Chapter 1: A Nightmare Day

Troy was having a pleasant dream when all of a sudden his bed started vibrating violently. He tried to ignore it, but it kept on getting stronger and stronger until, finally, he woke up. Troy rubbed his eyes, stretched sleepily, and screamed. He had seen the culprit of the vibrations, his dad, Jack Bolton.

"Dad!" Troy half-yelled," What are you doing?"

"It's 5:15, Troy. I've been shaking you for five minutes!" his father replied, quite obviously annoyed.

"Sorry, Dad, it's just that I'm so tired!"

"Stop the excuses and get moving!"

His father made him run two miles as a warm-up. Then, they ran every drill his dad could think of. Finally, after an hour and a half of hard work, he let Troy practice his shooting as a cool-down. By the time they finished, Troy's feet were blistered badly because his shoes were too small, and, in his rush, he had forgotten to put on a pair of socks.

After Troy finished his breakfast, he went upstairs to get dressed for school. He said goodbye to his parents and walked slowly to the bus stop on his blistered feet.

His luck ran out completely right before he turned the last corner. When he was just in sight of the bus stop, the bus was pulling away.

"Hey!" he yelled," Wait for me!"

The bus didn't turn or stop. Frustrated, Troy walked home only to find that his parents had already left. At this moment, he really wished he hadn't crashed into that car the day he got his driver's license. He would have to walk to school.

Thinking about the car crash somehow made him think about Gabriella's dad. How had he died? Was it a long time ago? Maybe he died in a car crash. Troy wondered this all the way to school. It kept his mind off of how tired he was and how raw his feet were.

Troy arrived at school an hour and ten minutes late and received a detention for his unexcused tardiness. He was so tired from being up at 5:00 that he almost walked into the wrong class. When he finally arrived at the right classroom and his teacher had finished yelling at him, the bell rang.

Chad walked up to his friend, "Troy, are you okay?"

Troy fell against the lockers.

Chad said, "Whoa, man. That's the wrong locker. Troy! Sorry," Chad said to the girl waiting for her locker, pulling his friend off the wall.

"I'm awake, Dad. I promise!" Troy said sleepily to his confused friend.

"Apparently not, Troy," Gabriella said, as she and Taylor walked up.

"Troy, what happened to you?" Taylor sounded worried.

"I missed the bus and my feet are kill-kill-killing me," Troy said, trying to stifle a yawn.

Chad joked, "Dude, you're one of the fastest runners on the team. School isn't that far away from your house."

Gabriella put on a sympathetic face, "Unless you were up at 5:00 practicing with your dad. You have blisters, don't you?"

Troy nodded.

"How bad are they?" Taylor inquired.

"Bad," Troy insisted.

"Come on, man; you've got to get to study hall with Darbus, unless you want another detention.

Later: In Study Hall

Troy was so tired; he fell asleep when Ms. Darbus walked out of the room. Chad decided to let him sleep until their teacher came back. On the other side of the room, however, a plan was formulating in Sharpay's head.

Stealthily, she and Ryan crept a tiny bit closer to Troy. Ryan walked up to Chad and started to talk to him about basketball, confusing a homerun with a slam dunk. Once Sharpay saw that Chad was out of the way, she snuck up to Troy and snapped a picture of him drooling on his hand, fast asleep.

She silently mouthed, "Got it," to Ryan, and they got back to their desks just as Ms. Darbus walked in the room.

Her eyes zoomed in on Troy Bolton, he was asleep! How could he! She walked up to his friend, Zeke, and said,

"Wake him up."

There's no way I'm going to touch a drooling person!

Zeke shook Troy. Troy woke up and sleepily said,

"EARTHQUAKE!"

Ryan and Sharpay snickered behind their hands.

"Mr. Bolton!" Ms. Darbus shouted, "I'll give you an earthquake…in detention!"

Troy was so exhausted, he couldn't even get names straight, "Yes, sir, I mean," Troy groaned and put his head on his desk, for this he got sent to the principal's office.

