The next morning, everything was quiet and peaceful. Everyone was interacting with one another calmly and happily until...
Kai: CALLBACKS!?
Her shrill scream echoed through the halls of East High. Ryan was lucky he didn't go deaf since he was standing right next to her. She breathed short and quick breaths like a normal drama queen would. Ryan was looking at the pink piece of paper on the notice board.
Cash: Callbacks for roles Arnold and Minnie next Thursday, 3:30pm. Ryan and Sharpay Evans. Gabriella Montez and Troy Bolton.
Kai: Is this some kind of joke? They didn't even audition!
Cash: Maybe we're being punked.
Kai: What?
Cash: *excited* Maybe, we're being filmed right now. Maybe we'll get to meet Ashton!
Kai: Oh, shut up, Ryan.
Behind them, Chad, Zeke and Jason laughed at the absolute drama queen's actions. Behind them, a group of East High students we're gazing at the list in disbelief.
Kevin: What's wrong?
As soon as he saw Troy's name on the audition list, his joking smile was replaced with a look of both shock and disbelief. Wait a minute. You can add complete and utter horror to the list.
Kevin: What?
By lunchtime, the news that Troy and Gabriella had tried out for the musical had spread throughout the school. As students entered the cafeteria, they took their usual seats. Jocks sat with jocks. Brainiacs sat with brainiacs. Drama kids sat with drama kids. Skater dudes, cheerleaders, punks...each sat with their own kind. That was the way the world was meant to be. Orderly. Predictable. Understandable. Sharpay held court at the head of the drama kids table. Kelsi sat at the far end of the table, listening to every word, but keeping quiet, as usual. She was working on the duet for Troy and Gabriella's callback.
Kai: How dare she sign up!? I've already picked the colours for my dressing room!
Cash: And she hasn't asked our permission to join the Drama Club.
Sharpay slammed her hand against the cafeteria table, making everyone jump slightly.
Kai: Someone's gotta tell her the rules.
Cash: Exactly. And what are the rules?
Sharpay just scoffed as she walked to the railing and looked down at the scene below.
Zeke: You can bet there's nothing but net
When I am in a zone and on a roll.
But I've got a confession, my own secret obsession
And it's making me lose control.
Jocks: Everybody gather 'round.
Zeke: Well, if Troy can tell his secret, than I can tell mine. I bake.
Kevin: What?
Zeke: I love to bake. Strudels, scones, even apple pandowdy.
Jocks: Not another sound!
Zeke: Someday, I hope to make the perfect crème brulée.
Jock: No, no, no! No, no, no!
Stick to the stuff you know!
If you wanna be cool, follow one simple rule.
Don't mess with the flow! No, no!
Stick to the status quo!
Martha Cox: Look at me and what do you see?
Intelligence beyond compare.
But inside, I am stirring, something strange is occurring.
It's a secret I need to share.
Brainiacs: Open up! Dig way down deep!
Martha: Hip hop is my passion! I love to pop and lock and jam and break!
Brainiac: Is that even legal?
Brainiacs: Not another peep!
Martha: It's just dancing. Sometimes, I think it's even cooler than homework.
Brainiacs: No, no, no, no! No, no, no!
Stick to the stuff you know!
It's better by far to keep things as they are!
Don't mess with the flow, no, no!
Stick to the status quo!
Skater dude: Listen well. I'm ready to tell,
About a need I cannot deny!
Dude, there's no explanation for this awesome sensation.
But I'm ready to let it fly.
Skater dudes and dudettes: Speak your mind and you'll be heard!
Skater dude: Alright. If Troy wants to be a singer, than I'm coming clean. I play the cello!
Skater dude 2: Awesome. What is it?
His friend mimed playing the cello, but only saw confusion in the other boarder's face.
Skater dude 2: A saw!?
Skater dude: No, dude. It's like a giant violin!
Skater dudes and dudettes: Not another word!
Skater dude 2: Do you have to wear a costume?
Skater dude: Coat and tie.
Skater dudes and dudettes: No, no, no, no! No, no, no!
Stick to the stuff you know!
If you wanna be cool,
Follow one simple rule.
Don't mess with the flow. No, no!
Stick to the status quo!
All: No, no, no!
Stick to the stuff you know!
It is better by far to keep things as they are!
Don't mess with the flow. No, no!
Stick to the status quo!
The spirit of rebellion was building, however! The skater dude jumped up on his table and enthusiastically mimed playing the cello. Brainiac Martha was busting out some cool hip-hop moves from the top of her table, dancing and swaying to the rhythm in her head. The students who had confessed their secret loves were now all standing on their respective cafeteria tables as if they were stages, singing their hearts out. Sharpay, however, was not impressed.
Kai: This is not what I want.
This is not what I planned.
And I just gotta say,
I do not understand.
Something is really----.
Cash: Something's not right.
Kai: Really wrong!
Both: And we gotta get things back where they belong.
We can do it!
Skater dude: Gotta play!
Skater dudes and dudettes: Stick with what you know.
Cash and Kai: We can do it!
Martha: Hip hop hooray!
Brainiacs: She has gotta go.
Cash and Kai: We can do it!
Zeke: Crème burlée!
Jocks: Keep your voice down low!
All: Not another peep. No!
Not another word. No!
Not another sound. No!
Kai: Everybody QUIET!
Her voice echoed through the room. All the students stopped and stared at Gabriella and Taylor who had just entered the cafeteria and picked up their lunch trays.
Julie: *nervously* Why is everybody staring at you?
Gwen: Not me. You.
The memory of the horrible church choir experience came flooding back into Gabriella's mind.
Julie: Because of the callbacks!? I can't have people staring at me. I really can't!
All: NO! No, no, no!
