Back to the Dream Page
It is lunchtime again on Monday, a Red Day, so the gang is all back at their usual table, eating together and enjoying the company. Well most of the gang anyway as Troy and Chad are missing, as well as Taylor and Gabriella.
"Anyone find it odd that the four of them are not here?" Kelsi asks, somewhat worried about them.
"Naw, maybe they are making up?" Jason suggests, trying to soothe his girlfriend's fears for their friends.
Sharpay shakes her head. "No way Jason, not after their talk during the rehearsal on Friday. The air around them was full of tension for the rest of the night but on Saturday when we were finishing the props, they seemed to have put it aside to just be friends," Sharpay reveals, leaning her head on Zeke's shoulder so he would give her a piece of his brownie he made last night.
"That's true," Kelsi agrees. "They seem to have chalked everything up to being just friends."
"Is Gabriella still going out with Hunter then?" Martha asks, feeling way out of the loop. "I thought maybe with his departure for the movie that they were over, but I guess they are doing a long distance thing maybe?"
Ryan shrugs his shoulders. "Who really knows but them? Well them and the tabloids," he answers. "There was another tabloid article circulating in my accounting class that was talking about Hunter and Gabriella, speculating on how much longer it would last. It kind of made me pity the two."
"What do you mean?" Zeke asks, surprised by the last part of Ryan's comment.
"I mean, the picture was clearly taken from when they were at the Montez household at some point, proving that Hunter and Gabriella are constantly watched by the press and paparazzi. Could you imagine trying to have a relationship with someone and having pictures being taken each step of the way? I would hate to be in that position," Ryan says, reminding everyone of the one factor no one talked about. "It's easy for us to watch Gabriella's love life and comment on the obvious good and bad, but I don't think any of us really thought about how she must feel being under a microscope not only by her peers here at East High but by the world of Hunter Smith fans."
"Whoa, way deep there Ryan," Sharpay replies. "Very true as well."
"Still want to be an acting queen?" Zeke asks.
Sharpay gives him a shocked look. "Of course! I crave attention, remember?"
The gang laughs at Sharpay who pouts, making Zeke laugh even harder. "Here, have the rest of the brownie," he offers, passing her the other half he brought to school.
Sharpay smiles brightly at him. "I knew there was a reason why I dated you!" she exclaims, taking a big bite into the brownie.
The rest of the group shakes their heads at the cuteness of the two, a few still wondering the whereabouts of the missing members.
"Gabriella, we can't hide here in the library forever," Taylor says, trying to reason with her best friend. "You're going to have to face Troy here at school under normal circumstances eventually. I thought you said this weekend behaving as just friends went well."
"It did," Gabriella answers, rereading the same page of her Calculus book for the eleventh time. "It's just, it was so tough Taylor, to see him and knowing what I do and not being able to act on these feelings. Argh!"
Taylor wraps a comforting arm around her. "All right, now you are adopting Troy's scream of frustration. Not to be one to restrain you, but I think we better keep it quiet or we'll get kicked out from the look of the librarian," Taylor whispers.
"I just, I don't know what else to do here Taylor. I mean, he actually gave me the avenue in which to use to get things back to the way they used to be, and I blew it," Gabriella whispers back, frustrated with herself.
"If that's true, then why didn't you take it if that's what you really wanted? What about Hunter?" Taylor asks.
"Exactly," Gabriella responds. "Hunter and my commitment to him."
Taylor stares at her friend for a moment before saying, "Then I don't understand. I thought you wanted to be with Troy again?"
"I hate to be repetitive but exactly, that's my point. I'm confused Taylor, between my love for Troy and the commitment I made to Hunter. I'd normally choose Troy within a heartbeat but I can't bring myself to hurt Hunter. He's been so wonderful Taylor, being there for me whenever I needed him. That would be my worst betrayal," Gabriella answers, looking over at Taylor, who can only nod her head. "Guess now you know why I'm such a confused mess."
"I do but you do still have to work with Troy on the musicale until you perform this weekend. Best get your 'only friends' attitude back in place, otherwise you'll be absolutely miserable for the rest of the week!" Taylor responds.
Gabriella agrees and says, "I know, but I just couldn't tackle all the kids out there staring at us again. I guess I never really have gotten used to the whispers and stares."
Taylor laughs. "That describes normal high school days. What you have been going through in the last few weeks? That is better described as prime time reality television material! I think it would be called 'I'm dating a Hollywood star, so what?'," Taylor teases, glad to see Gabriella giggling with her.
"Oh, I can see the major ratings soar with each nasty confrontation with Jasmine," Gabriella contributes, laughing with Taylor. "Thanks Taylor for being here, once again for me. Seriously, I think I would have begged my mom for another transfer if it wasn't for you."
Taylor smiles at her friend, happy to see her genuinely smiling and goofy again. "Naw, if I wasn't here, you'd be best friends with Sharpay, I'm sure. You know, all your dramatic tendencies and all."
"Hey!" Gabriella protests. Taylor laughs at her and links her arm through Gabriella's.
"Come on silly, let's get out to the cafeteria so we can eat and enjoy what's left of lunch!" Taylor exclaims as the two make their way out of the library to join their friends in the cafeteria.
"Troy, buddy, as much as I am starting to really appreciate the beauty up here with all the plants, we can't keep hiding up here from the gang, or even one girl in particular. I thought you told me that being friends with Gabriella was coming easy," Chad says, walking back over to his best friend. "What gives?"
