"You know we have to go. It'll only be a few days. You'll be alright. I'll even call and see if Chad can come keep you company while we're gone." Coach Bolton said. Troy shook his head.
"I don't feel good. And I've just got this bad feeing. Please, dad.." Troy begged softly. He wasn't sure why he was so against them going, but he was sure he needed them to stay.
"Come on, Troy." His mom said, pushing his hair back and kissing his forhead. "We've gone away before and been fine. It's only 3 days."
"Just..please.." Troy begged. He could feel his stomach clenching. His mom shook her head and grabbed her suitcase.
"I'll see you soon. I love you." She said.
They left to catch their plane and he lay on the couch. He thought about how he'd been diagnosed with severe anxiety and wondered if that was all it was. He slowly got up and went into the kitchen. He took the pill bottle down and popped a Prozac. His phone started vibrating and he looked at the text from his father.
'Chad'll be there after practice.' He said. Troy closed his eyes. Another thing he hated about anxiety. He'd had to stop basketball. The stress from it had caused an ulcer. He texted back 'ok' and set his phone down. He lay stomach down on the couch and closed his eyes. He didn't wake up until he heard a loud knocking on the door. He got up slowly, wondering why Chad didn't just walk in, and opened the door. There were two police officers on the other side of the door.
"Um..hi?" He said, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He looked rather young when he first woke up, his too big t-shirt mussed and his jeans slung just a bit lower that necessary from the squirming he'd done in his sleep.
"Troy Bolton?" The brunette asked. He nodded. "I'm afraid..there's been an accident."
Troy's eyes snapped open. His parents? No..they were fine..they were on an airplane heading to England..they promised they'd be alright.
"What do you mean?" He asked slowly. The blond shook his head.
"Um..there was a case of engine failure..on the plane your parents were on." He said. Troy shook his head.
"Are they in the hospitol?" Troy asked, feeling bile rising up in his throat. The blond shook his head.
"Do you know of anyone you can stay with until everything gets sorted out?" He asked.
"S-sorted out?" He asked. He was shaking. "B-but they're coming back right?"
The brunette bit his lip and shook his head. "Troy, they died. Everyone died."
Troy promptly vomited on the floor. The officers jumped back.
"Do you need to go to a hospitol?" The blond asked. Troy felt tears ripping down his cheeks. "Troy?"
"Troy?" Chad's voice called out. He sank down to his knees, his arms spread, holding him up as he vomited again. Chad's hand was on Troy's back moments later. "Hey, you know better than to get yourself worked up like this. And what's with the cops?"
"It's not true. It can't be true.." Troy said softly. He coughed and wiped his mouth.
"What?" Chad asked
"Are you a relative?" The brunette asked. Chad looked at the cops.
"My parents are his god-parents." Chad said.
"Can you call them? They'll want to know." The brunette said.
"Want to..? What happened?" He asked.
"I told them not to go. I should've made them stay. It's my fault. I should've tried harder." Troy was talking to himself now.
Chad looked at him and realization clicked into place. He got down to his knees so he could be level with Troy and pulled his face up.
"Come on. You're going to brush your teeth and change your shirt. We're going to get everything you need and you're going to come to my house. Got it?" He demanded.
Troy sniffled and nodded. Chad hauled him up and brought him into the bathroom. He was almost dead weight against Chad. He wasn't crying, and that would scare Chad until he did. Troy brushed his teeth thoroughly, his expression suggesting that the simple task required a lot of concentration. For all Chad knew, it did.
He went into Troy's room and grabbed a loose shirt and his favorite hoodie. He came back into the bathroom to find Troy sitting on the edge of the tub. Chad's heart was pounding. It felt like everything was in slow motion. But the addrenaline rush made him feel like he was speeding. He grabbed the hem of Troy's shirt and pulled it off.
"Come on, you can dress yourself." Chad said. Troy seemed to snap out of his haze then. He pulled on his shirt and hoodie. "What do you need?"
"I have cloths at your house. I'll come back for more if I need to." He said, grabbing his toothbrush. "My meds are downstairs. Um..my phone charger.."
He went into his room and grabbed his charger and car keys. Suddenly Chad's hand was on his.
"We'll take my car, alright?" He said.
Troy took a deep breath and gave him his keys. He grabbed a very worn out looking blanket that Chad knew to be his baby blanket, and he also knew Troy wouldn't be able to sleep without the thing. Just another bit of knowledge he'd aquired over the years. Chad waited until Troy finished zipping around his room and put his arm around his shoulders.
"My parents are waiting." Chad said softly. Troy nodded, moving to go downstairs. "Wait."
Troy turned back around.
"What?" He asked.
"Shoes, Troy." Chad said. Troy looked at his socked feet and gave an embarassed grin.
"Right. Those." He pulled his shoes on and they went downstairs.
Chad grabbed Troy's medication out of the cabinet and went to the door where the cops were still waiting. Chad noticed with a feeling of gratitude that they'd cleaned up Troy's vomit.
"I'm going to bring him to my parents house." Chad said. The blond nodded.
"We'll be heading there then. We'll see you soon." He said, touching his hat.
Chad nodded and led Troy out to the car. Troy was looking ill as he buckled in. Chad watched him carefully from the corner of his eye on the drive back to his house. Troy rested his head against the window.
"I was sleeping." He mumbled.
"You can go back to sleep when we get to my house." Chad offered.
Troy nodded slowly, and then the damn broke. Suddenly, his eyes were stinging, his chest was clenching, and his head was pounding. He couldn't breathe. As the tears began to fall he fought past the lump in his throat.
"Chad!" He gasped out.
The darker boy pulled over and shut the car off. He jumped out and ran around the car. He opened the passenger door and Troy plunged into his arms. Chad hugged him tightly and played with Troy's hair.
"Why?" Troy let out the word in a muffled shout.
"I don't know, Troy. I don't know." Chad said.
"Chad, don't leave me. Please." Troy begged.
"Never, Troy. Never." Chad said, his back begining to ache from the angle he was at. "We need to get back to the house, ok? Then we can go in my room and talk."
Troy nodded, his tears splashing into his lap where his fists were balled. He didn't want to talk. He wanted to scream. He wanted to cry. He wanted to sleep. But talking? No. Forget it.
When they reached the house Troy didn't want to get out. Chad pulled him out of the car and held him as he sobbed into his arms. He knew that this would be a long night. Troy had an iron grip on Chad's jacket and Chad had a tight hold on Troy.
"Come on, Troy. We just need to get inside. Then you can do whatever you want." Chad said.
Troy looked up at Chad, his face entirely broken, his eyes alive with pain. It was rare that their height difference was even brought to mind, but Chad had a full head on Troy, and the shorter boy seemed to be shrinking. He was withdrawing into himself. Chad put his arm around Troy's shoulders and steered him into the house. Troy was hiding his face. He didn't want to talk to anyone right now, and he was sure Chad's parents wouldn't realize that.
When they opened the door Chad's mother was on them in a second. She pulled Troy into a tight hug, but didn't say anything. Troy's fingers gripped her shirt.
Chad stood by, watching his mother comfort his best friend. She cradled him in her arms as he sobbed, and he found himself wishing he was the one to comfort him. Troy suddenly looked at Chad, his eyes bloodshot and begging. It was too much right now. There were too many people. Chad had forgotten, his parents were having a party today. Half the town was watching this take place. Chad reached out and pulled Troy against him.
"Come on, let's go upstairs." He said softly.
