The Definition of Us
Disclaimer: I do not own HSM.
Chapter Three- Define Cooperate
cooperate (verb): to work or act together despite the possible presence of obstacles.
Troy watched as Gabriella rounded the corner and disappeared towards the pool. Of all people, she was the last person he had expected when the other counselors mentioned 'Ella'. First, no one back in Albuquerque called her Ella; it was always Gabi or Gabster in Chad's case. Troy's nickname of Brie was taboo for everyone else because they knew how he used it just to get under her skin. Secondly, she was supposed to be at Lava Springs. When he woke up that morning to complete awareness of his perfect summer, he had envisioned Gabriella back at the country club in her red swimsuit and white shorts singing Karaoke with Sharpay and Ryan while they waited for Kelsi and Taylor to get off work. He had not seen her in Colorado with him. Looking away from the path, he caught the look that Ben sent him.
"We need to finish. I told that Brett guy that I would help him carry the new canoes down from Pete's truck," Troy said evenly, grabbing an armful of basketballs and taking them back to the closet on the other side of the fence. Ben didn't say anything, thinking rightfully that Troy wouldn't answer any of his questions anyway.
After a few trips to the storage closet, Troy slammed the door shut and slipped the lock into place. Picking up one of the two ball pumps, Troy motioned for Ben to lead the way to the pool. He shrugged off the other boy's reminder of Gabriella's request. She wouldn't expect him to obey her request anyway.
"I'll just drop it outside the fence, but you won't need to take two trips. She won't even see me." Troy told him and the other boy shrugged.
"If they finished the rest of inventory, she probably won't even be there. It's getting late and she was supposed to help the drama girls sort through sets and costumes from last year to decide on the end of summer play for the kids." Ben set down his pump when they reached the open door in the fence. "She's like a lot of us and running more than one activity."
"Except she's probably running five," Troy replied sarcastically and smirked at the surprised look on Ben's face. He was right. East High's princess was pulling out all the stops once again. "Let me guess, she's working the pool and the theatre, probably the track and if they get desperate she will agree to help with baseball."
"Uh, well, yeah," Ben said, unsure of how to answer Troy's answer, "but you missed basketball. Pete asked her last night after seeing her play."
"Ah, but she didn't know the basketball instructor would be me," Troy pointed out, leaning against the chain linked fence and watching a girl with red hair skim the pool with an over-sized net. Ben had a line between his eyebrows and Troy knew what he was thinking since his classmates at East constantly commented on the same thing. "Brie and I may not get along and avoid each other whenever possible, but I've known her for years."
"Well, it's too bad if you're right about the basketball thing; she has some moves on the court." Ben waved to Cheyenne and picked up one of the pumps so he could get back to work. "I have to get back to work. When you're done with Brett, can you come back for the pumps? We don't have a key."
"Yeah, man. I'll see you at supper." Jogging down the path, he cut behind the theatre building and found the trail leading through the woods to the water.
He considered making an entrance into the theatre but thought better about it. They had both come here hoping to make summer easier on themselves and their friends and if that was the case, Troy would comply by continuing his plan of avoidance.
Gabriella stepped out of the meal line in the mess hall that night and glanced around the mainly empty room for her friends. Meeting Hailey's eyes, the blond raised a hand and waved from a table near the window. Making her way over, Gabriella set her tray down and slid into the seat beside Caleb. She ignored the piercing blue eyes that watched her from the far end of the table as she stabbed a piece of cucumber on her plate.
"A little warning would have been nice," Caleb hissed into her ear a few minutes later and she looked at in shock at his tone. She opened her mouth to ask what was wrong but then she caught the look he sent to the end of the table and then looked at her again. "Bolton?" he prodded.
"I didn't know he was coming. It's not like we compare schedules or lunch dates with each other," Gabriella shot back, stabbing another vegetable. "I can't believe I told Pete I would help out with basketball activities."
"Flirting with the enemy, Brie?" The hard voice was laced with sarcasm and venom. "Does Chad know?"
Her fork scraped against the ceramic of her plate and all conversation at the table halted at Troy's tone and the familiarity with which he said her name. Gabriella looked away from Caleb and gazed steadily down the table. Ben buried his head in his hands.
"Chad, Bolton? That's the best you can do today?" she scoffed, popping a baby tomato in her mouth. "And I thought you would have worked on your taunts after not seeing me for three days. I'm disappointed."
"Yeah, well I thought I had all summer to come up with new material," Troy shot back, leaning his elbows on the table, "so the disappointment is mutual."
"Oh, honey," she smiled sweetly at him, "I'm not disappointed that you're here. I'm disappointed that I didn't know sooner or I would have stayed home. Just imagine how much fun Sharpay and Taylor must be having without you."
