Wake Up From Your Little Fairytale

You know the first day of school. Everyone's stomach is a mess of mixed emotions; the excitement of a new year—a new adventure and the disappointment that the freedom of summer has ended. Friends hug and smile, complementing each other and telling trivial stories that only skirt the very edge of their activities. A few try to settle into their lockers and dump their newly bought binders and folders. And some, like myself, stand in the hallway waiting.

Nobody really knows how to make entrances on the first day of school….usually. Myself, I'm about as invisible as an imaginary friend when I walk in. I'm not given the time of day, unless someone accidently bumps into me and then it's a rushed, mumbled apology. A few of my friends, just as quiet as I am, walk in together so that at least they feel more like they belong. They invite me to join them, but I know my place and it's not with them. It can't be. They're well-bred losers. I know, unlike them, that I'm going to be famous one day. And my place is with those friends that will be equally successful…if not more.

I can see them coming now. The crowd forming outside the entrance is parting like the red sea. They're all wearing their own looks. And they're all in their respective places. You know in the movies, the lights fade, and outside the light shines brightly as if heaven is opening up? And then as the doors are pushed open, fog rolls across the freshly polished floor and the most beautiful people you could ever imagine walk through the door? Yeah. It's like that. ALWAYS like that. And I hate it.

First there's Sharpay, her hips swaying slightly as she makes her way up the stairs and then across the patio to the doors. Her hair's in a ponytail, which swings down past her shoulders, slightly curly. Her hair shines like it's been polished, and her teeth gleam in a pleasant way. She's got the right curves and the right voice. And if you knew her like I did, you'd realize she was smarter than she seemed. She's wearing a pretty black skirt, which flows above her knees, a white t shirt, and a pink sweater, unbuttoned. The gold T shines from around her slender, slightly tanned neck. Sometimes I want to wrap my hands around it and throttle her for having everything I want.

Troy's right behind her, one hand clasped firmly in Sharpay's. The other is holding open the door for her. He's in dark, slightly loose jeans and a white polo, which only makes his eyes pop even more than usual—Sharpay probably helped him pick it out, it's so perfect. If you don't know Troy, you don't know his eyes. They're like little pools of clear water. And they just call for you to swim in them. His arms are pleasantly strong, and you can just see the outline of two PECS. He's the star of the basketball team. And he's been Sharpay's boyfriend since the middle of sophomore year. His voice is clear and strong when he laughs at something that Chad must have said behind them, his teeth gleaming like Sharpay's. The black backpack is slung on only one shoulder and he looks like your all American guy.

Behind them, with hands clasped is Chad and Taylor. Chad is Troy's second. His curly afro bounces with his steps, and his chocolate skin fits well with the blue Express polo he has on. He's wearing khaki's and basketball shoes. And he's smiling. He's not the smartest in the group, but he's not the dumbest either. He's more the clown of the group, trying to make everyone laugh. I feel sorry for him, more than I do for anyone else in the group. He's been stuck in a perpetual shadow of Troy for his whole life. And chances are, if they end up going to the same college that Chad will STILL be stuck behind him. Perhaps that's why he tries so hard to make everyone laugh. It's the one thing he can do that Troy can't.

Next to him is Taylor, Chad's girlfriend of three years. Her hair is down and straight, her darker skin is pleasant against Chad's lighter. She's wearing skinny jeans and a purple blouse. A sparkling, titanium watch glistens in the fluorescents and her sneakers are so bright they hurt. She's my best friend out of all of them. The one that notices me the most. The one that invites me when the others forgot. I think if I had the choice to only save one, I'd save her.

