Chapter Started: July 17, 2011
Chapter Finished: July 17, 2011
Author's Note: Well, all I gotta say is if I was naming these chapters, this one would be "Words of Wisdom from a Missed, Wise, & Most Trusted Soul"
AUTHOR'S NOTE (8*30*11) - This one I actually enjoyed writing and I think (and hope) that you guys will enjoy this because I sure did and when I write something and enjoy it, I hope and pray that others do too so please *don't forget to review* I love all of my dearest and faithful (and patient :) readers and reviewers...my friends, my family? God Bless you! *BTW, school started yesterday and I'm doing volleyball again (if it's not too late, been out because I've been in and out of the hospital for my asthma) so things are going to be a lot hectic for me especially because it's my ~ SeNiOr YeAr~ Woot, woot, but I hope that you'll understand.* Just remember I'm still alive and writing, okay? Okay, I love you guys and miss your reviews so I'll let you read the story now. Ready, set, go! (:)
=ANFF2: America's Sweetheart's Engagement=
-Chapter 26-
(April 2010 – Albuquerque, New Mexico)
"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your American Airlines captain speaking and I'm asking that you all please put your seatbelts on and your tables and seats in their upright position. We'll be arriving in Albuquerque, New Mexico in fourteen minutes. Thank you."
In first class the two girls, who had quickly packed a couple of suitcases and bought a couple of first class tickets back to their roots, sat up in their seats and quickly did as they were told. Lacing their hands together, the two brown eyed females laced their fingers together, both having a fear of flying even though they should be used to it.
Once the plane landed at Albuquerque International Airport, the first class passengers were allowed to get off first, so the four-some grabbed their carry on's and walked into the airport knowing their luggage would be taken care of.
"Taxi," the one female exclaimed while the other ethnicity girl showed a little leg like Carrie Bradshaw-Preston in Sex and the City 2.
"Where to?" The driver asked the girls while behind the cab they were the suitcases were put in another taxi.
"East High School," the two girls replied instantly, their hands still laced as the darker haired girl rested her head on the lighter head girl's shoulder and the lighter haired female laid her head on top the messy hair.
Thirty-minutes later the yellow taxi pulled up in front of their high school while the other cab took the suitcases to their place of residence for their stay in New Mexico.
"Home sweet home," the brunette one whispered with a smile as they glance around the courtyard that held so, so, so many high school memories at just the fountain, parking lot, and Weeping Willow tree alone.
"The place where one now famous person said 'Once a Wildcat, always a wildcat.'," the other female replied with a smile before they looped arms and walked up the stairs and up more stair until they reached the red, white, and gold lobby.
HAVE*FAITH*IN*ZANESSA
"Wow, its so…" one started.
"quiet," the other finished as they entered the surprisingly empty theater.
Smiling, they both ran down the ramp and up the stairs until they were center stage and looking out into the empty red seats of the auditorium.
God, I've missed this, they both thought at the same time while they both walked around on the stage and backstage, wanting to see if anything drastic had changed while they've been graduated.
"I knew I'd find you girls here," a middle-aged teacher with a pair of glasses on, her white hair up in a bun, and her clothes that hung loosely with dramatic colors and a mixed kind of style with her slight heels said with a bright smile as she walked down the theater's ramp. "When I got a call from Mr. Matsui saying that my two star pupils had returned to East High, I just sat in shock. And then I got to wondering, what in the world would you two be back here for so, Ms. Montez, Ms. Evans, which one of you two would like to enlighten me? But first I must know, does anyone know you're here because I spotted no Secret Service Agents or Mr. Baylor or Bolton with you?"
"No one knows where here, Ms. D," Gabriella softly replied as the two girls smiled at their favorite teacher who had taught them so much about the arts and about life itself.
"What in the world? Girls, why would you just disappear? You're not in trouble are you?"
"No, ma'am," Sharpay replied, "Well, not in that way, in another way yes."
"And we were hoping that coming back here and talking with you would help us," Gabriella explained further as the two girls sat on the edge of the stage with their legs dangling while Ms. Darbus stood in front of them. her arms casually crossed against her chest.
"I'll try my best to help you both, but I first need to know what it is your having trouble with, dears?" She asked them curiously.
Gabriella and Sharpay glanced at each other before the later sighed and explained to Ms. Darbus their dilemma, "A couple of weeks ago, Ryan, Kelsi, Gabriella, and I were approached by Columbia Records with recording contracts for Ryan, Gabriella and myself, and a composing contract with Kelsi…"
"Congratulations," she told them with a smile, encouraging the blonde to go on.
