to Rico. Rico pulled two earplugs out of his earholes.
"What?" he asked.
"Who's gonna rock the house next?" Fey asked. The crowd shouted back at her, as they had practiced. A spotlight appeared on Skipper.
"Huh?" he asked, his head lifting up.
"Alright, that young man in black and white, yes you, get up here!" Fey beckoned to him.
Skipper shook his head, " I can't sing."
"No, you go." He told Rico next to him.
"What?" Rico said, pointing to his earplugs.
Skipper rolled his eyes, then went on the podium. The second spotlight shone on Marlene.
"And you! Yeah, come on," Fey told her.
"Look, I don't sing, I can't sing," Marlene whimpered, putting her book aside. "No, guys..."
"Get up there!" Fey helped Marlene up. "Hey, you know what? Someday you guys might thank me for this." She looked at Skipper and Marlene.
" Or not..."
Skipper took the mic into his hands. He looked at Marlene, heard the music start, and put the mic down.
"I can't."
Marlene put a paw on his shoulder.
"I know you can. Just look at me."
Skipper swallowed, then started the song.
Skipper:
Living in my own world
Didn't understand
That anything can happen
When you take a chance
Marlene:
I never believed in
What I couldn't see
I never opened my heart
Skipper: Oh
Marlene:
To all the possibilities
Ooh
Both: 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
Oh!
And now I'm lookin' in your eyes
Marlene: I feel in my heart
Skipper: Feel in my heart
Both: The start of something new
Skipper: Oh, yeah
Everyone was dancing again. Skipper and Marlene were really bringing the mood in. Marlene was great at pretending to be shy, but wanting to get to know Troy Bolton, Skipper looked madly in love with Gabriella.
"Is he still acting?" Kowalski asked Rico.
"What?" Rico asked him.
Skipper and Marlene: The start of something new.
They finished, smiling at each other, as the crowd was cheering and whistling.
"Troy," Skipper said.
"Gabriella," Marlene answered.
Fey gave them the thumbs up and motioned them to get off the podium.
Skipper and Marlene went to the left of the stage and started their conversation.
"But seriously, you have an amazing voice," Troy told Gabriella. "You're a singer, right?"
"Just church choir is all,
I tried to solo and nearly fainted," Gabriella answered smiling.
"Really? Why is that?" the basketball star asked her.
"I looked at the people staring at me, Next thing I knew, I was staring at the ceiling," Gabriella shrugged. "End of solo career."
Behind them, the crowd has slowely dispersed. They had gone with Fey to arrange the next scene props.
"Troy! Troy! Hey!" Rico called out and high-fived Skipper. Behind them sat the class president, Taylor, a.k.a. Kowalski. Stacy and Becky were sitting next to him, Mort, Private, and Leonard were behind them.
Suddenly a click-clack of heels and a spanish guitar strumming come nearer. Julien walked in. His toenails and fingernails were painted pink, he was wearing a little pink skirt and a white blouse and a big gold necklace. His whole face was "make-up"-ed. His lips were a bright pink, his eyelashes were curled and mascara was clinging on them. He even had eyebrows drawn on, a little barbiedoll crown was on his head and a pink purse was on his arm.
Behind him, Antonio followed, wearing a tie and a hat, also in pink.
"Hi, Troy," Julien flirted.
"Julien, you have something on your face." Skipper answered.
"I know, silly penguin. It's called make-up."
"It looks horrible on you. Why did you let Fey do that to you?"
"I didn't," Fey interrupted. She turned to the Lemur. "What is all this?"
"It is called make-up, dear."
"I know. -.- DUDE, you're a little-"
(bell rings)
Roger comes in, a little blonde wig on his head and horned glasses. Fey sighed and stepped off the stage.
Roger: I trust you all had splendid holidays. Check the sign-up sheets in the lobby for new activities, Mr. Bolton.
Especially our winter musicale,
We will have singles auditions...
Skipper: Not like I care... :/
Roger went on: ... and pairs auditions for our two leads. Mr. Danforth, this is a place of learning, not a hockey arena.
Rico: What?
Roger: Mr. Danforth, this is a place of learning, not a hockey arena.
Rico: What?
Kowalski sighed and took Rico's earplugs out of his earholes.
Roger: There is also a final sign-up for next week's scholastic decathlon competition. Chem Club president Taylor McHessey can answer all of your questions about that.
