College at New Mexico State University had only started what seemed like only a few weeks ago to Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay, Ryan, Chad, Taylor, and Zeke. They had all graduated East High a few years ago and had moved on to college. Now they were all graduating in only a few weeks.

But Troy was bored out of his mind in Advanced Calculus class. He laid his head down on his desk and tried to fall asleep, while also trying to block Mrs. Connie's voice out of his head. After what seemed like forever, he dozed off – but only for a second. Suddenly, a paper ball hit him in the back of the head and landed between his back and the seat. He reached behind him and uncrumpled the note.

Troy,

The gang wants to meet for lunch in the cafeteria. Are you going to join us? They said that if you're in to meet at the spot. Hope you're joining in.

Love,

Gabriella

Troy smiled and scribbled back quickly.

You can count on it! I'll see you at lunch.

He passed the note back to Gabriella behind him. She took it and read it. Troy turned around and she nodded at him. What seemed like yesterday to Troy was when everyone hooked up. He and Gabriella had hooked up during the summer before their senior year and very soon after that, his best bud Chad and Gabriella's best bud Taylor had hooked up. Most surprising was when Sharpay and Zeke hooked up before Christmas break; No one had seen that coming. Troy was still thinking about his friends when suddenly the lunch bell rang. Everyone grabbed their bags and scrambled out of class. Troy waited for Gabriella outside of class and then they hurried to the lunch room together.

"I'm going to need some major help with calculus homework tonight, Gabby. Will you help me?" Troy asked Gabriella.

"Of course!" she replied. "Besides, maybe you can help me with my basketball homework!"

"Ha ha, very funny," Troy said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "But, um, you know how we graduate in six weeks?"

"Yeah. Chad's throwing a graduation party at his house that night. He asked me to ask you this period if you wanted to come."

"Yeah, I'll defiantly be there. But, then there's our real graduation, where they give us the diplomas and stuff, that coming Monday. Do you want to go out to dinner that night? I picked out this really fancy restaurant on the beach and there's something I wanted to ask you that night. It's kind of really important." Troy felt his heart tighten at telling her this. Nobody knew about it.

"I'd love too. A dinner on the beach sounds totally romantic. I'm already looking forward to it!" Gabriella smiled. Troy smiled back. "Oh! There are the others! Come on!" Gabriella grabbed Troy's hand and they hurried towards the gang waiting outside the cafeteria by the bulletin board.

"You who! Gabriella! Troy! Hurry up! Before all the good stuff is gone!" Sharpay called, waving at them as they hurried toward them.

"Sorry, we were talking and lost track of time," Gabriella said, slightly breathing heavily.

"Talking? About what?" Taylor asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Graduation," Troy replied. He led them all into the cafeteria. They all grabbed trays and loaded their plates with sandwiches, fruit, cookies, a salad, and a bottle of water. They sat down at a table near the back of the cafeteria. "Can you believe that we're almost out of here? I can't wait to get a really good job."

"Yeah!" Chad exclaimed, shoving a cookie into his mouth. "I'm glad Troy and I got a really good basketball scholarship. We even got an English degree. I plan on maybe writing some books." He stuck his chin up and crossed his arms in pride.

"Wow, Chad! Who knew you were so smart!" Taylor laughed. "I got a PhD in science and math, so I'll probably be a scientist or maybe work for a medicine company."

"You better not try to poison me when I get muscle pains!" Troy joked. Everyone laughed.

"Well, Ryan and I got scholarships to Broadway and an acting boot camp kind of thing. We're going to perform on Broadway, do movies, TV shows, and all sorts of acting things," Sharpay said, fluffing her hair. "My dad knows many agents who are willing to hire us right after we graduate."

"I'm really looking forward to it. I can see our names in light now in New York," Ryan said, gazing out in to space, putting his hand out in front of him and sweeping it across the air. "We'll be huge!"

"I'm planning on actually being a singer and making a CD," Gabriella said. "I want to tour the country with Troy and Chad, 'cause I know they'll both be playing basketball professionally as soon as we graduate."

"I'm psyched!" Troy exclaimed, making a fist and punching it into his hand. "Me and Chad, playing basketball side by side on a professional team. I'm letting our coach know that if they trade me to another team, they've gotta trade Chad along with me."

"Yeah, Troy! Best buds for life!" Chad exclaimed, giving Troy a high five.

"Well, I'm planning on working as a baker in a really fancy restaurant," Zeke said proudly. "It's a V.I.P. restaurant only. It's really hard to get in. It's expensive too. I'm sure I'll be seeing all of you there!"

"You sure will be!" Sharpay said, lightly touching Zeke's arm. "You'll put me and Ryan at the top of the list, right?"

"Totally!"

