I have decided to change the name of the story to It All Falls Apart because this title fits better with the direction of the story. I have revised this chapter for severe grammar mistakes.

Summary: For years Sharpay, Troy, and Chad appeared to have the perfect life. In reality, there were always cracks in that perfection. Just days before beginning college, 18 years worth of cracks will culminate in the world falling apart. This is the story of how it all falls apart.

I give up on trying to keep the main pairings a secret.

Although, romantic relationship will not be the main focus of this story. The story will eventually be Chadpay with serious Troypay friendship. Okay maybe it will be more than friendship, the relationship between Chad, Sharpay, and Troy in this story is complicated. Other pairings will include Ryan/Taylor, Anti-Troyella and Troy/OC. As well as a few surprises.

Warning: This story will contain very dark subject matter including substance abuse and sexual assault of a minor. All these issues will be handled in a tasteful way and are crucial to the plot. This will be no worse than what is in the newspaper. If you are, offended by these subjects or if this type of material bothers your conscience, please do not read this story.

Disclaimer: I do not own High School Musical.

The following work is based on characters created by Peter Barsocchini. The following is a work of fiction.

I do own any of the original characters and the plot for this story

Spoilers: Everything up to HSM 3

Chapter One

THE BAGGAGE WE BRING

Albuquerque New, Mexico

August 2008

Troy Bolton stood in the room of his youth surrounded by Boxes as he listened to his iPod. Packed away were the autograph posters of Kobe Bryant and music superstar Maddie Rock (both gifts from Gabriella). Only spots of discoloration late testament to their onetime existence. His closet was completely empty, except for a few things he never wore. Memorabilia of happy moments pass were packed away awaiting their new home at UC Berkeley. This room no longer looked like his home for the last several years. At some point, this summer between basketball games with friends and his internship at Evans Hospitality worldwide his childhood home had become a shell of its former self.

This scene played its self out again down the hall in the former guest room. Except, these boxes were never unpacked. At the end of May, Chad discovered his uncle, the closest person Chad had to a father or any type of parent, had accepted a position at his corporations Washington, DC Office. Chad's Choices were to leave with his uncle only to come back for classes in the fall at the University of Albuquerque or to make some other arrangement for the summer.

Although, Troy was leaving for Berkeley in the fall, he could not bear to leave his best friend two months earlier than he had to. After extreme begging, it was decided that Chad would move into the Bolton household. That summer Chad bounced between the Bolton home and his summer job. Troy could not be happier, not only would he get to stay with his best friend, now he would not have to listen to all the yelling on his own anymore.

Most of Troy's childhood felt like something straight out of a Disney movie. He was a god of high school that had the Perfect friends, the perfect home with the two perfect parents that all his friends wish they had. Except for the summer of 2001, there was no fighting or animosity between his parents. (No one in this house of talked about the summer of 01.)Recently, that perfection was gone, if it was ever there to begin with. His parents argued about everything from Troy's dad forgetting to pick up milk after work to his mother's constant business trips. Slamming doors and hidden tears have become Normal in this household.

Things were falling apart in this so-called perfect world of the Bolton family and Troy could not deal with it. Therefore, Troy decided to go to college 1000 miles away and pretend the real reason is to be with Gabriella, not to avoid the explosion destined to occur. He will double major, as Sharpay suggested, in performing arts and education. He will be the star athlete again. He will listen to Maddie Rock it all falls apart as he does now, and act as if the lyrics do not applied to his life. He will go on pretending everything is the same as it has always been. Denial has become the state of normality for Troy Bolton. The delusion can be more easily maintains when one cannot see the carnage around them.

It all falls apart

This happy family that never really was there

These pretend friends who never really ever cared

The Lovers who never really loved you anyway

This shallow life that you never really wanted to bear

Under the pressure of the shame

In the broken rain

In the heat of all this pain

It all falls apart

Everything falls apart "Troy, are you ready yet." Chad yelled from down the hall, breaking Troy from his music-induced trance. "We have to be at the hotel for the farewell luncheon at 1:00 PM. It is 12:15 now."

