Author's note: Hey, guys. First of all, I'm sorry for not updating for a long time. Secondly, thanks to all of you who are reading my stories, and this one in particular. Your reviews mean a lot. And finally, I don't want to give promises I can't keep, so I'm promising to update this story at least every two months (maybe less, but not more). So, as always, I hope you will like it, please, enjoy.

Chapter 7

Nothing is perfect. Life is messy. Relationships are complex. Outcomes are uncertain. People are irrational.

Hugh Mackay

Some people love mornings because they believe it's the beginning of the new day that will bring them joy and happiness. So they wake up smiling, wondering what miracles await them. Well, Cameron definitely didn't belong to this category of people. She knew miracles didn't happen and most likely this morning won't bring you any good, it will be just another day, full of disappointment and misery. The only thing Cameron loved about this part of the day, though, was watching her brother sleep. He was relaxed (when he didn't have another nightmare, of course), so peaceful, so fragile. It was incomparable with anything. Watching him play basketball was also great, but it was a completely different thing: when he was playing, he was excited, strong, passionate, completely devoted to the game, but when he was sleeping, he was … vulnerable, innocent. And she liked the idea that there was some part of her brother that was still innocent. Because after all, he was just a kid, they were just kids, and they weren't supposed to go through this hell, even to know about it. Cameron sighed heavily, sending one more glance at the sleeping form of her big brother. No matter how much she hated it, she was the one to take him out of this state.

"Troy, wake up." She said gently shaking her brother's shoulder.

"I'm up." The guy mumbled into pillow burrowing himself deeper under the blanket.

"Doesn't seem like that to me." Cameron objected trying to snatch the blanket from Troy but this action was met with resistance and even more mumbling. "Come on, sleeping beauty, or we will be late for school."

"Mhm." Troy said trying to get his blanket back from his sister, but she held onto it tightly. "Sis, five more minutes."

"Troy, I will leave you without breakfast." Cameron said sternly.

This certainly got her brother's attention as he finally started to get up mumbling something like "it was easier to make a deal with alarm clock than with his devil of a sister". Cameron, however, only laughed at this grumbling and went to the kitchen to give Troy some space.

Troy looked at his sister running upstairs. He always wondered how she managed to be so energetic in the morning. Especially since at home she always woke up earlier to make breakfast for their father (because if she didn't, he would be mad and his being mad resulted in someone being used as a punching bag, and most often this someone would be Troy) and also to sneak out some food for him and herself.

When Troy woke up, he usually had only one wish- to get back to sleep and never wake up again. Because, after all, what good was waiting there? Nothing. Now the situation changed, of course, but there was still fear. Fear that this good life would finish today, and no matter how hard he tried not to think about it, his thoughts still returned to these pessimistic ones.

Troy shook his head. What did their mother always tell them: 'positive thinking was the key to happiness'? Yeah, he should try that sometimes. Though he highly doubted it would help. Troy laughed to himself: that was far from positive. But he never was an optimist, more like a realist. And there was nothing wrong with being realistic. And it wasn't his fault that in their with Cam life real situation sucked that much.

"TROY! Did you fall asleep there?" He heard Cameron screaming from the upstairs. "Come here or I will eat your breakfast!"

"I'm coming!" He screamed back in the ceiling. So he quickly put his jeans and a T-shirt on, got his backpack and looked at his room. He liked it, having a room he wanted to return to, not just a place to hide from an enraged father, but a room. He already forgot what it was like, to have a home. With one last glance at their room, he ran to the kitchen.

"So, Chad, I met your girlfriend last night." Cameron said while eating her cereal.

"You met Taylor? Did she tell you she is still my girlfriend?" Chad asked in surprise dropping his spoon into his plate.

"Well, she said that you were, wait a second, let me remember, emm, cave dweller who doesn't know how to hold a book. Yeah, something like that."

"Is that all she said?" Chad asked with a sinking heart.

