Chapter Fourteen
The next day would find Chad with a nearly impossible task…getting everyone together so he could tell them about Troy, the girl, and New York. Everyone had such different schedules and Chad didn't feel like hunting down Kelsi, Zeke, Jason, and Ryan to explain what he'd learned over and over again. So he settled for him and Taylor to tell them to follow Troy wherever he went. If they saw him sneaking somewhere, or look like he was sneaking somewhere…follow him!
Kelsi was standing at the Drama post, copying down the times for the play when Chad had come up to her explaining her mission for the day. He told her just to keep an eye out for Troy, to make sure that he didn't leave her sight. Kelsi, not really understanding why she was supposed to watch Troy agreed quietly, she didn't really hang with them enough to know that Troy had been disappearing…
But someone did…
As soon as Kelsi and Chad walked away, Sharpay carefully made her way around the Drama post, pretending to look at the neon orange paper. She glanced up, catching Troy's eye briefly while he stood at his locker. He stuffed his books in his backpack before casually making his way over to 'read' the post as well.
Sharpay glanced around quickly, it was still early and not many people were in the hall. She stepped slowly back behind the Drama post as Troy followed.
"What's wrong?" he whispered, pretending to be digging around in his backpack should anyone happen along.
"Chad's suspicious," she muttered, pretending to check her make up in her small mirror.
Troy nearly laughed at that, "He's always suspicious."
"He's telling people to follow you," She added, "He wants to know where you disappear to."
"Well then," Troy said, zipping up his backpack as Sharpay snapped shut her compact, "We'll have to give them a chase."
He smirked in her direction before walking off. Sharpay pretended to file her nails for a few minutes before heading to homeroom. She couldn't help smirking; smiling inwardly, on the way…today would be fun!
Fourth period was almost there and Sharpay was so excited. That was the first period Chad and the rest of them knew about Troy going missing. She couldn't wait to fool them, to see how good they were at hiding and evading people.
Third period had been extended that morning to compensate finals. Mrs. Chase was a lenient teacher, if you finished early, you were allowed to leave the classroom and start free period earlier. Sharpay managed to finish the final about twenty minutes before the period would end. She handed in her paper, glanced at Troy quickly before leaving, and headed for the gym careful to keep aware of anyone about to follow her.
She managed to make it to the gym in two minutes, no one was out yet…at least not anyone from other classes, so Sharpay was able to get there relatively quick. She knocked softly on Coach Bolton's door, coming to see him as he had offered so many times before. He ushered her in telling her he was just about to lock all the doors, leaving the gym door just outside the girls locker room door open for Troy to enter and lock. Sharpay helped him, getting the job done in half the time so she and Coach Bolton could chat while they waited for Troy.
Troy handed in his paper just as the bell rang and headed out into the hall. He kept his eyes open for anyone from their group of friends who might be watching him. He didn't see anyone so he made his way casually in the direction of the gym. As he passed the Art History room, a face peered out as the student handed in his paper.
Jason quickly strode to the door, softly opening it only to see Troy about to disappear around the corner. He hurriedly walked down the hall, grabbing Taylor's elbow as she exited the AP Pre Calc room, half dragging her with him. Once she saw Troy just ahead of them she quickened her pace and Jason soon had to rush to keep up with her.
They were half way to Troy when he suddenly disappeared through the gym doors. Taylor looked to her left, seeing the gym doors just outside the boy's locker room on the other side of the gym. She went and tugged on them. They were locked…
But the tugging had alerted Sharpay, who sat just inside the boy's locker room that someone was trying to get in. She looked out of the Coach's office so see Troy locking the other door. She ran out of the room skidding to a halt by Troy. He held his finger to his lips, telling her to be quiet as they heard two sets footsteps approach.
Someone tugged on the door, but the lock didn't give way. Sharpay let out a small giggle, clamping her hand over her mouth, to hide the rest of them.
Taylor tugged on the door a little harder, but it just wouldn't give. She let out a frustrated breath, glancing around at the emptying hall. She looked to her right…maybe the girl's locker room door was unlocked? It couldn't hurt to try…
Sharpay's eyes widened as she heard one pair of the footsteps start up again…heading for the girl's locker room entrance! She hadn't locked that door! Sharpay ran to the door that connected the girl's locker room to the gym, she threw it open and ran in just managing to turn the lock on the hallway entrance door…just as Taylor grabbed it.
Taylor pulled the knob to the girl's locker room door, twisting it as she tried to push the door open…but it wouldn't move. She had heard a lock click just before she'd gotten her hand on the door. She let out a frustrated breath, eyes forming into slits as she heard the giggling again.
She went back over to Jason as they listened for any sound to come from the gym…but none did…They let out a sigh, they were supposed to meet Chad if they had any sign as to where Troy could have gone… Just as they left, however, Taylor could have sworn that she'd heard a basketball bounce…
Kelsi sat at the empty lunch table 5th period, saving the seats for her friends who were on the lunch line. She always brought her lunch in a brown bag, so it was no trouble for her to save their seats. She looked up from her seat music for the play, taking a bite out of her sandwich, when she saw him!
Troy had just entered the lunchroom, brown bagged lunch and a Gatorade in hand. He looked quickly around the room before slowly making his way up the stairs next to him. Kelsi's eyes widened…what was she supposed to do? She couldn't leave the table…but she was supposed to go after him if she saw him!
Just then Zeke placed his tray across from her at the table. "Zeke!" She said, pointing to Troy who was now half way up the crowded stairs. Zeke's eyes widened as he realized what…who she was pointing at. He left his tray, quickly making his way up the stairs in pursuit of his friend.
