Big Girls Don't Cry
Rated: T
High School Musical

Authors Note: This is my first FanFic so please go easy on me.

The theme song to this chapter is Glamorous by Fergie.

"There you go. Have a good night." Zeke said, flashing the constumer his million dollar smile. Zeke watched as the man left and then waited a few minutes before closing up.

Zeke smiled as he flipped the open to say closed. He turned and looked at his small cafe-style, bakery. It was his pride and joy, and simply the love of his life. After he and Sharpay had split their junior year of high school, Zeke had made himself a promise that one day he would become a well-known New York chef. So far he was on his way.

Immediatly following his graduation from East High, Zeke had moved to New York City and began searching for a solid job. He finally landed a job as a bus-boy at a local hotel. Soon later he rented a building and that building had blossomed into the ever-so-popular 'Baylor's Bakery.'

He sighed as he took one last look around the bakery. It was small, but not to small. There were three window booths and four tables that fit comfortably in the room. Along the walls were pictures of him and his friends. Mostly ones from back when he was in High School, but there were a few recent ones. The good old days. Zeke found himself thinking as he glanced at a picture of him and the gang. He shook off his thoughts, hung up his messy apron, and walked out of the bakery locking the door tightly behind him.

"Okay, so it's settled. Niketa Noels will be the cover girl for our March/April issue." Gabriella smiled and slammed her binder closed, looking at the people scattered about in the room. She glanced down at her watch. It was nearly ten o'clock. "First thing tomorrow morning I'll set up a photoshoot, and we'll be on our way. Meeting Dismissed. Have a good weekend everybody." She smiled as she watched everyone slowly begin to get up and pile out of the room. "Oh, and Derek? I'll have the layout for our spread on Alexa, by monday morning. It's a two-page spread right?"

Derek nodded and walked out of the room. Gabriella lingered for a minute before flipping off the lights and heading down the hall to her nearby office. She dropped her binder on her cluttered desk, took a deep breath, and looked around. Her office was medium sized and cluttered with piled-up work, messages, and former magazines. She carefully sat down at her desk and began looking at the pictures from what seemed to be a wild night for 'Alexa.'

She was getting drowsy and was beginning to let her eyes wonder away from the paper and up to her desk. They landed upon a picture of her and Troy at homecoming. She took in a deep breath. "Get ahold of yourself Gabi." She whispered.

After high school Troy had reluctantly broken up with her and left for California, leaving her alone and heartbroken. She couldn't decide what to do with her life, and watching her friends make it big time around her wasn't helping. She decided to move to New York and make a fresh start. She had started out as an intern at Everwood magazine, a local magazine informing readers of the happenings of New York. She didn't know how it had happened but in what seemed to be the blink of an eye she was the editor of Central Glitz Magazine. A magazine that was slowly making itself known worldwide.

She was proud of herself anf had everything she had ever wanted. Everything that is except singing. She had given up singing. She hadn't meant to and she certainly didn't want to but with her newly busy and rushed scedueal, she hadn't found anytime to sing, not even in the shower.

She shook off her thoughts and picked up a few pictures and began flipping through them. No sooner had she done that, then she found the pictures being taken away from her grasp.

She gasped and immediatly looked up. "Zeke?" She breathed, clearly startled.

Zeke smiled lightly. "Gabi."

Gabriella regained her posture and breath before letting herself speak. "What are you doing here?"

Zeke grined playfully. "Well I wasn't in the neighborhodd, but I decided to come visit my best friend and steal her away from her work to get a drink."
Gabriella sighed at Zeke's thoughtfulness."Zeke..." She whined. "I want to but I can't. I have to finish this two-page spread by monday."

Zeke chuckled softly. "Gabriella, it's friday night. You have all weekend to work on that. Besides don't you get the weekend off like everyone else."

Gabriella nodded. It was true. In order to keep people from feeling overworked, Gabriella had decided to give them the weekends off. "I know but I already have to come in tomorrow to plan a photoshoot for out next issues cover girl, and I have to finish this spread..."
Gabriella was about to continue but Zeke interupted her. "It'll be okay. Just come get one drink with me and you can have all of tomorrow to do that. You've been so busy lately and you're deffiantly over-worked. Take a break. You have all weekend."

Gabriella thought for a minute and finally gave in to Zeke's requests. "Okay." She stood up and closed the folder that lay in front of her. She quickly grabbed her coat and followed Zeke out the door.

---

Troy nearly fell as he landed on the floor of the empty gym. He smiled and watched the ball roll across the gym. He couldn't believe it. He was going to New York to play basketaball with his team from USC.

Basketball had always been Troy's life. From the sixth grade up he had never missed a practice, never missed a chance to score, and never missed a game. Well all that was true until Gabriella Montez walked into his life, and at the end he had left her walk out.

He smiled as he dribbled the ball down the court and back, stopping only at the three-point line to make a basket. After high school, Troy was offered an amazing scholorship to USC and a for-sure part of their all-star basketball team. This wasn't an offer he could turn down, and he never regrets his decision.

"Hey man what's up?" Troy spoke loudly, and breathlessley into the phone.

On the other end his friend sat waiting immpatiently. "Troy. Is your team making it to the play-offs in New York?"

"Yes."

Troy heard Chad take a deep breath knowing that they would be playing against each other. "Us too. See you there."

Troy hung up the phone and went back to shooting baskets.

Chad had left two months after graduation to Alabama were he played starting line-up on the basketball team, and attended regular classes on his athletics scholorship. Troy Bolton had been the only 'old' friend that Chad had kept in touch with. They woul fly to see each other at least once a month, catch up, chat about old times, and scope out local cuties. Chad Danforth and Troy Bolton were two of the hottest NBAA super-stars. They were very well-known and got many great oppertunities from their ability. Unfortunalty neither of them was 100 percent happy.

Troy hung up the phone and sat on the gym floor. He picked up his phone and dialed a familiar number. Taylor McKessie.

"Taylor?"

The girl on the other line was silent for a minute before she spoke in a soft voice. "Troy? IS that you?"

Troy nodded even though he knew she couldn't see him. "I'm going out to New York this week for the play-offs. Do you want to go?"

Taylor was quite once again. "Sure Troy. I could use a vacation."

"Great. I'll tell you details later." Troy hung up the phone without saying anything else. He sighed and thought about how his week in New York was going to be. Him, Chad, and Taylor. And interesting trio, but fun when they got together. Unfortunatly the last time they had all gotten together had been nearly a year and a half ago.

Taylor had become a grade school teacher and was hping to soon settle down and raise a family. Though Troy kept in touch with the California teacher, Chad had lost touch next to completely. After their break-up he could never forgive himself. So he took it out by not speaking with her.

Troy shook off his thoughts and tried his best to keep his head in the game. After all play-offs were less than a week away and he couldn't afford to lose.

Author's Note: Okay hope you enjoyed. Please read and review.

In the next chapter: We find out more about Kelsi, Jason, and the Evan's twins. Chad, Taylor, and Troy head off to New York.