"Oh, no, of course not. She told a lot about how lazy and terrible you are, actually she was saying this the whole evening." Cameron couldn't help laughing when she saw the miserable expression on the guy's face. She finally took mercy and added. "Oh, Chad, you don't understand, that's a good sign."

"How on Earth my girlfriend calling me Neanderthal can be a good thing?"

"And that is, my friend, crazy logic of women." Troy said smirking as he sat at the table.

"She talks that much about you because she still cares for you." Cameron explained seeing confusion written all over Chad's face. "As for you, my dear brother, women's logic is strange for men, because you have no logic at all."

"Wait a second, you want to say that Taylor still likes me?"

"Finally. Men can be so dumb sometimes." Cameron rolled her eyes. "Yes, Chad, you just need to read this book and to apologize. That's all. And boys, if you don't want to be late for school, we should really get going now."

Having said that Cameron put her bowl into the sink and headed to the door expecting the boys to follow her. However when she turned around she saw both of them still sitting at the table and eating their breakfast with double effort. She coughed trying to get their attention which they pretended not to hear, the only thing saying otherwise was a faster chewing, almost gloating food. Seeing this Cameron just grabbed first one boy's sleeve then another's and dragged them outside ignoring their weak attempts of resistance.

Surprisingly they weren't late for school, even though, as Cameron said, 'they really tried', by them meaning, of course, Troy and Chad. But boys definitely didn't have any pangs of guilt for that matter.

As for school itself, Troy thought that East High was ok. Well, he didn't have anything against his old school in LA, but this was different. Mostly because noone knew him well yet, he didn't have the reputation of a loner yet. And here, in East High he really believed that it WAS the start of new life, their chance to change everything. And that was a hell of a reason to like the school.

And even though, Troy didn't want to admit it, but there was also another thing that made this school so much more attractive. And the name of this reason was Gabriella. He didn't even understand when he started to think about her. But every time they had a class together he found himself looking in her direction once in a while. Watching her out of the corner of his eye, watching her smile, laugh, bite her pencil when she was thinking about something. Troy couldn't quiet put a finger on it, on the reason why, but somehow he was mesmerized by her, by her gentleness. The funniest thing was that they had practically all the classes together, and even their lockers were in front of each other on different sides of the hall. If someone believed in destiny, he would probably say that it was that. But, Troy didn't believe in this stuff, and besides she had a boyfriend, who would send daggers in Troy's direction almost as often as he looked at Gabriella.

"Troy, stop staring at that girl." Cameron returned him from his thoughts, as she opened her locker.

"I'm not staring at anyone, I don't know what you are talking about." He said and ignoring his sister's if-that's-what-you-want-to-believe-in look hurried to the next classroom.

Cameron looked at her brother retreating form and then at this girl he was looking at. She thought this girl looked familiar, she saw her on the party at Chad's. What was her name? She was a friend of Taylor's, called Gabster or something like that. And if she was right, it was the same girl Troy looked at the whole lesson they had together. And that meant that her brother has fallen for someone. She mused to herself: it was the first time Troy was interested in a girl since their mom's death. Well, this Gabster seemed nice, and her being friends with Taylor added her some points. So, Cameron thought with satisfaction that Troy found a good girl, and that was something that he needed, really badly.

With these thoughts she took the pile of her books trying to find the necessary one, and at this very moment someone crashed into her sending her stuff to the floor. She bent down to collect her things cursing people who were running in the halls like some madmen without paying attention to anything or anyone. Cameron looked around to see if she picked everything when someone stopped next to her and extended her a history book.

"Is this yours?"

She raised her head to see a guy, no, not like this, the GUY. He had dark almost black hair, amazing green eyes and a dimple on his chin which Cameron always found very attractive.

"Yes, thank you." Cam said managing to tear herself away from admiring the boy and gave him the most charming smile she was capable of.

"No problem. You new here?" He asked also with a smile that made Cameron's heart beat faster.

