Prolgue:

It had been three and a half years since that warm and festive day in mid-June, when the East High Eight (Chad, Taylor, Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay, Zeke, Ryan and Kelsi) had at long last taken their high school diplomas in hand, bid a fond farewell to their beloved alma mater, and eagerly took those first exciting steps on the road to adulthood toward an unknown future that lie just ahead.

A few weeks later, once the thrill of pop and circumstance had finally begun to subside, the group of close-knit friends all returned to work yet another summer at the exclusive Lava Springs Country Club with everyone's focus mainly on earning as much money as possible before having to depart for their respective schools in the fall. However, they also made time in their hectic schedules to enjoy just being together as they'd always been, before life as they knew it changed forever more.

Many a night after long hectic days waiting on pampered guests hand and foot, Chad, Taylor and the others would meet up outside the employees entrance ready for any type of fun they could find like going to the movies, barbecuing, playing minature golf, hitting the roller rink or simply hanging out at someone's house.

And so it was by the time the final days of summer rolled around, that the bond of love and friendship between them all seemed to have grown even deeper than imagined, making it that much more difficult to think of what their lives would be like without the strength of their cherised commraderie to carry them through on a daily basis.

It was not long after that when each one found themselves sadly packing up their belongings, saying tearful goodbyes to other friends and family and all they'd ever known, and heading off to all corners of the globe to see what new adventures the world at large held in store.

Chad and Taylor, although initially set on being married right after their first semesters at school, had decided instead that it would be better for them to wait until at least their senior year to tie the knot, as was the same sentiment for the also engaged Troy and Gabriella, whom had convinced their closest friends that by waiting a bit longer, it would enable them to plan a double wedding when the time was finally right. Suffice it to say, such news was music to the ears of their parents, all of whom thought their children should wait for such a huge commitment until they'd finished up their education.

During their freshman and sophomore years, because of the simple fact that they all were going to college within the same state, Chad, Troy, Gabriella and Taylor took turns driving up and down the California coast every other Thursday to spend long weekends together since they no longer had the luxury of being within a few blocks of one another as had been the case back home.

However, this sometimes exhausting arrangement greatly improved in the summer just before their junior year, when Chad and Troy surprised the women they loved by renting out a 3-bedroom condo in the quaint little town of San Luis Obispo, the geographical half-way point between their respective schools. Such a move took at least four hours off of their tedious commutes when having to travel, and allowed the two couples to spend even more quality time enjoying each other's company when they knew they would all be together.

Of course Chad, Taylor, Troy, and Gabriella made it home whenever possible, mostly when they knew that Zeke, Sharpay, Kelsi and Ryan would be there too. Those were wonderful gatherings as well, with all of them catching up on each other's lives face-to-face, while also being able to spend time with their families and reconnect with other old friends. Jason was the only one they rarely saw in those days, as his studies and traveling kept him too busy to do more than drop a postcard or call once in a blue moon. But his friends always kept him in their thoughts, just glad to know that when they did speak with him he sounded happy and fulfilled in his life.

At the beginning of their sophomore year, Zeke and Sharpay broke up, a circumstance Gabriella, Taylor and the others learned about during their twice a month conference call that had become a steadfast ritual since they had been freshmen. At first the group was unnerved to hear such news, but once they discovered that neither Zeke nor Sharpay were upset about the break and had in fact found new loves to ease any pain of regret, everything was fine once again.

Zeke had met a French girl named Lisette Oliver, whose father owned one of the best restaurants in Europe, and Sharpay was happily dating the son of one of the most famous stage director's in London by the name of Ian Lowery.

Surprisingly, however, in spite of having the relationship with the longest distance between them, Ryan and Kelsi were doing just fine. In fact, by the end of her sophomore year, Kelsi had secured a music fellowship to study at the same academy with both Ryan and Sharpay, and had raced off to London to be by Ryan's side without so much as a backward glance.

