Disclaimer: Clearly I do not own the High School Musical franchise
Chapter One: All We Are
And in the end the words won't matter
'Cause in the end nothing stays the same
And in the end dreams just scatter and fall like rain
'Cause all we are we are
All we are we are
And every day is a start of something beautiful, something real
All we are we are
All we are we are
And every day is the start of something beautiful, beautiful
~"All We Are" Matt Nathanson
"Okay suck it in baby!" Sharpay Evans sang out as she pulled the corset around her best friend's slim body tighter.
"Geez Shar don't kill her. She does need to breathe." Taylor McKessie rolled her brown eyes.
"We can't have the bride passing out during the ceremony. I don't think the groom would like that." Kelsi Neilson rolled her eyes at Sharpay's huff. "And try to not to be too much of a drama queen."
"Oh come on Brie can handle it a little tighter. They did it in the 1990s didn't they? And when did you turn into such a bitch Kelsi. You were so much nicer in high school." Sharpay waved her free hand absent mindedly.
"I didn't talk to you in high school." Kelsi responded. "And I'm not a bitch."
Gabriella Montez, the bride, attempted a deep breath, "Okay Pay I love you but I can't breathe. And I think you mean 1890s. And Kelsi isn't a bitch." She corrected.
"See the bride can't breathe, loosen up the corset Sharpay." Taylor nudged Sharpay with her hips to push her out of the way.
"Listen Taylor, I know what I'm doing. You don't." She straightened, tightening the delicate ribbon that laced the corset as she did so.
"Oh really Evans, and how do you figure that? Do you wear a corset every day. Are you telling us you're not actually that thin. Just like you're not actually blonde." Taylor's arms naturally crossed as she took a stance of power. Her attorney stance.
"Because I lace corsets for the plays I'm in. You don't. And I am to blonde. And I am thin. I have to be to make it in my career. Ugly people don't get anywhere in the theater." She moved the ribbons into one hand so she could poke Taylor in the shoulder with the other.
"Girls, this is really too tight. Come on." Gabriella tried sucking in another breath. So I will never recommend a corset dress to another bride ever. Just put spanx underneath. She leaned into a white wicker rocker for support. She was starting to feel light headed.
Taylor and Sharpay didn't even hear the door open until a voice loud enough to boom over theirs spoke, "Are you two trying to kill the bride?" Sharpay instinctively dropped the ribbon and Taylor's arms fell to her side. "Because I would really like to officially make Ella my daughter-in-law. I've been waiting for this day just as long as she and Troy have." Jack Bolton crossed the room and loosened the ribbons. "Honestly Ella you're thin enough without the corset."
Gabriella sucked in a few breaths and leaned against the white wicker rocker in the dressing room of the Ortega Methodist Church just on the outskirts of New York City. Once her vision was clearer she turned to face her future father-in-law, "I know, I know, but the tailor couldn't cut it out of the dress and this is my dream dress." Her hands floated down to the full skirt of the latest Sleeping Beauty wedding dress from Alfred Angelo's collection. Almost reverently her fingers skimmed up the flowered corset and then back down to the full ball gown. "It's perfect." Her head raised so Jack could see her shimmering eyes, "Thank you for it by the way. This is going to be the perfect day." Her head swiveled to Sharpay, "If my maid of honor doesn't kill me first."
Sharpay's hands fell to her hips, "Beauty is pain. Suck it up Sleeping Beauty."
Jack shook his head, "Lucille is going to be here to monitor the maid of honor," he patted Sharpay's back, "she and Troy are just finishing up. The guys are looking sharp and everyone is here."
Gabriella smiled and nodded taking another breath, "Is Emma with them?"
Jack nodded, "Yeah, and she looks great Ella. Unfortunately Jason is having a hard time letting her out of his sight."
Gabriella laughed, "Come on Jack Emma's not that little anymore. You're ready to marry Troy off and she's the same age as him."
