A/N: First HSM fic, and its probably not as good as the others (read "Three Rules", its AWESOME), but hey, review!!! This first chapter serves somewhat like a prologue, so its kinda short :p

It was a fact at East High that Troy Bolton and Sharpay Evans were two names that had always been together. Mention Troy and the blonde drama queen comes to mind. Mention Sharpay and cries of "keep your head in the game!" pop up immediately.

And the reason is very, obviously, apparently, truthfully, simple.

When Troy and Sharpay were six, they both had plans to marry each other.

When Troy and Sharpay were eleven, they both had plans about what happens after they marry each other.

"We'll have kids - two girls!" Sharpay would greet Troy as they met each other in the corridors.

"No, I wanna have a boy," Troy would say defiantly. "He'll carry on the name of Bolton in basketball."

"Fine, we'll have a boy, and we came name him Jackie."

"Isn't that a girl's name?"

"Only if you want it to be."

"Fine, I'd rather call him Cody."

"That's a nerdy name!"

"Only if you want it to be," Troy would smirk.

Sharpay changed the topic.

"We'll buy a house up in Beverly Hills, and you can have your beloved basketball stadium nearby."

"No, why don't we just buy a house here in Alberqueque?"

"Because it'd be too boring and too plain and too cheap!"

"What's wrong with boring, plain and cheap?" Troy would ask, because he considered his family - including himself - boring, plain and cheap.

At which Sharpay would throw her hands up into the air dramatically and cry, "Troy Bolton, you are so deprived!"

Troy considered himself deprived too, but he didn't say that. Instead, he changed the topic.

"We'll have a dog named Spot."

"That's too common." Troy considered himself common too, but he didn't interrupt Sharpay. "We'll call him Londamoir'gyu. Lon for short."

"Is there any meaning in that name?"

"No."

"How wonderful. Lonvacra'bu then."

"Its Londamoir'gyu!"

At which Troy would roll his eyes and about to retort "whatever", but Sharpay would smile sweetly at him, link her arms in his and they would walk quietly home, comfortable in each other's presence.

When Troy and Sharpay were fifteen, they started going out together. Every odd Saturday they would go out and watch a romance movie - which Troy rather looked forward to because of the hot chicks in there, but he never mentioned that to Sharpay - or watch a musical - which Troy hated because all the soprano singing broke his eardrums. Every odd Sunday they would go shopping at the mall - which Troy also hated because it meant having to wait while Sharpay tried on a million different dresses, but also liked because it meant getting to see advertisments with women in very revealing underwear.

And every even Saturday, they would go and watch a sports game at the stadium - which Sharpay hated because it meant getting herself sweating all over, and ruining her fingernails and her hair - or they would watch an action movie - which Sharpay liked because action movies had a cliched drama which she thought amusing, and also because Superman wore tights she could see his abs. And every odd Sunday Sharpay would tag along as Troy went to practice and eat lunch with Chad and the other sports maniacs - which Sharpay hated because Chad keeps prodding fun at Troy and her, but also liked it when Chad looked guilty whenever Sharpay accuses him of just being jealous of her and Troy's everlasting love - and afterwards, they would have a fun time just doing homework together in Sharpay's decidedly spacious and pink bedroom - which Sharpay liked and hated because it's homework, but its with Troy.

And when Troy and Sharpay were eighteen - or more specifically, before Sharpay's world had been turned unexpectedly upside down - they were just another peaceful, occasionally squabbling, loving and dating couple in East High. Troy attended all of Sharpay's auditions, callbacks (though there were few), rehearsals and musicals, and Sharpay, as a compromise (although she was forever complaining about it), attended all of Troy's basketball practises and games. Well, of course Troy and her had quarrels before. She was the beautiful ice queen of East High, and he was the famous basketball ace. They were the two most sought-after people. It was like a modern high school fairytale.

And every fairy tale has a villian - or villianess, in this case. And Sharpay Evans was determined to think that Gabriella Montez - new kid, math geek, science nerd and ultimately lower-than-Sharpay-Evans - was the villianess in her and Troy's special story. She was also determined to think that there will be a happily-ever-after, after the villianess has been triumphantly defeated.

So when Gabriella Montez stepped into their scene, Sharpay Evans was unfazed.

---

Troy Bolton had never seen, or heard, anyone like her. She had the voice of an angel - and angels were far and few in Troy's life - and the looks of a goddess. Just the fact that she was a geek made her even more special. She was so beautiful, she had a great voice, she was elusive and she was simply just kind - she was just the girl whom Troy would die for. It wasn't just the way she sang or the way she looked at her with her eyes bright and shining; it was the way she went about doing things with passion and determination, and the way she made his heart thump with a feeling that he had forgotten. It wasn't lust, as he felt whenever he saw those hot chicks on the tube; it wasn't just the weak, faded love as he felt for Sharpay (although she didn't know that and Troy wasn't just about to tell her); it was simply real, true, everlasting, unconditional, heart-bursting, head-aching, face-flushing, leg-wobbling, hand-trembling, love. He knew she was the one.

Hell, he thought, I'm thinking and feeling like one of Mom's cheesy romance novels.

But he liked that feeling - though he was a manly man and he didn't want to admit it.

But as soon as she came into his life, just that one brief heart-bursting head-aching face-flushing leg-wobbling hand-trembling moment, she whirled away into the New Year's night, disappearing before Troy could bear to let her go. He mailed her that night, "Where were you? I couldn't find you after you disappeared."

And when she replied, her face lit up the tiny phone screen; he didn't know his message beep could bring him so much joy. "Sorry, mom had to go. Happy New Year!"

And as the New Year was born, as many others around the world celebrated that one special night, Troy Bolton found much more to celebrate for.

&&&