Authour's Note: Here's chapter five. I'll try to put up chapter six next Monday, and then from there be posting a new chapter each Monday. Thanks to all of you for reading and reviewing, I really appreciate each one. I'd also like to add that Sharpay is probably my favourite character to write. She's so sassy.
"Boys, you look wonderful! And so do you, Amanda, I love the purple." Mrs. Bolton complemented the teens in her living room.
"Thanks, Mrs. Bolton. I got it from a nice little dress shop at the mall. It even came with a matching tie, perfect for Chad." Amanda, Chad's homecoming date replied, while holding the mentioned boys hand. The group chatted about the evening and snacked on crackers while waiting for two more boys to show up.
Troy began fussing with his hair, which his mom insisted should be parted a certain way. Mrs. Bolton interfered and pulled his hands away. "Oh, sweetie, it looked fine. You look great."
Troy's obvious frown stated otherwise. He would be sure to change it when he was no longer in her sight. Chad snickered at the display, earning a rather sharp elbow in his side from Amanda. The sky became darker, fast. The inky black was pierced by two yellow headlights not long after, accompanied by the crackling of tire over rocks.
"I'll get it." Offered Mr. Bolton, who wasn't dressed for any sort of occasion. "Hey Jason, Zeke."
"Hey, coach." the two boys greeted Mr. Bolton, then everyone else in the main room. Mrs. Bolton brought out more finger food, and proceeded to search frantically for her camera.
"Yo, Troy. The sixties called, they want their hairstyle back." Zeke teased with a mouthful of cracker. Troy rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, Zeke, I know. Thanks." if Troys words were solid objects, his last would be oozing with sarcasm. Mrs. Bolton could be heard coming down the stairs in her heals, and sure enough she returned camera in hand. The black device was carried like a trophy.
"Who's ready for pictures? Everyone, in front of the fireplace!" her excitement did not let her wait for anyone to answer. She quickly shooed the group of five towards the fireplace, arranging them as she saw fit. "Jason, you first, then Zeke. Okay, Ashley you go here. Then Chad, and Troy... Perfect!" she shot away with clicks and flashed, taking multiples of each pose everyone broke into. Mr. Bolton happily watched in the background, eating crackers with a orange coloured dip made by his wife. When Chad and Ashley were getting a picture together, Troy pulled back the cuff of his red button down to look at his watch.
"Uh, mom? The dance starts at eight. We might want to get going, it's like seven forty five." Troy furrowed his brow, and double checked on the wall clock. Troy's mom too a few more pictures of the couple, experimenting with the angle.
"Shoot! Okay, um... Everyone, make sure you've got all your stuff and start to head out. Troy, come here and get a picture with your father." Mrs. Bolton hurriedly thought out loud, pulling her son to the fireplace.
"Honey," Mr. Bolton began to protest from the kitchen "I'm in sweat pants." the tall man wiped cracker crumbs from his mouth, but made no effort to get his picture taken.
"Jack, it's only one picture. Come on." said Mrs. Bolton with a semi stern look. Mr. Bolton sighed and slid off the counter.
"Oh, Mrs. Bolton," Zeke said during the final picture "that dip you made was really good. Surprisingly, tomatoes can really bring out the favour and make it better. My mom has this recipe that we use all the time. I can bring it over for you to use whenever. "
"Thanks, Zeke, that's really nice of you. I'd love to try it sometime." replied the older woman, who then put her camera away and grabbed her car keys. "Does anyone want to ride with me?" the five friends all looked at each other simultaneously, prompting Troy to speak up.
"No thanks, mom. We can all fit in Zeke's car." Said Troy, once again touching his tawny hair.
"You sure? With all five of you in that little thing, it's going to be cramped." She asked the fivesome again with a skeptical eyebrow. Jack moved out of her way, with the cracker dish, so that she could get her wallet.
"I'll ride with you, Mrs. Bolton." Jason said from the side of the group.
"Really, man? You don't gotta." asked Zeke, surprised as the rest of the people in the room. The shorter boy shrugged it off.
"Sure, I don't mind." he replied cooly.
"Well okay then, great. Let's go everyone, we don't want to be late." Mrs. Bolton said hastily while rushing everyone out of the house. She hugged and kissed her husband goodbye and triple checked everything before starting her car up.
"I'll let you two lovebirds share the back seat. Shotgun!" Troy made a beeline for the passenger's seat of Zeke's black 2004 Chevy Aveo. "Man, this is so awesome." he said to Zeke as he buckled in.
"Yeah, and it counts as my birthday and Christmas gift- for the next two years." said Zeke, exasperatedly, checking the mirrors.
