Hi, I am new here. I have been reading all of your fanfiction for, well forever, and I finally decided to give it a go. I just got back from a road trip with my boyfriend and was inspired to write a story about Kelsi. The kids I nanny for love HSM, and I really connected with Kelsi. The main focus of this story is going to be Kelsi's college and early adulthood. I am going to do brief 1st person points of view for junior through senior year.

So, I hope you enjoy....

Um..I don't own HSM...obviously.

Junior Year

I never expected to be the sort of girl who would find herself crushing on a boy who used her only for her music…but I was. Every time Ryan and Sharpay asked me to rewrite one of my original compositions for them I did it. And not because I did not have the confidence to stand up to Sharpay…okay maybe that was part of the reason. No in all honesty my main reason for giving in were the butterflies. The crazy flutter of butterflies that took root in my stomach every time Ryan Evans was near. And trust me when I say that is just as hard to admit as the confidence issue.

My name is Kelsi Nielson and I am a composer, daughter, friend and at times invisible. Well, at least I was invisible for this part of my story…and pretty much everything before junior year too.

But then junior year changed. It just seemed that something clicked, or it could have been that the always single Ryan Evans started dating Annie. And the annoying thing was, I couldn't even be mad or outraged about it, because, well, she was great. (And everything I wanted to be.) She was outgoing, beautiful, and genuinely kind. I was also a little grateful to her. Because for once, I could push those darn butterflies to the back of my mind. (Notice I say push them away, not get rid of them completely…baby steps right?)

Junior year was also my introduction to Gabriella Montez and Troy Bolton, the couple who changed everything. Of course, I already knew Troy, or more accurately, knew of Troy. We had never actually spoken…different social circles and all. That said, I could always tell he was a good guy. He was the sort of guy that would make eye contact with you in the school hallways and smile or say hi, whether he was alone or with a group of his friends. And Gabby, well Gabby was the same way, so of course it just made sense when they became East High's power couple. They stood up to the status quo and challenged East Highs' students and faculty to do the same. They also indirectly challenged me to stand up to Sharpay. When Sharpay threatened me during the callbacks for my play Twinkle Town, the old Kelsi would have cowered and muttered "yes Sharpay." But not the new Kelsi. No, the new Kelsi stood up to Sharpay and accompanied Troy and Gabriella on the piano while they sang my song the exact way I heard it in my mind. That was the moment I realized by respecting my music, Troy and Gabriella respected me. At that moment I was forced to face the fact that like his sister, Ryan did not respect me either. I mean, what else was I supposed to think? If he did respect me, he would have stood up for the original draft of my song. I sound healthy right? Well, while my head had wrapped around the reality of Ryan Evans; my heart and those always present butterflies had not...oh dear.

Junior year was also the year I became part of a group. And I don't mean group in the sense that I am part of the drama club. No, this group was more, it was special. Junior year was the year that I, Kelsi Nielson had friends. And not just friends who are really more acquaintances, these were real friends. I went out shopping with Taylor and Gabby. I went over to Troy's house with the gang for movie nights, and the gang came to my house too. Junior year I made friends with not only Troy and Gabby, but also with Taylor, Chad, Zeke, Martha and Jason. Ah, Jason. I met Jason through Troy, Chad and Zeke. They were all on East High's basketball team together. Jason was sweet, kind and well, interested in me. And that was the first time a boy had ever seen me as more than a friend. Since we all hung out in a group together, it just seemed natural that Jason and I would start dating. Now that I think about it, I don't think we ever really talked about it. One night he drove me home and gave me a sweet kiss goodnight. And that was it, we were together.

I naively thought Jason would help me forget about Ryan. I mean it wasn't like Ryan was sitting around mooning over me. He had Annie, who even Sharpay approved of. As much as I enjoyed my time with Jason, Ryan was still there filling my stomach with butterflies.