This is the first chapter, review please. :)

End of Discussion

He never backed down from a challenge. Ever since he was in the sixth grade he'd never step down from a challenge. He'd been at the local park where he'd ran into Chad Danforth and Zeke Baylor when they'd challenged him to a game of basketball. They said that they'd be fair, making the game one on one but he'd convinced them that he could take them both. And he had, only as a twelve year old. He was always strong.

So Troy was taking this as a personal challenge.

He figured he had no choice because in reality, he didn't. Jack Bolton had made his final statement. East High.

That was where Troy's future was, both of his parents had made that clear to him more than once, though Troy thought otherwise. But he wasn't going to waste his breath by arguing. It wasn't worth it. Everything would roll over soon and he'd be back in West High where he belonged. This was a minor setback, it'd all be over soon.

When Troy broke the news to his teammates about being expelled, they'd laughed thinking he was just joking around.

Oh, how he wished it was all a prank. He was waiting until Principal Burns approached him, telling it that it was just a cruel joke.

But Principal Burns would not be doing that, not now, not ever.

Trevan, who was the co-captain of West High's basketball team, was ecstatic upon hearing the news. It was as if his prayers had been suddenly answered. He'd been counting down the days until Troy Bolton got his punk ass expelled. Now West High would finally be able to recognize his true talents instead of only being mesmerized by the talented coach's son. Trevan had helped win the games, too. Troy Bolton wasn't the whole team. Trevan would be able to prove that to his school now that Troy was out of the way.

The rest of the team was put into shock. They didn't know that it was possible for Troy Bolton to be expelled. It was like there was some unwritten law against expelling basketball gods.

Doomed. That's what they called themselves. Set up for failure.

Without Troy, they were nothing.

All of West High was taking the news the same way.

Girls had protested. Yes, actually protested outside of Principal Burns office. They wanted him to know how his crucial mistake would effect the school drastically.

"Give Bolton another chance," They had pleaded.

Chances.

Troy couldn't even count on both hands how many chances he'd been given. With him, there was a new problem everyday getting him into some kind of trouble. He'd practically been given another chance each passing day that went by.

This he knew, was his last time in West High.

Principal Burns allowed him in the school early before classes started so that he could clean out his locker and turn in his basketball uniform.

Troy stood alone in the middle of the gymnasium floor, his eyes glued to the wall where the basketball uniforms hung of those treasured players. The players that had been top scorers and lead their teams to back to back victories. His father's uniform hung on that wall, an empty space next to it where his would have been or should have been.

He'd screwed up this time, this he knew.

Troy never intended to take things this far, to become this way.

But now he was who he was and there was no turning back. He turned, exiting the gym and retreating to his truck. Tricia had demanded that she drive him to East High for his first day there. That'd be worse than committing suicide, though that idea didn't sound that bad to him. Jack and Tricia thought that Troy would say he was going to school when really he'd go elsewhere.

It wouldn't be the first time he skipped school and didn't return home until the next morning.

Troy wasn't planning on skipping though. When he told his parent's he'd go to West High, clean out his locker then go to his new school, he was being truthful.

He pulled out of West High's parking lot, knowing that he had to let it go.

East High was going to be a living nightmare.

He'd have to embrace it.

After all, Troy never backed down from a challenge.

"Bolton. Troy Bolton?" The secretary with large beady eyes and thick prescription glasses called from behind her desk. Troy looked up from the carpet on the floor that he pretended he was studying intently. He was sitting in a chair in the main office, waiting for further instruction. The office seemed smaller than the one at West High. It was nicer, even though Troy would never admit that out loud. The pictures that were hung on the walls of the school's many activities made it look like it had a friendly environment.

"Your schedule has been made," She informed him, eyeing him down. She handed it to him when he left his seat, outstretching his hand.

She gave it to him and withdrew her hand quickly, almost as if she were afraid to touch him, like he was toxic or he carried a deadly disease.

Troy smiled smugly, leaning both of his elbows on her desk, loving the scared expression he had evoked from the older woman. His cobalt eyes searched her desk until he found a plaque with her name on it, Mrs. Smith.

See seemed like she was at least ten years older than Jack Bolton when Troy noted the subtle wrinkles around her eyes. Mrs. Smith chewed the inside of her cheek. She was warned about the new 'transfer'.

Of course she heard about him, he was Troy Bolton.

