This story was created during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the hard work of SAG-AFTRA, as well as the work of the WGA who, as of September 27th, 2023 have reached a deal with the AMPTP, the world of High School Musical The Musical The Series wouldn't exist. For more information about how you can help with the SAG-AFTRA strike, please refer to the link you can find on my profile.
Pre-Chapter Authors Note: The following songs are used throughout the course of this chapter:
When There Was Me and You - Ricky Version - High School Musical The Musical The Series Season 1
Fired Up - Z-O-M-B-I-E-S
Truth, Justice, and Songs in Our Key - High School Musical The Musical The Series Season 1
With that, please enjoy.
High School Musical: The Musical. What a beautiful thing. I have loved the HSM movies for the longest time, and being a choreography, vocal, and general assistant on this production out of all of the possible options out there, it's pretty awesome to say the least, and I couldn't be more thrilled to be at, here today, my first opportunity as an assistant and as a background singer and dancer. The best time of my life. Well, at least, that is what is going to eventually happen, but first things first, program photo shoot. Or at least, that is going to be the plan once we get things going for the day. I'm looking around for Gina or for Nini to try and talk to them before the big day, but much to my surprise, as I got off the bus, I could not find them anywhere. I've looked around outside for a little bit, and they're nowhere to be seen. So I head inside, where I find a certain somebody, who made my homecoming experience a hundred times more enjoyable, waiting for me at the door.
"Hey." Ricky says to me.
"Hey Ricky. Thanks again for being my "date" to Homecoming." I stated.
"It's no problem. After all, you deserve the help. You deserve the respect." Ricky says.
"Oh I don't know about that. I'm just a regular girl from Atlanta now living in Salt Lake City." I stated.
"Quite on the contrary. I helped you, in part, because you deserve to be recognized. You deserve to be recognized for your talent." Ricky states.
"All because I've been helping you a ton with your acoustic song idea for When There Was Me and You? Really?" I asked.
"Of course, but it's so much more than that." Ricky replies.
"Well, I appreciate that, but I'm always happy to help Ricky. That being said, I don't know about the recognition thing." I confessed.
"Like I said. You deserve to be recognized for your talent." Ricky states again.
"Is that talent I hear that needs the recognition?" A female voice asks.
Ricky walks away (why are you doing this to me Ricky? Was this all a setup until she showed up?), and into my eyesight comes Ashlyn Moon. I almost froze right where I stood. I'm about to not say a single word to her, I'm about to freeze that much. From what Nini tells me, Ashlyn is one of the most underrated and exceptionally-talented singer/songwriters that East High has at its disposal for this production. If I want to continue to attempt to earn the respect of my fellow theatre kids, building an alliance with her would not be a bad idea. At the very least, if I can get a friendship with her, it would establish credibility, and that's ultimately something that I'm looking for.
"Hi." Ashlyn says.
"Hey." I said in response.
"Emma Wood, right?" Ashlyn asks.
"That would be me." I replied.
"I'm Ashlyn. Pleased to finally meet you." Ashlyn says.
"The feeling is mutual. Nini has been telling me a lot of great things about your talent." I revealed.
"Nini has done the same for you." Ashlyn reveals in response.
"Has she really?" I asked in amazement.
"You're becoming a little bit of a legend around here." Ashlyn states with excitement.
"Me? A legend? Around here?" I asked, thinking it was to myself, but turned out to be out loud.
"Yes, and it's so well-deserved. Your singing is angelic. You need to give yourself more credit. It's that good." Ashlyn remarks.
"Oh I don't know about that." I stated.
"It is, seriously. We all have heard it, and we all agree on it. You just need to be more willing to put yourself out there and give yourself the credit that you deserve to have." Ashlyn says.
"I don't know Ashlyn. I can't be that good." I said in response.
"You are talented Emma, seriously. You just need to believe that for yourself, and never let anyone tell you otherwise." Ashlyn recommends.
"I appreciate that." I said in response.
Right then is where Gina finally came into my eyesight for the first time today. Sure she's been in my eyesight a lot lately, but we're friends, so that's what friends do, right…? When I actually register that I am looking at her, I realize that she is in her full Taylor look for the photoshoot, and my god she looks amazing, stunning, beautiful, and just about everything in-between.
"Hey. You're looking amazing! The Taylor look really suits you." I said to Gina.
"Thanks. I really wish this could've been you though. You've been working so hard and have been so good to everyone since the moment you stepped foot in Utah." Gina remarks.
"It's not going to happen Gina, so we just gotta move on and focus on the things that we have. If you're worried about me, I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me. I gotta stand strong if I want to have a chance at maintaining what I can have right now." I reassured her.
