ONE
Sharps said don't be late! And also don't cause a scene or make the engagement about you. Sorry bro.
Troy read the text again and finished another glass of whiskey. He was already tired even before stepping through the venue's doors and now his limbs felt heavy, the liquor was no help.
Somehow, Sharpay had strong-armed him into coming out that night for the after party of her new rom-com movie Scene Screams. It appeared to be another Judd Apatow-like movie that was about backstage drama and predicted as the blockbuster for the summer, so Sharpay (and mostly Zeke) consistently began sending guilt-trip inducing texts all winter long about showing up. And Troy agreed. But that was before he learned about Gabriella's engagement to techie mogul Wesley Benzer.
He traced the grain of the wood on the bar with his thumb. It was inevitable. He would have to face her in a couple of minutes and the neatly packed envelope that he placed every divine thing about her would come spilling out. Every inch of her lovely face, her bright brown eyes, sly smile, and witty comments would come running towards him and there was nowhere to hide that night.
"What are you doing in LA? I know you live on the East Coast." Leaning her head towards the side, the blonde bartender studied him skeptically, "You're thinking about taking that sports anchor position aren't you."
She pulled him away from his gradually depressing thoughts. "You've heard about those rumors?"
Her sweet smirk fell into annoyance, "It's just like a man to assume that women have no interest in sports."
He sent her a sheepish smile. "I didn't mean that." He glanced at her name tag, it read: Neela.
She shook her head, "It's okay… I just heard a bunch of guys bitching about the local sports coverage in LA.
"So," he fixed his tie, "So in other words you're not that impressed with my career."
"Don't feel bad," she laughed, "It's not like you're so impressed with mine."
"You're wrong," he pulled out a hundred-dollar bill to take care of his tab and tip her a little extra, "I think your drinks are amazing." It was a little extravagant, but he couldn't pass the opportunity to impress at least one girl tonight.
She blushed and rolled her eyes when she saw him wink at her, "So anyway, are you drinking alone at Crobar tonight?"
He tore his eyes away from her and looked into the nightclub's hazy and disarrayed environment, "One of my friends has an after party thing for her movie premiere."
"Sharpay?"
Troy nodded.
"Cool." She glanced at the VIP's lounge area, "You know you're supposed to be over there right?"
"Yeah," he smiled a little, "I figured I'd get liquored up before joining the party."
"So five shots in a row, classy."
Troy looked into the corner he knew Sharpay and the rest of his friends were, but he couldn't bring himself to get up and greet everyone yet. Not until he knew what he was walking into. "I've got a newly engaged ex-girlfriend… and she's here with the reincarnate of Steve Jobs."
The bartender paused to give him an understanding smile, and reached for the top shelf. "Here," she poured a glass of whiskey for him, "this one's on me."
"I told you," he grinned gratefully, "you're amazing."
"Yep. Gabriella Montez, seems like everybody want's to marry her." She shook her head.
"How'd you know?"
"Her fiancé is a big deal in the tech world," she admitted, "He's loaded, and he just popped the question a couple of weeks ago, so its kind of a big deal in town."
"What type of loaded are we talking about?"
"Like youngest billionaire on the Forbes list this year type of loaded," she frowned sympathetically.
"Damn," he shook his head, "I'm only luxury car and new house loaded. The odds are looking real bad."
The blonde laughed, "Look, maybe he's got a terrible personality or he's bad in the bedroom department."
"Nah," Troy looked into the liquor glass, "I was young and dumb... and I was an asshole to her. I can't ever ask her for a second chance."
Neela frowned, "Are you going to need another fill?"
"Nope." He glanced up and smiled, "Trying to keep it classy, remember?"
She wiped down the bar and said with a tone of finality, "You seem like a good guy. I hope Steve Jobs goes broke and you get your girl."
Troy grinned and took a sip of the whiskey, "You might be the only one."
"Who knows, maybe Gabriella Montez will turn out Team Troy after all." She winked at him, "Can I get you anything else before my break?"
He shook his head, "You've been great. Have an excellent night, Neela."
"Thanks," she pulled off her apron, "You too, Bolton... Don't mope around here all night, remember you still have friends on the other corner of the club."
