"Ahh!" shreiked Sharpay. "Troy! No!"

The maniac laughed. "Was that your boyfriend?? Ohhh I'm sooo sorry!" he said, not really meaning his apology.

"You bastard!" Sharpay screamed and kicked her high heels at him. Even though she could not see him, she knew she had hit him when he screamed.

"Argh! You hit me.. at the neck!" the murderer screamed. Gabriella could feel the eyes of many movie-goers staring at them.

Gabriella immediately dialed the police. She told them the details and hung up. She hoped they would be here – fast.

-XXX-

Chad didn't realize he was closing his eyes until he felt someone nudge him. His eyes flew open to see a police officer. He looked at his friend, Ryan beside him. He was not there.

"Where's Ryan?" he asked. The officer smiled at him.

"You mean that blonde haired boy?" he asked. Chad nodded.

"We've sent him to the hospital. He had blood pouring out from everywhere. It was a good thing a girl named Gabriella Montez called us," said the officer. Then his smiled turned into a frown. "D'you know where she is?"

"You mean, you haven't rescued them yet?" Chad asked worriedly. He was afraid of losing his best friend and his girlfriend. Oh, and Gabriella and Sharpay, too, even though he was not very good friends with either of them. But still, they were his friends.

The officer shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I've sent my team to find them."

"I'll help!" Chad offered.

The officer shook his head. "I can't risk another person dying," he said.

"But you don't understand! One of them, in Gabriella's group, is my girlfriend! She means a lot to me. I'd die for her ... unless she's died already..." Chad said.

The officer shook his head and laughed. "The things people do for love. Well, if you feel so much about her, go ahead."

Chad smiled. "You're the best, Officer..."

"McKennedy," the officer smiled and pushed Chad.

"Officer McKennedy," Chad repeated and rushed off to save his girlfriend.

-XXX-

Chad stopped at a boutique to think. Where would my friends hide? he wondered. There were lots of places in the mall. But he guessed that his friends would most probably still be on that floor. There would not have been time to run to a different floor.

He looked around. The movie theather? It was a long shot, but he went there anyway. It's a place where he would have thought to hide, anyway.

He looked at the row of theathers. There were five. Which one??

He dashed into the nearest one, which was theather number two. He gasped when he saw his best friend lying on the floor with blood at his shoulder. It made him grip his own shoulder. The blood had dried already.

The murderer.. the maniac.. was on the floor groaning in pain. He had a long scar at his neck. Sharpay.. or one of the girls probably kicked him.

He rushed over to Taylor and hugged her tight, grateful that she was safe and not hurt or injured or.. dead. Taylor hugged him back with tears in her eyes. Happy tears. Relieved tears. I'm-so-glad-my-boyfriend-survived tears.

Gabriella looked at them. "Ryan?" She was so sad when she saw only Chad run through those doors. Without Ryan.

Chad let go of Taylor. "Umm.. he.. is in the hospital. He says he loves you," Chad said. Taylor hugged Gabriella. Gabriella started to cry.

The people in the movie theather looked at them. It was better than the movie they were watching, which was interrupted.

The murderer started to stand, holding his neck. An old lady sitting at the aisle he was standing at whacked him in the stomach with her handbag. It actually made Chad laughed. After all that had happened today, he was glad to be able to be glad.

Chad kissed Taylor. "I've got to tell the police," he said and rushed out, trying to find Officer McKennedy or anyone in his team. He saw a police man examining the dead bodies. Chad called him over.

"My friends – and the murderer – are in the movie theather. Number two," he said quickly.

The officer rushed into theather two. The murderer paled when he saw the police. Fear was in his eyes.

The officer grabbed him and cuffed him. He marched the maniac out of the movie theather. He smiled at Chad.

-XXX-

Two Weeks Later

Gabriella was laughing and crying at the same time. Her boyfriend, Ryan Evans, was alive! Alive and well! She kissed Ryan. She kept on kissing him. She never pulled back.

Ryan was happy, too. No, not happy. Ectastic! His girlfriend, Gabriella Montez, was alive! She did not get killed! He returned her kisses with full passion.

-The End-