"Students! Students! Please quiet down!" the Principal shouted, trying to stretch is voice over all the talking students in the auditorium. Each year, on the first day of school, the staff force the students to sit down and listen to some boring assembly that the students couldn't care less about. They would welcome them back, the students wouldn't listen. They would talk about the new additions to the school, the students wouldn't listen. They could say or do just about anything and the staff was confident that the students wouldn't even hear them.
That is why the Principal was in a particularly good mood today, because he had a school announcement to top all other school announcements, and the students won't be too pleased with that he has to say. But, they never listen, so it isn't as if it really mattered.
Troy and his basketball buddies were talking incredibly loudly, while the poor principal was trying to get everyone's attention. Gabriella nudged him.
"Troy, quiet." she whispered. "I wanna hear what he has to say." Troy instantly stopped talking and sat like a good boy to show Gabriella he can listen, especially to her. That just earned an eye role from Chad.
Yeah, Gabriella was the greatest. One of Chad's best friend's, always the sweetest girl imaginable, and always there for him, even last summer when Troy wasn't. Plus, Troy and Gaby make a great couple. But sometimes Troy gets too caught up with Gaby. It's like she places him under a spell. He has to do everything she says, he can't help it. Though if Gabriella knew this was the effect she had on Troy she would feel horrible about doing that, so Chad didn't say anything. He just rolled his eyes each and every time.
Finally the room was quiet and announcements began. They got their welcoming speech, which no one listened to, other than Gabriella and a reluctant Troy. Now came the hard part.
"East High is going to have a very exciting addition to the school." the Principal began, all the sudden kind of nervous. "This year we are playing host to the school West High!"
What he said was met by gasps, roars, groans, boos, and various yells of frustration. West High was East High's arch enemy. The two schools didn't get along and pretty much hated each other. And now, the students from West High are coming to school at East High.
"As some of you might have heard," the principal continued, for the first time knowing the students were hanging on his every word. "West High School has burnt down in an unfortunate hot air ballooning incident. The balloon crashed into the school and set the entire thing on fire, but miraculously, no one was hurt!" he said cheerfully. The students reactions were still the same.
"Anyway, they'll be here for your first period class after homeroom. So I expect you all to welcome them with open arms." he finished. "Again I would like to welcome all of our East High Wildcat's back to school!" then he got out of that room as quickly as possible.
"No way," Troy said slowly. He was stunned.
"What?" Gabriella asked. She was still semi new, so she was unaware of the rivalry.
"Those balloon crashing baboons are going to be in our school!" Chad shouted.
"There's something wrong with them?" Gabriella asked.
"East High and West High have had a major rift for the past twenty years," Taylor began. "It all started two decades ago when West High stole the Wildcat mascot. And ever since, have been are biggest competition in basketball, us beating them last year was the first time we have beat them in twenty years."
"Yeah, because they cheat!" Chad said.
"We had a Wildcat mascot?" Gabriella asked, diverting the conversation to another topic.
"It's," Zeke began embarrassed of the mascot himself, "a goat in a red and white wildcat costume."
"Yeah, they made us get rid of him two years ago because of animal cruelty or something like that." Jason said.
"So, you guys hate each other and that's why the schools in such an uproar?" Gabriella asked, just to confirm.
"Yeah." Troy said.
"That's stupid." she said.
"Troy," Chad said pulling Troy aside. "Talk to her."
"It's not exactly stupid." Troy began. Chad wanted him to tell her to hate the West High students, but Troy knew that was impossible. Gaby didn't hate anybody. That's why he liked her so much.
"No, it's pretty stupid. You are carrying on a stupid grudge that happened when your parents went to school here. It's a new set of kids. Just move on." Gaby said.
"Yeah," Troy said weakly. "Yeah, that's a good idea." he said quickly glancing back at Chad, who yet again, rolled his eyes.
"So, how are we gonna get back at them?" Jason asked once Troy and Gaby went off to class.
"Yeah, I can't wait for the payback." Chad said.
"Did you not hear a word that Gabriella just said?" Taylor asked, appalled. Gaby proved a point.
"Yeah, but that's her opinion." Zeke said.
"Which just so happens to be right." Taylor replied.
"I completely agree." Chad cut in.
"Good, see you boys later." she said before she got up and left.
"You'd agree with her on anything." Zeke said, nudging Chad. Referring to his long crush on Taylor, and lack of guts to do anything about it.
"Why don't you just go and bake Sharpay some more cookies." Chad muttered.
A few minutes later, right after homeroom, the unmistakable sound of school buses pulling up in front of the school hit the hallways. And all of East High seemed to stand still in anticipation. West High had arrived.
