Author's Note: Ah, my first co-written story! Please enjoy and review. And thanks to Baby-M-xoxo for giving me the fabulous title!

You Never Know How Precious Life Is…Until It's Gone

Chapter 1: That's Fascinating

By musiclover94 and DarkAngelIdolSodapopCurtisLvr

"Troy, our flight leaves in half and hour!" Sharpay said irritably up the stairs to her husband, who was now taking the stairs two at a time.

"I know, I know…" he said, adjusting his tie. Why he was wearing a tie to a national park was beyond Sharpay. Sometimes she wondered how they ever ended up married.

"Ready, Belle?" Sharpay said motherly to her 7-year-old daughter, Annabelle Victoria Bolton She had blonde, wavy hair, and blue-gray eyes just like Troy's.

"Yes, Mommy!" she said energetically, holding up her green backpack. Sharpay smiled.

"Ok, everyone, in the car!" Troy said and opened the front door.

The Boltons were in their Honda Hybrid Accord driving to the Albuquerque Airport with Annabelle in the backseat, engrossed in a copy of "Facts about Yellowstone National Park".

"Guess what?" she said, not peeling her eyes from the book.

"What, honey?" Troy asked, looking back at her through the rearview mirror.

"Yellowstone is just a big volcano. It could blow up at any moment!" she said excitedly. Even at seven, she had taken a great liking of the sciences.

"That's…that's fascinating, sweetheart…" Sharpay said, exchanging nervous glances with Troy.

"We're finally here!" Sharpay exclaimed, stepping off the platform. The scenery around them was breathtaking: the trees were still black from the fire, but the magnificent hills and geysers, even though they smelled like rotten eggs, were stunning.

After they went dropped off their luggage at the Old Faithful Motel, they walked around the park.

"Hey, Mom, look at this!" Annabelle exclaimed and clambored over to a moniter in the Old Faithful Vistor Center. It was labeled 'Volcano Hapenenings'.

"It seems higher than usual," she observed, looking intently at the screen. It must have made sense to her.

"Fascinating…"Troy said, eyeing the screen warily.

"My legs are killing me!" Sharpay said, flopping down on the rather stiff mattress in their motel room.

"Mine too." Troy said, also flopping down.

"'Night."

"'Night."

Juts as they were falling asleep, a piercing alarm rung in their ears.

Author's Note: Haha, a cliffy! Please review.