Stick to the stuff you know. (Stick to the stuff you know!)
If you wanna be cool, follow one simple rule.
Don't mess with the flow. No, no!
Stick to the status quo!
No, no, no!
Stick to the stuff you know. (Stick to the stuff you know!)
It is better by far to keep things as they are!
Don't mess with the flow. No, no!
Stick to the status, stick to the status!
Stick to the status quo!
As Gabriella and Taylor wove their way through the crowd, Gabriella slipped on some spilled milk, sending her tray flying. The chilli flies went flying and landed...on Sharpay! The crowd stopped what they were doing and gasped at the horrible site...to them. Sharpay stood still, stone-faced, and screamed like a normal drama queen would. Gabriella tried to clean the food off of Sharpay's shirt, but only made the mess worst.
Julie: *frantic* Oh my gosh! I am so sorry!
Taylor just grabbed Gabriella and pulled her away from Sharpay. She did NOT want her near Sharpay while she was acting the way she currently was. At that moment, Troy entered the cafeteria and noticed what was going on. He went over to help Gabriella, but was quickly intercepted by Chad.
Kevin: You do NOT want to get in that, man. Too much drama.
Ben: *bewildered* Yeah.
He dragged Troy away over to the safest place in the room: their usual table.
Ms Darbus: What's going on here!?
Kai: Look at this! That Gabriella just dumped her lunch at me! On purpose! It's obviously part of their plan to ruin the winter musical! And Troy and his basketball robots are obviously behind it! Why do you think he auditioned!? After all the hard work you put into the show. It just doesn't seem right!
With that, Sharpay stormed out of the cafeteria to change her shirt. After that, the cafeteria went back to normal.
Ben: What's up?
Kevin: What's up? Oh, let's see. You've missed free period workout yesterday to audition for some heinous musical. Now, suddenly, people are...confessing. Yeah, and Zeke. Zeke is baking! Crème brulée!
Troy frowned, trying to follow all this. This was a lot of confusing information, so he seized on the easiest point to clear up. Crème brûlée?
Ben: What's that?
Zeke: *excitedly* Oh. It's creamy, custard-like filling with a caramelised surface. It's very satisfying.
Kevin: Shut up, Zeke!
Troy and Chad took their seats at the table.
Kevin: Do you see what's happening? Our team is coming apart because of your singing thing. Even the drama geeks and the brainiacs suddenly think they can...talk to us. The skater dudes are...mingling. People think they can suddenly...do other stuff. Stuff that's not their STUFF! *points to the Drama kids table* They've got you thinking about show tunes when WE'VE got a playoff game next week!
With that, Chad left the table. Meanwhile, Coach Bolton was eating a sandwich at his desk and reading the newspaper sports page. Ms Darbus came into the locker room, taking the basketball team by surprise. What is Ms Darbus doing in the locker room? Coach Bolton dropped the paper with a sigh. He WAS having a nice, peaceful lunch.
Ms Darbus: Alright, Bolton. Cards on the table, right now!
Coach Bolton: Huh?
Sometimes, Coach Bolton thought that all that make-believe stuff was affecting Ms Darbus's mind. She always seemed off in some other world, from what he could see.
Ms Darbus: *beside herself with rage* You're tweaked that I put your stars in detention, so now you're getting even!?
Coach Bolton: *honestly confused* What are you talking about, Darbus?
Ms Darbus: You're all-star son turned up at my audition. I give each student an even chance, which is a long and honourable tradition of the theatre – which you wouldn't understand – but if he's planning some practical joke in my chapel of the arts----.
Coach Bolton: Troy doesn't even sing.
Ms Darbus: Well, you're wrong about that. But I won't allow my Twinkle Town musicale to be made into farce.
He could help it. He almost laughed in his face, but managed to choke it back at the last second.
Coach Bolton: Twinkle Town?
Apparently, his poker face wasn't as good as he thought. Ms Darbus could tell that he was laughing and immediately assumed that he sent Troy to audition as a practical joke.
Ms Darbus: See. I knew it. I knew it!
Ms Darbus huffed as she turned around and stormed out of the office.
Coach Bolton: Sounds like a big it! Good luck on Broadway!
Back in the cafeteria, Taylor and Gabriella were still trying to recover from the chaos that had erupted.
Julie: Is Sharpay really, really mad at me? I said I was sorry.
Gwen: Look. No one has beaten out Sharpay for a musical since kindergarten.
Julie: I'm not trying to beat anyone out. We weren't even auditioning. We were just...singing.
Gwen: You won't convince Sharpay of that. If that girl could figure out how to play both Romeo and Juliet, her own brother would be aced out of the job.
Julie: I told you, it just...happened. But I liked it...a lot.
She sighed and finally decided that it was time to actually say the question she had been asked herself ever since she sang with Troy on New Year's Eve.
Julie: Do you ever feel like there's this whole other person inside you just looking for a way to come out.
Gwen: *decisively* No.
The bell rang to signal the end of lunch. Sharpay opened her locker and saw the huge stain on her designer shirt and Zeke standing behind her. She just scoffed and searched her locker for a clean shirt.
Zeke: Hey, Sharpay. Now that Troy's gonna be in your show...
Kai: Troy Bolton is not in my show!
Zeke: *undeterred* I thought maybe you'd like to come to see me play ball sometime...
Sharpay took out a shirt from her locker, faced Zeke and tossed her head.
Kai: I'd rather stick pins in my eyes.
Zeke: *puzzled* Wouldn't that be awfully uncomfortable?
Kai: Evaporate, tall person!
She shut her locker and stormed off to the bathroom to get changed.
Zeke: *crestfallen* I bake...if that helps.
If there's one thing that the entire student body knew, it's the fact that it's gonna be one wild week towards callbacks.