Chapter 1

"Take it off, boys!!!!" Gabriella shouted. Troy and half the basketball team started pulling their shirts over their heads, making every girl in the room squeal in delight. To add to the fan fare, they started flexing, and succeeded in turning the squeals into even more high-pitched screams. As Kelsi pushed her way into the living room, she swore she threw up a little in her throat. Though that might have been contributed to the drink she had had earlier that she'd found out a little to late had been spiked by Zeke.

"Watch were you're going," some random cheerleader said to her. Kelsi ignored her. The girl wasn't worth stating a fight. She was mad enough as it was.

"You boys suck at poker," Sharpay slurred as she picked up all the cards from the last hand they'd played. She, herself sitting there without a shirt, tried to deal out another one.

"We're not the only ones without skills," Zeke pointed out, trying to reach out and grab his girlfriend.

Chad noticed Kelsi from across the room. He sent her a quick wink. She responded by sending him back a dirty look. Chad looked down sheepishly. Good riddance.

"Behave, baby," Sharpay continued, trying to lean over Zeke and kiss him, but she just succeeded in tipping over into his lap. The circle erupted into drunken giggles.

"Sharpay, I don't think you're in the right condition to be dealing," Ryan said, just as drunkenly trying to pull the deck from her hands.

Kelsi rolled her eyes. Sitting there watching the who's who of East High get drunk of their asses was not her idea of fun. She didn't come to parties for this exact reason. The bottle of water she was drinking couldn't even be trusted. With the booze flying around and who knows what drugs and sexual acts being done in the back rooms of the Evan's mansion, she couldn't help but try and figure out what she was doing here. Chad had only got her to come by telling her that this was supposed to be a mellow party. Just a few friends, he'd said. Right now, she'd hate to see what something considered crazy was. When she walked in the door earlier she'd had cups pushed into her hands and people hooting and hollering about getting the well-known goody two shoes drunk. She would've turned around right then and there, but Chad was persistent.

"You need to get out of the house."

"Chad, I'm gonna kill you," she'd said.

"Yes, yes, and yet you still love me," he said, presenting the fact that no matter what, that fact was true. Kelsi slapped him. He must have had experience in telling people off because he'd been doing it for her all night.

Now Chad was sitting there in the middle of the poker game, fully clothed and sober, but probably just as willing to give the girls a thrill as Troy was. It didn't bother her because she knew that he'd never stray from her. He couldn't. Not after all they'd been through.

Over the next few minutes more clothing came off of the group sitting in the middle of the floor. Almost the entire party had gathered around, and Kelsi couldn't blame them. The average high schooler was probably easily enthused by seeing the "in crowd" playing such a riskay game as they were. Deconstructed royalty was such a rarity at this school, and people soaked it in when it came. Watching the golden boys, drama queens, and so-called geniuses taking it all off was their form of entertainment. But you've got to remember, Kelsi wasn't the exactly the average high schooler.

"Hey, hey, hey, where do you think you're going, Kelsi Bellsi?" Jason said, stopping her from making an exit. He was waving a cup around and using some cutesy nickname Kelsi'd never heard in her life.

"Get out of my way, Jason," Kelsi said sternly.

"Why should I? Come on, I think I should stay right here," he said, pretending to plant his feet down into the ground. Kelsi wasn't amused.

"Shut up, Jason, just move," Kelsi commanded, not seeing what a stir she was making. Most of the room was staring in her direction. No more poker was being played, and everyone was watching the exchange like an interesting movie. Great.

"Are you going to let me through or not?" she asked when Jason didn't listen.

"You know what, Nelson, you need to relax," he said, reaching into his back pocket. "Here, try this."

He placed a short white stick into her one of her hands. What little noise left in the house was gone. Suddenly Kelsi felt Chad's hands wrap around her biceps. The anger coming through the breaths he was breathing into her ears was intense. Jason placed a smug look on his face. All right, that was it. She'd had it.

She snatched the cup from Jason's hand and without hesitation dumped it's contents over his head. Ooo's and Ahh's erupted from the room as Jason stood there soaked in beer and who knows what else was in the cup, his mouth open in disbelief. Kelsi immediately twisted from Chad's grip and stormed out of the room. Before she was out of earshot she heard Chad start yelling at Jason. She navigated her way through the now deserted hallways, and blindly made it to the front porch. She didn't shut the door behind her; she just kept going until she hit the railing. The fresh air was a great change from the smoke filled, congested air inside. A small breeze was blowing in scents from all the flowers in the front yard. The sound of a door slam found her ears. She turned around slowly to find Chad standing there, his arms crossed across his chest. Kelsi folded her arms over her chest, and avoided his eyes.

"Well?" he said.

"Well, what?" she responded.

Chad gave her the 'I'm-not-that-stupid' kind of look.

"I don't need your friends offering me drugs, Chad!" she finally said to him.

"You say that like it's my fault!" Chad countered.

"It is Chad. If you hadn't insisted in bringing me here this never would've happened. I don't see what was so wrong with me staying at home tonight. You know I can't stand these people and vice versa."

"Kelsi, calm down," he said, stopping her from flailing her arms around.

"No, Chad I won't calm down," she said, pulling out of his grasp. "You know I'm right. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it isn't there."

"What reason do they have to not like you?"

"Stupid question," she said, turning her back on him.

Kelsi breathed in the scent of the rosebushes that Sharpay's mom was so anal about keeping perfect. The fragrance was calming, and slowly her rage subsided. She listened to Chad's footsteps as he paced slowly across the wooden planks that made up the porch.

"You don't need to do this," she said after a while.

"Do what?" he asked, stopping.

"Try and get me up to A group status," she said, leaning on the banister.

"Who said I was trying to do that?"

"Quit being a smart ass," she said, looking out over the front gardens.

"Listen," Chad sighed, placing his hands over her own that were resting on the railing, "I know you've never see eye-to-eye with people like Sharpay or Zeke or… Taylor. But what you've got to realize that no matter what I'll always choose you over them."

"I know that."

"Good, but you just have got to know that you can't avoid these people. It's inevitable that you'll have to be forced to socialize with them because, well, I guess of me. You're a strong girl, Kelsi, and the last thing I want to see is you broken down. Don't show them your weaknesses, they thrive off of that. Those are your business."

"You are my only weakness, Chad," she said.

"I know," he said, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. Kelsi slid of her seat and into his arms. Chad pulled her close, and buried his head into her hair. The familiar herbal scent hit his nostrils and felt like home to him. He squeezed her even harder, not wanting to feel the pang of regret he did when he let her go. Thank goodness she pulled away first.

"Let's go home," she said.

"Alright," he said, slipping an arm around her shoulders.

Hey all, I'm starting this up again. Replacing the first chapter and posting new ones. Reviews are loved as always.