Hey everyone!!! Yes, I know, it's been FOREVER since I've put a new story on here, but school has had me absolutely swamped. I've barely had any time to write at all, which makes me really sad... but, good news is that I have a week off starting tomorrow, so hopefully I'll be able to get one or two more chapters up in that span of time. This is my second actual story - not sure how it'll do compared to "Out of Our Control" (which anyone who hasn't read yet should! lol) but hopefully I'll be able to make it interesting enough. So, read and review, and PM me if you have questions! Thanks!
Chapter 1: The New Student
Locker fourteen. Twenty-six left, thirteen right, turn left to five. Come on, work! The tall, lean, shaggy-haired boy thought to himself as he tried to open his locker door once again. Glancing down at the folded paper in his left hand, he checked the combination number for the third time. Looking back up, he twisted the knob to its appropriate places and said a short prayer as he went to pull on the handle. Nothing. Closing his eyes with mounting frustration, the boy set his bag down to the side and re-read the piece of paper. It was just as he'd feared… his first day of school was already sucking, just like all the last ones.
Earlier that morning…
"Son, you got everything?" A muscular, well-built man asked as he placed a black briefcase in the back seat of a dark blue SUV.
The boy sighed. "Yeah…" He said in a very unenthusiastic tone. He shifted his book bag around his shoulder and glumly stared at the car door of the passenger's side.
The man looked up and then did a double take. His shoulders slumped a few inches and he hung his head for a moment before lifting it and making his way around the car to his son.
"Oh, come on, don't tell me you're still upset about us moving again?" He asked. "I thought you were over that by now."
The boy rolled his eyes. "Moving isn't what bothers me, dad. It's starting school for the fourth time this year… I was just starting to get used to Sun High." He spoke in an undertone.
The boy's father paused before walking up to his son and placing both hands on his shoulders. The boy didn't meet his eyes.
"I'm sorry, son." He said gently. "I know that it's been hard for you, having to keep starting over every few months. But look at the bright side - it's the last new beginning for us. I promise, no more moving around."
At this, the boy looked up. "Promise?"
His father nodded with a slight smile. "East High is a pretty big school. You're bound to make friends. And just think - you can be anybody you want to be there. No one knows who you are yet." And with a clap on the back, he strode over to the driver's side of the car and got in, starting up the engine.
The boy shifted his bag again and followed suit, his head positioned downwards, where his mood had suddenly dropped.
What if I can't be anything else than… just, me?
Present
Gritting his teeth, the boy pulled on his locker handle one more time. When it didn't budge, a short burst of anger took hold of him and he banged a closed fist on the door. He hadn't even gotten to his first class yet and he already hated it here.
To his immediate surprise, the locker door sprang open and almost hit him in the face. Sighing with relief, he pulled his bag off the floor and placed it at the bottom of his locker and began to unpack his stuff. He was about half-way done when a loud bell echoed throughout the hallways, startling him. Doors all around burst open and a steady flow of students emerged, rushing in all directions to their own lockers.
The boy's head snapped up as he watched, and then realized that he too had places to be. He withdrew his head out of the locker and raised his schedule closer to his eyes, trying to make out the tiny handwriting. Turning to his left, he faced the student next to him.
"Excuse me, um, c-could you tell me where, umm…" He checked the paper again. "English with Ms. Darbus - " But as soon as he'd looked up, the student was gone. Glancing around quickly, he looked for someone else to assist him. Everyone was moving so fast, he could hardly make out one specific person.
He hastily grabbed a binder off the locker shelf and slammed the door shut, clutching it to his side as he anxiously looked for room 206.
"Excuse me, could you - " He tried to ask to a very small girl weaving in and out of the crowd. She was gone before he could finish his sentence.
"Hey, do you know where - " Again, no luck.
"Mrs. Darbus's class?" No one was listening to him. He might as well have been invisible.
Standing completely still, he squinted his eyes at a door, trying to see it's numbers. Room 109. So that meant he had to go a floor up.
Thankful that he had at least some idea of where to go, he began walking down the hallway, trying not to bump into people rushing past. Mixed conversations filled his ears; the next basketball game, some girl who'd hooked up with the soccer captain last weekend, excited chatter about what people had done during winter break. There didn't seem to be one person who wasn't talking about something to someone.
Lost in his thoughts, the boy abruptly realized that he had come across a dead end. Turning back around and wondering what to do now, another bell rang and the hallway quickly thinned out. Classroom doors closed, late students began to sprint, and the muffled sound of teachers beginning their next lessons could be heard. As the boy looked around, clutching his binder and schedule in each hand, he suddenly felt very alone - and it had nothing to do with the vacant hallway.
The slender, brunette girl blithely twirled her pencil between her two fingers with her head up against her fist. A sigh escaped her as people began to file into the classroom and head towards their seats. She watched with mild interest, slipping into her thoughts before too long. Mainly, they were thoughts concerning sleep. She longed for her bed, her warm downy blanket, her soft pillows… but no. He'd kept her up late again, even after he'd promised not to.
"Hey Gabriella!" A chipper voice said, bringing the girl back to the present. She lifted her head up and smiled at the petite blonde standing in front of her.