Jack shook his head, "Troy's my boy, but Em is my baby girl. Troy will understand once you two have a girl." He shrugged and pulled her into a hug. "I'm only letting Troy get married because it's you. And you're not just my daughter-in-law, you're my daughter. You have been since you were seventeen years old and saved him."
Gabriella dug her head into Jack's shoulder and tried to will herself not to cry, but the tears fell anyways. "And you are most definitely my dad." She leaned up and kissed his cheek.
He wiped away the few tears that had fallen and kissed her forehead, "Finish getting ready, I'll be back to check on you in a bit." He pointed to Sharpay, "Please don't kill my daughter. We do need the bride to have a wedding."
Sharpay let out a small, very Sharpay-like, screech. "Fine, if I can't do anything right then why doesn't someone else just do it?" She huffed, stomping her feet in a Sharpay Tantrum.
"Then why doesn't the mother of the bride do it." Lucille Bolton held the door open, "Father of the bride, go be father of the groom for a little bit and take care of Troy. And maybe Chad will let you touch his tie because he swatted me away and the knot looks terrible."
Taylor rolled her eyes, "That's because I tie his tie every morning since he won't let me teach him."
Lucille rolled her eyes, knowing Chad since he was a little boy this fact did not surprise her, "Okay Ellie, you can breathe now?" Gabriella nodded, "Then let's lace you up, but not too tight." She glanced sideways at Sharpay, who for a few years she thought might actually be dating Troy. Thank the Good Lord she is not my daughter-in-law. "And breathe in." Gabriella sucked in a breath, "That good?"
"That's perfect, thanks Lucille." She waited for a few minutes while Lucille fumbled with the delicate lace and tiny loops it was to be threaded through. "There." She patted Gabriella's back. "Now let me see you." She stood at arms length from the bride, "You are the most beautiful bride I have ever seen."
Gabriella blushed, "Thank you Lucille." She picked up the veil, "Will you pin it up at the small clip?" Lucille accepted the veil and stuck it securely in so the veil draped over Gabriella's long, dark curls.
The door opening again drew their attention. "Oh my God Gabs, you look gorgeous!" Emma Bolton, Troy's twin sister danced into the room her blue eyes sparkling "Everyone looks great. These dresses are beautiful." She twirled in the deep plum cocktail dress.
"Your bridesmaid dresses were genius." Taylor nodded her approval.
"Really Ellie you did a great job with them." Lucille complimented. "I love that they're actually cocktail dresses, but all the same fabric and color just different cuts." She fingered the soft material of the Bailey 44 dress her daughter was wearing.
"Well it pays to know someone who owns a boutique." She smiled as she handed the plum and white bouquet to Emma, "You found the dresses Ems."
Emma drew her soon to be sister-in-law into a hug, "But it was your idea Gabs."
A knock at the door drew their attention. "Best man is here to make sure you ladies are all set." Chad Danforth's head popped into the doorway.
"We're all set." Gabriella picked up her own bouquet, "Oh wait," she turned to face the photographer who was taking the girls' pictures before the wedding, "Let's do a girl group shot in the dressing room." She turned to face Chad, "Have Zac do one of the guys now please." She motioned for Chad to shoo from the room as the girls gathered up.
"Happy wedding day!" Sharpay sang out as the camera flashed.
Gabriella turned to face her friends and opened her arms for a big hug, "I am so thankful that you girls are my bridesmaids and my best friends. I am so thankful that we all found each other."
Taylor leaned back, "Actually you found us all. You brought us all together. Gabi. You and Troy. All those years ago."
Kelsi laughed, "Even if we all came together kicking and screaming."
"And you all certainly did." Lucille commented from the open doorway, "Now come on, we don't want to leave that handsome groom of yours at the alter."
Gabriella followed the girls out of the dressing room, guiding out the flower girl who was slightly distracted by shimmering belt on her own dress, "Come on Allie, it's show time." Cutting the lights once Allie was out of the room and securely holding onto Kelsi's hand she took a moment to herself to smile and think about how lucky she was to have met Troy Bolton. To have actually met him rather than just seeing him every day. Even if it was at her own cost.
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XOXO
MAS