I don't own anything.

Chapter Three

The ringing of her cell phone pulled Taylor out of her sleep rolling over she turned on her bedside lamp and answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Taylor this is Troy." He said as he laid in his bed an arm behind his head. He had just kicked Denise out of his house and was sitting up thinking. He didn't know why he enjoyed such empty relationships. Some things didn't make much sense to him after he had already done the actions. 'God I hope she doesn't hang up.' He thought as he turned on his side and laid the phone against his ear. He smiled as he heard Taylor groan. "I hope I didn't wake you."

"Well what did you think would happen if you called here at one o'clock in the morning." She asked over a yawn. Smiling shifted on bed again and lying on his back for a moment.

"Sorry but I had to call you."

"I knew giving you my number was a bad idea." She mumbled

"I heard that." He replied good naturedly, he heard her chuckle and smiled at the sound.

"Good I wanted you too." She looked away from her lamp and rolled onto the other side of the bed. "So why did you call me?"

"Well I was wondering I don't have to go to practice tomorrow and I was wondering if you would like to go with me to the park."

"The park?" Taylor asked with surprised, Troy was surprising her more and more, and she had only seen him again yesterday for the first time in about six or seven years.

"You know the park…I play some pick up games there. I want us to talk and get to know one another again before we go on this trip.

"We already know enough about one another…I mean I am a smart well too due doctor in the L.A. area who owns a private practice… while you're a lunkheaded basketball fanatic and you get paid for it." Troy rolled his eyes and chuckled for a moment.

"Ha...Ha. Girl you need to stop telling jokes. So will I see you at the park?"

"Well first Sherlock you have to tell me which park."

"Okay while I play at the one that was about two blocks away from the coffee house you know the where we met, how about we meet there and I walk you to the park." Taylor just closed her eyes and thought about every outcome if she went to the park with him. "Oh Taylor come on…we'll go as friends I promise even though there are women all over the United States that would kill to be you right now."

"Well I'm not most women."

"So true." He said as he thought how she looked earlier when he saw her at the coffee shop. She looked gorgeous, and if he was looking for some type of commitment he might have tried to get with her. However commitment at the moment was not his thing and he wasn't going to make it any time soon. "You're better than most women."

"Good cover." She replied

"So will I see you tomorrow at five at the Starbucks?"

"Yeah…Troy I'll see you there."

"Oh and Taylor…let's keep the reunion thing to ourselves I want to surprise everyone, so don't tell anyone. Don't tell Gabriella and them and I won't tell Chad. Deal?"

"Deal." She said hanging up. Troy looked at the phone in his hand and smirked before hanging up as well. Mumbling about how Taylor didn't even say good-bye.

"Okay, Taylor let me get this straight. You have a date or an escort to the reunion but you can't tell us who he is." Gabriella exclaimed that morning during their weekly bunch or lunch as Sharpay called it. Taylor just nodded and watched as Sharpay and Gabriella look at one another in utter disbelief.

"Oh he must be someone we know or is he a new man?" Sharpay said as she took a bite out of her second muffin. Taylor just shook her head with a sigh.

"You wish."

"Of course we wish…how could we not." Sharpay shot back. "Me and Gabriella are telling you, you need to get over Jeff." Taylor just rolled her eyes and took a sip of her water before shaking her head.

"I am over him…even if he isn't."

"What are you talking about?" Gabriella exclaimed. Taylor leaned forward and looked between her friends for a minute before speaking.

"I'm saying he came to the office last week. Talking about how he missed me and everything." She rolled her eyes. "So I told him to get out and he was like he wasn't going to give up on me."

"Did you let Dr. Tiller beat him up?"

"Now why would I do that." She asked as she looked at Sharpay who had asked the question. "I don't want him to lose his license."

"Is he the one you're bringing to the reunion?" Gabriella asked excitedly as she and Sharpay looked at one another hopefully.

"No I will not be bringing my co-worker to the reunion." Taylor said "And stop trying o hook me up with him."

"I was just wondering and he would make a great boyfriend slash husband material for you, Tay. He's well grounded." Gabriella started

"Fine."

"Smart."

"Attentive…I think." Sharpay finished with a laugh. Rolling her eyes Taylor leaned back in her seat and looked at her friends for a moment before speaking.

"Look guys I am glad you're so concern about me but seriously I am a grown woman." She said with a smile. Gabriella shook her head and smiled along with Sharpay.

