Overhearing Gabriella and Troy rehearse, Sharpay asks Ms. Darbus to move the callbacks so they start at the same time as both Troy's championship game and Gabriella's scholastic decathlon competition. Kelsi overhears the conversation, and both the basketball and decathlon teams make a plan together.
Darla said, "Game day. Callback day. Scholastic Decathlon day. HELP!"
Emotions were running high. In their Wildcat tracksuit and jacket, Chad and Troy walked up to Taylor and Gabriella and covered their eyes as Zeke placed on Gabriella's desk a cake that was shaped like the symbol of pi. On it, it had written: Scholastic Decathlon Today – Support Brain Fame!
Trixie and Alicia said, in unison, "Oh my goodness!"
Timmy told them, "A pi pie."
Trixie beamed at it and told them, "Oh. We have something for you too."
Taylor and Gabriella walked up to the white board and pointed at it to the basketball team. It was a drawing of someone shooting hoops with equations written all over it.
Trixie and Alicia said, in unison, "Ta-da!"
Timmy said, disappointed, "Oh. It's an equation."
The girls flipped the board over to reveal a poster of a Wildcat in a basketball uniform at a game about to slam dunk the ball. It read: 'Go Wildcat Hoopsters!' Then, they started throwing cushion basketballs at each other. Then the basketball team brought Sharpay and Ryan to the doorway as Ms. Darbus was about to enter.
Timmy said, "From our team, to yours."
They all said, one at a time, "G! O! D! R! A! M! A! C! L! U! B! Exclamation point!"
While doing so, they ripped open their jackets to reveal letters that spelt 'GO DRAMA CLUB!' Miss Darbus's eyes twinkled in excitement.
Ms. Darbus stated, "Well, it seems we Wildcats are in for an interesting afternoon."
As soon as she turned around, everyone inside the homeroom was rushing to get into their desks, ready for the day. Ryan remained at the doorway, trying to figure out the message.
…
At three o'clock, the halls of East High were empty. Quiet filled the school. There was a sense of anticipation – and then the bell rang! Doors burst open and students rushed into the halls. The school was buzzing with excitement.
…
In the gym, the stands were full of spectacular cheering and clapping. The school band was playing, the cheerleaders were dancing up a storm, banners were waving in the air...it was time to decide who were the champions, once and for all!
In the locker room, Troy was sitting on the bench shirtless putting his shoes on alone in a section of the locker room. The others were dressed and ready to go. He could hear the crown being whipped into frenzy. All those hours of practice, all those drills, all that training...it all came down to this night. Just then, his father, dressed in a suit, walked into the room.
Patrick asked, "How're you feeling?"
Timmy answered, taking a deep breath, "Nervous."
Patrick chuckled and confessed, "Me too. Wish I could suit up and play alongside you."
Timmy smiled and responded, "Hey. You had your turn."
His father looked at his son seriously as he sat on the bench in front of him. Patrick asked, "You know what I want from you today?"
Troy nodded. He didn't have to tell him twice...considering he's been telling them every single day.
Timmy answered, "A championship."
His dad looked Troy straight in the eyes. Patrick stated, "That'll come or it won't." Troy went back to tying his shoes. The next 9 words would take him by surprise. Patrick added, "What I want is for you to have fun." Troy looked up at him surprised. Who was the man sitting with him? Patrick explained, "I know all about the pressure, and probably too much of it has come from me. All I really want is to watch my son having the time of his life playing the game we both love. Give me that, and I'll sleep with a smile on my face not matter how the score comes out."
Troy had a strange feeling of relief spread through him. Timmy said, "Thanks, Coach….uh….dad."
His father smiled and left the locker room. Troy took the opportunity to finish getting ready for the big game.
…
Backboards had been set up on each side of the choir room – the first round of the Scholastic Decathlon was about to begin. The walls were lined with tables where contestants could conduct experiments. A few dozen chairs were set out for the audience, judges and spectators.
The announcer said, "Welcome to the 10th annual Scholastic Decathlon. East High Wildcats verses West High Knights."
The audience started clapping. The clock was ticking down. Each team huddled for a final briefing.
…
Ms. Darbus said to some reporters, "Right here, right here."
In the theatre, Kelsi played random tunes the piano as a few spectators wandered into the large auditorium. Ryan and Sharpay did bizarre actor-prep exercises backstage: opening their mouths wide, uttering weird vocalizations and falling back into each other's arms to demonstrate their absolute trust in each other. Sharpay placed her hands on Ryan's shoulders.
