DISCLAIMER: Sadly, I am not fortunate enough to own anything pertaining to High School Musical. I did write the song that the grads perform, "Cliché The Graduation Song" and therefore own and have copyrighted it.
FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING: In the 3rd paragraph down, I talk about the graduating class lining up "by cord." A lot of high schools hand out colored "cords" that are worn like a sash to students who excelled in a certain subject or department, and then the rest of the students are lined up alphabetically. Just wanted to let you all know that's what "by cord" means!
If there were such a thing as a perfect June day, the East High graduation day fit the bill. Soft white clouds artistically spattered the sky in enough moderation to give way to a bright, hot sun which was cooled by the gentlest of spring breezes. It was a day of bittersweet celebration as some of the finest students East High had ever seen prepared to proceed with the next chapter of their young lives.
While the students would probably only miss high school in retrospect, it was safe to say that the sports department would suffer the loss of Troy and Chad, the chemistry club would need to fill the void of Gabriella and Taylor, and the Drama Department would be quite a bit emptier without Ryan, Sharpay, and Kelsi.
The latter two were grateful that graduation lineup was by cord and that they both received the same one (for drama, naturally). Kelsi marched beside one of her fellow short drama club members and Ryan and Sharpay side-by-side directly behind Kelsi -- or at least in theory. It was 2 minutes and counting until the graduates were set to depart on their march, and Sharpay was nowhere to be found.
"Ryan, you said she was here," Kelsi whispered urgently.
"She is!" the blonde boy exclaimed. "Or at least she was…"
Before another word could be spoken, the topic of the conversation, whose perfume could be smelled before she could be seen, swished around the corner in all her Sharpay-like glory.
"Would you two stop with the panic faces long enough for us to enjoy the ending of 12 years of lower education? I'm here, I'm beautiful, and I'm ready to go!" Sharpay playfully joked at her brother and girlfriend's expense, giving Ryan a pat on the back and Kelsi a pat on the ass.
Kelsi turned around and tried her hardest to even pretend to be cross with Sharpay, but her serious expression gave way to a smile, which Sharpay predicted.
"You know you can't stay mad at me," the tall, tanned beauty grinned.
Kelsi's eyebrows danced over her bright blue eyes as she replied, "At least not today," with another smile.
The conversation fell to a hush when the familiar and long-awaited melody of "Pomp and Circumstance" began playing over the loudspeaker, but only a few seconds of silence lingered in the air before Sharpay used her advantage of being behind Kelsi to whisper in the direction of her ear.
"Speaking of today, we never really made a yes or no decision," Sharpay urged.
"Right, well I was hoping we could talk about it while we were in line, but you were la -" Kelsi began.
"Well, so, what do you think?" the blonde asked before she could be lectured for being late once more.
The shorter girl took a deep breath and released it in the form of a soft sigh. She waited to speak until after slowly processing past the section of faculty near the back of the football field, which is where the ceremony was being held.
"Well… my dad knows, your parents know -"
"Yeah, they know, not to say that they're happy about it," Sharpay interjected.
"Right, but they still know. So, no surprises there," Kelsi concluded.
"A lot of people at school have figured it out by now -" Sharpay started.
"And even if they haven't, at this point it won't matter all that much," Kelsi finished.
"If you wouldn't mind, Ladies, we're kind of in the middle of a graduation here!" Ryan interrupted sarcastically.
"Well, if you wouldn't mind, Lady, this is just a little important, too!" Sharpay sniped back at her brother.
"All right, guys, enough, we're almost to the front. So, what is it, 'Pay, yes or no?" Kelsi asked, using the nickname that only she was allowed to call Sharpay.
Sharpay exhaled deeply and gazed at the back of her girlfriend's head. Even though she couldn't see her face, Sharpay could still picture every facial expression that the brunette made when she spoke. She had spent the past year studying Kelsi so intently that she felt she had every trait and characteristic memorized, from the way she flexed her eyebrows to the way her nose crinkled when she smiled. Secretly, it scared Sharpay a little to be that wrapped up in another person, but Kelsi had more than proven her dedication and loyalty, and the singer knew she owed it to her composer, are more importantly to herself.
