It was now after school and we were in the dressing room. I had changed into my dance outfit which was a pair of galaxy leggings and a black sports bra. Carlos was going through the dressing room he then said "People! Make sure your audition number is clearly visible on your clothes. This isn't a game."

Ms Jenn then knocked on the dressing room door and walked into the dressing "Okay, theatre people. Let's do this." We all then yell out in glee as we were all excited for this.

---

"A fie-six-seven-eight." The music then starts playing and our group begins dancing. I could tell that the only competition in this group was number 1 and I wasn't that scared as I have been dancing since I could walk. That was only because my mum wanted to give me opportunities that no one else could have. I was so focused on the dancing that I barely heard Carlos shout "Yes! Come on 1 and 2."

"Great! That's it for the warm-up," Carlos said to Ms Jenn.

"Everyone, pair up. Not with a friend. Theatre is a community," Ms Jenn said.

I decided to walk up to EJ. He wasn't my friend. I just knew him. I turned to him and said "Hi. I'm Allie."

"I'm EJ. Are you new here or something? I haven't seen you around the school before," EJ said.

"Yeah, I am. I only started yesterday," I said.

"So if you only started yesterday, why are you auditioning? Don't you want to get to know the school first," EJ asked.

"Yeah, well. I have always wanted to be in a High School Musical production so I decided to audition and I never bother with getting to know the school first as there isn't any point," I say.

"Yeah. Ok. Well, I would like to say that you are an amazing dancer. My girlfriend definitely has competition now," EJ said.

"Yeah. I have been dancing since I could walk which was around when I was seven months old," I said.

"So have you ever got a lead at your old school?" EJ asked.

"Yeah. I got the lead in all of the plays I have auditioned for since freshman year and I have still managed to keep up my 4.0 GPA," I said.

"Wow, that's impressive," EJ said.

Ms Jenn then clapped her hands and said "And we're back."

---

We were all stood in a line now and I was stood next to Nini. "I'd love you to read for Ryan. You are giving major Taylor vibes. You're probably a Chad. You. You're giving me uncommon depth. Ms Darbus?" Ms Jenn said as she walked down the line.

"I'm dying. I'm deceased. Yes," this girl wearing pink said.

"Your application says you play the piano?" Ms Jenn said.

"I dabble," The girl said.

"You ever written a song?" Ms Jenn asked.

"I mean, nothing I've ever shared with anyone," the girl said.

"I always thought the drama teacher should have an Act Two power ballad. We'll sidebar," Ms Jenn said. She then turned to Gina and said "Gabriella."

"You got it," Gina said. She then turned to Carlos and said "I'm good. I'm already off-book."

Ms Jenn was now in front of EJ and she then turned to Carlos and said "Give him the Troy stuff. Who are we kidding?"

She then moved in front of Nini and said "And how about we have you read for Kelsi?"

"Gabriella. I wanna audition for Gabriella," Nini said.

"Okay," Ms Jenn said. She then walked in front of me and then said "Now you are giving me Sharpay vibes."

"Um... Actually, I was wondering if I could try out for Gabriella?" I ask.

"Yeah, sure that's fine," Ms Jenn said. "Give her the Gabriella lines."

"Actually, I'm already off-script. My mum helped me last night so I am already prepared," I said.

"Impressive," Ms Jenn said. She then moved to the guy next to me and said "You're reading for Ryan, right?"

Carlos then turned to her and said "I think he'd rather play Sharpay."

"I love that. That is so fresh," Ms Jenn said while looking at him.

---

"Okay, our last Troy. And he comes with props! Love it," Ms Jenn said. "Whenever you're ready."

"Where are you, Ricky? You're late," I thought. "Super late."

EJ then starts singing the start of something new and he actually was a really good singer.

A few minutes later Gina was singing at the start of something new and I have to say that she was the best singer so far and I am not trying to say anything about the others but she is a great singer. 

Nini then walks out onto the stage and Ms Jenn then says "Okay, Nini! Whenever you're ready."

Just before Nini could say anything Ricky runs into the auditorium and then shouts "Am I too late? Am I too late?"

"We're all set on Troys. We're low on Chads. You can read after the Gabriellas," Ms Jenn said.

"I only studied the Troy scenes in the movie," Ricky said.

"Troy would have arrived on time," Carlos said.

"Sorry to burst your bubble Carlos but Troy arrived late to the auditions and the call-backs. And fun fact. Zac Efron was late to the auditions by a few minutes as well," I said.

"Thanks. Let me do the talking," Ms Jenn said. "Okay, Nini, let's try this again."

"You got this, babe! Whoo!" EJ shouted. Just as EJ said that the lights went out.

"Nobody panic! Nini, let's wait for the lights to come back on. I don't want this to throw you," Ms Jenn said.

"I'm not thrown," Nini said. She then starts singing The Start of Something New without the lights and then Ricky had the idea to turn on his phone torch and hold it up so that Nini still had light. EJ then did the same as he probably was jealous of Ricky. 

Nini then finished singing and then Ms Jenn said "Okay. Well, thank you, Nini. I only needed 32 bars, but I appreciate your commitment. Okay. Allie. It's your turn."

