Author's Note: Well, I decided to try something new, I guess. This is just the prologue, it's rather short, so I'm really sorry about that. It will get better—the next chapter will have something about Ryan. So just review, please, and I hope you enjoy it.

prologue.

Troy Bolton was sort of blind.

No, not completely.

He could see the basketball coming at him from wherever he was on the court. He could see the constant love and admiration from the students at East High. He could see the compassion in his girlfriend Gabriella's eyes as she practiced with him for each incoming musical East High performed. He could see the pride in his father's eyes. He could see the loyalty in his friends—the basketball team. He could see that his life was pretty much perfect, he was on top of the world—the God of East High.

Yet Troy Bolton was blind.

He walked oblivious to all the problems that surrounded him. He didn't see what life was when he wasn't there, even though it was right in front of him all along. He didn't see the hate that broiled and lashed out at those who were different. Sometimes there were signs, but Troy didn't see them.

He didn't look anywhere else but besides what was coming at him. Everything was coming to help him: the team, the support, even the musical—they had all come to help him. He didn't realize how blessed he was; he took it all for granted. In that way Troy Bolton was naïve.

He didn't see anything that didn't directly help him so Troy Bolton was blind.

But then, during his senior year, Troy Bolton began to see things: that the world wasn't so kind to everybody—that life wasn't so perfect after all. And then, when that happened, Troy Bolton saw the world through changed eyes, and he didn't like it.

Author's Note: It wasn't that bad, was it? It was a prologue, so it had to be short—the next chapter will be longer, I promise, and you'll get an inside look at Ryan Evans and what "accident" has really happened. Review please.

-Falling With Grace