He caught her staring at his scar above his eye as he brought his hand to his chin, propping it up.

"Thank you," He said with a smirk, leaning closer. "I'm Troy Bolton."

"I'm aware, Mr. Bolton. Principal Matsui has asked to see you," Mrs. Smith said, gesturing to the office behind her shoulder.

"It was nice meeting you," He faked his politeness, knowing that all the adults in this school probably knew of his history.

"Mm," She said with a brisk nod, not buying into his act. He laughed lightly, advancing towards Principal Matsui's office which he entered without a knock.

"Ah, Troy Bolton, I've been expecting you," He said, unfazed by Troy's entrance, dropping his pen and pushing aside his papers.

"Really?" Troy asked sarcastically, rubbing he hands together. "Let's get down to business then."

Principal Matsui raised his eyebrows. "I wanted to discuss your situation."

"My situation?" Troy smirked, sitting down on the chair in front of the principal's desk, kicking his feet up on top of it, leaning back with his hands crossed behind his head. "What is it… Jeffery Matsui?" Troy asked after finding the name plate on the principal's desk. "I'll call you Jeff," Troy told him. "There is no situation, despite whatever my dad has told you. Let's just say, I was expelled from my last school. Okay, that is not a situation. That was in the past."

Principal Matsui could have almost laughed at the boy's smugness. "It's Principal Matsui, kid. And yes, I have talked to your father. You've been expelled for your bad habits."

"Bad habits?" Troy said with a snort, leaning closer to the desk. "Is that what they're calling it these days?" He chuckled, dismissing the thought with the wave of his hand. "A Bolton doesn't have any bad habits. The world simply doesn't have tolerance."

Principal Matsui folded his hands, threading his fingers together, trying to maintain patience, he nodded his head. "I guess East High is with the rest of the world on this one. I'll tell you right away, East High will have absolutely no tolerance for you if you continue what you've been doing."

"Jeff, I just said that was in the past."

"And that better be where it stays," The principal informed him, ignoring that Troy had called him Jeff once again.

"What can I say," Troy said with a fake shrug of his shoulders, "I've had a change of heart."

"I'm very well aware of how you were expelled. I know that it involved one of East High's students," He pressed a button on his intercom. "Send him in please," Principal Matsui told Mrs. Smith and Troy tried not to contort his face with confusion.

"Yes, but if you're trying to get me to come clean, well, let's just say I've already brushed the dirt off my fingers," Troy stated. He hated Chad Danforth. That he would never deny but he would never mention that he was the one involved in the fight that had got him expelled. That would be a cowardly move and Troy Bolton was not a coward. He'd rather get back at Chad in his own way.

Speak of the devil, Troy thought when he saw the teenage boy enter the office, his hair looking even bigger than it had the last time he saw him.

Troy kept calm, trying to seem as though he didn't make note of the boy's presence in the room as he took a seat next to Troy.

"No need to come clean, Mr. Bolton. I've been informed prier to this so called meeting. You've been punished for initiating the fight by being expelled. Now I know that Mr. Danforth was involved in your little quarrel," Principal Matsui said, turning his attention to the boy with darker skin. "I was thinking what I could do to make it up to you."

Troy laughed, shaking his head with disbelief. "What are you going to do? Hold him down for me?"

Chad remained deathly silent, wondering if the fear was evident in his brown eyes.

"No, I was thinking about taking a different approach."

"And what might that be, Jeff?" Troy exhaled and rolled his eyes. He thought the deal with the whole fight had ended after he was expelled from West High because of it. Now, in a new school, it was being brought up once again. Troy was through with the whole fiasco.

"I've put you in all of Mr. Danforth's classes."

"You've got to be fucking shitting me," Troy mumbled. He was right all along, this was indeed a nightmare.

"I also think that it would be best, since both of you are in all of the same classes, that Chad was your tour guide for your first week here," Principal Matsui smiled, feeling as if he'd made the right decision while watching the two shocked boys expressions. Chad shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

"I don't need someone to hold my hand, Jeff, I assure you I can manage on my own," Troy stated, standing up and brushing off his pants as if he'd just endured hard labor. "So this was a nice talk? I'll be seeing you soon."

"This isn't a game, Troy," He said while shaking his head at the boys inability to keep his mouth closed. "Chad will help you get to your classes and he will tell you all about East High, end of discussion."