S2 Ch. 10: The Cast Party
...
Several days later at the cast party...
Everyone was partying Ally's school's cafeteria. Austin was talking with Marina.
"So, feel anything during our kisses & scenes?"
"A little, mostly old memories. You?"
"Yeah, definitely."
"Hey, Austin," Toby said.
"Yeah?"
"You wanna do 'Cruisin' For a Bruisin'' for your YouTube channel? We have the song downloaded & we learned the moves."
"In a week?"
"I had to do something for my senior project &...I'm a bit of a procrastinator. So, we learned it in a bit of a rush. So, wanna?"
"Sure," he said, grabbing his jacket & they handed him a pair of aviators.
"Hey, Marina. You wanna sing a line?"
"Sure," she answered.
They all made their way to the stage. The lights were still on. One of the cast got up into the box to manage them & lowered the house lights, leaving the stage lights on. He then plugged in his iPod. They gave Austin an ear mic.
"Austin, you stand to the side & come in when it's your turn. The group of girls over there know what to do, just do what you did in the movie, all right?"
"Got it."
"Hit it, Tony," he said, looking up to the box, then turned around when he got a nod.
The music started. He started singing & dancing.
You better run, run, run
Here we come!
Revving our engines under the sun
You're cruisin' for a bruisin'
Whoo!
Keeping it cool!
Smooth and steady!
Slicked back hair
Man, things are getting heavy!
You're cruisin' for bruisin'
Two wheels and an open road
Wrapped in leather
Ready to go!
Don't stop, stop the music!
We ride fast like a bullet
We do anything we want, anytime we want
Oh yeah, oh yeah!
We just ride, ride, ride all day!
We're not gonna live any other way!
Marina sat with some of the girls on the stairs from the show.
Bubblegum, cherry pop,
Go to the hop!
Hanging with my brother 'cause his friends are so hot
While they're cruisin' for some bruisin'!
Austin hopped in & did as he did in the movie on the stage .
All right
I went to the drive in, what did I see?
A hundred little betties all staring at me!
I was cruisin' for some lovin'
I got these two wheels and an open road
Just pop that clutch, I'm ready to go!
They danced with him, Austin was impressed.
Don't stop, stop the music!
We ride fast like a bullet
We do anything we want, anytime we want
Oh yeah, Oh yeah!
We just ride, ride, ride all day!
We're not gonna live any other way
Oh no, we're not gonna live any other way
Hoo!
It goes one, two
A-1, 2, 1-2-3
A who, who, who's ridin' with me?
I got a gang full of bruisers, all cruisin' with me!
And we're tearin' up, we're tearin up, we're tearin up the streets
Hoo!
Austin got his guitar as Toby was playing one & they rocked out with the solo.
As the song came to the final chorus, Austin handed his guitar to someone, then stopped the music for a few seconds, then started it again. They all danced.
Don't stop, stop the music!
We ride fast like a bullet
We do anything we want, anytime we want
Oh yeah, Oh yeah!
We just ride, ride, ride all day!
We're not gonna live any other way
So don't stop, stop the music!
We ride fast like a bullet
We do anything we want, anytime we want
Oh yeah, Oh yeah!
We just ride, ride, ride all day!
We're not gonna live any other way
No, we're not gonna live any other way!
Oh no, we're not gonna live any other way!
Hoo!
Austin breathed heavily as everyone cheered.
"Thanks. I wish I had more great songs like that to dance to. Maybe for the sequel."
They all went back to the cafeteria. Marina called him over to a corridor nearby.
"So, that movie's gonna be the next High School Musical?" Marina asked him.
"God, I hope so. It's such a great one, better than HSM, really."
"Cool. So, how about you & me go back to your house &...relive old times."
"Marina, you know I can't."
"Come on, what's Ally got that I don't?" she put her hand on his chest. He grabbed her hand & took it off of him.
"My heart."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I mean, don't get me wrong, you were my first crush, my first girlfriend, my first lay," he whispered that last part. "But that's in the past. I'm with Ally now. K?"
"Wow. Here I was thinking you were falling back in love with me."
"You thought wrong."
"Well, thanks for the clarity. I'm sorry to have wasted your time," she walked back towards the party.
"Hey," he said, stopping her. "That doesn't mean I wouldn't wanna be friends still, ok?"
"Yeah, sure."
"And, hey, you're a great singer & dancer. You'll have a great career if you go after those."
"Thanks," she said, then walked away.
Austin walked back to the party.
"Hey, Austin," Ally said, walking to him.
"Hey."
"So, um, what's up with Marina? She just started crying and now she wants to head home."
"Yeah, um, come here," he said, grabbing her hand & led her out to the foyer of the school.
"What is it?"
"Marina was my first girlfriend."
"Really?"
"Yeah, back when we were 12."
"Oh."
"Yeah, and she wanted to get back together with me & have her way with me."
"Really?"
"Yeah, but I couldn't because I'm dating you."
"Oh..."
"Yeah. I don't wanna date anyone other than you."
"I wish you told me that when I casted you. I wouldn't have put you into that position."
"I didn't wanna run the risk of you cancelling the show. Plus, to play the lead in this musical, you bet I didn't wanna pass that up. They're my favorite band."
"Yeah, but...well, I mean...Did you feel anything when you kissed her?"
"What?"
"Did you feel anything when you kissed her?"
"A little...but that's the thing. It was only a little & it was only for a second. After opening night, my feelings were completely platonic. I was acting after that point. Maybe a little too well, considering..." he looked towards the cafeteria.
"...Considering she thought you'd want to get back together too and now she's sitting in the cafeteria crying from your rejection," she said, looking in the same direction.
