I'm Just Dancing

Callback?

Chad POV

Sry u got detention hope bolton cut u some slack

I see the message on the way home but I don't respond, Bolton did not cut us any slack and I don't think I have the energy to even eat dinner, much less respond to a text.

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I wake up still sore. At least today has to be better because I know better than to speak to Darbus

I catch Troy in the hall between classes, "What's up, man?"

"What's up?" He seems antsy, I hope Coach didn't give him too much flack after we left.

"The team's hitting the gym during free period, What should we run?" He looks at me with wide eyes.

" Oh, I can't make it, I...gotta catch up on some homework," Ummm.

"What? Hello, it's only the second day back. I'm not even behind on homework yet, and I've

been behind on homework since preschool," I laugh but he doesn't, he looks around but not really at me.

"That's hilarious, I'll catch you later," he stops me with his arm, like a mom hitting the brakes too hard, and then runs away down the hall.

Homework? There's no way. I can't tell if I'm thinking in my head or out loud. I am honestly just confused. Where would he run too and why is more important than being there for his team?

I manage to track him for a couple of classrooms before giving up and heading to practice. If troy is going to flake on us the least I can do is step up to lead the team.

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So, yesterday didn't turn out how I expected. I am hopeful about today though. Walking through the doors I hear Sharpay screeching right away, finally a sign that things are back to normal.

"What's wrong?" I laugh then look at the board in front of me, "what?"

Callback for roles Arnold and Minnie next Thursday, 3:30 pm,

Ryan and Sharpay Evans,

Gabriella Montez and Troy Bolton

I glare at Ryan but I don't really mean to. It's just, he had to have known right? Known that Troy auditioned?

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This lunchroom is chaos. People are just blurting out their secrets. Stoners and mathletes keep coming up to the table trying to talk to me. All because Troy Man Of Tights decided to throw a wrench in the whole highschool dynamic. For what exactly, some girl? I knew he was a bit of a player but I never thought he'd throw his team and his future together to prance around on stage with a loser. Is this what he really wants, he wants the drama geeks to think they can talk to us?

I miss Gabriella dumping her chili cheese fries on Sharpay's chest. Normally just her scream would be funny enough to pull me out of my spiral but not right now. Right now I am seething.

"What's up?" Troy says so innocently like he is completely unaware he's done anything wrong

"What's up?" I almost spit the words at him, "Oh, let's see...You missed free-period workout to audition for a heinous musical and now suddenly people are confessing. Zeke, Zeke is baking... creme brulee." I yank Zeke's shirt and he still just seems so pleased about himself. I don't want to know the world's secrets and I'm especially tired of finding out my friends are different from who they seemed to be for the last three years.

"What's that?" What does he mean? Why does he care, what it is doesn't matter at all right now

"Oh," I'm gonna knock Troy on his ass, "custard" How could he pull off this right now? "caramelized surface," Who even is he right now "It's really satisfying."

"Shut up, Zeke!" I wanna slap his stupid fucking custard to the ground. "Look... do you see what's happening here, man? Our team is coming apart because of your singing thing," It's true if other cliques can intermingle with us then we aren't a cohesive unit anymore. Maybe we never were with all these secrets. "Suddenly people think that they can do other stuff, stuff that's not their stuff." I do realize how dumb I sound, but I am genuinely hurt. I've never hidden who I am from the team. I thought that's what friendship is. "You're thinking about show tunes when we've got a playoff game next week," Troy seems sad but I can't just stop being angry, I thought I knew what he cared about. I thought I knew him as well as I know myself.

If he doesn't actually care about basketball what else or who else does he also not really care about?