Update 11/26/2009: This is the new Chapter 5

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Disclaimer: I do not own these characters except the ones I created.

I also do not own any of the recognizable stores mentioned in this story.

Chapter 5: Freshman Disorientation: Chad Style

Unlike most schools, A of U did not have its own bookstore. Instead four different establishments sold books to the student population. Professor Jackson didn't choose any of the traditional establishments or maybe he did choose all four bookstores and only gave them part of the lists. Chad really didn't care at this point. For the last 45 minutes he and Sharpay have been running around the stores near campus trying to find the textbooks for their English class. Why couldn't he take a normal English class like all of his peers who could pick up their books at any store on campus?

At the first bookstore they found the grammar composition book, but none of the course reading materials. At the second bookstore, they found the collection of essays as well as the textbook for the introductory to film class that both would be taking the next day. At the third bookstore they were able to find one of the two novels they would be reading, as well as, Sharpay's chemistry textbook. As they walked to the fourth store Chad was very agitated. He could be playing basketball right now instead of this scavenger hunt for textbooks.

"No wonder he gave us an extra hour and a half to pick up books. It's been 45 minutes and we only have a quarter of the list. They can even put the bookstores right next to each other, instead of all of them are about a block away from the next store. My new Jimmy Choo is completely ruined." Sharpay complained as she noticed the scuffle marks on her brand-new shoes.

"Well that's what you get for wearing shoes that cost more than a semester's worth of textbooks. This is the last store, Sharpay. The books have to be in there. We'll just go talk to the friendly salesperson , grab our textbooks, and go talk about the project" Chad said as they walked through the double doors of the business.

"That's fine. Although maybe we should write down our perspective of what happened, before we talk about it. That way we cannot influence the other person's perspective until we're completely certain of our own. Maybe we should choose one major event to focus on, instead of doing the entire four years."

"You just want to do that, because if we look at the entire four years you really would be the villain of our high school. It would probably be easier to narrow things down a bit."

"I wasn't that bad. I'm ambitious, not evil. I'm not some one-dimensional Disney villain who's out to get everyone. Is that all everyone saw me as in high school?" Sharpay questioned.

"You did provide a lot of evidence to support the villain prospective. During Sophomore year, you reduced Janet Math to tears by humiliating her in front of the entire student body during the winter musical."

"She was sending dirty text messages to my boyfriend at the time, Richard Johnson. In retrospect, I should have just let her take him. He was a horrible boyfriend." Sharpay began to shiver a little bit at the memory

"You scared Richard so badly he transferred to West the next year."

"I don't want to write about that incident for class. There's too much that happened that you know nothing about. Let's just say Richard really lived up to his name and leave it at that. What about if we focus on the winter musical of 2007 or the summer at lava springs?"

"What about the senior musical?" Chad asked as a salesperson approached the two.

"Hello can I help you with your textbook purchase?" Ask the salesperson in a sickeningly sweet voice.

"We are looking for the books for English 152 C taught by Mr. Jackson." Sharpay said as she handed the salesperson schedule.

"I don't see anything on the shelf for this class, let me check the computer." The salesperson said as she walked away.

"Analyzing the senior musical wouldn't be appropriate for this project. The worst thing I did was tell Troy that Gabriella got into the Stanford University Honors Program. You and I both know she wasn't going unless Troy encouraged her. It was not my fault that she use the program as an excuse to run away from her problems. I'm not responsible for Little Miss perfects avoidance technique."

"You're right Sharpay." Chad said in defeat.

"Did you just say I'm right?"

"What happened with Gabriella was not your fault, it was hers. We shouldn't have blamed you for her leaving. I'm sorry we took everything out on you." Just then the salesperson came back.

"I'm sorry, we don't have any of these books in stock. Professor Jackson usually uses the specialty bookstore Academic World," The salesperson said in apology.

"Why couldn't the people at the other bookstores tell us that?" Sharpay practically yelled in annoyance and frustration.

"I only know because I took this class two years ago and had to do the same hunt for textbooks." replied the person.

"Thank you for checking" Chad said as they began to walk out of the store.

"If anybody has a right to be mad it is me. Troy was the one who told Jimmy that I have a crush on him. Did you know that he signed up for drama I just because I am the teaching assistant. I'm going to have to deal with a horny 16-year-old chasing after me all semester because of Troy."

"I don't think you have to worry you're not his type."

"I'm beautiful, I'm everyone's type.

"You're not his."

"Whatever Chad let's just go."

Unfortunately academic world did not have the textbooks either. Apparently Professor Jackson forgot to put his order in on time and the books would not arrive until next Monday, after their project was due. The salesperson at that store, suggested that they try a Barnes and Nobles type store, since the remainder of the books on the list could be found there. Sharpay offered to pick up the books after class by herself since she would not begin herteachers aid duties at East high until Friday.