I then walked out onto the stage and I then just stood there while Carlos and she talked "So anything about her?"

"She's new here this year but for some reason, she looks extremely familiar," Carlos said.

"I know. For some reason, she gives me Ashley Tisdale vibes," Ms Jenn said to Carlos. She then turned to me and said "Okay, whenever you're ready."

I then decided to run to the person at the piano and ask him to play the tune for Beauty and the Beast as I decided to sing the song for this. When I got back to my place I gave him a thumbs up so that he could start playing. "Tale as old as time. True as it can be. Barely even friends. Then somebody bends. Unexpectedly." I then took a break from singing a little bit. "Just a little change. Small, to say the least. Both a little scared. Neither one prepared. Beauty and the Beast." I took another break to relax. "Ever just the same. Ever a surprise. Ever as before. Ever just as sure. As the sun will rise. Tale as old as time. Tune as old as song. Bittersweet and strange. Finding you can change. Learning you were wrong."  I don't know why no one was stopping me but when I looked at them it seemed like they were mesmerised by my singing so I decided to continue. "Certain as the sun. Rising in the east. Tale as old as time. Song as old as rhyme. Beauty and the Beast. Tale as old as time. Song as old as rhyme. Beauty and the Beast."  I have now finished singing the whole song and when I looked at everyone they were shocked by my singing.

"Wow. Thank you for that Allie. That was amazing," Ms Jenn said. She then turned to the side and then said "You, late boy. Let's do the Chad sides."

She then motioned for Ricky to move and he did. Ricky then was in the spot and then said "Hey, there. I'm Ricky Bowen. I'm a junior. And...here goes." Carlos then said something to Ms Jenn but I couldn't hear anything. "I don't get it, Troy. What kinda spell has this elevated IQ temptress-girl cast that suddenly makes you wanna be in a musical?" Ricky then scrunched the paper up and I knew that he was about to go off-script. "I don't know. Maybe it's the way Gabriella always had your back. And maybe you can't stop beating yourself up for totally blowing it with her. And look, Tory. Even if you never said the L-word to Gabriella because that's, like, not even a word your parents say to each other anymore... That doesn't mean that you don't. Maybe it just means you were waiting for the right time to say it... So that everyone could hear it. No. So that she could."

"Okay, kiddo, time to sing," Ms Jenn said trying to forget what just happened.

"Oh, no, actually if you don't mind I kind of prepared my own song?" Ricky asked.

"Sure," Ms Jenn said.

Ricky then went and grabbed his guitar from me and he then started playing it. He then started singing "So much has happened. Think of what we've done. In the time that the Earth has travelled 'round the sun." Ricky was looking at Nini while he was singing. "Winter, spring, summer and we're back to fall. We've been together hand-in-hand through it all. It's just three little words. Yeah, it's not a big deal. It's not like I can help feelin' all that I feel. And by now, I'm sure you're thinkin' it's so obvious. But just in case it's not what I'm saying is this. What I'm saying is this... I think I kinda you know..." I don't know why but Ricky has just started looking at me but I didn't question it and I just put my thumbs up at him "I think I kinda, you know... Like the way that we flow. Like the way that we go. And I love... I think I kinda, you know... I think you kinda, you know. You know you know... You know how we can talk all night and not run out of things to talk about? It's rare that something feels this right. It feels so right. I think I kinda, you know... I think I kinda, you know. You know you know. I think I kinda you know. I think I kinda you know you know you know... I can't help dreaming of you. Guessing I'm saying I don't not love you. You know you know you know."

Ricky finished singing and I was extremely confused as to why he was looking at me while we were that as I think that was about Nini.

---

Ricky, Big Red and I walked out of the auditorium together and then Ricky said "That happened."

"I thought it was good," Big Red said.

We then heard someone shout "Hey," from behind us and we turned around to see Nini there "What are you doing here?" Nini asked.

"I'm auditioning," Ricky said.

"You hate musicals," Nini said.

"That's a little harsh," Ricky said.

"We got kicked out of The Greatest Showman because you kept yelling, That's not realistic! at the screen," Nini said. Big Red and I have slowly started to walk off at this point as we didn't want to hear this.

"That was the old me. The new me thinks musicals are awesome," Ricky said.

"Well, let me tell you about the old me. All right? The old me had her heartbroken. Okay? And then she went away and she found herself. And you don't get to show up now, just to try and...confuse things," Nini said.

"You think that's why I'm here? No, no, Nini. I always believed in you. In us. Even if I sucked at showing it. That's why I'm here," Ricky said.

Carlos then walked out into the hallway and said "Clear!"

Kourtney pulled Nini away from Ricky and said "Carlos is posting the cast list!"

I then wait for Ricky and Big Red and then we all walked up to the cast list at the same time. Everyone had already looked at the cast list by the time I got there and when I looked at it I was shocked.

Troy Bolton... Rickey Bowen

Troy understudy... EJ Caswell

Gabriella Montez... Allie

Gabriella understudy... Nini Salazar-Roberts

I didn't even get to say anything as all I saw was black after I looked at it. I literally fainted out of shock.