[A teenage girl, with long brown hair tied back into a ponytail, purple leather jacket, and purple headphones, is seen in front of a microphone and laptop. Currently, she's singing her heart out on a new cover for a new YouTube venture that she's trying out. The song she's singing? Well, I think it'll come to mind rather quickly.]

Emma Wood (singing): It's the start of somethin' new

Emma Wood (singing): It feels so right to be here with you, oh

Emma Wood (singing): And now, lookin' in your eyes

Emma Wood (singing): I feel in my heart

Emma Wood (singing): That it's the start of somethin' new

Emma Wood (singing): It feels so right to be here with you, oh

Emma Wood (singing): And now, lookin' in your eyes

Emma Wood (singing): I feel in my heart (Feel in my heart)

Emma Wood (singing): The start of somethin' new (The start of somethin' new)

Emma Wood (singing): The start of somethin' new

[As she shuts off her recording, she speaks, to give an introduction.]

Emma Wood: Hey, I'm Emma Wood. I'm a singer, songwriter (or at least I'm trying to be a songwriter), and a musical fanatic. Hamilton, Glenda, and, as you just heard, the DCOM musicals. My all-time favorite? The High School Musical trilogy. I love the story, I love the soundtrack, and I love everything in-between. Music and musicals are a big part of my life. They give me something to look forward to, and most important of all, they help to distract me from the miserable things going on in my life right now.

[This was about a week ago. I was at the end of the table. My parents, Julia & Brad Wood, were having a massive argument, again. I still didn't fully understand what was going on. They had several arguments like this for weeks before this, about various topics. Today, however, it was about me. Both were accusing the other of not being there for me when I was needed most. At this point, I got up and left the table. What made the situation worse is that they never even noticed I left. I was so irritated and upset, that I cried myself to sleep that night.]

[Now, here we are today. As I finish recording my cover of Start Of Something New from the first High School Musical movie, my mom comes into the room, to deliver some heartbreaking news.]

Emma Wood: Hey mom, what's up?

Julia Wood: Sweetie, have you noticed the fights that me and your father have been having lately?

Emma Wood: It's kind of hard not to notice, if we're being honest.

Julia Wood: I know, and we're sorry for that, and we're both very sorry with how much we've been ignoring you. That's not fair to you.

Emma Wood: What are you trying to say to me right now? You both have been ignoring me for this long. Why change your tune now?

Julia Wood: I came to tell you that, your father and I are getting a divorce. We filed the paperwork this morning, and we're heading out this afternoon to get it finalized.

[I knew that this day would come, but still. It hurt me to see that my parents were separating, even if they as of late haven't been treating me as well as they should be. I live by the motto of treat others the way you want to be treated, and that's what I've been trying to do, but it hasn't work and probably will never work. Still, it hurt me that my parents were in that state of mind. I was on the brink of crying. Even though I expected it, there was a part of me that was in a state of shock this was happening. I couldn't believe it.]

Julia Wood: I'm sorry sweetie.

Emma Wood: I knew it was going to happen with how things have been going. I just still feel bad, for both of you.

Julia Wood: I understand. Once it's finalized, you can choose who you want to live with it. For now, stay here and watch the house while we're gone.

Emma Wood: Sounds good.

[With that, my mom was gone. Off she and my dad were to getting divorced. Again, I had been expecting this for weeks. Things between weren't well, at all. They had been ignoring each other nearly all-day, every day for weeks. They had mostly been ignoring me for weeks. It wasn't smooth sailing. Still, I was saddened to see their marriage dissolve. It didn't make me feel that great, that was for sure. However, I was given a blessing to take my minds off the new, when my good friend, Nina Salazar-Roberts, called me over Facetime to give her good news of the day.]

[Let's explain this one. How did we end up meeting? Me and Nina Salazar-Roberts, better known as Nini, met at a random park in Utah about 3 years ago, the night before I was going to pay a visit and take a tourist tour of East High. She saw me sitting alone, and asked if I could sit with her. I said yes, and then from there, we got to know each other. I found out she was a theater kid, she found out I too was a theater kid, and we both love musicals. So yeah, we hit it off and we hit it off well. Even though she lived in Utah, and I lived in Atlanta, Georgia, we talked over Facetime as often as we could. We sung together, laughed together, and so much more. It was great, especially considering the fact that I have had a horrible track record in terms of making friends. Whether it's just because of my shy personality, or my autism dignaosis, or something else entirely. I had a lot of troubles, and Nini made it easy, and now here we are. Anyway, with all of that out of the way, I answered Nini's Facetime call, and she couldn't have been more excited.]

Emma Wood: Nini, hey.

Nini Salazar-Roberts (excitedly): Hey Em!

Emma Wood: Well someone's excited about something.

Nini Salazar-Roberts (excitedly): I'm auditioning for the role of Gabriella in High School Musical: The Musical here at Easy High!

[We then both squealed in excitement. I couldn't even believe it. East High is finally putting on a production of High School Musical: The Musical. I was so excited for Nini and for everyone there, and I obviously wasn't even an East High Student! That's a testament to my appreciation for Nini, and my love for High School Musical.]

Emma Wood: This is amazing.

Nini Salazar-Roberts: It definitely is.