"Still cool though. You know how many summers I'll have to spend mowing lawns before I can even think about getting a car? My parents say I have to get a 'real' job next summer." both Zeke and Troy looked both ways before Zeke pulled out of the driveway. "Hey, Chad?"
"Yeah, man?" Chad scooched forward so that he was closer to the front seats.
"Remind me that we gotta visit Bobby sometime. Maybe we can pick up a car there to work on. "
"Sure thing. You know he always has something." Chad and Troy smiled at the thought of helping out Bobby in the junk yard again. He was a friend of both families, so they practically grew up with the man.
The rest of the car ride wasn't quiet. Between surfing through the radio stations and talking about possibilities for the night, a lot went on. The parking lot was almost full when both cars got to the school. Tall streetlights punched white holes in the otherwise black sky. Voices and frosty breathes floated through the air as students made their way inside the building. Jason met up with his friends not much after they arrived, huddled in front of the school building.
"You know, it's really cool of your mom to be a chaperone for the dance." Jason said to Troy, shoving his hands in his pockets. Chad raised an eyebrow at the remark.
"Oh, uh... Thanks." responded Troy. "She had the night off, so. Yeah..."
"Dude, what's gotten into you? Come on, guys, let's go inside." Chad retorted, pulling Amanda by his side. Troy and Jason exchanged looks before following the couple and Zeke. The gym lobby was a bright and warm contrast to the outdoors. Multiple parents had also volunteered to help with the dance, so there were more people to give students tickets. The line moved smoothly, not that anyone would notice if it hadn't. Students were too busy finding their friends in line, comparing dresses, and discussing songs. Some students who had already been admitted were lined up at the concession stand. Pop music could be heard coming from inside the gym.
"Troy Bolton. How good to see you here! And your mom is also a chaperone, how nice. That will be ten dollars, please. Thank you." A cheery arts teacher greeted Troy at the ticket table and gave him a white paper bracelet in exchange for his money. "Have a great night. Next!" Troy's friends near the trophy cases didn't have to wait long for him. Three sets of eyes lit up and three stomaches growled as Zeke appeared with food from the concession stand. Amanda rolled her eyes and smirked.
"Is really all you boys think about is food? We were just eating at Troy's place." she complained but took a nacho out of Chad's hand and nibbled on it anyway. Chad had a look of great offence and grabbed a new chip from the paper container.
"Yeah, those were just crackers. And like fruit and stuff. Do you really expect us to eat fruit?" said the bushy haired boy in a matter-of-fact tone. The three other boys smirked in agreement.
"You can eat later. It's time to dance! Woo, party!" exclaimed the pale girl as she dragged her date into the gym. A few red and white balloons escaped into the lobby when the couple opened the double doors.
"I guess that means more for us." Jason shamelessly took a handful of nachos at the departure of his two friends.
"Hi, Sharpay!" Zeke shouted excitedly at the girl, who had just came from the gym. Jason didn't mind when the carton of nachos was pushed into his hands so that the other boy could wave properly. Troy focused all of his attention to the floor, which had recently been waxed, apperantly.
"Troy! Oh, Troy, when did you get here? We've been here for a while and didn't see you at all. I almost thought you weren't going to come." The blonde girl's heels clicked all the way to the trophy case, her pink dress swayed with each stride.
"Wow, Sharpay, you look... Really, really great." the tallest basketball player did his best to keep his composure and briskly straightened his tie. All of his efforts and words went unnoticed, however.
"So, Troy, I heard you won the game the other day. I so wish I could have been there. Except somebody broke their phone in some freak accident or whatever, and I just had to take them to get a new one." The blonde rolled her eyes at the predicament. Troy observed how the black pants and silver shirt clung to her twin beside her.
"It was the whole team, actually. We're all pretty good." responded Troy, gesturing to Jason and Zeke, who were grateful.
"Oh. Well, be sure to tell me all about it! And also, Troy, dance with me sometime tonight?" Sharpay asked. Zeke's heart quivered when she batted her long, mascara drenched eyelashes.
"Um, yeah...maybe. We'll see." Troy gave a reassuring nod, even though he definitely didn't want to see.
"Anyway, my song is on! Toodles!" the blonde girl happily clicked away from the trio, with her brother right behind her.
"Tootles!" said Zeke, much too loudly in Troy's opinion. The brown haired boy rested his face in his hands. A cool breath whisped at his fingers as he let out a sigh from his nostrils.
The gym door opened and closed with a 'clunk' as the Evans twins entered the gymnasium. Dancing shadows flickered in neon coloured lights coming from an electric disco ball, the rest of the large room was dark and pulsing. Loud music vibrated through everyone's bones as they danced to the beat. Ryan and Sharpay marched forcibly into the crowd to get the the middle of the floor.
