AN: I am on a one-shot spree! Now just a warning: this is a pure romance fic. It's the type that makes you smile and squeal with delight. At least, I did, and perhaps I'm just too flattering to myself.
Title: My Dream Guy
Rating: K+
Author: MadiWillow
Summary: Troy gets mad at Gabriella but she doesn't know why. After Taylor gets her to see what's right in front of her, what will Gabriella do to get him back? One-shot.
Genre: Romance
Chapter: One-shot
Gabriella sighed dreamily. She and Troy were sitting next to each other on her living room couch, watching the chick-flick While You Were Sleeping. She and Troy were supposed to be studying but, like always, they always managed to end up on her couch, watching a movie. Since Troy was such a pushover when it came to Gabriella's pout-y face, they were yet again watching a romance comedy.
"I love Bill Pullman in this movie," said Gabriella to no one in particular. It was the end of the movie, when his character proposed to Sandra Bullock by slipping an engagement ring through her token booth. "He's, like, my dream guy."
"Yeah, so is everyone else," said Troy in a slightly frustrated tone, causing Gabriella to send him a confused glance.
"What do you mean?"
Troy sighed. "Nothing, nothing."
Gabriella bit her lip but said nothing more. Two minutes later the movie was over and credits were rolling. Gabriella stood up and turned the movie off, feeling very awkward. She turned back to Troy, who was zoning out, staring at one spot on her carpet, unblinkingly.
Pursing her lips nervously, Gabriella asked, "Um, Troy, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," he snapped, his eyes unmoving. He looked irritated.
"You don't look fine," she ventured cautiously.
"Well, I am,"
Gabriella bit on the inside of her mouth and said no more. The tension in the room was so thick that she felt like she could cut it with a knife. There was a long, awkward pause while Troy looked everywhere but at her and she tried to think of something right to say.
"Um, well..."
"I better go," Troy cut it, standing up.
Gabriella started. She glanced at the clock; it was only six. "But what about-"
"I'll study for the test myself. It's not until Monday," he said shortly. "And you already know it." He strode into the hallway, grabbing his jacket.
"Um, okay... bye-" she said, but Troy had left and slammed the door before she could finish.
She bit her lip again. Troy was acting strange. What did I do? she asked herself worriedly. She stayed where she was, leaning against the doorway of the living room, staring at the front door with an unfocused gaze, thinking hard. What had she said to insult Troy? Nothing that she could think of. Was it because she said that she liked Bill Pullman? No, of course not. She shook the thought from her mind and ascended up the stairs to call her best friend.
She hit speed dial number three on her cell phone and waited impatiently for Taylor to answer. When she finally did, Gabriella burst out, "Troy's mad at me and I don't know why!"
"Whoa," said Taylor in surprise at the outburst. "Okay, Gabriella, calm down. I'm sure it's nothing."
"Yeah, that's why he left in such a huff just now!"
"I thought you guys were studying?" inquired Taylor.
Gabriella shrugged. "We were supposed but, you know, we decided to watch a movie, and when it was over he was cold with me and stormed out!"
"Hm," mused Taylor. "What movie were you watching?" she asked, and Gabriella felt like she was being analyzed by a shrink.
"While You Were Sleeping," she answered.
"Ah, a chick flick," Taylor said thoughtfully, more of a statement than a question.
Gabriella bit her lip. "Yeah, but, Troy didn't mind! I mean, he was fine until the very end."
"What happened at the very end?"
The brunette furrowed her brow together. "Um, well, Jack proposed..."
"I know what happened at the end of the movie," Taylor stressed. "But did something happen? Like did you say something?"
Gabriella shrugged again. "I don't know. I mean, I said Bill Pullman was like my dream guy in the movie-"
"Gabriella," Taylor groaned, emphasizing her name. "Why did you say that?"
Taken aback, Gabriella answered, "Um... why shouldn't I have?"
Taylor 'tisk-tisked' at her. "Why do you think?"
Gabriella thought and came up short. "I give up. Why?"
The other girl sighed. "Maybe because Troy likes you?"
Gabriella was thankful that she was on the phone with Taylor, so she wouldn't see her blushing. "No, he doesn't."
"Yes, he does," Taylor said simply, as if that settled the matter. "And you know, whenever I watch a movie like that with you, you always say that the guy in the movie is your dream guy. And since Troy is absolutely, positively in love with you, it probably just got under his skin that you talk about your 'dream guys' and he can't seem to measure up to that."
"What! Whoever said that?" Gabriella exclaimed.
"Ah, so he does measure up to your standards?" asked Taylor coyly.
Gabriella's cheeks burned. "I – well, I mean – I don't – I-"
Taylor laughed. "Gabriella, calm down. It's just me."
There was a silence before Gabriella asked in a small voice, "Does he really think that?"
"That's the impression I've gotten," said Taylor quietly. "But hey, don't worry about."
"Yeah..." said Gabriella, thinking. After a moment she got an idea. "Taylor, I gotta go study," she said quickly.
"Oh, but wait-!"
However, Gabriella had already hung up the phone. She hurriedly rushed to her computer, booting it up and bouncing eagerly in her chair. She would show Troy how she really thought of him.
The next day, Saturday, Gabriella woke up earlier than usual. She was excited and could barely contain herself. However, she couldn't call Troy to come over at seven a.m. So instead, she spent the morning doing all her weekend homework to get it out of the way. It took her longer than she expected, so when she was finally done, it was one o' clock.
