𝐇𝐈𝐃𝐄| 𝐉.𝐁.

23: I think I kinda, you know

"Okay, thank you, Jenna. That was...something." Ms. Jenn says with a clearly fake smile.

"Thank you!" Jenna squeals and runs off the stage.

"She sounded like five cats fighting in a dumpster." Taylor whispers and I nod, rubbing my ear.

"Hey, you okay?" She asks and I shrug, slowly nodding afterward.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I say, swallowing the lump in my throat.

"I heard about the smoothie spill. People were filming." She cringes.

"Great." I huff, rolling my eyes.

"At least he gave you his hoodie to cover it up. I thought that was a real gentleman move on his part." She states.

"I guess." I mutter, scratching my arm.

"Okay, the last audition for Gabriella, Alexis Williams!" Ms. Jenn exclaims and I freeze up.

"Alexis?" Ms. Jenn calls out again.

"Change my mind, I'm not doing this. I'm sick." I bluntly say but Taylor blocks my way.

"C'mon Lex, you're the bravest girl I know. You never back down from a challenge. You're doing this." She says.

"Taylor-"

"Did you study the song?" She asks.

"Yeah, like forty times." I say.

"Good, that's all you need. Just go out there and sing thirty two bars." She says.

"Okay." I breathe.

"You can do this." She says and I nod as I turn around, walking on stage.

"Alexis, I'm glad you showed up." Ms. Jenn grins and I nervously smile.

"Whenever you're ready." Carlos grins and I nod.

As I begin to open my mouth to sing, the door bursts open.

"Am I too late? Am I too late?" A familiar voice shouts.

"We're all set on Troys'. We're low on Chads'. You can read after the Gabriellas'." Ms. Jenn says to Josh, who's holding a wooden guitar in his left hand.

"But I picked up the script for Troy."

"Troy would've arrived here on time." Carlos snaps.

"No, he would've been late for basketball practice." Red says, defending Josh.

"Okay, Alexis, let's try this again." Ms. Jenn says.

"C'mon Lex, you got this, woo!" Ethan shouts and Ms. Jenn spills her coffee, making it go into the wires.

The lights went out.

"Fucking great." I mutter, shaking my head at Taylor.

"Alexis, let's just wait until the lights come back on. I don't want this to throw you." Ms. Jenn says, trying to clean the coffee up with computer paper.

"I'm not thrown." I say through gritted teeth and Ms. Jenn and Josh look at me.

"Livin' in my one world." I start, folding my hands as I look down at my feet.

"Didn't understand. That anything can happen, when you take a chance." I continue, starting to look up.

"I never believed in, what I couldn't see." I say in a shaky voice and I see Josh walking over, putting his phone light on me, giving me the spotlight.

"I never opened my heart, to all the possibilities. I know, that something has changed, never felt this way, and right here tonight, this could be the start of something new, it feels so right, to be here with you, ooh. And now, looking in your eyes, I feel in my heart, the start of something new." I finally finish, belting the last note.