(A/N: The years are based on the HSM cast graduating in 2008. We're assuming that what happened in Halloween Town High was Ethan Ryan Evans freshman year. Sharpay stayed in Halloween Town. How the time line fits will be shown in the story so please be patient. This is pre Return to Halloween Town)

1995

"Moving? Moving where?" Five-year-old Ethan frowned at his friend.

"The mortal world. Mom says things here are too crazy." Chad sighed.

"But…But you promised we'd get married when we grew up and that you'd push me on the swings everyday." Sharpay jumped to her feet.

"I can't help it, I have to do what my Mommy says or I don't get cookies." Chad said, "Besides I'll come see you every Halloween. I promise."

"That's what the Cromwells said and they never come home anymore. You're a liar." Sharpay threw down the bucket she'd been playing with and ran toward her house across the street."

"I believe you'll come see us." Ethan said putting his arm around his deflated friend, "She'll come around."

1997

"Oh it's you." Sharpay frowned as the little boy who stood in her doorway.

"Eww it's you." he mocked, "Is Ethan here?" Chad glared at the girl.

"So mature."

"You don't even know what that means." Chad said.

"Hey Chad, want to go to Cassie's?" Ethan appeared behind his sister.

"Yeah! I got a new game I want to teach you. Its called basketball."

Sharpay scoffed, "The next thing you know you won't do magic any more. What kind of witch are you? A lame one."

"That's just her parroting Dad." Ethan said quietly as they hurried away from the house.

"Well I don't care what she says she's becoming a meanie."

1999

"My Dad says your Mom doesn't let you use magic anymore." Ethan kicked the dirt without looking up at his friend.

"Yeah, she says it's to dangerous in the mortal world. Since we live there all the time she says there isn't any point in me learning." Chad frowned and clutched his basketball.

"Are the mortals that dangerous?"

Chad shrugged, "I don't want to talk about it. Want play some basketball?"

"My Dad says I'm not allowed to play with you anymore."

"Fine!" Chad spun on his heel and headed back to his old house.

"Wait!" Ethan called, Chad turned around and saw his friend nearly crying, "Just like you had to move to the mortal world, I don't like it, but I have to listen to my Dad." Ethan dropped his hand, "I'll always be your friend."

"Yeah, well, I probably won't come back anymore."

2005

Chad Danforth sighed as he slunk into the classroom. He hated school and basketball season wouldn't start for weeks. "A New Year huh?" Troy, Chad's best friend, slipped into the seat in front of him.

Chad faked a smile and then slammed his head into his desk, "Yay!" he said sarcastically.

"Take your seats!" their homeroom teacher, Mrs. Darbus, snapped. Everyone scrambled to sit down and Darbus launched into the New Year speech but was promptly interrupted and the door swung open reveling two blond headed teenagers. The girl was dressed in a hot pink skirt and a pink tank top. The boy had on black pants and a pink button up shirt with black lines around his wrists and button. He had on a black news paperboy hat. "Can I help you?" Darbus asked icily.

'This is our homeroom." The girl said.

Chad glanced up from his desk and was about to drop his head back down when he caught the boy's eye. It was Ethan and sure enough the girl that stalked over and took a seat next to Troy was Sharpay Evans. The Evans' couldn't be here in the mortal world much less in New Mexico! As soon as homeroom bell rang Chad caught up with Ethan, "What are you doing here?" he hissed.

Ethan looked at him blankly for a moment and then his eyes widened, "Chad?" he asked.

"Yeah! Chad! What are you doing here Ethan?" Chad asked.

"Ryan."

"What?"

"I'm here to start over, here it's Ryan." He stuck his hand out, "Ryan Evans."

Chad narrowed his eyes, "Where's your Dad?"

"Imprisoned in a witch glass for crimes against Halloween town."

"And we're banished for helping him." Sharpay slipped into view behind Ethan.

Chad sneered at Ethan, "Starting over huh? Sure, hello to you too Ice Bitch."

Ethan dropped his hand and looked down at the ground. Chad stalked off and just as he turned the corner he heard Sharpay's voice, "We don't have to defend ourselves to the likes of him Ry."

"Oh don't even pretend you're not still…" whatever Ethan had said was lost in the din of noise that was East High.

