Title: A Chaotic Mess of Pastels

Author: Me!

Rating: I'm not too sure about the new rating system but I would say this is about…PG-13.

Feedback: I'd love me some it!

Summary: Troy Bolton finally has life all figured out as his junior year wanes. However, his perfect world is in jeopardy as he discovers his past.

Disclaimer: I own not High School Musical or the songs or Zac…but if I did…heheheh. Wow! I don't own much. Wait! I do own Adele Carson! And the title of this play!

XrevengeX Isn't young love great!

StarInHeaven1014 That was a really sweet moment. I went 'Aw' when I re-read that paragraph.

Ayana Starman I hate when chapters are short. It just makes me mad…dunno why…it just does.

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO SOPHTHEWISEONE FOR BEING MY NEW, AWESOME EDITOR.

Dancerlittle I love 'To Make Her Love Me'!

xochrissy It makes me so excited to hear it when you guys show your love for this story. I hope this one exceeds your expectations.


Chapter Ten

"I hate school," Troy growled as he rolled over to see the digital clock of his mocking him with the time he was waking up. He was spoiled with those days off, waking up when he felt like it; getting his training done in a straight block was so easy and it freed up his day. But now, he was forced to wake up at an early hour and start on Phase One.

Half way through his routine, Troy had had enough. He was actually breathing a little hard. When did stretching and basic aerobics require heavy breathing? "Screw that. I did it. Good enough for me." It wasn't basketball season or team training yet. What did he have to worry about? "That's right." Wow. He was crazy. "I'm talking to myself…still."

Troy showered and brushed his teeth. He had just pulled on some jeans, an undershirt, and, a blue T-shirt.

Last night, Troy actually received a call from Adele. He called her the week previous but, forgetting about the time difference, woke her up. She said she'd call him later. And she did. The conversation was short. She was enjoying her break and may even be visiting her family soon. Very soon if he could still read her voice well enough.

And that bothered him a twinge. It wasn't the fact that he could read her voice. It wasn't even the fact that she called him back. Troy had actually made the decision to call up Adele. She was just a friend. He rarely called up his friends unless he absolutely needed to call or make plans. Troy was not the type of person to call just to talk. Unless…

Unless it was to talk to his girlfriends. He was always giving Gabi's number a dial.

Gabriella. Troy rushed downstairs, passed his parents, and into his car.

He revved up his Jeep engine and decided to go get Gabriella – whether she liked it or not. Though Troy had spent a lot of time with Gabriella during the field trip and the remainder of Spring Break, he missed her. He didn't get to spend any time with her yesterday since her mother wanted to have the chance to spend time with her child before she went back to school. Making the necessary turns, he pulled into her driveway. Hoping that he hadn't made too much noise, the basketball star strode up to the front door and knocked.

Movement on the other side alerted Troy. The door creaked open and there was Gabriella. She was wearing a pair of dark jeans, yellow tank top with a white shrug jacket over top. "Hey, Troy."

"School pick-up service."

She laughed. "How did you even know that I need a ride to school?"

"Because you won't be getting that car of yours until next school year."

"Oh, come in." She stepped aside. Just walking passed her made Troy feel like a better person, like the day was going to be worth something…like he was just a boy back in kindergarten.

He went straight back to the kitchen where he saw her bowl of cereal sitting and waiting for her to come eat it. Troy took a seat across from her.

"Do you want anything? Cereal?"

"Sure! I haven't had Cinnamon Toast Crunch in ages." Troy stared excitedly at the box on the kitchen table. Gabi pulled the milk jug out of the fridge.

She chuckled as she watched Troy pour a mound of cereal into the bowl she had set in front of him. "You're easily amused."

"That I am," Troy's eyes positively lit when he ate the first bite.

"Yes you are."

They ate their breakfast and Gabi rushed up the steps to retrieve her school things. Being the thoughtful boyfriend that he was (or at least thought he was), Troy took the dirty dishes, pushed up his sleeves, and went about cleaning the pair of bowls and spoons.

"Good morning, Troy. You don't have to do those." Mrs. Montez was pouring coffee into her travel mug.

"I know." He placed the first dish onto the drying rack. "Just thought that I would. I hope you have a good day."