"Move aside, peasants. Your queen has arrived." Sharpay insisted upon her oblivious subjects at the time she got to the middle of the action.
"You know, sis," Ryan said over her shoulder, pausing to wet his lips "since you're just a juniour, the most they'll make you is princess." the boy backed up when his sister pushed an intimidating finger in front of his face.
"Geeze, Ryan, why do you have to be so technical?" she pouted, though not quite making a scene. Her brother was at loss for speach. His eyes casted around aimlessly, lips parted, however not quite forming words. Sharpay's frustrated grunt couldn't be heard from over the music, so she decided to dance. Then she got an idea. "Hey, Ryan. Do you know if that composer boy is here?"
"Who, you mean Andre?" the blond boy held the brim of his blue hat when he ducked down to hear his sister better.
"Yeah, him. Go find him for me. Oh, and get me a water, too. I'm parched." demanded Sharpay with a sly smile on her face. She then quickly delved into the crowd to dance.
"What, why?" Ryan wasn't surprised as much as he was annoyed that his twin didn't answer him. He sighed and made to leave the gym, looking for Andre on his way out. Concurrently, Chad and Amanda were back at the trophy cases trying to pursuay Troy, Jason, and Zeke to go and dance.
"Okay, okay, fine." Troy said with a smile, waving his hands in defeat. Amanda cheered out and led the group into the packed gym. Troy took a moment to get a drink of water, and to make sure his mom wasn't around before fixing his hair. He then realized that his friends had left him. They could have been anywhere inside the dark, crowded room. The junior rushed to the door and pulled it open, at the same time someone had pushed it to leave. "Ah, sorry." Troy apologized fast while helping the boy catch his balance. Ryan, whose cheeks were flushed, momentarily shown a bijou smile at Troy. The two boys stayed like this until Ryan felt someone push at his back to use the door.
"Sorry." Ryan hesitated for a second, and let his eyes dart to the floor, and rapidly walked out of the doorway. Troy thought that seemed more exciting than dancing with his friends, but went on to find them anyway. Ryan tapped his legs with his hands to the faint sound of music as he waited in line for water. He decided to get his money out so that he wouldn't be the one to hold the line up. Soon, he was at the head of the line and placed three dollars on the counter. "Two waters, please." the server had their back turned and was already at the cooler.
"Coming right up!" a familiar voice replied. The boy filled two small plastic cups with water and placed them on the counter. "That will be two fifty." He took the three dollars over to the cash register to get the proper change, but Ryan stopped him.
"You can keep the change, Andre." Ryan said casually, before fully realizing who he was talking to. "...Andre! What are you doing here? Never mind that, my sister is looking for you."
"Thanks for the death sentence." replied Andre in complete monotone. The tan boy asked a fellow student behind the counter to cover for him, and then joined Ryan with the drinks. Water sloshed in the two cups as the boys walked. "So what does Sharpay need me for?" Andre asked, curious but not too optimistic on what the answer could be.
"I'm not too sure. But knowing my sister, it's probably something..." they passed a teacher chaperone, the blond boy stopped talking and took a drink from one of the cups as they walked. Lights shown through the aperture, as it opened cool air flooded out. Now not only did they have to find Sharpay, but they also had to keep the water balanced as they swerved through the dancing masses. Ryan caught a brief glimpse of Troy dancing with his friends. Ryan was surprised to some degree at how good of a dancer Troy was. 'Wow, he could be a professional. ' he thought. The blond was so lost in thought that Andre had to pull him around a group of people he had almost walked into.
"Heh, thanks." he tried to shout over the music to Andre. Being embarrassed, he looked more at his surroundings. Bodies glowed and swayed under the moving lights. Streamers and balloons caught and warped reflections. There were no signs of Sharpay. The two boys continued on, and almost resorted to walking the parameter of the room. At last, they had found her, walking away from Mrs. Bolton.
"So, guess who's a chaperone here." She paused to take the cup of water from Andre. "And guess who told me where to find the homecoming ballot box. " Sharpay's voice grew more and more devious as she went on. The blonde took her composer by the arm and walked him away from the crowd. "I need you to do something for me..."
Ryan stopped the duo in their tracks and spoke up. "Um, the last time you had someone do something for you, you got detention for a week. What if you get caught again? The fall musical is next Friday and your understudy has two left feet. I can't dance with someone who has two left feet!" Sharpay scoffed, pushing him away.
"Cool it, Ryan. I promise everything will be fine, if you just keep your mouth shut!" the blonde walk furiously away, this time making sure only Andre was in earshot.