"Thank you," Gabriella replied quietly with a smile, for both her and her best friend. She then picked up where Sharpay had left off, "And they went on and on about all sorts of things and how they saw us sing at the Christmas in Washington Concert and everything, and they even asked us if we ever considered singing professionally, and I mean who hasn't? I know a couple of times I found myself wondering about it in high school, especially when I was up on this stage."
"I did too, almost all the time, actually," Sharpay added.
"So what's the problem?" The drama teacher asked them, encouraging them to voice their problems or was it their fears, maybe it was both?
"For Kelsi and Ryan it was no problem," Sharpay replied, avoiding the problems she and Gabriella had, "Kelsi signed on after going over the contract with Gabriella's mom who was representing her and Gabriella, while my mom represented my brother and I. Ryan, well Ryan's actually in a meeting with the Los Angeles Angels's Baseball team owners, manager, and general manager so after today he'll have to decide between playing professional baseball in the MLB or being a famous singer, dancer, actor. And in the end, he'll make the best decision for him with no imput from anyone else because he's always been known to follow his heart and head, especially when they agree."
"He was like that in high school too," Ms. Darbus told the girls as she sat down in a front row theater seat, "and all of this is very nice to know, and I'm pleased that your sharing it with me, but I had originally asked you 'what is your problem with becoming a singer?'"
"What makes you think we have a problem with it?" Gabriella asked, trying to keep the topic away for a little bit still.
Ms. Darbus just moved her glasses away from her eyes to give the girls a pointed look before she slid them back up her nose and began to encourage them to talk about it by telling them, what she thinks the problem is, "Let's see, your problems can't be that you wouldn't be able to stand the paparazzi or the fame or rumors and criticism, because well you've already got that because it's the price you pay if your father's are the President and the Vice President of the United States. Plus, Gabriella has a famous boyfriend who's always hounded by the paparazzi therefore means she is too.
It can't be not having what it takes to make it in Hollywood because let's face it, you were told time and time again by me and many others during live audience performances that you girls do have what it takes. You were even offered Juilliard full ride scholarships.
It also can't be that you're afraid you're going to forget your friends or lose your friendships because the friendship of your ten is an inseparable bond that can't be broken, and you don't have it in your hearts to forget your friends because besides your family's and significant others, your life revolves around them because they're rooted in everything you do. And besides, your parents, Ryan, Troy, Zeke, and myself, they're your biggest fans.
It's also not losing track of who you are because you've been in the lime light long enough to know that you won't lose that person because the person can never be lost for it's set in stone and no matter how many times and how hard you try to change or even lose your self whether it be purposely or accidently, you can't because you'll always come back to that person, maybe not right away but eventually.
It can't be being afraid of the gossip that these…gruesome magazines will come up with just to sell copies because let's face it, even I knew in high school you two had your fair share of gossip, even more than your fair share therefore you two know how to handle it to beyond perfection.
Disappointment can't be it and neither can pressure, so what's left is your fear and your inability to be confident that you can succeed in the profession? Am I correct?"
"Correct," the two said with smiles, no shock in their voice because their teacher knew them well enough to know what was truly bothering them without them having to tell her which is why they came to her in the first place.
"You fear that you will not be liked or loved, but your main fear is the fear itself about making the climb and taking the jump, afraid that no one will catch you. Correct?"
"Mhm," the two replied again.
"Girls, every day, you'll have opportunites to take chances and to work outside your safety net. Sure, it's a lot easier to stay in your comfort zone…in my case, teaching and quoting Shakespeare…but sometimes you have to take risks. When the risks pay off, that's when you reap the biggest rewards.
The stage can be a wonderful partner in the process of self-discovery. You both seemed really comfortable up there in high school, there were times where I wondered if I could ever get you off the stage."
Both girls smiled at their favorite teacher who remained seated with a smile of wisdom on her face while the room seemed to be flooded with memories upon memories of their times in the theatre, a place where the two girls practically lived in high school.
"What a life in the theater has taught me is to trusts one's instincts and that takes courage. A quality you two don't seem to lack," she told them before she gave them an experiment to try seeing what time it was, "So this is what I'm going to have you girls do. You're going to do: I still have the CD that you girls had to make for a class where you had to write your own song, so your going to put it in the CD player backstage, take off the lyrics which I assume you girls have memorized for life, and sing it. After I want you two to tell me what you feel, okay?"
