The ‘High School Musical’ co-stars ended their five-year relationship in December and the actress thinks that because they had been together for such a long time, there was no question they would not want to have remained a part of one another’s lives.

She said: “After being in a relationship with someone that long, you stay friends.”

The brunette beauty has recently been romantically linked with her ‘Journey 2: The Mysterious Island’ co-star Josh Hutcherson but Vanessa insists there is nothing going on between them.

She told TV talk show host Ellen DeGeneres: I’m single. Can’t a girl have friends? Aww, I love him. We just did a movie together and we had the best time.”

Vanessa, 22, can next be seen in fantasy action adventure movie ‘Sucker Punch’ – which follows a group of tough girls trying to escape from a mental institution - and she admits she felt “empowered” after seeing the finished film for the first time.

Recalling seeing the movie, she told the new issue of Nylon magazine: “My energy, my spirits were so high that I literally felt like I had just walked out of a rock concert.

“When I saw it, I was literally like, ‘Woo, yes! I can do anything! Yay! Go women!’ Like, I feel so empowered.”