"This is the song that doesn't END!" Four year old Jenny ran circles around Gabriella singing what she could only guess was the theme song to Jenny's favorite kid's show. As Gabriella massaged her temples and sat on the couch the child she was charged with keeping an eye on continued to run. Now in the kitchen she was still shrieking, erm singing.

"Yes it goes ON and ON my friend. Some people started singing it not knowing what it was. And they'll continue singing it forever just because…This is the song that doesn't END! Yes it-"

"I still hear your voice when you sleep next to me. I still feel your touch in my dreams." Yes she knew it was unethical and more likely than not unsafe, but Gabriella really needed Cascada to save her from 'the song that didn't end'.

Listening to the music pumping through the head phones of her iPod she relaxed until some thing, someone really, tugged on the denim material of her pants. Looking down Gabriella pulled off her head phones, paused the song, and smiled at the young girl who looked expectantly up at her.

"Mommy said I could have two bowls of ice cream for dessert today." She informed her seriously. Ruffling the girls hair Gabriella laughed.

"Your mommy told me that you already had dessert." She leaned down and picked Jenny up, "Besides I think it's your bed time."

"But I'm not tired." She protested fighting back a yawn as she spoke. Pouting she allowed herself to be carried up to her room and then to be tucked in for the night. Gabriella flicked on the hall light (Jenny was going through the 'monsters under the bed' stage) and picked up her book to read. She had baby-sat for Jenny before and chances were that the four year old would come back downstairs for a glass of water and then again because she forgot to say good night to her cat.

At nine o'clock when Jenny was finally asleep Gabriella put down her book, Great Expectations, she was re-reading it for a book report, and pulled out her iPod once again.

Every Time We Touch was still playing and this time Gabriella really listened to the words. It dawned on her that this song might tie in with Sharpay's idea and she pulled the slightly crumpled flier out of her purse.

Can you sing? If your answer was yes then we want you!
Come try out for New Mexico Notes, a fun competition where you can find out if you have what it takes to WIN!

The flier went on to describe the Grand Prize, a new sports car and five hundred dollars, and the audition times and location. While she had dismissed it before as being tacky, with a real plan in mind now Gabriella quickly scoured the paper for the audition times. It seemed that they were being held in her home town Albuquerque ( a lucky break her her being that she couldn't drive), the same place the competition would be held, and there were still two more days left to try out.

If Gabriella could just find enough songs her plan might work. With the help of Sharpay it was bound to at least get Troy's attention.

"So, you and I are going to enter this competition together?" Sharpay stood in line with Gabriella waiting to be admitted into the room where the judges sat waiting to listen to too many hopeful singers. They had already seen many leave in tears, whether they had been tears of joy or sadness was debatable for some, and many other's leave before they even auditioned. Sharpay wasn't nervous, this being only one of the many she had been through, but Gabriella had never really auditioned for any thing before. For the musical she had been singing with Troy not on her own in front of people she didn't even know. Unwittingly she ran through a list of suggestions her mother had given her earlier.

Don't fidget, always look calm, be polite, make eye contact. And above all don't forget the lines. Realizing that Sharpay was talking to her again Gabriella re-directed her attention to the blonde.

"What I don't get is why I'm the one trying out with you. I'm mean, it's not like we hate each other or any thing but we aren't best friends either." She was saying, and she did have a point. She and Gabriella were not exactly friends, they were more like friendly competitors.

"I need some one to help me. Yes it's true that we're not the best of friends but I don't hate you. And you're a great singer so you'll definitely get in, hopefully I will too." Sharpay nodded accepting Gabriella's explanation thoughtfully.

"Yeah…we'll both get in and then it's almost guaranteed that you'll get Troy back. The competition's in Albuquerque and admittance is free so he's almost garunteed to come to the show. Plus you're his friend so he'll come because of that anyway. I figure you're good enough to stay in the competition for a while." Sharpay nodded her plan formulating as she spoke.

They were almost inside the building now. It loomed in front of the two girls casting them into a shadow. Gabriella shivered and took a deep breath. Nervousness taunted her, playing out scene's of embarrassment in her mind. Just as she was turning the idea of leaving over in her mind the door opened and Sharpay was admitted into the room.

She strode in confidently with a toss of her hair, leaving Gabriella outside twisting her hands. For ten agonizing minutes (though it felt like many more) Gabriella stood straining her ears to hear the judges comments. She heard nothing of course and her distress grew. If Sharpay didn't make it then would she even bother trying out?

Before the answer to her question was required however, Sharpay walked out just as confidently as she'd walked in. In her hand she held a pin that she was to wear in the next stage of the competition stating that she had made it through the audition and had been asked to come back to audition again (this time in front of a live audience) for a spot in the finals. Smirking she displayed the pin to the nervous girl and called to her before Gabriella was ushered inside,

"This is your goal right now. Make it to the finals!"

If Gabriella thought that the audition room was small, then nothing had prepared her for the stage. It was little more than a carpet on a raised platform. Stepping up she stood in the middle and faced the judges. There were three of them and they sat side by side each of them with a varying degree of disinterest on their faces. The middle one motioned for her to begin while the other two looked at her expectantly.

"I'm going to sing My Immortal by Evanescence," She said, trying to sound as confident as Sharpay had looked. Taking a one final breath when the judges nodded at her to begin, after scribbling down her song of choice, Gabriella began.

"I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
'Cause your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me-"

The center judge, who seemed to be the head, held up his hand and Gabriella stopped barely able to keep from biting her lip. Had she done well enough? She thought she had, but who could tell if they were really as good as they thought they were. Behind her back her fingers laced together cutting off her circulation. As she anticipated the results all three judges leaned together murmuring about her fate. Finally the one on the left smiled.

"Congratulations, you have one of the better voices we've heard today. We would like to ask you to continue on in the competition."

WHOOOOOOOO! Good chappie in my opinion but that isn't what matters. It's what you thought that counts, so what did you think? I'm dying to know!