"I'm impressed Em. You have all of the makings of something truly special, if you stick to it." Gina states.
"Good. I'm counting on it." I said in response.
"You ready to come to the photoshoot?" Gina asks.
"Born ready." I replied.
We were the last two people to come in for the photoshoot. Gina shows off (per usual to be honest), makes a comment on how Troy (aka Ricky) is looking the best, everyone gets together to do a practice run for the cover photoshoot, fails in spectacular fashion (why am I not even remotely surprised that failed), forcing Carlos to just say "Okay, let's take a five", and everyone going off to do their own thing, for who knows how long. Nini & I then look at each other for the first time since all of, whatever that was, transpired, and the first time we've really seen each other in a little while, since I've been hanging out so much with Gina lately.
"You look great by the way. Almost like Vanessa Hudgens herself." I said to her.
"Almost?" Nini asks, sarcastically.
"The original star gets held in the highest regard, though you're making a strong case for the best of the seconds." I stated.
"Well that's awfully nice of you to say. Now how are you holding up?" Nini asks, trying to make sure that the whole not getting to be a main role in High School Musical The Musical isn't getting to my head.
"It's like I told Gina earlier. I'm fine. You guys are being incredible friends by checking on me, but I'll live. I'm just focused on what I do have to do in this production, and if something more comes out that I can do, then great, I'll take that chance when the times comes, but if not, I'm perfectly content with using what I have as a building block for something more in the future." I said, proudly and confidently.
"Your loyalty is admirable. It's people like you that are the reason that we get to do this like we love to do." Nini says.
"I'm counting on it." I said in response.
It was then that Carlos walked out of the room, looking down at his phone. He looked worried, which concerns me greatly, so I quickly follow him out, and when I caught up with him, he had his phone up to his ear, and he was rather irritated when I was in his other ear trying to figure out what was going on.
"What is going on?" I asked him.
"Emma, not now." Carlos says to me.
"What is happening?" I asked him again.
"Not now… Miss Jenn I don't think I can stall much longer, especially with people like Emma in my ear trying to get answers." Carlos said, clearly upset that I was following him in an attempt to get some answers.
I then walk closely behind him, as Carlos continues to speak to Miss Jenn, until the three of us finally cross paths. Miss Jenn looks concerned, as she was carrying a bunch of items in a box from her office (I wonder why. Is she leaving or something?) Carlos looks stressed, as he had been trying to stall for some reason (I don't know why they are trying to hide the fact that something is wrong with our drama teacher. Should that not be a thing everyone should know?). Meanwhile, I am just confused. If I'm gonna be their assistant for the rest of the production, I think I'm owed an answer as to what in the world is going on, right?
"Miss Jenn, what's going on?" I asked, gravely concerned.
"Emma sweetie, I could be losing my job." Miss Jenn reveals.
The prospect of that shocks me. Miss Jenn's job, in jeopardy? Now? After I just met her? What the hell happened when I wasn't here? I guess I was right at the end of the last chapter. You really can't have a drama department without the drama part.
"Oh my god!" Both me & Carlos exclaimed, in unison.
"Keep your voices down." Miss Jenn requests.
"What happened?" Carlos asks, gravely concerned.
"My thoughts exactly." I stated in response.
"I may or may not have exaggerated one or two credits on my resume." Miss Jenn reveals.
"Why would you do that?" I asked in complete shock and amazement.
"Not the time for that kind of talk." Carlos whispers into my ear.
"Right, sorry. So what do you need from us Miss Jenn?" I asked.
"The most important thing right now is you two need to keep this ship sailing. Hopefully, with any luck, this will all be cleared up when I sit before the school board tomorrow." Miss Jenn says, casually, almost as if she didn't realize that she just let out a huge piece of information that she, perhaps, should've disclosed from the beginning.
"Wait, what?" Carlos asks in shock.
"The school board? What did you do that was so bad that you have to go in front of the East High school board?" I asked in equally if not more in a state of shock than what Carlos was in.
"Just… keep rehearsal going after school today, and don't mention this to anyone. In the theater, morale is everything." Miss Jenn requests.
"But, Miss Jenn…" I began to say.
"Trust the process. Both of you. Everything will be ok." Miss Jenn tries to reassure us.
Miss Jenn then walks away (why are you doing this to us right now?), leaving me and Carlos to process the conversation that just took place.
"How are we not supposed to tell everyone about what just happened?" I asked him, confused as to how we were going to pull that off.
"Like she said, morale is everything. If we let that slip, things will go south. I don't like it either but it's what we're going to have to do." Carlos confesses.
"So I'm being thrusted into the number two spot out of nowhere." I stated.