Behind them, bringing up the rear is the next happy couple. First is Ryan, holding open the door for Gabriella. He's got on a red polo, and faded blue jeans, about as skinny as they come. Remember when I said Chad wasn't the stupidest one? That's because Ryan takes the trophy. Honestly, the boy can't spell for crap, and I think it's daddies money that keeps him with his straight A's. That or his girlfriend's brains. Ryan's a dancer, and the head of the baseball team. And he does theatre with Sharpay, who happens to be his twin sister. His eyes are a nice green, like freshly cut summer grass, unlike his sister's dirty brown eyes. Because he does theatre, you might assume he was gay, or at least a little twisted. Which is the worst thing you could think of him. The last kid who thought that…and actually SAID it…well he's six feet under. Ryan's the bully, and if it wasn't for Gabriella, his temper would be out of hand. She's the calming source which keeps him in line. It can't be easy for her.

Gabriella. She's the smartest one in the school. And, supposedly, the sweetest one. She has no sarcastic remarks like Taylor and Sharpay. She doesn't judge like Chad and Ryan, and she doesn't swear like Troy. Instead, she's two-faced. She's the one that finds out what everyone else says about them, and….corrects it by breaking apart the life of the one who's doing it piece by piece. Her latest target was Jamie Lynch. She's not in school anymore. I hear she transferred. Gabriella's Latina, with fiery eyes and a flair for the unknown. She takes risks, but they're calculated. She's wearing a green sundress, and gladiator sandals, and in her own right, she holds her own against Sharpay's beauty. She has about as many trophies as Sharpay does. In fact…the school has its own damn trophy case just for her. It's kind of disgusting how perfect she seems to be. I bet she doesn't even have to try.

The door closes behind them but those in the hallway are still gaping at them. Those that are lucky enough to be friends with them come over and shake hands and give hugs. There's laughter and smiles and you can tell they all enjoy the attention they get. Who could blame them though? It's not as if they don't deserve it. They have the grades, the friends, the looks. The top colleges. The other kids in the hall that don't have the pleasure of knowing them stand against the lockers or move off to their friends, their eyes still locked onto them, whispering. It's been like this since the sixth grade, when they became, overnight, amazing. It's unfair, but ok. Nobody seems to mind…at least not out loud.

I move toward them, a smile plastered onto my face while I fight down the revulsion of having to hug both Sharpay and Gabriella. I have personal vendettas against them, but they either know and don't care or don't notice and could care less about me. I think it's the second. When they see me, Taylor pulls me into a half hug, and for a moment I feel like I belong. Technically, if we're going by skill then I do. But in looks…I'm all too plain. Gabriella comes next, Ryan behind her and to the right, his chest pressed into Gabriella's shoulder. He's possessive and protective…a cursing and blessing. I hug her, and she greets me, her voice playing in my ear. She asks me how the rest of my summer was, although it's not like she doesn't know. A music camp isn't hard to find out about, and learning the activities of one person inside its walls is as easy as putting in a spy.

When she pulls away, I shake hands with Chad and Ryan, then turn to Sharpay. She's smiling with a shining smile. But behind that smile are eyes that still, after all these years, threaten me. Tell me that she's still the boss and always will be. It's slightly unnerving and my skin crawls when she kisses both my cheeks as I mirror her movements. When she pulls back she smiles and pats my shoulders before moving closer to Troy, who shakes my hand in greeting. With formalities over with we can all walk down the hallway in a kind of half-strut…one that lets everyone know-especially new students and freshman…that we're the law.

Everyone in the hallway moves to the side. Everyone in our group looks down at them in contempt. It's my favorite part of the morning. To look and those around me and for a split second pretend that I am more important than they are. It never lasts, but that's to be expected for a drug. And the attention is my high. One that's too hard to quit. It's why I can stand the others. Because even though they are horrible, they still make me feel important. I hate them for it, but I can't break away from them.

Everyone in the school has their own place. The spot where they get together with their friends and chat. Where they hang out and laugh and do homework and gossip. For us, it's the lockers near the cafeteria, because it's the center of the school. Need I say more?

