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Chapter 5 – Suddenly it all Makes Sense

"What?" Chad asked as she clung on to him as if he was her lifeline. "Who is he and why would he not remember kindergarten?"

"No," Gabriella said, tears falling down her cheeks. "Just like kindergarten, that's what me and Troy used to say."

Chad looked at her confused. "What does Troy have to do with this?"

"Topher keeps having this dream of a girl and boy. It's pitch black and the girl seems nervous so the boy says 'like kindergarten.'" She took a deep breath. "That's what Troy said to me at the callbacks."

Chad's eyes narrowed. "How would Topher know that?"

"I don't know," she choked out, the tears making it hard for her to talk, "and it's scaring me."

Gabriella buried her head into Chad's chest and sobs over took her. He wrapped his arms around her and looked up to the sky. There was definitely something about that Topher kid that he didn't trust. And now, he would never tell Gabriella this, but he was scared of Topher as well.

"What's wrong," came a voice from behind him. Chad turned to see Taylor and sighed with relief before passing Gabriella to his girlfriend.

"Take her home, take her to your house. Just take her somewhere far away from here, where Topher can't find her."

"Why what happened?"

"There is something seriously wrong with that kid," Chad said. "Just take her and hurry."

Taylor nodded and led Gabriella away. Chad watched them get into Taylor's car before he looked around the campus and running to the first person he saw. "Hey Chad," Ryan said.

"Find Jason, I'm calling Zeke and meet me in the gym in five minutes," he ordered.

"Why?"

"Just do it," Chad yelled before pulling out his cellphone and dialing a familiar number. "Zeke, go to the gym. I'm holding a meeting."

Five minutes later, the four friends were assembled in the gym and seated in the bleachers. "So Chad," Jason said. "What did you want us here for?"

"It's really important guys. That new kid Topher...there is something seriously wrong about him."

"What do you mean," Zeke asked curiously.

"What I mean, is that he has a dream about the callbacks Gabriella and Troy did. He remembers what Troy said to Gabriella to make her not feel nervous."

Jason's eyes widened. "Do you think he might know where Troy is?"

Chad shrugged. "Guys," Ryan said. "Don't you find his story a little suspicious?" The other three raised an eyebrow at him. "Troy disappeared a year ago, he lost his memory a year ago. He looks like Troy, sounds like Troy-"

"But his attitude is different from Troy's," Chad said.

"Let him finish Chad," Zeke said.

"True, their personalities are different, but what other explanation do you have for him remembering Troy's life?"

"Wait," Jason said giving Ryan a look. "What are you saying? Topher's Troy?" Ryan nodded. "How do you explain that he didn't remember any of us?"

"He was brainwashed," Chad said. "But who would want to take Troy?"

Zeke and Jason shrugged. "Why do kidnappers take other kids? Maybe these people are connected to Troy somehow or maybe they just saw him and took him," Ryan said.

"What do you suggest we do," Chad asked.

Ryan thought for a moment. "We ask him if he remembers anything at all from his past. If he really is Troy, we'll know."

"Hey Topher!"

Chad, Zeke and Jason walked into homeroom to see Topher already there. He looked up and nodded to them before looking back down at his paper and scribbling words down.

"What are you writing," Chad asked innocently.

"Just stuff."

The three boys nodded and watched him continue to slave over his notebook. Chad nodded to Zeke who nodded back before taking a drink out of his bag. "Hey dude, give me some," Jason said, showing off his horrible acting skills. Zeke and Jason them fake wrestled over the drink, which – as planned – spilled on Topher and his papers.

"Sorry dude," Jason said.

"Anything we can do?"

"I have an idea," Chad exclaimed. "You want to go play basketball with us after school."

Topher, who was still in shock of the incident, shook his head. "I don't like basketball."

"Really," Chad said. "Why not?"

"I don't know."

"Oh you must know," Zeke said. "If you don't know why you hate it, then how do you know you hate it?"

Topher took a deep breath. "I...my dad taught me how to play and then he died. That's why," he said, annoyance filling his voice.

"Do you remember him at all," Jason asked innocently, just as Chad had before when he asked what he was writing.

"Yeah," Topher said, not really wanted to go into detail.

Chad gave him a pressing look. "Well, what does – did – he look like."

The door to the classroom opened and Mr. Bolton entered with some papers for Ms. Darbus. She took them from him and asked him a question which the boys couldn't hear. "Like that," Topher said. Before grabbing another notebook from his backpack and starting to write.

"I'll be right back," Chad whispered to Zeke and Jason, who were wide eyed. "Keep an eye on him."

The two nodded and Chad strode across the room. He bent down, leaning on Ryan's desk. "So," Ryan asked. "What did you learn?"

"That his dead father looks like Coach Bolton."

Ryan nodded and wrote it down on the list. "That's all the information I need."

"Really? Then how do you explain his eyes," Chad asked. "They're green if you haven't noticed."

"I bumped into him earlier this morning. His eyes were blue and I asked him what happened to his eyes. He cursed and then went to his locker and got contacts. Then, his eyes were green." Ryan shut the notebook his list was in and looked up at Chad. "Suddenly, it all makes sense."

"So, Topher's a fake," Chad said, stating the obvious.

"Yeah. But, why," Ryan said quietly.

So...tell me what you think so far!

Review!