"We know." They said together sweetly.

"Good now let's talk about something else."

"Oh I know," Sharpay said "Did I tell you guys that Zeke and I have decided on a name for our little boy."

"No what is it." Taylor asked

"We are going to name the baby, Michael after Zeke grandfather."

"Ahh! That's so sweet." Gabriella gushed as she and her friend giggled. Taylor sat back and sighed. It was moments like these she felt as if she didn't belong around her friends. They could go off talking about the hardships of raising children and she wouldn't really know how to relate to them both. 'Maybe their right I need to get married and have a family. They seem so happy. Hell I almost had that once, but Jeff chickened out.' She thought as she listened to her friends talked about the time Ryan and Gabriella knew they were having a boy.

Five o'clock rolled around so quickly that Taylor was almost late to meet Troy at the coffee shop. She saw him sitting inside drinking a bottle of water. Opening the door she walked over to him and sat down across from him. He glanced at her for a moment before speaking. "Didn't think you were going to show?"

"My bunch with Gabriella and Sharpay went over." He raised an eyebrow and nodded his head for a moment. Before standing and grabbing his gym bag. "I got here as fast as I could."

"No problem so you ready."

"I'm not the one who's going to be playing." She said with an air of defiance, he chuckled and led her out of the coffee shop, the immediately started walking on the sideway headed towards the park. They passed the time talking about whatever came to mind, making idle conversation and simply enjoying one another's company.

"So is Chad going to be here?"

"Nope…I am the only Laker that plays out here like this." He said with a smile as he looked at her for a second. "Everyone else practices with the team or something like that. They might play streetball if the AND 1 tour comes to town."

"So why do you play out here."

"Competition." He stated simply as he sat the bag down on the stands and then walked grabbed her hand and helped up. "Watch my stuff."

"Sir yes sir." Taylor said saluting him, he chuckled and shook his head.

"Oh you got jokes."

"Lots." She said with a smirk, as he rolled his eyes and just looked at her for a moment before jogging out to the center of the court where the other players were getting ready for the game. Shaking hands with each and every one of them he began to stretch as well.

"So who is the chocolate beauty?"

"A friend, Mark."

"A friend." Everyone exclaimed Troy motioned for them to lower their voices, and smiled at the incredulous looks. He knew what they were thinking, everyone who knew him now, knew him as the Lakers current bad boy and player with the ladies.

"Yeah a friend so how about we get ready and play this game."

"Alright fine but don't get mad at us because we didn't believe you when you said friend." Mark said with a chuckle as he looked at his friend for a few moments before grabbing a basketball and dribbling off to shot by himself. Troy just sighed realizing that this would be his only time for practice since he was suspended.

"She's a lot different from your flavors of the week." Carlos said beside Troy. Carlos had proven to be a good friend of Troy when he had went through his depression nearly a year and a half ago. He and Carlos had become rather close and Troy was currently trying to get him a walk on try-out with the Lakers.

"What are you trying to say?"

"She's different."

"Meaning."

"I don't think she be digging for gold mate." He said in his best pirate impression, Troy just rolled his eyes and looked at him for a second before speaking.

"That's because she got her own money."

"In pirate talk you would say booty." He said trailing off as Taylor got up and bent to pick up Troy's bag. Both men leaned to the side.

"Damn!" they said together and the laughed.

"You crazy man." Troy said as he finished laughing. "She is fine, but she's a friend and she really doesn't need to get involved with me like that. I'm not the same person I was two years ago."

"Well maybe she can change that."

"I doubt that seriously…besides I like the player lifestyle. I mean I don't have to worry about emotions. I just call a girl up and she…well she relieves me." He said wiggling his eyebrows. 'But I wouldn't mind changing for her. Wait what am I talking about she's just Taylor.'

"Well if you ask me that's why you need to change…"

"Hey you two going to talk the whole time or are you going to play some basketball." Troy nodded and got ready for the game.

Taylor hadn't seen Troy play basketball in years. Oh she had seen some of the games but nothing was like a live game. The other players seemed to equally match him on the court but then again he was still a great guard. She even found herself cheering him on as he stole the ball and laid it up on the opposite end. One of the only other girls at the game came over and sat beside her. "So you're here with Troy Bolton huh." She asked looking her up and down. Taylor glanced at her. 'What's her problem…she better not start anything with me.' She thought as looked at girl up and down. She was African American and about her age.

