Ok, this chapter will be way more full of suspense than the last one. (Haha, she's uh…right? –Jordan)

On Chapter Nine, I just really wanted to establish some relationships and have a chapter where the characters weren't stressed out with some new drama. I can't put my poor characters through that EVERY SINGLE chapter.

That would be just cruel. :-D

I got HSM Remix for Christmas! My mom let me pick it out. Unfortunately, I won't be able to watch it until Christmas, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

Anyways, on with the chapter!

(Oh, Allyn says that this chapter is dedicated to me…because I'm cool and my character—MMMMPH! –Jordan)

"Chad, dude. Wake up!" Troy shook Chad gently.

"What?" Chad said groggily.

"Get up, we have to get to school like now," Troy laughed.

Chad blinked his eyes for a moment and woke up. Emily was curled up at his side, soundly sleeping. "What about Emster?"

"She was up half the night with some real bad migraines. Doctor said to expect it," Troy told him.

"Why didn't she wake me up?"

"Dude, you were dead. Besides, it's Em. Like she's going to wake you up to complain," Troy looked at him.

"I need a change of clothes," He said.

"Already done, my dear friend," he pointed to a stack of clothes at the end of the bed.

"Thanks."

"Just make sure you change in the bathroom," Troy teased.

"Yeah, yeah."

Troy and Chad set off for school, but they decided to walk today. It was turning into spring, and the weather was becoming warmer. Chad had a basketball and was dribbling it down the sidewalk.

"Do you ever separate from that basketball?" Troy laughed.

"Yeah, to kiss your sister," Chad wiggled his eyebrows.

"Ok, that's so not cool!" Troy started to chase after him.

Chad broke into a run down the sidewalk; laughing his head off. Finally, he stopped to catch his breath. He propped himself against his knees and took a few heavy breaths.

"Tired already, Danforth?"

"Nah, it's my knee. It's been killing me."

"See a doctor!"

"It's nothing," Chad massaged his knee.

Chad looked over Troy's shoulder and immediately stopped.

"Um, Chad? Something wrong?"

"Dude, Lockwood at 12 O'clock," Chad pointed right over Troy's shoulder.

Troy spun around and saw Alex Lockwood and his gang of West High jocks. 'Skipping school, no doubt.' Troy thought.

The group was laughing, not aware of the two boys in front of them.

Troy's fists tightened and his jaws clenched together.

"Troy, don't."

But, Troy didn't hear Chad. He was advancing towards Alex furiously, his rage taking over him. He wasn't thinking clearly as his fist slammed into Alex's face.

"TROY WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!" his father began his lecture. "YOU'RE LUCKY THE LOCKWOODS AREN'T PRESSING CHARGES!"

"Dad-," Troy started.

"YOU BROKE HIS JAW, TROY! LITERALLY!"

"Dad-"

"JUST RADOMLY ATTACKED HIM ON THE STREET? I MEAN, TROY! I THOUGHT I TAUGHT YOU BETTER THAN THAT!"

"DAD!"

"What?" he turned and looked at his son.

"You didn't see him. He was just walking down the street like nothing was wrong. Like he hadn't put Emily in the hospital. I didn't think. I just…reacted," Troy explained.

"Son," his father sighed and his voice became softer, "I know you want to kill him for what he did, but, Troy, you can't just attack him for no reason."

"I know."

Jack Bolton sat next to his son. "You can't just go around hitting people. Even if you have a good reason."

"I know, Dad."

"Two weeks. No phone, no car and you come straight home after the musical practices."

Troy groaned, but he knew it was coming.

"You're hand looks pretty bruised. You can go back to school tomorrow," his father picked up his car keys and headed to the door to go back to work.

"I'm sorry, Dad," Troy said dejectedly.

"I know, son. I know," his dad shut the door behind him.

Troy sighed heavily and leaned his head back against the couch. 'What was I thinking?' he asked himself.

"What was all that yelling about?" Emily's tired voice called from the upstairs landing. She began to walk slowly down the stairs towards him, "And what did you do to your hand?"

"I kinda punched Alex on the way to school this morning," Troy looked down and covered his bruised knuckles.

"WHAT?!" she screeched, but soon regretted it. Her migraine was extremely sensitive to sound.

"I know, Em. I shouldn't have, but I can't ever forgive him for what he did."

"Troy, I know, but you just can't…"

"I know, Em. I can't go around hitting people even if I had a good reason," he said repeating their father.

Silence fell over the siblings.

"How bad did you hurt him?" Emily said quietly.

"Broke his jaw."

"Impressive," Emily grinned.

"You feeling better, Emster?" he greeted her as he stepped foot into the Bolton household.

"Yeah, I'll be at school tomorrow," she hugged him.

"Good. School's boring without you," Chad told her.

Emily laughed gently. Her head was still pounding.

"I brought you a surprise," he said excitedly.

"Oh really? Should I get scared?" she smirked.

Chad moved out from the doorway, and Natalie stepped inside.

"Natalie! What are you doing here?" Emily smiled.

"I'm the surprise!" Natalie laughed. The two girls hugged.

"Two days without each other and they go crazy," Troy came downstairs shaking his head.

"Girls," Chad rolled his eyes and laughed.