Veronica stated, "I trust you."
Remy responded, "Energy."
Then, they slowly released their breath. Miss Darbus checked the time. The callbacks were about to begin.
…
Speaking of which, the Wildcats were cheering and whooping as they raced out of their change rooms and heading towards the gymnasium.
The announcer said, loudly, "Introducing your East High Wildcats!"
The cheerleaders were standing by the door waving their pom-poms and the crowd was cheering wildly as the Wildcats made the grand entrance with the pressure of the whole school sitting on their shoulders.
…
In the choir room, Gabriella and her opponent were preparing for the first round of the Scholastic Decathlon. One of the spectators gave them the signal and they began writing and solving equations on the board as quickly as they could before the time ran out.
…
Meanwhile, in the auditorium, the callbacks for Arnold and Minnie were about to begin as Ms. Darbus went on to introduce the first and, possibly only, act.
Ms. Darbus lectured, "Casting the leads of a show is a challenge and a responsibility, a joy and a burden. I commend you, and all young artists, who hold out for the moon, the sun and the stars."
The five kids sitting around her in the auditorium just clapped and stared at her. They didn't have a clue about what she meant.
Ms. Darbus asked, "Shall we sour together?" One of the kids who had a camera stood up and took a quick photo of Ms. Darbus before she called out the first duo. Ms. Darbus yelled, "SHARPAY AND RYAN!"
The music started and Ryan, wearing black pants, a white and blue t-shirt, black jacket and a black hat entered the stage from stage right.
Remy: Mucho Gusto.
Then, Sharpay entered the stage from stage left wearing a frilly blue dress and her hair was done up in a bun.
Veronica: Aye que fabulosa!
Rrrr aye aye AYE.
Remy: Arrriba!
Veronica: Quieres bailar?
Remy: Mirame.
Then, as they sang, they started doing a dance routine which contained choreography that would put most of the greatest Broadway dancers to shame.
Veronica: I believe in dreaming.
And shooting for the stars.
Remy: Baby, to be number one,
You got to raise the bar.
Veronica: Kicking and a scratching.
Grinding at my best.
Remy: Anything it takes to climb the ladder of success.
Both: Work our tails off every day.
Got to bump the competition.
Blow them all away!
Remy: Caliente.
Veronica: Suave.
Yeah, we're going to
Both: Bop bop bop, bop to the top!
Remy: Slip and slide and ride that rhythm.
Both: Jump and hop!
Hop till we drop!
Veronica: And start again!
Both: Zip zap hop, walk like a mop.
Remy: Scoot around the corner.
Move it to the groove
Until the music stops.
Both: Do the bop to the top.
Don't every stop!
Bop to the top!
Gimme gimme.
Shimmy shimmy.
Darla said, "Outside the theatre..."
Basketball team yelled, "WILDCATS!"
It was time for the championships to officially begin between the two rivals: the East High Wildcats and the West High Knights. The two teams positioned themselves in the basketball court. Chad was in the middle with someone from West High. Troy was on the outside. This was it. Time to end this once and for all. The ref threw the ball up high for the opening tip-off...and the game began! Chad managed to hit the ball over to Troy who dribbled it up court. It was unbelievable. From the very first few seconds, the crowd went crazy.
…
Even in the choir room, everyone on the Scholastic Decathlon team heard the crazy cheering in the gym. Everyone, that is, except Gabriella. She was standing in front of the whiteboard, totally focused on what she was doing. As the time grew shorter and shorter, she and her contestant wrote the equations as quickly as possible. Just one last number and- she finished 25 seconds ahead of the opponent and slammed the timer button, stopping the clock. The moderator quickly checked her answers and nodded. Points to the Wildcat Scholastic Team! Everyone on the team started clapping and cheering.
Darla said, "Meanwhile..."
Veronica and Remy: Shake some booty and turn around!
Flash a smile in their direction!
Veronica: Show some muscle.
Remy: Do the hustle.
Darla said, "Outside the theatre..."
When Gabriella took her seat next to Taylor, they got out the laptop and Taylor started typing a code.
Alicia whispered, "Alright Wildcats. Time for an orderly exit from the gym."
Immediately, the words "message transmitted" appeared on the screen. Taylor and Gabriella smiled at each other. In the gym's utility room, a small wireless router had been patched into the electronic grid. Within seconds, the router started blinking...the mission had begun.