"Hey, Sharpay." Gabriella said, unable to muster up very much excitement. Not long after she'd uttered that sentence, another girl entered the room and made a beeline for Gabriella. "Hey, Taylor…" Gabriella said, forcing down a yawn.
"Hey guys, what's up? Taylor asked as she sat down in the seat behind Gabriella while Sharpay took the one next to her.
"Not much…" Gabriella replied as her eyes fluttered shut for a quick moment. It wasn't quick enough for her best friends not to notice, however.
"Gabs, what's wrong with you?" Sharpay asked, waving her hand in front of her face. "You look half dead!"
"Were you and Andrew on the phone all night again?" Taylor asked with a knowing smile.
Gabriella nodded, trying to feign happiness concerning the whole situation. Inside though, an uncomfortable weight had dropped into her stomach. How much longer was she going to be able to keep the fact that she wasn't as happy with her relationship as she let on a secret?
"That is so sweet!" Sharpay exclaimed. "Gabriella, you are so lucky to have a guy who is willing to stay up all night just to talk to you. It makes me wish I hadn't broken up with Jason…"
Taylor stared at her. "Sharpay, Jason was cheating on you with two other girls."
Sharpay just rolled her eyes and turned towards Gabriella again. "So, anyway, musical tryouts are this Friday. What part are you trying out for?"
For as long as anyone could remember, Gabriella and Sharpay had always dazzled the audience with their acting skills while Taylor made all the scenery and set props for each performance. Sharpay and Gabriella had starred in practically all the musicals ever put on, but none of them were more addicted to the stage than Gabriella. She loved the feeling, the lights, the crowd watching her shine… she couldn't get enough of it.
Gabriella thought to herself for a second. "Probably Minnie. I heard it's a tough role, and you guys know me - I'm always up for a challenge."
Sharpay nodded. "Me too. But guys, we have to promise that if one of us gets the part, we're not going to hate each other because of it."
"Of course not." Gabriella said with a reassuring smile. "I could never hate you guys over something like that."
"Ok, now that that's settled - come on, spill! Tell us what Andrew wanted to talk about last night, Gabriella!" Taylor said quickly as her and Sharpay focused their attentions on Gabriella.
Gabriella immediately felt a chill go down her spine, and it was not the good kind. "Not much, really… nothing important." She hated lying to her best friends, but what choice did she have? They'd never believe her if she told them the truth…
Luckily, the late bell rang, saving Gabriella from continuing the unsought conversation. She gave Sharpay and Taylor a quick smile before turning around in her seat to face the front, where their English teacher, Ms. Darbus, was getting ready to begin class.
She cleared her throat with an air of importance and stood up as straight as a board, adjusting her glasses on her face before continuing.
"Well, welcome back to English 11, class. I hope you all had good winter breaks, and I'm sure you would like nothing more than to hear me say that your first day back will be free of homework." Ms. Darbus said. As students looked up with hopeful eyes, she smirked.
"Unfortunately, I must inform you that your wish will not come true. Holidays are over, people, and now it's time to continue with this wonderful subject." She paused for a brief moment, and then continued.
"In other news - "
Suddenly, the door opened, making a loud creaking noise that could be heard throughout the whole classroom. Ms. Darbus turned her head, looking as if she'd been rudely interrupted by a disrespectful student.
"Can I help you?" She asked briskly.
The door opened another inch or two, and then stopped after the creaking noise sounded again. A few students looked up, and others shifted in their seats, trying to see who was concealed behind the solid wood.
"Um… is this English 11?" A diffident voice spoke. More students (mostly girls now) had looked up, realizing that the somebody behind the door was a boy.
"Yes, and who are - Oh! Oh, you must be the new student! Come in boy, come in, don't be shy." Ms. Darbus ejaculated with all hint of petulance gone.
After a second, the door opened to it's extent, and revealed the full body of the boy. Every pair of eyes in the room was looking at him now, and a few girls were eying him with a satisfied sort of look. Every eye was on him, except one particular set.
Gabriella's eyes were glued to her purse, where her cell phone had vibrated violently only a moment ago. As she flipped it open, she quickly blazed through the text message and forced down a sigh of annoyance. It was from Andrew, and he was asking her why she hadn't answered his previous message. As she began to write a short reply, Ms. Darbus cleared her throat, which caused Gabriella to freeze with fear. If Ms. Darbus caught her with a cell phone again…
"Class," Ms. Darbus began, and Gabriella immediately defrosted. She wasn't in trouble. To be on the safe side though, she raised her head to look at the front of the class where Ms. Darbus was standing. When she did, however, she found herself frozen again. But this time, it was not out of fear.
He was an ordinary boy, but somehow, unordinary. He was tall, but not lanky. He had muscles, but they weren't bulging out of his body. His hair was a medium-colored brown, and his eyes… she was a little more than six feet away from him, and yet she knew that they were the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. He stood with one arm hugging his binder to his side while the other was pressed against his leg, and his eyes kept shifting from the floor to around the room - like a small animal trying to find somewhere to escape. A strange, enigmatic feeling imbued her - something she couldn't quite explain.
"We have a new student joining us today." Ms. Darbus finished. She turned to look at him. "What did you say your name was?"
The boy cleared his throat, and then raised his eyes a little before speaking in a reticent voice. "Troy… Troy Bolton."