Disclaimer: I own Chad's family. But I don't own Chad, or any of his friends.

The Man Behind The Mask
Chapter Two

"Where the hell are you?" The lovely man on the other end snarled.

"I'm at Jason's..."

"And who said you could go there!" Slurred words.

"M-m-mom." Studdering.

"Get your worthless ass over here now!" Click.

I sighed, shutting my phone. I looked at Jason, "He's drunk."

Jason winced, "Great."

"Isn't it?" I stood up, "I have to go... Unfortunately."

"Call me?"

"I'll try." I walked up the basement stairs, heading for the front door. I opened the front door and left. I took a deep breath as I turned to the left and walked to my house. I passed the fence connecting our houses, and turned into my driveway, running up to the front door, opening it.

I walked through the entrance, through the kitchen, and when I stepped into the living room, I was stopped. "Chad Nicholas Danforth, get your ass over here. Now." I winced. That was Gregory Danforth, a.k.a. Daddy Dearest.

I, of course, obeyed and walked over, "Yes?"

His eyes narrowed into slits, and he stood up from his chair, and I winced. "I haven't even touched you." He snarled. He stepped closer to me, "And what have I told you about leaving this house without my permission?"

My throat suddenly dried up, I couldn't find the words I wanted.

He pushed me into the wall, "Well?" He snapped.

I swallowed a lump in my throat, "You... You said... Everything has to be run by..." I coughed, "You."

Next thing I knew, I was on the ground, "That's right boy." He growled, "I own you. Until you're 18, you're mine."

Two years to go then. I was 16. "Yes sir." I choked.

"Get in your room." He growled, throwing me on the stairs.

I quickly pulled myself up off the ground and bolted up the rest of the stairs, running down the hall to the last room on the right. My sanctuary. I locked the door and pulled out my cell phone, calling Jason.

"Lo?"

"Jay?"

"Chad?"

"Yeah, it's me." I said, my eyes constantly darting to the door.

"How'd it go?"

"How do you think?"

"How bad?"

I sighed, "Better than usual, but still pretty damn shitty."

I heard a loud crash on his end, "Damn!" He hissed.

"What'd you do?"

"Patrick just dropped a fucking lamp on my foot." He growled, "I'll call you later."

"Bye Jay."

"Bye Chad."

I was pacing around my room, thinking about how to get away from my father, when my phone rang again.

"Hello?"

"Hey Chad! What's up?" It was Troy.

"Nothing really, just hanging out." I said, "I just got back from Jason's."

"You want to come play basketball with me at my house tonight? Maybe stay for dinner? Mom told me she misses you."

"Yeah," I said, nodding, "I'll be there."

"Shouldn't you ask your dad or mom or something first?"

"My dad'll be fine with it." Lie. "Let me just go run it by him and I'll be over." Lie.

"Alright, see you in 10?" Clueless.

"Twenty tops."

"Bye Chad."

"Bye Troy." Click. I looked over at my door quickly, before walking over to my window, opening it, and looking down. "Yeah... That's not going to work." I sighed, I climbed out, sitting on the window sill, my duffel bag for basketball on my arm, I tossed the bag onto the ground. Luckily, nothing was fragile. I then stood on the window sill, attempting to jump to the tree outside my window.

I made it.

Barely.

Now, I was hanging from a tree outside my window, I pulled myself onto the branch, and began climbing down. Once I reached the ground, I heard loud noises from inside my house. "What the hell was that!"

Shit. I grabbed my bag and bolted into the bushes that were against the fence connecting my house to Jason's.

I saw my dad standing at the living room window, sticking his head out and looking around, "Damn Cross kids." He snarled, "I swear, those people need to learn to control their own children before they have more."

I heard him mutter something about Jason as I bolted down the street.

Fifteen minutes later, I was on Troy's doorstep, before I even knocked, Coach Bolton opened it, "Chad! It's been forever!"

"A day, Coach." I replied, readjusting the bag on my arm.

He looked at me, "Troy's upstairs."

I nodded, "Okay." He stood to the side and I walked up to Troy's room, opening the door it revealed a sea of red and white, "What are you doing?"

Troy looked up from the red and white mess, a red streamer falling into his face, "Dad's making me do stuff for our party next week, for the whole winning thing."

"Do you realize you have a red streamer in your face?"

He pulled it down, "I hate this fu--, stupid thing."

I laughed at Troy, "That was close."

"Leanne and Emma are right down the hall." His sisters, Leanne was 13, and Emma was 12. "And they'd tell Dad, and I'd get grounded."

I set my back down, and sat on the floor across from him, "Grounded, aye?" I asked, "Troy Bolton: Locked in his room because his sister's caught him swearing at age 16! What a headline that would be."

He smacked me lightly, and I held back a wince, "Oh yes, when I'm in the NBA."

"Which will be within the next six or seven years?"

"After college."

"Of course."

Thanks to Corbin4eva, ChaylorFnFicPrincess (Love your romance challenge, and the story Walk Me Home.), RIP MuM i love you so much, imjustagirl0077 (I had the game in my head...), VUWildcat, lexicuti4eva, Mocha Addict, Rhetoric, CSIMel, and Dracoisalooker76 (Let's just say... I love practically all your stories. Specially the Mack & Tip ones.)