Troy's younger sister, Ashleigh, is turning rebellious and when Troy soon learns help comes from the most unexpected place, will it be too late?

Really sorry, but Troy's Mom and Dad have to die in this one.

January, 2007

'Kids, we're going to the movies now. Have fun, and try not to kill each other please. Ashleigh, do everything Troy says, and Troy, don't use Ashleigh to your advantage. Love you.' Mrs Bolton said, shutting the door.

There was silence between the two for a minute or so. Every so often, Ashleigh would finger her pink Tee or her bootleg jeans or Troy would sit uncomfortably bouncing his basketball.

'Have you done your homework, Ash?'

'Yes. Hey, Troy?'

'Yeah?' Troy turned towards his younger sister.

'Can you teach me how to play basketball? Everyone else can play at school and I can't.'

Troy raised his eyebrows slightly. She barely ever asked him to teach her something. Then he smiled. 'I'd love to.'

The phone was ringing off the hook by the time Troy and Ashleigh had come in from out back.

'Oh, shi…shoot.' Troy said, with an apologetic glance at his sister.

He threw the ball to her and she caught it perfectly. He picked up the phone while she twirled it round on the tip of her finger.

'What?'

Ashleigh stopped playing at the tone of her brother's voice. 'Troy?'

Before she knew it, Troy dropped the phone and sunk to his knees, his face in his hands.

'Troy?!' Ashleigh dropped the ball and picked up the phone.

'…sorry for your loss.'

'What? What do you mean?'

'I'm guessing that you are Mr and Mrs Bolton's daughter?'

'This is her.'

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

Troy looked up at the sound of his younger sister's choked sob. He wiped his eyes and watched as she hung up and dropped the phone and didn't even wince when it landed on her foot. She looked at him and dropped to her knees beside him. He wrapped his arms around her and after a few minutes she mumbled into his chest.

'Troy?'

'Yeah?'

'Mom said she loved us before she went out, didn't she?'

'Yeah, she did.' Troy said, breathing heavily, nearly breaking down again at the sound of his sister's voice at her next bit.

'But we didn't say it back.'

July, 2007

'We're going to shoot some hoops, Troy. You coming?' Chad asked, tossing the ball to Jason.

'Nah, I have to go and pick my sister up from detention…again.' Troy said, biting his lip, feeling bad as soon as he said it.

'Go on ahead, you guys!' Chad said, with a wave of his hand to the team.

'You know I can talk to her, if you want? I know what it's like to be rebellious.' He said quietly.

'Yeah…maybe. Anyway, if you see Gabriella, can you tell her that I have to go pick up Ash?'

'Sure, man.'

Troy walked down to the principal's office, seeing his sister, sitting outside, kicking her legs in boredom. He suddenly remembered what she used to be like.

Pink, girly, shrieking show-off type, who cared if someone had the same outfit as her, popular girl with popular friends and a popular boyfriend.

He looked at her again and saw the new girl.

Black and Red, emo, still shrieking but only when she was throwing a hissy-fit, didn't care what people thought of her…unpopular, lonely, no friends.

Troy felt sorry for her. He didn't know what it was like, he'd never been unpopular. The only friends she had were his friends. They loved her, thought she was sweet, but they didn't know what was going on in that head of hers.

No-one did.
So, how was it? Second HSM fanfic, I didn't think it was that bad. Please R+R! Flames will be used to roast marshmallows.