How I Met Your Mother:
A High School Musical Tale
By: Me, super duper yay :)
Note: Just a one-shot. Soooo, enjoy! (Go HSM!)
"Mommy, have you known Daddy forever?"
The brown eyes peering out from just above the edge of the pink, ruffly little girl's bedspread were enough to melt a heart. They were enough to turn back the hands of time within it; one glance would melt away the years until a simpler day remained, one that had found its place among countless memories.
The young woman's lips were drawn up into a slight smile, as she reached down and brushed away a tendril of chocolate brown hair. She smiled into the eyes that so closely mirrored her own—large and brown and full of an innocent wonder, which never completely gave way to the intelligence within them.
As she sat on the edge of her daughter's bed, wrapped like a blanket in the soft and familiar glow of a lamp that had sat in her own bedroom as a girl, her mind began to stir gently…until it was dancing. Just as they had done back then.
"Well, baby," she responded gently, tousling the little girl's brunette locks, "not forever. The way it happened was…interesting."
"Who's next?"
The overexcited voice was amplified more over the microphone, so it wouldn't be drowned out by the excitement of the young and energized crowd.
She didn't pay much attention to it. She was only here by suggestion – more like force. All she really wanted to do was curl up and read her book; was that so much to ask? Anyway, it was getting to the good part; the boy was just about to catch up with the girl and profess how head over heels he had fallen for her. As much as she loved to be absorbed in almost any work of literature, romance scenes were what really got her every time.
The multi-colored lights swirled over the pages continuously, but her deep brown eyes kept themselves focused solely on the words. The lights got brighter every so often, so she kept her book on her lap, her head bowed down in concentration, away from the distraction.
One of the brighter lights bathed her pages once again, and she waited for it to pass. The noise in the room got steadily louder; in the background of her world of romantic fantasy, she could hear cheering. The light didn't go away. She felt slight heat on the top of her head and lap. What is going on? she wondered. Looking up questioningly, she squinted against the light.
He shoved his hands in his pockets, milling casually through the crowd. Not a bad group, he decided. Everyone looked like they were having a decent amount of fun. Okay, so he didn't know anyone here, but at least the mood was nice. White and blue balloons bobbed around amongst streamers and various glittery decorations. Ha—look at that, he thought. There's even karaoke.
The noise in the crowd escalated into cheers and whistles, and a young boy and girl, standing slightly higher than everyone else on a platform in the middle of the moderately sized room, smiled and waved, bowing and accepting the praise. He hadn't really been paying attention, but he guessed they'd been the last ones singing.
His mind wandered again, and so did his eyes. He watched several teens playing a rousing game of air hockey, and several more grouped around a punch bowl. He checked his watch. Only 45 minutes until midnight? He guessed he could stand to hang out here until then.
One of the bright lights swept over him, and he squinted momentarily. He squinted more as it stopped directly in his eyes. Why was the crowd "ooooooh"-ing suddenly? He held a hand up over his face. What the heck? He wondered.
He felt a hand on his arm before he could even think anything else. "Come on!" a voice urged. "No, no, really…" he insisted, completely taken aback.
Partially blinded by the light, her mind suddenly began to piece things together, although it was difficult when she had been pulled so suddenly from reading quietly to having a spotlight burning against her face. A hand was on her arm now, pulling her up. Her mind clicked, and her eyes widened as she shook her head.
"No, no," she protested, rising to her feet. But the friendly stranger who had pulled her out of her seat wasn't letting go of her. "Come on," they urged, grinning. She dropped her book, the front cover falling closed, abandoned on the couch.
Before she could protest further, she was being pushed over to… the stage?
She stumbled onto it, her mind tumbling. She held her arm timidly, wondering how in the world some party going stranger had gotten her onto this platform in the middle of everybody.
He stepped up slowly, unsure of what the heck he had gotten himself into. He looked over at the random individual the spotlight had selected for him to sing with.
She barely threw him back an insecure glance.
For just a brief moment, he watched the light catch her chocolate curls, spilling down around her shoulders in mesmerizing waves.
If he had to sing karaoke with someone, she wasn't so bad…
"You know, someday," a voice said suddenly, as the man who'd been on the microphone stepped between them, "you guys might thank me for this."
He glanced back and forth between their unsure expressions, and chuckled.
"Or not," he added quietly, turning away and stepping off the platform.
It was then that the music began.
He watched her carefully, examining her, trying to read into her thoughts. She wasn't looking back at him. Yet her expression read loud and clear.
