Ten. Ten years had passed since Troy had walked these halls and they claimed him their king. Dreams had been wished and crushed in these very halls, he had decided to pursue basketball over the theater and Gabby never forgave him for it. He spent the rest of his months at East High in the gym, it got him a scholarship to Arizona state, but not much else.
He played college ball for a year, he blew his shoulder and couldn't play anymore. Depression and feelings of failure set in fast and he just barely graduate with his degree in business. After college he moved to Phoenix and opened up his own little sports shop, where he made good money and for the most part led a happy life.
Then he had gotten that invite in the mail to return to his old stomping grounds, it was his chance to be king again for a night. Except for nobody really remembered him, it was all talk of Emmy winning Sharpay Evans, she had gone on to be a regular on Days Of Our Lives and have all she ever wanted. Gabby didn't attend, not that he cared because they hadn't talked in nine years, she was on the east coast teaching college Physics last time he had heard from Taylor who was a congresswoman out there herself.
Chad was around, but he was too busy bragging about his signing with the Jazz to just hang around with Troy. Ryan was in Europe working the Broadway circuit with his new play that was actually brilliant, Troy had flown out to New York to see it when it premiered. Ryan was the one true friend he had walked out of East High with, well him and there was always….
Troy stopped in his tracks and craned his neck to listen to the soft melody her heard under the blaring music in the gym. Turning he saw the door to the theater open just a small crack and found the source of the music. Only one person he could think would spend her time playing piano in the theater rather than socialize on the dance floor, but he had to see her face to make sure.
Peaking in Troy saw the soft curls graze the slender shoulders of one Kelsi Neilson. Her small fingers flying quickly over the keys as she played a tune he had never heard, but figured was a great classic she had studied at school. Kelsi had gone to take her music beyond Tinkle Town and onto many soundtracks, she had the Oscars to prove her talent. He leaned against the brick wall and just watched her play, she stopped for a brief moment, thought what to play next and then she started up again with a familiar song.
He lent the song his voice and sang the lyrics that had changed his life at the age of sixteen…
It's hard to believe that I couldn't see That you were always there beside meKelsi ceased playing and she turned to see him striding down the aisle and up the stage steps to sit next to her on the bench. She smiled at him in his black pants and white shirt with a skinny tie, they may not have seen each other in years but they talked at least once a week and she could never confuse that voice for another. Troy returned her smiled and nodded at the keyboard, "Please continue."
Her hands find their location on the keys from memory and start their gentle beating of the keys. Right away they start in where they left off, the lyrics forever burned into their heads, and hearts.
You were always there beside meThought I was alone
With no one to hold
But you were always right beside me
And so they continued on like that, singing the whole song without a stutter or stumble. The final verse was coming upon them and Troy found his eyes wandering from her fingers up her smooth arms to those shoulders again, the curve of her neck, and finally upon the barely aged face that was staring back at his own. He felt her pull, and his body gave no resistance and leaned in and hovered his lips just above her own.
I've never had someone that knows me like you doThe way you do
I've never had someone as good for me as you
No one like you
So lonely before, I finally found
What I've been looking for
The final "Doo's" and "Woah's" left to play in their minds as their lips met in a delicate kiss of passion. Troy brought his hand up to tangle in the curls of her hair and her hand gripped at the lose fabric of his shirt. Minutes passed, tongues dueled, and breaths expired, breaking the kiss Kelsi grinned up at him and tugged him by his tie to the back dressing rooms of the theater.
Ten. It may have taken Troy Bolton ten years but he finally found what he had been looking for.