Sharpay stood next to Zeke waiting impatiently for Troy to greet her best friend. She'd been thinking about this moment for years and imagined Troy, so completely devastated by Gabriella's engagement that he'd rush in and apologize (profusely with tears of course) for everything that happened before and beg and plead her not to marry Wesley Benzer, aka networking-techie mogul, aka youngest billionaire alive, aka Troy Bolton's worst-nightmare. If Zeke could hear her thoughts, he'd roll his eyes and accuse her of being over-dramatic. In which case, she sometimes was. However this evening was dulling out by the second, and she needed something to happen now!
"Are you still looking around for Bolton?" Zeke glanced at his on and off again girlfriend, " … he's not going to cause a scene, Sharps."
"I'm not looking for him!" Sharpay sat down on the arm rest of an uncomfortable mid-century leather love seat and pulled Zeke towards her, "I'm looking for my co-stars."
"Oh, let's talk about that," Zeke leaned down and looked intently at her, "I thought we had a no-tongue policy. What's up with that scene with Fake Gyllenhaal?"
"I knew you were gonna bring that up," the blonde slipped her hand into his, "Zeke, I was so mad at you that day."
"So you made out with someone better looking that me?"
"Yes," she answered honestly, "for revenge. But I didn't sleep with him. Or answer any of his texts."
He grinned widely and held up palm up for her to, "That's my girl."
Sharpay high-fived and kissed him.
"That is dysfunctional." Taylor, who was sitting next to Chad, stated plainly. The two of them both had judgement and slight confusion plastered on their faces.
"I don't even know if their together or..."
"I don't think they even know," She finished his sentence.
"Haters. Where's Troy?" Sharpay glanced around the nightclub again.
Zeke chuckled, "I knew you were looking for him. It's not like he's gonna start a fight or anything."
Which is actually something she wouldn't be opposed to. At the moment Sharpay, was not Troy's biggest fan. She was slightly annoyed with everyone being sympathetic about his situation. She didn't want him to get hurt to the point of no recovery, but she wanted him to at least feel something remotely close to what he did to Gabriella. "I just don't understand how he is two hours late and his hotel room is a block down the street."
"Who's late?" Gabriella finally joined them and reached for Sharpay's champagne glass and took a sip, "I swear everyone's champagne tastes so much better than mine."
"Be careful, she just made out with Zeke," Chad muttered quietly to Gabriella about the glass.
"Your one true love," Zeke answered her question while Sharpay went on about how rude it was to show up late to a group gathering.
"Well he probably doesn't feel comfortable." Taylor said in defense of him.
"Yeah, you kinda put his shit on blast the last time you two were in the same room," Chad finished his comment with his eyebrows raised.
"What?!"
"Is there anything you've waited to tell me TROY?" Chad raised his pitch in a surprisingly good attempt at mocking an uncompromisingly violent version of Gabriella that they've only seen once, "LOSE MY NUMBER!"
She was under the impression they were talking about Wesley right up until Chad's exaggerated impression of her. The rest of their friends laughed while Gabriella remained composed, "Well. I apologized after."
Taylor added, "-through text."
"And you also broke his heart," Zeke recounted for the rest of them.
"I don't recall that happening," She drank out of Sharpay's glass again, annoyed by the fact that her friends would probably never let go the constant need to reexamine her break up with Troy.
Chad pushed his way to the center of the conversation again, "You don't remember him standing outside of your apartment with boom box?! And writing you everyday for a year?! And asking you to MARRY HIM?!"
"Chad, I always knew you were a closet romantic," Gabriella pensively, disregarding his melodramatic embellishments of the split.
"Well, I don't think Bolton's just gonna let you get married," he ignored her accusations and grinned, "Girl, you better be ready for impromptu marriage proposal."
"Then you guys better prepare for an impromptu wedding." She pointed to her ring. There was literally no way she would let Troy get anywhere near her love life now.
"Daaaaamn. That's cold-blooded." Zeke faked a disapproving frown, but was obvious he was still rooting for Troy, "I bet you wouldn't say that if Wes was broke."
"And not handsome." Taylor added.
No one said anything.