"You're really going to bring the Ice Princess into this?" Troy asked with an arched eyebrow.
"Don't call her that!" Gabriella snapped, pushing her plate away and standing up.
"Guys, just take a breather," Caleb said, wrapping his hand around Gabriella's arm and pulling her back into her seat. "Ella, just ignore-"
"Hey, West Boy," Troy interrupted, "Stay out of it."
"Never mind, we'll both go," Caleb concluded. "We'll see you guys outside when you're finished."
Gabriella slammed her tray onto the counter before leaving, hearing Caleb's steps run to catch up with her. Walking outside, she headed to the field where they were all supposed to meet so they could run over procedures with each other. Caleb caught her arm and she whirled around, fury in her eyes. Letting her knees collapse, she sank into a cross-legged posture on the grass, pulling out a few strands of grass and running them through her fingers.
"He's just being an ass," Caleb told her, sitting beside her.
"He's always an ass," Gabriella sighed, lying back on her elbows. "Can we just talk about something else until he gets out here and starts all over again?"
"Sure. I need you to find out if Jayme has a boyfriend." Gabriella turned so she was facing him, letting a sly grin spread across her features.
"Wow, those must have been magical soccer nets you helped put up earlier," she commented. Looking away from him and across the field to the front of the mess hall, she saw the rest of the counselors coming towards them. "Leave it with me," she told him.
"You'll be subtle, right?" he sounded worried and Gabriella laughed as she stood up and wiped away the stray strands of grass that clung to her.
"Trust me."
They were interrupted by Pete's megaphone as the rest of the staff joined them on the grass. After making all the basic introductions for the benefit of the people who hadn't met Troy yet, he pulled out handfuls of maps and highlighters. After distributing them, he waited for the chatter to die down again before giving them directions.
"Alright, so this evening we are going to run through all emergency procedures," Pete started. "First is fire. If you find the fire, you get everyone in the area out and pull the closest fire alarm. If it's in the woods, you blow your whistle as loud as you can. Three short blasts signal fire. If you hear the fire signal, you get everyone to the soccer field. Everyone understands?" They nodded and he continued. "Next are medical emergencies. If it's one of your campers, you use the walkie talkies and call for the first aider. Give her details so she will know if we need an ambulance. The rest of you are responsible for keeping the other kids out of the way. If it happens in the pool, you let one of the lifeguards run procedure since it's different." Again they all nodded agreement. "Great, now everyone get out their maps and find their cabin partner. All cabins are paired for certain activities and to make it easy for the kids to remember, we just go one through ten. One is with two, three with four, etcetera. So, partner up."
Gabriella saw Caleb grin as he detached himself from her side and went to find Jayme. Trying to remember cabin assignments, Gabriella did the calculations in her head. Jayme and Caleb were seven and eight, Brett and Hailey were five and six, Cheyenne and Anna were cabins one and two. That left Ben from cabin ten and Kylie and Troy. Horror washed over Gabriella as she remembered that Kylie was in cabin nine, a quick glance over her shoulder proved her right. Closing her eyes, she murmured every swear word she knew in Spanish under her breath.
"Troy and Ella? You have a map?" Opening her eyes, Gabriella saw Pete looking slight annoyed at their lack of response.
"Uh, yeah, sorry. What area are you giving us?" She poised her highlighter over the detailed map of the camp and surrounding area. It would be the area she and Troy would have to search if there was ever a missing camper or staff. It would be the last resort if they couldn't be found within any of the buildings.
"Area six," Pete told her, pointing out the section on the map. She shaded it in while he watched and then copied the motion on his own master copy of the map. "I want you to explore it now. The boundaries are marked off with pink rope so you will know when you reach the outer edges of your area."
Gabriella nodded and began walking towards the main path. Their area consisted of the woods behind the cabin area. It stretched a quarter of a mile behind the cabins and followed the lake until reaching the docks which were part of section five. She was half way across the field when she heard Pete call her name. Looking over her shoulder, she saw him point out a red and black clad figure with his hands shoved in his pockets.
"Take your partner," he reminded her.
Crossing her arms, she waited for Troy to take the longest twenty steps she had ever witnessed until he was close enough that it looked like they were working together. Passing him the map, she watched him scan it for a moment before looking up.
"Have you been in this area yet?" he asked, handing it back to her and zipping his jacket up when he felt the air start to chill.
"No." If she kept her answers to the point, than maybe they could accomplish something without falling into a pit of insanity.
