He was desperate. What you might ask was he desperate for? The only response he could have given you was, love. Everyone enjoys being liked. No one truly wants to be hated. Acceptance can be craved the same way chocolate and sex can be. None the less, it wasn't acceptance or adoration that he craved. I'd give anything for someone to simply love without restraint.
"Dude, Julie is totally eyeing you, again." Chad leaned back against the locker next to Troy's as he nodded to a few girls passing. As Troy busied himself with obtaining his morning books, he shook his head at Chad who was still busy admiring the young girls that had just passed them. Troy could still hear them giggling farther down the hallway.
"You're incorrigible, man," Troy chuckled.
Chad just looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "God, Troy, you know I hate it when you use those big words! You sound like my mom."
Troy continued his chuckled as he closed his locker and began the short journey to homeroom with his best friend right behind him. They both strolled into the room, now conversing about the basketball game last night. They easily slid into their desks. Troy sat on top of his turned backwards to face Chad who sat slouched in his seat.
Taylor and Gabriella walked into the room. Taylor had her customary hard look on her face as she tried yet again to drive home her point about the decathalon team practices to Gabriella. She turned when she heard Chad's sneer about them and their "team." She spun to look him in the eye, "Just because we use our brain does not mean that there is not (a) a team effort, and (b) a winner and a loser, jock-boy." She knocked Chad's basketball from beneath its usual place beneath his arm.
Chad glared at her. "Don't start with me, McKessie."
Taylor rolled her eyes, but stood up and walked away from him none the less.
Gabriella had stood to the side the whole time. Her eyes had met Troy's briefly in a silent apology for Taylor's reaction. Troy had just as quietly smiled his understanding that Gabriella couldn't control her best friend any better than he could control his best friend. Finally as Taylor had begun to pull Gabriella across the room to their usual seats, Troy had looked back over to Chad.
He was trying desperately to reign in his thoughts as they wildly spun to places he was sure Gabriella Montez would never let him, or any guy, go any time soon. He felt Ms. Darbus' wand before he heard her admonish him. "Mr. Bolton, perhaps you could pretend as though you had some positive socialization that had ingrained the proper way in which to sit in a seat."
Troy rolled his eyes and spun and dropped into his chair. "Sure, Ms. Darbus. I wouldn't want to disappoint you, now would I?"
"Certainly not." Ms. Darbus continued on up to her throne and proceeded to bore them all to near tears for the next forty minutes. Finally the bell rang and Troy bolted for the door without thinking. He had to get out of this room and just be anywhere else.
Before he could catch himself, he slammed into none other than Gabriella Montez. He felt his hands reflexively close around her to keep her from falling. But, he was a moment too late and they tumbled to the ground together. Troy rolled to the side of her. "Oh my God, I am so sorry. Gabriella? Are you alright?"
Most of the class laughed around them. Troy had even cracked a smile once she'd nodded that she was alright. Everyone else filed out except Chad. Troy and Chad collected up both Troy's and Gabriella's books. Chad shrugged as he handed the pile to Troy, "Gotta go or I'll be late. See ya."
Troy nodded and took the books, setting them on a nearby desk. He turned to help Gabriella up, "Sure, dude. See ya."
Troy extended his hands, "Can I help you up?"
Gabriella knew that she just had to be seven shades of red. "No." She shook her head as she tried to get up gracefully. Graceful just wasn't in the cards today. That was made readily evident by her landing once again on her butt. She grunted as she landed. "Ouch."
Troy smiled and leaned down over her ankle. He'd seen her foot twist and knew it had to be hurting her by now. He lightly ran his fingers over it. It was beginning to swell already. Still, even with her hurt, he had to take a deep breath to keep from focusing on how good her skin felt beneath his fingers. "I, uh—"
She ducked her head for a second to regain her composure. Other students were beginning to trickle in for Darbus' next class. Suddenly, Gabriella felt her body being grasped and lifted into the air. She squeaked out in surprise. She looked up and saw Troy smiling, "I'm taking you to the nurse's office. I promise."
Gabriella nodded, "What about our books?"
Troy chuckled, "A really hot guy just swept you off your feet, Montez. Forget about the books for a few minutes, will ya?"
She rolled her eyes, "Look, I know you're used to the cheerleaders fawning at your approach, much less your every word, but I care about my books. I care about what I can learn from them. Hell, I care about what they can't teach me, too. So, put me down and let me get my books. I'll make it to the nurse's station on my own. Besides, you're giving yourself a lot of credit if you think that I'd fall for that cockiness, Bolton."
Troy's smile widened. It was extremely rare that any girl didn't fawn in total adoration of him when he approached. Hell, it was almost impossible for him to talk to a member of the opposite sex in this town or any town nearby without being drooled over. He really got tired of it sometimes. Still, he figured Zac Efron had it considerably worse. That guy probably couldn't go anywhere. He shook his head as he realized she had sorted her books from his and was trying to hobble toward the door. He grabbed his stuff and spun to catch her as she began to lean too far. "Let me help you."
She sighed and glanced at him. "Yeah, okay. I guess. You did do this to me after all."
Troy laughed, "Did not. You did this to yourself. Why weren't you looking where you were going?"
She scoffed, "Like I would do this to myself, (a), and (b) I was looking until you charged for the door.""
He would've rubbed the back of his neck if he had a free hand. He had managed to wrap one arm securely around her body from the side. He had their books in the other hand. She was holding herself up against a wall. "Did I mention that I was sorry?"
She chuckled, "Yeah, Troy, you covered the apology already. It'll be fine. I just need an ice pack."
"Have you ever had a sprained ankle before?"
She laughed, "Several. Every time they make us run in gym class I'm bound to sprain something."
He laughed lightly. "Come to think of it, I remember my dad saying something about that."
She scoffed and mockingly said, "No say it isn't so! A gym teacher who discusses my complete lack of physical prowess?"
He chuckled to himself and pulled her tighter against his side. "You have plenty of physical prowess, Gabriella. You just lack the coordination to keep it upright."
She blushed, "Um, thanks. I think."
It was his turn to blush a little. He hated the heat he felt in his cheeks. "You're welcome."
She giggled. "I didn't think you'd know what prowess meant."
He glanced up at her eyes, "Yeah, well, I might be a jock, but I like to read too."
She flushed as their eyes stayed connected for a short moment. The bell rang for second period to begin just as they got to the nurse's station. He got her sat down. "I gotta go."
She nodded, but still looked away. She just knew that if she looked directly at his eyes that she'd turn seven shades of red and say something stupid.
Troy took that moment to rub the back of his neck. He wanted an excuse to stay with her. "Um, yeah. I hope its not too bad."
Gabriella shook her head, but refused to look up at him.
Troy rolled his eyes, "I really am sorry."
She nodded. Then as he moved away she felt the separation create an emptiness that she wished he'd return to fill.
"I'll see you around." He turned around and headed for the door. He glanced back once, but she was still looking toward the wall. He sighed and headed for his next class.
Gabriella sat waiting for the nurse to turn up. God, Gabriella. He would never be able to take you as you are. Just let this feeling go away.