"Yep."
"Damn."
"Yeah."
"So, what are you going to do now?" she said, looking back at him.
"Well, I don't suppose Marina will wanna see me for the rest of the night, so I think I'm gonna go home & go to bed. It's...12:30 anyways. I'm tired." he said, checking his phone for the time.
"All right."
"You need to stay here for a little bit loner, right?"
"Yeah. Got to make sure everyone helps with cleanup."
"Yeah. Oh, are there any cupcakes left?"
"Yeah, a few."
"Good, I'll snag those before I go," he said, running back to the party.
"Him and his sweets," she said, then started to walk back.
Before she could get a few steps, however, she looked to her left & saw a suited figure with a fedora outside the door of the foyer. As soon as she blinked, he was gone.
"What the...?"
"Hey," Austin said, meeting up with her. "Not too many vanilla ones, so I snagged most of them," he added, holding a closed plastic 6-pack of them. "If no one eats the rest of them, you know where to bring...them...What are you looking at?" he asked, looking in the direction she was.
"I don't know. It looked like there was a man in a suit and hat outside the door, but when I blinked, he vanished."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"You think it could be a combo of sleep deprivation, stress, & no sex?"
She turned to him & slapped his arm.
"Will you quit it with the whining about no sex?"
"Well, you did say you didn't wanna have sex until the play is done & dusted. Listen, I'm going home now. Since tomorrow's Sunday, come over to my house with whatever goodies are left over from this party & I'll frost the cupcakes for you myself."
She slapped him in the arm harder.
"Ow! Not in the arm I'm holding the cupcakes with!" he said, rubbing his arm with the other arm's hand.
"Stop having an inconsistent dirty mouth!" she retorted.
"What? You love my glaze, so I'll dispense it for you. There's about 3 weeks' worth saved up," he whispered.
"Save that dirty talk for tomorrow when we're alone. I'll be there."
"Cool. If you get there before 11:00, you know how to wake me."
"That I do."
"Good," he kissed her. "Now that I feel something with for more than a second."
"Me too," she kissed him back.
"All right. See you later," he said, starting to walk.
"See you later," she said, then started to walk back to the party. She then looked back towards the door, wondering.
Austin lay unconscious in a field of debris in the middle of a crash site in a city. Suddenly, he awoke with a large gasp. He looked down at his chest & saw the time device in his chest like Tony Stark's Arc Reactor. He then stood up & looked around, seeing a cloud of smoke come up nearby. He then started to run towards it.
Austin & his band were on top of a skyscraper overlooking the city, then he began to play & sing.
It wasn't supposed to be like this;
Another dose of unhappiness
I gave it all and managed to get you shot dead yet again
So I got down, let you get shot
You told me that I should never stop running again
Austin, running in the city, thought back to a bit prior. They had just jumped off the building in the last part & he hit a button on his watch, which transformed the car down below into a jet, which elevated to under them fast & caught them. He then engaged the engines & got them out of there faster.
Emily (Emily), ah
You saved the day
Emily (Emily), ah
When you brought me anyway
It showed her dead body, mixed with shots of the band & AUstin as he ran.
She was always such a pretty girl, nobody like her in the world
A little piece of heavenly that no one else could stand
I see her in my dreams at night, I see her when I close my eyes
I just can't seem to shake Emily
The band played as Austin sang & showed flashbacks to the first part, with her walking to the car & him running through the building.
You got your money and I got cast
Aside, sitting on my ass
In the building with no one else,
Nowhere else to go
So then I chased after you to the car
Emily, I sure am glad you didn't want me anyway
She looked at him as they flew in the jet & he smirked at her. The other guy sitting comfortably in the seat behind them.
Emily (Emily), ah
You saved the day
Emily (Emily), ah
When you brought me anyway
There were many camera changes from Austin to her, to the other guy, to the ship, & to the band, all mixed in not in any particular order, with the drumbeat.
She was always such a pretty girl, nobody like her in the world
A little piece of heavenly that no one else could stand
I see her in my dreams at night, I see her when I close my eyes
I just can't seem to shake Emily, Emily
(Short instrumental)
The band played the instrumental. The characters were sitting comfortably in the jet, when there were sudden shots on them. Austin saw several enemy jets on their tail. He tried to avoid their missiles, but too many of them hit, sustaining heavy damage, causing the ship to drift downwards. She looked at him, then grabbed his hand. There was then a light that passed from her to him. He had a worried look on his face, but as soon as the light hit his hand, he passed out. She then hit some buttons & he was ejected from the jet in an escape pod that formed around him. She then looked in the reflection of the glass to see the other guy. He nodded to her & she nodded back, taking the ship down. Austin was floating down in the escape pod with a parachute as the lyrics continued.
She was always such a pretty girl, nobody like her in the world
A little piece of heavenly that no one else could stand
I see her in my dreams at night, I see her when I close my eyes
I just can't seem to shake Emily, yeah
Austin got to the other crash site, seeing the debris. It showed his pod being severed from the parachute, causing it to go down at a high speed. Austin then dug through the debris, gaining super strength from the device.
Emily (Emily), ah
You saved the day
Emily (Emily), ah
You saved the day
Emily (Emily), ah
Emily (Emily), ah
You saved my ass
He found her, as she lied there, breathing heavily. She was then shot by a guy in a suit. Austin then super-sped up to him, took the gun, then shot him. He then walked back to her, then held her body, mouthing that last line. The other guy stood behind him & the video ended.
...
I know, sorry for the overabundance of 'Cruisin' For a Bruisin',' but it's such a damn great song.
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PEACE
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