"I think we should start at the lake and work our way up. If it was a real situation, that would be the most dangerous place to find them," he said, noticing the look of respect she had for his logic before she managed to hide it behind an emotionless wall.
"Sure."
It took them almost an hour to cover every part of the area and they did it in complete silence. The only time either of them spoke was to point out a particular dangerous spot like a sink hole or steep slope, after which Gabriella would mark it on their map with a pen and add a description to the margin.
Making it back just before dark, Gabriella noticed that some people had already returned and Brett and Hailey had started another game of basketball like the night before. They called for them to join but when Gabriella saw the grin spread across Troy's face, she told them that she was headed for bed. Troy watched her walk away before catching the ball that Brett threw. Taking five steps inside the court, he bounced the ball a couple of times for letting off a shot. Hearing the cheers as the ball went through the net, Troy looked back and saw Caleb push away from the fence and take the path towards the cabin.
Troy bounded down the steps of his cabin on Tuesday morning. Stopping at the bottom, he quickly laced up his sneakers and shoved the earbuds of his ipod in his ears. Looking around, he noticed that no one seemed to be up and moving yet. The ground was still moist with morning dew and the wind was still. Hitting the button on his music, he slipped it inside the pocket of his hoodie and pulled up the hood. Waiting for the first song to pick up, he paused before setting off at an easy jogging pace. Reaching the main path through the camp, he remembered what Brett had said the night before about the trails along the lake being the flattest and more even. Keeping the pace even, he cut between the main office building and the mess hall, reaching the marked trail.
The ground was slightly uneven as it led downhill and Troy was careful not to trip over any roots or loose stones on his way. Just as the trees thinned to give him a view of the lake, the trail broke left and right, leading downshore towards the docks or up wards away from camp. Taking the right path, Troy turned up the music and began picking up the pace. It wound in and around the lakeshore but remained fairly flat, passing the docks, the incline increased but Troy didn't mind. He estimated he had gone about half a mile when the pink rope marking Area Eight came into view and he decided to turn around so he could shower before breakfast. He slowed as the docks came into view and a flash of pink caught his attention.
"For a moment, I thought you were Sharpay with all the pinkness," he told her, taking the headphones away from his ears. She was seated cross-legged on the wooden planks of the wharves, her back to the trail and her own ipod beside her, the earbud wires tangled around it.
"Keep going, Troy, it's too early to deal with you," Gabriella replied, never shifting position.
"What are you doing?" he asked, "catching your own breakfast?"
"I went for a run and now I'm clearing my head. Or I was until you came and now it's filled with angry thoughts again." She didn't look behind her but heard a board creak as he took a step forward and another one back. "Please, leave."
"You were running? How come I didn't pass you on my way?" He noticed the stop watch on her wrist and realized she had probably been timing herself.
"I cut through a different area, I guess." She shifted slightly. "Let me know if you're going to make this a daily thing because I will take Pete's advice and stick to the main road even if the view sucks."
"That's all uphill," Troy pointed out, unable to keep the patronizing tone from his voice.
"Only one way," she said as she stood and adjusted her spandex shorts so they covered her butt again. "I'm heading back. What way are you going?" he pointed and she nodded before jamming her music in her ears and turning it up.
Troy opened his mouth to say something but she brushed by him and began running back to camp by an alternate route, leaving him standing where the wooden dock met the dark earth. Sighing, he turned his own music back on and continued down the path he had chosen.
"Tay, you don't get it," Gabriella said into her cellphone while she sorted through her clothes for something to wear on her last day before the official work began. "He's everywhere."
"I know it must be hard but maybe this is a good thing. You're both there with none of us to act as buffers or Chad to guilt trip you into behaving; maybe you can work past this three year long argument no one else understands," Taylor told her. "As long as you stay professional then I'm sure you can make it work or succeed in avoiding him like you do here."
"This isn't Lava Springs," Gabriella replied. "At least there he stayed on the golf course and I stayed in the pool. Zeke coordinated our schedules so we were rarely in the kitchen at the same time. Here, we work together."
"I have faith," Taylor repeated, but she was stopped from finishing the sentence at the sound of something falling. "I'm going to have to let you go. Jason just dropped an entire tray of water glasses."
"Yeah. Has he called Chad yet?" Gabriella asked feebly, telling herself she didn't care.
"Last night. I don't know what he said, though."
"Doesn't matter, I'll talk to you later. Tell Sharpay and Ryan I said hi."
"Try to have some fun," Taylor said before hanging up.