"Well from what I've heard of you, it's a challenge you'll take on and excel in." Carlos says, trying to reassure me that it was all going to be ok in the end.
"Well there's only one way to find out for sure." I stated.
What was the one way to find out? A trial by fire. Yes, a trial by fire. I have to face Nini, and the friends I just made in Gina, Ashlyn, and Ricky, along with everyone else, while having to keep a big secret from them. This is going to destroy my credibility with them real quick if I'm out here keeping secrets from them, won't it? Whatever, I guess I have to try, and I'll do it by staying away from everyone, and just stick near Carlos. It can't be that hard, right? Surely I can pull that off, right? Everyone knows I'm an introvert, at least for right now, so it shouldn't be that difficult to do that once again, right?
Now, it's rehearsal time. This was going to be my first with the East High Drama Club, and my first as a direct assistant to the teacher/director. I was expecting it to be a lot of fun, but of course, there was the elephant in the room, which was us keeping a secret about Miss Jenn's job being in jeopardy to ourselves, which is the most insane thing I could possibly be doing right now, but in the grand scheme of things that will be irrelevant, since I can just easily avoid everyone because they know me as a non-social person for the most part, and everything will be all well and good…
Oh God, Gina's walking towards me.
Ok, or maybe this won't be as easy as I thought I would be.
"Alright, let's get started." Carlos says to the group.
Saved. Thank God. Or at least, that's what I thought, because now, Nini walks over to me, as we all gather to begin. All I can do is stare at her, rather awkwardly, which concerned her, but that's about all I did before I turned away, so I thought: "That's gonna be the end of the problems for the day, right?" Wrong, because the rehearsal did not go to plan. At all. Despite my best efforts to help Carlos, he had no idea what he was doing, and if he had no idea what to do, then I would have no idea what to do, and then all hell breaks loose, to put it simply. I just wish and hope that things won't break down, and then hopefully everything will be ok. That is, until, we get further and further along into the rehearsal, and that is when everyone (and understandably so) started asking where Miss Jenn was, and why she wasn't at rehearsals. As a result, Carlos was getting pushed to his limits, so in an attempt to save face and contain the damage before things got too much…
"You guys, Miss Jenn is in deep trouble." I said to the group, bluntly.
Everyone then looked at me in shock, and confusion.
"What do you mean "deep trouble"?" Gina asks.
"They're saying she lied on her job application or something, and there's a school board meeting in less than twenty-four hours, where she will probably lose her job." I revealed.
"Why didn't you say anything before now?" Nini asks.
Of course that question comes from Nini. Why am I not surprised?
"Because Nini, she asked us not to say anything. We're doing our best here, but at least to me, it didn't seem fair to keep stalling and lying to you guys." I stated.
"So what else are you not telling us?" EJ asks.
Everyone then gets up and walks out, with Carlos canceling rehearsals until further notice (does he really have the authority to do that?), leaving me, Ricky, & Gina in the room, to question everything. The two of them are talking with one another, so I assume that they're both going to be mad at me like everyone else seemingly is, so I turn to walk away so that I can go home for the day and think about what to do…
"Hey, Em!" Gina calls out to me.
I turn. The fact that she's even talking to me after what had just happened surprises me, but at the same time it doesn't surprise me, given our previous conversations.
"You're mad at me, aren't you?" I asked her.
"What? No. You did what you had to do." Gina replies.
"It just seems counter-intuitive to be keeping secrets from people that I just became friends with." I stated.
"You did what you thought was right." Gina remarks.
"But I'm trying to establish credibility, and respect. If I'm keeping secrets, that doesn't help my cause." I said with sadness in my voice.
"Eventually they'll see through the cracks and see the reasoning for what you did, like you did for me the night of homecoming." Gina reassures me.
Yeah, she brings that night up again, and I don't really blame her for that. I could see it in her eyes that night, and how much that meant to her. To her, me offering her my unquestioned loyalty and respect meant everything to her, and I appreciated the fact that, now, she is doing the same in return for me.
"I just didn't want there to be cracks to begin with." I stated.
"Sometimes there's just gonna be cracks Emma. It's how you put those pieces back together that will matter the most." Ricky states.
"Thanks Gina. You too Ricky." I said.
"No problem. Now Ricky, can I hear that acoustic song idea? It sounded cool, and I want to hear it." Gina says.
"Actually, Emma, why don't you show her what we were working on for that." Ricky requests.
"Seriously?" I asked in shock and amazement.
"You up for it?" Ricky asks.
"I'm game, let's do it. You play, we'll both sing." I requested.
"Sounds like a plan." Ricky says.
"This is going to be good." Gina remarks.
