I walk down the hallway avoiding eye contact from the other students. I just remind myself to keep placing one foot in front of the other. Before I head to class I decide to go to the bathroom because I honestly hate missing education time to use it during class. And some of the teachers won't even let you go during instruction time. When I walk in I see a group of boys play fighting in the corner of the bathroom and I automatically regret coming in here. Middle schoolers are so ruthless and I hate this new school. My parents and I moved to New Mexico because my dad got a job as a high school basketball coach and my mom finally found a job working as charge nurse at a hospital. I had tons of friends at my old middle school, but none here. The more I try to make friends, the more I was picked on and ostracized so eventually I became a loner. After I used the bathroom and washed my hands I was going to leave and head to class.
"Bolton!" Derek yells as I throw the paper towel away. I try to leave but he stands in front of me and blocks me from leaving.
"What do you want Derek?" I ask trying to side-step and exit but that ended in disappointment.
"Come wrestle with me." Derek laughs out as some of the other boys laugh with him.
"No." I reply.
"Why are you a crybaby?" Derek retaliates as he shoves me.
"No I just don't want to wrestle." I say with my head hung low avoiding eye contact once more.
"I bet you want to call your mommy, don't you Bolton?" Derek teases.
"He's a mommy's boy!" Another kid says in laughter.
"Move out of my way!" I yell in annoyance.
"Or what?" Derek challenges as he pushes me on the ground. He punches me in the nose and I can feel it begin to bleed. The other boys circled around me and laughed yelling "Bolton is a pussy"! I want to disappear, I hate this middle school.
"Get off of him Derek!" A voice screams echoing throughout the bathroom. I haven't seen him before, he has tan skin with puffy black hair.
"Stay out of this Chad, I have to teach this wimp a lesson." Derek says as he continues to punch me and call me names.
"I said get off of him Derek!" Chad voices as he walks up and pushes him. Derek turns around and tries to hit him, but Chad dodges the punch and punches Derek in the stomach. The punch must have been powerful because the force of it made Derek fall to his knees gripping his abdomen. Chad looks around with an expression that inserts dominance. The other boys grab Derek and they run out of the bathroom in fear.
"Hey, are you okay?" Chad questions as he helps me off the ground and grabs a paper towel for my bleeding nose.
"I'm fine." I say as I look at the blood on my white t-shirt.
"Well… my name is Chad Danforth." Chad says with a smile.
"I'm Troy Bolton."
I wake up to the sound of my alarm clock screaming in my ear with it's repetitive tone. My eyes cut open as I stare at the annoying device hoping it was seize it's screech. I start to debate whether I should hit snooze, but I figure I would have to get up anyways so I just decide to spare myself the torture of having it go off again. With one swift movement I turn off the device. My thoughts go back to the dream I had. I wish it was a dream, but it's more of a memory. I hated middle school because of the bullying I went through everyday. After I met Chad the bullying decreased, but never stopped completely. I push those painful childhood memories towards the back of my mind and focus on the task at hand. Getting up for school. I sit up to allow the fact that it's Monday to sink in. Another Monday morning, another eight hours of my life wasted at school, and another boring day which consisted of the same routine. I guess I couldn't complain, I just came back from a ski trip with my dad. Although the ski trip was fun I wish my dad would have done more adventurous things with me. I mean we were on a mountain hundreds of miles away from home and all he wanted to do was practice basketball. While practically battling with my feet to cooperate with my mind I make my way and walk into the bathroom. I run the water to take a shower and step into the enclosed tile and glass sanctuary. Allowing the hot water to run down my back. Letting the steam from the scorching waters wake me up and resist the tiredness that comes along with mornings. Then again feeling tired in the morning is inevitable. Scrubbing my teeth after I get out of the shower, is always part of the routine. I run into my room and rummage through my closet trying to find something to wear. I decide to dress myself with a red tee-shirt, black jeans and vans. I run downstairs because despite me getting up on time, I still somehow managed to be late. Lucky me. Before I could leave for school I am cut off by my overbearing mother.
"Good morning Troy." She says as she cuts me off from moving any further.
"Can you move?" I ask as I push her out of my way. "I'm going to be late!"
"I was just wondering... I was just wondering if you were staying at your father's house tonight?"
"Of course, why wouldn't I," I ask sarcastically as I grab my bag and head for the door, "you didn't think I would want to stay here with you, did you? It's dad's week to have me. Besides I hate it here" I state just because I knew it would rub her the wrong way.
"Troy Bolton!" She yells. "Apologize right now!"
"Why should I," I question "you told me when I was little to always be honest even if it hurts. Well the truth hurts doesn't it mother."
"What did I do for you to be so cruel to me?" My mom asks with pain thick in her voice.
"Look can we talk about this later, I am already late and I cannot deal with your theatre tears right now."
"I love you Troy." She says as I roll my eyes and walk out the door.