The matron of the Montez household smiled at the basketball star. She was thankful that her little mija had found a boy worthy of her time. It was so important to Mrs. Montez that, when Gabriella started to date, that she would wait until she found the right person to begin dating. And it seemed that Troy was the right person.

"Ready?" said Gabriella, reappearing in the door of the kitchen.

Troy waved goodbye to Gabi's mom and the couple drove to school.

East High was still ever the vibrant place for anyone between the ages of fourteen and eighteen to be during the day. Well, that was what Troy thought – and once said aloud only to be ridiculed. It was a bit ridiculous but things were always happening at East High. Fundraisers, dances, plays, games, pep rally, festivals, concerts…anything that could happen would.

Today was a bit different. There weren't too many people on the lawns this morning. Troy shrugged his shoulders, not really caring. Gabriella held Troy's hand as the entered the school.

"Did you miss this place?"

"Yeah…no." Replied Troy as he waited by Gabi's locker. He watched the hallways but he didn't see Chad or Taylor. Where could everyone be? Ryan and Sharpay hadn't even show up to do their typical strut around the school. Where could everyone be?

"Thank goodness Taylor isn't around. I love her but if she bothers me with one more scholastic team question or suggestion…"

"That's what happens when your best friend is the president." said Troy as they headed to homeroom. "Why are we going to homeroom so early?"

"Because, for once, we're not going to enter the room right when the bell rings."

"Oh."

Inside of the four walls that contained Darbus territory Troy scanned the desks. Most people were near the stage, gathered around something. "I wonder what's going on." Gabi placed her messenger bag in her desk seat.

The two moved to the front. There was Chad, Ryan, Zeke, Jason, and Sharpay (standing on the outer ring of the crowd checking her nails) all huddled around something.

"I know, man. I can't believe it took me this long to come visit this school."

Troy knew that voice. "Adele."

"Oh," Gabriella said, her smile was sweet and genuine.

Troy continued to stay back, listening to his teammates gush over her arrival. It was quite strange when he thought about it. Back then, Troy didn't care about Adele leaving anyone behind except for him and her family. But now that she was here, reacquainting herself with some of the basketball team, all those memories of her hanging out with his team in ninth grade came flooding back. The world was strange and time fickle. Why would he remember that now?

"I knew you were coming soon." Somehow, during his momentarily lapse of reality, Troy had maneuvered his way through all of his homeroom. There he stood in front of her.

Adele smirked. "How so?"

"You forget how your voice can give you away."

"It does not," She was in a pair of jeans and a plain white tee.

"Completely…"

Zeke was sitting next to Adele on the small table located on the small platform of a stage. "I can't believe it's been over a year since you were last with us."

"I know it. How's the baking thing going for you?"

"Good. A lot of people know now."

Wait. She knew about Zeke's baking? How come she knew and no one else did? How come she didn't tell him about that? Adele was the type of popular girl that was consider 'outer-ring popular' all because she sometimes talked with people outside of her clique. Look at her and Taylor…

…and where was the best friend bonding?

"Glad to hear…wait a second! When did you get in here? Sister Girl!" She screeched as she jumped to her feet. It seemed that she finally found Taylor as she walked into the room.

Taylor bounded upon the stage – face alit with enthusiasm. "I just got into school. How come you never called me?"

"How come you never picked up?"

The two shared a block of silence before they embraced. "I missed you, Sister Girl."

"I know it…" Adele looked up at Troy and then spotted Gabriella. "Hi, Gabriella."

Troy's girlfriend smiled, waving shyly at her.

"Jeepers! I'm going to have to invite everyone to my house. I did miss my annual end-of-the-year blowout! Plus, I gotta catch up with my old basketball and soccer teammates and I need to find Kelsi and…"

Adele had plenty of people to see. The small crowd shouted in assent to that particular idea of a party.

"Excuse me. This is a sanctuary, not a rock concert." Mrs. Darbus entered her room with the typical theatrics. The bell rang. "Seats, now!"

The crowd dispersed, shuffling over to their assigned seats. Adele stood on the stage. "Mrs. Darbus, I can't sit. Chad's in my old seat."

