Chapter One

The silence was deafening.

All Ryan Evans did was enter through the doors of Albuquerque East High School. What is their problem? He thought. But he knew what their problem was.

Ryan had changed. No longer did he stride through the halls beside his sister, Sharpay, wearing unique striped shirts and goofy hats, proclaiming his co-presidentship of the Drama Club. Why? It is necessary, I think, to explain.

Three weeks previously, the Evans family had had an all-day golfing and tennis outing at their country club, Lava Springs. Of course, it had been a pleasurable time for the family, but ever-popular Sharpay had been so absorbed in her appearance that she had forgotten to drink water.

A high school aged girl, going an entire 110-degree day, without water.

So that night, Sharpay was sitting by the pool. For some very mysterious reason, she was feeling the effects of dehydration.

"Ryan, could you bring me a glass of water?" she called in a hoarse tone.

"No."

"Plee-ee-ee-eease??"

No."

"Come on, Ryan. For your sister."

"No."

Sharpay sighed, and began to stand up to get a drink for herself. But as she did, she began to feel dizzy. "Uuu-uu-uu-uuh."

SPLASH.

"Mr. Evans, please take your seat."

Ms. Darbus's voice was stern, but shaky. Ryan nodded feebly and sat in his seat in homeroom. He could feel many astonished eyes boring into the back of his head, on which grew newly dyed black hair. (Yes, you heard me! Black hair.)

"Nice hat," whispered a giggling girl next to him after she had overcome the shock of his appearance. Ryan lifted his shaky hand and touched the brim of his new black beanie hat.

"Woah," breathed a math geek on the other side of his desk. "Your fingernails… they're black!"

"Yeah," Ryan whispered. He looked down.

Three seats behind Ryan, a loud fanfare erupted from Jason's cell phone.

Ms. Darbus didn't even notice.

"Now, children," she said in a disturbed voice, "I shall give the announcements for the Winter musical…"

The class gasped. (Ms. Darbus had shamefully forgotten to put the accent in "musical" on the last syllable.)

"Yes… well… before we move on, let's spend a moment in s-silence for our c-classmate, Sh-Sharpay Evans…" She burst into tears. Jason stood up dramatically and ran over to her.

"It's okay Ms. Darbus! Everything's going to be alright!" He nodded, as if to emphasize his point.

"So much for silence," Zeke Baylor muttered.

The rest of the class swallowed, and turned their eyes to their desktops. Ryan could feel the tears burning in his eyes, but he kept his face hidden as he brushed them away. There was no way he was messing up his eyeliner.

At lunch, Ryan received much attention, but not necessarily good attention.

"Hey Evans! Nice hair!"

"Did your grandma knit that hat for you?"

"Nail polish is for girls, moron!"