…
Meanwhile, in the gym, both basketball teams were sweating it out on the court when suddenly, the electronic scoreboard started blinking and random numbers began appearing where the score had been. The message board was flashing and the gymnasium lights pulsed on and off. Troy looked at the scoreboard and smiled. Chad walked up to him and told him silently to go. Immediately, Troy sprinted out of the gymnasium. Phase one of their plan had been completed.
…
Back in the choir room, Taylor shut her laptop and turned her attention to the experiment. The conical flask was sitting on a hot plate filled with liquid for the experiment section of the competition. The liquid was gurgling and releasing an awesomely bad smell in the room. Taylor smiled in satisfaction as she saw first the moderator, than the spectators, react to the smell. Within seconds, everyone was rushing out of the room. Phase two has just been completed.
…
Back in the gym, Principle Matsui had taken the microphone and was surrounded by the teams and the audience as he was finishing his speech.
Principle Matsui told them, "We're hoping to have it all figured out real soon. In the meantime, per safety regulations, we all need to make an orderly exit from the gym, please. Thank you."
As soon as he was done, everyone started running out of the gym.
Darla said, "Meanwhile..."
Veronica: Yeah, we're going to
Both: Bop bop bop, bop to the top!
Remy: Wipe away your inhibitions.
Both: Stump stump stump, do the rump.
Veronica: And strut your stuff.
Both: Bop bop bop, straight to the top.
Going for the glory.
Remy: We'll keep stepping up and we just won't stop... (Veronica: Stop...)
Both: Till we reach the top!
Bop to the top!
Finally, Sharpay and Ryan finished their performance for the callbacks. The very few people in the auditorium, and Ms. Darbus, started clapping and cheering. Sharpay and Ryan were bowing.
Veronica told someone in the audience, "Oh hi. Call me."
Before walking off the stage, Ryan took off his hat and threw it to a group of girls who caught it.
Ms. Darbus stated, "Do you see why we love the theatre, people! Well done!" Sharpay and Ryan walked back to center stage and stood next to Ms. Darbus. Ms. Darbus announced, "Ah! Troy Bolton! Gabriella Montez!" No response. Sharpay and Ryan smiled smugly. They had a feeling that Troy and Gabriella would never show up for the callbacks. The part was theirs. Ms. Darbus called again, "Troy! Gabriella!"
Tootie told her, "They'll be here."
Ms. Darbus responded, "The theatre, as I often pointed out, waits for no one. I'm sorry."
Kelsi suddenly got upset and ran back to the piano crying silently.
Sharpay and Ryan were now proud.
Ms. Darbus told everyone, "Well, we're done here. Congratulations to all. The cast list will be posted."
Just as Ms. Darbus went to cross off Troy and Gabriella's names…
Timmy yelled, "No! Wait! Ms. Darbus, wait!" Ms. Darbus looked up and saw Troy and Gabriella sprinting down the aisles of the auditorium towards the stage. Timmy added, "We're ready! We can sing!"
Ms. Darbus pointed out, "I called your names. Twice."
Trixie begged, "Ms. Darbus, please! Please!"
Gabriella sprinted up the stairs on the side of the stage and stopped next to Ms. Darbus. Troy was on the other side.
She told them, "Rules are rules!"
Just then, the auditorium started filling with the audience from the basketball game and the Scholastic Decathlon. Even some members of the West High Knights basketball team and Scholastic Decathlon team were in the audience. Ms. Darbus was amazed.
She couldn't believe how many people a basketball jock and an Einstien-nette could bring into the theatre.
Veronica told her, "We'd be happy to do it again for our fellow students, Ms. Darbus."
Ms. Darbus stated, "I don't know what's going on here, but in any event, it's far too late and…we do not have a pianist."
Remy said, quickly, "Well, that's showbiz."
Timmy said, hopefully, "Oh. We'll sing without the piano."
Just then, Kelsi ran onto the stage and stood beside Troy, smiling.
Tootie told him, "Oh no you won't. Pianist here, Ms. Darbus."
Veronica threatened, "You really don't want to do that."
Tootie responded, unafraid, "Oh yes. I really do." With that, she runs to piano. She added, "Ready on stage!"
All Sharpay did was scoff and returned to her position beside Ryan.
Ms. Darbus said, impressed; "Now that's showbiz."
Ms. Darbus, Sharpay and Ryan walked off the stage as Troy handed a microphone to Gabriella. Gabriella was standing in front of the audience terrified. The piano started playing the song. She raised the microphone to sing her line but no words came out. It was church choir all over again! Worried, Troy told Kelsi to stop playing and walked towards Gabriella.
