Meanwhile….

Summary: Set during HSM3. Very minor spoilers. While Troy and Gabriella were up in the tree house, where were Chad and Taylor? One-shot. Chaylor.

Disclaimer: If you know it, I don't own it.

A/N: This is a sort of sequel to my other fic also called 'Meanwhile' but you don't have to read that to enjoy this. If you haven't seen HSM3 yet, this doesn't give much away. Enjoy!

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Chad

It was a night of fun. Celebration. We'd won. We'd made our final mark on East High history. Now, it was over.

I wasn't really in the mood for celebration.

I wandered the party with a forced but convincing smile on my face, gladly accepting the high-five's and congratulations that I received from every person I passed. This was meant to be my happiest night of the year. I'd waited for it since the day I'd started school. My life was all going to plan. I should have been ecstatic. But this night also signified the end of my life as a Wildcat. I was no longer a part of that team. And that wasn't something I thought worth smiling about.

As I made my way through the buzzing party crowd in Troy's garden, I managed to find Taylor, deep in girly conversation with Gabriella. She saw me coming and her face lit up. Something in her bright smile made me instantly forget my troubles.

"Hey." I said, opening my arms.

She accepted the hug and replied. "Hey!" She greeted warmly. "Congratulations." She said, as if I hadn't heard that enough today. I suppose she didn't understand either. Everyone just saw me as Chad Danforth, the kid whose life revolved around basketball. And yeah, that was me. But there was more to me than that. In all honesty, I was scared. I didn't ever want to leave East High. My team was there and without them, I don't know if I'd be good enough.

She must have seen the complete lack of joy in my eyes. She gave me an almost unnoticeable look of empathy and said simply; "Swing set? Later."

I understood fully and nodded before an arm on my shoulder led me away to the next crowd of pleased, proud people with a fresh set of 'Congratulations' for me.

Time passed and after a while I couldn't bear to sit through the same old conversations with the same old fake smile on my face. I managed to slip away to a quieter, dark and empty part of the garden. I sat on one of the swings where I had agreed to meet Taylor. The swings where Troy and I used to pretend to be superheroes soaring through the air.

Things were changing.

Troy and I had always planned on going to U of A together and he hadn't said otherwise but I could see doubt forming in him. And I knew Troy. Something in me knew I'd probably be going to U of A alone. That scared me more than anything. Call it stupid, but Troy and I had been together our entire lives. The thought of being without him, not having his guaranteed back-up, was kind of unbearable.

I took a deep breath and began to swing gently, allowing the evening breeze to cool my face. My eyes remained on the starry night sky and I imagined I was flying. Just like old times.

A rustle in the bushes and the sound of giggling alerted me to the fact that someone was coming. I stopped swinging and waited in silence, expecting to see Taylor. To my surprise, moments later, Troy and Gabriella emerged hand in hand and made their way, straight past me, up to the tree house. They were so wrapped up in each other that my presence went completely unnoticed. I was thankful for that as I didn't want to be disturbed, but at the same time I couldn't help but feel jealous.

I was happy for Troy for finding true love with Gabriella but I knew that, had she never moved to East High, Troy would be joining me at U of A without a doubt. I know it was selfish of me to think so but sometimes I even wished Troy and Gabriella had never met.

Shaking off my self-centred thoughts, I prepared to return to my peaceful swinging, only to be disturbed again seconds later. This time it was Taylor.

"You're not happy." She stated, approaching me slowly.

I sighed. "I am." The forced smile returned to my face. "We won."

She shook her head. "You don't have to lie to me Chad." She reached out and touched my cheek gently. I may have been imagining, maybe my eyes were deceiving me in the dim light, but I could have sworn I saw a glimpse of sadness flicker through her eyes. As quickly as it had come, it was gone. Her hand dropped away from my face to her side. She looked at the floor. "I understand." She mumbled. "Trust me."

And I did. Something in her voice told me that she fully understood. She was feeling the exact same way.

Taylor

All my dreams were coming true. Yale. It was perfect. I was becoming the independent young woman I had always wanted to be. I was one step closer to becoming the President of the United States. Yep, definitely perfect.

The one problem; Chad. A boyfriend was never part of the plan. Saying goodbye was never part of the plan. And why would it be when it looked like it was going to be so hard.

