Hey guys! I'm not gonna lie, I'm nervous about this chapter, I'm really unsure how this is gonna turn out. Hope you all enjoy it!

Bad stuff's happened and still happens every day. But I pretend that it didn't and that it doesn't every day. So, I'm Chad the Class Clown. Always late for class, always fidgeting, always dribbling the ball, always teasing the teacher. The entire school faculty hates me. I know it. They pretend to be civil because it's the law, I think. But it doesn't stop me from being a smart aleck.

Today's no different.

We're in Miss Darbus' class, she's snapping out random stupid facts about something, I'm not even listening. Troy sits in front of me, quiet, eyes on the teacher. Taylor is behind me, she's rapt with attention. I hear her taking notes. What the hell for? Everyone else is quiet, studious. I feel like a loser because I'm bored.

I open up my desk; it smells like last months lunch, disgusting. There's a bunch of junk, old papers, soda cans, broken pencils, a scribbled on notebook. And I find what I'm looking for, a rubber band. Excellent. I find a couple more. The long thin kind. Perfect for shooting at the back of peoples heads. I could even use it as a slingshot. But what would I sling? Ahh, marbles! A small sack of the swirly kind of marbles lay in a heap in the corner of my desk. I glance around, no one notices me. I stealthily load up my slingshot and look for a good candidate.

Troy? Nah, he's too close and it'd really hurt. Martha? She's in the front and she's ok, kind of gross. I mean, like she's really…what's the word? Obese. Yeah and she dances. Like hip-hop. First time I saw it, I had to run to the men's room because I was so nauseous. No joke. It's just scary seeing a whale break it down.

Should I hit her? Her stupid earrings swaying back and forth spastically. I grimace.

Nah, whatever, she's a teacher's pet. She's rat on me, I know it. Kelsi? She's too nice. Tiny and squeaky but I wouldn't want to hurt her feelings, she's insecure enough as it is. And, I mean, if she lost the glasses and stuff, she could be fine. Ryan? Ehhhh, I don't know. It'd be funny to shoot his hat and watch it pelt off and fly to the ground. Those stupid fucking hats. Why the hell would any normal guy wear them? Its plain creepy. Then again, Ryan hung out with Sharpay and the Drama club, there was no way he'd escape the gayness.

Sharpay, ahh, there's someone I could hit. Ahem, tap. Haha.

She's sexy as hell but totally bitchy, I once fantasized about asking her out but once I got within ten feet of her, she turned her icy glare to me and I wet myself with fright. Now I just tease her, its better. Safer. She can't really retaliate because I just laugh her off or feign deafness, "Sorry, what was that?" I don't know, I'd like to get it on with her, but her mouth would have to be taped up. Or I could just put it to better uses. Pffft.

Ok, mind off Sharpay. Her sparkly pink top isn't skanky enough in my opinion.

None of the girls dress skanky enough. Gabriella is the worst.

All of her clothes are so ten year old, below the knee and up to the collarbone, not even cleavage for eye candy. It's not fair. I wonder how far she and Troy have gotten. Probably first base or further by now. I asked him about it once and he just blushed and shrugged. They probably are still virgins.

Dorks.

If Taylor would let me, I'd be all over her ass. Taylor's pretty, when she's quiet. When she's not, I wanna kill her. She's always talking about science and shit, stuff I don't understand. And then I feel stupid, and I hate that. I don't think she notices how angry I get.

Ooh, I could hit her with my slingshot, shit no, she's behind me, and so is Jason. Crap.

Ehh, I'll just hit Sharpay. Harmless. She won't know and if she does, she just glares. I slowly draw it back between my fingers, the rubber creaks. Miss Darbus doesn't stop talking, I take a deep breath, aim, and let go.

The marble goes whizzing through the air and smacks Sharpay square on the shoulder, hard. Ah, it actually looks painful.

She reacts predictably. She screams. And jumps up. I smile. She's so mad.

"Ahhhhh! MY ARM! MY ARM! MY NECK!! AHH!!!" she literally hops and squeals with pain. Miss Darbus halts and looks at her, peering over her huge bug eyed glasses. "Yes, Miss Evans?" she says, almost lazily. She's accustomed to Sharpay's outbursts, we all are.

Sharpay's gasping, clutching her arm, neck, and shoulder. No one says anything but simply stares; I glance at Ryan, her gay bodyguard who runs to her every beck and call like some pathetic pet. He looks calm and attentive, exactly how he did five minutes ago, making no move to help his sister. Heh, interesting. I tap on Troy's shoulder, he half turns. "Dude, what happened?" I ask.

Troy turns around some more and looks me square in the eye. "You tell me." He says back. I shrug, he knows. Whatever. He won't tell. He never does.