With that, Ricky starts to play his guitar, and we both start to sing, and we showed Gina the new version of When There Was Me and You that we came up with.
"Me (singing): I thought you were my fairytale / My dream when I'm not sleepin'"
"Ricky (singing): A wish upon a star that's comin' true / But everybody else could tell / That I confused my feelings with the truth"
"Me (singing): When there was me and you, oh-oh"
"Ricky (singing): I swore I knew the melody / That I heard you singin'"
"Me (singing): And when you smiled, you made me feel / Like I could sing along"
"Ricky (singing): But then you went and changed the words / Now my heart is empty"
"Me (singing): I'm only left with used-to-be's / And once upon a song"
"Me (singing): Now I know you're not a fairytale / And dreams are meant for sleepin'"
"Ricky (singing): And wishes on a star just don't come true / 'Cause now, even I can tell / That I confused my feelings with the truth"
"Me (singing): Because I liked the view / When there was me and you"
When I sing that last line, I'm looking directly at Gina. Oh god, am I falling in love with her? Can it be? Have I finally found love? Nope, breathe Emma, breathe. That can't possibly be it, but this is another issue to handle at a later point.
Gina and Ricky both clap when we're done. They enjoyed it, and honestly, so did I. That was awesome.
"That was incredible, and you nailed it Em. Your voice fits this version of the song so well." Gina comments.
"That was amazing." Ricky agrees.
"Thank You guys. That was a nice way to relieve some stress." I stated.
"I bet it was, but now what are we going to do about the musical?" Gina asks.
"I don't know what we're going to do yet. The only thing I know for sure right now, is that I'm not going to let Miss Jenn go without a fight. We just need to come up with a plan to do it, and for that, I need time to think about it." I said, confidently.
"You take the time you need to figure things out." Ricky states.
As to what the plan is going to be, I have absolutely no idea. This is going to be something that is going to take some effort, I just don't know what the hell I'm going to do, at least I don't know what I'm going to do yet. Like I said to Ricky, I need time to figure out how this is all going to work.
I go to lunch. Still no idea. I'm hiding in a corner table, away from everyone else, since I still fear that the theatre kids are going to be mad at me, after what I was keeping from them. What was I thinking agreeing to something like that? Sure Miss Jenn told us to keep the morale up, but is it worth it to knowingly lie to the people that are supposed to be your friends? Honestly, it probably wasn't worth it to lie to them, but I did it anyway, because I didn't know any better I guess.
Anyway, I thought I was going to be away from everyone for the entirety of lunch, so I could just be alone to think about creating a plan to save Miss Jenn, and then, you know who, comes along, as she always does, to try and comfort me.
"Hey. You doing alright?" Nini asks, concerningly.
What? Were you expecting someone else other than her?
"Honestly Nini, I'm not. I feel horrible. I don't know why I agreed with Miss Jenn in lying to all of you." I confessed to her.
"Don't beat yourself up over it. You did what you felt like you needed to do. Eventually, everyone will understand that." Nini reassures me.
"I just wish there was an easy way out of this. Miss Jenn losing her job could very well mean that the musical is done for, and I can't afford that pain on top of everything else right now…" I stated, bluntly.
Nini could see how much this meant to me. Now that I'm here, this musical is everything to me. I'm not going to be going down without a fight. I just need to think of a way how this is going to work, and then, she decides to change topics, in an effort to calm my mind, though the topic she picks next doesn't exactly help things…
"So, how's your friendship with Gina building?" Nini asks.
Of course she brings that up. The one question I didn't want to answer right now.
You may be asking yourself: Why do I not want to talk about this topic right now? Well… it's a little bit complicated, as you saw just a little bit earlier.
To put it simply, as I mentioned at the end of the acoustic version of When There Was Me and You, I think that I'm starting to develop… romantic feelings for Gina. We've been talking and getting to know each other so much, it almost feels like we know each other inside and out. I've just been thinking more and more about it. The problem is. I don't really know if that's what I'm feeling, I don't know if my judgment is all intact, and I don't know if Gina would feel the same way. In my past, that I haven't really talked about up until this point since there just hasn't been any narrative reason to do so, I've had issues with dating guys. Mostly because of the whole they don't want to date me because I have autism kind of thing, but other reasons have been at play as well, and as a result, I've been changing…, and I'm not sure if Nini is going to be willing to accept. Ok, I'm sure she will accept me for whoever I want to be, and maybe, if she doesn't want to date me, Gina will as well. It's just a matter of, will everyone else accept me?
"It's… complicated." I confessed to her.
"What do you mean?" She asks me in confusion.
"We're easily best friends, no doubt about it." I stated.
"But…?" She asks.