In Principal Matsui's Office

Troy was sitting quietly in a chair when Principal Matsui walked past. Troy was sitting so quietly, too quietly. The principal looked closer. Troy's eyes were closed and his mouth was open.

By George! The boy's asleep!

"Troy," he said softly, shaking him.

"Wuzzgoinon?" He asked sleepily, and looking around urgently.

"Troy," The principal said, losing his patience, "I think it would be best for you to step into my office for a moment." He opened the door and ushered Troy inside.

"What's happened? Is it my sister?" Troy sounded worried.

"No…" Principal Matsui said confused, "It's not your…sister…I hear you got two detentions and you were sent to my office because you called your teacher sir."

"So?" Troy asked. What's wrong with being polite?

"It was Ms. Darbus," the principal said.

"Oh," Troy said. I am in so much trouble.

"I'm sorry, Troy," the principal said, "I'm just very confused…

You and I both, Troy couldn't help but think.

"You have a sister?"

"Um…Mrs. …I mean…Mr. Matsui…I'm just really tired…" Troy began to apologize.

"Just get to class, Mr. Bolton," the principal said.

"Yes, ma'am," Troy said and he rushed out the door before the principal could even yell at him.

Troy ran absentmindedly down the hall. He couldn't be late for class again. He just couldn't.

Troy walked up to a locker. Any locker. It didn't matter. He leaned against the cold metal. Nothing was more inviting then a nice, cold, metal locker. Even with the lock jammed into his head, Troy started to fall asleep once again.

His dad walked up behind him, "Troy?" His son was now reciting lyrics and dribbling an air basketball.

Coach said to, fake right and break left

Watch out for the pick and keep your eye on defense

Gotta run the give'n'go

Take the ball to the-

Troy opened one sleepy eye, "Not you!" He groaned looking at his father.

"Good morning to you, too, Troy," His father said.

"No fair! I just got away from you! And now you're back! You've come to, like, haunt me, haven't you?"

The boy's insane, Mr. Bolton thought, He sounds like a girl, that Gabriella Montez girl must be having a bad effect on him, and besides, who doesn't love an early morning workout?

"Troy, do you want to-," his father began, but Troy immediately cut him off.

"Dad, please, Dad, please just let me go to class! I begging you, just let me go to class. I just want to go learn something!" Troy begged, practically on his knees on the floor simpering.

"Okay…okay…go to class…"

"Thank you!" Troy burst out, leaping to his feet and seizing him around the waist in a chocking hug. "I love you!"

With that he ran down the hall in a desperate attempt to get away from his demanding father. He was running so quickly he ran smack-dab into the wall of lockers at the end of the hallway. Even with blood dribbling down his face, he still continued to sprint. Anything is better than those drills! He thought desperately. Even living with pink, fuzzy, high-pitched, smelly, tap-dancing armadillos!

As he careened around another corner, he was forced to suddenly check his speed. Even though he immediately stopped running, he still managed to topple over two teenagers standing in front of him. He jumped up, apologizing profusely, but the girls just laughed at him.

Come to think of it, there was quite a lot of people standing around laughing. Everyone was crowded around a bulletin board. Troy pushed his way to the front. Oh, God. This is bad. Could my day possibly get any worse?

On the bulletin was Sharpay's picture of him, covered in his own drool, fast asleep.

Chad had come up behind him, both trying not to laugh and trying to find some way to preserve his friend's dignity…not that he had had any to begin with today. "Troy…run," was Chad's simple advice.

Troy did not need further encouragement. The speed at which he took off with rivaled Hurricane Andrew…on crack.

His incredible speed took him right into Ms. Darbus.

"Mr, Bolton! What is the meaning of this!"

Troy gulped, desperately trying to think of something to say. His mouth was running on its own motor however.

"I'm late! I'm late! For a very important date! No time to say hello-goodbye…I'm late! I'm late! I'm... going to the principal's office! I'm going! I'm going, sir! I'm late! Darn it! Shut up!"