Yes, life was going well for the East Side Eight as all continued to pursue their dreams and destinies to the fullest. But it was in early June, a few weeks after attending final classes of their junior year, that fate took yet another turn and manuevered to bring the group of best friends together once again for another unexpected adventure of a lifetime...only this time to be played out on the other side of the Atlantic!

Chapter 1

Troy, Gabriella, and Taylor were seated around the kitchen table in the breakfast nook of their condo discussing what they wanted to do for the day during this, one of their special weekends, when a hot and sweaty Chad suddenly appeared in the kitchen doorway holding a bundle of mail in hand looking spent but happy. He had just returned from an early morning jog down by the riverbank and was now ravished by hunger, more than ready to tear into a plate of food like nobody's business.

"Morning guys," Chad greeted with a smile, closing the door behind him, walking over to drop the mail in hand onto the kitchen table, before smoothly leaning in and catching Taylor off guard with one of those kisses that still managed to leave her surprised and breathless.

"Hey," Troy replied with a smile of his own, as he and Gabriella both reached for the mail at the same time and began sorting through the envelopes and advertisements. "How was your run?"

"It was good. Not too many people were out so that made it extra nice," Chad replied, lifting his t-shirt to wipe beads of sweat from his forehead. "Did you guys already eat without me?"

Taylor, having regained her composure from the tingle of Chad's lips, shook her head as she stood up from her chair and wrapped her arms lovingly around his waist.

"No baby. Not yet. We were waiting for you to get back. Just talking over some coffee is all. Why don't you sit down and I'll get you some juice."

"Sounds good. Make it cranberry."

Taylor nodded with a loving smile and gently pushed Chad into the seat she had been occupying before going over to the cupboard to get him a glass.

"So housemates...have you decided yet how we plan to spend our day? Take in a movie? Go bike riding? Or maybe a barbecue?" Chad inquired even as his thoughts momentarily drifted from filling his rumbling stomach with food to the idea of a nice relaxing shower.

"We actually were thinking about going out to the Hobart Ranch, renting some horses, and then heading out to that secluded little spot on the hill we like so much for a picinic," Troy stated, passing over a pair of envelopes not addressed to him into Gabriella's waiting hands.

"Horseback riding and a picnic huh?" Chad mused thoughtfully. "I could get with that. How soon do we leave?"

"Oh my God Taylor!" Gabriella exclaimed loudly, suddenly startling everyone in the room. "Look! Look! They're here! They're here! They finally came!"

"What? What?" Taylor asked anxiously, rushing quickly back to the table with Chad's juice in hand. "What finally came?"

"Our letters for the European work study progam that's what! Now we find out if our requests for admission were accepted!" Gabriella explained giddy with excitement, handing her best friend the duplicate to the envelope she herself had also received.

Taylor slowly took her own notice in hand as both women looked at one another in a shared moment of nervous anticipation. Troy and Chad sat quietly at the table staring at their fiancees' faces, hoping the news was good, considering they both had already gotten an answer to their own requests into the same program the week before.

It had been at Gabriella's urging that they do something different for their senior year that would allow them to all be together for more than just long weekends, which had led to her researching work study programs in subjects pertaining to each of their majors: communications for Chad; marketing for Troy; marine biology for Gabriella; and, to everyone's surprise geology for Taylor, whom had changed from political science during her sophomore year. They had finally decided on a prominent program headquartered in Greece with field offices in various locations throughout Europe, which would not only allow them to study abroad, but also reconnect them with Sharpay, Ryan, Kelsi and Zeke whom had also been waiting for months to hear if their friends would be joining them on the other side of the world.

"Well don't just stand there staring at the darn things...open them!" Troy urged with undisgused eagerness after several minutes of neither Gabriella or Taylor making a move to find out if all their hoped for plans were a go.

"Yeah baby. Don't be scared. I'm sure you both got in just like we did," Chad encouraged, pulling a still standing Taylor with her mouth agape, down onto his lap in a comforting embrace. "If you didn't get in then we'll just have to figure out something else is all."

