Back to School

Kelsi took a deep breath as she walked back through the doors of East High. The familiar scent of chalk, teenage ick, and vinyl floors filled her senses, a wave of nostalgia washing over her. Her footsteps echoed in the empty corridor, each click of her heels marking the beginning of a new chapter. For the first few weeks she'd test the waters, only wearing dark professional clothes. Maybe once she saw what the school was like now in the role of a teacher, she would venture into her usual style of colourful clothes and sneakers. She had arrived early, wanting to make sure her classroom was perfect.

The music room, her sanctuary, remained nearly unchanged. The grand piano, its polished surface reflecting the morning light, stood proudly in the centre. Kelsi ran her fingers over the keys, the smooth ivory still holding memories for her. Practice sessions, classes, and recitals, they all flooded back. A grateful smile danced over her lips. She was home. Quickly arranging her supplies on her desk, she ran over her lesson plan for the day one more time. She could hear the dull roar of students starting to flood the halls as busses arrived outside and was taken back to her own days walking these halls. Hidden mostly from sight, but growing in her talent, she had made her way through those tough and exciting four years.

Her phone buzzed, a text from Jason bringing a smile to her face:

Morning Ms. Nielsen, have a great first day! I love you babe

She sent back her love and thanks just before the bell's shrill ring broke through the quiet of her classroom signalling that her students were on their way. Kelsi straightened her posture, a mix of excitement and apprehension bubbling within her. Teenagers began to hesitantly enter the room, their eyes wide with curiosity.

"Good morning, everyone," Kelsi greeted as they filed in and found seats, her voice warm and welcoming. When they had all settled and the second bell rang, she took one more breath to calm her nerves. "Welcome to Music 1, I'm Ms. Neilson, your new teacher." A few shy smiles appeared, the initial tension easing slightly. "Welcome to East High, grade nine, the first year of high school. It's a tough one, but I want to assure you we're going to have a great time in this class. I'm new to teaching too, but I've been where you are." She looked across the nervous faces and her gaze fell on a student at the end of the middle row. "Right there actually," she said as she pointed to the desk. "I was a student here a few years ago and I sat right there in this class. I spent a lot of hours at this piano and it was where my musical journey really took off."

She continued quickly through her introduction, sharing her passion for music, her path through Juilliard, and her hopes for the class. As she spoke, she noticed a spark in some of their eyes, a flicker of interest that ignited a sense of purpose within her. "So let me take attendance, and we'll get right into our first unit of basic music theory!" The first day was just the beginning. Kelsi knew there would be challenges, but she was ready to face them head-on. She was back in her element, ready to inspire a new generation of musicians, just as she had been inspired years ago.

"Cross! Perry! Can you guys come to my office, please?" Allan barked across the shop

Oh, shit. What now? Jason wondered before throwing down his tools on the bench. He met Luke with a confused glance on their way to Allan's office

"Have a seat, gentleman, there's a few new trainings coming up we'd like you to take part in. They're a bit spaced out, a couple of the ones in December are only in Santa Fe, one is a two part seminar that spans two weeks so better pack a couple bags. You've got almost two weeks notice now, hope that's enough for your ladies to deal with."

Jason blew out a long breath and slumped in the chair as he looked over the upcoming schedule. "This is a lot, Allan, are you sure these are all necessary?"

"Absolutely! I've made sure the value is there for these classes. The two week course is strictly classic car restoration and preservation, the preservation being the key part. We're good on the repairs, but this is about preventing damage before it happens. Then it looks like our shop does the work that doesn't have to be done again. We want to ensure long term solutions for our clients to keep their cars on the road," Allan stated, leaning back in the chair. "Have you beavers lost your eager already?"

"No, sir, it ain't that," Luke chimed in, "just a lot of time away from home. Livin' out of a suitcase ain't my favourite thing."

"And you, Cross?"

"It's fine," Jason answered flatly, "I'm always happy to learn. I should be able to work this out with Kelsi."