"I will be there in a minute," he answered as he quickly turned off his iPod and grabbed his wallet and cell phone from his dresser. "Why are you so happy to go to the farewell luncheon at sky Café?"

"Not all of us are going to live 40 miles away from our girlfriend. I would like to spend as much time with Taylor before thousands of miles separate us." Chad said in a sarcastic tone as he grabbed his car keys. "We're taking my car, also known as my uncle's guilt gift. Besides, we don't have time to push your car halfway to the hotel in 100° heat."

"The truck isn't that bad anymore."

"Yes, it only breaks down every other day now. However, today is probably the day it will break down. Besides Taylor will kill me if we're late for the farewell lunch at the hotel," Chad said as he made his way down the stairs to the living room and out the front door.

"Very true," Troy agreed.

"Although, I could always make it up to her at Ryan farewell party tomorrow night." Chad adds as he opened the front door to his cherry red vintage convertible.

"I thought it was farewell party for both Ryan and Sharpay?" Question Troy as he sat down in the passenger seat of Chad's car.

"It is not farewell party in your honor, if you're not going anywhere."

Troy swore he could hear Chad mutter, "It is not a party in your honor, if most of the guess don't want you there." although, Troy could never be sure if he actually had that.

Sharpay Evans room on this Monday, like every other room in the Evans mausoleum/mansion looked as if no one lives there. This was what Sharpay was going for. Gone were the posters and acting awards. Her room was completely packed already as if this Saturday could not come fast enough. Even though Ryan was leaving in two days, his room was still only half way packed. As she walked around her brother's room in her matching pink workout ensemble, she knew she would be up until two helping him get everything together. It almost seemed like he did not want to let go of high school and move on. Instead, he held on to every moment with his high school friends and life.

Sharpay was the complete opposite of Ryan; she could not wait for life after high school to begin. Instead of spending, the summer at Lava Springs poolside with her fake friends, Sharpay attended a summer acting workshop sponsored by the University of Albuquerque. Even though she would never admit it, after losing two musicals to Gabriella and her shot at Juilliard to her brother, she was terrified that she would not achieve her Broadway dream. Now, she was more determined than ever to become the greatest performer to come out of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Therefore, while her brother was off with their father at Lava Springs, she was preparing for life as a new student at A of U, double majoring in theater and business. Because although Sharpay wanted to be a performer, she did not want to starve to or become a cautionary tell of financial misfortune on E! True Hollywood story. She spent her days at the workshop and nights reading every business publication she could get her hands on. She even volunteered to be a summer intern at her family's corporation, just to get ahead on the competition. She would succeed, because success and perfection was her only option.

"You're not wearing those old sweat pants to the farewell lunch are you?" Ryan asked his sister as he walked back into his sweet.

"Are you crazy?" Sharpay asked in the most condescending tone possible. "I am always the pinnacle of style, and these are designer sweat pants."

"Yes and we have to leave in 5 minutes and you are not ready yet."

"I'm not going."

"What!"

"I'm not going!" Sharpay practically shouted at her brother.

"Why, don't you want to say goodbye to your friends?"

"High school is over Ryan. Let us stopped deluding ourselves, they were never my friends. No one was my friend. The girls from the club just pretended to like me so I could increase their popularity. Even my assistant Tiara, who was paid to be my friend, stabbed me in the back. I rather not spend any more time with people who hate me. I don't need to hear them say how much they'll miss me; we all know that they won't." the truth of the matter was she chose popularity of over true friendship four years earlier. Only in the last few months had she been able to rectify that situation. But it may never be enough.

"I will miss you Sharpay," Ryan said with all sincerity. This would not be the first time two would be separated for a long period time. However, this latest separation will still be painful.