"Yes, ma'am," they both replied as they got up and walked backstage to the CD player and found their CD, surprised to find it in Ms. Darbus' special collection of CD's. Popping the silver disc in the high tech sound system, the two girls took off their sweaters and took the microphones.
Turning on the microphones, they listened as the upbeat music started up as they took center stage.
Getting an encouraging smile from their teacher they began the song:
Hey, hey, hey
La, la, la, la, la
Hey, hey, hey
La, la, la, la, la
With Gabriella and Ms. Darbus giving her an encouraging smile, Sharpay began the song:
You come from here
I come from there
Gabriella smiled and she too began to sing her part:
You rock out in your room
I rock a world premiere
Smiling, the two girls sang together in perfect harmony:
We're more alike than
Anybody could ever tell
(ever tell)
Gabriella smiled and giggled at the next part:
Friday we're cool
Monday we're freaks
Sharpay giggled at the 'Monday' long before she began to sing:
Sometimes we rule
Sometimes we can't even speak
Rocking out, they continued to sing together:
But we can get up and
Let loose and LOL (lol)
The blonde took over again:
It may seem cliché
For me to wanna say
That you're not alone
(that you're not alone)
Smiling, Gabriella picked right up on quae:
And you can call me uncool
But it's a simple fact
I got your back
(yeah, yeah, yeah)
Smiling, they spun each other as they did the chorus together in perfect harmony:
'Cause we're one and the same
We're anything but ordinary
One and the same
I think we're almost legendary
You and me the perfect team
Chasing down the dream
We're one and the same
Hey, hey, hey
La, la, la, la, la
Gabriella skipped to one end of the stage in her Jimmy Choo's and pointed out into the audience that consisted of no one, at least not from what the two singers could see though Ms. Darbus knew differently:
I'm kind of like you
You kind of like me
The blonde smiled and took over again:
We in the same song
And a different key
Smiling, the two best friends bumped their hips together as they sang together:
It's got a rhythm
Then you and me
Can get along
(get along)
America's Sparkle picked up the song:
It may seem cliché
For me to wanna say
That you're not alone
America's Sweetheart picked up after Sharpay stopped:
And you can call me uncool
But it's a simple fact
I still got your back
Lacing their fingers together they skipped to center stage in the back and then up front:
'Cause we're one and the same
We're anything but ordinary
One and the same
I think we're almost legendary
You and me the perfect team
Shaking up the scene
We're one and the same
'Cause we're on and the same
We're anything but ordinary
One and the same
We're so good momentary
'cause we're one
Yeah, yeah, yeah
'cause we're one
Anything but ordinary
You and me the perfect team
Chasing down the dream
Oh, you and me the perfect team
Shaking up the scene
One and the same
Hey, hey, hey
La, la, la, la, la
Hey, hey, hey
The ended the song back to back with their microphones held in the hand that's arm was facing the crowd and a wink towards Ms. Darbus…and a whole loudly clapping and whistling auditorium of what seemed to be Ms. Darbus' next class.
"Sharpay, Gabriella, courage is not the absence of fear. Rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. The brave may not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all. From now on, you'll be traveling the road between who you think you are and who you can be. The key is to allow yourself to make the journey," Ms. Darbus told them softly with tears in her eyes as she came up to the two girls and stood between them, cupping their soft and gentle cheeks, and placing a kiss on one of their cheeks and pulling them into a tight hug, she wished them a silent "good luck".
To Be Continued…
Well, I hope you guys like that one. Please, oh please, do let me know what you think about it, okay?
Author's Note 8*30*11 - So I really loved this chapter as I told you before and I'm hoping that you loved it or at the very least liked it. Did you guys like the surprise? I figured who better to help the girls than Ms. Darbus and I felt sad because I haven't really mentioned her or talked about her in any of my stories and it's time she plays a very important role in the girls life...not only in this chapter but in more to come (hint*hint*wink*wink) AND I think my favorite part is Ms. Darbus having the last words in the chapter. I actually kinda, maybe hope that this inspires some if your going through a rough patch I know it did for me about Senior Year even though today will only be my second day as a senior.
GUEST STARRING -
ALYSON REED
as
(the beloved) Ms. Darbus
Much love,
Jess(:
"The worst thing one can do is not to try, to be aware of what one wants and not give in to it, to spend years in silent hurt wondering if something could have materialized - never knowing."
~ Jim Rohn