"-Then he wouldn't be Wes." Sharpay answered on behalf of her brunette friend, turned to Taylor and started laughing uncontrollably.
Chad high-fived Zeke and pointed at Sharpay, "She just got a really good one in."
Gabriella looked plainly at the rest of them, "Wrong, none of those things are my deal-breakers."
They all sent her a look of doubt.
"I'm in it for the manly eyebrows."
All of them erupted into unrestrained amusement.
She shook her head but couldn't stop grinning at the ridiculous scenarios Chad and Zeke kept inventing, "You guys are insensitive... Troy and Wes would not appreciate this conversation."
"Girl, you co-signed with that impromptu wedding and manly eyebrows, though," Chad pointed out.
"I was peer-pressured by a group of bullies." The brunette returned Sharpay's champagne to her and stood up, "I'm gonna to the ladies room, and then I'm going to go find my fiancé and tell on all of you guys." She stated factually, and smiled before being swept away by Sharpay's co-stars while heading towards the bathroom.
"Man, did Troy mess that one up or what?" Zeke shook his head and took a seat next to Sharpay who was watching Gabriella disappear into the crowd.
Taylor frowned and complained, "It's so sad. They don't even talk anymore."
"Yeah, when he sees her he's gonna regret it," he finished his sentence in a sing-song voice.
"Damn. You're beautiful."
There it was: the envelope of loveliness that remained, Gabriella. She appeared as everything he imagined of her for the last couple of years and then probably a bit more.
Gabriella stared at him through the mirror, he had just flung open the door and stepped in casually, "Troy, this is the ladies room." She was slightly put-off and confused by his presence.
His eyebrows shot up but he couldn't look away, "I know I just had to see you." Troy exhaled and grinned into her disapproving eyes, "You look amazing."
She paused for a moment, "This is inappropriate." It was obvious that he'd been drinking.
Even though he preferred it when she her hair was longer, something magical was happening in those short curls around her collarbone. Her eyes were demure and resolute, and even when she was looking at him with hesitancy he imagined what they would be like if she held a soft warm expression for him like she used to, ages ago.
"I'm sorry," he said sincerely, but kept grinning, "Does it make you think about impulsive we used to be? Or are you concerned about your boyfriend finding us together in a bathroom."
Gabriella paused thoughtfully as she finished washing her hands. "I'm concerned for your barely legal girlfriend. It just sucks to have your boyfriend flirting with other women."
"I'm a little flattered you read up about that."
"Well you know," she shrugged while drying her hands off, "Can't miss the youngest thing that's happened to your love life."
Troy's smile faded a little. "You don't miss a beat do you?"
She turned from the mirror to face him directly, "You should sit down with Sharpay and the rest of everyone. They're looking for you."
"I just," he placed his hands in his pockets, "had to come congratulate you on your engagement first."
"Congratulate," She repeated. It was more of a question than a statement, "me."
They looked at each other and exchanged a moment of awkwardness.
He exhaled a nervous laugh, "Yeah..."
It wasn't much of an acknowledgement, but then she didn't expect much from her ex. "Okay, well thanks."
And then followed a couple more seconds of self-conscious silence.
"Look, I mean it." He confessed.
There was between the two of them, a monumentally quiet barter of emotions. She didn't know what he was doing and she was surprised and almost disappointed at herself for her growing curiosity.
In turn, Troy was beginning to find the words he'd been lost to for years, and without breaking any contact from her bright brown eyes, he recounted, "I messed up so badly with you, and I never imagined to have this kind of distance between us, but-"
"-Troy, you really don't have to-"
"-I just want you to be happy."
There was nothing left to say for Gabriella to say. She wasn't expecting this version of Troy and never thought she'd catch another glimpse of him not since their early college years anyway.
He endured the silence on her end, and ended his congratulatory statement quietly. "So if you're happy," he bit his lip and finished, "I'm happy too."
Gabriella inhaled slowly. For years, she waited for this side of him to surface. He suddenly appeared as so much more familiar than who he'd been projecting lately. He looked so old and new at the same time, as if those destructive post-college years never touched him at all. She stepped back and found the counter behind her supporting half of her weight. And then she finally exhaled, "I am."
"Good." He smiled a little.
