Recap

"You make it sound so normal," Chad commented making both Troy and Marcus chuckle.

Looking at Troy, Marcus noticed a slight change in his demeanour. He had strong doubts anyone else noticed. To everyone else Troy laughed it off like it was no big deal, but after spending years in the limelight of the press he had learned how to fake different emotions without anyone noticing

Well everyone except his family and Marcus.

Saturday
March 22nd

"To be honest I'm concerned Troy," Marcus confessed solemnly looking at his brother, who were sitting sideways in the armchair.

Since the two boys had gotten home, the afternoon had turned to late night and neither of them had made an attempt to move.

"'bout what?" Troy wondered, cocking his head to the side.

"You."

"Me?" Troy questioned shifting in his seat. "I am fine," he defended swinging his feet to the floor, sitting straight.

"Are you really?" Marcus doubtfully questioned, studying him. "I know you Troy, I am your brother, and I think the situation with Gabriella is affecting you more than you let on…"

"She survived didn't she?"

"Come on Troy," Marcus raised a brow as Troy sighed. "You get so quiet whenever it's mentioned."

"It was a shock when she called me…" he confessed looking at Marcus. "I didn't know what was wrong, but I knew something had happened. I think was what scared me the most was when she hung up on me and I couldn't reach her…"

"Have you ever told anyone what exactly happened?"

"I told mom. I called her when I was at the hospital and she came. I haven't even told Gabriella this, but mom feared I might be evolving some sort of depression. She was a little reluctant to leave but I convinced her I would be fine."

"Shit, I'm sorry to hear that… How are you now?" Marcus questioned concerned studying Troy as if trying to find a breaking point.

"I guess I'm all right now. I think it will take some time for it to finally sink in and I don't know when that will happen…"

"When it happens call me all right? I want to know you're all right. I care to much about you Troy," Marcus told him sincerely. Gone were the goofy side who always got him into trouble. This was the Marcus Troy treasured to have as a friend.

"Thanks, and I will," he vowed giving him a small smile. "I'm glad I meet you all those years ago and I'm glad I can call you my brother."

Tuesday 25th
Troy's POV

The sun had barely risen as my alarm beeped early in the morning. Marcus had left just before noon on Sunday for his flight back to Etrea. Our conversation was still fresh in my mind and as the time had passed I had come to realize just how much it was needed.

Throwing on the clothes I had found last night I made myself a quick breakfast. Looking at the coffee table in the living room, I found my Japanese book that I decided to bring with me to, hopefully, do some studying. Pushing it into my backpack I walked out the door and towards school.

"Hey hoops good holiday?" Chad greeted me as I opened my locker.

"It was, although I spent most of it with you and Marcus," I told him as he smiled. "Riiight, the party and the basketball."

"Anyways," he said shaking his head as his afro went everywhere, "keep clear of Taylor. Stumbled upon her this morning and she's on a warpath," he informed as he got this look in his eyes. "See ya hoops," he hurried, and spun around disappearing down the hallway.

"What?" I questioned turning towards my left seeing Taylor heading my way. "Oh," I realized as she had a thick stack of folders in her arm.

"Troy I'm glad I caught you," she said as I closed my locker.

"Taylor had a good holiday?" I questioned not really sensing what Chad were talking about…

"Very but I have some information I need to distribute to our class," she said shifting through her stack of papers. "Here," she said giving me several different copies.

"Remember, the yearbook has a meeting this week where we need all the seniors. Drama rehearsals today during free period and study groups are meeting at the library Thursday during free period and Friday after school at the library."

Never mind, I should have listened to him…

Wait.

Did I just say that?

"Taylor what is all of this?" I questioned rather confused trying to make sense in all the different information and schedules. "Honestly Troy?" she questioned disappointment evident in her voice. "Carefully planned study schedules for our class, with integrated meeting times for the yearbook and class meetings," she told me raising her eyebrow.

"Tay first of all when did we start having class meetings? Secondly I can't on Thursday, we have basketball practice. We have the championship match in a couple of weeks," I argued with her as she scoffed.

"Honestly, finals Troy! We have finals in less than six weeks!"

"It's cool Tay. It will sort itself out. We still got plenty of time to revise all right?"

"All right suit yourself," she shrugged before brushing past me down the hallway disappearing.

"What just happened?" I questioned myself as I watched Taylor walking away. Shaking my head, I continued down the same hallway towards my first class of the day.

Walking inside our English classroom I saw Gabriella seated at her usual desk, beside me. "Good morning," she greeted me with a cheerful smile.

"Morning Brie. Have you happened to run into Taylor this morning?" I questioned her as she gave a small laugh showing me the same papers I had received.

"I have, and I agree with her that finals are important, but I think she might be stressing herself out."

"Are you going to the study groups she set up?"