While Gabriella was talking about Troy; his selfless pass to that rocket guy so he could score the winning basket, I played the part of the enthusiastically interested best friend. Truthfully, my mind was somewhere else. I was worried about Gabriella. Saying goodbye and leaving Albuquerque behind would be harder on her than anyone else. She loved Troy so much and had had so many goodbyes in her life. Sometimes, life could be so unfair.

My eye caught Chad's as he approached and he pulled me into a hug while Troy did he same with Gabriella. "Hey." He said to me.

"Hey." I replied. "Congratulations." He had a permanent grin on his face but in his eyes I could see something deeper. He should have been pleased. I could see he wasn't. "Swing set?" I said, knowing we had to talk. "Later."

He nodded, before allowing himself to be pulled away to another, undoubtedly more exciting, conversation.

The party continued. Smiles all around. But Chad was nowhere to be seen. I thought that odd since he was never one to miss an occasion of celebration, and went looking for him knowing he was probably already at the swings where we'd arranged to meet.

He was there, sitting alone on a swing, staring up at the sky. He didn't look at all surprised to see me.

"You're not happy." I said, getting it out in the open that I knew how he was feeling. I took slow steps towards him.

"I am." He lied, sighing. He smiled; an empty grin that I saw right through. "We won."

I shook my head. "You don't have to lie to me Chad." I told him. I stroked his cheek gently, trying my best to be supportive and let him know that I did fully understand. It was clear we couldn't spend the rest of our lives together. We had to be mature and go our separate ways. That fact was finally occurring to the both of us.

Looking at him was becoming unbearable so I had to avert my eyes. He'd soon only be a memory. Those bright eyes. His lively, energetic smile. The sensitive and loving way he looked at me. Just a memory. Sure, we'd try to stay in touch but realistically….

My hand dropped to my side.

"I understand. Trust me." I said.

Things had to change. That was just life. We grow up. We leave people behind. It wasn't fair. But it was life.

No POV

Chad took Taylor's hand in his and wordlessly motioned for her to sit on the swing beside him. They sat like this in silence for a while, just trying to savour the priceless, unique time they were spending together. But after a while, Chad's thoughts were bothering him too much and he had to speak his mind.

"Do you think you'll remember me?" He asked, quietly and uncharacteristically unsure. "When you're a successful…President?"

Taylor laughed. "How could I ever forget anyone with hair like yours?" She joked. Chad laughed but Taylor noticed the underlying traces of doubt still in his face. She sighed and squeezed his hand. "Of course I'll remember you, Chad." She told him. "You're unique. And you've made me happier than anyone I've ever met. So, yeah, I'll remember you forever."

Chad still seemed unconvinced. "Everyone's all leaving me behind." He said sadly. "You…Troy…. I just-…I'm gonna be left here while you guys go off and live your lives."

Taylor hated seeing Chad like this. This wasn't the confident, slightly egotistical boy she knew…and loved. "Chad." She said. He continued to swing gently. "Chad." She repeated pulling on his hand. "Look at me." He almost reluctantly complied. "What's gotten into you?" She asked.

He shrugged. "Everything's changing." He said. "I don't think I'm ready. And you… you are so sure and you know what you want and you're getting it and nothing can stand in your way-."

Taylor smiled. "You think I don't have doubts? Chad, I don't want to leave you. And I am so scared that I'll get to Yale and just not… belong." She told him, frowning. "It's easy for you Chad. Popularity comes naturally for you. Me….I'm just-."

"You're amazing." Chad interrupted. "And they'll see that."

Taylor looked up at the sky and began to swing. Chad did the same.

"We'll be fine, right?" Chad asked.

Taylor squeezed his hand even tighter. "Of course we will." She said. And for the first time that year, both of them believed it.

"Hey, you guys." Taylor and Chad hadn't even noticed Mrs Bolton appear in front of them. "Have either of you seen Troy? He has guests."

Chad used his free hand to point up at the tree house and Mrs Bolton nodded. "Of course." She sighed before muttering under her breath; "I'd better not have to go up and get him again. Because I will if I have to."

End


A/N: Yeah, so since it came out 6 days ago, I've seen HSM3 3 times already! I love it. I'm at the same point in my life right now as these guys; I'm going to college this September and then hopefully Uni after that, so this was basically my feelings put into their minds. I hope you enjoyed it even though the end was a little rushed and it certainly wasn't as fluffy as intended. Please review. :D