At lunch Chad slid next to Troy at the basketball table. When the Evans twins walked in Troy followed Sharpay with his eyes, "Nice." He said.

Chad looked up and felt a pang in his chest, "Nah, she's all icy. I talked to them earlier, they're stuck up."

"Oh." Troy said and that was it for possible friendship between the new kids and Chad's friends.

2007

"I heard you and Ryan played baseball." Sharpay had gotten Chad to caddie for her and cornered him three holes in.

"Yeah, so?"

"You hurt him pretty bad when we first came here. You were best friends and then you were…mortal toward him." Sharpay snapped.

"You've been banished for helping your Dad." Chad said incredulously.

"We thought we were helping everyone. We really thought mortals were evil. Ryan stood up to Dad in the end. Dad said some really bad things to him. He still feels guilty."

Chad stumbled back, "Why…" he was having a hard time breathing, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you were so hateful." Sharpay had softened.

"I'm sorry."

"Say it to Ryan not me."

Chad walked up to her and gently grabbed her chin so she was looking at him, "I'm sorry for leaving you."

"Like you had a choice." She mocked.

"I could've stayed with my Dad." He admitted.

"Yeah, I know. He made it clear one night at dinner."

"Will you ever forgive me?"

"Witches aren't like mortals' Chad, I knew you were the one." She flipped her wrist over to revile the white pentacle birthmark on her left wrist.

Chad slowly turned over his own arm to revile an identical black mark, "Dad use to tell me the story every Halloween."

"Light and Dark untied will change life as we know it." Sharpay whispered.

"He told me if I ever met a girl whose wrist matched mine to come tell him. I never did."

"I never even showed my Dad." Sharpay said with a small laugh, "Now I call Mom's mortal husband Daddy."

"I missed you. Did you ever miss me?" he asked.

"Everyday." Sharpay whispered.

Three Days Later

"What is this?" Chad slammed the flyer down in front of her.

"My way of winning the talent show." Sharpay threw her hair behind her shoulder very well aware that her three country club girlfriends were watching. She refused to admit that she had put that in motion before their talk on the golf course.

Chad looked at the three girls and then back at her, he shook his head in amazement, "You're incredible. You really had me going there for a minuet. If anyone were the spitting image of her father, it would be you Sharpay Evans." Then he turned and walked away. Sharpay fought tears until she ditched the girls and was alone in the sauna. Then she cried for all she was worth.

The Night of the Show

"This doesn't change anything." Chad said not looking at Sharpay, "I've got Taylor and you've got Zeek…but maybe I shouldn't have judged you so harshly."

"Look if this is you lame attempt at an apology Danforth I don't need it." Sharpay said hotly.

Chad clenched his jaw, "Fine, I'll see ya around Evans." He turned to go and then paused, "Look you're dating one of my friends and Ryan and I are friends. Can we be civil?"

Sharpay looked at him, "Civil it is. Just, you can't touch me or anything like that."

Chad smirked, "Other wise you can't pretend huh?"

"I'm not the only one pretending."

Chad's smirk disappeared, "We'd never work."

"Yeah, We'd argue ourselves insane."

"At least we get to be friends unlike…"

"Unlike Ethan and Marty." Chad chuckled and Sharpay looked at him confused, "What?"

"That's the first time you've called him Ethan in two years."

"He hates that name you know." She shrugged.

"I don't blame him."

"So this is it, no more us." She was clearly trying to be strong, "I'd ask you for a goodbye kiss but…"

"Yeah, because an eclipse and stars exploding would go totally unnoticed by Ryan and our friends." Chad took a step closer. He caught her wrist and pulled her forward. Sharpay went willingly and his lips hovered above hers. They both were trembling with the effort not to close the distance.

"Sharpay." They heard Ryan's voice in the distance.

"Chad." Taylor's voice followed.

They jumped apart as though they had been burned, "Yeah that's it for us." Chad whispered. He turned and went out the back door. He would come up behind the others and no one would be wiser.

Okay so that brings you to the present. Next chapter will bring you up to speed on Ethan and Marty. After that I'll dive into "present day". For those of you who are only HSM fans this is a Halloween town crossover. You can look it up on YouTube if you haven't seen it.