Title: Someday is Today
Chapter: 1/?
Rating: T (just to be safe)
Disclaimer: It's not mine.
Author's Note: This is my first ever fanfiction ever. I've always been a reader and never a writer. I'm writing this chapter by chapter, whenever inspiration hits me, so sorry in advance for any delays. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.
When they meet it is a complete surprise. She is unusually ineloquent and he is calling out her order.
"Troy? What are you doing here? I mean working here? I mean…wow; it is so good to see you!" The coffee slips from her hand to the pick-up counter and for a moment she has the notion to try to hug him awkwardly. But there's a counter in the way and for another moment she's glad.
"Gabriella," he swallows that something (nervousness?) in his throat, "wow, you look great. Could we maybe talk more later, I'm, uh, kind of busy." Troy blushes when he sees his boss look at him pointedly. He indicates to the stacks of cups waiting for him to fill.
Gabriella looks at the cups dumbfounded for a moment, like she can't really comprehend what he's asking.
"Yeah, totally!" Gabriella fumbles with her purse taking out a pen and grabbing a napkin. She slips Troy her number and tells him to, "Call me. We really need to catch up!"
He sighs before hurrying to make all of those drinks.
Troy is unsettled at the sight of his former classmate. It has been three years and even though he has imagined at what meeting her again would be like, it never ever came close to this.
He runs a hand through his hair and frowns. This is not what he wanted the first impression of him to be. He wanted to be suave and handsome and not working at a stupid Starbucks.
Troy doesn't think he is ready to have her back in his life just yet.
Gabriella rushes home to tell Taylor the exciting news. She bursts into the tiny studio apartment with the groceries.
"Guess who I just ran into today?" She whirls around the kitchen putting things where they belonged. "Troy Bolton, can you believe it? Here I thought he went to U of A. Turns out he's right here in New York. Do you think he goes to college here? I mean, he has to, right? Because, I mean, he has to still be in school, I mean, we are." Gabriella twists around to see if her attentive audience is really attentive.
"Taylor?" She peers around. "Huh." Gabriella begins to laugh at herself. Taylor isn't even home. She settles into the couch and turns the TV on.
It is another couple of hours before Taylor even comes home, sighing about her homework. And then Gabriella begins her whirlwind speech again.
"Wow. I thought Troy went to University of Albuquerque too. I mean, that's what everyone was saying at graduation. And I distinctly remember him wearing a U of A sweatshirt at College Bonfire night. Well, whatever." Taylor flicks her hair back and they settle in to eat dinner.
"It kind of sucks that we didn't keep in touch with everybody, don't you think, Tay?" Gabriella twirls a pile of spaghetti. Taylor shrugs.
"I mean, it was bound to happen, wasn't it? I mean, at least half our class stayed in New Mexico, the rest went to California colleges, and then there was like ten of us who went to school on the East coast. The distance alone proved we wouldn't have had an easy time," Taylor sensibly points out.
"I know. But do you ever wonder what had happened if we had stayed?" Gabriella asks. Taylor sighs and puts down her fork, looking at her both patiently and impatiently, like a mother.
"Gabriella, I thought we agreed that going to Columbia was what was best for us. Besides, you and Troy weren't even-"
Gabriella cuts her off, "I know what Troy and I weren't even. But thanks for rehashing it for me, Tay."
"Omigod Gabriella, how many times do we have to go over this? You guys broke up, you said you were fine, Troy said he was fine; you guys were dating other people. You moved on and so did Troy." Taylor looks livid and Gabriella sighs, knowing that she shouldn't have said anything.
"I'm sorry Taylor. I didn't mean to -you know I'm -just, yeah. Let's not talk about it." Gabriella moves her hand over her face and Taylor sighs.
"I'm sorry for blowing up Gabs, I just -you know." Taylor smiles a tiny smile and Gabriella responds. "Now let's just watch some TV. Ugly Betty's coming on soon."
Tomorrow is Friday and Troy cannot be more ready. He trudges into his classes as late as possible, wishing the time would go faster.
"T, come on. Class is over." Someone is nudging him on the shoulder and using that god-awful nickname. Troy wakes to find drool on his desk and ink blots on his forehead.
"What?" He groggily croaks, "Dude, I haven't fallen asleep in class since the 10th grade."
His call-up-for-missing-assignments buddy Kevin (which really, is a moot point, because Kevin doesn't even know what the assignments were on a daily basis), laughs and says, "See you later, man."
Troy draws himself up and knows he is fucked as he sees the harsh white words on the chalkboard, 'Test on Tuesday!' He doesn't even know what chapter they just learned; the teacher likes to jump around.
"Hey, Cara," Troy calls out, leaping down the steps to catch her before she leaves. "Listen, I totally fell asleep during today's lecture. Wickmann was being such a bore. I was wondering if you could email today's notes to me?"
She's a pretty girl, entranced by a pretty boy, and she says, "Of course. No problem."
"Thanks. Thanks so much, you're the best." Troy glances at his watch. Fuck. He's going to be late for his shift. Troy packs up his laptop and stuffs everything into his bag and tears out of there.
As he runs, he can feel the basketball training engrained in him, and he's pleased to think that athleticism, like riding a bicycle, comes to him easily.
"I'm here, I'm here!" He calls throwing his apron over his head.
"Thank God," Judy, his boss, says, "We're totally packed." Troy looks at the noisy crowd, feeling a headache coming on. He sighs. This was how he was spending his Friday night.
Gabriella, on the other hand, was spending her Friday night in a distinctly different way.
"So, come on, it's time we treated ourselves. I mean we are two poor, broke lowly undergrads in New York City slaving over our degrees and whatnot. We need to loosen up a little bit!" Taylor prods her.
"And so why can't we, I don't know, have a fancy dinner or something?" Gabriella pleads. Taylor fixes her with a withering look.
"Like I said before, we're broke. How are we supposed to afford a fancy dinner, Gabs? Yeah, that's what I thought. Come on. I don't understand why you're so against this anyways." She stares at her with dawning realization.
"Seriously Gabby? Seriously?"
"No! It's not because of that. It's just…" Gabriella pauses when she can't think of any good reason besides that to not want to go. Well, none that wouldn't have made Taylor say, 'seriously.' "Never mind," she quickly says, smiling to assure her, "let's go."
"Fantastic," Taylor says, mock-upbeat. "Now go get dressed."
With a resigned sigh, Gabriella trots into her room like an obedient dog. This is how she is coerced into watching a Broadway musical.
The lights dim and Gabriella sighs, settling into the plush seats. They don't exactly have the best seats in the house, considering Taylor got the tickets on multiple discounts.
But as the stage brightens and the first chords of music begin Gabriella feels a tightening in her throat and an ache in her heart. Feelings that she got when she sang with Troy rush back to her, even though she's not singing and Troy's not here. But she needs to stops regretting the past. She gave this up. This was her decision.
The show ends too soon for Gabriella's liking and she wheedles with Taylor to stay a bit longer to talk to the actors. Taylor relents like she's doing a big favor for her, but secretly Taylor is glad that Gabriella is getting back to her roots.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Taylor apologizes. She was too busy giggling at Gabriella who was looking up at one of the cute boy actors with an adoring look. She had moved to get out of the way of someone who was trying to get out, and in doing so she had bumped into someone.
"That's fine," a voice mumbles, but Taylor recognizes the hat and the shiny shirt that matches perfectly and more importantly she remembers the voice; that voice took her to prom.
"Ryan?"
