As the curtain came down on the end of the first act, Sam beamed proudly at the loud applause.
"Everyone loves it!" Grinned Ryan, rushing to her. "I don't think I've ever seen them like one of the school musicals so much."
"Really?" Smiled Sam. "Are you trying to make my head grow bigger?" They both laughed.
"Actually Sam…I was wondering if I could ask you something." Said Ryan, nervously.
"What is it?"
"Well…We're getting on really well now and….I just wondered that…if now things have cleared up a bit…whether we can give things another shot?" Sam was shocked.
"Ryan, I--"
"Ryan, you stood right in front of me at the end!" Screeched Sharpay, storming over. "Do I have to go through how you DON'T upstage me again?!"
"Sorry Shar…" Said Ryan, slightly scared. Before Sam could give him an answer, Sharpay pulled him off.

Jenna was staring in to space when someone tapped her on the shoulder. Looking up confused, she saw Gabriella standing there.
"Hey…Sorry I didn't see you before but yeah…I was on stage. I just wanted to see how you were?"
"…Been better." Jenna admitted, hugging herself, looking around cautiously to make sure he wasn't anywhere to be seen.
"I'm really sorry for what happened. I can't believe he got off, he's a horrible guy."
"Don't worry, it's karma, right?" Jenna shrugged, but Gabriella shook her head.
"No-one deserves that. I just want you to know that…if there's anything I can do to help…I will. If you need a female friend, I don't hold grudges." Jenna smiled.
"You're really sweet, but you shouldn't feel the need to be so nice to me. But thanks anyway." Gabriella smiled, and rushed backstage as the 1 minute curtain call came across the speaker system.

The show was a big hit with everyone, and there wasn't a single person in the school hall who hadn't enjoyed it. As soon as the lights came up and everyone started leaving, Harry pushed himself through to the backstage area to congratulate Sam, and tell her how he felt.
"Sam!"
"Oh Harry, hey!" She grinned. "Oh my god, I'm on such a high! I can't believe it went so well!"
"It was amazing, well done." He said, hugging her. "Um….I dunno how good a moment this is to tell you what I wanna tell you but…I'm just gonna come out with it."
"Oh? What's wrong?" Asked Sam, concerned. "I'm all ears."
"I love you." Harry blurted out, instantly wishing he'd said it in a more tactful way.
"…You love me?" Sam's eyes widened. "Like…as in….more than we are? But….You never said…"
"I've felt the same for years. I've just never found the right way to say it to you. You're just amazi--"
"Harry, Ryan just asked me out." She said, interrupting him before she started feeling any worse. "I was….going to say yes to him." Instantly, Harry felt his world crashing down.
"O-oh." Was all he managed to say. "No look, it doesn't matter. I'm uh…drunk. So…just forget I said anything."
"But Harry--"
"Go be with your clique, Sam." He said, slightly bitterly. "And your boyfriend." Sam tried to find the words to apologise, but couldn't get them out before Harry stormed into the crowd leaving the auditorium.

Jenna hadn't seen Harry since he had gone to see Sam, so assumed he was still with her, or had left without her. Either way, Jenna wanted to get home and have a long bath before going to bed, as it would be her first official day back at school the next day. As she started moving towards the door, a hand grabbed her by the elbow.
"Thought you'd be here." Came the voice, and Jenna froze up.
"Just leave me alone."
"Now why would I do that." He laughed. "I can't be tried for the same crime twice, you know that. I can do what I want now."
"GET OFF ME!" She shouted, trying to pull away. He tried to twist her arm painfully, but Jenna quickly felt the grip on her arm loosen, and she saw Troy twisting the guys arm behind his own back.
"Something you wanted to say, Brad?" He sneered.
"Ah man, you're no fun." He rolled his eyes.
"Oh no, I'm lots of fun. That's why you're off the team."
"What! Since when!"
"Since the allegations got you expelled from the school. I heard my dad talking about it the other day. So get the hell out of here." He looked between Jenna and Troy, before speeding off. Jenna let out a sigh of relief, but it was very awkward with Troy there. "You okay?" He asked, rubbing her arm. "He hurt you?"
"No…it's fine." Said Jenna, pulling her arm away. "I should go home and find Harry. I'll see you around." Troy nodded, and waved Jenna off.

As Sam finished putting the props away in the cupboard, she jumped when someone tapped her on the shoulder.
"Ryan! That was so cruel!" She said, hitting him playfully. "You could've been an axe murderer or something!"
"How do you know I'm not." He laughed, sticking his tongue out. Sam rolled her eyes.
"Shouldn't you be at yours and Sharpay's party? I'll be along in a minute once I've finished packing up here.
"Nope. Not going anywhere until you answer my question." He grinned. Sam smiled awkwardly.
"…Harry…told me something…really weird tonight. That he…loves me." She shivered at the use of the word.
"….Well…" Sighed Ryan. "If you want to be with him then…I guess it's fine."
"What? No Ryan, of course I don't."
"Huh?"
"I'm only telling you so you know, silly." She grinned. "The only guy I wanna be with right now is you." Ryan smiled, and leaned in for a kiss, which Sam returned eagerly.