"Ms. Carson." Darbus sighed with a hint of a smile. "I'm glad you could make it."

"What else would I be doing? Besides, you did tell me to show up…" She whispered the last part.

"Well, if anyone saw you on 'Good Morning, America' a few weeks ago or went on our field trip, they would know that you should be resting your exhausted body. A tired body gives you a tired voice."

"I know but you needed me." Adele replied simply. An electronic beat pulsated in the air. "Oops, my phone." Adele pulled out her new Sliver model cell to have a metal bucket shaken in her face. She knew what that bucket stood for. "No. You can't be serious."

Darbus stood to her full height; the cell phone bucket was still held out firm. "No cell phones."

"I'm not a student."

"You can retrieve it at the end of the day."

"I don't go here. It could be my principal or booker or director or someone giving me important news."

Mrs. Darbus was unshaken by Adele's sob story. "Like it or not, rules are rules. You were once a student here and now you are back at East High. Rules don't stop applying to you just because you don't go here."

"They should." muttered Adele as she carefully slipped her phone in the retrieval bucket.

"At least there is no detention attached to this punishment."

The classroom sniggered. The glare Adele gave them was amusing but a bit chilling. "Not fair," She glowered, hands crossed over her chest. "But if I miss my Tony Award acceptance because you wouldn't let me have my phone…" She muttered under her breath.

"Today, Ms. Carson will be a special guest for my Drama classes today."

Some of the students chuckled.

"And what's so funny? I have always been spectacular!" She mimicked the perfect Sharpay Evans – down to the vapid, high squeal of a voice she took on when talking about her favorite subject

Darbus frowned. "Still the class clown I see."

"I'm not the class clown, Mrs. Darbus. I believe that was Danforth's job." Adele shrugged as she placed her hands in her back pockets. The class burst out in hysterics as Chad stood to his feet and bowed.

"Settle down," threatened Mrs. Darbus. "Ms. Carson, you sit."

Adele promptly sat in the chair on the stage. Troy had forgotten the fun Chad, Adele, and himself would have whenever they were together – especially when it came to homeroom time. Chad was mainly the one who would talk out of turn but Adele would certainly feed the fuel sometimes, leaving Troy to just sit and watch laughing. On the rare occasion he would join in but that was a risky thing to do when your father worked at the same school as he.

Homeroom went by quickly. The students disappeared from the room, leaving behind Adele who waved at everyone.

"Come to lunch with us!" Taylor called over the exiting pupils.

"Will do even though I won't be able to order a thing." Adele responded.

Gabriella, Troy, Chad, Taylor, Ryan, and Sharpay headed towards their classes.

"I am so stoked to see Adele here." Chad said with a bounce in his step.

Taylor was positively beaming. "I know it. I can't wait to catch up with her. Does anyone know how long she's staying?"

"I'll ask when I go to Theatre Class." Ryan suggested.

Sharpay sighed dramatically. "I'm sure she'll make it known to us soon."

"Just stop it," warned Taylor. "It's over and done."

The two girls shared their patented evil glare. Troy stood between them. "We have school, girls. First bell is about to start." Chad grabbed Taylor's hand, taking her to class while Ryan pushed his sister away and down the hall.

"Wow. Adele seems to cause controversy wherever she goes." Gabriella joked once they reached her classroom door.

"It appears so. And it's not like she does it on purpose."

"See you later," Gabriella smiled.

Troy found his classroom and sat in his typical seat in the back corner closest to the door. Why did it always seem like Adele caused problems in this new era of life? Probably because she was an old artifact of all their lives. An old best friend, an old girlfriend, an old classmate, an old teammate. That was what she was to most people – a memory fondly brought up at parties or in the dark alone.

Yet, now, she was more than a memory. She was living, breathing, laughing reality that was fine for to see in New York – on the other side of the country, miles away. But, here, in Albuquerque, it was difficult to really understand her presence. She was back walking these halls. She was back thinking of ideas. She was back in his little world. Troy hadn't thought about what she was doing at this exact moment in months. He didn't know if he liked it or not.

However, the thing was, everyone was welcoming her with open arms. Most people could do as such but couldn't that backfire? Couldn't he get burned?