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Chapter 25

Troy tied his sneakers. He had been eighteen for three full days and it was now the first Monday since vacation ended. Since he couldn't play basketball he had decided to join a different group, a non-contact group. So...as he looked at the list of sports he could join, baseball was out of the question seems as he had never held a bat in his life except for gym class as was softball for obvious reasons. After he had narrowed down his choices, there was only one left- track.

He had always been fast and the amount of running he did both for the team and his father had made him faster. So, he laced up his sneakers. All the rest of his friends were at basketball practice, he had it all planned out.

Until he heard a locker door slam shut and a "what are you doing in here?"

Troy turned around. "Ryan?"

"Troy, what are you doing?"

"Track, what are you doing?"

"Track."

"Really," Troy asked. He had never seen the boy run, but assumed he was clumsy. He had always thought you had to be quick on your feet to run.

"Yeah, the coach lives down the street from us and sees me run every morning before school. He told me to get on the team, since there really isn't many kids at this school interested in track. They all do baseball, soccer or basketball all year round. Well, you'll do good at it," Ryan said. "Sprints right?"

"I don't know, yeah," Troy said, confused. Ryan never struck him as the athletic type. "You?"

"Long distance, the mile is my specialty."

Troy laughed in his head. He had been running miles for years to get in shape for the upcoming basketball season. He wondered if Ryan really knew what he was getting himself into.

The two walked out when Troy had finished tying his shoes. Ryan was right, there wasn't many boys at all. There was a few that Troy knew were from last years team, but other than that...well that was it.

"Sad turn out, huh boys," came a voice. Troy turned to see Mr. Wagner, the boys track coach. His father had gone to school with him and Troy had known him since he was really little. "So, you boys ready to run?"

Troy studied the boys from last years team. They weren't really that big, but they weren't small either. One of them pushed up his glasses, looked at Troy and gasped. "T...T...Troy B..."

"Bolton," Troy finished holding out his hand.

The boy gasped again. "I know! Its...an...honor to...meet you..." he stuttered. Troy looked to Ryan who was trying to hold back a laugh.

"You can shake his hand," Ryan said.

"But, I might infect it with a virus!"

"Don't worry about him," a dark boy said, holding onto the gasping boy. "You'll get used to him. I'm Damien Reed. You're Ryan Evans right," he directed at Ryan.

"Yeah," he said holding a hand out to shake. Damien shook it and smiled.

"This is Mike, Paul and Steve," he said, pointing to three boys behind him. "And this," he motioned to the gasping boy, "is Franklin."

Troy and Ryan looked over the group. Out of the five, Damien was the only one who looked like he had athletic ability. Mike was at least six foot five and would have been a great center in basketball, except he was also exceeding three hundred pounds. "Shot put," Ryan whispered to Troy, who smiled.

Paul was really short and really skinny. Troy, who had been easily one of the three shortest basketball players (Chad and Cam being the other two), felt tall just looking at him. The kid was skin and bones. Steve was taller than Troy, probably six feet beating Troy by five inches. He was bulky, but not fat. Damien was the right build for a track star, Troy thought. He had long legs, was quite tall and was fairly skinny.

They started to run, Troy and Ryan in the front. Mike was falling behind and Paul was too because of his short legs. Franklin kept pushing his glasses up and Damien was at a steady jog as were Troy and Ryan. When they had finished, the rest of the rest of the team was still running. "You didn't think I could run did you," Ryan asked.

"How did you learn?"

"Troy, running comes natural to everyone. Some are just better than others. But, practice does make perfect. Ever since I was three I've been running."

"Three," Troy asked amazed. "I didn't know anyone could run when they were that little."

"Oh, my dad would take me. I'd run a little bit and then he'd pick me up and then I'd run some more. We only went down the street. I bet you were running down the street full speed when you were three." Then Ryan grimaced. "Oh man Troy, I'm sorry. I completely forgot-"

"No, it's okay."

"No its not, I'm your friend and I shouldn't bring back bad memories of your childhood."

"I don't really have memories of my childhood. All I remember is not being able to go to kindergarten and being bounced from hospital to home back to some hospital." Troy tried to laugh it off, but he stopped because he sounded pathetic. "So more about you running."

"Oh yeah. Soon it just became a something to do to get in shape for dance classes-"

"Woah, hold it," Troy said. "Dance classes?"

"Yeah. It was Sharpay's idea and Mom thought that it could be a cute thing for twins to do," he said rolling his eyes. "Before long, it was choreography to songs for auditions and plays."

"Wow," Troy said. "I never knew."

"No one did. I wasn't really proud of dance classes. I loved performing, but taking dance was embarrassing. So Mom paid for a private instructor."

"She really wanted you to continue it?"

"Yeah," Ryan said. "She said we had some kind of talent."

"Reminds me of my dad."

"Parents are screwy huh."

They laughed as Damien all but carried Franklin in and Mike walked across the finish line with Steve and Paul. Coach Wagner had them do some more running and before long everyone had dropped out except Troy, Ryan and Damien.

"Okay, practice is over," Coach Wagner said, rubbing his temples.

"I say, Ryan and Troy race," Steve said. "Run around the track four times, just for fun!"

"No..." Troy said.

"What are you, scared you'll lose," Ryan asked walking toward the track.

"Oh, you're on," Troy exclaimed.

Coach Wagner smiled and turned around. He started walking toward the gym, where basketball practice was getting out. "Hey boys," he called out.

"Hey Coach Wagner," Chad said. The coach had been a part of the group of friends his father had hung around with. It was Jack Bolton, Chris Danforth, George Wagner and a few others that made up the group of friends at East High then that was much like the group of Troy, Chad, Cam, Zeke, Jason and Ryan. Daniel Boucher had been in the group too, even though he went to West High, but after the basketball incident between Jack and Daniel, no one really talked about him anymore, and nobody blamed them

"Hey George," Jack said walking out of the gym. "Have you seen Troy, can't find him anywhere."