"Yeah I am we're friends from highschool."

"Well my husband Carlos…he's right there. He says Troy is trying to get him a walk on with the Lakers."

"Oh he's good he'll have a chance."

"I know he will." She said with a proud smile gracing her features as she looked at her husband who was getting high fives and pats on the back. "He and Troy are good friends."

"Troy has always been good at making friends."

"So what are you doing here you don't look like his normal flavor of the week." Taylor looked taken back by the woman's words.

"Excuse me I don't even know your name."

"I'm sorry named Nadine."

"Well Nadine, he invited me and I came along. We are not going out and we are definitely not doing anything with each other, other than hanging like friends." Nadine smiled and extended her hand.

"Nice to meet you…I thought you were like that gold digger he brought with him last week. Carlos and I are very protective of him, and we want him to get himself a good woman." She said with an embarrassed smile on her face. Taylor shook her head and sighed.

"Well you guys are still going to have to look harder for that because we aren't going to go out we're just friends."

"Pity you would have kept him on his toes."

"Again we are just friends." She said as she returned her attention to the game. Nadine watched her for a few moments before returning her attention to the game as well. Neither woman spoke again until Carlos and Troy came over after the game was finished.

"So what did Nadine tell you that has you so upset?" Taylor looked at him for a moment before shrugging her shoulders.

"Nothing that I shouldn't have already known." She said dismissively as she looked at him for a moment before shaking her head.

"Well do you mean telling me what you should have known." He said with a chuckle as they continued walking back towards the coffee house. Taylor paused as they came to her car. She looked at Troy and just sighed for a moment.

"That you were a player."

"Oh Nadine told you that huh! He said rubbing the back of his neck as he leaned against her car. Taylor looked at him for a moment before placing her hands on her hips and studying him for a moment.

"Troy?"

"Yes." He said cautiously wondering where she was going to go with this. Taylor pointed her index finger at his chest and spoke.

"Don't play games with me, Troy. I mean it."

"I wouldn't dream of it…besides we're friends right." He said with a shake of his head as he looked at her for a moment before grinning back at her. "So I wouldn't dream of taking advantage of you." Taylor blinked and looked at him for moment, not sure if she liked what he had just said, knowing that she wouldn't mind him taking advantage of her, since he was all kinds of fine. He reached out and opened her car door for her. Once she was inside he looked at her for a moment. "Buckle up and I guess I'll meet you at the airport so we can leave."

"You never said where we were staying when we got back to New Mexico." She said he looked at her for a moment before shrugging his shoulder.

"I don't know you can either stay with me at the house I got my parents or you can go and see your parents." Taylor thought about it for a moment and decided that staying with Troy would be better because then she wouldn't have to listen to her mother asking her if she was ever going to give her grandchildren. Troy looked at her face for a second before smiling.

"I'll take that look as a… you'll be staying with me."

"I guess so, bye Troy I'll see at the airport um..."

"Thursday at eight on the east entrance of the airport." He said closing the door and walking over to this car. He waited till Taylor pulled off before he left the coffee shop. As he drove home his cell phone began ringing, sighing he picked up. "Talk to me."

"I swear, Troy you gotta find a better way of answering the phone." Troy turned onto the expressway headed home. He paused for a moment before sighing already knowing who it was.

"Hey Chad."

"Troy." He said, "I was calling to see if you had decided to go to the reunion." Troy thoughts immediately went to Taylor hoping that she got home safe. "Yo, man you still there."

"Yeah I am."

"So you going…will I see you back in New Mexico?"

"Yeah man of course."

"So who you going with…cause last time you said you wouldn't go unless you had a date."

"It's a surprise."

"It better not be Denise, your mother will snap especially after last time." He said chuckling as he thought when Troy brought home one of the dumbest girls he had ever met. Troy's mother had totally lost her cool and had told her son to raise his standards.

"Naw, it's not Denise…but I can't tell you who it is."

"And why not."

"I want it to be a surprise." Chad chuckled over the line, Troy just smiled as he imagined Chad's face when he showed up at East High with Taylor on his arm. He could just imagine it now everyone looking surprised as they entered the gym next Friday.

"Alright then man I ain't going to say nothing if your mom snaps again."

"Man whatever I know she won't this time."