The simple answer is yes, they dated, and it was a big deal. But the real reason we care is that they represent a feeling. That feeling of first love, of endless summer days, and of believing that high school musicals could actually happen. They were the soundtrack to our youth.
Next time you see a photo of the two of them at an event, don’t just scroll past. Pause. Let yourself remember the feeling of watching that first movie or the excitement of seeing a new picture of them in Teen Vogue. It’s okay to be a little sentimental.
So go ahead, bring it up at dinner. Ask your sibling, your coworker, or that friend from high school. Say, “Remember when Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens were together?” and watch the smile spread across their face. It’s a conversation that’s always worth having, because it’s not really about them. It’s about a little piece of all of us.