HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL

Troy and Coach Bolton

GYM

Coach Bolton is blows his whistle while running a drill.

"Let's go, guys! Make it sharp! To the chest, come on! Pop it! Come on, guys. Step with it! Let's go! Come on, move it! Let's go! Come on guys, focus! Focus! Get your head in the game! Move it!" Then Coach Bolton gets to Jason and takes the ball.

"You seen Troy?"

"No... Coach." Jason answer Coach nervously.

"Again, let's go!"

AUDITORIUM

Troy is painting a set piece while Gabriella is helping to sew a costume. They both look at each other and begin moving to the beat of the song in their minds, until Miss Darbus walks over and gives them her stern look.

GYM (Practice over)

"That's it, guys. Let's hit the showers. Good hustle. Let's see that in the
game." As the rest of the team is leaving, Troy shows up. Chad shoves the ball into Troy's stomach as he passes. Coach Bolton does not look happy. There is an uncomfortable silence between the two. Neither is willing to look the other in the eye.

"I, uh... think I'm gonna stay a while. Work on some free throws."

"Well, since you missed practice, I think your team deserves a little effort from you today." Coach Bolton leaves the gym. As he does, Gabriella appears behind Troy.

"Wow. So this is your real stage."

"Yeah. I guess you could call it that. Or just a smelly gym." Troy hands the ball to Gabriella who shoots the ball and makes the basket, impressing Troy.

"Whoa! Don't tell me your good at hoops, too."

"You know, I once scored 41 points on a league championship game."

"No way."

"Yeah, and in the same day, I invented the space shuttle and microwave popcorn."

"Oh! Microwave popcorn. Ha-ha. Funny." Troy shoots the ball and makes another great basket.

"I've been rehearsing with Kelsi."

"Me, too. And, um, by the way, I missed practice. So if I get kicked off the team it should be on your conscience."

"Hey, I wasn't the one who told you to sing..."

"Gabriella, chill." Gabriella decides to take the ball from Troy.

"Hey, that's traveling. No that's really bad traveling."

"What? What?" Troy runs up behind Gabriella and picks her up and spins making her laugh as the door that opened closes.

"Miss! I'm sorry, this is a closed practice."

"Dad, come on, practice is over."

"Not till the last player leaves the gym. Team rule."

"Oh, I'm sorry, sir."

"Um, Dad, this is Gabriella Montez."

"Ah, your detention buddy." Gabriella's warm smile fades as she hands the ball back to Troy.

"I'll see you later, Troy. Nice meeting you, Coach Bolton." Gabriella runs out of the gym.

"You as well, Miss Montez." Troy and Coach Bolton wait untill Gabriella is out of earshot to continue.

"Dad, detention was my fault, not
hers."

"You haven't missed practice in three years. That girl shows up..."

"That girl is named Gabriella. And she's very nice."

"Well, helping you miss practice doesn't make her very nice. Not in my book. Or your team's."

"Dad, she's not a problem. She's just a girl."

"But you're not just a guy, Troy. You're the team leader. What you do effects not only this team, but the entire school. And without you completely focused, we're not gonna win next week.The championship games - they don't come along all the time. They're something special."

"Yeah, well a lot of things are special, Dad."

"But you're a playmaker... not a
singer, right?"

"Did you ever think maybe I could be both?" Coach Bolton has no answer. Troy drops the ball and walks away. As he leaves the gym, we see that the rest of the team has been outside the whole time.