"Yes," Sharpay stated, "Let's do it."
The line turned left just in time for Sharpay to see Kelsi smile, although she knew that's what she was going to do anyway. Since the two lines split and separated down the middle, Sharpay and Kelsi would be next to each other for the entire ceremony, and once the class marshal seated the class, the couple discreetly squeezed each other's hands as the seemingly endless ceremony began.
After a little over an hour of speeches and scholarships, diplomas started being handed out, which startled both Kelsi and Sharpay out of their daydreams, knowing that it was almost go time.
They both watched Troy and Ryan, among others, receive their diplomas and convene in front of the podium where Ms. Darbus was waiting to turn the pages of the sheet music. The brunette gave her girlfriend's hand one final squeeze when she was called up to get her diploma, and Sharpay smiled before heading toward the podium.
After taking shaky-legged steps to and from the podium to get her diploma, Kelsi sat down at the piano, gave Ms. Darbus a quick smile and closed her eyes in mental preparation for the song and aftermath.
When everyone and everything was in place, Ms. Darbus took one of the cordless microphones set up on the ground and began to speak in true dramatic fashion.
"Thank you one and all for gracing our graduates with your presence as they prepare to matriculate from our hallowed halls," Darbus began, "I'm proud to wrap this commencement ceremony up by presenting you with some of our most musically inclined students as they sing together for the last time on the East High grounds and send us off with an original composition by our very own Kelsi Nielsen. Without further ado, the senior members of the Drama Club and Choir!"
Kelsi stilled her trembling hands as she waited for the applause to die down. After a quick glance at Sharpay, who gave her a reassuring smile, she began to play.
TROY:
Well, it's a different kind of day
When every word you say
Comes out like a cliché
And that's okay (and that's okay)
GABRIELLA:
These last 4 years have shaped who we've become
And now we're done
We had some fun
And now we wonder what's to come
RYAN:
You say, "I'll miss you much,"
I say, "Let's keep in touch"
Distance is just miles
We hide our tears behind our smiles
SHARPAY:
The feeling starts to hit
That this is really it
But I just need to say
Before we go our separate ways
ALL CHORUS:
Take a moment
To remember what we've done
Think of the friendships that we've made
And who we've loved
Dry your eyes and hold your head up high
We don't have to say good bye
'Cause when I look back on the memories that we've shared
I'll always find you there
The 2nd verse seemed to move more quickly than the first as Kelsi began a mental countdown in her head. The chorus played for the last time, the applause began to ring, and she once again looked at Sharpay, whose smile and nod prompted Kelsi to stand up and join Sharpay in middle of the curtain call line.
After the soloists and the composer took their bow at the front of the choir, Kelsi and Sharpay turned to face one another, still holding hands, and joined together in a cliché, movie-style kiss. Unintelligible responses could be heard in the forms of whispers, gasps, and a few cheers from what was presumed to be supportive friends, and there was no doubt that all eyes were on them as they began and ended the kiss that seemed to stop time.
After breaking the kiss, they fell into an immediate embrace, burying their faces into one another as a defense mechanism, not ashamed of, but still afraid to face up to what they had just done.
Only a few seconds passed before Principal Matsui officially pronounced them as the graduating class, followed by an eruption of cheers. Simultaneously, the couple broke their embrace and opened their eyes. The first thing each of them saw were red caps in mid-flight and celebration in the form of clapping and cheering, almost like everyone was commemorating their official coming out.
They both knew of course that the response was to graduation, and that if they looked hard enough, they'd be sure to find people who were horrified with their public display. But as they locked eyes once more, there was an unspoken understanding that none of that really mattered.
They were finally free, and they sealed their freedom with a kiss.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: So, the top of the page that I wrote this story on reads: "Sociology 9/29/08," which tells two things -- 1. I didn't take very good Sociology notes, and 2. This was really a very spur-of-the-moment story that I got random inspiration for! This is a short little follow-up for those who read and enjoyed "Break the Mold" and also a little tip of the hat to the highly anticipated up and coming "HSM 3: Senior Year"! Please review as you feel compelled!