21 Questions

It was a stifling summer afternoon. The sun was shining and the only sound that could be heard was that of the waves crashing onto the beach. As the day was drawing to an end, the only people left sitting on the sand near the shore were Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez.

"Are you ready to go?" Troy spoke as he began to stand up

"Let's just stay a little longer, I want to watch the sunset." She said in a beseeching manner

"Alright Gabi, we can stay, but you're buying dinner this time"

"Fine. Just sit back down." She said as she stroked the mark of sand beside her

Troy sat back down and just watched the gentle waves bathed the beach.

"So what do you want to do while we wait?" he said. "You can't just expect me to sit here and stare at once spot."

"Okay… umm…how about a game?" she said somewhat unsure if it would be something to his interest.

"Uhh…I Spy?"

"Think again." She replied as she let out a giggle.

"Rock Paper Scissors?"

"What?" she said surprised he would even consider that as an option.

"Kidding" he laughed at how serious she took it. "Well than…how about 21 questions?" he said with a smirk on his face.

"You're on Bolton." She smiled. "What do you want to know?"

"Oh I thought you were smarter than that Montez. You should have seen this one coming."

"What?"

"I want to know what I've been trying to figure out for the past few months…who this mystery guy is that you and Taylor keeping gossiping over and who keeps you in a constant daydream."

"Umm…" she was beginning to regret agreeing to the game.

What Troy did not know was this "mystery guy" was he. He was just too blind to figure it out. All the signals and flirtatious moments the two had shared had gone unnoticed, and all the side talks with his friends did not seem to faze him. Gabriella grew weary of the waiting and decided to accept the fact he didn't feel the same way.

"Well Gabi…"

"Shoot" she said ready for the questions to start flowing

"This should be fun," he said as he rubbed his hands together in a devious style "First question does the guy go to East High?"

"Of course"

"It is a guy right?"

"Troy!" she hit is arm playfully

"I was just kidding" he said as he raised his arms in the air. "Is he in any of our classes?"

"Yes"

"Is he in our homeroom?"

"Yes"

"Is he on the football team?"

"No." she firmly stated

"That eliminates a few guys okay uhh…is he on any team?"

"Yeah"

"Basketball team?"

Troy wasn't sure about this question. He was close with all the guys on the team, and it would be hard for him to accept the fact that the girl he was falling for was falling for someone other than him, especially if it was one of his friends.

"Umm…yeah, he's on the basketball team"

"Do you know him pretty well?"

"Yes"

"Does he know you pretty well?"

"I think so"

"Am I fiends with him?"

"Sure"

"Is it Chad?"

"No! He's dating Taylor"

"Right…Jason?"

"In love with Kelsi"

"Zeke!?!?"

"Hung up on Sharpay"

"Forgot about all that." He said scratching his head. "Have you known him for a while?"

She took a deep breath. "Yeah…since New Year's"

A light bulb switched on his head. Everything was coming together. All the moments they've spent together, the late night rehearsals, the study "dates", the engaging minutes they shared. It finally clicked.

"Does he sing?"

"Yes"

"Does he have blue eyes?"

"The bluest"

"Is he sitting right next to you?"

She nodded. He figured it out.

"Do you love him?"

"More than he could ever know?"

"Well…do you know he feels the same way?"

She opened her mouth to speak but words would not come out. But before she knew it…Troy had leaned over and gently places his lips against hers. Soft yet corporeal, time stopped for the moment. Both eventually intensified the kiss as the sun finally began to set. The landscape was flawless as was the kiss. The palm trees began to sway along with the gentle breeze filling the air. The sunset turned the sky into a sea of red and mustard yellow swirls. It was breath taking and beautiful. In others words it was the epitome of perfection.

As they pulled apart, grins had already engulfed their faces.

"So…" he began

"Yeah…" she was confused on what to say

Everything happened so fast and all at once. Both were equally shocked over the events that just occurred. None of that no longer mattered now that everything was out in the open. They had finally admitted how they felt. It wasn't the most traditional way of professing ones love, but Troy and Gabriella were never really traditional when it came to their relationship.

"Gabi…you have no idea how long I've been wanting to do that"

"I think I do Troy"

"Well…I want you to know that's how I really feel…it's how I've felt"

"So we stayed for the sunset" she stated as she rose up and wiped the excess sand that seemed to stick to her legs. "Even though we missed it. I guess I owe you dinner."

"We may have missed the sunset Gabriella, but we experienced a moment a million times better."

She smiled for the sweetness in his voice showed.

"You know Gabi…I'm really glad you didn't let me leave."

"Me too Troy." She smiled.

"We should do this again sometime" Troy said

"Yeah…and maybe next time we won't miss the sunset by talking"

"Gabi…the next time we go to the beach we won't be watching sunsets and…we definitely won't be talking." He said as he began to laugh.

They both stood up and began to walk away from the beach as they interlaced hands.

"I'm excited I proposed we play 21 questions."

"I am too Troy but…there was only one question you needed to ask?"

Troy smiled knowing exactly what she meant. They headed out and further away from the beach. They looked back and smiled and leaned in once again to share one of many passionate kisses. In the future they would experience more, and without ever faltering…there would also be more than 21.