"I'm starting to develop something… more for her." I revealed.
"What do you mean?" Nini asks, still confused.
"Have I ever talked to you about my past dating life?" I asked in return.
"Yeah, why?" Nini asks.
I started trembling, trying to get my words out. Nini starts to see what is really the reason why I said this is rather complicated to explain.
"Emma, are you saying you're coming out to me?" Nini asks.
I nod in agreement.
"Yeah. I've been queer for almost my entire life. I've found myself growing more and more attached to girls than I have to boys, and it's just sparked in me for a very long time, just waiting to burst, and now you finally know. I'm still romantically attracted to boys, but girls are definitely in the mix, more so than ever." I revealed.
"And the friendship you've been building with Gina really opened your eyes about who you want to be?" Nini asks.
"I guess so." I replied.
"Em, I'm so proud of you! Just be careful in how you eventually tell her how you feel. She may not feel the same way, or may not be queer, or bi, or lesbian, herself." Nini suggests.
"I'll be careful, but yeah, I guess that's where I'm at now." I stated.
"And I'm proud of you for being yourself." Nini says.
"I'm proud of myself too." I said in response.
"Now how are you going to go about keeping Miss Jenn's job intact?" Nini asks.
"Still working on that." I replied.
"I'm sure whatever you think of, it will be great. Just remember, whatever you do, it's gotta feel like you truly mean it, for it to be successful." Nini states.
I'm hoping Nini's right, because right now, I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do.
As I'm finishing up my lunch and getting ready to go about my day and then head home and truly figure out what I'm going to do, something happens…
Several Hours Later
Text From Carlos: "Come see us at the local coffee shop as soon as you're available. She wants to see us again."
Oh god, what now? That's the only thought that comes to my head when reading that. What is going to happen this time?
I arrive at the coffee shop to see her and Carlos already seated. She motions for me to do the same.
"So what's up Miss Jenn?" I asked her.
"It's, complicated…" Miss Jenn confesses.
"It can't be that bad." I said.
"Just, spill the beans." Carlos requests.
"If tomorrow's school board meeting goes the way I think it will, you guys are going to hear a lot of not great things about me." Miss Jenn reveals.
"Miss Jenn, that can't be right…" I stated.
"It's all true." Miss Jenn says.
"What is?" Carlos asks.
"I've never told you guys my real last name because I was embarrassed at how little I've accomplished." Miss Jenn confesses.
It is at this point that I can sense that things are about to take a turn for the worst, and I am not about to let that happen.
"Miss Jenn, that can't possibly be true." I stated.
"Carlos and Emma, I'm a fake teacher. Most of the learning that's been happening in that rehearsal room, has been all of you teaching me." Miss Jenn confesses.
"No, that's not true." Carlos states.
"What he said." I said, fully in agreement with Carlos.
"It's the only part that ever was." Miss Jenn says.
She then drops a big file onto the table in front of the two of us.
"This is my director's file. Audition notes, staging ideas, everything. It's all there." Miss Jenn reveals.
"But I can't direct the show." Carlos says.
"And I'm fairly confident that I can't either." I said in response.
"Oh sweeties, this isn't for either of you. It's for your next teacher, who I hope loves you guys half as much as I do." Miss Jenn says.
Miss Jenn then leaves, leaving us to wonder, what the hell we are going to do next.
"So… what now?" Carlos asks me.
"I don't know, but we need to think of something and fast." I stated.
"Any ideas?" Carlos asks.
I then quickly was running through my head about ideas, and then, I remembered the conversation me and Nini had earlier.
"Just remember, whatever you do, it's gotta feel like you truly mean it, for it to be successful."
Then, the thought clicked. It is going to be a risky idea to pull off, but I think with a little bit of luck, and determination, we will be able to pull it off in spectacular fashion.
"I do have a grand idea, but we need to get everyone together." I revealed.
"I think I can manage that." Carlos states.
"Then let's do it. It's time to pull something incredible off." I stated in response, proudly and confidently.
Is this actually going to be incredible? Time will tell on that one. For now, we are now heading to Big Red's place. Why this is going to be the location of choice, I have no idea, but here we are. We walk inside and head downstairs. I am the last person there, and as I'm walking down the stairs, I hear chatter going on among the group.
"So, why are we all here then?"
"Good question. Is this a waste of time?"
"Honestly, it's because she gave me a shot, and it's been a long time since someone has given me a shot.
"Yeah."
"She gave me a voice."
"Yeah, and now nobody's gonna get to hear it since Miss Jenn screwed up."
"Okay, does anyone here actually care if her past is a little bit sketchy? Anyone?"
"I do."
"Seriously, dude?"
