FLASHOVER ---Chapter 2

FYI-In some fire departments the firefighters are also paramedics and will change duties per 24 hour shift.

Also, the normal shift schedule is 24 hours on duty—48 hours off.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Troy immediately turned on the radio in his car to full blast hoping it would possibly drown out the memories he was having of his past with Christi.

He still couldn't shake the memories and it killed him that she made him feel so bitter towards life.

He needed to talk to someone, someone who would understand.

Troy found himself standing in front of a large intricately carved oak wood door. He knocked softly, not sure if being there was such a good idea.

The door slowly swung open.

"Troy? This is a surprise. What brings you here?" a woman's voice happily greeted him.

"Hey Sharpay, can we talk?"

Sharpay took a good look at Troy and could tell he was down about something and had something on his mind. She knew him all too well.

"Yeah sure, come on in." Sharpay fully opened the door and Troy stepped into the beautiful foyer of the Evan's Estate.

"Let's go in Daddy's study, Ryan has taken over the family room with his friend. They're playing silly video games." Sharpay said rolling her eyes.

"Really?" Troy leaned his head around the corner.

"Umm Troy you came here to see me."

"I know. I'm just kidding." Troy laughed and entered the study and sat on the burgundy leather couch.

Sharpay sat in a matching leather high back chair across from Troy.

"So what's wrong?"

"Who says there's anything wrong? Can't a guy come over to say hi to a dear friend?" Troy tried to give a convincing look back at Sharpay.

"Troy I have known you since we were in first grade. We have been through many things together and you know I can read you like a book. So what is going on?"

"Fine." Troy hesitated before he continued to talk. Troy then sighed heavily and continued.

"I just came from Kyle's place."

"Ok?" Sharpay situated herself on the large chair that seemed to swallow her up.

"Well, Christi was there."

Sharpay drew in a heavy sigh and rolled her eyes.

"Enough said Troy."

Troy looked at Sharpay and nodded.

"Yeah, it was awkward."

Sharpay turned her head and gazed out of the window that was next to her. Her eyes began to fill with tears.

"I'm sorry Shar; I didn't mean to upset you. I should leave." Troy stood up and caressed Sharpay's shoulder.

Sharpay put her hand over Troy's and looked up at him.

"You haven't upset me at all. We are the only one's that truly know what the other is feeling. I am here for you Troy. You have to know that. It just still hurts when I think about it."

"I know it does, but I'm tired of hurting."

"Me too. But it is what it is."

"I guess. I just don't know if I can see my brother go through what I did. He is young and way too vulnerable for Christi's shit. But he's so blind and won't listen to me."

"Yeah she has that effect on men." Sharpay said as she looked at Troy and smirked.

"Shut up." Troy nudged Sharpay.

"I guess we both just have to sit back and see where life takes us. I'm trying my best to forget your brother and move on. I actually have taken up knitting." Sharpay said with fake enthusiasm.

"Yeah and how is that working out for you?" Troy asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"Shut up." Sharpay returned a nudge to Troy.

The two friends laughed and decided to go in the kitchen to see what food Ryan and his guest didn't devour.

"I'm glad you came by Troy." Sharpay said as she bit into an apple. "I've missed hanging out together."

"Yeah, it has been a while. But with two guys hurt at work, I've been pulling double shifts and then on the third day I just sleep and catch up on errands and shit."

"Oh yeah how is work? Better yet how is Chucky?" Sharpay raised her eyebrows and seductively took another bite from the red fruit.

"Work is good." Troy immediately thought about his last shift and the beautiful image of Gabriella took over his mind.

"And Chucky?" Sharpay snapped her finger in front of Troy's glazed over face.

"And Chucky is Chucky." Troy stuttered. He was oblivious to Sharpay's intent with her question. Troy simply continued to wolf down a bowl of cereal.

"It's Chad I have to try and control." Troy continued. "He is always getting us in trouble with the chief."

"Oh yeah, that reminds me, I have to call Tay and find out what we are doing for Chad's birthday."

"Oh jeez, are you two planning a party?"

"Kind of. We may need your help."

"Anything to embarrass the shit out of Chad. I'm in." Troy laughed an evil laugh.

"Well, since he is the big 25, we thought we would have a Vegas themed night and turn my Daddy's nightclub into a casino, but we want to somehow make it a surprise."

"I'm sure I can help with that. Let me know when and what time. I will figure out how to get him there."

"I'm thinking next Saturday since the club is closed to the public for remodeling in the front bar area. We will have the party in the back VIP section. Daddy already said yes. I will talk with Tay about the exact time and get back to you."

"Cool. Are there going to be burlesque girls and topless waitresses?" Troy smirked.

"Ummm no. Sorry to burst your horny bubble Bolton." Sharpay threw her apple core at Troy. It hit him on the head and then dropped into his cereal bowl spilling milk all over his white T-shirt.

"Aww man." Troy stood up and looked at Sharpay like he was going in for the kill.

"Troy, behave. Don't you dare." Sharpay screamed and ran around the kitchen island when she saw Troy pick up a spoon full of Fruity O's.

"Hey, hey, what's going on in here?" Ryan yelled as he walked into the room and was hit square in the forehead with red and yellow cereal rings.

"Glad to see you too Troy." Ryan said as he wiped his head.

Troy and Sharpay looked at each other and stared to laugh.

"Hey Ryan, what's up dude?" Troy said in between chuckles.

"Not much, just playing video games with Sean."

