A/N: hsm? not mine.
Break the Silence
You could sense the excitement from three miles back. Everyone was ecstatic for this weekend's events, with a big Championship game, and Senior Prom all rolled into the same weekend, things couldn't get better. The group of girls she walked with slowly approached him and his friends, most of them being enemies, the only exception being him.
"How was your weekend, Montez? Oh, mine you ask? It was fantastic. Naked girls everywhere; touching me in places you probably don't even know exist." a curly-haired boy stated, looking at the brunette standing before him. His tone was filled with sarcastic ooze, having boastfulness enough to share such private information, but she only scoffed at his words. Taking a slow two steps closer to his already tense body, she flung a few locks of hair over her shoulder, and then prodded his sturdy chest with her index finger.
A blonde, standing only a few feet behind the brunette, laughed maliciously. Her high-pitched heckle shot fear through the population gathered around four particular students – herself included.
"It's cute how you think you're some kind of sex God." the brunette stated simply, staring directly into his brown hazed-over eyes. "But for a virgin, you're really nothing great." Her smirk was cynical and she should see the shock rising in his eyes. His mouth fell to the floor, tapping the tiles with the stubbing hairs growing on his chin.
The boy standing next to him shook his head, almost disapprovingly. Guilt shown in his blue eyes as the forsaken V-word left her perfectly shaped lips.
"Let's go, Shar." she said, directing her attention to the bitter blonde beside her. Sharpay nodded, turning sharply on her heel.
She wasn't about to wait for a reply, but instead held her head high, with shoulders back, turning around, and sparingly headed towards her locker. With fifteen minutes until homeroom, she wasn't about to exchange witty-banter with a meatheaded basketball goon. A complete and total waste of valuable time, she decided, clutching her over-sized striped leather bag.
Her words took minutes to sink in, never once believing she would find out such confidential information. He had only shared the privileged knowledge with his closest and most definitely bestest friend.
And then, he found his voice to respond, "You mother—" a hand clasped over his darkened lips, and his eyes followed the hand to its owner.
"Don't bother, Chad, it'll only make shit worse." the boy said, persuading his friend to calm.
"You might be right, Troy, but Gabriella Montez is a bitch."
"A bitch to you, man." he answered, pushing his brown hair out of his face. "Everyone else loves her." The way he said 'love' made Chad's mind double-over.
Nothing else was said as the group, which had surrounded them to see another infamous Chadella battle, disassembled.
Slow down, the world isn't watching us break down
It's safe to say we are alone now, we're alone now
Not a whisper, the only noise is the receiver
The lunch bell had rung nearly ten minutes ago, yet she refrained from attending the anticipated class, and instead took this time to organize her locker. She wasn't hungry, so why waste another chunk of valuable time?
Approaching the row of tan-colored metal frames that held her locker, she passed classroom B202, where the door swung open – nearly smashing her face in. A hand soon reached out, pulling her in by the arm.
A soft wail left her parted lips, though she was not the least bit afraid. It was an everyday occurrence for her.
"Troy Bolton," she scolded, "you nearly ripped my arm out!"
"After that shit you pulled today, Elle, it's only half of what you should be getting." The words, by any other person, would have seemed threatening, but the way his voice was soft and almost loving sent mixed messages. The dark-haired demigod standing below him nodded, showing no sign of guilt.
"I know," she said, quietly, approaching a student's desk. Troy locked the classroom door, then followed soon behind her. "It just slipped out. It was the heat of the moment, I guess."
He stood in front of her, watching intrigued. She wasn't facing him, but merely resting her head in the palm of her bended hand, staring blankly at the chalkboard. Something was bothering her, and the way he saw it, that something had nothing to do with a certain Chad Danforth.
"It doesn't matter, Gabriella." She looked up at him, finally, with twinkling dark-brown eyes. "It was my fault for telling you Chad hasn't had sex in the first place. I should stop putting you in a position like that; you don't deserve it – especially when you get stuck in situations like that with him everyday." He wanted to change the subject, off of the matter-at-hand and onto what was badgering her.
I'm counting the seconds until you break the silence
So please just break the silence
Her eyes cast over and she had a sudden change in judgment. She stood up, getting closer to him with the movement. His warm breath blew the hair around her face and she seemed to stand taller.