"What? Because you live some perfect life?"
"Not at all. It's because she put our show in jeopardy, and now we're all here, maybe for the last time, together. For some of us, this has become…" Ricky says, struggling to finish his thought.
"Family." Nini says in response.
"Ok, this is great and all, but Carlos, you still need to explain to us what we're all doing here in the first place." Kourtney requests.
"I'm not the one that wanted to organize this." Carlos reveals.
"What do you mean?" Gina asks.
"If it's not you, then who decided to bring us all here?" Nini asks.
"I did Nini." I replied.
The group then turns and they all are very much surprised to see my face coming down the stairs.
"Why? 'Cause you feel bad?" EJ asks.
"EJ, not now." Ashlyn requests.
"It's fine, for he has every right to be mad at me Ashlyn. At both me and Carlos for that matter." I remarked.
"But no one should be mad at you. You did what you thought to be right. Who can be mad at you for that?" Ricky asks.
"I don't know Ricky, you tell me." I requested.
"I think that's a question we can answer at a later point. Emma, you wanted to bring us all here. Why?" Kourtney asks.
"Because Kourtney, I care. I care about all of you. I care for my newfound family, as Nini so kindly put it. We need to save Miss Jenn's job, and we need to do it now. I know a lot of you may or may not be mad at me, but we need to come together, and we need to come up with a plan to save Miss Jenn." I replied, confidently.
I then look upon the group assembled. The one thing that united us all was our shared love for musical theatre. We have to come together, in order to pull this off, but no one seems to be particularly enthusiastic about this, so how about doing a little something that would encourage them?
"What Team?"
Everyone's ears perked up.
"Wildcats."
We can do better than that.
"What Team?"
"Wildcats!"
That's much better.
"What Team?"
"Wildcats!"
"Wildcats!"
"Get'cha Head In The Game!"
I then look at the group again, and now everyone seems to be, at least a little bit, enthusiastic about the whole thing.
"Alright Wildcats, so what are we going to do?" Natalie asks.
I then made a decision. I wanted to up the enthusiasm and boost the morale even further of the group as a whole, so what did I choose to do? I choose to sing. The people began to circle around me, as I stood in the center of them all.
"Me (singing): Listen up, it's not so tough / I'll tell you how it's done / There's really nothing better / Than to hear we're number one / And I know how to get the crowd / Right up and on their feet / So if you want to be in it / I'll show you how to get it"
"Me (singing): Ain't no mountain we can't climb / Nothing keeps us down / Got that fire in our souls / Never count us out / We got one thing on our minds / It's more than victory / Yeah, that's where we're headed / And we know how to get it"
I then turn my attention directly to the group as a whole.
"I got an idea, but it's going to take all of us working together to pull it off." I replied.
"Well whatever you do, we're with you." Gina says.
"Together." Nini says.
"Until we get the job done." Natalie says.
"Thanks everyone. This is going to be a two-part operation. Carlos, you're an expert with choreography, right?" I asked him.
"You could say that." Carlos replies.
"Perfect. You'll lead that portion, in creating a perfecto dance routine that we're gonna bring to the school board meeting tomorrow." I revealed.
"Hold on, at the school board meeting?" Ricky asks for clarification.
"That's correct Ricky. If we're going to do this, we need to do this in front of the school board so they can see for themselves how much we care about Miss Jenn." I replied.
"Great! So what's part two?" Nini asks.
"That is where me and Ashlyn are going to come into play." I replied.
"Me?" Ashlyn asks in amazement.
"Yes, you. To accompany this dance routine, will be a song of our own making, that shows on another level how much we care for Miss Jenn." I replied.
"Go for it Ash, you'll be perfect for this!" Nini squeals in excitement.
"If you think so." Ashlyn says.
"I wouldn't have it any other way." I remarked.
"Then let's do it." Ashlyn says.
"Perfect. Carlos, you get to work with them. We'll get to work on the lyrics and composition. With any luck, we'll have this all ready to go by the school board meeting tomorrow." I stated, confidently.
And then, the singing continues.
"Me (singing); We were made for this / There's nothing we can't do
"Ashlyn (singing): We came to play"
"Ashlyn & Nini (singing): We're here to stay and win the day"
"Me (singing): 'Cause we were made for this / Didn't come here to lose"
"Ashlyn, Nini, & Gina (singing): We came to play, we're here to stay / What's left to say when we know"
"Me (singing): Nothing's gonna get in our way"
"Everyone (singing): No!"
"Me (singing): So get up out of our way / 'Cause we're fired up, we're fired up / We're fired up"
"Me (singing): Nothing's gonna get in our way"
"Everyone (singing): No! / So get up out of our way / We're fired up, we're fired up / We're fired up"
I then address the group once again.