I jump into my car, start the engine, and I hit the gas petal automatically. Anger couldn't even begin to describe what I was feeling. She knows I am running late and she stops me for small talk! And how dare she ask me whether I was going to my father's or not. I always go there every other week. And if she's mad about this schedule she is the one who caused it. Sometimes I wish they wouldn't have gotten a divorce. Ever since my unbearable mother divorced my father, things haven't been the same. I don't even know why they got a divorce, when I asked my dad he says "Go ask your mom, because I don't know and I have no idea" and when I question her she says "Don't worry about it honey, I just wasn't happy with him". Bullshit! I mean how can you throw twenty years away. How can you just throw that down the drain. I mean did she even love him at all! I feel anger with my mom for divorcing my dad, and if it was up to me I would stay with my dad. Unfortunately, court orders state that I have to visit both of them until I'm eighteen. Which isn't going to happen anytime soon, I still have five months until I become an adult. After minutes of cursing my mother's name out in vain my raging thoughts became silent when my cell phone started to ring. I look at the caller ID that reads the name "Chad Danforth".
"What do you want?" I ask as I could hear Chad's gasp.
"What's with you," Chad ask, "do you wanna talk about it?"
"Let's not talk about it." I say as I could feel the anger rising again. "What do you need?"
"Where are you?" Chad questions as I could hear Sharpay in the background screaming her greetings.
"I am parking now!" I shout, so he would be able to hear me over Sharpay's screeching.
"About time!" Chad shouts as I get out of the car and walk towards our school. Home of the Wildcats.
"Yeah, my mother was bugging me, like always." I state as we meet up outside our school.
"Anyways, you know that girl named Ciara?" Chad asks as he places his arm around me.
"The one you met last week?" I ask unsure of where he was going with this.
"Yeah!" Chad shouts. "Needless to say I had her moaning and screaming last night, she was too easy."
I rolled my eyes as the words took time to process in my brain. "I am starting to think you really are addicted to sex."
"I know dude, but it's an amazing addiction." Chad jokes as we walk into class.
Chad really was addicted to sex. He was always having sex with girls and leaving them. I mean I have had my fair share of running out on girls, but he takes it to new heights. Once he pretended that he was dying from cancer to have sex with a girl. After they had sex and he took her virginity, he ditched. She was so embarrassed and so humiliated that she moved to North Carolina, which is about two thousand miles from Albuquerque, New Mexico. The bell rang which signaled that I was actually on time for class. Everyone came in and sat down waiting for Ms. Darbus. One by one everyone came in and greeted me with fake smiles and hugs. And that's when I saw her. I watched her as she sat in the seat beside me. She must have been new. The first day back from Christmas break and we already have a new student. "Ugly nerd!" Someone shouts as she first sat down. I turned around and realized that Chad was the one who shouted that comment. When I turn back around I just stare at her, Chad must need glasses because his comment was completely and utterly wrong. She was actually very beautiful. Once again my thoughts are interrupted when I see Sharpay Evans and her brother Ryan storm in and stand over the new girl. Sharpay and Ryan Evans the siblings that supposedly ran this school. As far as I know Ryan is just her puppet. Sharpay is captain of the varsity cheerleading team, the star of every play and musical Ms. Darbus produces, and basically every straight guy at this school wants her. Expect me. She's been obsessed with me for over three years, personally she just isn't my type. I admire brunettes more anyways and her blonde hair actually makes me sick. Sharpay stood there tapping her foot impatiently, and I knew things were about to go downhill real fast.
"Why are you sitting here?" Sharpay asks as she stares with a disgusted look on her face.
"Well... there is no assigned seats and I wanted to sit here," the new girl said, "besides why should I move for the likes of you?"
"Look here you irrelevant bitch, that's my seat!" Sharpay shouts as the class begins to get rowdy.
"Sorry, looks like daddy won't be able to buy you everything you want-" The girl attempts to say, but Sharpay's hand flies back preparing for a slap, but in one swift movement the new girl grabbed her hand with such ease and utters "You might want to reconsider your strategy Paris Hilton!"
"Ouch! Let go of my hand you fucking loser!" Sharpay screams as she draws her other hand back and successfully smacks this unknown female. She gets up and gives Sharpay a slight shove before walking to the back of the classroom and sitting in an empty seat. The class was completely shocked with everything that happened, hell I was as well.
Ms. Darbus walks in apologizing for her being late. I expected the new girl to stand up and confess everything that happened, but she didn't.
"Alright class we will be working on a project. You will be paired up with a partner, and you will write a piece of literature. It will be your choice whether it's a play, story, song, or any other examples of text." Ms. Darbus states as everyone begins to cheer with excitement.
"Troy is my partner!" Chad shouts as Sharpay begins to object and state how she wants me to be her partner.
"Wrong Mr. Danforth. I will be picking partners." Ms. Darbus strictly says as everyone groans. "Alright class, get ready because I am only reciting this once. Mr. Danforth you will be with Taylor McKessie, Sharpay Evans you will be with Zeke Baylor, Ryan Evans you will be with Kelsi Nielsen. And finally Mr. Bolton, nice to see you are back from your trip in one piece, you will be paired up with our newest student Gabriella Montez." Ms. Darbus finishes as everyone moves around to be with their partner.
I get up and start walking to my partner, and I could just feel the rage and envy that Sharpay was feeling. So that was her name Gabriella Montez. Although, I didn't know who she was, there was something about her that appealed to me. I walked up to her nervous, but not really sure why. When I finally got to her seat, she pulls out her earphones and I manage to say "Hello Gabriella, my name is Troy Bolton."