"What's up?" he asked, realizing she would need persuasion in whatever it was she had been alluding to. "I know there's something wrong, just tell me what it is." He reached out for her body, cloaking her in his open arms.
It took her a minute before she gathered the confidence to tell him the truth. It was a bold step but she knew it was important.
"I'm sick of hiding…" She didn't know what to call their deep 'friendship'. "This." She sighed, walking away from his strong statue. "I know we both decided that if we were to keep this—this relationship going, it was best that we hide what we have. And at the time, with me and Chad's antics, and you and Sharpay's pranks, it sounded like a good idea. My friends didn't like you, and I think it's clear Chad doesn't exactly have a warm spot for me. But now… now I'm tired of walking past you in the hallway – pretending like I don't know you."
"Ga—" he tried to cut in, but she put her hand up.
"No, 'Gabriella.'" She dragged out her name, making it sound antagonizing. "I want to be able to see you in the halls, walk up to you, and kiss you like I do when no one is watching. I wanna sit with you at lunch, I want to drive home with you, without having to wait for everyone else to leave. I want to go to prom with you and dance with you in front of all our friends. I want a real relationship, Troy, and I-I just don't think… I just don't think I'm going to find that with you."
Realizing what she was implying, he approached her, completely speechless. His hand rose up, grazing over her arm as it slowly reached her wrist, intertwining his fingers with hers. She looked down with no emotion, staring at his gesture.
"I told Taylor and Kelsi – Hell, I even told Sharpay – about us, and they're supportive. They like the idea. They… they think I'm good for you. No mean comments, no double-crossing, they hands-down-honest-to-God approve." she said, making every word stick to him like Krazy Glue.
A silence overcame them and he shook his head.
"What are you saying?"
The whispers turn to shouting
The shouting turns to tears
Your tears turn into laughter
And it takes away our fears
"God dammit, Troy, you know exactly what I'm saying." He knew, they both knew he knew what she was talking about, but yet he stood still, not opening his mouth. "I'm saying if you can't tell Chad and the rest of your friends the truth, then we're over. I'm not going to live in hiding like I'm breaking the law for loving you."
"Loving me?" he asked, holding back his shock.
"Yeah, loving you." She gasped – this wasn't exactly what she had planned on saying. "I love you, Troy." The words seemed to be repeating themselves in his mind, as in hers, like it was only a dream.
"Gabriella – but if I tell Chad," he stopped, letting the worst thoughts consume him. Shaking his head, he continued, "Chad – he's so not-accepting. And if there's two things in this world he dislikes the most, its change and well… you. An announcement like this could," Her eyes seemed so big and sad; he could see the heartbreak welling up inside of her. "It could end our friendship."
She stepped back, obviously affected by his words.
"Then he obviously isn't such a good friend, is he?" Troy said nothing, but then again, what could he say? "I guess this is it, then. I'll… well I'll see you around."
She turned, leaving him standing dumbfounded, as she walked out of the room – symbolically walking out of his life.
So you see, this world doesn't matter to me
I'll give up all I had just to breathe
For the rest of the week, banners were hung, children were born, ceremonies held, and preparations for the game went on. Life, itself, went on, much to Gabriella's dismay.
With the wisdom that she would never be with Troy again resting on her shoulders, she saw little reason to continue on. Both she and Troy seemed to wander East High like lost souls, in search of something missing. Neither said much, having only enough energy to push through the day.
Gabriella's friends, having been accepting and embracing of the scandalous relationship, were now thriving on making every moment of Troy Bolton's life Hell. And Chad wasn't much of an exception. Fake journal entries from the "Diary of Chad Danforth" were spread around school, cars were filled with silly-string and toilet paper, and rumors involving a certain blue-eyed stud having a drunken one-night-stand in Tijuana with an equally attractive dark-skinned afro-bearing boy flooded the ears of the entire student body.
East High was in complete pandemonium, the only end being a mutual ceasefire on both sides. However, with their secret weapons both indispose with heartbreak, the dismantlement of one Troy Bolton, and his cohort Chad Danforth, seemed to be main-priority.
By Friday, things had only gotten worse as the offensive side retaliated. Lunches were then stuffed with worms, while privileged information surrounding a certain blonde's brother being allegedly gay and a supposed sex tape scandal were both released to run rabid in the school's halls.
