Wow, so you guys have something more on the Bolton orphans - lucky people. I hope you guys like this story even more than Have Faith. Let's try to beat 84 reviews, okay? I like reviews.

I'm trying to get into the habit of putting a disclaimer and stuff, so…

Title: Rebuilding Foundations

Summary: Sequel to Have Faith. Ashley is starting to return back to normal, but when Troy decides to go to camp, will she cope? And how will her feelings influence Troy in his college choices?

Disclaimer: I own none of the HSM characters. I think you guys can guess what I do own.

Chapter Title: Stopping Her Smiling

And here we go…

'I'm sorry to say that your parents have been in a car crash. They died on impact. I'm very sorry.'

Falling to the ground, not registering the pain from the phone's weight on my foot, I felt my brother's arms wrap round me. I clung to his chest, mumbling into his top.

Ashley sat up in bed, gasping. She closed her eyes and ran a hand through her tousled hair. She was glad Troy couldn't hear her anymore – she'd been waking him up for months with nightmares. She'd tried to get them under control, and slowly they were starting to lessen. She lay back on the cushions, pulling the crumpled sheets up to her neck.

'Ash! Breakfast!' Ashley slowly opened one eye.

'Oh man…' she groaned as she turned to look at her clock – 10:30am. 'Do I have to?' she yelled back in the loudest voice she could muster.

'Let me think…' Ashley raised her eyebrows in hope. 'Yes!'

'Dang it.' She hissed, pulling back the covers and crawling out of bed. She trailed downstairs after slipping on some bed socks to keep her feet warm on the cold kitchen floor.

She walked into the kitchen, eyes still half closed, and slowly grabbed the refrigerator door and pulled it open, taking hold of the orange juice.

'Hey Chad.' She yawned out, pulling out her stall and sitting next to him as Troy pushed her bowl of cereal towards her. 'Where's Shane?'

'At home.' Chad said, ruffling her hair. 'Someone had a rough night, it seems.'

'Not really.' She lied, as Troy grabbed the orange juice from her grip as she started to pour it onto her cereal.

Chad laughed. 'Yeah, she's not tired at all.'

'She always says that.' Troy said, pouring the juice into a glass and giving her the milk for her cereal.

'Yo, still here, people.' Ashley waved sarcastically.

'Sorry.' Troy said, noticing she wasn't pouring the milk, just staring. 'But you are tired. You need more sleep, kiddo.' He said, taking hold of the milk and pouring it for her.

'Hey, I'm not a little kid – I can do it myself.' She said, reaching for it, but he took it out of her range. 'Troy!' she whined, pouting.

'See? I'll only treat you like an adult when you start–' Troy's cell phone rang and he held one finger up to tell her he wasn't finished. She sighed, deflating, and rolled her eyes, getting up and grabbing a spoon.

Troy answered his phone. 'Hello?'

'Troy Bolton?'

'That's me.' He said, resting his phone in between his cheek and his shoulder so that he could point to Ashley's chair, signalling for her not to eat standing up.

'This is the manager of California Sports – Anthony Thompson. We were wondering whether you'd like to come to the California Basketball Summer Camp for 8 weeks this summer.'

Troy was stunned by the sudden offer. He'd heard of him – he wouldn't get many more chances like this one, if any. 'Er…' he sent a meaningful look toward Chad.

Chad frowned slightly but didn't push it. 'Hey, Ash – I've got that new Wii game in my bag. You wanna play it?'

Ashley looked towards her older brother for approval and he nodded, silently thanking Chad. 'Yes!' she whispered excitedly, grinning and following Chad into the front room.

'Sorry, you were saying?'

'Cali's Basketball Camp.'

'Oh. Yeah. Can I get back to you on it?'

'I'm sorry; we only have one place left.'

'Right…' Troy glanced towards the door Ashley had exited through, where Chad was now leaning against the frame curiously. '…Sure.' Troy finished uncertainly. 'Thank you, Mr Thompson. Bye.' He hung up and looked at Chad. 'I've accepted Cali's Basketball Camp.' He said quietly.

'What's wrong with that?' Chad said, walking forward.

'I don't want to leave her.' Troy said, looking down at his phone.

Chad bit his lip, immediately understanding. 'I'd say I'd look after her, but I'm going too.'

'Thanks.' Troy said, pursing his lips.

Chad smiled comfortingly and walked back into the front room. 'Two player, Ash?' Troy heard him say.

He followed and leant against the front room doorframe just as Chad had in the kitchen. He watched his sister smile and play and dance when she won a game. And even though he was pretty sure Chad was letting her win, he didn't want her to stop smiling.

He didn't ever want to.

Haha, I actually made the sequel's first chapter rather quickly. Okay, so it wasn't record time exactly, but you have no idea how many times I wrote a beginning and then hated it and started it all over again.

Reviewsums pleasums?