It had been 5 years since Troy Bolton had graduated high school. Five years since he had seen her. Everyone had promised to keep in touch but like most
high school promises, they didn't. He heard from Chad about once every three months but that was the only connection he had to high school. Troy had gone on
to become a basketball star, playing for the Denver Nuggets. He was enjoying his day but soon found that there was nothing to do. He had already talked to his
dad, something he had been meaning to do for a while but couldn't because he was so busy. With nothing to do, Troy sat down in his family room and decided
to watch TV. Soon becoming bored, he went into his room and pulled out his old high school yearbook. He started looking through it coming across some of his
favorite memories from high school. Picture of him and Gabriella at their senior prom. Pictures of him and Chad on the basketball team. Everything he loved
during that time came rushing back to him. He soon started reading all the messages from his friends that were left on the inside of the front and back covers.
The first one he came across was Chad's:
"Troy, We did it!. We graduated high school. (Does happy dance) seriously man. I don't know if there's anything I can say here in a yearbook that I haven't
already told you in person. We've been through so much together from diapers to graduation. I'm proud to call you my best friend, my buddy, my brother.
I love you bro! Chad."
Sometimes, brothers go their seperate ways. Troy sighed as he read some more messages, mainly from cheerleaders and all the popular people who either wanted to be Troy or be with him. Eventually, he landed on Gabriella's message.
"Troy (my favorite wildcat), I can't beleive it, we are graduating already. It seems like yesterday, I met you at the lodge on New Years Eve. The singing,
the moving to Albequerque, Twinkle Town, and now graduating. I'm not sure if I can put into words what you mean to me Troy. I...I...see I can't do it.
You mean so much to me. You beleived in me when no one else would. You looked at me as Gabriella and not the 'Freaky math girl'. You are my best friend Troy
You know me better than anyone else. It's going to be hard not seeing you everyday like I have for the past two years. You are one of the greatest people
I know Troy. Don't ever change. Keep smiling, keep singing, keep playing, keep being you. And know that wherever we may end up in life, I'm always there for
you. Wherever we end up, as long as you are true to yourself, you'll be just fine. Remember that night on my balcony? We saw a shooting star and I asked you
what you wished for but you told me you couldn't tell me. I'll tell you what I wished for. I wished that I could see the future and know what life has planned
for us, for everyone but then I realized that we don't know if that shooting star ever landed and if that shooting star never lands, the wish won't come true.
I have another wish for you Troy, beleive in yourself because I do. I'm very proud of you Troy. I have been so blessed these last two years to have you in my
life. Don't lose contact Troy, I don't want to have to live life without you in some way or another. Love Gabby."
Troy had closed the yearbook after reading Gabriella's message. Had it really been five years since he talked to her. Suddenly an idea came to him, he didn't know if it would work but he had to try. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the only number he knew for his longtime friend, hoping it was still hers. After a few rings, the answering machine came on. "Hi, you've reached Gabriella. I can't make it to the phone right now so leave a message after the beep. Bye." Beep. Troy hung up the phone. It was hers. A small smile came over his face. Suddenly, his phone started ringing. He looked down to see who was calling him and saw her name come up on the screen. He picked up the phone.
"Hello?" He asked.
"Did you just try and call me?" Gabriella asked.
"Yeah."
"Who are you? How did you get this number? I didn't pick up because I didn't recognize the number."
Troy forgot that he didn't have the same number he had before. He had transferred all his numbers to his new phone but never gave it to Gabby since he hadn't spoken to her in years.
"Gabby, it's me Troy."
"Troy? Troy Bolton?"
"Yeah, it's me."
"Oh my god. How have you been?"
"I've been doing good."
"It's been a long time Troy."
"Five years by my calculations."
"So what's new?"
"Nothing. I was just looking at my old yearbook and reading the messages that people wrote me. I just read yours and got a little sad. I'm sorry I haven't talked to you in a while. I don't have an excuse for it, I just didn't do it. I'm sorry."
"Don't be Troy. We've got our own lives now, we can't talk like we used to when we were kids."
"Yeah but there's no excuse for not talking for five years."
"We're talking now."
"Yeah."
"Something wrong Troy?"
"I just miss you Gabby. It's like that old Bon Jovi song Letting Go. He says well me I just miss you, it's the nights that I go insane. I've missed you so much. I wanted to call so many times but I wasn't sure if you remembered me."
"How could I forget you Troy?"
"I don't know."
"I couldn't."
"So fill me in Gabby. What have I missed these last five years?"
"You haven't missed a thing. No husband, no boyfriend, just work. Same old me."
"Haven't changed a bit I see."
"What about you?"
"Same story."
"Good. Good to know you're still the same Troy I used to know."
"Good to know you're still the same Gabriella I used to know."
"How's Denver?"
"Cold."
"You're doing a great job with them Troy."
"And you know this how?"
"I watch every game Troy."
"Really?"
"Haven't missed one."
"Good to know I have a fan."
"You got more than that."
"I do?"
"You got a friend."
"Still? After all these years?"
"Of course. Like I said, I don't want to go through life without you in it in some way and I'll always be here for you Troy."
"Thanks Gabby."
"Anytime. Hey Troy, I've got to go, unfortunately. Is it cool if we continue this conversation at another time?"
"As long as it's not five years from now."
"It won't be. I promise. How's tommorrow sound?"
"Great. Give me a call."
"I will."
"Hey Gabby."
"Yeah Troy?"
"I missed you."
"I missed you too, Troy."
"I promise to keep in touch this time."
"If you don't, I've got your number now so you can count on me calling you up if a week goes by and I don't hear from you."
"I'll let you get back to what you were doing. I'll talk to you tommorrow Gabby."
"Bye Troy."
"Bye."
With that Troy hung up and smiled. It wasn't the same as what he had had five years before but it was more than what he had ten minutes before. It was a start at least. The start of renewing his friendship with his best friend, his confidante, and the girl of his dreams,even if she didn't know the last part.
The End.