"Isn't that cool Ryan? Ryan? Ryan!" Sharpay shouted.

"What? Oh, yeah. Totally, that'd be really cool." Ryan hadn't been paying attention. He'd been gazing at his crush across the cafeteria, a girl he'd been crushing on ever since he started school: Kelsi Nielson. He thought she was a great composer, really talented, smart, funny, and pretty. It was one of the many reasons he liked drama club at East High so much. He hadn't told anyone he liked her all these years, not even Sharpay. He didn't like it when Sharpay picked on Kelsi, but if he defended her, he was afraid Sharpay would become suspicious. He really wanted to ask Kelsi out, but he was afraid she'd laugh at him or something.

"You've been acting odd lately Ryan," Gabriella said, frowning. "Is something bothering you?"

"No, no, nothing's bothering me. I'm fine." Ryan was starting to sweat. "Really." He was scared they'd find out he liked Kelsi. But he kept his cool. At least he hoped he could.

"Kelsi, you've hardly eaten you're salad," Brittany said. "Are you okay? Kelsi? Kelsi? Kelsi!"

"What? Oh, I'm sorry; I guess I'm just a little distracted." She'd been staring across the lunchroom. She'd been fiddling with her salad but then heard Ryan talking and started staring at him. She'd been secretly crushing on Ryan ever since she met him. She hadn't told anyone she liked Ryan except her diary and Brittany, her best friend.

"Girl, I know that look," Brittany said flipping her dark hair behind her head. "You were staring at Ryan, weren't you?"

"What? Oh no, no, I ...well, yes. I was," Kelsi said slumping her shoulders and raising her head. "I mean, he's just so cute! He's cute, funny, smart, and talented, he's just perfect! He never picks on me like Sharpay does. But he would never go out with me, I just know it!"

"Kelsi!" Brittany exclaimed. "Girl, you know if you put a little effort in, he might like you. Why haven't you told Gabriella? She's like your other best friend and you two have told each other everything. She even told you when she thought she was moving again, and she didn't even tell Troy. I know Gabriella wouldn't laugh at you, and neither would Taylor. Why don't you talk to them? They're friends with Ryan, and I know they'd keep your secret, just like me."

"You do have a point, Brittany," Kelsi said. "Gabriella and Taylor have always been really nice to me," Kelsi knew Gabriella had always been nice to her and had told her stuff she hadn't told Troy or anybody else. And Taylor was just as equally nice. Maybe she would tell them.

"I think I will tell them. But, you know, in secret. I don't want any blabber mouths over hearing," Kelsi nodded her head in Sharpay's direction. "But will you be there with me when I tell them? You know me; I'm a quiet, nervous little mouse."

"Of course, Kelsi! That's what best friends are for!" Brittany said, putting an arm around Kelsi.

"Thanks so much," Kelsi said hugging Brittany. Suddenly, the bell rang for everyone to go to his or her next class. "Oh! Come on, this will be the perfect time to tell them." Brittany and Kelsi grabbed their bags and headed off after Gabriella and Taylor.

Kelsi and Brittany caught up with Gabriella and Taylor just as they were passing the bathroom. Troy, Chad, Zeke, and Ryan had gone into the boys' bathroom, and Sharpay was walking down the hall towards English class.

"Gabriella, Taylor, can we talk to you for a second?" Kelsi asked.

"Sure." replied both girls.

"In here." Kelsi whispered, going into the bathroom.

"What's the big deal, Kelsi?" Taylor asked. "Why are you being so secretive, leading us in here to talk in the bathroom?" Kelsi wasn't paying attention. She was watching Brittany, who was looking in each bathroom stall.

"Is the coast clear, Brit?" Kelsi asked. Brittany nodded. "Good. Now, Gabriella, Taylor, there's something important I've gotta tell you." Kelsi said shuffling her feet, her hand twirling a braid around a finger.

"It's super important," Brittany said, coming up behind Kelsi and placing a hand on her shoulder. "I mean, so important, you've got to keep it a secret. Can you do that for Kels?"

"Of course we can," said Gabriella sighing. "You've kept my secrets, Kelsi, and Taylor's kept a lot of mine. We can totally keep a secret for you."

"Yeah, it's not like we're going to tell Sharpay. She'd totally tell!" Taylor said smiling. "So come on, spill. What is it?"

"Well, the thing is, I have a, um, secret crush on someone." Kelsi whispered, wringing her hands.

"Ohh! Who is it?" Gabriella breathed, smiling. She was very happy for her friend. Kelsi was usually very shy.

"You'll laugh at me." Kelsi said, looking down at the floor.

"No we won't!" Taylor exclaimed. "We're your best friends, Kelsi. We'd never laugh at you. Please tell us."