"Did you just tell me to shut up?"

"No…I told Dorothy…Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! I'm late! I'm going! I'm going! Don't eat me! I need to live! I'm too young to die!" Troy ran backwards down to the hall in a desperate attempt to get away from Ms. Darbus.

After yet another confusing trip to the principal's office, Troy gathered his things and what he hoped was his sanity. Halfway down the hall, he realized that instead of his books he had some cheerleaders pompoms. This is the worst day I have ever had. It could not get any worse, even if I tried to make it worse. I hate my life! I hate my life! I hate my father! I hate mornings! And I hate my shoes, God!

Troy had by this time made his way to detention, Darbus style. He had the strongest urge to fling his shoes across the room at her. He restrained himself from getting yet another detention.

An hour and a half later found Troy napping on a piece of scenery. He was dreaming that all the basketballs in the gym had changed in to large yoga balls, like the one his mother had used during her "Tai chi" phase.

Sharpay, who had gotten in detention for posting pictures of him all over the school, walked up to him. "Troy," she yelled sharply. "You are breaking the scenery!"

"Never fear!" Troy murmured sleepily. "For I, the freaky call back boy, am here! A hamburger with pickles and onions please."

"Troy! What are you talking about!"

"I…um…I'm just going to shut up now."

"Troy," Sharpay said with false sincerity, "That is the best idea you have had all day."

Troy was about to say something, but then he remembered that he was shutting up.

Sharpay continued talking, oblivious to Troy's wish to be left in his misery alone. "So, how is basketball going? Troy? Troy? Answer me, Troy!"

Troy had half-fallen asleep again, but remembered to not speak.

"You need mental help!" Sharpay screamed.

"Detention dismissed," Ms. Darbus called.

Troy ran home without realizing he had gum stuck to his shoe. He burst in the door, yelling, "I'm home! I hate my life!"

"That's great, sweetie. How was-"

"School was horrible. Don't ask."

"Troy! Honey! Shut up!" his father called from the den. "Charlene is about to poison Shirley!"

Troy stared at the doorway before turning to his mother and asking, "He's watching soap opera's again?"

"I have tuna-cheese cassaroll in the oven, if you want-Oh, my God!"

"Yes, Mom, it's already burning. It's alright…I'm not hungry…skipping lunch wasn't a big deal."

"Is that blood on you're head!"

Troy slapped a hand over the cut on his forehead. "No."

"Move your hand."

"No…I…uh…" Troy invented frantically. "I have an itch."

"Jack!"

"Troy! Listen to your mother."

"But I have an itch!"

"Victor is about to propose to Lilian who is actually Olivia who is actually married, but currently dating Stephen. Don't you care?"

"NO, Dad! And stop watching soap opera's!" In order to gesture emphatically, Troy removed his hand from his head. "You are scaring the children!"

"Aren't you the children?"

"Yes, and you are creeping me out, so stop watching it!"

His mother had latched onto Troy's arm and was staring desperately at Troy's forehead. "You're head is cracked open! I'm calling the doctor! It looks infectious!"

"I'm sure it's fine," his father called from the den.

"Shut up, Jack. Watch your soap opera!"

"Mom…can I go do my homework?"

"Oh my God, you're delirious!" I might actually agree with you there, Troy thought. "Now remember," his mother babbled. "If you feel dizzy, put your head between your legs and breathe deeply. Remember that's 'In. Out.' Not out and in."

"Yes…thanks Mom…I forgot how to breathe."

"Oh, my God! I'm calling 911!" As soon as his mother turned away to pick up the phone, Troy made a break for the stairs. He had just reached the top of the stairs when he slipped on his shoelace and tumbled head-over-heels down the stairs.

"I'm fine!" he yelled before his mother could even comment and raced back up the stairs. He tore into his room and slammed his finger in the door. "Ow!"

"Troy!"

"I'm fine!" he yelled down to his mother. "I hate my life," he muttered, collapsing on the floor.