Allan gave them each an inquisitive look, but still handed over their travel information and dismissed them. "I don't know if you boys have ever been to Canada, but you're going to love it in the fall."

Jason stopped dead in his tracks, making Luke crash into him as they went to exit the small office. "Wait, did you say Canada? My passport is out for renewal, it should be back this week, but it might not."

"Better find your birth certificate just in case then, you can usually pair that with a driver's license."

"I hope that gets back on time too then," Jason admitted with a nervous laugh.

"Guess this is my lesson in advanced notice then," Allan laughed, "let me know if they're not here by Friday, I'll cancel your flight."

As Jason wandered back into the shop with Luke, his mind raced with all the implications of this upcoming schedule. They convened at his station, leaning against the tool boxes and scratching their heads over how to explain this to Kelsi and Alisha. Jason fretted about the wedding planning, the planning he was supposed to be helping Kelsi with. He couldn't let her do this all alone. What could he possibly get done in the next two weeks to help her before he was gone for two weeks and then five more random trips after that?

"Geez, Cross, don't scrunch your brow any harder or you'll split your face," Luke teased as he too went over the busy schedule before them.

"This is just a lot of trips, Kelsi and I are trying to plan the wedding and she's going to be doing it all by herself with this. I feel like an asshole already as it is working these ten hour days again."

"Ain't that the tough thing of livin' with a woman," Luke replied with a sigh. "I hope that I don't have that much trouble when Alisha and I get to plannin'…"

Jason turned and raised an eyebrow at his friend, "Dude, did you…?"

"Naw, not yet, but I'm thinkin' I might soon. I got a ring belonged to my grannie, but I don't know if she'd like it."

"Want me to get Kelsi to find out what she likes?" Jason offered. "Girls talk about that shit, she'd be none the wiser."

"Yeah why not, and who knows, if she gets to thinkin' I'm gonna propose soon, she might not be so mad about all this damn trainin' we're dodgin' off to."

Jason huffed and went back to his work. Luke was right, they were both in for an earful when they got home tonight.

"Ah Kelsi!" A melodious voice filled the music room, making Kelsi look up from preparing for her next class.

"Miss Darbus!" she replied, jumping up from her seat to greet her mentor and friend.

"I was beyond thrilled to hear you had been accepted to teach here! What a delight it is to have you and Sharpay working with me now! The musicales will be more spectacular than ever," Miss Darbus exclaimed as she welcomed her with a big hug. She held Kelsi's hands and couldn't help but notice the jewel adorning her left hand. "Well well well, who's the lucky one?"

"You remember Jason? He sat in the back of your homeroom class, used to ask odd questions?" Kelsi answered.

"Ah yes, what a sweet young man he was. Is he your groom to be?" Miss Darbus asked with wide eyes.

"Yes, he is. We'd been dating a year and then he proposed," Kelsi answered with a smile, her mind always slipping back to that magical night whenever she mentioned it.

Miss Darbus proceeded to pepper her with questions about her years at Juilliard and how she and Jason got together, each question bringing more smiles and laughs between them. "Well my dear I am so proud of you, to see how far you've come since you were skipping out of my class to be seated to this very piano," she said her eyes passing affectionately over the keys. "You should be proud of yourself as well, there is no greater charge than to share something you love with others and help them grow as someone once helped you grow."

"I couldn't agree more, Miss Darbus," Kelsi said, "I wondered if I might have made it big if I stayed in New York, but this is my home, and it's where my heart is. I hope I give these students just as much support and guidance as you gave me."

Miss Darbus' eyes became visibly glassy and she stood with a determined smile, sniffing back the emotion of Kelsi's kind compliments. "Well that will be up to you to make sure that happens," she said, "you can do it, Kelsi. And I will be here should you need anything." With that she turned for the door and left without another word.

Kelsi heaved a deep sigh as the bell rang, signalling that her next students would be on their way soon. One class down, three more to go and she'd be through the first day.