"Yes, just moved here, a week ago. My name is Cameron."

"Terry," he gave her another dazzling smile. "I think I should go now. See you around?"

"Sure." She said with a smile happy finally to get an opportunity to freely watch him (without looking like a complete idiot) which she used to the fullest. She whistled silently, his body was close to perfect. "I sure do hope so, gorgeous." Cameron sighed when he was far away and couldn't hear her. She started to like this school even more. She thought that finally everything was going just perfect.

"So Troy, Cam, what do you think of East High?" Chad asked when they sat at their table in the canteen.

"Ok, though that teacher, forgot her name, the one that talks about theatre, she's weird."

"Ms Darbus? Oh, yeah, she is something! Just don't say anything like that when you are around Zeke's girlfriend. She adores Ms D, if you do, she will go nuts."

"She won't, don't listen to him, Cam." Zeke protested defending his girlfriend.

"Oh, yeah, hasn't she gone off into hysterics because you brought her a red rose instead of a pink one for the party?" Chad inquired.

"Yes, but it didn't fit into concept of her outfit."

"Is she still angry?" Chad asked this time sympathetically.

"How do you think?" He nodded in the direction of the infamous Sharpay Evans seated at another table not even looking in the direction of her usual spot. "You and Taylor?"

And exactly at this moment Taylor and Gabriella appeared with their treys and Chad's girlfriend demonstratively went to join Sharpay at her table with Gabby following her. The blond girl greeted them, and in a second they started discussing something very briskly waving and glaring in the direction of the boys' table, which scared the hell out of both Chad and Zeke.

"Cam," The later guy started uncertainly. "Maybe, you can go and see what they are talking about?"

Cameron just sighed, but still rose from her chair and having taken her lunch headed to the girl's table. Anyway, she wanted to get to know this Gabster girl better, why not now?

"Hi, girls. Taylor, do you remember me? We met yesterday at the party?"

"Yes, sure, it's Cameron, right? Come on, sit down with us. This is Sharpay Evans." A blond girl in pink nodded her head. "And this is Gabriella Montez."

"Nice to meet you, Cameron." Gabriella said.

"So, did guys send you here to spy on us?" Sharpay asked getting straight to the business.

"Actually yes, and also I couldn't stand them wiping about how much they miss you." Cameron responded honestly.

"Ok, let them suffer for some time more." Sharpay glared at Zeke and smirked as he gulped nervously and turned away. "And by the way do you happen to know that cute guy with blue eyes? He is a hottie." she inquired looking curiously at Troy.

"Shar, you've got a boyfriend!" Gabriella exclaimed with reproach.

"I know, and I love Zeke." She answered with a sigh. "But admit it, this new guy is totally gorgeous."

"Oh, don't worry, our Gabriella stared at him the whole class." Taylor said smirking at her friend's blushing face. "I'm pretty sure, she has the same opinion about him."

"Really? You think she likes him?" Sharpay asked Tay curiously completely ignoring Gabby.

"Hey, you know I'm sitting right here." Gabriella reminded her friends.

"Oh, really?" Taylor asked pretending to be surprised. "Ok, if you want, you can go somewhere and we will discuss you behind you back." She suggested teasingly. "I wonder if he has a girlfriend."

"No, he doesn't."

"How do you know, Cameron?" All three pairs of eyes looked at her curiously.

"Well, he's my twin brother."

"Really? That's so cool. You know, I also have a twin brother, his name's Ryan, but I guess he's with his girlfriend Kelsey right now."

"So, you heard, Gabster, he's free." Taylor teased her friend.

"Tay, if you've forgotten I have a boyfriend too."

Cameron definitely didn't see that coming. She looked sympathetically at her brother, now she understood why he didn't want to speak about it. Why was life so unfair? Cameron sighed, she guessed she hurried to say that everything was going perfect.

Don't forget to tell me what you think.