Step into the Future

By angellwings

Ryan smiled brightly as he glanced around at the pandemonium. Graduation was much better than he thought it would be. The school had allowed them to vote on someone to make a speech. Someone who wasn't Valedictorian or Class President. Of course, it was Troy. They were all seated, Taylor made her speech, Gabriella made hers, The Choir performed, and then Troy had made his speech. After that they had all thrown their hats into the air, and started the party early.

After they celebrated on the field for a while the students worked their way into the stands to see their families. The entire gang and their families were headed to the Evans' home for a smaller and more intimate graduation party. But sometime between him losing his cap and finding his parents he'd lost sight of Kelsi. The last time he'd seen her she'd been dancing with that blonde basketball player. Ryan couldn't remember his name, and he honestly didn't want to. All he wanted to do was find his composer.

His composer? Where had THAT come from?

All he wanted to do was find the composer. THE composer, not HIS composer.

Ryan craned his neck around the field. He'd spotted everyone BUT Kelsi. His eyes landed on Martha and she smirked at him.

"Auditorium," She told him with a chuckle.

He knew immediately what she meant, and nodded his thanks before jogging off the field and toward the school.

Kelsi glanced up at the stage. It was empty now, and had been for a little over a week. Senior Year had been a hit despite the rocky initial Monday night performance. It had run for the rest of the week with Gabriella back at East and back in the lead. Gabriella had stayed for the last two weeks of school which was really just graduation rehearsals, yearbook signings, senior picnic, and the awards ceremony.

But now that graduation was over Kelsi had just realized how much her life was going to change. No more sneaking into the rehearsal room early in the morning, no more rehearsing with Troy and Gabriella, and no more shows in the East High Auditorium. She sat down at the piano that she had become so familiar with over the last four years, and pulled out her latest composition. The only song she hadn't finished in time for the Musical. She wished that she had because it would have been perfect. It fit how they all felt so well, and not only that but it had parts for nearly everyone (even Sharpay). She had written as a fast peppy number, but she didn't feel very fast or peppy at the moment so she played the song at a slower more reflective tempo.

"High school musical,
Who says we have to let it go?
It's the best part we've ever known, step into the future!
We'll hold on to,
High school musical, let's celebrate where we come from,
With friends who've been there all along, just like,
Our high school, high school musical."

Kelsi's eyes began to water and she sniffled lightly. She would never be back here again at least not in the same capacity as before. It was a bitter sweet feeling. She wanted to move forward, but what she had right now was too good to let go. She had friends. She had really good, really close friends who would all be going there own separate directions three months from now. Heck, Gabriella wouldn't even be staying the summer. She was gone in two weeks. Not only that, but Kelsi LOVED this theatre. She loved the things she'd learned here and the memories she'd made on that stage.

She glanced up from the orchestra pit to the spot on the stage where the upright piano had sat during last year's Winter Musical call backs. Had it really just been last year? It felt like a lifetime. She remembered tripping and dropping her entire score for "Twinkle Town". She also remembered Troy and Gabriella rushing to help her gather up her scattered papers. Who knew something so simple as tripping would change her High School career so much.

She sniffled again and continued playing, but she sped it up to its original speed. Kelsi was through being depressed and mopey now she was ready to look to the future. Yes, she would miss Albuquerque, but she would be in New York! And it's not like she would be completely alone…Ryan would be there.

"Glad to hear you speed that up. The slower version was extremely gloomy," said a voice from pit entrance. She smiled softly and turned to face the source of the voice.

"I was having gloomy thoughts so I guess that makes sense."

"Gloomy? Kelsi we JUST graduated!" Ryan told her as he motioned to his now unzipped wildcat red graduation gown. "Now more than ever it's time to party."

She smiled at him and sighed, "I know."

"Doesn't sound like it," He told her with a soft smile of his own. He sat down next to her on the piano bench.

"It's just gonna be weird that's all. We're gonna be scattered all over the place. Chad and Sharpay will stay here, Troy and Gabby will be in California, Taylor's going to Yale, and…"

"We're headed to New York," Ryan finished for her except instead of feeling completely depressed at the thought he felt a slight thrill at the thought of Kelsi being there with him.

"I mean that's East Coast, West Coast, New England…WHEN are we going to see each other?" She asked him.

He shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck, "I don't know, Kels. Christmas?"

The look on his face made her feel as if she was ambushing him, and she had not intended to do that. She just felt like she could talk to Ryan so easily. Her feelings just slipped out of her mouth whenever she spoke to him. Well, not all of her feelings just the ones that didn't relate directly to him.

She sighed, "I'm sorry. It's just I've never really thought about that until now. I mean I have…but NOW it's actually happening."

"Hey, don't apologize…its how you feel, Kels, you can't help that," He told her supportively. "But we've still got the summer. We've got until the end of August to enjoy each other before we all go our separate ways. And now is the time to start doing that…with the party at my house. You're coming right?"

She nodded, "And my parents."

"Good, mom and dad will LOVE that," He chuckled. "They've already made plans to go meet the Danforths at ALL the U of A games next year."

Kelsi laughed, "My parents won't know what to do with themselves in that massive house of yours"

"They'll be okay. My parents are having a party for the other parents," He smirked. "So, what's this new piece of yours?"

"It's something I started to write for the musical…I just couldn't finish it in time. I wanted it to be the last number," She told him. He leaned forward and examined the piece.

"There's a part for me in here…and…Sharpay," He gave Kelsi a curious look.

"Of course I wrote a part for you and, well, Sharpay was IN the show…" She shrugged.

"It amazes me that after four years of her bullying you, you still write her into your songs," He said with a kind smile.

She laughed, "I kind of have to."

"So, let's hear it," He demanded as he tapped the sheet music on top of the piano.

She peered at him thoughtfully, "Okay, but you have to sing it with me."

He beamed at her, "Deal."

Ms. Darbus stood in the back entrance to the auditorium and as she gazed up the aisle she smiled at the sound of the voices floating through the room. She'd never said anything to Kelsi, but she wished the girl had auditioned for a show every now and then. She was very talented and it would have been nice to have her voice in the show.

She had been greatly relieved when Kelsi had gotten the scholarship. Unlike Ryan or Sharpay, Kelsi's family didn't have the money to send her to another fine arts school. The Evans Twins could have gone to NYU if Juilliard had turned them away, but for Kelsi it was the Juilliard scholarship or University of Albuquerque. Even though she had sent in Troy's application she had been secretly pulling for the meek composer.

She also wasn't blind to the budding relationship between Ms. Nielson and Ryan Evans. She'd been pulling for that as well. She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Martha approaching. Ms. Darbus held a finger to her mouth as a message for Martha to be quiet. She grinned and nodded.

"They sound good together, don't they Ms. D?" Martha asked in a whisper.

She nodded with a smile, "Indeed they do."

I came home from the movie and immediately wanted to write this. I might write a second part...I kind of want to write about the party at the Evans' house.

Anyway...Enjoy!

angellwings