"Yes. I think I will benefit from it so I'll be there. You should come too Troy," she tried to encourage me as I felt a little hesitant.

"I don't know… I might try to make it to a couple of them, but I can't make any promises now. I need to focus on basketball and the team for a bit now before I tackle Japanese and then finals."

"That's all right. Maybe we could meet up an study together at some point? Work on Spanish perhaps?"

"I would love to."

English passed by rather uneventfully and I found myself staring at the clock…

Five minutes until lunch.

The teacher was at the board talking but I had a hard time concentrating. Looking down at the notes I had absentmindedly taken through the lecture, I couldn't exactly make much sense of them at the moment… As the bell finally rung I let out a sigh before closing my notebook placing it into my backpack.

"Everything all right?" Gabriella wondered as she stood beside my desk.

"Yeah I guess…" I told her standing up. "You sure? You don't sound so convinced."

"I've just been thinking a lot lately. About college and such," I told her as she gave me a soft smile.

"All right…" Gabriella told me not sounding convinced at all.

She knows me all too well.

"It's coming up real soon isn't it? Ivy day is two days away," she continued as I frowned looking at her.

"Ivy day, what's that?"

"Right," she said surprised as if I had caught her off guard. "Ivy day is when the so called Ivy league schools offer their first admissions. The Ivy schools is considered as some of the most prestigious schools on the east coast to be accepted to."

Walking inside the crowded cafeteria, we were hit with the noise of people talking loudly with one another.

"I know you have applied to several different schools across the country but have you applied to any Ivy schools?" I questioned her as we each took a tray waiting in line.

"I haven't told anyone, and I didn't plan to, but yes I have. I applied for Harvard law school. I haven't even told mom about it," she disclosed picking out her lunch. "The reason why is I don't think I'll be accepted. I have a feeling the same goes for Stanford and Etrea. They are some of my more ambitious choices," she continued and I genuinely felt bad for her.

"Don't say that Brie. There is nothing wrong with reaching for the stars and having dreams you want to achieve. You're smart, talented, funny, beautiful and you can do anything you set your mind to," I told her as we spotted our friends at our 'usual' table.

"Thank you Troy, but I don't know. I guess I'll get my answer soon."

"So you were right earlier. Marcus said some things about college that made me think quite a lot," I revealed to her as I saw her frowning. "I have been living here for almost eight months and so much have happened. Graduation is in two months. High school is almost over and we would all be moving pursuing our own dreams for the future. Except that I don't know what my dream is. I don't even know if I'll be able to find it," I told her a little sadly as we sat down at the table.

"Is it because of the whole taking over the country isn't it?" Gabriella wondered as I nodded and Chad looked at us curiously.

"Hoops," he called out practically bouncing in his seat, "you ready for Thursday?"

"Yeah I'm ready. Did coach say anything about further practices?" I questioned as I knew Chad had talked to him today.

"He did," Chad confirmed taking a bit of his sandwich. "Every Thursday we're focusing on endurance," he started swallowing his food as Taylor muttered, "Gross." before Chad continued speaking, "and then starting next Tuesday we're focusing on actual gameplay and tactics. He also said he expected us to hold our own practices outside of this. I was thinking Friday since we're all finished by three as far as I can tell."

"What Chad! Have you forgotten about the schedule already?" Taylor snapped looking at him. "We have study groups every Friday," she told him as an argument seemed to be brewing.

"Ouch," Gabriella muttered turning her attention towards her food.

"Don't you know what major you want to pursue Troy?" Zeke wondered turning away from the arguing couple.

"Well… it's a little more complicated," I muttered taking a bite out of my food. "You see everyone have certain expectations from me. Not just my family, but the advisors working for my grandfather and the public of Etrea. They want to know how I'll one-day rule the country and therefore, everyone expect me to major in something related to international trade, politics and law."

"You don't sound thrilled about the idea," Zeke commented as Troy smiled. "No I don't, and I am not either. Growing up I hated learning about politics, law and Etrean history as well as world history. But everyone told me I had to..., that it was important for my future. It turned out to be true, but they are still my least favourite subjects,"

"So if you weren't taking over the kingdom and you had a regular job. What would you want to do?" Zeke questioned intrigued.

"Good question," I said as I thought about it, realizing how little I had thought about it. "To be honest I have no clue. Growing up I always had the mentality that I were going to take over the throne, and sort of wouldn't allow myself to think about that because I knew it would never happen."

"That's sad," Zeke stated looking at me as I shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess but on the other hand I've had other opportunities. I have been able to travel around the world with my family while attending school and whenever I have been alone I have gotten multiple sets of parents so it wasn't as bad as it sounds like," I assured him smiling.