"I need to go dance." Because dancing helped Ryan with everything in life. He took deep breaths to calm down. In through the nose, out through the mouth. In through the nose, out through the mouth. The tall boy strided to the floor to show everyone what dancing really looked like.
Troy and Chad and the reast of the group stuck near the other jocks, but not too close. They were occasionally invited to groups of other popular students, and dancing with them was fun, but they always gravitated back to their original spot. After a few songs of jumping up and down, or swaying side to side, they became bored and decided to show off their "best dance moves".
"...and the windmill, and the sprinkler!" said Chad as he obnoxiously demonstrated his favourite moves from 80's movies. "Hey, Jason, your turn. Show us what you got." he lightly pushed Jason by the shoulder, almost as a challenge. The short boy stretched his arms out in front of him, flipped his right hand over, and then left hand. He went on to grab his left shoulder with his right hand, followed by the opposite with his left. Zeke interrupted when Jason started to wiggle his hips a few moves later.
"Dude... Are you doing the macarena?" Everyone was puzzled, but slowly caught on. Jason stopped dancing and shuffled slightly.
"...Yeah... It's the only dance I know." mumbled Jason.
"Right on!" Troy said, hi-fiving his friend. Most everyone was laughing and having a good time. Chad jumped to the center of the small group, breaking everyone up and getting their attention.
"No way. Jason, you need to learn cool dance moves. Like the air guitar... and the head bang!" curly locks bounced all over as Chad violently shook his head up and down.
"Slow down, wildcat. I think you're the one who needs to learn dance moves, the good kind. Come with me and I'll teach you some." said Amanda to Chad with a wink. She ran her pale fingers lightly down one of his arms, grabbing his hand at the end. Zeke and Jason covered their mouths, stifling laughs with no succession.
Chad heard his best friend call out "Be sure to invite us to the wedding!" The remaining three friends danced closer to the others groups with Chad and Amanda gone. It almost felt a little weird for Troy, not having his best friend near by. The trio did manage to have fun, but not as much as when Chad was there. Mrs. Bolton approached her son and his friends, cup of water in hand.
"Hi, boys! How's the night?" she asked cheerily. They shrugged at first response. Troy rubbed the back of his neck, trying to subdue his embarrassment.
"It's okay... Fun. You're probably not enjoying though. All this music is after your time." Troy said playfully. His friends were impressed with how much he could get away with. His mother gave him a stern, but understanding look.
"Watch it, young man. ...Where's Chad and Amanda?" She looked around for the two students, not noticing the giggles and fake coughs coming from Zeke and Jason.
"Oh, um... They went to go get some water." replied her son, confident that she would believe him.
"Oh. Will they be back soon? I wanted to get some pictures." Mrs. Bolten said as she gestured to her camera. Troy wanted to tell her that it was way too dark to take pictures, and flash never helped things look good, but he knew arguing was pointless. He tried looking at his watch. The combination of darkness and faint neon light reflecting off the glass face made it difficult to see.
"Uh, no. Chad texted me saying that the line was pretty long. They'll still be ,." His mother slumped at the news.
"Well that's a shame. I'll just come back later, you boys a fun!" she ended on a happy note and waved to the small group. The three boys waved back as she left, watching her disappear into the crowd. They all hoped she wouldn't find Chad and Amanda.
The music continued for a while, with everyone dancing however they pleased. The balloons, streamers, and plastic cups that littered the floor got even more scattered when Cotton Eyed Joe went through the speakers. Murmurs of excitement and detest jumbled together, everyone pushed one another trying to form rows, or to get to the sidelines. Zeke spent the majority of the song teaching Jason the dance, while Troy watched from the side. Near the end of the song, Chad joined Troy at the wall. Amanda's purple dress swayed and wrinkled up as she ran to join Zeke and a confused Jason in the dance.
"Hey, man." Troy said with a content smile. Chad smiled back and leaned against the wall, putting one of his feet up behind him.
"Hey." The pair stood there in silence while watching their friends, both untroubled with not talking. Instead of going on to the next song, the music slowly died. Troy saw Ryan, or rather the backside of Ryan, walk from the centre to join his sister and a friend. Conversation grew louder, and more people left the floor when principal Matsui walked up with a microphone.
"Good evening, students and chaperones. I hope you are having a nice dance so far. With less than an hour left, we have decided it's time for the part you've all been waiting for. It's time to announce the homecoming king and queen! We will go in order of freshman to seniors. If you hear your name called, please come up here to receive your crown. Please hold your applause until the last senior has been given their crown. Afterwards, the king and queen will share a dance." Mr. Matsui paused for a moment, letting the tension and excitement build. He walked to the back of the gym to a fold out table where eight crowns varying in size rested. Each crown had a small queue card in front of it, Mr. Matsui took the queue card from the smallest crown first.
