I opened my eyes, looking around, My parents and my brother Rider were surrounding my bed. My mother rushed to me, "Baby, you feeling alright?" I looked at them, "Mom..I.. I don't know what happened." My mother looked at my father, and then my father looked at Rider who was against the wall.

He sighed, running a hand down his face, and walking over to me, "Hey..Bubby.. there was a shark attack..and you lost something." I looked at him, I looked down at my body, and then my right hand went to my shoulder, "Wheres..wheres my arm?"'

My family is silent, staring at either the tiled floor and or the wall or outside the damn window. I suck in a breath, "where's my arm?" I ask louder, they look at me. Still silent, "where the hell is my arm? Where is-" "Troy." my mom says, "listen..."

Rider came up beside the bed and bit his inner cheek, "We were surfing, well more like relaxing from a wave and there was a shark that came up and-" "No." I say, shaking my head, "I ...I'm dreaming...I'm dreaming." "No," My mom said, "this is...it's very much real, and we're all-we're going to help you."

I bit my lip, "Momma..am I ever going to surf again?" she smiled, "Oh baby boy, Yes.. you will be able too.. I promise you." he smiled, "when I get out of the hospital?" she looked at my father, and he shook his head,

She sighed looking back at me, "I don't think so deary, but were going to have to move to Alberquerque." I shot up, "Why?" she sighed, "So we can get away from the paparazzi.. we leave tomorrow morning."

Rider nods, clapping my hand that's still on my chopped shoulder. "Everything's going to be fine...everyone is praying for you." I sigh, leaning my head back on the pillow and closing my eyes. "Well..." Rider says, "I'm going to...get mom and dad in here-" "No." I say quickly, "Just...please, just you." Sometimes I feel closer to my brother than I do my mother and father.

By Tomorrow, We had already arrived in Alberquerque, New Mexico. I sighed slipping out of the car with my brother Rider by me. He sighed, "come on bro, cheer up, tomorrow is your first day at East High." I sighed, "Yeah, but how are people going to react to..."I brought my right hand to my left shoulder, "This."

Rider sighed, "Troy, don't let anyone else bother you, if anyone is mean to you, you let me know, and your big brother will take care of it." I sighed, "So you really think my life is going to better here?"

"Well," my dad says, grunting with effort as he pulls out his and my mom's bags. The bulk of our things, my mom says, is arriving in three days. They had to take a separate flight. "We expect it to be." I look at him, "and if it's not? We'll move back to Hawaii?" Everyone looks at me, okay, I may have said that question a little too enthusiastically.

Rider shakes his head and grabs onto his bags and I grab mine. I tried to fit all my clothes in one duffel, but with one arm it's impossible too. Damn shark. Damn- "Hey!" I turn when a voice floats to my ears, I see two boys, my age and bulky both wearing letterman jackets of blue and yellow. A 'W' on the left side. "what's the arm? You some sort of freak?"

Don't react, I tell myself, I grip my duffel tighter in my one hand. But they just jeer on. "Hey!" Rider yells, "got a problem? Bugger off!" They laugh, walking away but I see that they mock me by pretending they have one arm too. Great. Just...fucking great.

*Through Different Waters We All Connect*

The next day was my first day at East High. I held my backpack on my right shoulder, since my left was still in stitches. Rider dropped me off at the school building. as I held onto my bag tightly, walking up the steps to the school, I held my schedule in my hand trying to figure where my first class was. people gave me stares, and some jocks were laughing.

I sighed looking away from them but bumped into somebody. the brunette looked at me, "I am so sorry.." she looked at my arm and then at me, "Are you new here?" I just looked at her, and nodded. She smiled, "I'm Gabriella Montez. Can I show you around?" I nodded, "Yeah, that would be nice." she smiled taking my schedule and analyzing it. she smiled, "We have all the same exact classes."

I nod, "yeah well...getting to them is a different story." It's hard to miss the fact that I have one arm. Maybe she noticed but she's too polite, that's got to be it. She giggled, like soft bells. Or...even better, like the sound of the waves hitting the water as I surf under the tunnel. I decide that I want to hear more of that sound.

"Well, come on, I'll show you. Oh and if you see an eccentric blond and a boy who looks like her, don't be afraid if they ask you a lot of questions...they just, they like to know things about everybody." "Oh..." great, more attention that I don't want.

I nodded, "Okay." she smiled walking with me down the hallway, "So where are you from?" she asked. I bit my lip, "I just came from Hawaii." she gasped, "Hawaii? I heard its beautiful there, with all the flowers, and the ocean." I smiled, "Yeah, It was.. I miss it already." she smiled, "Well maybe one day you can go back, and take me with you."

