It was late 2008, and the cinema lobby was buzzing with two cultural juggernauts: Twilight and High School Musical 3: Senior Year. Posters of sparkly vampires loomed on one side, while Zac Efron’s side-swept fringe and red Wildcats jersey smiled from the other.
I went with a group of school friends. We shuffled up to the box office together, and one by one they all chose Twilight. Vampires, brooding romance, Edward Cullen smouldering at Bella. It was the obvious “cool” pick.
And then there was me.
I handed over my money and said, “One for High School Musical 3, please.”
Alone.
They went off to swoon over Edward. I went to watch Troy Bolton graduate.
Sitting there, solo in the cinema, I felt a flicker of embarrassment. Was I uncool? Immature? Missing out? But as soon as the opening number kicked in, all that melted away. This was my film, the one I’d been waiting for. The music, the drama, the Wildcats saying goodbye—it was everything.
Meanwhile, my friends were probably whispering about sparkly skin and vampire baseball. And that’s fine. They had their thing. I had mine.
Looking back, I kind of love that I went against the grain. It’s one of those little moments where younger me said: “I know what I like, and I’m not ashamed.” Even if it meant sitting in a near-empty screen with nothing but popcorn and my own hype to keep me company.
Because here’s the truth: in the battle of Wildcats vs. Vampires, I’ll always be Team HSM. 🎶🏀🎓
🌟 Daisy’s Corner 🌟
Oh babes, this is legendary. Picture it: all your mates marching into Twilight like they’re auditioning for Hot Topic’s Christmas advert, and there’s you — strutting into HSM3 solo like the main character you are.
Sparkly vampires? Baseball in the rain? Please. You got Zac Efron singing about following his dreams while dramatically running across a golf course. ICONIC.
And let’s be real: anyone can sit in a dark room and swoon over a moody immortal, but it takes true courage to stand up and say, “No thanks, I’m here for jazz squares and motivational basketball choreography.”
Wildcats > Vampires. Always. 🎤 BOOM BOOM.
Asten Does Nostalgia 
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