He turns back around, I shift my gaze over to Kelsi, she looks bored, tapping her pencil, making a rhythm similar to the one she composes for school plays.

Sharpay's still straining to tell Miss Darbus what happened. "A bullet." She wheezes. "A bullet came shooting out of no where and pierced right through me!"

I see Miss Darbus roll her eyes and adjust her dorky cloak thing. "Now, I'm sure there are no bullets in my classroom because there are no guns." She surveys the room; no one looks guilty because no one shot anything. Cept me, but I'm shameless.

"But honest to God, Miss Darbus! I've been shot! I'm critically wounded! There's no way I can possibly study now! I'm losing blood as we speak!" Sharpay rattled on, cradling her arm for affect.

I have to hand it to her, she's one helluva an actress.

"Where?" Miss Darbus queries. "Where what?" Sharpay whimpers.

"Where's the blood?" Miss Darbus snapped, her already fragile patience thinning with the dramatic Sharpay.

"Umm," Sharpay looks around, at us, as if we have some extra blood to squirt on her.

"Sit down." Miss Darbus barks. Sharpay pulls a pouty face and slides back down onto her desk chair, muttering evil things I can only imagine.

Miss Darbus starts talking again, I do a loud fake snore, and Jason laughs appreciatively. Darbus throws me one dirty look and I lower my face innocently, she turns and I waggle my tongue at her. Kelsi giggles at my naughtiness. Ah, I do love being loved for who I really am not. A wise ass.

Oh well, that wasn't as exciting as I hoped, but just another day in the classroom for Chad the Class Clown.

HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMSHSMHSM

My locker is way overcrowded, as I try to yank out some books and keep my dirty gym shoes from falling out, I feel a tap at my shoulder. I turn and I see Taylor. She smiles, I smile back, and all the stuff I my locker spills out as if exactly on cue. Story of my life.

She laughs and stoops down to pick the stuff up and as I crouch down to help her, I realize I can see down the front of her shirt, a huge amount of cleavage from this angle.

Sweet, I remain, half standing, half kneeling where I can keep looking at it.

"You shot Sharpay." She says. I chuckle. "Would you if you had the opportunity?" I answer. She smirks at that one, "Chad, you shouldn't act up so much in class. It doesn't do anyone any good. You distract others and you rob from yourself."

Oh no, the ceremonial "You need to think about your future, we'll be graduating soon, blah bah blah…ugh I hate this routine. I used to joke and tease her about it but she'd get so upset, I learned to shut up. Now, I play it cool, I nod, smile, and say, "You're right." And "I know." As she rambles, handing notes and textbooks to me.

I straighten up and toss everything in and slam the locker shut, Taylor jumps slightly. "So, um, I just hope you take in what I'm saying, you know, I'm not saying it for my health, I just think you need to knuckle down and get serious about college."

"Yeah, yeah, hon, I know, I understand." I respond, truth be told, I hardly heard a word she said as I goggled at her jugs. However, I manage to tear my eyes away as I fiddle with my backpack strap.

She pauses, I know she's thinking that I'm a total buffoon because I'm not jumping up and down and crying with joy over her college counseling.

"So, hey, um, what're you doing tonight?" I ask, casually.

She shrugs, "Home work."

"It's Friday. You can do it tomorrow." I argue. She clicks her tongue in that ticked off fashion when I know I said something wrong.

"Well, do you wanna hang out?" I scratch me ear, since I got my ears pierced, they've itched like hell.

"Define hang out? A date? Your house? Nothing official or fun?"

Grrr, I hate it when she corners me and makes me feel bad because I can't take her actually out that much. No car and limited cash, it's hard to maintain a happy girlfriend, especially one from a well off family like Taylor's.

"We could go to the lake. Swim. It's hot." I offer. She rolls her eyes. "Swim? At night?"

"You act like it's unheard of." I say chided her teasingly. "It is." She says back.

I laugh, "Fine, square, I'll teach you the ways of the wild, swimming in the moonlight."

She purses her lips critically, "Uh, uh. It'll be cold at night."

"I'll keep you warm." I flirt.

"Whatever.' She smirks.

"So, we're on?" I want to know.

She adjusts her headband, "Um, yeah, I'll pick you up?"

"Duh, and wear your sluttiest bathing suit, no towel."

She scoffs again and heads down the hall, calling over her shoulder, "Seven o'clock!"

"A'ight!" I call back, and head off to basketball practice.

K, guys, I know, not the most exciting chapter. But I'm planning this all in very dramatic transitional stages, it's just got a slow start. Please be patient and enjoy the rest!

And don't forget reviews! I need to feel loved!