chapter sixteen
opening night

Dylan sat next to Kourtney on Nini's bed. It was opening night and Nini had called her two best friends around to her house. Dylan had put on a pair of leggings and a taylor swift hoodie, knowing that later she would have to change and so didn't need to make much of an effort. She had another outfit in her bag for after the show as she knew that they would go out to celebrate if the show went well.

When the two girls arrived at Nini's house, the brunette had hurried them upstairs, leaving no time for Dylan to have her usual forty five minute gossip session with Nini's mothers, them being the closest thing she had to a maternal figure in her life and so she loved to hang out and speak to them. Once the three friends had gotten into Nini's bedroom, Kourtney and Dylan sat on her bed while Nini rummaged through her drawers before handing Kourtney a dog tag that she was going to give Ricky, asking for the two girl's opinion on it.

"You're not talking." Nini observed.

"We're reading." Kourtney answered.

"Come on, it's not a novel. It's just four words." Nini spoke. "Four little words."

"It's jewellery." Kourtney stated.

"It's a dog tag." Nini corrected.

"But he's going to wear it around his neck. That's jewellery." Kourtney told the girl.

"Silly opening night gift I'm sure Ricky's going to give me something, too." Nini explained before looking at the faces Kourtney and Dylan pulled. "What?"

"I just think it's deep." Kourtney shrugged truthfully.

"Well, it should be. We've come a long way, and Ricky's been, kind of, great lately." Nini explained.

"Well I'm happy everything's working out for you Neens." Dylan smiled as Kourtney's phone dinged. Kourtney picked up her phone before reading the message and standing up, forcing Dylan to do the same.

"Woah."

"Everything okay?" Nini asked.

"Miss Jenn asked if I knew Taylor's lines." Kourtney told them.

"Wait, what?" Nini gasped.

"Oh my god." Dylan smiled.

"'Haven't stopped thinking about your sound check. You have the best voice in Northern Utah. Please say you'll go on for Gina tonight.' And then there's like a hundred emojis." Kourtney read the message. Dylan smiled despite her heart dropping slightly. Gina was really gone.

"Oh, my gosh, Kourts!" Nini exclaimed.

"So, you approve of this?"

"Of course we do!" Dylan smiled, the three having a group hug while squealing.

"How am I going to know the lines? What am I going to wear?" Kourtney fired a million questions at the two but they just kept smiling at their friend's success. Once Nini and Dylan managed to calm Kourtney down, the two got to work. They helped her learn her lines, Kourtney already knowing most of them, partly because of her love for the movies but mainly because she'd been there for every rehearsal. Dylan then taught her as much as the choreo as she could, it being slightly difficult because Kourtney wasn't as flexible as Gina.

After a while, the trio shared a smile, knowing that Kourtney was ready for opening night and that she was going to be amazing. They were all going to do great... as long as nothing else went wrong.

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The drama group was at the school later that day, having to relocate once again as they all believed that the creepy was in fact haunted and they would all be harmed if they tried to do the show there. Miss Jenn had managed to get the school to agree them to do the show in the gymnasium. Dylan had come up with an idea, a plan, but she really needed some help and she had one person in mind on who could help her.

"Caswell!" Dylan called as she ran down the hallway to catch up with EJ.

"Valdez. I knew you'd coming running to me eventually." EJ joked.

"Ha ha." Dylan laughed sarcastically. "You know that joke was nearly as funny as your song."

"Are you calling my song a joke?" EJ furrowed his eyebrows.

Dylan faux-thought for a second before shrugging. "I guess I did. A billion sorrys Caswell."

"You know if you're just going to bully me I think I'm leaving." EJ went to leave, Dylan grabbing his arm to stop him.

"No!" Dylan exclaimed. "I need your help."

"With what?" He asked.

"I have a plan."

Dylan quickly explained her plan to EJ, him happily agreeing to it. Dylan smiled, glad that the boy took the time to not only listen to her but chose to help her with it. The two walked down the hallway, executing the plan as fast as they could, hoping that it would work successfully.

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Dylan had put her Ryan costume on, taking a deep breath as she paced back and forth nervously.

"Hey, you'll be fine." Ashlyn comforted as she stopped the girl.

