Oh okay then I will post it lol!
Thank you so much for your wonderful, kind words and for taking the time to review. Karen and Amy you will make a comeback also…look out.
And sorry if this drags on please tell me if it does, but here is the 'long awaited' sequel to Pole Position.
First Chapter…ooh I'm nervous. Please comment, thank you.
Enjoy
Ang
CHAPTER 1
"Hi Bea" Gabi said casually dropping her bag on the counter of 'Joe's Diner'.
The very same diner she and Troy had eaten breakfast at. But now she was a regular.
"Hey, Gabi!" Bea smiled warmly from behind the counter, her apron tight around her expanding stomach as her baby got bigger. "You meeting Danny?" she asked, knowing Gabi often came in for lunch with her boyfriend.
"Yeah, if he finishes at the garage in time" she sighed
Gabi now had a job running dancercise classes at the gym between Karen's house and the small town where Danny worked.
She'd been dating Danny for about a month now and he was sweet enough but there were still a little hole in her heart where Troy used to belong. More than little. More like huge.
Danny had offered her a necklace just last week and she had refused it. He'd been upset but he'd also been patient and waited for when she was ready.
Gabi had nothing lasting from Troy that proved his love to her. No jewellery, no toys. His flowers were long dead and it made her ache that that was what she loved most about him. That despite his money, his fame, the thing that meant the most to her was the night he took her for ice cream, or how he washed her hair when she was ill.
But she'd had to shake herself out of these thoughts regularly and get on with it. Life wasn't going to deal her a second chance at happiness. She'd had hers and she'd missed it, and now she would have to settle for second best.
Danny came in, greasy, in his overalls, his grin huge. He had curly dark hair and warm, melted chocolate eyes. He was taller then Troy but not as built, and he was only eighteen.
"Hey there's my girl!" he grinned and Gabi smiled back
"Hey grease-monkey" she chided, escaping his black fingers as he tried to tickle her
"What are you having for lunch?" he asked "I'm starving!" he enthused, sitting next to her at the counter
Bea gave him a look "You better go wash those greasy paws, Danny" she warned
He rolled his eyes "Okay, okay" he sighed and disappeared.
"You know something doll?" Bea asked Gabi as Gabi vacantly stared into space
"What's that?" Gabi snapped to attention, looking into Bea's hazel eyes, her chestnut hair framing her face in curls
"You don't look at him the same way you looked at the other one" she lifted her eyebrows
Gabi rolled her eyes then. This wasn't the first time Bea had mentioned Troy. Not by name. She never mentioned his name. But she talked about Gabi's feelings for him. Frequently. That was why she thought of him every time she stepped into this place.
It was probably why she ended up here in the first place. Her memories of eating here, having that comfortable relationship, the childlike abandonment.
Maybe she shouldn't have come here. For her heart to recover it would have been best not to indulge in this reminder of the past. But she had to have something tangible. Something to comfort her.
"He's not here though is he?" she said softly "And I have Danny now, and a new life" she said more strongly, hopefully convincing Bea who gave her another knowing look.
"Honey, I know you miss him. You don't have to hide it from me. He knows it too" she jerked her head toward the door of the men's toilets where Danny appeared now.
She frowned. Did everyone have to know about the very public split of her and Troy?
It was bad enough she had to nurse a broken heart three months ago but to have the papers printing all kinds of stories just made things worse. Luckily, no-one much worried about tabloids round these parts, but Gabi worried her heartbreak was plain for everyone to see.
"What's that sad face for?" Danny asked
"No lunch yet" Gabi lied, letting him kiss her gently. He cuddled her into his hips and she knew he was getting impatient. He wanted to have sex and she kept stalling.
"Come on, Bea, speed it up" he joked
"You haven't ordered yet!" she accused indignantly
"Oh yeah" he laughed and they ordered cheeseburgers for lunch, Danny fussing over Gabi as she sat, deep in her own thoughts.
--
Troy clutched his teddy as he got off the tour bus. He hadn't seen the thing for years but his mom had handed it to him when he was packing, 'for company' she said. Right now his soft toy was like a lifeline. The only thing he had left that hadn't let him down, that he hadn't fucked up and that loved him unconditionally.
"What a journey eh, Pirate?" he said to the toy. His bear had gained an eye patch after the next door neighbor's dog had a fight with him and 'Pirate' had lost. Before that he was called Buddy.
Unfortunately, a paparazzi happened to be lurking and caught a picture of Troy hugging his bear and he smiled bemusedly, rushing up the path to his parent's house with his bags.
His mom opened the door and hugged him, tears in her eyes, and his dad followed behind her, man-hugging him and going out to get the luggage while his mom clung on for dear life.
Troy chuckled "I know I'm famous, but I didn't expect my own mother to believe the hype" he quipped, his throat spasming against the tears as the reality of being back set in. Back in California. Back in a ten mile radius of Gabi.
"Shh" she tsked, stroking his hair as she took in his face, stepping back, looking at his attire.
He had on a dark duffle coat he'd bought in New York with some smart jeans, trademark converse shoes and a shirt under his jacket.
"You look smart" she praised "But thin, too thin" she frowned "I have some waffles on in the kitchen, come and eat something" she admonished and he looked behind for his dad who was lugging in his bags of gifts.
"God Troy what did you buy? The whole of New York City?" he asked, out of breath "That's all of it" Troy sighed as the coach headed off and he waved to the driver.
"Well it's almost Christmas. Thought I'd be organized" he shrugged and they went into the kitchen where his mom was dishing up waffles.
Sat round the table were all his friends, including Chad.
Troy beamed "Oh my god!" he yelled, high fiving them all, hugging Chad as he stood up "What are you ugly bunch doing here?" he asked, shocked
"We knew you were back today" Tom said
"And your mom promised us food" Jason quipped, Linda tapping him on the shoulder in a pretend slap
"Thanks, guys, it means a lot." He smiled, taking in his friends faces around the table as they tucked into their food, thinking, there's someone missing.
But he knew there was always someone missing. Wherever he went, whatever he did, there was a space where Gabi fit and she wasn't here to fill it. And she would never be. He took off his jacket and began talking about his time away, brushing his feelings to one side.
"So how was the tour?" Chad asked, taking a mouthful of food
"It was good, man. The backing dancers took me out to casinos, Indy car racing…"his mom gave him a look
"Sorry mom" he blushed
"It's okay. You already went to a lap dancing club" she joked
The guys laughed and Troy smiled, remembering Gabi in that sexy little genie outfit.
"And the girls?" Jason asked and the others looked at him pointedly "What!? I was only asking…" he muttered
"The fans were great. Other than that, there were no girls…" he shrugged
"No girls?" Jason looked shocked "All those dancers…three months…"
Chad elbowed him this time and Troy had to laugh at their frantic actions. No one wanted to mention Gabi it would seem.
"You guys know me better than that" Troy said calmly, bypassing the awkwardness "Look, I just got back, I haven't unpacked so I'll bring your gifts round next time I see you" he said then to improve the mood
"Ooh gifts, the famous Troy Bolton got us gifts" Tom ribbed him and Troy had to smile
"Okay you lot, I am shattered and I just wanna crawl in my bed and vegetate for 3 days." He sighed, getting up to see them out.
Chad hovered at the door "I missed you, dude" he said and Troy clasped his hand, their shoulders touching as they said goodbye
"You too buddy" Troy smiled as Chad walked away.