SONG ONESHOTS _HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL

Stick to the status quo

! Important ! : Ricky and Nini don't know each other. 

I walk around in the neighbourhood, observing the houses I've seen more than I can count, but still I notice little small details every day I've never seen before. When I walk to school, I always make a little detour so that I also walk through the poorer part of Salt Lake City.

My name is Ricky and I'm a junior at East High. I live in the upperpart of Salt Lake City. You can say my family is pretty rich, but it's not that I care so much. I mean, yeah, it's cool to have a lot of money and to get everything you want, but it doesn't define you as a person. My money isn't who I am.

My mom on the other hand is all about the money. She and my dad have been fighting for years because of the money. It's like it's the only thing that matters to her. She likes to brag about it to her friends. But the worst part is that she rubs it in the faces of those who aren't that wealthy that she has the money while they haven't.

In Salt Lake, the poor people are like the outcasts. Like their kids can come to school, but they have zero privileges, zero rights and most of them are being bullied from the day they arrive.

Like, I'm friends with all rich people, not that I want that, that's just what's being expected from me.

I don't really like this town. I mean, I like the town itself but the way some people are treated here is unacceptable.

While I was so lost in my thoughts, I walked into someone.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry. Here let me help you", I say. I pick up all the books she dropped and hand them over to her. I look into her eyes and it's like I can't look away. When she notices I'm staring at her, she quickly looks down. I hear her mumble a quiet thank you.

"You sure you're okay?" I ask. She nods slightly, turns around and walks in the direction of school.

"Hey, you going to school?" I ask. No answer. I speed up until I walk next to her. "Hey, I'm heading there to, let me walk with you."

She takes a quick look at me, looking kinda scared I think. She gives me a little smile and gives me a quick nod.

"You're new here, right? I never saw you around here." I ask.

She looks up again and I see she's hesitating to answer.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to." I say.

"Can I ask you a question?" she says quietly. I nod. "Why are you being nice to me? I heard how things go around here and you're not living up to my expectations"

"What expectations?" , I ask

"I guess I didn't expect someone to be nice to me..." she replies

"Why wouldn't anyone be nice to you?" I ask. "You seem like a really nice girl"

"Thank you, but I was told personality isn't something people care about around here. Just the fact that I don't really have a lot of money and live on the underpart of Salt Lake City should do."

"Well, I hate to tell you that the moment you walk into that school, that's exactly what you are going to be judged on.", I say sadly.

"Then why don't you?", she asks confused

"I guess I don't really have a reason to hate you... at least not yet." I say joking. She cracks a little smile and looks at me.

"I'm Nini", she says.