"Thank you, but your family" Sharpay said with a tight smile around her lips. "However, I have better things to do like work with the caterer for tomorrow's party or finish packing."

"I thought mom and Taylor were dealing with the caterers."

"Taylor is distracted with your little farewell lunch whenever thing and mom has a headache," of course this was Sharpay's code for mom has a hangover.

A halfhearted "Oh," was the only response heard from Ryan on that matter. "Anyway, I thought you were done packing. Besides why are you living in the dorms? Your closet is bigger than most dorm rooms at A of U."

"You are living in the dorms." Sharpay pointed out defensively.

"Yes, but I have no choice, some stupid policy about freshmen living on campus. You on the other hand are not under such a policy."

"What would I do Ryan? Live in this mausoleum of a home by myself. Even the servants are not here anymore when mom and dad are not. With you gone, I will, be all by myself. At least last time I had Nanny Margarita to stay with me. I rather learn to live in a closet then be here alone. I can always leave most of my close here and pick them up on the weekend. Besides I will be in the same building as Chad, which will make it easier for you to have him check up on me." That final statement made Ryan go silent.

Although, Sharpay did not want to live alone, the truth of the matter was Sharpay was tired of dealing with Darby's "headaches". When Sharpay was a little girl, Darby had a serious substance abuse problem. Sharpay remembered finding the glass bottles, which she later discovered to be the finest Russian vodka, hidden under her mother's bed. She can still remember the track marks that covered her mother's body that Darby desperately tried to hide. A week before Sharpay turned 11, Darby finally went into Rehab after her best friend and fellow attic, Dominique Danforth died of a heroin overdose.

To this day Ryan knew nothing of their mother's vices. Most of this was because Ryan lived in Rhode Island with their aunt and attended a private school there during the worst of Darby's addiction. However, being the big sister, even if only by a few hours, she did everything possible to hide the true from Ryan. As early as five years old, Sharpay knew what was going on she may not have known that her mom was an alcoholic, but she knew that nobody should drink that much "special juice" before 10:00 AM.

Yet, she still told Ryan that all the glass bottles were from their last party and mom's bruises were caused by her "special shots". When Darby went to rehab, she told everybody, including Ryan, that her mom was spending the rest of the summer at the spa. In 10th grade health class, Sharpay learned that she was acting as an enabler to her mother. At almost 18 she was doing the same thing all over again, now aware of the true nature of the problem.

Her mother's trip back into the land of alcoholism started simply enough, a glass of wine at the wrap party for the winter musical and a little champagne at Ryan and Sharpay graduation party. However, by mid June, Sharpay received a call from a member of the Lava Springs wait staff to come get her mother, because as Chad put it to her that night, Darby was completely "fucked up."

At that moment, she was happy that Chad was the only one of the group to work there this summer. He was the only one who knew the truth and the only one who understood what was happening. Because it happen to him to, the only difference when he found his mom unconscious on the living room floor with a needle in her arm and a bottle of vodka in her hand, she never woke up again. Therefore, this summer, every time Darby went off the deep end, Chad, who Sharpay had promoted to Darby's personal assistant/babysitter, would call her to help him pick up the pieces. They keep this secret from everyone. However, Sharpay was tired of waiting for Darby never to wake up.

Taking Ryan silence as his acceptance Sharpay finally said "Ryan just go on, for I will see you tonight"

"Okay," Ryan said as he grabbed his keys and walked out his bedroom door.

"Bring me back a Caesar salad with salmon, fat free dressing on the side, no croutons. I'm not doing carbohydrates this month." Sharpay said to her brother as she went to make sure their mother did not stop breathing.

Gabriella Montez sat on the bed of her best friend and summer roommate Taylor McKessie, as she stuffed the last of Taylor's close into her suitcase. Being used to packing, Gabriella suitcases were together days ago. Taylor's room was covered with boxes, with Yale or bused on the side. Gabriella things were scattered between the storage unit at Stanford, her mother's new house in Malibu, California and the spare bed in Taylor's bedroom.