She extracted her phone from her purse and called Troy's cell phone. He answered gruffly on the fifth ring. "Hello?"
"Hey Troy, can you come over?" she asked in a rush.
"Well, I'm kind of-"
"Please Troy?" she asked sweetly.
He paused, and then sighed. "Yeah, sure, I guess. I'll be there in ten minutes." He hung up and Gabriella sucked in a breath. She suddenly no longer felt excited, but nervous. What if he didn't like it? What if Taylor was wrong?
I have to go through with it, she told herself firmly. She went downstairs and popped a DVD into the the television, just to make sure she didn't chicken out. She poured two glasses of soda and waited impatiently for Troy to arrive.
Fifteen minutes later he knocked on the door, and Gabriella, feeling jumpy, flew nearly a mile into the air. Even though she was standing right by the door, she waited a couple of seconds before she answered. "Hey, Troy," she smiled, trying to sound casual. He still looked a little annoyed; he didn't make eye contact with her as he entered.
"Do you want some soda?"
"Nah," said Troy, folding his arms, which made Gabriella feel closed off. "So am I here to study or what?"
"Actually," Gabriella contradicted. "I wanted to watch something with you."
"Again?" asked Troy grumpily. Gabriella frowned at his tone; she didn't like this side of Troy.
"Yes. It'll only take like a minute." She subtly stuck out her bottom lip and caught Troy's gaze, knowing that he could see that pleading in her eyes.
He sighed dejectedly. "Yeah, I guess so." He plopped down on the couch and she grabbed the remote.
She grew much more nervous as she sat down and hit the power button. Her heart was beating a million miles an hour and her legs felt like lead. Why am I doing this? she asked herself miserably. Clamping her eyes tight shut, she pressed play on the remote.
The tune to Breaking Free started to play, without the words. The screen remained black for a few seconds, before big white words appeared. My Five Dream Guys it said, and, out of the corner of her eye, Gabriella saw Troy tense up.
The words faded away, to be replaced with #5) Bill Pullman of While You Were Sleeping. A picture of said actor from said movie appeared behind the words and Gabriella chanced a look at Troy; his lips were white and he was hiding his hands. Her heart started to beat faster with anticipation.
Soon, the words #4) Billy Crystal of When Harry Met Sally, including a picture, materialized. Gabriella was chewing on her lip as the words stayed there for five seconds, but felt like five days. Why didn't she make the times faster?
After a moment #3) Tom Hanks of You've Got Mail appeared, and after that came #2) Mark Ruffalo of Just Like Heaven. Gabriella sucked in her breath. They were almost there...
"I gotta go, Gabriella," said Troy angrily, standing up roughly and striding out of the room.
"Wait, Troy!" cried Gabriella desperately. She quickly paused the movie, just before #1 appeared, and tore after him. "Please, just-"
"No, I'm leaving," he said, his voice dripping with anger and – was it really? – hurt. "I don't want to stay here with you to view your impressive collaboration of your dream guys."
"But Troy, I want you to-"
"No." He held up his hand. "I'm sorry."
Gabriella's eyes started to fill up with tears, and she choked on them. Just before he left, she said, her voice shaking, "Troy Michael Bolton, if you leave this house, I will never speak to you again."
Troy paused, his hand on the doorknob. After what seemed like an eternity, he slowly turned around and said, "Fine."
Feeling embarrassed beyond words, she led him back into her living room. He sat back down on the couch, his arms folded over his chest yet again, and Gabriella stayed standing behind it, not baring to be next to him. She turned the TV back on and seconds later, the last slides appeared.
But my #1 dream guy is...
The words stayed up there for longer than the others did, for dramatic effect. Gabriella clamped her eyes shut and opened them when she knew the last slide was up.
Troy Bolton. A picture of Troy from the opening day of the musical they were in a month earlier was smiling up at them both. The real Troy stayed still for a long time, long after the movie had ended and the song had stopped playing. Gabriella felt her heart stop. Oh God, oh God, oh God. Why did I do this? I'm so stupid!
She slowly turned around, her legs shaking. "Um. You can leave now." She heard him get up and squeezed her eyes shut, tears leaking out of them nonetheless. She'd just humiliated herself even more with that corny slideshow, and Troy didn't even like her. Why-
She gasped. Someone had just wrapped their arms around her middle, and the tears stopped. Troy slowly turned her around to face him, his arms resting on her hips. "Did you mean that?" he asked, his blue eyes searching.
Gabriella hiccuped from crying. "O-of course I did. W-why would I m-make it up?"
Troy stared at her for a while and then – somewhat reluctantly, Gabriella thought – removed his arm from her waist, brushing the tears away from her face in one swift motion. He put his face right up to hers so their foreheads touched. "Thank you," he whispered. "I love you."
Gabriella's breath caught in her throat. She gasped and it felt like all of her internal organs had disappeared. "I-I love you too," she choked out, her voice cracking.
He grinned at her and captured her lips in a passionate kiss. His arms slid all the way around her waist and her arms snaked their way around his neck. A moment later they broke away, panting for air.
She smiled up at him, her face glowing, no sign of a tear. "You really are my dream guy."
Troy smiled back at her and kissed her again.