A/N: I don't really know much about basketball (even though one of my best friends was one of the best players at my old school), so forgive me if I get anything wrong. I'm not even going to attempt to name their positions. Haha.

I don't really like this part – it was a bit difficult to write – but go figure.

Also, thanks to everyone who's reviewed and alerted me!

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own High School Musical, or any of its characters, or anything related to HSM.

Scene 2

While getting a job without having to go through the hours of pain of looking, interviews and rejection was a very good thing, Kelsi still feel dread in the pit of her stomach and she had to keep reminding herself that it shouldn't make her feel that way. She was excited to be working at a country club, but the thought of Sharpay haunting the entirety of Lava Springs was enough to almost make her reconsider her answer.

So after chirping an overly excited, "That's great!" she went back to her locker, emptying the remains of it, and sent Ryan a look – obviously the nicer of the twins – who shrugged in response, and left her side to talk to Sharpay.

At least she could share the news with Jason tonight.

The blow of Coach Bolton's whistle made him stop in his tracks, signalling the end of their two-on-two. Jason had been paired with Chad, and Zeke with Troy, and they tied, 23-23 – my jersey number, Jason thought wryly – at the end of their thirty-minute game. Twenty minutes before their little game had Coach Bolton making them do drills.

As Chad dramatically fell to the floor, Zeke and Troy laughing at him – "Hey, Chad, maybe you should try out for the school's next production!" – Jason stood to the side, smiling at them, grimacing as he felt his side hurt.

"Alright, into the house, guys!" Coach Bolton said, blowing his whistle once more before stuffing it into his pocket. Scrambling around to help Chad up and retrieve the basketball with sweat dripping down their faces and soaking their shirts, they followed suit, as Coach excitedly said, "Tell you what, I'm seeing moves I didn't see last season, keep it coming guys!" Excited cheers and yells erupted between them, as they made themselves comfortable, enjoying the rush of cool air from the air-conditioning.

"Hey, Troy," Jason said as the two took a grocery bag each. Coach, Chad and Zeke were already making their way back up the steps and into the house. "What was up with the phone call?"

"Uhhh, phone call?" Jason shot him a look. "Oh, right, phone call. It was from Mr Fulton."

"Fulton who?"

Making their way across the grass and to the stone steps that would lead to the front of the house, Jason tried racking his memory for a 'Mr Fulton'. Was he a teacher at East High, or maybe a teacher at the middle school? His name sounded like he could have been their teacher, perhaps teaching Math.

No, that was Fulbright, he corrected himself.

"Yeah, he was on the news last week," Troy explained. "It was for some charity show at Lava Springs. He's the manager there." Right. Jason could vaguely remember hearing the name in the background while he had been eating in the kitchen last week. If he could remember correctly, he had been eating cereal in the middle of the afternoon while working on a paper. His parents had been with him and when his older brother, Jaime, entered, he shot him a weird look. He can remember being distracted by the phone ringing, which turned out to be Kelsi calling, and abandoned not only his cereal, but the paper that was due the very next day.

"And?"

He asked because he was wondering why – or more precisely, how – this Mr Fulton person had called him, and on Troy's cell phone no less. Looking at the captain and the barely-contained grin on his face, Jason was pretty sure the phone call was more than just "nothing", as the older boy had put it earlier in the house.

By then, Troy's face had broken out into a full-fledged grin. "I got a job!"

"No way! How?"

"I don't know," and Troy really looked like he didn't know, "he just said that they always had a list of students for summer programs over there, and he was offering me a job."

"No way, man, that's cool!" And Jason really was happy for him. Their job hunt had started about a month and a half ago, when it became evident that they had to start saving up, each of the boys having a different reason for starting so early: Troy, to save up for college; Chad, to get a car seeing as how he finally passed his driving test (Jason had gotten a Range Rover for his birthday, passing his test on the first try a week later); Zeke, for a trip he planned on making to watch a baking competition in December somewhere up north (he hadn't been paying attention, as he had spotted Kelsi from across the gym); and himself, well, he didn't quite know what he was going to use the money for, but it was good to have some kept away in case he really needed it. He really couldn't keep going to his parents for it, after all the harmless antics he and Jaime put their parents through.

"But that's not even the best part-"

"What's not the best part?" Chad asked, as Troy and Jason appeared in the kitchen doorway. Coach, Zeke and Mrs Bolton were also looking at them, identical questioning looks on their faces.

"Troy here got a job," Jason supplied. Almost at once the kitchen was filled with noise.

"So what's the best part?"

"The best part?" Troy paused. "I got all you guys jobs as well!"

It was silent, except for the sound of the TV, before it erupted in yells, the excitement evident as the three boys hugged their captain. Questions of what, when, how was heard as Coach and Mrs Bolton stood off to the side as they watched the four, who had been like brothers since forever, and who they saw as their own sons.

"This is going to be the best summer ever!" Chad announced. "What team?!"

"WILDCATS!"

Jason was lying down on his bed later that night, his phone to his ear as he listened to Kelsi talk. He loved listening to her. Sometimes, in the background, he could hear the piano playing, recordings of her work since middle school. It had a calming effect on him, and he wondered why he hadn't talked to her sooner. They had gone to the same school for as long as he could remember, been in the same classes about half their lives. If he'd noticed her and taken interest in her sooner, they could have had all the time in the world to just simply be together, to be Jason and Kelsi, Kelsi and Jason. Even now that he was friends with her, he just couldn't muster up the courage to make it… official, to make his feelings for her known.

"Jason? Are you still there?"

"I'm sorry – what?" He heard her laugh, and he felt his cheeks redden slightly. He wasn't the only one who blushed while on the phone. "Sorry, Kels, you were saying?"

"I got a job!" she said excitedly.

"Really? That's great! Where at?"

When he'd gotten home from Troy's earlier that evening, he had rushed in to tell his parents that he'd gotten a job. Coincidentally, Jaime had also been in the room, and when he announced that it was at Lava Springs and that he didn't even have to do the daunting task of going there and of going through a job interview, he was bewildered. "Summer program? If that's so, then why didn't I get in! I went there to get a job as a lifeguard three summers ago, but Fulton turned me down. The man's harsh," Jaime had said in disbelief, shaking his head while his parents congratulated their youngest son.

"Lava Springs. Sharpay came up to me after you went, and told me that their pianist was 'evidently moving', or more like hiding. I wouldn't blame-"

"Wait, did you say Lava Springs?" Jason asked quickly, his mind only just registering what the girl had said.

"Yes, why?" Kelsi asked slowly.

"Because I got a job there too!" he told her, grinning widely when he heard her squeal in happiness, only to stop herself short and clearing her throat.

"Really? That's great! I guess I'll be seeing a lot of you, huh?"

"Definitely."

Chad's right, Jason thought, this is going to be the best summer ever.