Miss Jenn
I sat in my car, phone propped against the dashboard, watchingWe're All In This Togetherwith a wistful smile. As the final chorus played, I drummed my fingers against the steering wheel, an idea sparking in my mind. East High—the birthplace ofHigh School Musical—had never stagedHigh SchoolMusical: The Musical. That was about to change. Stepping out of my car, I barely had time to react as two skateboarders zoomed past me. "Sorry!" one called. "Our bad!" the other added. I let out a lighthearted laugh."All good. No bad."
Ricky Bowen
Big Red and I made our way toward the school entrance, our skateboards now in hand. I clutched my helmet in my other hand while Big Red, still wearing his, adjusted the strap. "Today's the day, Big Red. It's happening," I said with forced enthusiasm. "Heck yeah. Junior year, baby. Might grow a mustache. Might do a lot of things," Big Red replied. I smirked. "Dude, you're talking about Nini. Today's the day we start over."
Nini Salazar Roberts
Inside the school, Kourtney and I walked arm in arm through the crowded hallway. "Oh wait, I gotta show you a picture," I said, unlocking my phone. Kourtney nodded. "Okay." Scrolling quickly, I stopped on an image. "Okay, uhh… and this was my work uniform I designed." Kourtney beamed. "Flawless. Love it." "Ooh, and this is the activity that I had planned on my own."
Ricky Bowen
Descending a staircase, I checked my phone again. "She texted," I muttered. "She sounded neutral. I think that's good, right?" Big Red shrugged. "Summer is no man's land, Ricky. I don't know what that means, and neither do you." I exhaled. "I think it's good. Yeah."
Nini Salazar Roberts
I handed Kourtney my phone. "This." We had arrived at my locker, and I turned to open it while Kourtney examined the screen. "Oh, I know who that is, Nini," Kourtney teased, zooming in on a picture of E.J. I grinned. "Girl, I'm like .2 seconds from making that my lock screen." "I can't tell if you're glowing or sunburned." "Definitely glowing. Yeah. I had the best summer ever." Kourtney's expression softened. "What does you-know-who have to say about this?" I hesitated, taking my phone back."I'm waiting for the right time to tell him." Before I could say more, a familiar voice interrupted. "Yo, Nini. What's good?" I spun around, startled to find Ricky standing there.
Ricky Bowen
Nini's locker clicked shut, and I took a deep breath. "Hey." "Hey," she echoed. "Um, can we talk?" My heart pounded. I needed to be cool about this. "It was my idea to take a pause, okay? Nini was going to work for the summer. Not to brag, but I'm not exactly intimidated by a guy with dashing good looks." Her gaze hardened. "I didn't want to take a pause. It was only for a month. We could've FaceTimed every week." I shifted. "I mean, fine. Did I hang out with a couple girls this summer? Possibly. Did I talk about you the entire time? Absolutely." She hesitated, then spoke softly. "I met somebody else at work. I didn't plan for it to happen, but it happened." I froze. "Please tell me you're joking." "I'm not," she said. "C'mon, Ricky. Youknowwhat you did—or didn't do." A memory crashed into me. Homecoming. Walking Nini home. Her voice, hesitant yet hopeful:Tonight was fun.My own response:Yeah. Best night ever?Her soft smile:Yeah. Best night ever. I love you.And mine? A pathetic:Oh.Before I could say anything, the school's PA system crackled to life.
"Good morning, students. Please make your way to the gym for our annual back-to-school kickoff." "I don't believe this. You're blowing me off for some guy you met four weeks ago? At work?" "You kind of dumped me." "It was a break. It wasn't a break-up." "I'm sorry, Ricky, but it's a break-up now." "Proud of you, girl." said someone standing behind Nini. Big Red turned to her. "Stay out of it, Kourtney. This doesn't involve you." "You stay out of it. Besides, it's not like this involves you either." Nini took Kourtney's hand and walked away. "You crushed it. That could not have gone better." I clenched my jaw, looking down at the ground. My gaze landed on a white plastic stick. I picked it up, staring at the two lines. I gasped and dropped the stick. No way. She can't be pregnant. Big Red peered over my shoulder. "Dude, what happened?"
He picked up the stick. "Is Nini…?" I barely whispered. "Don't. Just don't. I have to tell her." The gym buzzed with students as the principal took the stage. "And I am pleased to announce that this year, seniors will be allowed to wear baseball hats on Fridays." The gym remained awkwardly silent. The principal cleared his throat. "And now for a special introduction. This year, East High has a new drama teacher with an announcement that she swore in writing would not cost too much money." He gestured toward the front row. Miss Jenn stood, beaming as she climbed the stage.
"My name is Miss Jenn, and when I heard that the high school whereHigh School Musicalwas shot had never staged a production ofHigh School Musical: The Musical, I was shocked as an actress, inspired as a director, andtriggeredas a millennial." The students chuckled. She waved a hand. "Auditions are tomorrow after school. Theycouldchange your lives. And I say that as a background dancer from theoriginalmovie." Carlos ran up beside her. "Oh! And meet your student choreographer, Carlos! You know him as captain of the color guard. I know him as anunpaidrising star." "Why, Big Red? Why do things have to change?" I asked even though my gaze was focused on Nini. He exhaled. "Well, some thingsneverchange. I've been wearing the same socks for three days." I groaned. As I sat in the gym, my eyes flickered toward Nini, who was laughing at something. The stick in my pocket suddenly felt heavier. I knew I had to talk to her—but when? And how? This was supposed to be the year we started fresh, but instead, I felt like I was losing everything. And the worst part? I wasn't sure if I deserved to fight for it. My mind raced as I watched Miss Jenn on stage, her energy electric. Maybe this musical was exactly what I needed—a way to prove something. To Nini. To myself. To everyone. Maybe this wasn't the end. Maybe it was just the beginning.
