CHAPTER 8

It was time for the auditions.

"Hey, Captain!" It was Chad. "Team practice in the gym. Coach is supervising." Troy groaned. Coach Bolton was his dad, and still found it difficult to come to terms with Troy's singing. Troy often felt that his dad only saw him as the 'playmaker'.

"Actually, I can't make it," said Troy, desperately trying to think of another subject to distract Chad. "Um…Gabriella looks nice today, doesn't she?"

Chad looked at him as if he'd gone mad. "Dude, Gabriella's your girlfriend, not mine. But why aren't you coming to practice, Troy?"

Troy kept quiet – Chad was another person who had struggled to come to terms with Troy's love of singing – but Chad, who had, after all, been Troy's best friend since kindergarten, saw through him easily.

"Oh man! Don't tell me you're doing that musical singing thing AGAIN?!" Chad looked resigned, as if Troy had signed up for the litter rota.

"Look…" Troy looked at his watch; if he hung around for much longer he would be late for Gabriella. "Cover for me with coach, ok?" Chad just grunted, but Troy was sure that Chad would; after all, that's what best friends do!

Gabriella was waiting in the auditorium when Troy rushed in, and when he spotted her, his face broke into a big smile as he walked towards her.

"You know, I'm missing practice because of you, so if I get kicked off the team it's your fault," Troy informed her.

"Hey, Troy, I-"

"Gabriella, chill," Troy laughed, and looking up at him, Gabriella saw that he had been joking so she laughed with him.

Kate came onto the stage and made her way towards the piano, and despite what Troy had said to her Gabriella couldn't help but feel a pang of annoyance – so, on top of everything else, Kate was musical too?

Troy went up to Ms Darbus to tell her that he wanted to audition with Gabriella, and then came to sit with Gabriella in the front row.

They watched the first few auditions and Gabriella had to admit that the song sounded very good, although she couldn't say the same for most of the singers!

Finally, Ms Darbus called for the pair's auditions.

"Ryan and Sharpay Evans!" she called. Before the curtains opened, Gabriella thought she heard someone behind them saying 'Actually, I think that it's Sharpay and Ryan Evans.' Typical Sharpay, Gabriella thought. She must always be first!

Ryan and Sharpay got up on stage and began to sing Kate's song at about double the speed with a heavy drumbeat, complete with over-exaggerated dance moves. Looking next to her, Gabriella could see that Troy was staring at the twins in complete disbelief. Although, admittedly, they did look very good, their tempo didn't suit the song whatsoever. They ended with a flourish, and Sharpay glared at people until they applauded.

"Bravo…Brava!" Ms Darbus said, looking slightly overwhelmed. "Now…Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez."

Everyone applauded as Troy and Gabriella ascended the stage; everyone, that is, apart from Sharpay, who was looking outraged, evidently remembering that Gabriella had told her that she would just be doing singles auditions.

Kate gave Troy and Gabriella the music and Gabriella felt a moment of panic – why had she been so stubborn as to not practise with Troy before?

Kate began to play the piano, an upbeat tune that still managed to sound deep and soulful. The lyrics sounded slightly cheesy, but put together with the tune and Troy and Gabriella's wonderful voices, it sounded excellent.

'I'm going crazy for you, if only you knew,

And maybe you'd feel the same way too,

You're the one that I need, you make my heart beat,

So make me complete, feel the same way too.

The song went on with a three verses and the chorus repeated a number of times, until Troy and Gabriella finished, looking into each other's eyes. They had all but forgotten the crowd watching them until the room burst into applause.

"Bolton! Montez! You have a callback," Ms Darbus informed them, surveying them through her glasses with twinkling eyes.

To everyone's surprise, Gabriella's more then anyone's, Gabriella went over to the piano and hugged Kate.

"That was amazing, Kate! Thankyou!" she said excitedly, and then more quietly, "I'm sorry about what I said this morning. I was just feeling stressed out. Will you please forgive me?"

"Of course," Kate grinned and they smiled at each other, bonded for once.

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