"Boys," Natalie and Emily said in unison; both rolling their eyes.

The four sat and hung out for a while. Emily had talked Natalie into spending the night, and the same as Troy with Chad.

Natalie yawned, "Ems, can we go to bed now?"

"Sure, Nat," she stood up from the couch.

Chad kissed Emily goodnight and told her if she woke up in the night, to come and get him.

Emily nodded and smiled before heading upstairs with Natalie trailing behind her.

"Walk faster, Ems!"

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Emily continued slowly trekking up the stairs.

"Just go!" Natalie gently shoved Emily into her bedroom and shut the door quickly behind her.

"Nat, what's up with you?" she gave her a confused look.

"I need to talk with you about something."

"So, you seriously broke Alex's jaw?" Chad asked him with an almost awe-like sound in his voice.

"Yeah," Troy said quietly.

"I knew there was a lot of blood…but wow," Chad shook his head.

"Look, I don't wanna talk about it okay?" Troy snapped.

"Who peed in your cornflakes?"

"….what?" Troy squinted his eyes at Chad.

"Who wrote your name all over the bathroom walls?"

Troy continued to give him the confused look.

"Who karate chopped your birthday cake?"

"CHAD WHAT ARE EARTH ARE YOU SAYING?!"

"What's your problem?"

"Emily's not too happy that I broke his jaw, and let's not even get started on Dad," he sighed.

"You got grounded didn't you?"

"Oh yeah. Two weeks: No phone, no car and no social interaction after-school."

"What about the callbacks?" Chad asked him.

"Oh, those I can do."

"What about Emily? Is she going to do them?"

"She got a callback?" Troy whipped around to look at Chad.

"Ok, shoot," Emily sat next to Natalie on her bed.

"I think I like someone…"

"Whoop-de-do! You've finally discovered boys!" Emily joked, but when Natalie didn't laugh, she knew Nat was confused about it.

"It's one of our friends…"

"Natalie, just tell me already!"

"IlikeRyan."

"Um, sorry. Didn't catch that," Emily said.

"I. Like. Ryan," she stated slowly.

Emily's jaw dropped. "Ryan? Our Ryan? Ryan Evans, Ryan?"

"No, Ryan Cabrera. YES, RYAN EVANS!"

Emily couldn't help but laugh.

"Emily this is NOT a funny moment!"

"I'm sorry…it's just…you and Ryan?" she said through a fit of giggles, "It's just not the most obvious pair in the world."

"That's what I thought, but when I saw him the other day…"

"What did he do? Sing you a Broadway love song?" Emily giggled again.

"No, I was sitting in French Club and then, he walked in…"

"Yeah, didn't she tell you?"

"No, Emily hasn't mentioned anything about the musical since she auditioned," Troy mentally scanned every conversation they had had. Nothing to do with the musical.

"Hmmm," Chad thought aloud.

"Did she say something to you about it?"

"Yeah, that she wasn't going to do callbacks. She said…" Chad looked down.

"What did she say?"

"She said she wasn't going to do them because it was 'Troy's thing now'," he said quietly.

"Erghhh! She really wanted to be in this musical!"

"What did she mean by 'now'?"

"Em liked musicals way before I even dreamed of singing…"

"Really? I didn't know that," Chad got a slightly disappointed look in his face.

"Don't worry. Not many people do. Only the Evans twins, me and Dad. I don't even think Natalie knows," Troy clapped him on the back.

"The Evans twins?"

"Yeah, Emily and Ryan used to be, like, best friends."

"There's a thought for ya," Chad tried to imagine it.

"EMILY, PUT THE PHONE DOWN!"

"Hey, Ryan!…Yeah…I'm fine…Hey, me and Nat are sitting here bored and Troy and Chad are off being themselves, so you wanna come over?…Awesome! See you in a few!"

"I hate you," Natalie growled.

"He won't suspect a thing. Ryan and I are good friends."

"Since when?"

"We've always been friends," Emily stated simply.

"Hey, Em?" Troy appeared in her doorway.

"Oh, hey, Troy. Ryan's coming over in a few," she looked up at her brother.

"Okay, but I have something else to talk to you about."

"What?"

"Why didn't you tell me you got a callback?"

Emily paled slightly, "I'm going to kill Chad," she murmured.

"He should have told me! No, better yet, you should have told me! Why aren't you going to do it?"

"I just don't want to after this whole Alex thing. Everyone's still giving me weird stares because of these," she pointed to her still eye and her wrist. Her eye was healing up quite nice, but it was still yellowish-greenish color. The wrist was still in its cast, and it was red at that. School spirited, but still stuck out on Emily.

Troy still gave her a look of concern.

"I'm not quitting all-together. I'm just going to wait until the Alex drama dies down before I star in any musicals."

"HELLO? ANY ONE HOME?" Ryan's voice floated upstairs.

Emily ran to her bedroom door, "We'll be down in a minute!"

Natalie groaned as Emily dragged her downstairs.

Ok, hope you liked the chapter! There's a huge story plot, so I have to divide it into two chapters. Don't worry, the next chapter will be up soon!

Review! Please and thank ya! (Okay, I'm back from being kidnapped by Allyn. I don't think she wanted me to spoil the surprise that'll come up next chapter. :-D –Jordan)