To his surprise, Chad was actually happy Sharpay was in his English class. Even though he now have an extra assignment that would take a large amount of time to complete. It was good to have someone who understood his pass. As of right now, she would be the only familiar face he would see this semester that he could actually stand having a conversation with.

Earlier in his calculus B class, the only person he knew was Nicolas Wellington III, the former resident brain of West high. He remembered almost punching Nicolas last school year when he tried to hit on Taylor at the academic decathlon. Chad enjoyed the sight of Nicolas's face when the boy realized that the "dumb jock" from East High was just as smart as he was.

Now Chad sat in his noontime chemistry class bored to tears. Why couldn't the professor just pass out the syllabus and let them leave. Instead the professor spent 30 minutes going over principles that Chad learned in the 11th grade. He knew no one in the class except for his former roommate, who Chad definitely did not want to talk him.

After the extremely boring lecture he ran to his dorm room to pick up his basketball gear and catch an hour nap before the first basketball practice of the season. Unfortunately on the way back to his room he ran into Penelope.

"You live in Evans hall too. That is great. I live on the third floor. What floor do you live on?" A very perky Penelope said as she followed Chad to the elevators.

"The sixth floor," Chad replied to the girl not really wanting her to know where he lived. She would probably try to break in and molest him in his sleep.

"I noticed this morning that you're taking calculus B class. Maybe you can tutor me in that class and I can repay you by showing you the things I do best." from her seductive tone she was definitely not talking about mathematics. 'God she was such a slut.' Chad thought to himself as she began to throw herself at him.

"I do not think my girlfriend would like that very much." Chad said to the girl that keeps throwing herself at him. He hoped very much that she did not know his girlfriend was 2000 miles away at a completely different school.

"I think your girlfriend who is all the way on the East Coast will not mind that much." Great she knew that his girlfriend was powerless to stop her advances. "Unless Taylor is not the girlfriend you're referring to." Penelope responded in a cool tone.

"I'm with someone else now." Okay, it was a complete lie, but maybe Penelope would buy it. After all the entire Residence Life department currently believes he was dating Sharpay Evans. As he watched Sharpay walk into the building, then the idea hit him. The Residence Life department already believed he was dating Sharpay, what harm would it do to make one more person believed the same thing.

"Actually there's my girlfriend now." Chad said as he pointed to Sharpay.

"You're dating Sharpay, the ice Queen of East High. A girls so frigid, that her own boyfriend came to me to warm him up." Chad seriously wanted to know what she meant by warming Zeke up. If it meant what Chad thought it meant, Zeke would be in too much pain to cook Thanksgiving dinner this year.

"Look Penelope I have to go change for basketball practice. Maybe I'll see you some other time." Personally Chad hope that time would never come.

"Why don't I walk you to your dorm room?"

"That's okay I'm going to see Sharpay first." Chad said hoping the mere mention of his fake girlfriend would scare the annoying girl away.

"I have a class on the other side of campus at two anyway." she said as she walked out the front door of the building.

Thank God she took the hint.

Every single muscle in his body felt like it was on fire as he walked out of the practice facilities. He was so used to be the big man on campus and now Chad was at the very bottom of the social ladder, as well as, the team. He was not the top player on the team anymore. Winning two back-to-back championships in high school no longer meant anything. Almost everybody on this team had won a state championship or two.

Practically the entire team was from out of state. Only he and one other player were from New Mexico. He was the new guy on a team where he knew nobody. But that wasn't quite true. Michael Ford formerly of West high was the captain of that squad when Chad was still on the JV squad during ninth-grade. For the first time in Chad's basketball career Troy would not be by his side and that thought scared him greatly.

He couldn't help but wonder if Sharpay was going through the same thing. This would be the first time in her life that she was without Ryan. Maybe because they are in the same boat, they were actually getting along right now. She was the only one he knew and the only person who knew her. As he spent more time with her. he was beginning to forget why he hated her in high school.

As he walked in the suite he noticed Sharpay sitting on the couch reading her chemistry book. She was wearing sweats and a T-shirt with her hair in a messy bun. He never saw her more beautiful before.

"I thought I would never see the site of Sharpay Evans studying . It is a chemistry textbook too.

"Shut up, I'm not stupid," she said as she closed the book in front of her.

"I know, you were my fellow closet brain with. I'm just shocked to see you doing it out in the open."

"High schools over and we don't have to be who everybody thought we were. We can be ourselves. I'm tired of playing the role of the ice Queen bitch. I seriously doubt you want to reprise your role as the understudy to the big Man on campus." Chad found her words shocking. However, he could hear the truth in them. Maybe he didn't have to be who he was in high school, a closeted brain that stayed in Troy's shadow. Maybe he could be himself. Is that not what college is all about?

20 minutes later he joined her on the couch with his calculus book. This year he would be himself.