Title: After Party
Author: shattered
Rating: K
Disclaimer: I don't own HSM.
Summary: Troy and Gabriella talk during the after party.
After Party
The original plans for the after party had been changed when the cheerleader who'd agreed to host it realized how many people were going to come and that her house couldn't hold that many people, so the party stayed in the gym. The noise was so great that the floor was shaking. Gabriella had lost sight of Troy more than twenty minutes ago but she could still make out Zeke's form and Sharpay next to him, Ryan, Kelsi, and Jason barely visible around them. Chad and Taylor also stood out on the dance floor, his afro and her curls standing out. The music was giving her a headache and she kept wondering if Troy had really been going to kiss her before Chad had interrupted them to give him the game ball. She just wanted a moment of peace and quiet to think about Troy, the musical, the scholastic decathlon, basketball, and that almost kiss. It was an almost kiss, wasn't it? She thought as she made her way out of the gym.
The air in the hall was cooler than the air in the gym and she shivered bringing her hands up to rub her arms, and though the music was much quieter out here she could still here the pounding beat. 'Not quiet enough,' she decided to head up to Troy's secret place. As she climbed up the stairs she noticed someone sitting on the bench, knees drawn up to his chest, arms wrapped around his legs, and head down, someone in a white track suit.
"Troy?"
His head rose to look at her. "Gabriella? What are you doing up here? Why'd you leave the party?" The moonlight highlighted his hair but left his face in shadows; Gabriella could barely see his eyes and couldn't make out his expression.
"I could ask you the same questions." She stepped closer hoping to get a better view of her friend.
"I didn't really feel like staying down there."
"Troy Bolton, East High's golden boy, doesn't want to celebrate with his adoring fans?" Gabriella had now moved to stand in front of him.
"Nah, I've never really been one for big parties, much less adoring fans." His gaze was direct and she was now close enough to see the blue of his eyes. "I'd much rather--" Troy cut himself off lowering his head so that his hair fell and hid his eyes from her.
"You'd much rather what, Troy?" She stepped forward and sat next to him. He turned to face her meeting her gaze; it was a moment before he answered.
"I'd much rather just stay here with you." The combination of Troy's words and his direct gaze sent a shiver up her spine. A shiver he noticed. "You're cold… here." He hurried to take off his jacket and spread it over her shoulders. Touched by his gesture and a little cold she accepted his jacket sliding her arms through the sleeves. "You know, Gabriella, you didn't tell me why you're up here and not at the party."
"And you never told me what you were doing up here, aside from avoiding the party." She smiled at him. "I've never been to such a big party, and the music was giving me a headache. I came up here to think."
"Strangely enough, that's why I came up here, as well."
"May I ask about what?" He was no longer looking at her, his gaze fixed straight ahead.
Finally he responded. "You can ask, but I'm not sure I have an answer." Troy fell silent again and for a moment closed his eyes, in that moment looking lost and strangely vulnerable. "Before I met you, before these last two weeks, I was… not really happy, but I had accepted my life as it was. I mean, I was aggravated by the way people saw me but I never thought to try and change it."
He turned to look at her for a brief time before looking ahead again. "Chad has been my best friend since we were five but in the last couple of years we've had fewer and fewer conversations about things other than basketball. I've been thinking back over the last few months and I realized that I was losing myself to the basketball guy and I'm not sure what would have happened to him-- me-- when basketball season ended."
Gabriella laid a hand on his arm, trying to give comfort to him. "You're a strong person, Troy, I'm sure you would have gotten through it."
"I'm not so sure, Gabriella, you make me, Troy, stronger and I'm not sure how well the basketball guy would have handled it." Part way through Troy turned to look at her and caught her gaze. His eyes were mired in sadness, fear, and doubt. Seeing his eyes caused her to shiver, left cold by the despair in the blue.
Unfortunately Troy noticed the shiver. "Are you still cold?" He reached out rubbing his hands up and down her arms. "Do you want to go back in?"
His hands stilled on her shoulders. "Not really." Their eyes locked. "You've been really honest with me and I should be open with you, too."
"I can't help but be honest with you, Gabriella. I feel like you know me better than anyone else and I kind of like it. I want to always be able to tell you everything."
"Me, too. You know me better than anyone else, too. And I want to always be able to tell you everything, too." She looked down for a moment gathering her thoughts. "And with that in mind, I have to ask you; before Chad interrupted were you going to kiss me?"
"Yes." The answer was plainly said, with no hesitation. "In the same vein, would you have let me?"
"Could I have stopped you?"
"Of course, all you would have had to do was pull away."
"Then, yes, I would have let you." And then she smirked at him. "I would have even kissed back."
"Ah, good then." They were still facing each other and his hands were still on her shoulders. "For the sake of complete disclosure, I feel that it's important to tell you that I intend to kiss you again in a moment and then ask you to be my girlfriend. What would your reaction be?"
"I would enjoy the kiss and then say yes to being your girlfriend."
"Excellent." And they did as they had discussed.
After breaking the kiss they remained for a moment with their foreheads pressed together, smiling.
"Gabriella, will you be my girlfriend?"
"Yes." They smiled at each other, eyes locked and a million things unsaid passed between them.
"Ready to go back to the party?"
"Not really," She responded, "but if we don't go back soon, the other's will send out search parties." And with that Troy took her hand and they headed down the steps and back into the school building; making their way back into the real world and forward to their happy ever after, or at least the rest of the party.
AN: Please review, please? Had the idea that Troy was not happy with his life while watching the scene where Chad, Zeke, and Jason apologize on the roof. Hope you enjoyed.