George laughed. "That son of yours has quite the pair of wheels on him."

"What do you mean," Jack asked.

"You mean he didn't tell you? He's doing track. Him and Ryan Evans are racing up there right now."

"Seriously," Jason asked.

"Come on," Chad said as they ran up to the track. Jack gave George a look before running up himself. Troy and Ryan had already done two of the four laps they needed to do. They were shocked to see Ryan looking like he was exerting not energy but still keeping up with the determined Troy.

"Is that really Ryan," Zeke asked as Ryan and Troy crossed the line starting their fourth and final lap. They were head to head, but Ryan still looked as if he wasn't trying and Troy was huffing and puffing.

Then halfway around the last lap, Ryan started trying and you could tell. The distance between Troy and Ryan was getting bigger and bigger with each step. Troy, who was determined not to lose, was running as fast as he could possibly push himself.

"I think Ryan's going to beat him," Cam said.

"Who knew Ryan could out run Troy," one of the other basketball players said.

Ryan crossed the finish line, breathing heavy. Two seconds later, Troy crossed it, ran to the grass and collapsed, panting like a dog on a hot day.

"Rematch," came Troy's yell. He stood and walked to the starting line. "That was practice. Rematch!"

"Troy," Ryan said. "Calm down. You're not a distance runner. You use up all your energy in the beginning of a race, thats why you're a sprinter." Ryan looked into the stands. "Hey, we had an audience."

"Oh no," Troy said. "Chad's never going to let me live this down."

"Live what down," Ryan asked feeling a little hurt. He hoped that Troy wouldn't say anything about getting beat by a lame dancer or a girly wimp like he had been called in elementary school.

"I lost, I never lose. You are the first person who has beat me at anything," he said still breathing heavy.

"Are you okay," Ryan asked, knowing Troy wasn't in the best shape health wise. Troy nodded and walked to get water. Ryan watched from a distance as Troy drank the cold drink and his dad went over, obviously asking Troy the same thing he had.

Troy just pushed him off and started jogging around the track again. Ryan thought the kid would collapse, but he seemed fine. Hopefully he wouldn't have an episode like he did when he stopped running last time.

"Ryan! Dude that was awesome!"

Chad, Cam, Zeke and Jason walked over and clapped him on the back. "Thanks," he said.

"I didn't know you ran," Cam said. "And I can't believe you outran Troy. He was the fastest guy on our team!"

"Oh, thats simple. Troy uses all his energy in the beginning of a race, leaving very little for the end, which can mean losing in long distance races."

"Sounds like Troy," Chad said, staring at Troy as he ran around the track again.

"Is he going to be okay? I didn't..."

"Ryan, don't beat yourself up over beating Troy," Chad said. "They guy had to learn how to lose to someone sometime. It's just he's always the best at everything he does."

"But-"

"Ryan," Chad said interrupting him. "Don't worry. He'll run for a while and then he'll admit to himself that he's not the best and then try to beat you tomorrow. That's how Troy works."

hsmhsmhsmhsmhsm

"Mack, why don't you sit with us," Caleb asked.

"Because I sat with you yesterday. I want to sit with my friends today," she answered putting her lunch down on the table in between Bailey and Keisha.

Caleb glared at Calum before stalking off. "That guy's out to get you," Adam said shaking his head.

"Yeah," Calum said. "I mean its not like me and Mack like each other anymore. Right Mack?"

"Right," she said not looking up from her food.

"Because we're just friends," he said, trying to convince himself more than anyone at the table.

"Yeah," Mack said, disappointment apparent in her voice. "Friends."

There was a long and awkward silence. "So," Keisha said. "Um...how is everyone?"

"I'm going to go," Mack said quietly. She stood up and walked over to Caleb's table. He wrapped his arm around her waist and smiled, whispering something in her ear.

"You are so stupid," Keisha sneered.

"Who me," Calum asked.

"Who else? Can't you see she still likes you?"

"No she doesn't. If she liked me she wouldn't snuggle with Harding right in front of me," Calum exploded.

"Well, have you ever thought she did that to make you jealous or something? Or are you too blind?"

"Me, blind? Why would she want to make me jealous when she knows that I still like her too!"

Keisha picked up her pudding and threw it at Calum, missing at hitting Adam. "And you're supposed to be a softball player," Calum scoffed.

Adam started to wipe the pudding off himself, but was just making an even bigger mess. Bailey giggled. "Here," she said. "Let me help you."

"Oh, would you two get a room," Keisha exploded before running out of the room. Bailey and Adam both turned crimson, not thinking that they were showing any boyfriend/girlfriend actions, because they weren't. Calum sighed and ran out after her, trying to apologize.

"You know, Keisha was right about you two," Teagan said, before picking his lunch up and walking out of the lunch room.

Adam and Bailey looked at each other. "I don't know what they're talking about," Adam said nervously.

"Yeah," Bailey agreed.

"I mean, you don't want to be a couple...right..."

"No..." Bailey said.

"Yeah."

"Yes?"

"No!"

"No?"

"I don't know," Adam said, laying his head on the table defeated. "Everything is a mess right now. We both know Calum and Mack belong together, but they both think the other has moved on."

"Meanwhile, Keisha's upset and Teagan is silent in this raging storm," Bailey continued. She laid her head on Adam shoulder and tears started falling down her face. "Our group is falling apart!"

"It's going to be okay," Adam said holding on to her tightly. "It's going to be okay."

Okay, no Troy/Gabriella...but you got some Adam/Bailey! Troy and Gabriella will be in the next chapter.

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