So I wrote this as a oneshot about five years ago, and I was reading it over tonight and I realized exactly how bipolar Kelsi sounds in this. I can't leave it that way, so this is the revised and, in my opinion, greatly improved, oneshot. I know that there is still a lot of things that could be done to make it even better, but this version makes me happy for the time being.
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Late
Jason Cross was late. Well, in Coach Bolton's mind, at least. Jason had left basketball practise to go to the washroom, and was expected back in five minutes. He has already been gone for seven. The regular consequence was one lap around the gym for every minute you were late. That meant that Jason was sitting at two laps. Three, he corrected, glancing at the clock hanging on the wall. He quickened his pace as he walked the long way towards the gym. As he passed the auditorium, he heard a rusty voice trying lyrics with various piano chords. He passed the auditorium in a light jog.
The brown-haired basketball player made a point of going to the washroom at the same time everyday. He would walk the long way and listen to the piano playing for a few minutes before returning to do the required laps. He was in awe of the piano from the second he heard the music. But the music that he had fallen in love with was not the music being played that day. The music that day was more upbeat. Today, Kelsi was not playing.
The girl who had taken Kelsi's place at the piano was Jason didn't recognize. She had very dark hair, similar to Jason's, and she never played the calm, classical melodies that Kelsi played. Jason had initially been shocked that day after day, this girl had taken Kelsi's place at the piano. However, months later, he came to expect it. Now, he came past the auditorium more out of habit than expecting to see Kelsi.
The next day, Jason was walking with Troy and Chad towards the student parking lot. The three of them were going to go hang out at Troy's. As they were walking past the auditorium, laughing at some joke Chad had just told, Jason heard a smooth melody that he knew unmistakeably. Kelsi was back.
"Hey, guys, I forgot something back in the gym. I'll meet you out at the truck," he hastily made up the excuse, jogging back around the corner. He waited until he couldn't hear Troy or Chad anymore before going to the auditorium and peeking inside. He saw the girl at the piano was wearing baggy pants and a hat, and was composing music. It was indeed Kelsi.
Kelsi glanced up at the creak of the door.
"So you're the disturbance Myra told me about." Her voice was beautiful to Jason, and it echoed around him. She stood, and closed the folder of songs. Kelsi walked towards the frozen player. "You come in everyday, huh?" He stuttered at the question, his voice lost in her presence. The once shy girl had some self-esteem now. He gathered his pride and all of his confidence.
"I heard playing a few months ago," se responded, trying to meet her eyes. Here she was, the girl whose playing he had admired for months on end, back in the auditorium, talking to him.
Kelsi smiled. "Myra plays in here during your practise now. I play afterwards. My biology tutoring is right after school."
"You tutor biology?" Jason asked.
Kelsi laughed. "No, I need to be tutored in biology. I skip too many classes, I guess," she explained.
"You don't seem like the type to skip class," he told her.
"Well, there is a lot you don't know about me. We aren't friends. We only know each other because of Troy and Gabriella. I'd bet that if it wasn't for them, you wouldn't even know my name."
"That isn't true," protested Jason. Kelsi gave him a pointed look. "Okay, well, maybe it is. But I'm happy that I do know who you are. I wish I knew you better."
Kelsi rolled her eyes. "I bet," she said dryly. There was a short pause. "I'd also bet that you are just like Troy." Jason gave her a confused look as he took a seat in the front row of the theatre. "I mean in the sense that Troy gets everything he wants practically handed to him because he's Troy Bolton, captain of the basketball team, lead in the spring musical." Her tone was tense.
"Kelsi, it isn't like that at all," Jason said quietly. He stood up and walked up the stairs towards the upset compose. "Troy worked hard to be made captain, and he won the lead during call backs, fair and square. And you can't deny that he and Gabriella were the best leads that East High has had in a musical in years."
"And I do know all of that!" Kelsi exclaimed. "I do, but it just doesn't seem fair that some people in the school get everything, and other people get completely overlooked."
"You mean people like you?" Jason asked tenderly. "Kelsi, it would be impossible to overlook you. Without you, the school wouldn't have a musical."
"I don't just mean the musical, Jason, I mean everything! In the cafeteria at lunch, the basketball team sits front and centre with everyone else pushed to the side. Most people barely know the scholastic decathlon team exists because the skip it so there's more room for basketball news. And the guys on the basketball team can have any girl they want, just like Troy got Gabriella, and Chad got Taylor, and neither of them even had to try!"
"But you remember what Troy and Gabriella went through to be together," Jason protested, "and Taylor has always had a thing for Chad. Just like I've always had a thing for you."
"Me?" Kelsi whispered. "Why would you like me?" Jason got up from the seat and walked up the stairs to the stage as she spoke. He carefully sat beside her on the small piano bench.
"I don't know why," he told her, "but I do know that I like you a lot. And I know that I'm not just going to let you get away from me." Kelsi blushed at that.
"Jason," Kelsi started, but stopped abruptly when Jason bent so he could brush a kiss against her cheek. "What does this mean?" she finally asked.
"I don't know that either, Kelsi," Jason told her. "I know what I want, but you haven't told me what you want, or how you feel."
"I…I like you, too, Jason," she spoke after a moment. She smiled up at him, and he smiled down at her. "I think I want the same thing you do."
If it was possible, Jason's smile got wider. He knew that he should go find Chad and Troy, but he didn't want to leave Kelsi. Instead of leaving, he let her show him chords on the piano, showing him how she played the song that Jason had long admired her playing.
Chad leaned against the doorframe, and smiled at his friend's happiness. The bushy haired teen smiled, and chuckled silently to himself, knowing that this time, he didn't interrupt anything. He exited, and left the school, knowing Jason would rather walk home than have Chad interrupt.
I don't think I'll end up editing these in the order they were posted in. I think I'll end up editing the one that I think really needs it first, and the next one is Chapter 4. I think it is terrible, and needs to be completely reworked so it makes some sense, so that one is next. I hope you enjoyed this. :)