"Miley! Miley! Miley!" Lily Truscott's enthusiastic voice could be heard echoing throughout the Stewart residence. Miley jumped up from her computer and ran downstairs to meet her best friend in the living room.
"What is with all the noise?" she asked. "Too much sugar on your cereal again?"
Lilly shook her head in a no gesture, her eyes wide. "Did you hear about our high school?" she asked.
"No, what happened?" Miley asked. She took the pause to take in Lilly's new light blue hair streaks. That girl always did ridiculous things like that during summer vacation.
"Well," Lilly said dramatically, "It's been shut down."
"Shut down? Whatchu talking bout girl, they can't shut down a high school!"
"They can if Jake Ryan decides he wants it to be the site of his next teen film and his parents pay the school a bajillion dollars," says the voice of Oliver Oken. Miley turns to find her other, brunette best friend walking through her front door.
"Don't people knock around here!" she teases him, smiling gently. "Did you get a haircut?" she asks. "It looks good!"
"Yeah well…I have got to look my best for the ladies," he tells her, grinning.
"Your man boobs do not count as ladies!" Lilly interjects, punching Oliver in the shoulder for good measure. Oliver tugs on one of her pigtails, and she retaliates immediately by stepping on his foot.
"Wait!" Miley interjects. "So, if Jake Ryan, the return of who has absolutely no effect on me whatsoever –," she pauses for a moment. Lilly nods at her sympathetically. Oliver is checking his reflection out in her toaster, "- then where are we going to finish our next three years of school?"
"That's the thing," Lilly says. "They've assigned us to neighborhood schools at random."
"You mean there's a chance we won't be together!" Miley shrieks, sitting down on the sofa with a thump. "OH MY GOD!"
"It's okay," Lilly says calmly, coming to sit next to her. "You should have received a letter in the mail today, letting you know which school you have been assigned to. Don't worry – if we aren't at the same school, we'll still be friends. Nothing can come between us."
Miley felt herself tearing up a little, and moved to put an arm around Lilly. "Thanks Lilly. That really means a lot to me. Thanks for being so calm about this."
"Of course!" Lilly exclaimed. "I have often been told that I am good in a crisis. It helps to take deep breaths and –,"
Oliver snorted, cutting Lilly off. "Please! This from the girl who showed up at my house completely hysterical because she thought we wouldn't get the same school. Come ON Lilly, you were screaming! And, you practically killed me, climbing on top of me and kicking me when you were trying to read my letter! I still have the bruises!" Oliver pulled up his sleeve to prove his point.
"I was not hysterical!" Lilly shrieked. "And it is not MY fault that we've never been to different schools since we were pre-schoolers, is it? Excuse me for caring Mr. -,"
"HEY! Don't accuse me of not caring! Of course I care – who would watch out for your special, blonde needs if I wasn't around to save your ass! I'm just saying you shouldn't be showing off to Miley about how calm you are -,"
"SPECIAL NEEDS! SHOWING OFF! Oliver Oken, you better start running! If you think for one minute that I -,"
"GUYS!" Miley screamed, interrupting what looked like it was fast becoming the next World War. "I got East High."
There was a short pause. Miley looked at Lilly and Oliver with frightened eyes. Lilly and Oliver eyed each other warily, scowling a little.
Finally, they spoke. "We did too!" both shouted at the same time, leaping towards Miley for a group hug.
Miley rolled her eyes. "Why me?" she mouthed, looking towards the ceiling.
Lilly pulled back first. "I am so excited about this!" she proclaimed. "And, anyways, my cousins go there. They're twins, and really fun to be around!"
Oliver grinned. "The girl twin is really hot!" he said.
Lilly just rolled her eyes. "She is so out of his league," she told Miley with a grin.
Whistling cheerfully, Ryan Evans strolled through the double doors of his school. As much as he had enjoyed summer vacation, it was nice to return to the normalcy of high school, and the fact that there would be new students there from Seaview would make it even more interesting. He moved towards his locker, popping it open. He checked his appearance in the tiny mirror inside with a smirk, tilting his white hat a little to the left, and then began searching for his books.
Troy Bolton grimaced as he stepped over the threshold into school. Another day, another drag. Lately, everything felt so much like an after school special. He had no idea what he wanted anymore. He felt like he was so much happier when he just had basketball. He felt so manly then, so in control. Sure, he was hiding his love for music, but that made it more real. Now, he was expected to sing cheesy love duets and dance around like some pop star. That wasn't really what he was into. He was sensitive, but he didn't want to be as caring and thoughtful and deep as all his friends and Gabriella seemed to expect him to be.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sharpay turn the corner, and found himself smiling a little on the inside. Sometimes, her incessant flirting was the only thing that made him feel alive. It made him feel a little wicked, a little more like an actual man. He was so tired of sacrificing things he wanted for his friends.