Her other classes passed just as well, her classroom filled with freshmen who were just as nervous as her to be in a new school. They got through their first lessons on basic theory, but her piano class of sophomores was the shining gem of her day. She was so happy to see what these students had already achieved the year before and made a note to connect with the other music teachers on their amazing delivery of the curriculum. When the last bell of the day was finally rung, she made her way through the crowded halls towards the back parking lot. Just as she headed for the outer doors, she collided with a line of basketball players on their way out to the track for afterschool practice. Her folder of music and class paperwork went tumbling out of her hand, spilling across the hall. Some of the team members apologized and tried to help her collect her things before a booming voice echoed into the hall, making them all jump.

"Let's go, boys! What's the holdup?" The familiar voice of Coach Bolton made Kelsi smile as she tried frantically to pick up the papers before they were wrecked. "You guys go on and clear the hallway I'll take care of this." Coach Bolton moved across the hallway and quickly picked up a few stray papers, still oblivious to who he was helping.

"I'm really sorry about that, these boys never watch where they're going," he said as he handed the pages to her. His face lit up with a bright smile when he recognized the tiny figure in front of him. "Oh! Hi, Kelsi! I forgot you were going to be working here, it's great to see you!"

"Thanks, Coach, it's good to see you too," she replied, stuffing her paperwork away as neatly as possible, "and don't worry about those guys, I remember it all too well."

"Well it's your first day, have you had a chance to meet any other faculty? There's always a little party in the staff room after we survive the first day back," he offered, "come on, I'll show you the way."

"Thanks, Coach, I must have missed that memo," Kelsi said and followed along, trying to keep up with his long stride while dodging students heading for their busses, "although I can't stay too long, I'd like to have dinner ready for Jason tonight."

"So you're still running around with Cross then?" Coach Bolton asked with a laugh.

Kelsi chuckled and showed off her ring. "Yeah, I guess you could say that, we live together and we're engaged."

"Well congratulations!" he replied, "I didn't hear the news. So Cross actually proposed then? Didn't think the guy had the balls."

"I assure you he does, Coach," Kelsi said with a grin.

They arrived at the staff room where Coach Bolto opened the door for her, leading into a long room with a few sofas, chairs and lunch tables. The kitchenette was littered with some welcome back snacks and freshly brewed coffee and tea. Kelsi caught a wave from Sharpay and Miss Darbus across the room as a loud clap called everyone's attention.

"Well everyone, we have a few new faces here this year!" the exuberant history teacher, Mrs. Peters, called across the room. "Let's all be sure and welcome our new math teacher, Ross Parker, our new art teacher, Sheila Brooks, and our new music teacher, Kelsi Nielsen." A small round of applause rang across the room, making Kelsi feel the warmth of the welcome. "It is a pleasure to have you all back again for another great year at East High!" Mrs. Peters added before inviting everyone to enjoy some refreshments.

Kelsi fetched a tea and a small cinnamon roll and met a few of the other teachers in the music department, having not had the chance to make their acquaintance yet.

"The curriculum has been heavily revamped this year to align as close as possible with the new RCM requirements," Mr. Lewis said, a seasoned music teacher and accomplished brass musician himself.

"I'm glad to hear that, Mr. Lewis," Kelsi replied, "a couple of my sophomores asked about the exams this afternoon and I hadn't had the chance to review if the curriculum would help them prepare if they are interested in testing for the RCM."

"We don't have many who do," Miss Taylor answered, "I think you were my only student who did, Kelsi." The memory of the hours she had spent in the practice hall with Miss Taylor during her years here flashed back to Kelsi's mind just as a familiar voice interrupted.

"Kelsi!" Sharpay called, waving her over.

Kelsi excused herself and made her way over, eager to connect with the theatre teachers. "Hey, Sharpay, how was your first day?"

"Well I'm not a teacher so I didn't have to deal with all that student drama, but I spent most of the day planning the schedule for the shows this year, sourcing supplies, all that shit. I never thought I'd be so good at all this administration, but I love working here, helping Miss D run the drama department. It's a good gig while I audition for my own shows on the side."

