High School Musical (Harry x Taylor Lautner)

Midnight Memories

Taylor waited anxiously in the hall outside Ms. Cameron's homeroom, hanging back as his friends went to their next classes.

Finally, Harry came out, and he walked towards him, hardly able to breathe.

When Harry saw him, his eyes widened in disbelief.

He said, "I don't—"

"–believe it," Taylor finished again. "But how . . ."

"My mom's company transferred her here in Albuquerque," Harry explained. He shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe you live here. I looked for you at the lodge on New Year's Day, but—"

"We had to leave first thing," Taylor said, still whispering.

Harry looked puzzled. "Why are you whispering?"

He looked a little embarrassed. "Oh, well, my friends know I went snowboarding, but I didn't tell them about the . . . singing . . . thing."

"Too much for them to handle?" Harry asked knowingly.

"It was . . . cool," Taylor said quickly. He didn't want him getting the idea that he hadn't liked their singing debut! "But, my friends—that's not what I do. That was like a different person."

They had reached the lobby, where activity sign-up sheets were posted. Taylor pointed at the sheet for the winter musical auditions.

"Now that you've met Ms. Cameron, I'll bet you can't wait to sign up for that," he said, grinning.

Harry laughed. "I don't be signing up for anything here for a while," he said. "I just want to get to know the school," he glanced at him shyly. "But if you signed up, I'd consider coming to the show."

Taylor shook his head. He couldn't even imagine the reaction he'd get if he signed up for the high school musical! "That's completely impossible," he said.

From behind him, Miley's voice said sweetly, "What's impossible, Taylor? I wouldn't think 'impossible' is even in your vocabulary." As they turned to look at Miley, she gestured toward Harry. "So nice of you to show our new classmate around."

She raised one eyebrow as she saw Harry looking at the musical sign-up sheet. Very deliberatively. Miley stepped in front of Harry and signed her name with a flourish.

In fact, Harry noticed. Miley's signature took up the entire sign-up sheet.

But Miley looked at him, the picture of innocence, and said, "Oh . . . were you going to sign up, too? My brother and I have starred in all the school's productions, and we really welcome newcomers." She smiled, ever so sweetly, then added. "There are a lot of supporting roles in this show. I'm sure we could find something for you."

"No, no," Harry said hastily. "I was just looking over the bulletin board. Lots going on at this school. Wow." I'm babbling, he thought. I have to stop it! Now! He pointed to Miley's huge signature. "Nice penmanship." He added weakly, before hurrying away to his next class.

Now that Miley had been left alone with Taylor, she decided to seize the opportunity. "So, Taylor," she said coyly. "I missed you during vacation. What'd you do?"

He shrugged. "Practiced basketball. Snowboarding. More basketball."

Miley nodded cheerfully and, using all of her dramatic training to sound as if she really cared, asked, "When's the big gene?"

"Two weeks," Taylor sounded resolute, determined. Two weeks until we're either champions—or we're not, he thought.

"You're so dedicated," Miley said, batting her eyelashes just a bit. After a moment, she added. "Just like me. I hope you'll come watch me in the musical? Promise?"

Just like Miley to bring the conversation back to herself, Taylor thought wryly. But he smiled and nodded as he walked away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A few hours later, Taylor and the basketball team had gathered in the gym for practice. Taylor and Justin challenged each other by running a pressure drill, while the other boys ran a weave drill.

"Hey, you know that school-musical thing?" Taylor asked as he tried to get around Justin. "Is it true you get extra credit just for auditioning?"

"Who cares?" Justin asked as he blocked Taylor.

Taylor raised one eyebrow and tried to scoot around Justin from the other side. "It's good to get extra credit . . . for college and all," he said, trying to sound casual.

Justin laughed and shook his head. "Do you think LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal ever auditioned for their school musical?" He asked mockingly.

"Maybe . . ." Taylor said hesitantly.

"Taylor, the music in those shows isn't hip-hop or rock or anything essential to the culture," Justin explained patiently. "It's like . . . show music. Costumes, makeup." He shuddered. "Frightening."

Taylor shrugged, still trying to sound like it was no big deal. "I thought it might be a good laugh. Miley is kind of cute, too."

Now Justin looked at him with total disbelief. "So is a mountain lion, but you don't pet them."

Taylor nodded, and gave up for the moment. Time to take charge of this practice, he thought. Time to focus. The championship game, he thought, he reminded himself sternly, is only weeks away.

He turned to his team. "All right, let's kick it in, run the shuffle drill," he yelled.

The team quickly took their positions and began bouncing basketballs and weaving around one another with the ease developed through hours of practice.

The balls began and the players began to move across the floor with a rhythmic, percussion movement. And Taylor began to call out the practice drills.

Taylor:

Straight off the plane to a new hotel
Just touched down, you could never tell
Big house party with a crowded kitchen
People talk shh, but we don't listen

The Wildcats had developed a team motto, and now Taylor shouted it out to get his boys pumped up.

Taylor:

Tell me that I'm wrong, but I do what I please
Way too many people in the Addison Lee
Now I'm at the age when I know what I need, oh whoa

All:

Midnight memories, oh, oh, oh
Baby, you and me
Stumbling in the street
Singing, singing, singing, singing
Midnight memories, oh, oh, oh
Anywhere we go
Never say, "No"
Just do it, do it, do it, do it

The team members smiled and moved from faster, smoother, better, Taylor was a great captain, and he could motivate them like no one else!

Liam:

Five foot something with the skinny jeans
Don't look back, baby, follow me
I don't know where I'm going but I'm finding my way
Same old shh, but a different day

Kellan:

Tell me that I'm wrong, but I do what I please
Way too many people in the Addison Lee
Now I'm at the age when I know what I need, oh whoa

All:

Midnight memories, oh, oh, oh
Baby, you and me
Stumbling in the street
Singing, singing, singing, singing
Midnight memories, oh, oh, oh
Anywhere we go
Never say, "No"
Just do it, do it, do it

Justin:

You and me and all our friends
I don't care how much we spend
Baby, this is what the night is for
I know nothing's making sense
For tonight, let's just pretend
I don't wanna stop, so give me more

All:

Midnight memories, oh, oh, oh
Baby, you and me
Stumbling in the street
Singing, singing, singing, singing
Midnight memories, oh, oh, oh
Anywhere we go
Never say, "No" (Yeah)
Just do it, do it, do it, do it

When practice ended, everyone took deep breaths, smiling at how great they felt and how great they had looked. The Wildcats were definitely good to go for the championship!