Year 5: Nativity

Kelsi and Ryan somehow knew that once they started kindergarten, and going to school, things would change, but they were shocked at how quickly these things would happen. In the kindergarten every year, the class would put on a nativity play, which would be filled throughout with Christmas songs.
"Okay class, put your hand up if you want to play Mary!" Announced their kindergarten teacher, and Sharpay's hand flew up. A few others put their hands up, and Ryan encouraged Kelsi to put her hand up.
"But I can't act or sing or anything." She whispered to him, sitting on the floor cross-legged.
"You can do it." He smiled. The teacher wrote down the girls names quickly.
"Okay, to make it fair, I'm going to put all your names in a bowl, and I'll get one of you children to pick a name out, and that person will be playing Mary, is that fair to everyone?" The class nodded, and they watched as their teacher dropped each name into the bowl. Looking around the class, her eyes eventually lay on one person. "Ryan, would you like to pick the name out?" Ryan's eyes flew open and he looked around the classroom, hoping someone else would want to do it.
"But I--"
"Hurry up Ryan I wanna know!" Pouted Sharpay, pushing him to stand up. Standing in front of the rest of the class next to the teacher, Ryan sighed, and turned to the bowl. Closing his eyes tightly, he put his hand in the bowl, and fished around until he grabbed hold of a piece of paper. Silently he hoped and begged for it to be Kelsi. This was the sort of confidence boost she needed. Opening his eyes, he looked at the piece of paper, and sighed.
"...Sharpay." He announced. Sharpay squealed happily, a few jealous girls clapped politely, and Kelsi stared at her lap, not wanting to look at him. When the teacher announced recess, Kelsi followed Taylor and Martha outside.

"Ryan, we have to tell mommy when we get home! She can pick me out a pretty costume! What does Mary wear? I'm going to be the prettiest Mary there ever was! Won't I Ryan! You can be Joseph, because Troy doesn't like acting. Troy's weird like that but he's so nice! Ryan, are you listening to me? Ryan??" Sharpay tugged on her brother's sleeve as he continued staring across the playground.
"Yeah, okay Sharpay..." Shrugged Ryan, having not listened to a word she said. He made his way to the seesaw, where Kelsi was sitting alone after Taylor and Martha had left to play in the playhouse. Sitting on the other end, Kelsi looked up when she felt herself lift up.
"Go away Ryan, you're mean." She said, frowning. "You said I could be Mary, you lie."
"Kelsi, I'm sorry. I wanted you to win."
"No you picked Sharpay." She argued, kicking the floor angrily when her end of the seesaw went down, propelling herself up again. "I don't want you to be my friend anymore. Taylors my best friend now."
"But Taylor is Martha's best friend!" He exclaimed. "You can't have two best friends, it's not allowed!"
"Don't care. Taylor's my best friend and you're not." She sniffed, getting off of the seesaw and storming off, causing Ryan to land with a bump.

The christmas show got nearer and nearer, but still Kelsi wouldn't speak to Ryan, especially as practise for the christmas show started, and everyone saw that Sharpay had got her way, and that Ryan was playing Joseph. Chad, Jason and Troy had been cast as the Three Wise Men, Zeke, Martha and Taylor were playing shepherds, and a girl called Bailey got the part of the angel. Kelsi was just a narrator, and had a solo, though she was in no way confident of her part. Ryan had tried everything to get her to talk to him. He brought her in cookies, he offered her his chocolate milk, he had complimented her singing when she learnt the words, but she always told him that Taylor was her best friend.

On the day of the show, the kindergarten teacher came in looking frustrated.
"I'm afraid that Bailey isn't very well. She's got chicken pox, so she won't be able to do the show today. But it'll be okay kids, I'll read the part of the angel, we'll be f--"
"Kelsi can do it." Interrupted Ryan, standing up. "Kelsi can do all the show!"
"Ryan, stop it!" Said Kelsi, upset. It was true that she had been paying close attention in the practises, making sure she knew when her lines were, and what order everyone did their scenes in so she could nudge people if it was their turn.
"No Kelsi knows it all! She can be the angel! The angels better than Mary!" He said, sticking his tongue out at Sharpay. "The angels really pretty." He added, shyly, and Troy and Chad started laughing at him as he started blushing.
"Well, Kelsi? Do you want to play the angel?" Asked their teacher. Kelsi shrugged.
"Alright...I'll do it." She muttered.

As the curtains opened up on the makeshift stage that had been set up in a corner of the classroom, Kelsi's mom got teary at the sight of her little girl in the angel costume, reading her lines very quietly, but clearly. The show ran with very few hitches, with Kelsi whispering off to the side occasionally when Troy and Chad were too busy messing around to remember their cue, and at one point went backstage to get Sharpay and Ryan, who were too busy arguing to notice that it was their turn. As the performance drew to an end, it was time for Kelsi's solo. As the music begun, she froze up. She had been concentrating so hard on getting her parts right, she had completely forgotten the words to the song. She started to tear up and shake, trying not to sob, when Ryan ran onto the little stage, and stood next to Kelsi, singing the song. She soon joined in, and they finished the song together.

As the show ended, the kindergarten performers all received a standing ovasion. As most of the children rushed off to greet their parents, Kelsi and Ryan held back a little.
"I got scared." Said Kelsi, blushing.
"You did good." Said Ryan, hugging her. "I'm sorry I didn't make you Mary."
"You made me the angel!" Kelsi grinned. "You said I was pretty, that means you love me yeah?"
"No. Chad said girls smell, and loves silly. I'm never getting married because girls smell." Kelsi frowned.
"But I'm a girl." She said, upset.
"No you're not a girl...You're Kelsi." Ryan decided, holding her hand again. "Be your best friend?" Kelsi smiled.
"Best friend."

It was that Christmas that Ryan and Sharpay got bit by the acting bug, and Kelsi realised that her place wasn't on the stage - but right next to it.