A few days later, they were in dance rehearsals once more, as to refresh their memories on the dance Jaylynn had choreographed – though, if anyone asked, Ashley had fixed the routine for them. Today was the day they were to film it, and they wanted it to be perfect, as so far it was one of their favourite routines.
Jaylynn stood in the background sipping some water, as she watched everyone do the moves she’d taught them. She felt mighty proud of herself for doing so, though they all had to lie and say Ashley had created the moves – it was the only way to keep the choreographer from trying to change the routine on them. They knew if he figured his favourite pupil had made the routine, then all would be well in the land of dance.
“What’re you doing back here all by your lonesome?” Corbin queried, as he came to stand next to her, grabbing up his own bottle of water.
“Just – taking it all in,” Jaylynn shrugged slightly. “It’s not often you-know-who leaves the room and I get a break.”
“Ah, gotcha,” Corbin nodded, then spoke again after taking a swig of water. “You did good, you know. Everyone loves this routine and is excited to do it. I haven’t seen all of us this excited to dance in a long time.”
“You mean since the last movie, right?” Jaylynn smirked, capping her bottle of water.
Corbin laughed. “Well, yeah, sort of. But still.”
Jaylynn shrugged. “It was nothing.”
“Well, I sure think it was something,” Corbin told her sincerely. “You’re a wonderful dancer when you want to be, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise; especially not stuffy, know-it-all, creepazoid choreographers.”
“I’ll try not to,” Jaylynn promised him softly. “We better get back out there, before you-know-who comes back and starts yelling.”
Corbin sighed, as he watched her cap her bottle of water and set it down, before heading back out onto the dance floor. He’d a feeling the man was still giving the girl a hard time, but he couldn’t accuse him of anything until he knew for sure. His gut instincts just weren’t proof enough, and so long as Jaylynn kept on lying about it, there was no way for him to help her out. He shook his head, then followed her lead, just as the choreographer re-entered the room.
“Okay, I’ve been told they’re ready for y’all,” the man smiled, clapping his hands in delight. “Go on out there and make me proud!”
“Don’t you mean, make Ashley proud?” Zac queried. “Since they’re her moves and all?”
“Yes, yes, go on and make my star pupil proud,” he encouraged. He watched as they all left the room, somehow managing to snag Jaylynn before she’d the chance to escape.
Jaylynn looked up startled, when she felt herself being yanked back from the group. She felt a little scared, upon looking up into the eyes of the man who seemed to enjoy terrorizing her to no end.
“Now, listen here, you little brat,” he snarled quietly, leaning in close. “You better not mess this dance up! I don’t know just how you managed to learn these moves so quick, yet fail miserably at learning all the others, but you had better improve! And if you screw this dance up, I will have your sorry little ass fired!”
“They won’t fire me,” Jaylynn replied, slightly cocky. “They like my acting too much, and it’s too late to find ‘Chad’ another love interest.”
“Mess this up, and you shall pay!” He hissed, squeezing her arm harder than he’d previously been.
Jaylynn winced in pain, managing to keep silent, as she heard Zac calling out for her.
“Jaylynn? Jayl? C’mon! Everyone’s waiting!” Zac called out, as he headed back towards the dance studio. “Jaylyyyyn!”
The choreographer gave Jaylynn the unfriendliest look she had ever seen, before releasing her and disappearing into the shadows quickly.
Jaylynn gulped down the lump that had risen into her throat, then managed to take a deep breath, before stepping out into the hallway. “I’m right here.”
Zac cocked his head to the side, eying her curiously. There was something different about her, he could sense it. But as to what it was, he didn’t know.
“Are you coming? Everyone’s waiting,” he told her. “We can’t do this scene without Chad’s love interest. I’m afraid he’d have a fit.”
Jaylynn gave a small laugh, as she quickly hurried over to Zac, after casting a nervous glance back into the dance studio. “Sorry. I just needed another quick gulp of water.”