Gabriella chose to spend one last summer with her Albuquerque friends instead of staying at Stanford or spending the summer in Malibu with her mom. Gabriella worked as a lifeguard at one of the Evans hotels in town, where most of her friends also worked this summer. The only downside was Chad and her boyfriend Troy was not with them. Troy was a paid intern at the corporate headquarters of Evans Hospitality worldwide. While Chad after some time at Lava Springs became the personal assistant to Darby Evans, a position that Gabriella would love to have, as she was friends with Darby.

Gabriella knew Darby because they both attended the same support group or club as Gabriella refer to it to those people that she did not want to know the truth about her past. Unfortunately, Gabriella had not seen Darby recently at the club meetings and was beginning to get worried. Her understanding of Darby is the reason why Gabriella reached out Ryan to summer before and attempted to forgave Sharpay for trying to steal her boyfriend repeatedly.

Gabriella was well aware of how great friendships could fall apart because of time and distance. Therefore, she was willing to do anything to maintain them even swallow her pride and pretend that be something she is not. After moving over 10 times in as many years, Gabriella knew that all the technology the in the world could not keep relationships together. Out of all her former "best friends" she only stayed in contact with Alexis from Cleveland. Maybe that was because they both went through such painful and traumatic things together. Maybe it was because she felt guilty from numerous regarding Alexis. Alexis was the one helped Gabriella get out of the dark place she went to during her father sickness and subsequent death.

Ironically, as Gabriella was preparing to leave Albuquerque for good in two days, tonight Alexis and her aunt would be moving to Albuquerque. Alexis's aunt, the famous producer of the hit musical franchise Singing in the Halls and the award winning television show White America, has accepted a teaching position at the University of Albuquerque. Alexis' will be a student at U of A and East High this fall.

"We have to leave in 10 minutes to make it to the luncheon on time," Taylor said from the doorway her room, clipboard of the luncheon schedule in hand.

"I can't believe you're taking this much stuff. I really need to teach you how to pack Taylor. You do realize Yale has stores." Gabriella Said as she placed the last of Taylor's things in her suitcase.

"Not all of us can be experts at packing." Taylor said with a smile, completely unaware her comments were hurtful. "Don't worry about it. I schedule two more hours for packing tonight when you go see your mother after she gets here from the Airport."

"Mom asked me to meet them in the morning at the hotel instead of coming over tonight. Besides I have a "club" meeting tonight." Gabriella was always extra careful around Taylor when it came to her "club meetings". Taylor expected everyone to be perfect and Gabriella was well aware that her weekly visits to Alcoholics Anonymous would be less than perfect to Taylor. Therefore, her current best friend knew hardly anything of her pre Albuquerque past. Especially anything involving the year Gabriella's father died.

"Why is she coming all the way from Malibu, just to sign the closing papers on the house?"

"She's actually coming here to help me settle in at school. Besides, she is not actually selling the house. The market is too bad for that right now. Mom and Madison are doing a house swap thing, where they will just live in each other's houses for two years. That way mom won't lose a substantial amount on the house and the press won't find out where Madison and Alexis really live." Gabriella said as she grabbed her purse from the side of the guest bed.

"Is your friend's Aunt Madison actually that famous?" Taylor asked as they began walking out of the house to Taylor's car.

"More than you ever known," Gabriella said mysteriously as she stepped into the car.

Malibu, California

Maria Montez stood in the borrowed home of one of her few friends, Madison Bryant. She carefully looked down at the shore below before focusing her attention on the teenager and baby playing in one of the three living rooms. In a few hours, she would return to Albuquerque New Mexico to send her baby girl off to college for good. She desperately wanted to spend this last summer with her daughter; instead, Gabriella chose to go back to New Mexico. Maria was sure that the chance to spend the summer on the beach with her old friend Alexis would entice Gabriella to spend the summer with her. Of course, she was wrong. Maria could not help but wonder if Gabriella was avoiding Alexis.