Later that night, while trying to lift the spirits of their seemingly doomed friend and get ready for the big game, one Sharpay Evans excused herself from the room. She crept into the hall, flipping open her rhinestone incrusted phone to dial a number not even in her contact list.
"Hey, Asshole, it's Sharpay." No one spoke on the other end of the line, but an intense breathing reassured any disbelief that the answerer had hung up. "We need to talk."
The same air as you till the day that I die
I can't take my eyes off of you
Walking into the welcomingly decorated courts, Troy was called over to the benches by his best friend. He answered the call, seating himself next to Chad on plastic royalty-red bleachers. He took a swig of his water bottle, leaving it clasped in his hand.
"Listen, man," Chad said, his voice having a serious-tone which was all too unreal for his personality, "I know about you and… Gabriella." Almost falling from his seat on the particularly uncomfortable bench, Troy Bolton spat out the remaining gulps of water in his mouth. "And it doesn't bother me – at least it doesn't bother nearly as much as you not having the balls to tell me in the first place. I mean, hiding a relationship for an entire year is like… fucking crazy!"
Troy nodded, understanding directly from which Chad was coming.
"I get it, you like her. But letting dumb 'ol me get in the way of true love is even more fucking crazy. I love 'ya – no homo – and it's always good to see you happy. Besides, bitchy she might be but Montez is definitely a piece of fine—"
"Thanks, Chad."
And I'm longing, for words to describe how I'm feeling
I'm feeling inspired
My world just flip turned upside down
All night long he played, storming the court back and forth. But all night long, his game was a little bit off. With the champion playing of his teammates, the Wildcats rose to victory – with no help from Troy. His mind was in a different place, a much tan-skinned, dark-haired bombshell kind of place.
So as the after party began its kick-off, his eyes searched, to no avail. When the firework commencement began, he stood as the coaches prided him and his teammates for a spectacular win; a win which he had no participation in. Siding off with the guilt, he stepped off of the platform, finding himself sucked into a sea of congratulations.
As the first firework leapt into the sky, his heart tightened, second-guessing if he'd find her in time.
Sharpay pushed her through the crowd, heading towards the platform where the players stood. One by one, they were stepping down, and when Troy left his post, Sharpay sighed, wondering if they'd get there in time.
With her hands forcefully pressing against Gabriella's back, she closed her eyes, coercing through the hoards of people.
"Sharpay." Gabriella whined, dragging out the blonde's name. "Why are you pushing me? Or, better yet, where are you pushing me?"
"Shut up, Gabriella, stop talking and just walk!" Sharpay commanded, still pressing roughly against the petite brunette's back.
And then, the two girls collided with a solid – yet squishy – object.
Troy stepped back, making a 'huff' noise as the two presences knocked the wind out of him. Regaining composure, he looked down to see Gabriella on the grass.
It turns around, say what's that sound
It's my heart beat, it's getting much louder
"Gabriella…" he said solemnly, reaching out his hand for her to take. He pulled her to her feet, clenching her hand within his. The cracking of the fireworks above them made both of their hearts beat faster, only for different reasons.
"Let go of me, Troy." she shouted, her voice being quieted by the commotion of the festivities.
He pulled her to the platform, which had been emptied of its occupants. They stood there alone, with only the student body – parents and teachers included – surrounding them.
"What are you doing?" she asked, curiosity and embarrassment rushing through her veins.
"The same thing I should've done months ago." he answered, gazing up at the fireworks.
She didn't say anything but rather followed his eyes to the sky where a giant heart-shaped firework blasted into the night. It was half lopsided but she understood it all the same.
He wrapped his arm around her, sweeping her body closer to his. She continued to look up at him with confusion, but he only smiled, his eyes smiling too.
"Yeah, Troy!" they heard Chad shout, "F—" But as per usual, his words were cut off, only this time were they cut off with the lips of Sharpay Evans.
Gabriella and Troy smiled as their best friends succumbed to a feeling they had relinquished in ages ago.
"Be may date to prom," It was a question, but he said it as an order. She grinned, looking up at him, and then at the thousand people watching them. "I love you, Gabriella Montez." he said, loudly, whisking her into a kiss their audience could only applaud at.
My heart beat, is stronger than ever
I'm feeling so alive, I'm feeling so alive…