AN - Hey guys! Sorry I've basically disappeared from Fanfiction! It's been a hectic year, with school and all these community projects I'm doing, and camp. I just got back from a community service trip, so I'll try to update when I can. I still have a hectic summer ahead! Reviews please?

Summary - Exactly what the title says. It's High School Musical Degrassi Style. An Eclare story.

Disclaimer - I do not own Degrassi, or the characters :(

Chapter Three – Basketball Practice

Eli waited anxiously in the hall outside of Ms. Dawes's homeroom, hanging back as his friends went on to their next classes. Finally, Clare came out, and he walked toward her, hardly able to breathe. When Clare saw him, her eyes widened in disbelief.

She said, "I don't-"

"-believe it," Eli finished in a whisper.

Clare nodded. "Me-"

"-either," Eli finished again. "but how…"

"My mom's company transferred her, and she wanted me to be close to her. So I transferred from Lakehurst to here," Clare explained. She shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe you live here. I looked for you at the lodge on New Year's Day, but-"

We had to leave first thing," Eli said, still whispering.

Clare looked puzzled. "Why are you whispering?"

He looked a little embarrassed. "Oh, well, my friends know I went snowboarding, but I didn't tell them about the…singing…thing."

"Too much for them to handle?" she asked knowingly.

"It was…cool," Eli said quickly. He didn't want her getting the idea that he hadn't liked their singing debut. "but, my friends-that's not what I do. That was like a…a different person."

They had reached the bulletin boards where activity sign-up sheets were posted. Eli pointed at the sheet for the winter musical auditions.

"Now that you've met Dawes, I bet you can't wait to sign up for that," he said, grinning.

"Why is that?" Clare looked confused.

Eli smiled, she looks cute like that, he thought. "Oh, you don't know, Dawes runs the musical. It's her soft side showing."

Clare laughed. "I won't be signing up for anything here for a while," she said. "I just want to get to know Degrassi." She glanced at him shyly. "But, if you signed up, I'd consider coming to the show."

Eli shook his head. He couldn't even imagine the reaction he'd get if he signed up for the Degrassi musical. "That's completely impossible," he said.

From behind him, Jenna's voice said sweetly, "What's impossible, Eli? I wouldn't think 'impossible' is even in your vocabulary." As they turned to look at Jenna, she gestured toward Clare. "So nice of you to show our new classmate around."

She raised one eyebrow as she saw Clare looking at the musical sign-up sheet. Very deliberately, Jenna stepped in front of Clare, and signed her name with a flourish. In fact, Clare noticed, Jenna's signature took up the entire sign-up sheet.

But Jenna looked at her, the picture of innocence, and said, "Oh, were you going to sign up, too? K.C. and I have starred in all of Degrassi's productions, and we really welcome newcomers." She smiled, ever so sweetly, then added, "There are a lot of supporting roles in this show. I'm sure we could find something for you."

"No, no," Clare said hastily. "I was just looking over the bulletin board. Lots going on at this school. Wow." I'm babbling, she thought. I have to stop it! "Nice penmanship," she added weakly, before hurrying away to her first class.

Now that Jenna had been left alone with Eli, she decided to seize the opportunity. "So, Eli," she said coyly, "I missed you during vacation. What'd you do?"

He shrugged. "Practiced basketball. Snowboarding. More basketball."

Jenna nodded cheerfully, and, using all of her dramatic training to sound as if she really cared, asked, "When's the big game?"

"Two weeks." Eli sounded resolute, determined. Two weeks until we're either champions-or we're not, he thought.

"You're so dedicated," Jenna said, batting her eyelashes just a bit. After a moment, she added, "Just like me! I hope you'll come watch me in the musical. Promise?"

Just like Jenna to bring the conversation back to herself, Eli thought wryly. But he smiled and nodded as he walked away.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

A few hours later, Eli and the basketball team had gathered in the gym for practice. Eli and Adam challenged each other by running a pressure drill, while the others ran a weave drill.

"Hey, you know that Degrassi-musical thing?" Eli asked as he tried to dribble around Adam. "Is it true you get extra credit just for auditioning?"

"Who cares?" Adam asked as he blocked Eli.

Eli raised one eyebrow, and tried to scoot around Adam from the other side. "It's good to get extra credit…for college and all," he said, trying to sound casual.

Adam laughed and shook his head. "Do you think that great basketball legends ever auditioned for a Degrassi musical?" he asked mockingly.

"Maybe…" Eli said hesitantly.

"Eli, the music in those shows isn't hip-hop or rock, or anything essential to the culture," Adam explained patiently. "It's like…show music. Costumes, makeup." He shuddered. "Frightening."

Eli shrugged, still trying to sound like it was no big deal. "I thought it might be a good laugh. Jenna's kind of cute too."

Adam looked at him with total disbelief. "So is a mountain lion, but you don't pet them."

Eli nodded, and gave up for the moment. Time to take charge of this practice, he thought. Time to focus. The championship game, he reminded himself sternly, is only weeks away. He turned to his team. "All right, let's come in, run the passing drill," he yelled.

The team quickly took their positions, and began tossing the basketballs, and weaving around each other with ease developed through hours of practice. The swishes of the basketballs being passed around started to create a rhythmic tempo, and Eli began to call out the practice drills.

"Coach said to

Fake right

And break left

Watch out for the pick

And keep an eye on defense

You gotta fly the give and go

And take the ball to the hole

But don't be afraid

To shoot the out side 'J'"

The Panthers had developed a team motto, and now Eli shouted it to get teammates pumped up:

"Just keep ya' head in the game

Just keep ya' head in the game

Just keep ya' head in the game

And don't be afraid to shoot the outside 'J'"

The team members smiled and moved even faster, smoother, better. Eli was a great captain, and he could motivate them like no one else. Eli grabbed a basketball and joined the drills, dribbling left around one player, and right around another, still calling out drills. When practice ended, everyone took a deep breath, smiling at how great they felt and how great they had looked. The Panthers were definitely good to go for the championship!