Disclaimer: Neither “High School Musical” nor “Hannah Montana” belongs to me. This story is inspired by the “Hannah Montana” Season 2 episode, “You Are So Sue-able To Me.”

Chapter 3

The weekend had arrived along with the night of Ryan’s birthday celebration, but Kelsi wasn’t in the mood to party. She was still utterly upset about Jason having turned her down when she had asked him to the upcoming school dance a few days ago. And this after she had let Chad and Taylor give her a glamazon makeover to try and get Jason to like her!

So instead of schmoozing and dancing with her classmates inside the Evans’ mansion, Kelsi had hauled her broken heart outside to sit by the pool. That and she didn’t particular feel like running into Jason, who she knew was somewhere inside. Not after all her efforts to avoid him school. She had even thought about skipping the party entirely, but didn’t want her gloom over Jason to make her not be a good friend to Ryan.

The petite kicked the water in frustration and immediately watched her white, leather sandal fall off and start to float away. She bent down to grab it before it could get too far and then chose to remain sitting by the pool edge, taking off her other sandal and letting her legs dangle in the water. Kelsi tugged on the sleeves of her white and orange stripped shirt that she wore under her blue jean, overall dress.

She then pulled the brim of her pale peach cap lower over her moping face and let out a huge sigh. Where had she gone so wrong with Jason, she wondered to herself. Chad and Taylor had sworn that Jason would want to go with her to the dance if she had gone from theater girl drab to fashion makeover fab. Kelsi had held onto dreams of going to the dance with Jason for months. Now, all she was left was with nightmares of hearing tales of him dancing the night away with another girl.

“I thought you’d be inside dancing,” a male voice suddenly interrupted Kelsi’s reverie.

“Jason!” she gasped, spinning around to match the face with the voice she had instantly recognized.

“Not dancing?” he repeated, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“Not in the mood,” mumbled Kelsi.

“That’s funny. I thought you’d be all into dancing, considering how excited you seemed about the school dance a few days ago,” said Jason.

“Yeah, until the someone I wanted to go with turned me down,” Kelsi pointed out.

“Kels, I… I always wanted to go to the dance with you,” replied Jason, suddenly sounding shy.

“You DID??” squeaked Kelsi in surprise.

“I mean, yeah,” blushed Jason, running his hands nervously through his hair. “But I wanted to go to the dance with you. But with cool, creative, piano chick Kelsi. Not the pink Playboy dress Kelsi with the freakishly high-heeled shoes and weird deep voice who asked me in the cafeteria the other day.”

“I was being dumb,” admitted Kelsi, turning red. “I let Chad and Taylor give me a makeover ‘cause they said it would get you to notice me and ask me to the dance.”

“You’re right that is dumb,” agreed Jason, sitting down beside her by the pool’s edge. “Kels, I like you just the way you are.”

“Really?” she breathed; her eyes growing wide.

“Yeah,” responded Jason, blushing as he glanced down briefly at his hands before smiling as he turned back to her.

“So, if I asked you to the dance again, would you say yes?” inquired Kelsi hopefully.

“Which Kelsi is asking me?” questioned Jason.

“There is only one Kelsi,” she replied grinning. “Just plain-old piano playing, cap-wearing, glass-faced Kelsi.”

“Good,” said Jason with relief. “’Cause that’s the only Kelsi I want.”

“So is that a yes?” asked Kelsi, just wanting to make sure.

“How’s this for an answer?” grinned Jason slyly.

Kelsi’s heart raced happily as the next moment Jason leaned in and kissed her. She couldn’t believe that he had wanted to go to the dance with her all along. And that he had liked her, too.

No pink tube dress. No make-up. No contacts. No silver stilettos.

Just the way she was.

THE END