Trixie told him, "I can't do it, Troy. Not with all these people staring at me."
Just as when Gabriella went to walk off the stage, Troy grabbed her arm and forced her to face him.
Timmy whispered, "Hey. Look at me. Right at me. Like the first time we sang together. Remember? Like kindergarten."
Troy let Gabriella's arm go and cued Kelsi to start playing. She played the introduction as the lights dimmed and a blue backdrop rolled down. The backdrop had the shape of buildings and stars.
Timmy: We're soarin', flyin'.
There's not a star in heaven that we can't reach.
As he sang that line, Troy pretended that he was grabbing an actual star and held it out for Gabriella. She ran her hand over his as she sang her line.
Trixie: If we're tryin'.
So we're breaking free.
Troy and Gabriella changed hands for the microphones and intertwined each other's fingers.
Timmy: You know the world can see us,
In a way that's different than who we are.
Troy and Gabriella pretended they were gliding further apart as Gabriella sang the next line.
Trixie: Creating space between us
Till we're separate hearts.
Kelsi was nodding and smiling as she played. Then, Troy and Gabriella sang together in perfect harmony.
Both: But your faith, it gives me strength,
Strength to believe…
As they sang, their confidence and trust in each other grew. They felt like they were the only ones in the room.
Timmy: We're breaking free!
Then, the instruments truly kicked in as they started singing the chorus.
Trixie: We're soarin'!
Timmy: Flyin'!
Everyone in the audience started cheering and clapping, supporting Troy and Gabriella as they performed.
Both: There's not a star in heaven that we can't reach!
Timmy: If we're tryin'!
Both: Yeah, we're breaking free!
Timmy: Oh, we're breaking free…
Trixie: Oooooh.
Gabriella than walked off to take off her lab coat to reveal her skirt and pink t-shirt as Troy started singing his next part.
Timmy: Can you feel it building,
Like a wave the ocean just can't control?
Trixie: Connected by a feeling, ooooh, and our very souls.
Timmy: Very souls. Oooh.
Both: Rising till it lifts us up,
So everyone can see…
Timmy: We're breaking free!
Trixie: We're soarin'!
Timmy: Flyin'!
Both: There's not a star in heaven that we can't reach!
Timmy: If we're tryin'!
Both: Yeah, we're breaking free!
Timmy: Oh, we're breaking free…
Trixie: Oooooh.
Then, Troy and Gabriella started to truly move around the stage as they sang their duet.
Trixie: Runnin'!
Timmy: Climbin'!
To get to that place to
Both: Be all that we can be!
Timmy: Now's the time!
Both: So we're breaking free!
Timmy: We're breaking free…
Trixie: Oooooh yeah.
Troy and Gabriella were now standing at the piano beside Kelsi, who was now sitting on her knees on the piano stool as she performed.
Timmy: More than hope, more than faith.
Trixie: This is true. This is fate.
And together, we
Both: See it coming!
Just then, Patrick Bolton and Ms. Montez walked into the auditorium to watch their children sing.
Timmy: More than you, more than me!
Trixie: Not a want, but a need!
Both: Both of us breaking free!
Trixie: Soarin'!
Timmy: Flyin'!
Everyone started truly clapping and cheering as Troy and Gabriella started singing the final chorus. Chad stood up and lead the clapping. Even Ms. Darbus joined in.
Both: There's not a star in heaven that we can't reach!
If we're tryin'!
Timmy: Yeah we're breaking free… (Trixie: We're breaking free…)
Trixie: We're running!
Timmy: Ooooh! Climbin'!
Both: To get to that place to be all that we can be!
Now's the time! (Timmy: Now's the time!)
Trixie: So we're breaking free… (Timmy: Ohhhh! We're breaking free!)
Ohhhh.
The music went quiet as Troy and Gabriella stood in front of each other facing the audience…than looking into each other's eyes as they sang that faithful last line.
Both: You know the world can see us, in a way that's different than who we…are.
As soon as they were finished, the audience started clapping and cheering like crazy. Even Sharpay and Ryan were clapping…until they caught themselves and stopped.
One guy said, "That was amazing!"
A girl agreed, "Amazing! Yeah!"
Troy and Gabriella pointed to Kelsi as she did her piano bow. Then Troy grabbed Gabriella's hand, leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. They were both facing each other smiling. Kelsi then cued the stage man who rolled the backdrop up and Troy and Gabriella went to take care of some unfinished business…
…
Wishmaker1028: Please read and review! And always think outside of the box!