His subtle nod, sealed his sincerity for her. She watched as he turned to get the door and some mysterious desire swelled up inside of her and compelled her to ask him to stay.
"I better introduce myself to your man," Troy turned once more before leaving the room, "I'll catch up with you later." He flashed her an easy-going grin before disappearing behind the door.
After finding her way back to Sharpay's corner, Gabriella sat down in between Sharpay and Taylor while the rest of them were discussing whether Zeke should expand his food-truck business to a permanent location or not. She tried to catch up on their conversation, but she was still thinking about Troy and slightly confused about what just happened.
"No, I gotta get out food-truck thing," Zeke finished his beer and slammed it on the coffee table, making a louder sound than he anticipated, "It's trending now, but it's as good as dead in a couple of years."
Gabriella decided to jump head first into the issue at hand, "I think something's wrong with Troy."
Sharpay, Zeke, Taylor, and Chad turned.
"What happened?" Chad looked suspicious, "Did he say something stupid again?"
"No," she answered flatly, "he's introducing himself to Wes now."
Jaws dropped. "WHAT?" Taylor and Zeke asked in unison.
"Why are we not over there?" Sharpay glanced into the crowd to look for Gabriella's fiancé.
Chad put his drink down and took good look at Gabriella, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she shrugged, "I just got a little visit from high-school Troy I guess. He's super drunk too."
"I think we should go find them." Taylor looked a little worried.
Gabriella put up her hands, "I don't think I want to get in the middle of that, and besides, I think Wes could handle it."
"But if Troy's drunk, he might start a fight, and tonight supposed to be all about me." Sharpay raised an eyebrow.
"Look guys, I'm not that drunk." They all recognized that voice.
"But he's a little drunk." Wesley confirmed.
"Alright, I'm a little drunk." Troy appeared behind Taylor with Wesley next to him. They stood side by side, with similar statures and easy-going dispositions.
The rest of the group glanced at each other curiously and slowly began greeting Troy.
"You're late." Sharpay faked an offended glare.
"Sharps," Troy forced her to scoot over, "I honestly thought you said to meet here at 1 and not 11."
"Lies you tell."
Zeke and Chad greeted him with a mandatory bro hug. "She's been talking shit about you all night," Chad pointed towards Sharpay, who shrugged out of indifference.
"No, let clear this up," Taylor clarified, "They have all been talking about you guys."
Zeke shook his head, "No, no, no, no, no. We were preparing for situations. That's hardly the same thing."
"Well, I don't care," Troy spoke into the air, "Sharpay's just jealous, she still wants me."
"Yearight?" Sharpay spat out in disgust.
Gabriella took Wesley's hand as she watched them banter. He leaned in to kiss his fiancé and spoke into her ear, "Babe, I gotta head out to Japan tonight. I just got a call an hour ago."
"Nooo," she held her on to his face with both hands, "You said no more trips until for the year."
"Max missed a meeting with the production guy and I've got fix it." He stood in place.
"I hate Max." Gabriella shook her head, "You have to replace that guy."
Wesley laughed, "I hate Max."
"Do you want me to come home and help you pack?"
"Nah," he leaned in, "You should stay here with your friends. I'll be back in a couple of days."
"Okay," She finally let go of his face, "I'll keep the bed warm for you."
"Goodnight, I'll text you when I get there." He kissed her one last time, said his farewells to her friends, and left.
"Japan." Gabriella stated factually, when everyone kept glancing inquisitively in her direction.
Then Troy remembered how difficult it was going to be to remain friends with Gabriella, especially now more than ever. He surrendered his slipping sobriety over to another glass of clear tan liquid and saw himself reach for her elbow when Sharpay conveniently leaned out of the way. He moved quickly but gently and had his lips next to her ear, "If you're happy."
Her eyes grew wide as if he handed her an answer to an unknown question, "What." She could really smell the trace of alcohol on his breath now.
"I'm happy too." He did not wait for a response from her. He simply made his exit as quickly and neatly as Wesley's but heading in the opposite direction.
The remaining five lingered quietly until one of them couldn't bear it anymore.
"What the HELL was that?"
A/N
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type yes for continue. type no for stop. and I promise I'll listen to you.
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