"Okay, alright everyone, settle down. ...This year's homecoming Duke is..." Troy and Chad never really paid attention to this part. They always preferred to make snide remarks about the nominees. A tall brown haired boy and lean black haired girl were called up for Duke and Duchess, respectively. To Troy's right, Zeke was still trying to teach Jason the Cotton Eyed Joe dance. Chad snorted and rolled his eyes when it was pointed out. To Troy's left, passed Chad, Amanda was discussing basketball with a fellow cheerleader. He could tell it was about some kind of throw by the way she was moving her hands. The applause died down once again as another person got called up. A stout woman at the table congratulated them and placed a flimsy crown on their head. The four remaining crowns were bigger and sturdier looking. They shown silver and gold in the dim gymnasium lights, which had been turned up for the event.
"And the homecoming Prince for this year is... Troy Bolton!" 'No.' thought Troy. He looked around trying to hide his panic. His friends pushed him forward and jocks cheered him on. Die Brünette walked up to Mr. Matsui and the crown giver, who he could now see was the maths teacher Mrs. Brunswick, with dignity. Being up there also made the spotlight more apperant. The boy calmed down enough to appreciate being nominated for Prince as he shook hands with the two adults. He stood in line next to the other nominees after he got his crown, and waited to find out who his Princess would be.
"...Sharpay Evans!" said the principal. Sharpay, and most of the drama department squealed.
"Thank you, Andre!" whispered the princess to the ceiling, as if Andre was a god in the heavens.
"You're welcome, Sharpay." he spoke up from beside her. From her other side, Ryan gave her a congratulatory hug.
Sharpay walked quickly with delight, as fast as her dress and heels would let her. She took a moment to curtsey and blow kisses to the audience, who gave her more applause in return. She thanked Mrs. Brunswick for the tiara and immediately clung to Troy's arm, still waving to some of her admirers.
"So, looks like we get to dance together after all." the blonde girl said to her prince, her large smile gleaming. Oh joy. Time seemed to slow down in the athlete's dismay. He wanted it to be over, and he was dreading the dance. Couldn't he be the prince without being the prince?
After what seemed like centuries, the King and Queen were presented with their crowns and began to dance to a slow song. Troy recognized both of them from different sports teams. Camera flashes lit up from spots in the crowd, Troy hoped the none if them belonged to his mother's camera. Mr. Matsui gave him the okay to join them with Sharpay. The took a deep breath and swallowed his pride. The audience seemed to think they were a cute couple, their cheering magnified.
The pair swayed back and forth to the rhythm of the music and danced in circles around the king and queen. Soon all of the nominated couples were dancing in the middle of the room. Cameras continued to go off all around them, keeping Troy distracted. He just had to last this one song, he could do it.
Inside the crowd, Ryan nudged Andre with his elbow. "I'm not really sure what you did, but thanks for making my sister happy."
"Hey, it's not like a really had a choice." he replied jokingly. " And if you want to meet me after school sometime, I can help you with her understudy. " Ryan chuckled and reflected Andre's smile.
"Eh, " the boy shrugged, still smiling. "I'm sure I can handle whatever happens. The theatre isn't for everyone, so maybe it's for the best. ...Thanks, though. Can you keep an eye on my sister? I need to go use the boy's room." Ryan tilted his head and fixed his hat, leaving Andre and the dance floor behind after receiving a firm nod from his friend.
More couples approached the floor as the song played on. Boyfriends, girlfriends, friends, and chaperones all danced to the slow piano tune, which was most likely about a breakup or death or something. Troy took one of Sharpay's hands and spun her around, the frills of her pink dress created an admittedly lovely twirl. She spun back into his arms and gripped tighter on Troy's right hand.
"I like your ring, Troy. You know, some day I want to have one almost just like it." Sharpay stated with a flirtatious expression. Troy gulped and tried not to make too much eye contact with the girl. 'The song's almost over, I can do this.'
"That's...nice." Troy spun her around again, the farther away she was, the better. The closer the end of the song became, the tighter Sharpay clung to him. He felt as though death itself was pulling him down. In the last final notes of the song, Sharpay stared possessively into the boy's eyes and pulled him closer.
"Uh...um, I need to pee. I'll be right back, Sharpay!" Troy broke free of her grip just in time, taking more than a few steps back. The blonde scowled as Troy walked away from her.
"Meet me by the photographer!" she shouted through the populace.
Once out of sight, Troy took off his crown and ran his fingers through his hair, sighing deeply. He caught sign of Zeke and quickly gave the crown to him, with no further explanation. Troy compared going through the bathroom doors to making a home run.