"And it's always a joy to have you here sharing your expertise when you're not performing, Sharpay," Miss Darbus added affectionately.

As she sipped her tea and listened to Miss Darbus and Sharpay discuss their upcoming plans for the drama department, Kelsi checked her watch and realized she had to get home, all of this elbow rubbing had eaten away at the afternoon. She said goodbye and was sure to thank Coach Bolton for the introductions on the way out, then rushed to the car to make her way home.

Kelsi arrived home and quickly got started on some dinner, defaulting to an easy meal of pasta and meat sauce with Jason due home anytime now. She heard the door open just as she was putting the finishing touches on the meal and ran to the door to greet him.

Jumping into his arms, not caring how grimy he was, she wrapped her arms and legs around him in a tight embrace. "Hey, J!"

"Hey! Easy there, gorgeous! You're gonna be a mess like me," Jason chuckled and returned her embrace with a tight hug of his own. "How was the first day?"

"Give me a kiss first, Gearhead," Kelsi replied, pulling his lips onto hers.

Jason turned and backed her into the wall, deepening their kiss until they could hardly breathe. He broke away and gazed into her sparkling green eyes. "How was that?"

"Amazing as always. You can put me down now before dinner gets cold," Kelsi said with one more kiss on his cheek. He lowered her gently to the floor, but wouldn't let her go. "What?"

"You're wearing my clothes again," Jason murmured, his eyes tracing down her body, shrouded in one of his old Ford t-shirts and his track pants, "and I might be a little tempted to tear them off you."

"Well not tonight, I need your help with the seating chart after dinner so go, go and get yourself clean!"

"Alright, if I didn't love how cute and feisty you get when you're bossing me around, I might be irritated with how demanding you can get," Jason said over his shoulder as he kicked off his boots. He looked back and couldn't help but laugh out loud at Kelsi flipping him off, a playful smirk on her face. "I love you too, baby," he added and headed for the shower.

When he came back down in clean clothes, they settled in to their dinner with Kelsi talking endlessly about the first say back, then the plans for the wedding. "I know it's still almost a year away, but I'd like to get things done sooner rather than later."

"I understand, Kels," Jason said, debating how soon he should bring up all the training he had for the next couple months. "I'll do whatever I can to help you."

Kelsi leaned back in her chair and ran a hand through her hair, "Will that be before or after you get back from wherever the hell in Canada you're going for two weeks?"

"Uh, well… wait how did you know about that?"

"Alisha texted me while you were in the shower," she answered flatly. "I guess Luke is more forthcoming than you are,"

"It's not that, Kelsi. In case you haven't noticed, you've been talking since we sat down," Jason replied, slightly annoyed at her accusing tone.

"Well this is important stuff, we've got a lot to plan for the wedding."

"I'm not arguing that, I'm just saying don't accuse me of keeping stuff from you. You didn't give me a chance to talk. What was I supposed to do?"

The tension grew palpable and Kelsi realized what he was saying made sense. "I'm sorry, J. I didn't mean to accuse you, I let the frustration of you being gone again get the better of me."

"I think we need to talk about you jumping to conclusions, Kels… it's not the first time it's happened." Jason's tone was somber, the hurt obvious in his voice. "Why do you do that? Assume the worst of me when you're upset about something?"

Kelsi heaved a deep breath and reached for Jason's hand. "I'm sorry, hun, it's an anxious response. I get worried and it stresses me out. I guess that's when I start making assumptions, I have to make sense of what's going on."

"Well I need you to ask me and talk to me. Stop making assumptions and making me the bad guy before I even get the chance to talk."

Kelsi's eyes flooded with realization at how she was making him feel. It wasn't fair to him and it didn't help provide the answers she was looking for. "Okay Jason, I understand. Thanks for calling me out and I will work on that. I'm sorry again for making you feel that way."

Jason returned her hold on his hand with a gentle squeeze as the familiar warmth between them flooded back to his face. "Thanks, I need to be able to get a word in if you want me to tell you stuff."