In home room the next day, everything seemed back to normal, with the exception of a lot of the cheerleaders not talking to Jenna, and Harry not talking to Sam.
"First and foremost, I would like to congratulate all clubs! The drama club's production went down a storm, and both the scholastic team and the basketball team got into their respective semi-finals! So because of how hard everyone has obviously been working, we have arranged our annual senior ski trip." Everyone seemed to cheer up a little at that prospect. "You will be free to do what you want, but of course with obvious exceptions. There is to be no mixed rooms, no drinking, no smoking, and no other illicit activities."
"Are you…sure about the rooms?" Asked Ryan, nervously.
"Well of course there are some special circumstances. You and Sharpay are free to share a room, and Sam and Harry, as you are such close friends and still relatively new, we don't expect you to find people to share with."
"Great…" Muttered Harry. Jenna gave him a sympathetic look, having already been told how Sam was planning on getting back with Ryan.
"Okay, class dismissed! You need to get your deposits in and have your name on the sign up sheet by the end of the week!" Everyone murmured and left the room, and Jenna caught up with Harry.
"You gonna go?" She asked him.
"How can I?" He sighed. "Me and Sam sharing a room isn't even on the radar anymore, let alone at all possible."
"Well…if you're not gonna go, then I'm probably not gonna go." She shrugged. "I think you should though, Harry. You might get a chance to talk to Sam properly." They both went quiet as Sam and Ryan walked past, walking hand in hand. The look Harry gave Jenna told her that talking to her about it wasn't even an option.

"Got no more shows to plan now." Sam pouted. "What are we supposed to do with our free time now?"
"Things for Sharpay? That's the only reason you're here isn't it? To get close to my sister." He teased. Sam laughed, and nodded.
"Yes. She's who I secretly really want. You're just a means to my end."
"Damn, always the way." He said, rolling his eyes. Sharpay came over, looking at them confused.
"What's going on? Never mind, I don't want to know." She snapped, not giving them a chance to answer. "Are you coming on the ski trip?"
"I don't know…are you, honey?" Asked Sam, hugging Ryan.
"I will if you will." He grinned.
"Oh don't worry about him! Just come!" Sharpay sighed, impatiently.
"I'll go if you go." Said Sam, nodding. "Shall we go? It'll be all romantic with the snow…We can be like Eskimos." Playfully, she rubbed noses with Ryan, and Sharpay screamed, rolled her eyes, and stropped off, obviously frustrated by the lack of attention she was getting.

Once Harry had gone to the library to do some research, Jenna headed over to the cheerleaders.
"Hey!" She grinned, forcing a smile. Carrie stopped whispering and turned to face her.
"Oh, hey." She said, nodding. "You coming on the trip? You'll love it…after the first night, I hear it's pretty much a free for all, they don't check anyones rooms more than once."
"Well…I'd like to go but…not for that." Jenna said, awkwardly.
"Suit yourself." She snapped.
"Can I share with you?"
"No. Sharing with Kim."
"Oh…" Said Jenna, a little taken back. "…Carrie are you feeling okay?"
"Fine. Just don't wanna share with the girl who's gonna make us lose the championship."
"What? Carrie--"
"Let's just not talk about it." She snapped. "We've got practise, come on." Jenna shrugged, and was about to follow when Troy came up to her.
"Hey, how you feeling today? Excited about the trip?" He asked.
"Not really, I don't think I'm going." She shrugged.
"What! It's amazing! I've heard things from last years seniors, it's amazing. It's a cool place, too, it's where me and Gabriella met. I'm sure she'd really like you to come, too."
"Oh, cool." Jenna smiled. "Look…I'll think about it, but I'm not making any promises. I should probably go and catch up…" She nodded her head towards the cheerleaders. Troy nodded too, and the two parted ways.

Sam, after looking all over the school for Harry, eventually came to the library. She needed to talk to him about what was said after the show, and though she had come round to his house that morning to talk to him, she'd been told that he'd already left for school. Seeing him sitting alone, she went and sat opposite him.
"I've wanted to talk. I came round and you weren't in." She said in a whisper, so she didn't get caught talking.
"Felt like walking to school." He muttered, turning the page. Silence.
"…Can we talk though?"
"Alright." He shrugged, closing his book.
"Harry, you are my best friend in the whole world. We've been friends since we were babies practically. I never want you to be anything less than that."
"Right." He said, looking at her. She took another deep breath.
"Me and…Ryan are back together." He rolled his eyes. As if he couldn't notice. "But I don't want it to cause a rift between us. I'll do whatever it takes to stay the way we are." He nodded, and Sam smiled, relieved to change the subject. "So, are you coming on the ski trip?"
"I'm not sure. Don't think Jenna is. Are you?" Sam nodded.
"Hope I'll see you there." She said. Harry shrugged again.
"We'll see." Sam sat with him in silence awkwardly, hating that it was still as awkward as ever. Eventually, she sighed with defeat, and left Harry to his homework.

Jenna and Harry walked home together, as both had walked to school together that day, to get Harry some fresh air to clear his mind of the whole Sam problem. It hadn't worked, of course, and it was giving him an even bigger headache on the journey home.
"So, thought anymore about the ski trip?" Asked Jenna, as she turned the front door key.
"Yeah….I guess I can go. Gives me a chance of talking to Sam. And seeing her with Ryan. Fun." Jenna laughed.
"You know what…I think I'll go to. I think this whole week away is going to be a lot of fun."