Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron Engaged???

High School Musical sweethearts Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens are alleged to be taking their relationship to a new level, with a new report claiming the couple is engaged.

The National Enquirer claims that Zac proposed to Vanessa on a trip to Japan in January, and the pair are planning on a wedding next year.

“Zac hasn’t given Vanessa a ring yet. But he’s hoping the proposal will buy him some time with Vanessa’s super-strict mom, Gina, who didn’t approve of the sweethearts living together before they were married” claims a source.

“Vanessa’s mom has been putting serious heat on him to make an honest woman of her daughter. She is old-school and doesn’t approve of Vanessa living with Zac without some type of wedding promise.”

Spontaneous wedding proposal with no ring? Unlikely, but not impossible.

High School Musical brought him together with off-screen girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens, who played on-screen love Gabriella in the hit films.

He says: "The first time I met Vanessa, I was blown away with her beauty and her charm and elegance. I noticed that at the very first audition when we paired up together."

"We're not engaged," he says firmly, adding: "We had a good laugh over it." That should please his fans.

Even Zac agrees it's hard to find a place on earth where his face doesn't draw mobs of teenage girls.

"I don't mind that at all!" he smiles. "Most of the time they are very sweet girls who just come up and ask me for an autograph." It's not just the youngsters who set their sights on Zac.

"The moms are the ones that get absolutely crazy," he confesses. " That's the funniest part - if there's someone grabbing you too hard, it's usually a mom or a grandmother!"

Even though he's 21, he relies on his mother for advice on everything from handling fame to the birds and the bees. Earlier this month, it emerged that Efron had bought a home in Hollywood for around $1 million.

Zac Efron has admitted that his first ever kiss was a "pretty standard" affair.

Speaking on ITV1's This Morning, the 17 Again star revealed that his first smooch as a teenager had been nothing out of the ordinary.

"My first kiss was a pretty standard first kiss. We were in a tree fort in her backyard and there were candles and stuff," he explained.

The actor, who is currently dating his High School Musical co-star Vanessa Hudgens, also defended his recent racy photoshoot for Interview magazine.

"I'm growing up and this is part of it. That was such a fun shoot and pretty artistic and creative...and yeah, it was good [to take my clothes off!]"

17 Again is released in the UK on April 10 and in the US on April 17.