Watching as Sharpay glided towards him, Troy didn't even notice Gabriella launch herself across the hallway until she landed near him, both arms looping around his neck.
"Hi, cotton candy bear!" she coos sweetly.
"Gabby…cotton candy bear??" he asks, irritated.
"Because you're sweet!" she coos again. Then she frowns. "Don't you like it?" Her lip trembles. "I'm sorrrrrrry!" she wails.
Oh, God, thought Troy. "I'm sorry Gabby I love it!" he said, stroking her arm. She slowly began to smile. Troy could tell by the look in her eyes that she was about to burst into song. Moving quickly, he called out Sharpay's name.
"Hey Troy!" Sharpay said, moving towards him. "Just the guy I was looking for. Mrs. Darbus just told me that tryouts for the fall musical are going to be this week!"
"Really!" Troy said. "Well, I -,"
Gabriella squealed, cutting him off. "Can we do a joint audition, Troy-bear! Please!" Troy rolled his eyes in his head, trying to think of an excuse.
Salvation came in the form of a blonde girl who came speeding down the hall and hugged Sharpay. It was hilarious to see no nonsense Sharpay, in her heels and hundred dollar outfit, getting attacked by this girl. The girl looked about a year younger, and ruffled Sharpay's perfect curls playfully.
"Hey Sharpie!" This girl certainly had some nerve.
Sharpay pretended to be huffy, but it was clear to Troy that she did not mind this girl teasing and hugging her in the slightest. "Hello, Lilly-pad," she said, dryly. "Mother told me you and your little friends would be going here this year."
"Yeah! I am so excited," Lilly exclaimed. "Where's my Ryan?"
Sharpay grinned. "Probably fixing his make-up like a good little drama queen."
Troy and Gabriella shared a look of confusion. It was so bizarre to see Sharpay so…cheerful. And somebody was actually looking for Ryan Evans? That was new too. Troy's mind wandered off, thinking about Ryan. Every time he thought back to his summer working at the country club, Ryan was the first thing that came to mind. His perfectly pressed white outfits, the way he made the whole talent show fiasco work out for everyone, the way he had made friends with everyone, his little, perfectly shaped pink lips.
His reverie was interrupted as the object of his fantasies came strolling down the hall. He stopped right next to the new girl, looking down at her.
"Drag queen," he said to her in greeting.
"Princess," she simpered at him.
Then the two dropped the acts and threw themselves into each others arms, hugging and grinning.
Troy couldn't help but smile at their antics. He then cleared his throat loudly.
"Oh right!" the girl said. "Hi, I'm Lilly. Lilly Truscott. I just got transferred here, and I'm going to be a sophomore."
"I'm Troy and this is Gabriella," Troy offered. "How do you know…er…Sharpie and Princess?" He was met by twin glares from Sharpay and Ryan.
Lilly laughed. "They're my cousins," she said. "Oh, there are my friends! Miley! Oliver! Over here!"
Troy looked over his shoulder and watched as two brunettes made their way over to the little group that was already gathered. The girl, Miley, he guessed, was tall, very pretty, and looked very familiar to him. The boy, Oliver, had a goofy smile. He was nodding along as the girl talked.
Miley linked her arm through Lilly's when she reached her. Oliver leaned over Sharpay, his arm on the locker behind her.
"Smoken Oken, at your service," he told her, grinning. "You could probably tell I was here by the rise in your temperature."
Sharpay snorted, and then turned to Lilly. "He still does that goofy donut thing?" she asked.
"Unfortunately, yes," sighed Lilly. "No amount of bribing or kicking will make him stop. Believe me, I have tried."
Oliver rolled his eyes and stepped forward, locking his arm around Lilly's neck in a hug/chokehold. "Hey, when the girl is as hot as Sharpay, you can't fault a guy for trying!"
Ryan caught Troy's eye and winked. Troy immediately felt himself blushing, even though he had no idea why.
"Anyways," Lilly said, "these are my friends, Miley and Oliver. Miley, Oliver, this is Sharpay, Ryan, Troy, and Gabriella."
"It was nice to meet all of you!" Gabriella said sweetly. Troy watched, a little surprised, as her eyes lingered on Oliver, who seemed completely oblivious.
Just then, the ball rang. As everyone scattered to their respective classrooms, Troy realized that this year just might be different – in a good way.