She giggled. I loved her giggle, it was so beautiful, just like her. I chuckled, "Yeah well maybe I should." she smiled, "Is the water great there? The surfing here is great, trust me, I'm out in the water all the time, but how is it in hawaii?"

My stomach clenches, but I ignore it. "Well, it's great-especially at night with the full moon and the stars. Beautiful sight." She looks at me, her eyes bright and big and ...brown. Like milk chocolate. I smile, "uhm..." I would normally hold out my hand, but I'm holding my backpack on my shoulder and my schedule so..."I'm Troy. Bolton."

She smiles, "nice to meet-" "Gabi!" We hear a scream, "Gabi! Gabi! Gabi! Gabi! Gabi! Gabi! Gabi! Gabi! Gabi!" Suddenly a blond chick appears and following after her is a guy with insanely curly hair. The blond chick tackles Gabriella. "Guess what?!"

Gabriella looked at her, "What?" Sharpay smiled, "I heard from Tiffany, who heard from Olivia, her heard from Hannah, who heard from Lucy, who heard from Dana, who heard from Tony that he wanted to take me to the homecoming dance!" Gabriella rolled her eyes, "Congradulations Shar." Sharpay smiled, her eyes going to me,

"Hi! I'm sharpay! who are you?" she smiled brightly. "I'm Troy." I said simply, "I'm new here." she giggled, "Nice meeting you Troy. Your cute!" she winked at Gabriella, "His a keeper Gabi." Gabriella shook her head,

"No, Shar me and him are just-" Sharpay held up a hand, "Wanna go night surfing? It's going to be so much fun." "Actually, I wanted to hang out with Troy.." she looked at me, "Is that alright? wanna get a bite to eat after school at chubbies?"

"Uh..." I look down, "I'm still getting used to everything here." the big guy with insanely curly hair appears before us now. "I need to work out more..." he gasps, his hands on his knees. He looks up at me, straigtening his spine as his eyes become alert. What a teddy bear. "Who are you?"

"Troy," I say. Wow...friendly bunch here. "From...Hawaii-" I'm interrupted when Sharpay screams and grabs onto my shoulders; only she quickly pulls away when she feels that my left arm is...gone. "Oh my-what happened?!"

I looked down, shuffling my feet, and clearing my throat, "I..umm-" Gabriella hugged my arm, "Troy, It's okay, you don't have to talk about it." I smiled at her, "It's fine." I turn to sharpay, "I umm I lost my arm in a shark attack on the beach about a few days ago..it's still healing..so umm yeah.."

sharpay gasped, "oh my gosh, I am so sorry? are you okay? did it hurt?" Gabriella snapped her head at sharpay, "Sharpay! that's rude!" I sighed, "It's fine." Gabriella smiled, "I umm I can show you around town.. if you like?"

I like this girl. Gabriella. I look at her to her friends, "Uh...yeah I'd like that." Gabriella smile's, nice. "Anyway, before Sharpay attacked me-" "hey!" I laugh slightly, Gabriella giggles and continues, "I believe I was going to show you to ...homeroom."

"NOOOO!" Sharpay yells, looking from me, to Gabriella, to the guy with the huge mass of hair. "Chad, she's going to scare him off by taking him to Darbus!" oh, so big boy has a name?

Chad chuckled, then looked at me, "Dude, your in big trouble, Darbus is tough on new students." Gabriella rolled her eyes, "You're just saying that cause she stole Bob from you." I raised my eyebrows, "Who's bob?" Gabriella smiled, "His basketball." Chad rolled his eyes, "Actually, She took bob jr. away from me, cause the first bob...I don't wanna talk about it.. I lost him very tragically-" "It's a ball!" Sharpay shrieked.

Chad looked at her, "My Basketballs have feelings too you know?" Gabriella laughed, and looked at me. We just couldn't stop smiling at each other, there was something between us that was connecting us. she smiled, "So, Chubbies it is? after school?"

Gabriella pulled her away, "Shar stop, his new here, he doesn't know." Sharpay scoffed, "Well make sure to get some burgers in him Gabs." Gabriella giggled. Then before I knew it, we were all surrounded by the football team. Rob, the captain walked up to me, "Hey Freak, what are you doing talking to Gabriella?" Gabriella rolled her eyes, "Rob, can you please get through your thick skull that were not together, never were, never will be, I am not interested, okay?"