Maria always believed that Gabriella felt a certain amount guilt concerning what happened to Alexis that fateful night in February of 2006. Maria could not blame Gabriella, she too felt guilty. If she was not so wrapped up in our own grief for her husband who died just months before, she could have prevent her 15 year old daughter from taking a 13 year old to a raging party. If she were not so distant, maybe Gabriella would have told her what happened that night instead of waiting two days after Alexis washed the evidence down the drain and the drugs were out of her system. Then Maria could use her technical expertise to put the disgusting pervert who did this to that poor little girl in prison. If she knew right after it happened, she could have taken Alexis to the hospital to be examined and get the necessary emergency contraceptive. Maria was now fully aware that burden was completely on her, Alexis could never tell her grandmother with had happen to her and her mother was overseas serving our country.

Maria could still remember the terrified 13-year-old sitting on her daughter's bed, pregnancy test in hand. The tears completely covered the young girl's face as she held on to her best friend for dear life. Maria could remember her anger at Alexis's grandmother at her complete refusal to listen to the situation. Instead, the woman after calling Alexis nasty names, she kicked her 13 year old granddaughter on the street after she refused to have an abortion. Marie never hated anyone more than her entire life then Alexis's grandmother. She took Alexis' home with her that evening where she stayed until her mother came back from the war. Maria came out of her depression created by her husband's death while rising a pregnant 13 year old along with her recovering alcoholic 15-year-old daughter.

Fortunately, for Alexis her aunt Madison was a completely different woman from her wretched grandmother and absentee father. In the middle of a major project, she dropped everything to be with her niece when her grandmother kicked out the poor child. She missed her chance to accept her award for best Television series to serve as Alexis's birthing coach. She stopped working on the script of her latest masterpiece on the brink of the writers' strike, to be with Alexis when things truly fell apart. Now to give her niece a slightly more normal life, Madison would be leaving Hollywood behind for Albuquerque, New Mexico. This is why Maria Montez considers Madison Bryant one of her best friends.

Despite everything, Alexis sat in front of Maria with a smile on her face as she played with her beautiful daughter.

"Alexis, Maria, are you ready. The driver will be here in 10 minutes to take us to the Airport." Madison said as she walked into the large room. With blackberry in hand, she began to pull the luggage into the Fortier as she spoke to her manager and assistant.

"Go ahead and put out the press release tomorrow…" Madison yelled into the phone.

"Just tell them about my decision to take a couple years off to teach. I am always talking about helping others and setting an example for tomorrow's youth. What better way than becoming a professor at a University. I do not care what you have to tell the press, Tiffany. Just leave the kids out of it. Do not mention the incident May. Look the car will be here in a few minutes. I will call you when we get to Albuquerque to on out the rest of our plans. Yes, I will be back in a few weeks to finish of the work done on the last project. Tiffany they are just going to have to wait. Oh no, Hope do not do that. I Have to go Tiffany, the baby is trying to eat the plants " Alexis began laughing as she held little Hope in her arms as the little girl continued to enjoy her juice.

"Aunt Madison Please did not use my child as an excuse to avoid your agent. Tiffany, will believe that she is evil, when she is just perfect "At that moment Hope manage to pull the top off of her juice and promptly spilled the dark liquid all over her mommy new design a top.

"Oh yes she is mommy's little angel." Madison said with complete sarcasm as the driver pulled into the large circular driveway.

"Look the limo just got here. Let me take this little girl to the car, while you go change. Your back up outfit is in the diaper bag" Maria replied as she took the baby from Alexis.

"You are just as smart as your mommy. Gabriella did not learn how to do that until she was two years old. " Maria said with a laugh as she took the baby and car seat to the limo.

A/N: The lyrics of Maddie Rock are all original songs created by me unless otherwise stated. This story contained many original songs, because what is High School Musical without music.

Revised: 6/14/2009