Disclaimer: I don't own HSM or Zac Efron. If I did I would be in bed with him and not writing fanfiction.
Chapter 2
Troy was out of bed by six the following morning. Not that he'd slept; the events of the evening before had been running madly around and around his head. If he didn't know better he'd say that he'd fallen in –
Troy stopped suddenly in shock. What was going on with him? He'd seen this girl for like half an hour and suddenly he was having all these thoughts, thoughts he'd never had before about anyone.
As always when his head was in turmoil, he was making for the basketball court. Bounding lightly down the stairs, he pondered exactly what had happened last night. After their song, he had introduced himself – and had been floored by the spark of electricity that had spread through his body as he had shaken her hand. He had been rendered almost speechless. Only the thought, the need, to not have her go away so soon had given him the ability to suggest they get a cup of hot chocolate. Their time together had flown, and the next thing he had known she had been making an excuse to leave him. He had been in too much of a daze to remember a word of their conversation, but he did vividly and thankfully remember asking for her phone number. As he approached the gym he checked his watch. Half past six. Still too early to consider calling her.
He drew a breath and began to jog slowly around the court, warming up his muscles. Since he had no way of seeing her for at least a couple of hours, he would give his body a workout like never before. It would, he reflected with an unconscious smile, release some of the tension he had been feeling since they had parted the night before. He very delicately did not question himself as to exactly what kind of tension needed releasing – but if he had he would have had a suspicion the electricity that had been coursing through his body – every part of his body - since their meeting might have something to do with it. He had to see her again, and soon.
After an hour on the court Troy returned to his room. He had removed his shirt and was about to make for the shower when he heard a knock on the door. For and instant he wondered if it might be Gabriella and his heart leapt. Then he remembered that she had no way of knowing where his room was. He opened the door to see his mother standing there.
'Hi Mom,' He leaned over and kissed her cheek. 'Happy new year. I looked for you and dad last night but that party was packed so I gave up. Did you have a good time?'
Lucille followed Troy as he turned and walked back into the room. He turned when he reached the bed and she returned his kiss on the cheek.
"Happy new year, sweetie. That party was a little overcrowded, I think especially so for your father. You know he isn't really into that sort of thing.' She smiled wryly. "He'd rather be on the court with his number one basketball star son.'
Troy grinned. "Can't say I blame him for that."
Lucille ruffled his hair playfully. 'Why am I not surprised?' she asked the ceiling.
'You just get back from working out?" she asked, changing the subject.
"Yeah," Troy replied. "I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd shoot a few."
His mother smiled. "Listen, I just came to tell you that we have to leave for the airport in a little less than an hour so I wanted to make sure you were packed."
Troy raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"But I thought we weren't flying out until this afternoon?"
Lucille nodded. "I know, but the travel agent called me yesterday afternoon and told me the airline had been in touch with her. Something about an overbooked flight. I just haven't had a chance to let you know.' She laughed at the look of dismay on his sculptured face. "Cheer up, kiddo. The slopes will still be here next year. And I know for a fact there's a few Wildcats back home just itching to mix it up with you on the court." she teased.
Troy cleared his throat. "It's not that, Mom. It's just–" He stopped mid-sentence, not yet ready to share something he didn't understand himself. If he'd told his mom that he'd met an amazing girl and didn't want to be parted from her yet – after just a few minutes with her – she'd think he'd snapped his cap. He smiled, wiping any concern from his face.
"You're right. And someone has to get back and give Danforth a run for his money."
Lucille smiled at her beloved son. 'True. So. How 'bout you hit the shower, and we'll meet you down in the lobby in about half an hour. We'll eat breakfast at the airport. Okay?"
Troy nodded as he walked her to the door. 'Okay Mom. See you soon." He closed the door behind her and then leaned his forehead against it for a moment, thinking. How unbelievable that this time yesterday he'd been looking forward to going home, and now he only wanted to stay and spend time with Gabriella Montez. He bit his lip, wondering what he was going to do. He checked his watch again. Almost eight. It wasn't really that early. Maybe he should just give her a call and –
And say what? Hi Gabriella, I'm not a stalker, but we just spent half an hour together and I think I might have fallen in love with you. Would you like to hang out for ten minutes before I have to leave?