Sighing, Gabriella plugged her phone into the charger before grabbing a pair of denim shorts and a green baby doll top. She was assigned to the theatre to help Kylie set up lighting and the sound system for the opening night of camp. Tomorrow would be a free for all as campers arrived after lunch and counselors tried to get everyone organized, but the evening was planned as an introduction to one another and Kylie wanted to do karaoke. Thinking this over, Gabriella debated her shoe choice before shoving her feet into her sandals. She grabbed her camp keys before heading out the door.
Troy eyed the path in front of him that led away from camp and up the mountain. Behind him, he heard the other cabin counselors chattering as Brett and Kylie groaned. As the only two returning cabin counselors, they knew what was ahead of them. Troy looked away from the path when Pete cleared his throat for their attention. This was the last teambuilding event before tomorrow morning when the campers arrived and Troy was thankful. Pete was much too excited about teamwork.
"Alright, so this little activity has multiple purposes," Pete began, "The first is to learn the route that the kids will take for the big overnight trip that happens in August. The second is to enforce the idea of teamwork." At this, Troy saw Pete's eyes bore into his before looking around. Following his gaze, Troy tried to find his partner in crime. "Anyone know where Gabriella is?"
"Right here," she called from the back and Troy smirked. "I got caught up fixing the pool pump."
"You got it fixed?" Cheyenne asked happily and Gabriella nodded.
"Great, so the camp engineer has arrived and we can get started. The trail is marked. All you have to do is get to the top, find your prize for surviving, and come back down. Whichever team wins get an afternoon off next week of their choosing." Applause broke out at Pete's announcement and the manager grinned. "Get going."
Troy looked over his shoulder and saw Gabriella making her way towards him. He frowned when he saw that she was still wearing her pool gear. She was going to freeze. Where was her brain? At least she was wearing sneakers, he noticed. She watched the ground as she approached him, walking past on her way to the trail head without a word.
"So now you're a pool pump expert?" Troy remarked in an effort to break the awful silence. He wasn't used to the crackling tension between them. It was normally diffused by someone around them or they yelled and were able to ignore it.
"The one at Lava Springs used to do the same thing. I learned how to fix it instead of listening to the uptight old ladies complain about us closing the pool," Gabriella said quietly as she spotted a trail marker and kept climbing.
She and Troy remained quiet as the incline of the mountain rose. They weren't really going to the top, but a clearing about half way up. Brett had told Troy earlier that it usually took him an hour up and a little less on the way back down. Troy figured that his fitness level put him on the same time frame as Brett, and Gabriella was probably equally capable. Picking up the pace slightly, he scrambled over an upturned tree and saw Gabriella do the same with ease. He could hear the others either ahead of them or behind. The climb was steady with only a few obstacles that forced them to go around. Looking at his watch, Troy grinned as they emerged into the clearing just behind Brett and Hailey.
"Forty-eight minutes, Brie. That's impressive." She rolled his eyes at his comment and proceeded across the area to the blackened fire pit that had obviously seen years of abuse. Bending down, she retrieved two packaged marked with their names and handed one to Troy. Cracking it open, Troy laughed. "Flashlights. That makes the way back down look inviting."
"We may be able to make it before it gets really dark," she commented, following Brett towards the marked trail that would return them to camp.
"I doubt it. The sun is already setting and once it gets below the tree line, we won't see anything," Troy told her, taking the lead. He expected her to get annoyed and shove him to the back but she didn't. Looking at her, he saw the shadows of the tree already casting patterns on her face. "You're going to freeze."
"I'm fine," she retorted, grabbing a branch to keep her balance as the hill dropped two feet before becoming a trail again.
"You're still dressed for the thirty degree weather in the sun," he pointed out.
"I was fixing the pump. I didn't have time to go back to my cabin." Troy let it drop as he jumped down from a boulder instead of sliding down the dirt path.
Brett and Hailey's voices faded as they got further ahead and Gabriella recognized Caleb's deeper voice accompanied by Jayme's tinkling soprano. Everyone else was either way ahead of Brett or falling further behind them, but Gabriella couldn't tell. The shadows lengthened along the ground and Troy flipped the switch on his flashlight and illuminated the path in front of them. It was quiet except for the wind and the occasional sound of a bat. Troy paused when the path dropped away again. Looking around, he tried to find a way down.
"What's wrong," Gabriella asked, coming up behind him and turning her own flashlight on.
"The path breaks away again but it's kind of high." He looked around and saw that the drop off ran both ways as far as the light would show them. "Hold this," he told her as he held out the flashlight.
Gripping the tree beside him, he inched his way forward and then dropped. Shining the light down, Gabriella saw him land softly in the dirt with his knees bent. Looking up he beckoned for the light and she tossed it down. Shining the light up at her, he tried to find a way that she could get down. It was about a four foot drop and he wasn't sure she was tall enough to do without twisting something. Her arms weren't as long either so she wouldn't be able to keep a grip on the tree.