He heard another song start up outside, even over the water when he turned the faucet on. The boy took a moment to examine himself in the mirror, now having a properly look at his hair. Past his reflection, he saw Ryan Evans leaning on the counter on the opposite wall. Troy lightly splashed his face with water before turning the faucet off.
"Hey, Ryan." he turned to face the other boy, who then slid off the counter. "I would have thought you of all people would be out there having a good time. What's up?"
The blond boy shrugged. "Slow dancing isn't really my thing. Plus I don't have anyone to dance with." Troy didn't buy it for a second.
"Well you're definitely better than me. Do you know how many times I stepped on Sharpay's feet out there?" Troy leaned against the sinks. Since no one else was in the bathroom, he wouldn't be in anyone's way.
"You looked fine to me. I mean, it look like you were dancing well." both boys chuckled.
"That's good then. But really, I don't really know how to dance. Can you teach me?" Troy habitually flashed a charming smile at the other boy, who blushed.
"R-really?" asked Ryan while taking small steps towards the other boy. Troy took less shy steps towards him, creating a smaller gap.
"Yeah, absolutely. So, um... Where do I put my hands?" He asked with a light chuckle. Ryan was momentarily lost in the boys eyes, but then snapped out of it by remembering where they were.
"Oh! Um...let's see. Let's not do a waltz. We don't really have the space for that. Let's just do a simple slow dance. So, you can just put both of your hands on my waist, and I'll put my hands on your shoulders. Is that okay?" Troy kindly obliged by placing his hands on Ryan's waist. The shorter boy nodded and rested his own hands gently on Troy's shoulders.
"Alright, so listen to the music's tempo. Find the beat and start out by swaying, don't move your feet yet." continued Ryan. He and Troy swayed together, slowly getting more comfortable.
'I'm quiet, you know
You make a first impression
Well, I've found I'm scared to know
I'm always on your mind'
"Like this?" Troy asked self consciously. Ryan ducked his head to hide his smile.
"Yeah. you don't have to try so hard, Troy. You're a professional." Ryan said as he tapped of of his feet.
"Seriously?" there's no way Troy could be a natural at anything other than sports, at least that's what he thought.
"Of course you are. Now, watch my feet if you have to. We're going to take about three or four steps backwards and fforwards. Kindof like waltzing, but not so... precise or formal." Ryan started by taking one step back, then Troy took the lead.
'Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the stars refuse to shine
Out of the doubt that fills my mind
I finally find
You and I collide.'
Troy easily got the hang of it, and soon he didn't have to look at Ryan's feet. Both boys were comfortable in each others arms. They didn't need to think about it, they just danced and it felt natural.
'Don't stop here
I lost my place
I'm close behind'
Ryan rested his head on the athlete's chest, Troy didn't protest or feel awkward. Instead, he rested his hand on the back of Ryan's head, entwining his fingers in his hair.
'Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills your mind
You finally find
You and I collide'
The two boys still danced after the song ended, their swaying casually slowed to a stop. Even still, they held each other, comfortable and content. Ryan reluctantly left Troy's arms, remembering that someone could walk in on them at any moment.
"See, Troy, slow dancing isn't that hard. You've got it." Ryan could no longer hide his red face from the other boy, and shoved his hands into his pants pockets.
"I guess you're right. You still helped me out, though, thanks. And you're not too bad yourself." Troy said as they smiled at each other. A loud collective gasp could be heard coming from the gym. Troy and ran walked quickly out of the bathroom to see what had happened.
"Move out the way. Move, I'm a doctor!" Mrs. Bolton frantically pushed through the students surrounding a body that had fallen. Another chaperone appeared beside her. "Call 911!" She shouted over her shoulder. With the person still unconscious, Mrs. Bolton checked their pulse, heartbeat, and breathing pattern.
"Go on, leave, there's nothing to see here! Go back to dancing." Mr. Matsui broke the crowd up and offered to help Mrs. Bolton. "The ambulance is on their way, Mrs. Bolton." he informed her. The student started to awaken, Mrs. Bolton encouraged them to move slowly.
"Have someone get me some saltine crackers and ginger ale, sir." she told the principal while helping the young boy up. "Slowly now, easy. That's it. What's your name, young man?" another chaperone came by to help walk the boy out of the gym.
"I'm Marcus. I feel dizzy." he replied while holding his head.
"I'm a doctor, Marcus. My name is Mrs. Bolton and we're going to get you feeling better, okay? You said you're dizzy, how else do you feel? When was the last time you ate?" the two chaperones and student made it to the gym lobby without much problem.