Kowalski smiled sweetly, stood up, and took a bow.
Suddenly a cell phone rung.
Roger: Ah, the cell phone menace has returned to our crucible of learning.
Julien: Is it your phone with the horrible music, Antonio-Ryan?
Antonio: It's not horrible, my friend.
Julien: Yes, very. I would not be being dancing to that cell phone ringy tone!
Roger: Sharpay and Ryan, cell phones. He stood up and collected several phones from Julien and Antonio. Marlene, as Gabriella, had been sitting very quietly in the corner.
Roger: I will see you in detention. We have zero tolerance for cell phones in class.
Skipper: We?
Roger: ...so we will get to know each other in detention. And welcome to East High, Miss Montez. Cell phone.
Roger took Marlene's cell phone.
Roger: So we will see you in detention as well, Mr. Bolton. (He took Skipper's cell phone also.)
Rico: No, Ms. Arbus,
Roger glanced at him.
Rico: H'onor, seey ve aveasfupo asftivce, an Troy...
Roger: Ah, that will be 15 minutes
for you too, Mr. Danforth. Count 'em.
Kowalski smiled. "Could be tough for Chad. He can't count that high."
Roger: Taylor McHessey, 15 minutes.
Kowalski mock-gasps.
Roger: Shall the carnage continue?
Holidays are over, people.
Skipper: Way over! Darn it.
Roger: Now, any more comments, questions? Jason?
Leonard: How were your holidays, Miss Darbus?
Skipper: Kiss-up.
(Bell rings.)
As the students walk off-stage, Rico whispers to Skipper: "Sorry, man. C ya in Detntion."
Marlene walked up behind Skipper and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Hey," Skipper said.
The dialogue between the two of them begins.
Off-"stage", animals crowded around Fey.
Leonard: He's too big! I can't even look into his eyes.
Roger: I apologize, but it's not my fault.
Becky: I didn't get to say anything this time!
Kowalski: You still haven't made me suffer, Fey... well except the eye part... Julien looks very scary.
Julien: Why does everyone keep saying that?
Mort: I want the old Julien back!
Fey: Please, guys. That's showbuisness. Live with it. Julien has a right to interpret his character like that and Roger has a right to be big and unoverseeable.
Leonard: Gna, gna, gna. That still doesn't help.
Fey: Leonard, stop.
Skipper: "Now that you've met Miss Darbus, I bet you just can't wait to sign up for that." He points at a bulletin board.
Marlene laughed, "I won't be signing up for anything for a while, I just wanna get to know the school."
"But if you sign up, I'd consider coming to the show," Skipper teased.
A click-clack of heels and Julien entered the stage.
"Oh, so nice of you to show our new classmate around," he giggled at Skipper. Then he took out a big pink pen and drew himself all over the bulletin.
"You gorgous thing," he said to the picture.
"Where does reality end and the acting begin?" Marlene mumbled.
"Oh, were you going to sign up too?" Julien acted suprised. "My brother and I have starred in all the school's productions and we really welcome newcomers."
Marlene shrugged, " No, no, no, I was just looking at all the bulletin boards. Lots going on at this school. Wow."
She turned on her heels. "But I gotta go. Bye, Troy."
"Don't go," Skipper whispered. "I'm scared of... HER." He pointed at Julien.
"It's in the script. I have to go." Marlene answered, smiling.
"So, Troy, I missed you during vacation. What'd you do?" Julien came really close to Skipper.
"You know, um... played basketball, snowboarding, more basketball," he said.
"When's the big game?"
"Two weeks."
"You are so dedicated," Julien put a paw on his shoulder. "Just like me."
The Lemur giggled. "I hope you come watch me in the musical. Promise?" Big baby eyes... the second hand on Skipper's other shoulder.
"AND, cut!" Fey said. "What do you think you're doing?"
Skipper looked thankfully at her.
Julien put his nose in the air, "Acting."
Fey shook her head, "It did not look like acting to me, and I want it to. Understood?"
Julien crossed his arms.
Fey's face clouded over. "It's not funny, Julien."
"Oh, really, Orange Panda? Because I'm not laughing."
Skipper slipped away to watch from a safe distance.
"I'm not laughing either, stupid."
"How dare you call de King stupid?"
"I just dared."
Julien's eyes got really really tiny, just slits.
"This is gonna get ugly," Kowalski said to Skipper.