"Go on." Brittany said, nodding her head at Kelsi.

"It's…Ryan Evans!" Kelsi blurted out. "I've been crushing on him ever since I met him! That's one of the reasons I joined Drama Club! I was always writing music 'because I thought maybe Ryan would like it and would want to dance to my compositions and maybe ditch Sharpay and ask me to dance with him! When my compositions were selected that year you came to East High, Gabriella, I was really excited because I thought Ryan and Sharpay would definitely get the parts! But then when you and Troy auditioned, my mind changed and I wanted you guys to get the parts and I'm glad you did. I've always been nervous of asking him out because of Sharpay and I'm also afraid he won't like me back and laugh at me and I just don't know what to do!" Kelsi covered her eyes and slid down the bathroom wall.

"Oh, Kelsi!" Gabriella sat down next to her and put her arms around Kelsi. "I can see why you'd be afraid. Sharpay can be a bit of a control freak. But thanks to Zeke, she's gotten a bit better on the bossiness."

"I can see why you like, Ryan," Taylor said, kneeling down next to Kelsi. "He's very nice and talented. And he's very smart. You should try and face your fears and just talk to him or ask him out."

"I don't think I can!" Kelsi exclaimed. "I mean, look at him! He's like one of the most popular guys in school and he'd never give me the time day, I just know it!"

"Hey, I just had an idea," Brittany said, kneeling down in front of Kelsi. "Why don't we get Gabriella to ask Ryan what he likes in a girl? She can make up a reason why she's asking him, and then we'll go shopping and give you a total makeover."

"Yeah, that's a great idea!" Gabriella exclaimed. "We won't be changing you, we'll just be buying clothes that both you and Ryan like and you might get the confidence to ask him out."

"Well, will you all help me out?" Kelsi said looking at her best friends.

"You bet!" they all exclaimed.

"Thank you so much!" Kelsi exclaimed, pulling them all into a group hug. "I'm already starting to feel more confident! Let's hurry and get to English, before the bell rings and Mrs. Bunker marks us all tardy!" They all walked out of the bathroom, laughing the whole way, Kelsi leading the laughter with a big smile on her face.

"Okay, Ryan, what's the big deal?" Troy asked. "You dragged us in here to tell us something important."

"Yeah, what is it? I don't want to be late for English and get yelled at by Mrs. Bunker again." Chad said, crossing his arms.

"Okay, okay, calm down," said Ryan, putting his hands out in front of him. "But this is really important. I mean, so important, you cannot tell anyone, not even your girlfriends, what I'm about to tell you. Especially you Zeke," Ryan said, eying him. "You can't tell Sharpay at all."

"Okay man, just tell us." Zeke said, raising his eyebrows.

"There's this girl in school, here, that I, well, have a crush on." Ryan said, fidgeting with his hat.

"Ohh! And who is the lucky lady?" Chad said, nudging Ryan in the ribs.

"It's, well, um…Kelsi Nielson." Ryan spluttered.

"Kelsi Nielson?" they all exclaimed.

"Shhhhh!" Ryan said, putting a finger to his lips. "Yes, Kelsi. I've had a crush on her ever since I met her. I always thought she was really talented, but I'm afraid to say anything to her because Sharpay bullies her so much. I'm afraid she'll become suspicious. And I thought I should tell somebody, and you guys are the only ones I trust."

"Well, Kelsi is a pretty girl," Troy said. "She's very nice and smart and funny. I should know since Gabriella and I rehearsed with her a lot."

"I know. But I like her. I mean really like her," Ryan said sighing, rubbing his neck. "I want to impress her, ask her out on a date, but I just know she won't. I mean, look at me! I'm a drama geek and she's really quiet and she would never go out with a guy like me."

"Dude," Chad said, walking over to Ryan and putting a hand on his shoulder. "You're a cool guy. You're nice and funny and cool. And you're an awesome dancer."

"Yeah," said Zeke, joining in. "You helped us a lot with the Battle of the Bands competition. And what Chad said is true. I know Kelsi-she would totally go out with someone like you. I mean, other than being really good at dancing, we're all like the same kind of guy, you, Chad, Troy, and me. And she's friends with us."

"If you want help with impressing Kelsi, we can help out," Troy moved in to the group around Ryan. "I can ask Kelsi what she likes in a guy, like, make up some reason why, and then we can help you adjust to her taste."

"Well, if you'll help me out," Ryan pondered. "I guess so. I mean, I'd do anything for Kelsi, but not just change my whole personality."

"You bet, man!" they all echoed. They all slapped high-fives.

"Now come on, let's get to class, or we're going to be late to English and get nailed by Mrs. Bunker." The boys ran out of the bathroom and trailed off to English, Ryan happiest of all.