"You know your jobs, you know your goals. Let's go get it done." I stated, proudly and confidently.
Everyone then started going off to execute their part of the plan. I turn to leave with Ashlyn to go work on the lyrics, but Gina stops me before leaving. I turn to face her, with Nini (unknowingly to me) watching on.
"Hey." Gina says.
"Hey." I said in response.
"You're taking the initiative and taking the lead on this massive undertaking. I gotta give you respect for that." Gina says.
"I do what I have to do to help my friends." I said in response.
"And that loyalty is admirable." Gina remarks.
"I know. I just hope I've done that for you." I stated.
I thought about asking her about dating me, but I'm thinking better of it. There will be a time later to do that. Now's the time to push and get this job done.
"You've done it for me, and you've done it for all of us. Now, it's our turn to repay the favor." Gina says.
Surprisingly, Gina begins to sing, and I join her, because why not?
"Gina (singing): Been waiting for this day to come / And it was all so clear"
"Me (singing): Since I was a little girl / I saw me standing here"
"Gina (singing): And all the times they told you "Walk away""
"Me (singing): I said "Forget it" / 'Cause I knew where I was headed / And I was gonna get it"
"Me & Gina (singing): Ain't no mountain we can't climb / Nothing keeps us down / Got that fire in our souls / Never count us out / We got one thing on our minds / It's more than victory / Yeah, that's where we're headed / And we know how to get it"
We then run up and join the other dancers in their practice location. As Gina joins up with the rest of the groups, I assist Carlos with the routine planning, while bringing this song home.
"Me (singing): We were made for this / There's nothing we can't do"
"Everyone (singing): We came to play / We're here to stay and win the day / 'Cause we were made for this / Didn't come here to lose / We came to play, we're here to stay / What's left to say when we know"
"Everyone (singing): Nothing's gonna get in our way / No! Come on, let me hear you say / We're fired up, you're fired up / We're fired up / Nothing's gonna get in our way / No! Come on, let me hear you say / We're fired up, you're fired up / We're fired up"
"Me (singing): We are the Wildcats / I wanna hear you shout / From the left and from the right / Turn up the volume now / We're gonna lift it high / We'll never feel the ground / We'll get it up / We'll never stop / This is our home turf"
"Me (singing): We are the Wildcats / I wanna hear you shout / From the left and from the right / Turn up the volume now / We are the Wildcats / It's time to show them now / We got the stuff to light them up / It's getting hotter now / We're getting hotter now / It's getting hotter now"
"Me (singing): We were made for this / There's nothing we can't do"
"Everyone (singing): We came to play / We're here to stay and win the day / 'Cause we were made for this / Didn't come here to lose / We came to play, we're here to stay / What's left to say when we know"
"Everyone (singing): Nothing's gonna get in our way / No! Come on, let me hear you say / We're fired up, you're fired up / We're fired up / Nothing's gonna get in our way / No! Come on, let me hear you say / We're fired up, you're fired up / We're fired up"
And with that, the choreography is done, and with a lot of time that was spent on the songwriting with Ashlyn, everything is, at least, ready to go. I then spoke with Carlos and everyone else about how they felt about everything.
"Well, what do you guys think?" I asked the group.
"I think this will turn out amazing!" Nini exclaims.
"No doubt about it." Gina agrees.
"This is something special we've cooked up." Ashlyn remarks.
"If we can pull this off, there's no doubt we can save Miss Jenn's job." Seb says.
"Couldn't agree more." Carlos says.
"Great. Now we've spent a lot of time on this tonight, so everyone should now go home, eat, sleep, and do whatever else they need to do, so that we can be well-prepared for the school board meeting tomorrow, and by the way, the code phrase to start is going to be "it's time for these birds to fly." I stated.
"Sounds good." Natalie says.
"We'll be ready when you give you the word." Carlos says.
"Sounds good." I said in response.
With that, everyone did exactly that. I'm now at home with Nini, and she can tell that something's still on my mind (she has an ability to figure out such things, just by looking at me), and she knows exactly what it is.
"You didn't ask her out, did you?" Nini asks.
"That is correct. I, admittedly, chickened out at the last possible second, for I didn't feel it was the right time to ask, given everything else going on right now." I revealed.
"You'll find your time Em. You just have to trust yourself, and trust your instincts, and in the end, the right time will become clear to you." Nini reassures me.
"I hope you're right about that." I said.
"I know I am. Now we should go eat and get ready for the big day tomorrow." Nini says.
"Good idea." I said in response.
