Vote For Nick, I Mean Nicole!

During the next three days, Nicole detested going to school. At first she tried to get Starr and Chloe to make-up but ended up making things worse. Then she had to spend half her free time with Chloe, half her free time with Starr. All they could talk about was how horrible, stupid, and wrong the other one was. The worst part was lunch. All three girls had the same lunch so it was pure torture when they made Nicole decide who she wanted to sit with. Nicole ended up sitting with another friend of hers who was more quiet than mouse. And while all this was happening, Nick was watching carefully.

One day during rehearsals of the play, Miss Riggs wanted Nick and Nicole to perform the part where Gabriella and Troy sang together for the first time. "Whatever let's get this over with." Nicole said picking up a microphone.

"Is someone in a bad mood because she's gonna lose the elections?" Nick asked walking up to the stage.

"Shut up." Nicole replied coldly.
[Troy:]
Living in my own world
Didn't understand
That anything can happen
When you take a chance

[Gabriella:]
I never believed in

[Gabriella:]
What I couldn't see
I never opened my heart

[Troy:]
Ohh

[Gabriella:]
To all the possibilities. oooooooh

[Both:]
I know

[Gabriella:]
That something has changed

[Both:]
Never felt this way

[Gabriella:]
And right here tonight

[Both:]
This could be the start
Of something new
It feels so right
To be here with you, ohh
And now looking in your eyes

[Gabriella:]
I feel in my heart

[Troy:]
Feel in my heart

[Both:]
The start of something new

[Troy:]
Ohh yeahh
Now who'd of ever thought that, mmm

[Both:]
We'd both be here tonight

[Troy:]
Ohh

[Gabriella:]
Yeah
And the world looks so much brighter

[Troy:]
Brighter brighter

[Gabriella:]
With you by my side

[Troy:]
By my side

All of a sudden Nicole started giggling. Pretty soon she couldn't stop laughing. "Stop the music!" Miss Riggs yelled. The song was stopped abruptly and Nicole's laughter could be heard louder. "Nicole, why in the world did you start laughing in the middle of the song?" Miss Riggs questioned.

"Because, I just realized that Nick is gonna have to straighten his hair if he's gonna be Troy Bolton! And then I started picturing it in my mind, and..." she didn't finish the sentence because she was now laughing harder than ever. Nick gave her a dirty look but gave a small smile himself.

Miss Riggs sighed and told everyone to take a break. She walked out of the auditorium for a smoke.

Starr sat next to Nicole on the edge of the stage and waited for her to calm down. When she finally did, she asked, "So who's gonna be V.I.P at your party?" Nicole sighed. She knew were this was going.

"Well you and Chloe are gonna be V.I.P along with a couple of other people. I was gonna ask you guys to be with me in my entrance and I even picked out this really cute dress you guys could wear but you guys won't even look at each other!"

"Oh. Well I could be in the entrance with you. We don't need Chloe." Starr replied.

"Yes I do! She's my best friend too you know." Nicole protested.

"You don't need a friend like her."

"Yes I do! She may not be your friend but to me she's really important and it kills me that you guys are fighting with each other. I mean, all you guys do now is complain and talk bad about each other and it's getting really sickening! It really is!"

"Nikki," Starr started but was cut off.

"No! Let me talk! I have had it up to here with you guys! Always making me choose who to sit with, who to talk to, well I'm sick of it, sick of you guys!" Starr was stunned. So was everyone else.

Nicole gave a big sigh and jumped off the stage. "When you guys decide to make up, call me. Until then, don't even talk to me. See you guys at my party, if I even ask you guys to come."

When Nicole was done, Miss Riggs entered the auditorium and said, "Nicole can I talk to you outside for a second?"

And that was the end of that. On Thursday when Chloe or Starr talked to Nicole, she just ignored them and walked away. As soon as she went home on Thursday afternoon, she called the one person she could turn to when she needed to talk.

"Hi Kevin, thanks for picking me up." Nicole greeted as she sat in the passenger seat in Kevin's car.

"No problem Nikki. So what did you want to talk about?" Kevin asked.

"I don't know. It's just that my birthday is coming up and everything is going all wrong." Nicole said while looking out the window.

"What's the matter? Is your dress not how you want it to be? Are you even wearing a dress?"

"Yeah but I'm also wearing a costume. But no, that's not it. I mean, tomorrow is my party and my two best friends are fighting, I'm probably gonna lose the elections, Miss Riggs is getting extra annoying about the play and is threatening me to make Chelsea Gabriella, and on top of it all I got a call earlier that my cake might not be ready by tomorrow!"

"I see what you mean." Kevin said calmly.

"You know, I should just cancel the whole thing." Nicole mumbled.

"Don't do that. Then you will just feel worse that you didn't get a party."

"Well, I just don't know what to do anymore!"

"Don't worry Nikki, everything will get better." Kevin said stopping in front of Starbucks.

'I doubt it. Nicole thought. 'Not even The Hazelnut Signature Hot Chocolate can cheer me up this time.'