He knew and recognized the song; they both did. He didn't know all the words, but that's what the screen was there for. He broke his eyes away from her, raising them to the screen, and began to sing.
As the first verse flowed out from within him, he really surprised himself. Am I actually doing this? He wondered continuously. Maybe it was the happy, enthusiastic, supportive crowd; maybe it was that the lights were too bright to really see anyone around him; or maybe, it was her.
When he finished the first four lines of the song, she still hadn't looked at him. Maybe she's just not going to sing, he thought. Eh…that's okay, I hardly blame her. I think I'm out of here. Karaoke is just… too weird.
He turned away, walking to edge of the stage, one step away from his escape.
Then, he heard it.
Soft and smooth, enough to mesmerize you, came a voice he hadn't expected from this timid young girl. He stopped in his tracks, turning around, watching her in wonder as she sang. He stepped up to the mic, eyes never leaving her, and sang his "Ohh…" as she continued.
Then there was a bridge, and a chorus. She finally looked at him, and as their eyes locked, their voices were no longer the voices of two unsure teenagers dragged onto a stage, but a melody. A strong one, an incredible one, exactly what they'd least expected.
He saw her smile, and it stirred something within him.
She saw him smile, and her heart fluttered.
It was incredible, and neither could explain it, but suddenly, there was no one else in the room. It was just the two of them, and they were singing to each other. He saw her inhibitions melt away, and as he removed his jacket and began moving about more freely, rocking the mic back and forth and down in exaggerated Elvis-style motions, she saw the song taking him over as well. He smiled at her smile, and she smiled at his.
As the song flowed into its third chorus, he took a few steps towards her, singing straight into her eyes. She was surprised and excited at how close he was to her, and he was moving closer. Still singing, she took a step back, one, two, three…
A shock ran through her as the ground disappeared from beneath her feet, and her hands flailed in attempt to rescue herself.
Then, from behind, just in time, she felt hands supporting her back, pushing her upright. She turned quickly in silent thanks, then back to the boy serenading her.
As the song continued to flow from her, a thought briefly flashed through her whirling mind.
I'm literally falling for him…
He watched in surprise and relief as she regained her footing, laughed, and continued the song.
As everything must come to an end, though, it too eventually began to die down, gently falling into its last, soft notes. Their eyes locked, and as they breathed out the last words, they knew one thing and one thing only.
They would never forget this night.
The music ended. The cheering began, wildly and more fervent than before. He watched the light dance in her hair. She gazed at the passion in his eyes, like the song was still being sung in them.
With the music done, only then did she remember that ten minutes ago, she'd been sitting on a couch reading a book, her curls hiding her face. Only then did she remember how afraid she'd been when she stepped up to the microphone. All of that was just…gone. Standing here in front of him, something had fallen away. She felt so safe. She felt so liberated. Like everything was possible.
"Troy," he said, holding out his hand.
"Gabriella," she responded, shaking it.
They both smiled. Gabriella saw his lips turn up in a boyish grin, and smiled back, at how different it was from the unrestrained songster he had been moments before.
They stepped off the stage, Troy holding out a hand to help Gabriella down. The "microphone man" congratulated them.
"Wow! That wasn't so bad after all, was it, guys?" He laughed into his mic. "Let's give it up for these two!"
They smiled modestly at the crowd as more cheering erupted. Gabriella felt a familiar blush creeping back onto her cheeks, but within moments, it had passed.
She gathered her book; he asked her if she wanted to get some drinks and talk. They did. Their conversation took them outside, the chill of the air barely noticeable to either.
"But, seriously, you have an amazing voice," Troy told her earnestly. "You sure you haven't sung before?"
"Just church choir," she responded, grinning. "But never anything like this. I tried singing solo once…I took one look out at the audience, and the next thing I knew, I was looking at the ceiling. End of solo career." She giggled.
"Well, considering the way you sang in there," Troy commented, "that's pretty hard to believe…."
A moment later, they heard the counting begin. Ten, nine, eight…
Their eyes wandered everywhere except towards one another. Was midnight really here? Did the night really have to end?
Three, two, one.
Fireworks exploded. Eyes met. Hearts beat quickly.
"Mommy!" exclaimed the little one, giggling and pulling her covers over her head. "Don't make it icky!"
Her mother laughed, yanking the covers back down. "It's not icky, sweetie," she promised her. "Daddy and I didn't kiss then." She gave her daughter a tap on the nose.
"Eww!" her daughter exclaimed. "Oh, wait. You didn't kiss?"