"Okay Tay lets do this on the count of three," Gabriella said with a pronounced sigh. "1...2...3."

They both simultaneously ripped the tops off their envelopes and fished out the contents inside. When they had read the letters through to the end, the two women silently glanced at one another giving nothing away by their expressions, while their men waited with baited breath to see what would happen next.

"Well...come on...don't keep us hanging in suspense. What does it say?" Troy scolded somewhat nervously.

Gabriella suddenly winked at her bestfriend to which Taylor responded with a slow smile of contentment.

"It says that your beautiful, smart fiancees are going to spend our senior year with the two of you in Europe!!" Gabriella screamed in unison with Taylor, as both of them threw their arms around Chad and Troy in uncontained excitement.

"Really? Now that's what I'm talking about!" Chad shouted happily, as he hugged Taylor even tighter while Troy scooped Gabriella up out of her chair and began to swing her around the room in his arms. "I never doubted for a mintue that the two of you would get in!"

"Neither did I!" Troy concurred as he put Gabriella down on her feet again and the four friends fell into a fit of joyous laughter.

"Oh my God Tay do you know what this means?" Gabriella squealed, rushing over to hug her best friend.

"No what?"

"It means we're going to have to do a Sharpay and try and hit as many sales as possible at the mall before we leave so we can be dressed for success to impress."

"You know it girlfriend," Taylor agreed, giving Gabriella a hi-five. "We have to go and call Sharpay and Kelsi right now and tell them the good news. Sharpay is going to bust coming up with all kinds of things to do and show us once we arrive."

"I know. Isn't it great! Oh...oh...and we have to call our folks after that. My mom is gonna be so excited and yours too."

"Yeah, until they get the bills for all the shopping you two plan on doing to ramp up those wardrobes of yours," Troy teased.

Chad laughed at the truth of that statement.

"Oh...you be quiet," Gabriella said, with an exaggerated eyeroll. "Just be glad we aren't married yet or you'd be the one in the financial hotseat."

"She's got a point there dude. One must be thankful for small blessings," Chad joked, as Taylor reached over and playfully swatted the back of his head.

"And that will do for comments from the peanut gallery Mr. Danforth thank you very much."

"What did I do?" her fiance asked, feigning innocence.

"Never mind those two," Gabriella cut in with a dismissive wave of her hand, taking Taylor by the arm and pulling her toward the living room. "Let's get on the phone and spread the good news shall we?"

"Yes. Lets," Taylor said with a giggle as both women left the breakfast nook full of excited plans and chatter.

"Okay now...don't you two be on the phone yakking the whole morning away. Remember we have some horses and a picnic basket with our names on them," Troy called after their retreating backs, as he settled into his chair with an amused smile on his face.

"Hey...and what about breakfast? I'm starving?" Chad added to Troy's taunt, which was completely ignored altogether.

"Looks like we're on our own for that one buddy," his best friend advised, getting up and heading over to the cupboard by the stove to pull down a box of cereal. "Those two aren't even trying to hear anything we've got to say right about now."

"Yeah...I can see that," Chad laughed, as Troy came back to the table with two bowls, some spoons and a carton of milk in addition to the Captin Crunch.

The two guys began filling their bowls with cereal as they listened to the squeals of "I know" and "Isn't it great" coming from the living room, shaking their heads while smiling at how animated the loves of their lives were becoming as they relayed the news to friends and family about their trip overseas.

"Well...there's really only one thing I have to say at a time like this," Troy stated, sitting down opposite Chad as he scooted his chair closer to the table and then held up his spoon signaling for Chad to do the same.

"Yeah? And what's that?"

Troy shook his head and sighed. "Women!"

Chad laughed. "Ain't it the truth."

Then the two friends clinked their spoons together and concentrated on the only thing at the moment they had any control over...their stomachs!