"Um, I think I have a headache. And I'm a little hungry. " replied the pale boy. Lucille noticed his hands were trembling.
"Has this happened before? When was the last time you ate?" She asked and helped him sit down.
"No, this is the first time. Honestly... I ate a few days ago. Marcus said ssheepishly. Lucille couldn't hide her worry. This could of happened to her son.
"It's probably low blood sugar, then. I need you to sit up and bring your knees to your chest, and rest your head between your knees. It'll help you feel better. Someone's bringing you some crackers and ginger ale before the ambulance gets here. We've called your parents and they'll pick you up at the hospital." the older woman saw Mr. Matsui move nearer to them, and took the food and drink to offer is to Marcus.
"Am I gonna be okay?" He asked, after taking a sip of ginger ale. Lucille smiled and handed him a cracker.
"You are going to be fine. I promise. Just make sure to eat regularly and drink plenty of water." Mr. Matsui walked outside to guide the paramedics. "Hey, Marcus, what grade are you in?" the young boy kind of reminded her of her own son.
"Oh, I'm just a freshman. You could probably tell, though." Marcus sat the cup down next to him when he was done with its contents and ate more crackers. Mrs. Bolton chuckled.
"Must be some start for high school, huh?" she asked as she saw the principal return with the paramedics and a stretcher.
"That's one way to put it." they both smiled together for one last time before Marcus was brought to the ambulance. He let her keep some of the crackers. She sat in front of the trophy cases for a while before Troy came along and sat beside her.
"It's funny that I thought I could have a night off from work and spend it with you, and try to be the 'cool mom'." Mrs. Bolton confessed.
"You were pretty cool, though, mom. How you rushed in to help that kid you didn't even know. That's cool to me. And I bet he's grateful, too." replied Troy, honestly. He took a cracker from his mom and ate the corners.
"Thanks, Troy. That really means a lot." his mother placed a comforting hand on his knee. Not a second later she removed it and snapped her fingers. "Shoot!"
"What's wrong?" Troy asked, finishing the cracker.
"I forgot to get pictures of you and Sharpay!" her son was happy from the news.
"Mom, it's totally okay, really." he assured her with wide eyes.
"Where did you go off to, anyway?" she asked, remembering that she hadn't seen him since then.
"Oh, I just really had to use the bathroom." Troy lightly blushed.
"Huh, alright." she patted both of their legs and got up from the bench. "Want to get going?"
"Sure. I already said bye to everyone." Almost everyone. He got up from the bench as well and walked with his mother, with sore feet, to their car.
—
"So what happened between you and Amanda at the dance?" Troy asked Chad in his backyard basketball court. He passed the ball to his friend, who then shot a basket. Chad dribbled it before passing it back to Troy.
"Nothing. Like, she seriously taught me how to dance. The Moonwalk. How lame is that?" Chad's eyebrows couldn't go any higher. Troy smiled and dribbled around the court.
"Well... She seems nice. Are you two, like, dating?" asked Troy. The basketball smacked the pavement after going through the hoop, and once more before the other boy took it.
"I don't even know, man!" he sighed in irritation, and threw the ball at the chain fence. It recoiled quickly to his feet, afore Troy picked it up. "I really like her though, and that's the weird part." he gestured for the basketball, Troy complied good-naturedly, with a puzzled look on his face.
"What makes you say that?" he asked, while he watched Chad shoot a basket flawlessly.
"I don't have time for girls. I gotta focus on the game." plainly replied Chad. "I can't be trying to make some girl happy and also get that scholarship. You know how it is."
Troy frowned diagonally and focused at the ground. "...Yeah." he said reluctantly. Instead of throwing the ball to the hoop, Chad tossed it to Troy in order to get his attention. Troy didn't really know how it was, but he wanted his friend to be happy. There were plenty of guys on the basketball team who had girlfriends and the potential to get a scholarship. So why couldn't Chad?
"Hey, is there a girl you like or something? What's up?" Chad would do this to Troy sometimes; think he had some kind of brotherly intuition and know exactly what Troy was thinking, and really be assuming something completely wrong. Troy found it a bit humourus, if not annoying.
"Oh, no, that's not it." the junior replied, surprised that his best friend would even think that. However, he did his best to act normal. The brunette passed the ball to Chad, daring him to take his best shot. Chad looked relived.
"Good. We can't lose you to some girl. You're the team captain this year, there's more important things than dating." Chad responded seriously. Troy didn't really bother to say anything afterwards, which wasn't a problem for his friend. The pair decided to play more competitively with each other; by sprinting, and dodging, and blocking. Mr. Bolton heard the sportive racket and joined them not long after.