Gabriella shook her head. "Nope. Not yet."
Her daughter smiled, curiously. "But you did sometime, right?"
"Well," came a response, "That part came later in the story."
The little girl turned her head, her face breaking into a smile. Her mother turned around as well, and was suddenly greeted with the arms she'd come to know and love.
"Daddy, is that whole story really how it happened?" the little girl asked, her eyes bright with excitement, but eyelids drooping with oncoming sleep.
He nodded in response, hugging her mother from behind.
"Yes," he told her. "That is how I met your mother." He kissed her cheek, and she smiled.
"Like kindergarten," she whispered to him.
He smiled. "Yeah…just like that."
"Kindergarten?" remarked the little voice from under the covers. "What are you talking about?"
Troy smiled at his daughter. "That's another part of the story," he replied. "One you get to hear when you're not so sleepy." He reached out, stroking her cheek with his finger.
"Hmmm, okay." She sighed, smiling. "Well, I'm too old for kindergarten, anyway. I'm all done. Now I'm in first grade…" Her eyes drooped closed as she spoke.
Gabriella watched her tiny, still figure…the soft olive skin, the long brunette hair, the delicate lips, and the tiniest spatter of freckles across her nose, all relax into sleep. She smiled. In her little face, she saw every memory, every stepping stone along the road that led the way through their story. She hadn't even been there when it had all happened, but because of it all, she was now.
She leaned down, kissing her daughter's forehead. Troy stood up, walked around Gabriella, and leaned down to do the same.
They stood together, watching her.
"You know," Gabriella whispered, "I never did finish that book."
"What book?" Troy whispered back.
"The one I was reading the night they pulled me up to sing with you." She smiled. "It was really good…"
Troy just chuckled. "Well, I didn't get to finish my free throw practice that night either, but I can't complain."
"Oh, like it mattered, Mr. Wildcat Championship Winner," she shot back with a smile.
He just laughed and kissed her cheek. "Wait a minute," he whispered midway through the kiss. "What time is it?"
Gabriella stole a glance at her watch. "Oh, it's five to midnight," she responded excitedly.
"Hey, let's go outside real quick," Troy suggested hurriedly.
"Outside?" Gabrielle raised her eyebrows. "Why?"
Troy just paused. "Well…you need to say yes," he whispered. "Because I brought you something."
Gabriella fell silent. He knew what must be running through her mind.
"What do you mean?" she asked, hardly able to contain her grin.
"Turn around." He smiled.
Slowly, she did. The look on her face was warm, remembering.
Troy leaned in and gently kissed her.
"Come with me," he whispered, grabbing her hand and pulling her out of the room, down a flight of stairs, and out into the moonlight.
"Troy, what are you doing?" she questioned, smiling.
"Wait." Troy stepped away from her, reaching into his pockets. He pulled out a few folded pieces of paper, which, in the dim light, Gabriella couldn't make out.
Troy gently stepped towards her, reaching out and tucking her hair behind her ear.
"This could be the start of something new…it feels so right to be here with you, ohh…"
With his rich, beautiful alto solo, he rewound the years. Suddenly, they were on Gabriella's balcony, it was 2006….
And there were tears in her eyes.
In the last line of the song, she raised her voice to join him.
"I feel in my heart…the start of something…new…"
Silence hung between them. Somewhere in the distance, a popping noise could be heard, like someone stepping on bubble wrap. Both looked up quickly to see distant fireworks, being launched by people holding a New Years' celebration somewhere in Albuquerque.
The moonlight glinted off a tear on Gabriella's cheek, and Troy held up the paper. Gabriella took them, glancing up at him before unfolding them.
"The pairs audition," she whispered.
Troy stepped forward, taking her free hand. "I'm Troy," he whispered, grinning.
She looked up at him, and there he was—her Wildcat superstar, Troy Bolton.
"You know my name," she whispered, throwing herself into a hug.
Troy smiled. "Gabi Bolton, right?"
She giggled. "That's right. And you know what it feels like when I'm with you, right?"
He paused a moment. More fireworks popped in the distance.
"Our daughter is too old for it—I know that much."
I got the idea for and wrote this story all in one night, after watching HSM of course. :)
It's my first High School Musical fic. I kind of want to write another one-shot for it too, because it was fun! So maybe you'll see another one of these soon.
Also, if you're also a Phil of the Future fan, you might like my story Our Own Timing, which is also in the works right now. :)
Thank yooou:) Goodnight, good day, you know, whatever. And remember, everyone loves a good jazz square.