"I think I'm going to throw up." Dylan admitted.

"Don't, do that." Ashlyn took a small step back. "Dylan you'll be fine. You are the perfect Ryan and you're simply doing something you love."

"I actually hate theatre. Don't know why, I used to love it but after a while I just started to hate it." Dylan told the girl, taking a deep breath and using her hands to fan her face as she tried to calm her continuously growing nerves.

"But you love to sing and dance and that's what you are doing." Ashlyn gave her a hug.

"I love you Ash."

"I love you too Dyl."

"My beautiful babies, let's gather round for some housekeeping!" Miss Jenn spoke as she walked into the room. "First of all, who brought Versailles?"

"No one knows." Carlos spoke.

"Well, I suppose we'll just have to share, then Oh, and speaking of sharing most of you know that our dazzling Taylor had to leave under family circumstances Gina sends her love and support to all of you but unfortunately she's on the East Coast and won't be able to make it to tonight's performance And so, I have asked Kourtney to fill in, in her stead" Miss Jenn told everyone.

"Yes!" Everyone began to clap and cheer for the girl, Dylan smiling at her friend's happy face.

"So, now, what I would like to do is please think of a word or phrase from the show that expresses where your head is, or your goals for tonight If anyone wants to share?" Miss Jenn told them the exercise, everyone looking around awkwardly before Big Red spoke up.

"'You're my guys and this is our team.'" Big Red started, everyone smiling.

"'What if you want to try something really new and it's a total disaster and all your friends laugh at you?'" Ricky spoke next, looking at Nini.

"Aw."

"'Do you ever feel like there's this whole other person inside of you just looking for a way to come out?'" Nini recited, everyone agreeing with her.

"Mine's a song lyric." Dylan stated.

"That's fine." Miss Jenn smiled.

"'For so long I was lost, so good to be found.'" Dylan spoke, linking hands with Ashlyn, who stood next to her. It was true, she had said it before and she would say it again, Dylan felt lost before she auditioned for High School Musical: The musical, no one knew that but she was and now these people were her family.

"'Do the romp and strut your stuff!'" Carlos shimmed his shoulders.

"Hey!" Everyone cheered.

"'My shower head is very impressed with me.'" Kourtney laughed.

"'I'm proud to call you my sister.'" EJ leant into Ashlyn.

"Aw."

"It's close enough." Ashlyn laughed before putting both her hands up and wiggling her fingers. "'My nail beds are history.'"

"'Sharpay's kind of cute, too.'" Seb started.

"'So is a mountain lion but you don't pet it!'" Everyone finished off in sync, laughing as they did.

"And I'll just say, no matter what happens tonight we're all in this together." Miss Jenn spoke, everyone smiling and looking around at the group. "Okay, Wildcats, take a moment to settle your nerves If we had a curtain, it would be up in twenty minutes!"

Everyone cheered before going back to getting ready. Nini walked over to her best friend, Kourtney following after as the three hugged. They continued to get ready together, taking turns to calm each other's nerves and watching each other perform their scenes. Dylan stood in the wings as Nini and Kourtney did their Taylor and Gabriella scene and Kourtney and Nini watched as Dylan and Seb did theirs, clapping for her as she walked onto the stage to perform her scene.

"Wow! An Einsteinet." Dylan said as Ryan's lines leaning on the table in the middle of the gym, looking at the fake computer. "So why do you think she's interested in our musical?"

Seb gave a shake of her head. "I'm not sure that she is. And we needn't concern ourselves with amateurs. But there is no harm in making certain that Gabriella's welcome to school activities that are... well appropriate for her. After all, she loves pi."

Seb stood up and grabbed an empty flyer from the fake printer, showing it to Dylan as she smirked before taking his hand and walking off. The audience cheered for their performance as they stepped off the gym floor.

"Oh my god. I am so sweaty." Dylan said honestly. "Do I look sweaty?"

"Not at all." Seb spoke as he gave her a hug. Nini and Kourtney hugging her after.

Dylan watched from the wings as Kourtney and Nini did their scene, hugging both of them as they stepped off the stage before the trio got ready for 'stick to the status quo'. Dylan didn't actually have to do much during this scene but she wanted to help Kourtney get ready, her having to tackle Gina's extravagant dance moves. Before she made it backstage, she saw EJ.

