Disclaimer: I don't own anything/anyone in this except for Natalie Summers.

Ryan Evans wandered into the main hall of East High behind his sister, carrying her backpack. It was just after the New Year had begun, and Ryan could already sense that it wasn't going to be a fun year for him.

Sharpay looked over her shoulder. "Hurry up, Ryan! What's taking you so long?" she snapped at him. He growled and muttered something under his breath about annoying twin sisters. Hw quickened his pace anyways, because he saw something that caught his eye.

The auditions sign-up sheet for the Winter Musical.

He ran up past Sharpay to go see it, and she glared at him until she saw the poster as well. Then she too bolted for the bulletin board, shoving Ryan out of the way. Now it was his turn to glare.

"Excuse me, but I was there," he started, but Sharpay cut him off with a squeal of joy, taking out a pink pen and scrawling her signature across the "Duets" section of the sign-up sheet.

"Never mind, doesn't matter anyways." He finished as Sharpay took off once again, heading for homeroom. Ryan shook his head and followed.

"Good morning, good morning!" Mrs. Darbus cried out as Sharpay walked in. Ryan walked in several seconds later.

"There you are! Why are you always so slow?" Sharpay said, grateful she didn't have to wait for him anymore. She sat down in one of the desks and Ryan dropped his sister's bag to the floor next to her seat. Then he took the desk behind her.

Several minutes passed, and several more people came into the room. Chad Danforth, closely followed by Jason Cross and Zeke Baylor came in, talking loudly, and all carrying basketballs. Martha Cox and Taylor McKessie walked in, took a look around, and sat down on the opposite side of the room as the basketball boys. Soon after, Kelsi Nielson made an entrance. She sat down and looked over her music. Troy Bolton finally came in.

"Troy! Hi Troy!" Sharpay called out to him, and he heaved a sigh.

Here we go again, he thought as he walked over and took a seat next to Chad.

Then just before the bell rang, Gabriella Montez scurried in and sat down in the back of the classroom.

"Good, I think this is everyone," Mrs. Darbus announced, then she paused and scanned the list again. Looking up, she furrowed her brow and scanned the faces.

"Or not. Where is Natalie Summers?" she said in a somewhat annoyed tone as the door burst open and a girl came flying into the room, skidding to a halt in front of the only desk open. She sat behind Ryan, gasping for air.

"Here, Mrs. Darbus!" she said hurriedly.

"Late, Ms. Summers, and I believe that means that you will be staying after school with me for detention." Mrs. Darbus glared at the mousy-brown haired girl.

Beep beep beep.

"Was that a cell phone?" Mrs. Darbus exclaimed, looking around to see half the class with cell phones out and beeping.

"All of you will be seeing me after school for detention, then," she decided, bringing a bucket around to Chad and Troy.

"Um, excuse me, but, we have basketball practice, we can't…" Chad started.

"No buts, no ums. Detention!" Mrs. Darbus said angrily. Troy turned around to look at Chad. Chad just rolled his eyes.

"Gabriella?"

"Troy?"

Troy and Gabriella ran into each other as the class filed out of the room and headed for their various destinations.

"How're you…" Gabriella started.

"Doing?" Troy finished her sentence out of instinct. Both smiled and laughed, and then set off down the hall, examining their schedules.

Natalie looked around as she stood up. The basketball boys were being rowdy, Kelsi appeared absorbed in her music, Taylor and Martha had already left, and Sharpay seemed like a general jerk. Thus, she decided that the only person that was probably worth trying to make friends with was Ryan Evans.

"Hi," she said quietly to him when he turned around to pick up his backpack. Ryan looked up.

"Oh, hi there," he replied cheerily, slinging his bag over his shoulder and reaching for Sharpay's.

"I'm Natalie Summers, you may have picked up on that since I was the late one," she smiled slightly.

"Yep. Oh, I'm Ryan Evans, and that over there is my sister Sharpay. She's not terribly nice," he added behind his hand. Natalie laughed.

"I got that one. Hey, what class do you have now?" she asked suddenly.

"Um, I don't have a clue." Ryan stated as he searched through a folder for his schedule. "Algebra," he finally stated in triumph, holding up the paper.

"Really? What room? I have algebra too," Natalie shot questions at Ryan.

"Room…15," he said.

"Me too!" Natalie exclaimed in joy. Now she would have a friend and tour guide at the school.

"Ryan!" Sharpay snapped. "Come on, we're going to be late to class!"

Ryan sighed. "Want me to show you around?"

"Sure, thanks!" Natalie smiled and waited for Ryan to finish gathering bags and books.

"Want some help with those?" she asked.

"If you don't mind carrying them," Ryan said.

"It's no problem," Natalie replied, taking two of the books off of Ryan's stack of stuff to carry. She smiled.

"Off to algebra?" Ryan asked.

"Off to algebra."

A/N: So What do you think? Any suggestions, comments, anything? Just tell me! Next update is soon….I hope….