Sharpay leans against the lockers, her head on Troy's shoulders. Taylor whips her schedule out and starts comparing with Ryan, Gabriella, and Chad. And me? I sit on the floor in front of them and soak in their popularity. I don't mind being the fly on the wall. I learn all the best things that way. All the secrets that people in the school wish weren't known….and also those secrets that the others don't want known. Like that Gabriella had a fling with a lifeguard while she was in Spain this summer—I found that out through Taylor…phone tapping isn't legal but you can't get in trouble if you aren't caught. Or that Troy tried weed at Marcus Ottspringer's 18th birthday two weeks ago. I was behind him and Chad for that discussion. Obviously they need to open their eyes. I'm a leech. But it's fun. One day I can hold all the shit up above their heads and get what I want. Anything I want. And I have my ideas.

I snap back when Sharpay snaps her fingers at me.

"Kelsi….Troy was asking you something. Honestly hon, pay attention."

She calls everyone hun…but it's the first time she said it to me. "Huh? Sorry Troy…what?"

"What the hell's up? You're acting like a loser today. Again."

He's so brutally blunt but so beautiful I can't hate him. "Oh…sorry. I'm just really tired. I didn't sleep much last night." I wave it off.

"God…maybe you should drink coffee more. You know, the stuff the gods made for us." Ryan. He has this look on his face as if coffee was the answer to all my problems. What. An. Idiot. How does Gabriella stay with him?

"I'll look into it." I nod.

"We're just worried about you. Don't take it as an attack." Taylor's so sweet that way.

Gabriella looks like she's about to say something, but then Jessica Reinsmith walks by, and she's in a huff about something else. "I heard that bitch told Juliette who told Rachel who told Meagan who told Sally who told me that she was talking about Chad last week. She's bragging that she'll be fucking him before homecoming."

Taylor's in a huff now. "That little whore. I can't even BELIEVE she said that. I helped her with her dog this summer…when I could have been going to the Katy Perry concert." She was shaking. The concert must have been a big deal. There was a story about this. I would find that out later.

Sharpay holds both her arms out and smiles, shaking her head with closed eyes as if she's some reverent nun about to quote scripture. "Don't worry hun. By the end of next week I think there might be a rumor that she's been sleeping with Senor Montaya. She won't be bothering anyone." Troy pats her shoulder, and squeezes her arm in assurance. It's really quite despicable and horrible and I blink to get the full meaning. Mr. Montaya will be fired. Jessica will be expelled. Her senior year. All because Mr. Montaya had the audacity to call Sharpay out for caring more about her looks and her relations with Troy more than she did about class. In front of everyone. And because Jessica beat her in the pageant in the third grade. She doesn't know how to let go apparently.

Ryan nods. "Oh good. I love it when there's drama in school. Life's too boring without it."

Chad smirks and leans against the wall. "She wants to fuck me." He smiles, then grunts when Taylor slaps his chest. "HEY!"

"There will be no fucking." She grits out.

"Unless it's with you." He wiggles his eyebrows and Sharpay and I start to laugh, Troy chuckling slightly. It's forced. He hates that Chad has something on him that he isn't better at.

"We'll see when you're sleeping on the couch for real and not in bed on Friday, won't we?" She smiles sweetly and I laugh again, Gabriella's giggle high pitched. Ryan' rubbing her shoulders, his eyes swiveling to all the other guys in the hallway. It's a known fact he's insecure because even he knows that Gabriella cheats on him.

She's about to say something when the bell rings its final tone. In an instant they're all saying goodbye to each other…everyone but me. I'm forgotten again. Only Taylor waves at me as she's pulled down the hallway by Gabriella. Sharpay and Troy walk down another hall and Ryan walks at a slower pace. He pushes a kid against a locker and knocks the books out of his hand. It's going to be a long year. I can already tell.

So I hope you guys liked it. And I hope I'm making it quite different than the movies. I don't hate Gabriella. I don't know if I made it seem like it. Anyway. Regular updates now. I'm so psyched for this story. It's going to be a fun time. Please review guys? It takes time to write—time I'm running out on…and more reviews make updates come faster. Thanks again. It's really cool that you guys chose to read my story. Thanks.

Till next time.

Julie and Josh.