Disclaimer: I do not own Disney, Ashley, Lucas nor any of the characters mentioned in the story below. If I did, I'd probably be traveling around the world right now. Lawl.
Title: Can I Have This Dance?
Song by Zac Efron & Vanessa Hudgens
"Ash? Are you with us?" Ashley was broken out of her own trance as Monique's voice suddenly registered in her head. The fact that she was in the school's cafeteria and having lunch break slowly came to her mind. Ashley looked at the two concerned faces in front of her.
"I'm fine, Momo." She replied, but the looks on her friends told her that they did not buy it at all.
"You know you can always tell us if you have any problems." Vanessa suggested, as she took a small sip of her orange juice. Ashley shook her head; the boisterous noise coming from the rest of the students was somehow starting to bother her much.
"I'm really fine. Let's get back to the previous topic okay?" Ashley half pleaded, and took a bite of her sandwich. "What were we talking about before anyway?"
"Prom." Vanessa replied enthusiastically. Ashley could practically see the sparkles in Vanessa's eyes as she said this.
"I bet Zac had already asked you." Ashley commented. Monique nodded her head, agreeing quite readily with what Ashley had just said.
"Well…" Vanessa started, and Ashley sworn that her friend was indeed blushing as she spoke. "…He asked yesterday after sending me home. And I agreed, of course."
"I can't believe that the air-headed Efron actually made such a fast move." Monique exclaimed in a mocking manner. Ashley giggled uncontrollably while Vanessa tried to defend his boyfriend.
"You know we're just joking." Ashley said in respond to Vanessa's defending.
"It's natural for me to stick up for Zac…" Vanessa mumbled. "…So are you going to the prom?" She asked cautiously. She knew Ashley probably would not go, unless that one guy she has been crushing for so long asked her to.
Ashley shook her head as expected.
"You know I'm available if you ask me." Monique joked, as a wide smile appeared on Ashley's face. "I'll consider." She teased back.
"Ash, why don't you be the one to ask him?" Vanessa suddenly said. Ashley looked at her as if her friend had gone insane.
"That's crazy. What if he rejects me? It's going to be embarrassing." She exclaimed.
"You'll never know if you don't try."
"I'd rather not."
"Ash…"
"Okay girls, snap out of it." Monique chided. "Ash, this is only once a lifetime, are you sure you don't want to go?"
Ashley bit her lip out of habit as she thought about it.
"… I think… I'll go." Ashley surrendered, as smiles broke out on both her friends' face. "Provided you two don't abandon me halfway through." She added.
"We won't." Monique and Vanessa replied, as they looked at each other with a hidden grin that Ashley could not quite place it.
---
"I can't believe I agreed to come in the first place." Ashley mumbled, glowering at her friends. "What happened to the promise that you wouldn't abandon me for guys."
"That's not abandoning!" Vanessa remarked.
"We're just giving you some own free time." Monique added. Vanessa nodded her head in agreement.
"Excuses." Grumbled Ashley, as she sat down and crossed her legs.
"We're sorry. But we'll be back in a jiffy all right?" Monique tried to coo, and apparently it was working well.
"Do I really have a say in this?" Ashley sighed. "Now go before I change my mind and eat someone up." Monique and Vanessa gave a small giggle before disappearing into the crowd of people dancing to the slow waltz.
Ashley sighed inwardly to herself as she started to space out. Never did she imagine that she would be spending her high school prom night sitting alone and daydreaming by herself. In a sense it was really pathetic.
"Why are you alone out here?"
The sudden voice made Ashley jumped a little in her seat as she turned around to see a blonde blue eyes guy planting himself in the seat beside her. Her heart momentarily skipped a beat. Lucas Grabeel. The very same guy that always made her heart went pumping faster and a loss for speaking coherent sentences.
"I'm … admiring the scenery here." Ashley jested in a serious manner as the blonde guy raised his eyebrows at her.
"That's certainly intriguing… even though the only scenery here are just people dancing, with foot stepping surprises occasionally."
Ashley couldn't help but laughed at what Lucas had just said. He was always that humorous. "So… what are you doing here alone too anyway?" She questioned, shifting uncomfortably in her own seat. His presence was kind of overwhelming her.
"Counting the number of feet being stepped?"
"Lucas… " She sighed, "… be serious."
"I didn't have a partner." That answer took Ashley by surprise as she stared at him in disbelief. How could a guy as perfect as he is be without a partner?
"Wh-what?"
"The song is ending soon…" Lucas mumbled as he ignored Ashley's query. "May I?" Lucas asked, as he stood up and held his hand out. Ashley looked at Lucas with a blank expression, taking a few seconds for the words to sink in before she accepted his invitation. She could literally feel the butterflies fluttering in her stomach.
Ashley shook her head inwardly when the next song started to play. It was definitely very appropriate at this timing.
Take my hand, take a breath
Pull me close and take one step
Keep your eyes locked on mine,
And let the music be your guide.
As Lucas' hand automatically found itself around her waist, Ashley could feel her heart beating more irregularly by seconds, barely daring to even breathe.
Won't you promise me (now won't you promise me, that you'll never forget)
We'll keep dancing (to keep dancing) wherever we go next
As they twirled around on the dance floor, Ashley could feel herself getting lost in his deep blue eyes. This might be the only chance that she could get so close to him, and she certainly isn't going to take it for granted. Even for just once, being so close to him, she was satisfied.
It's like catching lightning the chances of finding someone like you
It's one in a million, the chances of feeling the way we do
And with every step together, we just keep on getting better
So can I have this dance (can I have this dance)
Can I have this dance
As Ashley immerse herself in the dancing, she thought she caught a glimpse of Monique and Vanessa chuckling in a corner. She will deal with them later, but right now, nothing matter much more than the guy in front of her.
Take my hand, I'll take the lead
And every turn will be safe with me
Don't be afraid, afraid to fall
You know I'll catch you through it all
The next thing Ashley knew, Lucas was kneeling on one knee and holding a bouquet of flowers that god knows from where. She was taken aback as he presented the flowers to her.
"Will you, Ashley Tisdale, be my girlfriend?" Lucas asked earnestly as he looked up at Ashley with ardor. Ashley thought that her heart might have perhaps stopped for a few second, as she accepted the flowers after recovering from the shock.
"I… you…" Ashley was at a total loss for words as she looked at Lucas, tears almost forming in her eyes. Lucas gazed back dearly at Ashley with a smile as he wiped her tears away before they could roll down her face.
"If your friends didn't tell me that you liked me, I would never have the courage to confess to you." He spoke, taking Ashley's hand in his own. Ashley smiled back, making a mental note to thank her friends later, after she had screamed at them first.
And you can't keep us apart (even a thousand miles, can't keep us apart)
'Cause my heart is (cause my heart is) wherever you are
--Adieu--
A/N: Gah, this chapter is so random and weird. This one shot isn't as better planned like the previous chapter, so it might be a little sucky.
By the way, I FINALLY managed to watch High School Musical on the third week! So many circumstances hindering me to go watch since the day it was release. It was just plain awesome, but at the same time it was sad, especially at the end when they are singing 'High School Musical'. Gosh. I almost bawled out. *Sniff* Anyway, I still love Ryan and Sharpay, the ever-so-stunning Evans twin. Haha. The whole movie is just mind-blowing, with all the songs and dances, even though I have to admit, some of the scenes are a little random and the plot is a tad too fast paced. But nonetheless I still enjoy it thoroughly.
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