He followed Troy down the hall and around a corner, and into the second level of the school's library. He watched as Troy made his way to the sports section, following closely and skimming the books in the school's small cooking section. Hey, while he was there he might as well get some things done, right?
Troy quickly glanced over the various athletic books, looking from the corner of his eye to see Zeke doing the same. He knew someone had been following him, but he had to make sure. He casually proceeded to walk away, Zeke made no move to follow him till he noticed that Troy was leaving.
He quickly put his cooking book back on the shelf, quickening his pace when he noticed Troy walk through the door of the Library. He stepped out side, looking down the hall to the left where a few stairs led to a walkway and door that only the janitors had a key to, and to the right where there was a wall. He looked ahead of him, there was a stair case leading out into the middle school black top…seeing no other place that Troy could have gone, Zeke went up the stairs.
A moment later, once he was sure Zeke had left, Troy stepped out from behind the wall. The library wall curved, creating the perfect nook to hide out in, wedged between the solid wall to the right and the curved wall of the library. He smirked in the direction Zeke had gone before racing back through the library and up a different stair case…seeing Sharpay waiting for him in his hideout…
7th period was the closest anyone had come to catching Troy in one of his disappearances. He had been called down by his father again to talk about basketball and was making his way back to class much like he had last time…when, again, a pair of hands reached out from the janitor's closet and pulled him in…but not before he caught a glimpse of brown afro sticking out around the corner…
Chad had been walking to the bathroom…much like before…it was really surprising how a fake doctor's not that you had a urinary tract infection, could get you out of class so easily. He caught sight of Troy leaving the boy's locker room and decided he might have better luck catching Troy than the other had…after all, he was the one who watched all the spy movies.
He peered around the corner in time to see Troy get pulled into the make out room, rather than come out of it…He was ready to jump and go see who it was that was in there with him…when a thought struck…did he really want to see his best friend going at it with someone? He was there, so wouldn't it be better if he waited till they both came out? Yeah…he liked that idea better…
He'd waited about five or six minutes before the door to the room opened once again and Troy peeked out. He stepped out when he was sure that no one was there…or so he thought. He wiped his lips off like he'd done previously, red faced and breathing heavily like before. He looked up and down the hall one more time before walking off.
Chad waited a minute or two longer…but no one came out of the room… He waited an extra minute, and when no one came out, he marched right up to the door and threw it open…
No one was there…
His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he took a step into the room. There were some shelves attached to the back wall with various items stocked on them. There were some stacks of paper lined against the wall to the left, and a small table with cleaning supplies to his right. In the back right corner there was a mop basket and with a mop sticking out of it, and an old black rain coat hanging off the handle. He squinted, but there was no one there…how did they manage to swing that one? He shook his head, trying to figure out how they both snuck out as he shut the door and walked off.
A minute later the old black rain coat hanging off the mop handle started to move. A hand appeared from behind it, pushing it to the side. From behind it stepped Sharpay. She took a few steps forward, fixing her hard and smoothing out her clothes before stepping out of the room.
'Boy,' she thought to herself, 'It was a good thing I decided to wear my black boots today…'
The final bell of the day had rung and the halls filled with students all rushing to go home and study for their next day's final.
Gabriella Montez stood sullenly by her open locker, just staring at the books she would need for the next day. She sighed as she looked around at the students bustling around her. Her gaze landed on Troy, she smiled softly to herself as she watched him open his locker…but her smile faded when a small piece of paper fluttered out of it.
She watched as he bent down to retrieve it, eyes moving quickly as he read the short note. He glanced up; looking around the hall to make sure no one had seen him. Gabriella faced her locker quickly. A few moments later she looked back to see him shut his locker and walk quickly down the hall.
She took a step away from her locker ready to follow him and find out once and for all what was going on…but then…she stopped. Her gaze lingered on him as she watched him go waiting till he was out of sight before turning back to her locker. She took out her Spanish book, placing it gently in her backpack before heading off to meet the gang before play.
Ms. Darbus gave each of the cast member fifteen minutes to get to the auditorium before she called for practice to start. That gave Chad just enough time to round together Kelsi, Jason, Zeke, and Ryan and tell them what he'd learned.
Once they were all together he told them about Troy disappearing during 4th and sometimes 5th period everyday for about three weeks. He also told them about how he'd been hanging out with someone for pretty much the same amount of time…not getting home until late. He then went on to tell them about his weekend in New York…with a girl…and one hotel room…
Their eyes had widened at that part, thinking the same thoughts Chad had…(A/N – man they all have dirty minds) He told them that he thought Troy had been cheating on Gabriella, probably around those three weeks, and that was why he broke up with her. They all nodded in agreement and were about to discuss what to do next when Kelsi noticed it was time to head off to play, tomorrow was their first performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
They all gathered around Chad's locker as soon as they could. They figured the hallway would be the best place to meet, no one trying to eavesdrop on their conversation…oh how wrong they were…
As soon as they walked off a locker slammed near the ground. A girl was crouched there, having just gotten her books, and hearing the juiciest gossip that had ever been produced in that school. She immediately sat on the ground, taking out her cell phone and texting away all that she had heard…
A/N – Don't you hate how fast rumors can spread? 1 person calls 2 friends and they call 2 friends and they call 2 friends and pretty soon you have a web of the worst game of telephone ever played! I wonder how bad these rumors will get?
Next chapter will probably be about the rumors…duh…and Troy and Sharpay's reaction to them…even though no one knows it's Sharpay…yet…
Muwahahahaha…mine is an evil laugh…