"How's the plan going?" She asked him.

"Better than expected." EJ told her truthfully.

"Good, I've gotta go, got to get ready for 'stick to the status quo'." She walked off.

"Good luck." EJ called after her.

"You too." She shouted back. Dylan walked backstage at the same time Miss Jenn did.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for 'Stick To The Status Quo'. This is our biggest Act One showstopper and you're all going to kill it because I love you. Any questions?" Miss Jenn spoke.

"I have a couple hundred." Kourtney piped up.

"Wait, how is the Taylor dance break going to work? Gina's tray-ography is really complex." Seb asked. 

"I can run to the pit and have the orchestra cut that part!" Carlos suggested.

"What?"

"No! What..."

"Or we could just have Gina do it." Kourtney interrupted everyone's complaints. Everyone slowly turning to the door to see Gina stood there.

"Gina!"

"Hi."

"Oh, my God."

"What?"

"No way. Hi"

Dylan was the first person to reach Dylan, wrapping her arms around her friends she had missed so much.

"I missed you." Gina mumbled into her shoulder.

"I missed you too." Dylan replied.

"Hi you guys I don't want to interrupt." Gina spoke.

"How did you get here?" Carlos asked.

"A friend bought me a last-minute flight back I was going to drop off these cupcakes and then hide in the gym and cheer you guys on." Gina explained.

"Gina. No one in the gym wants to hide more than I do right now." Kourtney admitted.

"Wait, are, are you playing Taylor?" Gina asked.

"I was, and it was nice and now it's your turn to save my butt and do the dance Please. I'm asking you." Kourtney practically begged.

"Can I?" Gina asked, turning to Miss Jenn who hesitated like she was going to say no before smiling.

"Of course. You can do the curtain call together Let's hit the halls, people!" Miss Jenn exclaimed, stopping Kourtney before she left. "Kourts. I'm not done with you yet, honey. Come see me after the Christmas break, okay?"

"Come on let's get you ready." Dylan pulled Gina after a moment. "I'm so glad you're back."

The 'stick to the status quo' sequence was in full swing, Dylan watched as Gina perfectly completed her tray-sequence before she stood next to Seb at the top of the steps.

"'Everybody quiet!'" Seb shouted as Sharpay making everyone go silent, the crowd cheering. Seb and Dylan separated as they made their way down the opposite stairs.

"'This is not what I want. This is not what I planned. And I just got to say. I do not understand'" Seb sang as he spun Dylan. "'Something is really.'"

"Something's not right" Dylan interrupted singing her part.

"Really wrong. And we got to get things back where they belong." Seb finished singing, him and Dylan completing all their dance moves.

"Not another peep. No. Not another word. No. Not another sound. No.'" Seb and Dylan spun around, going off stage until their queue.

The two walked back on stage moments later, Nini spilling her tray of food of Seb as the song finished, everyone cheering. Seb made a face as Dylan, as Ryan, led him off stage.

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Dylan watched as EJ and Ricky did 'getcha head in the game' perfectly until Ricky went up in his harness. He sang fine, looking at upon the crowd when he froze, dropping the ball on the ground instead of in the hoop. Dylan held her breath until carried on the song, him being out of sync for the rest of the song until he finally walked off the stage.

"Ricky are you okay?" Dylan asked as Ricky ran past her.

"I'm good, I just need to do something." Ricky spoke quickly, not stopping for a second.

"Dylan!" Dylan turned around at her name being called.

"Dad!" Dylan hugged him. "What are you doing, you're supposed to be in the crowd?"

"Just came to wish you good luck for Act Two." Sebastian spoke. "And to tell you that you are doing incredible."

"Thank you." Dylan smiled.

"Valdez." A voice called, Dylan and her dad both turning in the direction of the voice. EJ stammered for a moment. "Uh, Dylan, Act Two is about to begin we need to get ready."

"I'll see you out there." Dylan hugged her dad once more before making her way over to EJ.

( 💌 ) isobel's notes
one more chapter of this book
and season one left!! this chapter
was so like meh but it'll have to do!
i love next chapter which i should
be updating at some point this weekend maybe!