Emma Wood: And honestly, I'm surprised it took this long for them to do a musical of High School Musical, at the school where the movies were shot.

Nini Salazar-Roberts: I know right.

Emma Wood: Since it's a thing now, and you have the chance to audition for the female lead, here's my free advice. Reach for the stars, and keep your eyes on the prize Nini. Break Free. You deserve every second of this oppourtunity. You know how much we both loved Gabriella when we watched the movie so many times together. You're gonna kill it.

Nini Salazar-Roberts: Thanks. I just wish you could be out here for this, ya know?

Emma Wood: Yeah, I do, and I would, but right now, it just isn't going to work out. I got too much going on, and I can't exactly take time off of high school to come out and support you at auditions. As much as I want to, I can't do that.

Nini Salazar-Roberts: The fact that you would at all is a testament to who you are as a person Em.

Emma Wood: Thanks Nini. You have wanted this role for so long, and I'm happy for you, and I'll be supporting you in whatever way I am able to do from all the way out here on the East Coast, and working my butt off on my education, and this one other huge project I've been putting a lot of time into. I really want to be a part of this, and I want to be able to be there in person, so I can support you the best possible way I can. Unfortunately, that isn't going to be possible right now.

[I then turned away from the phone, and from Nini, for just a moment. She could tell almost immediately that something was bothering me, and how I've been telling her about recent events, she could figure out exactly what it was.]

Nini Salazar-Roberts: They're getting a divorce, aren't they?

Emma Wood: My mom came in after I just got done recording a cover of Start of Something New and broke that news to me, yes.

[It was then that, for the first time since finding out the news, that I started crying. Nini knows how much my parents meant to me. She knows how much I cared about them, so she knew how much pain I'm in during this moment.]

Nini Salazar-Roberts: Em, I… I'm so sorry.

Emma Wood: It's not your fault Nini. I knew that this day was going to come. Still didn't make things any better.

Nini Salazar-Roberts: I'd bet. I wish you could be here to take your mind off things.

Emma Wood: As do I,

Nini Salazar-Roberts: Maybe you can come for the show in a few weeks. For now, just keep your head up high, and I know something will come about for you.

Emma Wood: Thanks Nini. Now go kill it at auditions. Bring out your inner Gabriella.

Nini Salazar-Roberts: I will. Talk to you soon.

[Nini is always the best. She helps to cheer me up when I'm in my worst states of mine. That is a testament to who she is as a person.]

[Banging at the door.]

[What on earth could that be? I guess I'll go see what's going on. I get to the door, I open the door, and there's a police officer at the door, with two more sitting in their cars right outside the driveway.]

Officer Johnson: I'm Officer Johnson of the Atlanta Police Department. That's officers Miller and Jackson. Ma'am, are you the daughter of Julia & Brad Wood?

Emma Wood: I am, yes. My name is Emma Wood.

Officer Johnson: Ms. Emma Wood, we came here to inform you we will have to ask you to leave the house. Pack some things if you need to, but we'll have to ask you to leave.

Emma Wood: Why's that? I live here.

Officer Johnson: The house is under police investigation now. Your father just shot your mother outside of the station, which is on the way to the courthouse to meet with the clerk to formally send in their divorce papers, and then shot himself after he had repeatedly refused to comply with our commands.

Emma Wood: So they're both dead now?

Officer Johnson: They are. We will take you to wherever you can stand in the meantime, but we will need to inspect the house for evidence, and we can't have you in the way. We'll give you the time you need.

Emma Wood: Thank you officer. I'll be back out in a little bit.

[As I began packing up my laptop, microphone, posters, clothes, and more [I knew I wasn't gonna live at this house on my own, too big, no way], I started crying. Both of my parents were about to get divorced, but they were still gonna be alive. That is until my dad decided to shoot both my mom and then himself. I'm not only an only child, but now I gotta figure out how to live on my own. What am I going to do…?]

[Music & Singing Start]

Emma Wood (singing): Here I am alone, and maybe I deserve it

Emma Wood (singing): And my friends, well, they're mostly non-existent

Emma Wood (singing): And that's on me

Emma Wood (singing): I had a cause to help but did I help it?

Emma Wood (singing): Or did I see myself in a way that wasn't true?

Emma Wood (singing): This is not my father's fairytale

Emma Wood (singing): And no, it's not my mother's fault I fail

Emma Wood (singing): So when my story finally comes to light

Emma Wood (singing): I need to make sure the story that they write

Emma Wood (singing): Says once upon a time this girl flies higher

Emma Wood (singing): Once upon a time she's trying to make things right

Emma Wood (singing): Once upon a tie that binds

Emma Wood (singing): I'm changing my heart

Emma Wood (singing): To change their minds

Emma Wood (singing): That's got to be my once upon a time

Emma Wood (singing): This once upon a time

Emma Wood (singing): Maybe I'll finally see my once upon a time

Emma Wood (singing): This time

[I then finished packing my stuff, and I was on my way out. When I stepped outside, I turned back to look at the house, for the final time. I knew I wasn't going to be able to stay here. Too big of a living space for one person. I knew that I was gonna need to figure something else out, and I knew I was going to need to figure something out, and I would need to figure something else out rather quickly, because I don't exactly have any family nearby. We'll just have to trust the process, and see where the world takes me.]