High School Musical [H.S.]

Over Again

The next day, Calum sat alone at the piano, playing with passion and energy. No one was in the room. Just Calum and his music. Exactly the way he liked it.

Harry sat at a stairwell, practicing his audition song. He kind of liked the way his voice echoed.

At that moment, Ben rounded a corner and slowed down to listen. He could have sworn he heard someone singing.

Meanwhile, Becca had found her own private spot with good acoustics, the girls' bathroom. She stood in front of the mirror and sang.

Luke was heading for class when he thought he heard the faint sound of singing. He turned his head to spot where it was coming from . . . there! He opened the bathroom door and went in, looking everywhere for the source of the music.

He found . . . nothing.

I've been rehearsing too much, Luke thought as he left the bathroom. I'm starting to hear that music everywhere I go!

Becca stepped out of the hiding place she had quickly found for herself and smiled.
——————
Later that day, in the school's rehearsal room, Calum played the piano for Becca and helped her with her phrasing.

Then it was Harry's turn. He worked as hard as he could, but singing was harder than he thought. Just when he was getting frustrated beyond belief, Calum would stop to encourage him.

Just like basketball, he thought. You've gotta keep practicing.

And he started to sing again.
———————
The other basketball players were in the gym, warming up for practice. Coach Payne kept checking his watch. Where was Harry? He frowned. Something was going on with that boy. Something weird. Something different. And it was getting in the way of his championship dream.

Liam didn't like it. He didn't like it at all.

He would have liked it even less if he had known where Harry was.

In detention. Again.

The only bright side was that Becca was there, too. They stole glances at each other as they painted scenery. Each one was sending a secret smile. Each one was hearing the audition song in their heads.

Finally, detention was over. Harry raced down into the gym–only to find that practice was over, too.

The players headed toward the locker room. Hoping to recover a bit from his absence. Harry said to his father. "I'm going to stay awhile, work on some free throws."

Coach Payne nodded coldly in agreement. "Since you were late for practice again . . . I think your teammates deserve a little effort from you today."

He gave harry a hard look, then headed for his office.

Harry sighed. He started shouting hoops, sinking one after the other.

Then Becca poked her head around the door. Harry smiled in welcome and waved her in.

Becca entered cautiously, looking around with curiosity. "Wow, so this is your real stage."

"I guess you can call it that," Harry said. "Or just a smelly gym."

He bounced the ball over to her. Becca grabbed it and took a shot. It went in, and Harry turned to her, surprised.

"Whoa . . . don't tell me you're good at hoops, too?"

"I once scored forty-one points in a league championship game," she said, straight-faced.

"No way," he said, impressed.

"Yeah," Becca laughed. "The same day I invented the space shuttle and microwave popcorn."

Harry laughed, and stole the ball back from her, took a shot, and missed. Becca grabbed it on the rebound and said, "I've been rehearsing with Calum."