Whether or not this is going to work, I have no idea. All I know is that we have all made the effort in order to pull this off, and I am going to be proud of my fellow theatre kids, no matter what happens.
Now, it's showtime. The moment I have been waiting for. Hopefully, my planning and effort will ultimately pay off, which will result in us taking our stand and showing the school board that we mean business, and we want our drama teacher back. All that we are waiting on is our chance to pounce, and shortly after Ricky's father, Mike Bowen spoke.
"Is there anyone else who wishes to speak before we make our decision?" Principal Gutierrez asks the crowd of students and parents assembled.
I step forward, in an effort to speak, though it appears like a lot of those around me are surprised that I want to speak.
"Ms. Wood, do you have something to say?" Principal Gutierrez asks.
"I do." I replied.
I then turn to face Miss Jenn, and the crowd. I quickly eye Nini, Gina, Ricky, Kourtney, and everyone else, to make sure that everyone is in position and is ready to go. Everyone looks ready, so it's time to give my passionate speech for Miss Jenn, and then we'll get this show on the road.
"I just moved here to Salt Lake City from Atlanta. I didn't know what my situation was going to be, and I didn't know what I would be able to do, but Miss Jenn, from the moment I stepped foot into rehearsals, has been so open and considerate with me. She has given me the opportunity to be an assistant with High School Musical The Musical, and she has given me an opportunity to sing and dance in this show. The HSM movies mean everything to me, and it is something that I would do anything to be a part of. Miss Jenn gave me that chance to be involved. It made my day, it made my week, and it made my life. She does everything for the kids that she's directing, and that's something we won't go without. Without her, who knows where we're going to be. That's why we're going to fight for her job. With that, it's time for these birds to fly."
And so, the madness begins, and I'll let you see the performance for yourselves, and we'll go from there.
"Kourtney (singing): Don't say another word"
"Me (singing): Some of us need to be heard"
"Nini & Ashlyn (singing): You want her big confession?"
"Kourtney (singing): She never saw Dear Evan Hansen"
"Ashlyn & Ricky (singing): Whatever you think about her / The show can't go on without her"
"Kourtney (singing): Maybe her class could be a little more classy"
"Gina & Ricky (singing): Maybe her head's not in the game"
"Carlos (singing): Maybe her past is just a little bit sketchy"
"Everyone (singing): We need her all the same"
"Seb (singing): She's the one who cheers us on / So what if she's droppin' the ball?"
"Everyone (singing): She stands for truth, justice and songs in our key / She stands for us and we believe"
"Ricky (singing): Before she got here, we were so off track"
"Gina (singing): Then Miss Jenn gave us a chance"
"Ashlyn (singing): We used to fall asleep in chemistry class"
"Ashlyn & Me (singing): Now it makes us want to dance"
"Natalie (singing): She's the show that must go on / So we're puttin' in a good word, 'cause we heard"
"Everyone (singing): She stands for truth, justice and songs in our key / She stands for us and we believe"
"Me (singing): What's my motivation? / She provides the inspiration"
"Kourtney (singing): Whatever about her reputation"
"Ashlyn (singing): Seems about time for a modulation"
"Everyone (singing): She stands for truth (Yeah), justice and songs in our key / Jazz squares in the choreography / Sharpay and Ryan, you know they'd agree / She stands for us and we believe / She stands for us and we believe"
Applause from the crowd assembled. Miss Jenn's face is in complete shock at what we just pulled off. I'm looking around at everyone involved. Their faces are glowing with pride, and then, Principal Guiterrez calms the crowd.
"Do we have any further questions?" He asks the board members.
"Just one." A teacher replies.
We then look at her.
"How do I snag two tickets for opening night?" She asks.
With that, everyone is excited and applauding, as we know that we did it. We saved our show, and we saved Miss Jenn, it does not get any better than this. Miss Jenn walks over to me and Carlos, and is still in complete shock and amazement at what we did.
"How did you do this?" Miss Jenn asks.
"We stayed up all night. It was Emma's idea." Carlos reveals.
"Is that so?" Miss Jenn asks me.
"I was thinking about a way that we could save your job all day yesterday. I didn't want to see you go, and the same applied to everyone else, so I wanted to find a way where everyone could get involved, and this was it." I stated, confidently.
"Well clearly, you did a good job leading the charge. Perhaps more leadership opportunities are in your future." Miss Jenn says, with a wink.
"We'll see if that ever happens." I said in response.
And yeah, that is that. I'm so happy that things ended up all well and good. The show is fine. Miss Jenn isn't going anywhere. Life is good, right? After all the madness, I go home and just chill for a couple hours, hoping to soak in more of our victory, before the demands of the holiday season, with Thanksgiving and everything coming up, take over…