"Right, girls do talk too much," Kelsi said with a laugh and playful roll of her eyes.

Jason laughed with her and leaned across the table. "That's true, but I love the sound of your voice, especially when you're singing, or when you're saying sweet things in my ear while we're—"

"Okay, okay," Kelsi giggled and shoved him away, "you made your point, but we have a bunch of stuff to do tonight, can you help me with that seating chart or not?"

Jason stood to collect their plates and started in on the dishes with a mischievous smile on his face. "I've got two weeks before I go away, Kels, I've got time for all kinds of things."

Kelsi trudged up to the office and sat down to her laptop after cleaning up another solo dinner, the loneliness of missing Jason settling in hard tonight while he was in Edmonton for his two week training course. She looked up at the clock on the wall, he'd be calling sometime soon when he got out of class. Scanning through her email, she started to feel the overwhelming amount of things she had to do. There was a stack of first assessments waiting to be graded in her class folder, two voicemails from photographers to respond to, and a mountain of emails from other wedding vendors and school matters alike that needed her attention. She took a deep breath and braced herself, One thing at a time.

She was just finishing grading her papers when her phone rang, Jason's caller ID lighting up the screen. "Hey, honey," she answered with a relieved smile.

"Hey, Kels," Jason's voice crackled through the phone, "how are you? You sound tired."

Kelsi stretched then slumped in her chair. "Yeah, I am tired," she answered, "I had a lot of papers to grade tonight and now I'm trying to get to some of the wedding stuff."

"I'm sorry I'm not there to help, baby, is there anything I can do for you now? Anything you need to talk about?"

"Well actually there is, I had a couple messages from some vendors today, there's two photographers who have availability, I'm just not sure which one to go with. They both do great work, but I'm flip flopping on the video idea."

"To be honest, hun, I don't think we need it. I found my parent's wedding video once and they said they never even watched it. Maybe we can ask a friend to take some candid stuff like Andrew had at his wedding, that was actually fun to watch."

"I think you're right, I'll call back the one that was just for photos and hopefully I can still book them," Kelsi replied, a warm feeling flooding through her. Just the way they had agreed and come to a decision together made her feel like the weight of planning all of this was a little lighter.

"Kels, there was something I wanted to ask you about," Jason said hesitantly.

"What's that, J?"

"Well I feel pretty bad that you're handling everything and I thought maybe there's a piece of the planning that I could take care of. Kinda like a surprise to you."

"Oh you know I don't like surprises, and especially not on our wedding day!"

"I was going to offer to take care of the honeymoon planning, I've got a few ideas and thought maybe I could take that off your plate. You focus on the big day and I'll plan a nice getaway for us. What do you think?"

"Tempting," Kelsi mused, "are you sure you can? It's not that I don't trust you, but since you're gone for training and you haven't been able to help me much so far, will you have time?"

"I think because it's not actually time sensitive to the wedding day, it's separate, I think it'll be good for both of us. You don't have to worry about it, I'll plan something nice, do what I can to help, and you can just relax once the wedding is over."

"Alright, we'll look at the numbers when you're back and see what the budget is so we don't overspend."

"Sounds good to me. Like I said, I have a few ideas, it'll be nice to get to surprise you," Jason said, the eagerness audible in his voice.

"Okay, thanks for taking care of that for us, baby," Kelsi said, her eyes making their way back to the emails she had to respond to. "I'm gonna let you go, I have to get back to those few dress shops and book some appointments, and set up for the caterer. You're going to be back for the meal tasting this weekend right?"

"I should be unless something happens with my flight on Friday."

"Let's hope not, can't wait until you're home, baby," Kelsi said softly, her heart aching at missing him terribly. "That bed sure is empty without you, J."

"I'll be home soon to warm it up for you," Jason replied, suggestion hanging heavy in his voice, "and make a mess of those bedsheets with you. Goodnight, Kels, I love you."

"Goodnight, J, I love you too." With that, Kelsi hung up the phone and turned back to her computer, reminding herself to take this one message at a time.