—
Trees and people lined the green plot of land, quietly observing the player on the short grass. Birds and frogs chirped in the distance, accompanied by hares running through the brush. It was considered a nice autumn afternoon for the last week of October, clear skies and little breeze. Almost the perfect weather for golf. One of the commentators chimed in from behind a long table, keeping a close eye on the monitors. Only the last two holes were occupied now.
"Here's Brown on the eighth hole, a very nice put right into the whole. ...Now his partner, Bolton, also on the eighth hole. He's been very resilient during this game. And he putts it...just past the hole.
"South High's Williams is on the ninth hole. Wow! A very strong swing, right into the hole. Impressive. Now South High's Morton on the ninth, putting for par. ...He leaves it a few inches short. Now he'll just have to tap it gently to get it in. He might want to switch clubs.
"Brown is still on the eighth... He putts the ball. And with a final tap he settles for bogie. Troy Bolton... A good putt that drops right in. East High's last pair moves on to the final hole. " Moniter lights flicker around the commentator, whose microphone picks up the loud echo of a lawn mower.
Players shake hands, switch golf clubs, and move around. The South High players, a boy and a girl, leave the ninth hole to make room for Troy and Henry. They join their teammates and the audience, receiving praise and claps for such a good game. South High was winning with the fewest points, and Chad and Mr. Bolton were there to witness it. Troy was glad he wasn't trying to get a golf scholarship. Even though he brought the golf team to the the championship, his score was abysmally high. Now if he could just get a hole in one like Morton did, and the ball over the sand trap and the bottom of the hill; he might feel better about himself. The middle-aged commentator's microphone screeched with feedback for a moment.
"Meanwhile, on the ninth tee box, Bolton's drive goes a bit to the right. His ball makes it over that nasty sand trap, and lands on the green. He has a few feet between his ball and the hole." Troy wipes his brow as he steps to the side so that his partner can putt. He smiles at the audience when he hears Chad and his dad cheer him on. They were cheering him on even though they knew East Night was going to lose. Henry Brown putted twice, both times his ball landed behind Troy's, meaning he could still hit it at least once more before it was Troy's turn again.
"Brown putts it right into the hole with a nice solid swing, ending his round. Now it's up to Bolton to end the game. Let's see what he gives us." Henry picked up his ball from the hole and walked over to the crowd, leaving Troy with the field, his club, and a single golf ball. The tan boy exhaled deeply through his mouth before stepping up to his ball. Another rabbit swiftly darted across the line of trees, and a few birds had perched on a small wooden bridge behind the current game, closer to the seventh hole. Troy brings his club back with silence.
"Troy Bolton putts it in, finishing his round, and the game. Here's the final score; South High's Jackie Stone is in the lead with a strong twenty, followed by one of her teammates, Mike Williams with twenty three, and East High's James Waker with twenty eight. Now for the team's scores... South High wins with one hundred and sixty four, and East High has one hundred and eighty four." the commentators began to turn off the monitors and fold up the table and chairs. The two coaches shook hands and made small talk until it was time to go.
Birds could be heard over the conversations of the team and prior audience members alike. Mr. Bolton and Chad walked up Troy as he was organizing his golf clubs in their bag.
"Nice game, Troy." His father said with a pat on the back. Chad grabbed the sack of golf balls from the ground.
"I don't know what game you were watching, but thanks." he replied, trying to smile.
"I know I can be hard on you sometimes, but it's not always about winning. It's important to have fun, too. We all have off games sometimes. " Jack tried to reassure his son, then Chad decided to chime in.
"Yeah, man, like that b-ball game the other day. You were awesome! Jason tried to score but he tripped or whatever and you caught the ball out of nowhere and did a slam dunk! It was so cool." Troy recalled the basketball game against Sandia High two days before. They won, thanks to him, and were one step closer to the championship.
"Yeah...you two are right. Thanks." he sincerely replied. Chad handed him the golf ball sack, which then Troy zipped away in a side pocket on the golf club case.
"Now let's get home, Mom's making burgers. There's gonna be plenty of extra if you wanna stay for dinner, Chad. " Mr. Bolton said, guiding the boys towards the car.
"Sure, that'd be great. Thanks, Mr. Bolton. Hey, Troy, do you need any help with that?" Chad turned around to point at the large golf bag Troy was dragging.
"No thanks, I got it." he replied, shrugging. The case made a hard sound as they reached the paved parking lot, so Troy hoisted it up on his shoulder.
"Cool. ...I call shotgun!" Chad said suddenly, and made a beeline for the car. This caught his friend off guard, who secured the golf bag tighter under their arm as they began to chase him. Troy's dad chuckled at the boys acting like young brothers.