Disclaimer: I don't own High School Musical or Flight 29 Down.

A/N- Ok, I'm officially on 3 basketball teams. Updating is gonna be tough. I'll try to stick to updating once a week, give or take a few days, but it really depends on weather I have time or not.

Chapter 9

"Ahhhhhhhh!" Gabriella and Troy screamed as the lightning struck in front of them. "I guess I lied," Troy said, breathing heavily after being scared half to death. He took Gabriella's hand and led her to where the lighting had struck. He sat by the mark in the land that showed where it struck, and Gabriella followed.

"Why are we sitting?" she asked.

"Lightning never strikes twice in the same place, right?" he answered.

"Right. I should have known."

The two sat next to each other in silence watching lighting flash and listening to thunder boom through the air. The rain began to fall harder again. After about ten minutes, which seamed like hours, Gabriella fell into Troy's arms and burst into tears.

"Shhhh," he said, trying to calm her down, "What's wrong?"

"I'm scared," she said, "Bolts of lightning keep striking two feet in front of us! What if we get struck? Were stranded on an island, there's no doctors! I miss my mom, and my dad, and my house, even school, I miss school. I can't take this anymore, Troy!" Her hard crying slowed down after letting out her bottled up feelings.

Troy wrapped his arms around her, "Shhhh, its ok. I miss home, too. Will be rescued soon, I know it. And until then, I won't let anything happen to you." he said gently, placing a kiss on her forehead, "Just trust me."

Gabriella lifted her head up, and the two leaned in for a quick, but gentle kiss. Troy stroked her hair as the broke apart and went back to their embrace. "I will," she whispered.

HSM HSM HSM HSM

Chad and Taylor stood up again and looked at the sky. "A little rain can't hurt us," he said, "and look, I see another X." He began walking as the rain started to pour. He stopped in his tracks when lighting flashed about a mile in front of him. "Ok, maybe we can wait a little bit."

"I agree." Taylor said.

Chad looked around in panic, "So…um…where do we go?"

"Just follow me." She said walking towards the X, and the lightning.

"Whoa, why are we following lightning?"

"Just c'mon!"

HSM HSM HSM HSM

The rest the group sat on the beach, staring into the ocean and checking how full the containers were getting. They heard a lot of thunder but had no clue where it was coming from. "Do you think they're alright?" Kelsi said in a worried tone, "The storm's pretty bad."

"I don't know." Martha replied.

"I guess all we can do is hope for the best." Ryan added.

HSM HSM HSM HSM

Troy and Gabriella sat on the muddy ground soaking wet, occasionally catching raindrops in their mouths. The storm seemed to last forever but they were surviving. They sat in silence watching the raindrops fall from the sky, until Gabriella broke the silence, "Do you think we are here for a reason?"

"What?" Troy answered.

"Like, our life is all planned out onto a path and everything that happened was meant to happen."

"I don't know. But if it is, I hope something good comes out of being marooned here."

Gabriella laughed, "Me, too."

HSM HSM HSM HSM

Taylor led Chad to where the lighting had struck. "Sit." She said.

"Why, I don't wanna be barbequed."

"Lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place."

"Right, I so knew that."

"Sure." She answered sarcastically.

They sat in the mud back-to-back. There was an awkward silence as they rain fell soaking them.

"So……since we're gonna be stuck here until the lightning stops, let's get to know each other." Chad suggested.

Taylor grinned. This was the opportunity she was hoping for. "Ok, what's your favorite sport?"

"You're kidding right? What's the reason we're even here?"

She laughed, "Hey you never know, you could have a secret passion for some other sport."

"Ok, my turn. What's your favorite color?"

"Lavender. Like the flowers."

"So I'm guessing those are your favorite flower, too?"

"Yup. You got it. So what's your favorite color?"

"Wildcat red."

"I should have known," she laughed.

The two went on talking and laughing until it was dark, when they fell asleep in each others arms.

HSM HSM HSM HSM

The group sat on the beach for hours on end until Sharpay finally lost it, "My clothes are soaked, my hair's a mess, and we're sitting here and doing nothing! I'm going to the plane!" She jerked herself up and started trudging through the sand.

"No! Wait! Sharpay!" Martha screamed, "The plane is made of metal. If lightning strikes it, then you're dead!"

"Anything's better then being here!" she answered.

"Shar, at least go in the tent. I can't have my dance partner die!" Ryan yelled."Fine, I'll go in that pile of tarps, but only for my future career!"

Kelsi rolled her eyes, "Clueless much?"

A/N- I tried to make the chapters a little longer than usual. On Microsoft Word this is about 2 and a third pages long. I'll try to update ASAP, but as I said before, my schedule's getting busy. Review please!!!