Update 11/26/2009: I am going back through and revising the entire story. I now present a better version of Scenes from Freshman Year
This is the new chapter one.
A post HSM 3 fan fiction starring Chad and Sharpay
Rated: Over all this story is M for sexual humor, sexual situations, language, and some difficult subject matter later.
Summary: College is a time were you figure out who you want to be. It's a place where you grow up and you explore life. This is a collection of stories that Chronicles Chad and Sharpay's first year of college at the University of Albuquerque. Will take place at A of U, but will contain cameos from all our favorite wildcats.
Pairing: Chad/Sharpay eventually, Troy/OC eventually
Other pairings will occur throughout the store.
Disclaimer: I do not own High School Musical.
The following work is based on characters created by Peter Barsocchini
Chapter One: Conversations in a Line
Chad stood outside one of the many University of Albuquerque dining halls, in the desert heat, waiting to register for his fall classes. The whole process of freshmen registration at A of U annoyed Chad. Instead of registering online like all other students at the university, incoming freshmen and transfer students were required to register in person after a three-day orientation program. After two days of test that made the SATs seem like fun, Chad was forced to stand in line for hours at one of the dining halls that was converted into a makeshift registration center. Worst of all Chad would be forced to stand next to the vein of his high school existence Sharpay Evans the entire time.
For the first 45 minutes, they stayed completely silent, ignoring one another. Unfortunately, with the attention span of a five year old, by the time they were actually inside the building, Chad was too bored to keep quiet. Therefore, he decided to ask Sharpay the one question he wanted to know the answer to sense the night of the musical when he learned that Sharpay, not Troy would be joining him at A of U.
"Why are you here?" Chad asked the woman behind him.
"Registering for classes, just like you. I knew you were stupid, but I didn't think you were that stupid." Sharpay responded with pure annoyance.
"I meant why are you going to the University of Albuquerque?"
"Ryan got into Juilliard and I didn't."
"There are other schools that specialize in the performing arts, why not go to one of those schools? Even Troy is going to Berkeley instead of here. Both of you have the same major."
"Yes, but Troy is going to Berkeley to follow Gabriella like a lost puppy." Although Chad would not tell anyone, he believed Sharpay's words to be true.
"The drama program here isn't great, but it is still pretty good. But that's beside the point; there are no other choices for me."
"What do you mean?" Chad asked her in complete puzzlement.
"We are standing here in the middle of Martha Evans Hall waiting to register for classes. This is just one of the four buildings on this campus named after my family members. My great grandfather, on my mother's side, was once president of this university. My father is on the board of trustees now. Someone must represent the family name, and unfortunately it is me."
"If the family legacy was so important, why did Ryan get to go to Juilliard?" Chad inquired.
"We made a deal. Both Ryan and I applied only to Juilliard and A of U. If we both got into Juilliard, that would be the end of the Evans legacy at A of U. But since I didn't get in…"
"You get the honor of representing your family at A of U." Chad finished for her.
"Exactly,"
"Although, if your family practically owns the school, why are you waiting in line like the rest of us lowly peasants?"
"I just want the normal college experience for once," Sharpay, answered in an almost whisper.
"And waiting in line for hours on end for classes that you don't want to take is part of the normal college experience? What college traditions will you participate in next; the ritualistic binge drinking and passing out on your roommate's bed? Of course this is after you get sick on the way back to the dorms.
"That's not normal, that is disgusting." Sharpay replied in disgust. "Like I would ever drink beer."
"The ice princess could never bring herself to drink beer like us commoners?" his words were not malicious in any way. Rather, it was completely in jest. Both began to giggle a little bit at his joke. The two continued to talk about everything from last year's musical to what classes they were registering for this semester.
"Next," yell a distant voice from in front of them, breaking them from their conversation
"I guess we finally made it to the front of the line." Sharpay commented.
"I guess we did, I'll see you around campus okay. Maybe we could do lunch in the cafeteria, another ritual of college life."
"Maybe," was all Sharpay said as she walked to the open computer terminal.
A/N: After 21 chapters I decided to update the first chapter to add a summary for all those people like me who don't start reading a story until it hits at least 100,000 words.