Troy lets out a sigh and pulls up his legs onto the bench and leans his head on his knees. "Being friends with Gabriella has been great since Friday, we get along just like we used to but that's not what I'll be satisfied with I've realized. I want my Gabriella back including her devotion and love," Troy confesses. "I try to just take what I can get, friendship, which she freely offers, but it's just so hard to not reach out and brush her hair back or to lean down and kiss her when she is standing right here."
Chad suddenly gets the whole picture. "I understand Troy but…" he starts before Troy interrupts him.
"No, you honestly don't, no offense," Troy says. "Until you have done what I have, sending your girlfriend, the love of your life, off into the arms of another guy, will you even begin to fathom the pain of realizing that was a mistake. I'm a hypocrite. I tell her a few weeks ago to go after Hunter, see what's there, and now that it's been a while and I want things the way they used to be, I expect her to come back and make my life better after everything I said. That's not exactly up and up."
"Well you do have a good point," Chad says. "And I understand you must be in total torture right now but Troy, things happen, life happens, all the time."
"Meaning?" Troy asks, turning his head in the direction of his friend.
"Hang in there, be there as her friend, and maybe, when the time is better, Gabriella will be your girl once again. Ploys and schemes to win her back aren't going to work. Sadly, all you can truly do right now is just wait it out and wait for the right moment. But in the meantime, just be the genuine Troy Bolton she fell for last year and it'll happen man," Chad explains. "You never know, all this 'acting in love' with you may help in the end."
"I don't know about Gabriella, but I am sure not acting," Troy mutters, making Chad smile. Troy notices and raises an eyebrow. "What?"
"Even broken up with her, Gabriella STILL has you whipped!" Chad exclaims, laughing as Troy attempts to throw a balled up piece of paper at him but misses as Chad dodges. "Nice try there Captain but man, may I say, your throw and aim with a paper ball is way worse than your basketball throw. Maybe just slightly worse than your golf swing? Seriously, I don't know why they keep you on that team!"
"Hey, I'm not that bad, I'm pretty good at both basketball and golf!" Troy defends. "Don't you start on me Danforth! Don't forget who got noticed while at Lava Springs this summer for his golf swing and basketball skills."
"Oh, you did not go there! Need I remind you how much you had to lose before we were able to get the real Troy Bolton grounded? See, I would never do that with all that attention," Chad retorts.
"Cause it's never going to happen!" Troy teases. "Of course you know I didn't mean any of that, just had to get you back is all."
Chad laughs. "I know man, don't worry. I think we're at the point where we can laugh about this summer, well, for the most part."
"Phew, that's good to know," Troy responds. "I guess we better head down there so I don't deprive you totally of time with your girlfriend."
"Mmm, Taylor. Now there's a real hottie to keep you awake at school," Chad thinks out loud.
Troy lets out a huge laugh. "And you call me WHIPPED! You better look in a mirror Danforth, I think cupid is coming after you this year!"
Chad glares at Troy and marches down the stairs before him, trying his best to ignore Troy's laughter all the way to the cafeteria.
"Hey guys," Gabriella greets, all smiles, as she sits down next to Kelsi with Taylor sitting next to her. "Had to get some research done and all."
"Right," Sharpay responds, not buying it for a second. "Spill it Gabriella."
"What are you talking about Sharpay?" Gabriella asks innocently. "Weren't we studying Taylor?"
"Of course we were. What else would we be doing Sharpay?" Taylor asks Sharpay, grinning as she turns the table on their new friend.
"Well, I have a few theories. Making out with your boys, plotting against Jasmine, rehearsing for the musicale, or there's the usual getting abducted by aliens theory," Sharpay supplies.
Gabriella laughs. "No, none of those were right, sorry Sharpay. Thanks for playing!"
Sharpay lets out a frustrated sound but smiles at Zeke as he passes her a sugar cookie.
"Seriously man, I think you put love drugs or something in those," Chad jokes as he and Troy reach the table and take seats. "Sharpay seems so much calmer once she has those. What's the secret ingredient man?"
"I'm never telling," Zeke answers with a grin. "That would be like giving away the end of a wonderful dramatic movie. Spoils everything!"
"Umm, sure," Troy answers, looking over at Gabriella who is laughing with everyone else. "Speaking of dramatics, is it true? Do we really have rehearsals for six hours all week?"
"Yup, don't you remember last time? Oh, that's right, you weren't in the spring musicale with Ryan and me," Sharpay says, laughing wickedly at Troy's devastated look. "Upset you missed the spring one?"
"No, upset that I have to spend six hours with you!" Troy teases, causing another round of laughs.
"Hmph!" Sharpay replies, not dropping her pout even after Zeke wraps his left arm around her.
"Seriously, six hours just seems extreme to me but I guess that's theater right?" Troy says.
Gabriella smiles at him. "We'll work on making it as painless as possible, even if that means we lock the Drama Diva up," she assures him, not able to resist taking her own stab at Sharpay.
"Hey, no ganging up on me!" Sharpay whines, stamping her foot under the table and inadvertently stamping Zeke's foot.
"Oww!" he yells, pulling his leg out from under the table and rubbing his foot. "Man, did you really have to hurt me in the process?"
Sharpay frowns down at his foot he's rubbing. "Sorry Zeke, totally didn't mean to. Casualty in war and all," Sharpay says.
"See, as much as you think Sharpay changes, she never really does," Chad throws in, getting a high five from Ryan before they all resume eating their lunches.