Zac smiled at her, not fully believing her statement, but letting it go for now. “Let’s go see the Wizard,” he smiled, then began to sing. “We’re off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz.”
Jaylynn giggled some, as she took hold of his hand, and allowed him to lead her into where they all had to be for the next scene.
“Good, we’re all here,” the director smiled, soon as he saw Zac and Jaylynn enter the room. “Places everyone! We’ve a dance sequence to record!”
The music started, and everyone began to dance at once, some singing. They were filming the dance sequences out of order, but only because some were easier to do than others. And the director wanted to get all the easy ones out of the way, before they started focusing on the harder ones.
“College days aren’t meant to be fun, What with all the work you do in the day,” Chad, Troy, Ryan, and Zeke all sang, as they danced. “But college nights are a different story, Time to let loose and not worry, About the things getting in your way…”
“You can climb any mountain, If you really give it a try,” the boys continued, as Chad and Ryan crouched down for Troy to jump over them in a rollover type way. “Surpass any obstacle, If you just aim real high…”
The scene switched over to Mikayla in her dorm room then, all by her lonesome.
“So let go, have some fun, Now that the work day is done,” Mikayla joined in, as she jumped and flipped on her dorm bed. Next, she grabbed her head and swung it around, before flopping down on her bed. “No point in driving yourself crazy, It’s alright to be a little bit lazy. All work and no play, Just ain’t the way….”
She hopped off her bed then, and headed out the door of her room, and quickly made it to the stairs, where she continued to sing as she made her way up.
“You can climb any mountain, If you really give it a try. Surpass any obstacle, If you just aim real high….”
The scene switched again, only this time over to Gabriella, Taylor, Kelsi, and Sharpay.
“Remember your friends, You’ll need them in the end, No matter what people may say,” the four girls sang, their arms all around one another. “Someone to count on, Is better than no one, So don’t let life get in your way….”
“You can climb any mountain,” the four girls sang, then the scene switched over to Mikayla quickly.
“Any mountain,” Mikayla sang, as she continued up the staircase.
“If you really give it a try,” the four girls sang again.
This time the scene switched quickly to the boys. “Give it a try”
“Surpass any obstacle.” The scene went back once more to the four girls.
“You can do it,” the boys sang.
“If you just aim real high,” the girls harmonized.
“Aim real high,” Mikayla continued, as she reached the top of the staircase and was suddenly shown on the roof of her dorm.
Suddenly, everyone was all on the same roof, though on video it was cut into three, to look as though they were all on separate roofs.
“You can climb any mountain,” the boys sang, climbing onto one another’s shoulders – Ryan on Chad’s, and Zeke on Troy’s.
“Any, any mountain,” Mikayla belted out, as she ran up onto a picnic table atop her rooftop. Her dorm roof had a recreation area on it. Odd place to have one, but it worked well for the movie.
“If you really give it a try,” the boys went on, as Zeke and Ryan flipped down off Chad and Troy’s shoulders.
“Give it, give it a try,” Gabriella, Taylor, Kelsi, and Sharpay added, as they did a couple cartwheels.
“Surpass any obstacle,” the boys went on, all running and jumping over a chair. Apparently, all their dorms had recreational areas on the roofs.
“You can do it. Know you can do it,” Mikayla sang, as she jumped into the air, twisted, flipped, and landed in a perfect split.
“If you just aim real high,” the boys continued, all four doing back flips at once.
“Aim real, real high,” the girls sang once more, as they did a couple cheerleader moves.
“If you aim real high,” everyone sang, now all doing the same moves. “Real, real, high….”
“And…that’s a wrap!” The director called out. “Wonderful everyone! Absolutely wonderful! I think this was the best one yet. Simple, yet fun! Brilliant, Ashley! We should have you choreograph some more, if we don’t like the original moves!”
“Actually, Sir,” Ashley stepped forward, wanting to give credit where it was due. “Jaylynn choreographed this one. I just took credit for it, since she asked me to do so.”