Marcus's parents had without hesitation accepted me as a part of their family early on. His mom Alicia had made it clear that I was always welcomed there no matter the reason. As they moved one of the last things she told me was that the door would still be open if I needed.

Maggie were also a close person as I grew up. Or rather aunt Maggie as everyone had dubbed her back home. She always looks out for everyone and right now I couldn't imagine a life back home without her.

Also in some strange way I didn't see Ted as just my bodyguard. As I saw him mostly as a friend for the first couple of years I got to know him, he almost became an older brother or uncle at times. The fact that I spent quite a bit of time with his kids didn't change my impression of him.

"Hoops!" I heard Chad call out as I noticed someone were tapping my arm. "Hmm?" I questioned looking at Gabriella who were pointing back at Chad.

"Finally! I need your help planning our next practice. We need to have it this Friday and we'll see when we schedule it afterwards."

"Wait Chad, you said you had practice on Tuesdays?" Gabriella wondered as something seemed to have dawned on her. "Yes, free period."

"Oh no," I realized as I looked between the two of them.

"Chad, Darbus have already scheduled drama rehearsals every, Tuesday free period until the show. We can't be two places at once."

"That's not good. I guess I have to talk to coach. Hoops want to join me after free period?"

"Sure," I agreed as we heard the warning bell. We all hurried to pack up our stuff, and I grabbed what was left of my lunch before we hurried towards drama.

Walking inside the double doors to the auditorium in the nick of time, Darbus were already on the stage waiting.

"There you all are! Come on now, hurry up, we have a show to set up!" she said as she saw us, before she walked across the stage. "Today we are moving on to the grand event in act two. Senior prom," she announced to everyone as we walked onto the stage. "Kelsi and Ryan are leading this number so chop, chop," she called out to everyone before she walked off the stage, taking a seat on one of the many red chairs.

"Gather round the piano everyone!" Ryan called out as we all walked over towards the instrument Kelsi were seated at.

"This scene we're starting with Chad asking Taylor out for prom in some sort of grand gesture to get her attention," Kelsi started giving us all some context, "such as what he have to do real life," Zeke muttered as the guys laughed.

He did, after all, have a fair point.

"Where do you think we got the inspiration?" Ryan questioned smugly as Kelsi gave a bright smile.

"Anyways…" she interrupted, "after that, this song is planned out to tell the story on how we prepare for prom, and how prom goes down. Now we are well aware that some of you have never been to prom," Kelsi assured them all as a gasp were heard from Sharpay, who had been sitting on top of the piano for quite some time.

"How depressing," she called out looking at everyone, a small frown on her face. "But don't fear. Cuz we're all in this together. Kelsi," Ryan called out before she started playing the song and Ryan handed out copies of the song.

It felt like we had been going on for hours, but in reality the bell had just rung signalizing the end of the lesson.

Thank god!

In contrast to the previous routines we had learned this was without doubt the hardest one. On the flip side Kelsi and Rayan were doing an amazing job on the show and I were impressed about their ideas, but I started wondering if their project might have become a bit too ambitious for our level.

Remembering my commitment to Chad I said bye to Brie as she stayed back chatting with Taylor and Kelsi, before heading towards the gym.

"Coach could we talk?" Chad wondered as he knocked on the door.

"By all means boys. I'm surprised you weren't in the gym just now. So what's up?" he wondered as I looked at Chad.

"Well you see that's what we came to talk about. Mrs. D have already scheduled drama rehearsals during free period on Tuesdays so we can't make it to practice," Chad said as the coach nodded.

"All right," he started nodding looking at something on his desk. "We need all the extra training we could get, so do you happen to know sometime where the team is free?" Coach questioned us as I looked at Chad.

"I guess during AP lessons. I am not completely sure thought," I told coach as Chad were shrugging his shoulders.

"I'll talk to the team during next practice but that could become an option. So what plans do you have for practice? Did Danforth tell you?" coach questioned me as I nodded.

"He did," I confirmed nodding, "but we haven't had the time to make a schedule just yet. We're working on that today so we'll be ready," I told him as he got a wide grin on his face.

"Wonderful boys I can't wait to see."

Writing up the practice schedule me and Chad had talked about I started realizing how intense everything was becoming. Chad and I were going to lead practices after school on Monday, Thursday and Fridays while our coach would lead the practices after school on Tuesdays and free period Thursday. The only real day off would be Wednesday, but that was the day where most seniors had PE.

Letting out a sigh I knew this were not the last time we were going to have to modify this schedule.

Thank you so much for your kind words after my authors note. At the time my life has become more hectic than I anticipated this summer but I have managed to type up this chapter, done a rough edit and planned a couple of chapters in advance. All while writing two quite large research papers in Religion and Norwegian.

Can't thank you all enough for sticking with me, you're all hugely appreciated!

-FreeFlyinWriter