"Yeah...sure," I say, then I blurt out. "what's Chunnies?" they gasp, "first," Sharpay says, "it's Chubbies and second, WHAT?!" I stare at her, then move my gaze to the other two standing behind her. Sharpay grabs my shoulders again and shakes me "Chubbies is like the best burger joint ever! You've never been?!" My brain. Is. Rattling. In. My. Skull. Ow...

Rob chuckled, and looked at me, then at Gabriella, "Fine. you have it your way Gabriella." he looked at me, and pushed me against the locker, were my left shoulder was shoved against it, "Later freak." Gabriella gasped, "Troy! are you okay? I'm sorry about Rob, His a jerk!"

I wince when I feel my shoulder give a stinging pain, "Can you take my bag for me for a while?" I ask, Gabriella nods, taking from me as I lift up my sleeve to expose my nub. Great, half the stitches ripped out. "I..uh..I need to call my brother."

I grabbed my backpack from her and walkaway to the front of the school. Apart from Gabriella and her friends, I already hate it here. God, kill me now.

I rushed to the phone, lifting it up, and putting it to my ear, and dialing Rider's number fast. he picked up at the second ring. "Hello?" "Rider, you have to come get me, I already hate it here." Rider sighed, "Troy-"

"Rider, I was pushed against a locker really hard, and half of my stitches ripped out!" Rider bit his lip, "Troy, are you being serious-" "I'm not joking. come get me." "You just can't leave on your first day-" "please rider."

He sighs on the other end, "Fine...I'll come get you but mom and dad won't like this." I pinch my nose and lean my head on the window to main office. Dammit, I wish I had a cellphone. "Take me somewhere that's not the house then."

I refuse to call it 'home'. Albuquerque is not my home. Hawaii is my home. Always will be. "Troy-" "Please?" I beg, my voice cracks. Rider's my brother and he's the only one who EVER sees me actually cry. Not even my parents see me cry.

Rider sighed, "Okay. I'll be there soon. Bye." he hung up the phone. I laid the phone down and leaned my head back. then I heard Gabriella's voice outside the office, and she was talking to Rob. "I can't believe you." she said. Rob smirked, "What did I do?" "You know what you did. you hurt Troy, that's not right Rob." she crossed her arms. he rolled his eyes, "what do you insist hanging out with that weirdo, he probably has a weird disease with that arm thing-"

Gabriella slapped him, "I know people, I know Troy, and I know you, I see right through you Rob, Your a jerk who's mother never loved him, I know Troy and his a nice guy, I can tell, I like him alot..unlike you, I will never like, so do me a favor, stay out of my life, and leave Troy alone...I mean it."

Rob looked at her, biting his inner cheek, "You know what, I don't know what I ever saw in you. all you do is spend your time surfing-" "Maybe cause I've been surfing since I was little girl Rob, stop acting jealous of me cause you can't swim-"

"Shh! don't say that out loud!" she crossed her arms, "Then leave me alone, and leave Troy alone. His the one guy I don't wanna lose, his one I wanna keep as a friend for a very long time, so I won't ask you again, leave him alone."

I heard that guy Rob slam his fist...or was it a foot? Sounded more like a fist, anyway, he slammed some body part into a locker. My head is still leaning up against the wall of the office, until I feel a hand on my shoulder that makes me turn. "Troy..." Shit! It's Gabriella! I quickly turn my head away and wipe at my face. I hate it when people other than Rider see me cry. I'm closer to him than my own parents.

"Look...about Rob-" "forget it." I say, damn it my voice cracks. I hate emotion. "I'm uh...my brother's picking me up soon"- speak of the devil he pulls up in front of the school and is now walking to the door. When he walks in all hell breaks loose, that is it does when Rider puts his arm around me. "Hey! Freak! Where you going?" I don't look at them.

Gabriella watched me leave, I turn back to see her smile at me, and walk off to class, I sighed turning back to my brother as we get into his car. I looked at him, "I wanna go back." "Troy-" "I wanna go back"

Rider sighed, "We can't Troy.. as soon as you turn 18, you can do whatever you want, but no, you can't go back." I leaned my head back on the seat, running a hand through my hair as he pulls out of the parking lot and onto the road. he smirked at me, "So..who was that girl?"

I look at him, "Nobody. Drive." He scoffs, "uh..huh...if that's your story." I smirk, "it is...now drive." He puts the car in drive and pulls out of the school parking lot; as we drive away I look toward the door, I see Gabriella holding her books to her chest and a small smile on her lips as she waves- a paper in her hand. Is that...? My eyes widen. Crap my schedule, now she has an excuse to see me. Or follow me home. Crap!