The director raised his eyebrows, then glanced over at Jaylynn, who suddenly looked mortified. “Is this true?” He asked curiously, wondering why she suddenly looked so scared. “Because if so, it was brilliant!”
“Y-Yes, Sir,” Jaylynn managed to squeak out, as Corbin came to stand beside her. “It’s true.”
The director smiled. “Keep up the good work, Kid. You’re doing fantastic things here.”
“Thanks,” Jaylynn spoke shyly, hiding her face into Corbin, as he’d placed a protective arm around her.
“Alright, let’s take a brief break, then continue on with filming,” the director suggested. “I’m sure you’re all in need of showers or water or something of the sort after all that dancing.”
Everyone nodded, and headed off in their own directions mostly.
“Why’d you tell him?” Jaylynn demanded upon reaching Ashley and Lucas. “Now you-know-who probably knows!”
“Well, it’s too late for him to do anything about it now,” Ashley pointed out. “Besides, why should I take credit for something you did? You deserve the credit, Jayl.”
Jaylynn shrugged slightly, Corbin’s arm still draped over her shoulders. “I don’t know. It just makes sense to me. I’m just – not used to – all this…”
Ashley smiled. “Well, get used to it, Kiddo, because you’re one of us now.”
“That’s right!” Zac piped up, as him and Vanessa joined them. “You’re a Wildcat!”
“And Wildcats stick together,” Vanessa added, smiling as well.
“C’mon. We’ve got something for you,” Corbin told the young girl still clinging to him. “And I know you’ll like it.”
“Like it is an understatement,” Lucas laughed, as they all headed off for their dressing room trailers.
Once there, Zac disappeared into his for a moment, returning briefly, his hands behind his back.
“Close your eyes and hold out your hands,” he told Jaylynn, who stood next to Corbin still, eying them all suspiciously.
Jaylynn eyed them warily, before doing as told and closing her eyes tight. A moment later, she felt something being draped over her outstretched arms. She opened her eyes and gasped, upon finding an official Wildcats jacket now in her hands.
“Oh, my….you guys,” she managed to speak tearfully. She knew they all had one, as they’d all worn theirs around the set often enough. And the fact that they’d gone and gotten her an official one as well, meant she truly was a Wildcat and apart of their little ‘family’.
“Hey, I’d say you’ve gone and earned it,” Zac smiled down at her. “You’ve been working your butt off just as hard as the rest of us. Heck, you’ve even added some things in that have made scenes even better than the original.”
“I’m not all that great, really,” Jaylynn insisted softly.
“Jayl, you’re funny, smart, pretty, and fun to be around,” Corbin piped up. “If that isn’t true Wildcat spirit, then I don’t know what is.”
“Well, if you guys hadn’t given me a chance, I’d probably still be hiding out in my room reading a book,” Jaylynn admitted. “So really, you guys are why I’m all those things. You helped me to come out of my shell – well, for the most part. I’ve still some issues to work through.”
“And we’ll be here for you, if you ever need help working through them,” Monique assured her. “We just felt the need to let you know you’re part of the family, officially now.”
“I can’t even tell you guys how much this means to me,” Jaylynn sniffled, her eyes still filled to the brim with tears. “I’m-I’m…. Thank-you.”
“It was our pleasure,” Lucas told her, as they all watched her bury her face into Corbin to hide her tears.
Corbin rubbed her back, as he heard her breathing hitch slightly, signaling that she was now indeed crying. He’d a feeling this would happen, which had been part of why he’d stuck so close to her. They all knew how emotional she could get, but still felt the need to let her know she was in fact cared for.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Realized I never posted chapter 4. I was trying to save this until chapter 5 was done, but at this rate, you may be waiting years-lol. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Only own Jaylynn, story idea, & all songs. Disney owns all the HSM characters & everyone else owns themselves. Thank-you!
Disclaimer: Only own Jaylynn, story idea, & all songs. Disney owns all the HSM characters & everyone else owns themselves. Thank-you!