Not going to happen. He sighed, turning towards the bathroom. A few minutes later the room filled with steam as he stood letting the hot water run over his tanned, muscled body. He turned his face up towards the intense spray in an attempt to wash away whatever spell he'd been under since meeting her. He didn't really see what else there was to do right at that moment.
A short time later Troy was standing in the elevator as it slowly sank to the ground floor. He hadn't been packed but it hadn't taken him long to stuff his things into his suitcase. The doors opened at a leisurely pace, and he stepped out into the lobby. He glanced around, part of him still hoping to see Gabriella before he left. His dark-haired dream girl was not present; however, he saw his parents over at the main desk in the process of checking out. He drifted over to them, lugging his suitcase behind.
Jack Bolton turned at his son's approach.
"Happy new year, bud. Have fun last night?"
Troy nodded, not really in the mood to chat. He hoped his father would not continue to question him about the party because he was beginning to feel the desperate need to talk about Gabriella. If he couldn't see her, talk to her, then talking about her was the next best thing. But at the same time he wasn't ready to discuss his feelings yet. He was totally stunned and bewildered by their intensity himself; how could he expect anyone else to understand? His dad would probably think he was crazy. Luckily, Jack was distracted by the clerk's request for his credit card details.
Troy left his suitcase with his parents and wandered away a few feet, taking only a superficial interest in the activity going on around him. A small squad of resort staff were on clean-up detail, quietly vacuuming floors and polishing small tables with various comfy chairs scattered around them. His eyes were drawn to one sofa in particular; he felt and inexplicable, almost uncontrollable desire to go over to it. Looking over his shoulder to make sure his parents were still occupied, he tentatively made his way over to the chair that was drawing him like a magnet. He felt vaguely ridiculous even though no one could read his thoughts. What the hell was going on with him? If this kept up he was going to question his sanity.
He arrived at his destination and sat down uncomfortably. The cleanup crew had not reached that particular area yet; there was a light scattering of party streamers and confetti still littering the table in front of him. He leaned back in the chair and exhaled a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. Somehow, he began to feel a strange sense of peace settle over him as he sat there. Like he was in the safest place in the world; yet something more as well. The feeling that he'd expect to find in the arms of the woman he loved. Abruptly he shook his head to clear these thoughts. He really was losing the plot!
He jammed his fists down either side of himself and pushed down against the sofa cushion, in an attempt to lift his body so he could sit up straighter. His right fist slid into the gap between two cushions and he felt it come into contact with a small piece of stiff cardboard. Drawing it out into the open he examined it and as he did so his jaw dropped.
The small length of cardboard, no more than five or six inches long and two across was a bookmark. A medley of equations and chemical symbols in bright colours was printed on the front; but on the back someone had scrawled six precious words. They read:
Gabriella Montez. Sun High, San Francisco.
Had he actually just found something belonging to the girl that had haunted his thoughts every minute since they had met?
Just two floors above Troy, the object of his thoughts stretched like a kitten as she gradually wakened. Gabriella had no idea what time she had eventually dropped off, but the thoughts that had at length closed her eyes were present as she opened them.
Troy.
A smile curved her lips as she thought back to the evening before. She couldn't remember the last time she had had so much fun. She knew much of the pleasant feeling that now occupied her body was thanks to a certain blue-eyed boy; but unlike last night she did not allow her thoughts to stray to the total impossibility of their seeing each other once this vacation came to an end. She sprang out of bed with barely contained delight at the thought of seeing him again that day. He had said he was going to call and she couldn't wait. Her mind still filled with her infatuation (and the cause of it), she skipped lightly off towards the shower in joyful anticipation of what the day would bring.
A/N
Please please share your thoughts on these two chapters with me. I am new to fanfiction and really really want to know what you think – good, bad or ugly. Maybe not ugly. Play nice people. So, while I am aware that there are many more incredible fanfiction stories for you to read to help induce those Troy/Zac (either/or ... not Zac on Troy... that's not my thing) fantasies PLEASE take the time to let me know what you think. Go on, it's easy!