Nini Salazar Roberts
The next day, the auditorium buzzes with energy as students fill the seats, voices overlapping in excited chatter. The anticipation is electric—this isn't just any audition; it's forHigh SchoolMusical, a show that shaped our childhoods. Miss Jenn stands at the front, clipboard in hand, her enthusiasm radiating through the room. She claps her hands for attention. "Alright, Wildcats! Let's get started. First up—the group number!" I watch as Gina Porter takes center stage among a group of dancers. The room hushes as the music starts, and they leap into motion. Gina's movements are sharp yet fluid, effortless but powerful, leading the group with undeniable presence. Carlos, standing at the side of the stage, claps along enthusiastically, whispering praises under his breath. The room erupts into cheers. Carlos being the choreographer is also next to Miss Jenn watching. "Yeah. Good job, One." When the routine ends, the dancers strike their final pose, barely out of breath. Gina ends her dance with a smirk, like she already knows she has the role in the bag. Then Carlos announces that that's it for the warm-up. I turn to E.J. aghast. "That was the warm-up." Miss Jenn instructs us to pair up, not with a friend. E.J. leaves and I spin around to find Gina approaching me. "Wow. Can I borrow your high kick sometime?" I ask. "Oh my gosh. You're the cutest." says Gina "So, have you played leads here before?" she asks "No, not yet, but this summer, I got a little bit of practice at work, so I'm ready."
"Wow. Great story. You know I've never been an understudy. You have to tell me all about it." Then comes her solo. The music cues up, and Gina takes a breath before launching intoStart of Something New. Her voice is strong, polished, and filled with just the right amount of emotion. The audience is captivated, and as she finishes with a confident flourish, the applause is deafening. Next comes E.J. Caswell, who walks onto the stage with that signature charm of his—shoulders back, confident smile, the picture of a leading man. He starts singing, his voice rich and controlled. His performance is polished, no doubt rehearsed for weeks. Halfway through, he catches my eye and gives me a reassuring smile, one that says,I've got this. And you do, too.I try to return it, but my heart is pounding too hard to focus. Then, it's my turn. I take a deep breath, stepping onto the stage. I started singing. At that exact moment, Ricky takes out his phone and turns on his flashlight and shines it on me. E.J. does the exact same, but I keep singing. They glance at each other. I close my eyes as I keep performing.
Suddenly, I'm transported back to a different time—a time when singing this song meant something entirely different. The auditorium was decorated in beautiful decorations with the bright lights shining on me and no one else was there. Just me in my red dress. The song was important to me. This was what I needed to earn that role. I'm tired of playing understudy. I'm going to do what it takes to get Gabriella. When the song ends, I open my eyes and look up. The silence stretches for a moment before the room erupts into applause. "Alright, next up—Ricky Bowen!" He exhales sharply. The moment the music starts, I hold my breath. It's the same song I had sung for him. The time when I told him that I loved him. And then, he sings. His voice is raw, unpolished, but full of something real. Something aching and familiar. My throat tightens. He's not just singing—he's feeling it. And I can't look away. Regardless of how good he is, he seems distant and distracted.
When he reached the last few lines, my expression of unimpressed must have gotten the better of him and he mumbled the line. It ends with an empty feeling. By the time he finishes, the room is silent for a beat too long, like everyone is still processing what just happened. Then, applause erupts, Miss Jenn beaming like she just struck gold. Ricky steps off the stage, his eyes immediately finding mine. And just like that, the space between us shrinks. I swallow hard. After auditions, I immediately catch up with him. He's with Big Red about to leave. "Hey. What are you doing here?" He turns around at the sound of my voice. "I'm auditioning." I stare at him. "You hate musicals." "That's a little harsh." "We got kicked out of The Greatest Showman because you kept yelling. That's not realistic at the screen," I said. "That was the old me. The new me thinks musicals are awesome." A bitter laugh escapes me before I can stop it. "Okay. Well, let me tell you about the old me. The old me had her heart broken. Then she went away and found herself. And you don't get to show up now and try to confuse things." "You think that's why I'm here?" he asks. "No no Nini I always believed in you, in us, even if I sucked at showing it. That's why I'm here."
Carlos comes out from the hallway behind with the cast list. "Clear!" A big crowd follows him. Kourtney drags me with her to see the cast list. Everyone shoves each other around to see the list. I gasp when I see my name next to Gabriella's. Gina walks right in front of it to see her role. She walks away disappointed. She slides up next to me. "Congrats." Next to me E.J. is upset about his role. "Chad? She thinks I'm a Chad?" I try to comfort him saying it's okay. Just then, Big Red goes up next to the cast list and everyone averts their gaze to Ricky. "Holy crap dude." That's when he saw it at the top. Troy Bolton...Ricky Bowen.