Just a forewarning, I wrote this chapter weeks before I started the other chapters. After this chapter, the story takes a dark turn. The next few chapters will have vaguely similar plots, but it will diverge from the original movie plot.

Enjoy.


After gaining nearly fifty back up dancers, rehearsal started going so much more smoother than before.

On the first day of practicing a new portion of the musical, everyone managed to learn the steps in half the time Fairy Godmother predicted. With nearly ten minutes left of that free period, the students decided to have a little competition with it. They would repeat the dance moves over and over again while their teacher watched. Whoever messes up in any way would have to sit in the audience until the last dancer was left standing.

It was just a fun little game to help keep them pumped up, which they started doing with every practice.

Rehearsals went great the next few days. There was some days Fairy Godmother would run late for class in the theater, so the seniors decided to perform their own songs and dance just for the hell of it. It really did serve as a great warm-up for them.

One day during free period, Mal, Evie, and Jay were just casually walking through the hallways to clear their boredom. Free period practices were typically meant for the back-up dancers and whatever seniors would be performing the particular piece at the time. The trio were talking plans for dinner sometime that week when they saw something that made them stop in their tracks.

Huddled against the corner of the hallway, where they thought no one could possibly see them, Audrey was leaned against the wall with a very worried and almost scared expression on her face. Gil stood a little too closely toward her, with his hands intimately resting on Audrey's waist. He seemed to be whispering something reassuring to her, since the teen nodded in reluctant agreement. Since the discussion was over, Gil leaned forward to kiss Audrey, who happily sighed into the kiss—

Only pulling away when they heard a gasp.

Turning their heads, the couple froze at the sight of the trio, who has their jaws dropped at such an unusual spectacle in front of them. "Gil? Audrey?" Jay gestured between the two of them. "What's going on here?"

The couple looked at each other, at the trio, and back at one another when they realized they had finally been caught. Instead of admitting to their actions—

The two ran in their own opposite direction away from the trio.

"E and I have Audrey," Mal quickly decided. "Jay, you get Gil. Let's try cornering them into the theater. I'm sure the others will love to hear about this too."


Surprisingly, corralling the couple was much easier than the trio thought it was going to be. Audrey and Gil had just went their own separate routes to the performance area, bumping into each other on the middle of the stage where everyone was now watching them.

Fairy Godmother halted the practice before giving questionable glances at the five teens, who were now out of breath. "What is going on here?"

"These two ran away before we could get an answer out of them," Evie insisted defensively. "We saw them kiss in the hallway and then they ran from us!"

"You two are finally public?" Uma clarified, as she was one of the few seniors required to attend that practice. "It's about time."

"You knew about this?"

"Of course she did," Carlos defended. "They told me, Uma, and Harry over the summer on my birthday. They've been together since the championship last year."

"That long?!" Mal interrogated incredulously. "Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"I told her not to say anything because I didn't want Chad harassing her, then after he left her grandparents," Gil explained wrapping his arms around his beloved's waist as he pulled her closer. "I don't know how we managed to keep it secret for so long. It was hard not to say anything, especially when we were working together."

"But what were you two talking about before?" Jay wondered. "Audrey looked worried about something before you calmed her down."

"Now, let's not pry into their private lives," Fairy Godmother scolded lightly. "They will tell us when they are ready. For now, we all need to get back to work on this musical."


A couple days later during that same week, everyone learned of the secret the couple still kept from everyone.

During their class time, Fairy Godmother was discussing the concept of the prom night performance. She talked about a part where the girls would be in their houses but would have to hurry down the stairs to the front door to greet their dates. The boys would sing a few parts to give the girls a chance to catch their breaths.

Sharing a look with her beloved, who nodded in confirmation, Audrey stepped forward. "Fairy Godmother, come show time, I won't be able to do that part without getting dizzy or nauseous. One of the other senior girls will have to do it instead."

"That won't be a problem, dear," Fairy Godmother reassured. "However, may I ask why you would feel that way?"

Smiling softly, Audrey revealed, "Because I'm pregnant."