High School Musical IV: The Reunion
by William Raymer
All characters recognized as being from the first three High School Musical films are the property of Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All characters not recognized as such are the personal property of the author. If you wish to use any of these characters, please contact the author via the e-mail address viewable in his profile on this site.
Some details in this story can (and most likely, WILL) be contradicted by events in the upcoming Disney Channel Original Movies High School Musical: East Meets West and Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure.
PROLOGUE
The campus of the University of California at Berkley was awash in celebration-for the second year in a row, the university's men's basketball team had won the NCAA national championship. However, the captain of the team was nowhere on campus to partake in the celebrations. He was halfway across the country.
32.7 miles away from UC Berkley, the campus of Stanford University was preparing for graduation festivities. However, the valedictorian of the Class of 2012-officially the public face of the university during this chain of events-was nowhere to be found. She too was halfway across the country.
They were both at Madison Square Garden, the building known as "the world's most famous arena," for the 2012 National Basketball Association Draft. The UC Berkley captain was there in case he was drafted to a team. The Stanford valedictorian was there because she was the Berkley captain's girlfriend.
Troy Bolton sat in an observation booth overlooking the Paramount Theater and took a sip from his water bottle. The Phoenix Suns were on the clock, and were most likely going to choose him with the first draft pick.
When the Suns had won the Draft Lottery and got the first pick, everyone realized it was all but certain that the "best college player in the country," as Troy had been lauded in the press, was going to the Valley of the Sun.
A beeping came from the holster at his waist. Troy pulled his cell phone from the holster and answered it. "Hello?" he said.
"Hello, Wildcat," the voice on the other end said. "Gabi! It's nice to hear from you," Troy said. "Where are ya?"
"I'm pulling up to the Garden now," Gabriella Montez said. "I'll be arriving at the Paramount in about ten minutes."
"Hurry up, then," Troy said. "The Suns have about that much time left before they pick me. Bye." Troy closed his phone. Moments later, a knock sounded on the door. "Mr. Bolton, I have a delivery from a Mr. Evans for you," a voice on the other side said.
"Bring it on in," Troy said. A security guard walked in, holding a small red and white case. "Good," Troy said as the guard handed the case to him. Troy whistled when he opened the case, revealing a gold ring studded with rubies and diamonds.
"Good luck, Mr. Bolton," the guard said before he left Troy to his musings.
Moments later, Gabriella walked into the observation booth just as Suns owner Jerry Colangelo stepped up to the podium to make it official. "The Phoenix Suns, with the first pick of the 2012 National Basketball Association Draft, have selected Troy Bolton of the University of California at Berkley," he said.
Gabriella smiled. "Go get your jersey, Wildcat," she said. "I'll be waiting for you to come back." "No," Troy said. "Come with me. Like I said four years ago during Senior Year, you inspire my heart." Gabriella smiled, then took Troy by the hand and left the observation room with him.
Once on the stage, Colangelo handed Troy his new Suns jersey. Troy smiled when he saw that his jersey number was "14," his old jersey number back at East High School in Albuquerque. "Who is this?" Colangelo asked, gesturing to Gabriella.
"This is my girlfriend, Gabriella Montez," Troy said. "I figured that, since she has been an inspiration to me, she should be here to share in my big moment."
"Ah, I see," Colangelo said. "Anyway, you're expected to make a few short remarks." Colangelo stepped aside to allow Troy to do so.
Troy stepped up to the podium and cleared his throat. "I would not be up today without the help of this young woman standing next to me," he began, motioning for Gabriella to join him away from the microphones on the podium.
Troy reached into his pocket and pulled out the case. Troy took a deep breath and fell to one knee, opening the case as he did so. "Gabriella, six years ago, the man who brought us together at that ski resort said that someday, we would thank him for doing so. I agree. I should indeed thank him, because without you, I would have been a very different man. I wouldn't have had any of the opportunities I now have without you. Gabriella Selena Montez, will you marry me?"
Across town, in his room at the Julliard School for the Performing Arts, Ryan Evans smiled as he saw Troy propose to Gabriella. Suddenly, there was a knocking on his door. "Come in," Ryan said. The door opened, revealing Ryan's girlfriend, Kelsi Nielsen.
"What are you watching?" Kelsi said. "The NBA Draft on ESPN," Ryan said. "But, Ry, I've never known you to..." Kelsi started to say as she entered Ryan's room. As soon as she saw Troy, on one knee and proposing to Gabriella, her words trailed off. Kelsi sat next to Ryan, and in stunned silence, watched the drama unfolding before her.
Back in Troy and Gabriella's mutual hometown of Albuquerque, Jack Bolton and his wife, Lucille, were in the midst of putting up Phoenix Suns decorations for a welcome home party for Troy. All of a sudden, they heard on TV the gasping of the reporters. Lucille fell limp to the living room floor when she saw her only son on one knee in front of the world.
Back in New York, tears began to stream down Gabriella's face as the implications of Troy's question began to swirl in her mind. Finally, she made her decision. "Yes, Wildcat!"
As Troy began to put the ring on Gabriella's finger, applause began to ring out throughout the theater. Troy and Gabriella kissed to seal their engagement.
An hour later, the Suns had another draft pick, due to a trade deal between them and the Boston Celtics. Colangelo stepped back up to the podium and made Troy's day all the more sweeter. "The Phoenix Suns have selected Chad Danforth of the University of Albuquerque," he said. Troy and Gabriella cheered as Chad received his Suns jersey.
Minutes later, Chad entered the observation room where Troy and Gabriella watched the draft. "Hey, Hoops! Congratulations on your engagement," Chad said before hugging Troy, then Gabriella. "It's gonna be great playing alongside you again, instead of against you."
"Same here, Chad," Troy said. "Same here. Listen, as soon as we're done here, we need to head over to Julliard and see Ryan and Playmaker." "Sounds like a plan, Wildcat," Gabriella said.
::TBC::