"Yeah who is Sean?"

"My new flavor of the month. But don't tell him I said that." Ryan put his finger to his mouth to shush Troy.

"My lips are sealed." Troy said as he pretended to zip them shut.

Ryan winked at Troy and went back into the family room.

"And with that, I am gone." Troy said as he put the spoon and cereal bowl in the sink.

"Are you sure? We can hang out, maybe take in a movie? Like old times."

"Nah, I think I'm gonna chill, get some things done around town and head over to Chad's later."

"Oh alright." Sharpay said as she started to walk Troy to the door.

"Say hi to Chad and Tay for me and tell her I will call or text her later tonight."

"O.k." Troy hugged Sharpay goodbye. "Thanks for being there for me. I didn't mean to ruin you day."

"Well, I don't think we really talked about "it" much." Sharpay made quotation mark signs with her fingers as she said the word it. "You didn't ruin anything Troy. That's what friends are for."

"Thanks for that Shar."

"Anytime." Sharpay walked Troy to his car and hugged him one more time. "Be careful and call me soon."

"Will do." Troy slid into the driver's seat of his black Audi and drove off down the long narrow driveway.

Troy accomplished most of his errands when he suddenly realized it was already close to eight o'clock and he hadn't eaten anything since Sharpay's house. He figured he would go to Chad's and eat some of his food for a change.

Chad answered the door while holding a large piece of pizza in his hand, which Troy hungrily took from him.

"What's up dude?" Troy asked with his mouth full.

"Not much, just having a lazy day with my own private nurse." Chad said as he ran over to Taylor who was sitting on the couch reading a magazine, and tickled her.

"Get off me you beast! You smell like pizza and beer!" Taylor giggled and pushed Chad off of her.

"Hey Taylor, how is good ole General Memorial treating you?" Troy asked while he got himself a cold beer from the fridge.

"It's fine Troy. I'm actually on the cardiac floor now. It's much nicer than all those moody pregnant women." Taylor rolled her eyes and continued to read.

"Really? The cardiac floor huh?" Troy stopped chewing and looked at Taylor.

"Any patients by the name of Montez there?" Troy asked after swallowing his last bite of pizza and taking a swig of beer.

"Yeah there was." Taylor sat up and looked up at Troy from her magazine.

"Just this afternoon he was sent up. He's scheduled for a triple bypass tomorrow. Do you know him Troy?"

Taylor asked.

"Umm no, He was just a guy we brought in yesterday. I'm not sure why I remembered his name." Troy didn't feel comfortable telling Taylor or anyone for that matter about his curiosity for Mr. Montez's daughter.

And as if Taylor read his mind she continued to talk about it.

"Yeah and his daughter is there with him all the time. Gabriella is her name. She is so sweet. We chatted for a while over a cup of tea. I guess his wife passed away recently, so she is really worried she's going to lose him too."

"Is she from around here?" Chad asked as he reached across the table for his beer.

Troy loved that some of his questions were being answered and he didn't have to say a word.

"No, they just moved here from Michigan. Gabriella is going to be a fourth grade teacher at Butler Elementary in a couple of weeks after they are settled in. But now with her Dad being sick, she doesn't know what she is going to do."

"Ah he'll be fine." Chad said as pizza sauce dropped out of his mouth and onto his shirt. "Triple bypass's are like a walk in the park these days."

"You are such a slob!" Taylor yelled. "I just bought you that shirt."

Troy looked at the red stain on Chad's light blue Henley and started to laugh.

"Dude, do you need a bib?" Troy laughed even harder as Chad made the stain worse while trying to wipe it with a dry napkin.

"Seriously!" Taylor walked over to Chad and ripped his shirt over his head and went into the kitchen to put some club soda on the stain and soak it.

Chad sat on the couch shirtless, grabbed another slice of pizza and leaned back with his feet rested on the coffee table as he turned to continue to chat with Troy.

"Life is good." Chad smiled and flexed his muscular pecs up and down so they did somewhat of a dance.

"Put those things away you ass!" Troy continued to laugh as he tried to drink his beer down.

"Anyway." Taylor said as she came back and threw a clean shirt on Chad's stomach. "Gabriella said she was going to be there again all day tomorrow, so hopefully when my shift starts I can be with her to keep her company because I'm sure her Dad will be pretty knocked out on pain meds."

Troy couldn't help but feel his heart flutter every time he heard her name. "Gabriella", he thought. Over and over he would say it in his head. It has such a beautiful sound to it.

"What shift are you working tomorrow?" Troy asked Taylor.

"I'm working the four to twelve shift tomorrow." Taylor replied.

"What?" Chad sat up and yelled. "You work until midnight tomorrow?"

"Yeah, so I've worked that late before. What's wrong?"

"I wanted to take you to dinner." Chad looked like he just lost his puppy.

"Oh baby, that is so sweet," Taylor climbed on Chad's lap and started to kiss his lips and caress his crazy curly hair.

"O.k. I think that is my cue to leave." Troy stood up and tapped Chad on the shoulder. "See ya later dude."

Chad just raised his hand and waved goodbye to Troy, never unlocking his lips from Taylor's.

Troy walked into the kitchen, set down his plate and beer on the counter and noticed a cell phone lying near the sink. He grabbed it and put it in his pocket. Then proceeded to the door and quietly making his exit before clothes started to come flying at him.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hope you all are enjoying the story… don't worry Firefighter Troy hotness is in the future. :drool:

Please comment—Thanks.