"Alright, there's only one way to do this," he called up. "Toss me your flashlight and grab that tree branch that's by your hip." She did as he told her and inched as far as she could before Troy stopped her. "Okay, now get your balance and then lean forward. I want you to grab my hands and I'll slow the jump."
"I can do it with one hand," she told him and he shook his head.
"No, I need two to make sure you don't land weird. The ground is uneven." She hesitated and he began to shift from foot to foot with impatience. "Come on, Brie."
Reaching down she let him wrap his hands around her smaller ones. In the fading light, he saw her clench her jaw and a low hiss escape her lips as he gripped tighter. Frowning, he pulled her towards him as she jumped down lightly. He noticed her wince as she took her hands from his and he reached for the lights as she continued down the hill. Three strides and he caught up, four and he was in front of her.
"Stop for a second," he said and handed her a flashlight that she accepted with her right hand. "Now show me your hand."
She looked into his eyes for a moment before taking a step around him. He stepped with her. Glaring, she backed up and he copied her movement. Sighing, she gave up and gave him her left hand. Holding the light above their hands, Troy inspected the three fingers on her left hand that looked bruised and swollen. Someone, he suspected it was her, had wrapped white surgical tape around the base and the top joint. Watching her face, he gently nudged one. She hissed and tried to jerk it away. He held on.
"What happened?" he asked, turning over her hand and examining the palm. It was smooth.
"The wrench slipped while I was putting the cover back on the pump," she said softly as he let them go. "They got jammed."
"They look broken," he told her. "It happens in basketball."
"I'll be fine." She lifted the flashlight and pointed it down the trail. "Let's just get back."
Troy nodded and took the lead, casting the light around for trail markers. Finding them, he kept track as they headed back to camp. The way down was faster, despite the drop offs and they made good time. Reaching the bottom just after Brett and Hailey, they accepted Pete's high five and second place. Hearing voices, Gabriella turned and saw Caleb, Jayme, Anna and her partner stumbling out of the woods, laughing.
"Hey, Ella! You up for a late night swim in the pool?" Cheyenne called from beside Anna.
Gabriella shook her head at their offer, shoving her hands inside her pockets to hide the bruised fingers. When they insisted, she used the excuse that she wanted a good night's sleep and to make a few phonecalls, but Troy knew it was just an excuse. He hung back as she bid everyone goodnight and headed across the field with her flashlight, knowing that if he followed her now she would simply reject him with a sharp tongue. He heard his name and turned to see the West High baseball player approaching with a hesistant step.
"Look, man, I know there is some shit between us, but I'm in charge of organizing this Sunday's camp wide activity and I was thinking of a staff versus camper baseball game. Can I count you in?" Caleb shifted from foot to foot, hoping that the somewhat uneasy politeness that occured between Troy and Gabriella could be extended to him as well.
"Yeah. Sure. You should get Brie in on it too," Troy offered. "She's a decent pitcher." There was an awkward pause as Troy rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. "I'm sorry about yesterday. It wasn't about you; it was about pushing Brie's buttons and I stepped over a line dragging you into it. What do you say to saving the rivalry for school?"
Caleb grinned and nodded his head, looking away when Jayme called his name. Patting Troy on the back, he jogged across the field to join those heading to the pool. Troy watched for a minute before slipping away unnoticed, and taking the quiet path down the hill to the cabin area. Every building was dark except Gabriella's and Troy hesitated for a moment before climbing the stairs in two strides and knocking on the door. The surprise on her face when she opened the door to reveal him caused a smile to form but it disappeared a moment later when he saw the roll of tape in her hand and the stiff way she held her left hand to her chest. Stepping inside, he shut the door with his foot as he motioned for her to hand over the tape.
"Let me help," he told her when she stubbornly held on to it.
"Troy, it's late and I'm tired. I don't have time for your games and there is too much Advil in my system to form witty comebacks. Can't we just do this tomorrow over breakfast?" She sighed and turned around, padding in her bare feet towards the bedroom at the back. When she realized he was following her, she paused and looked over her shoulder. "Why are you so determined about this?"
"Why are you so damn stubborn? Do you expect to win an award for having a high pain tolerance?" he retorted as his eyes darkened. This was why they never got along. This incessant need of hers to show no weakness. Even in school when she took on project after project just because people asked, she never said no. He didn't understand it. "Do you think everyone will turn on you if they realize you're not a superhuman?"
"God, you are so frustrating," she told him, sitting on her bed and resting her hand in her lap. "Are you not the same person who got into an argument last year during the championship game because the West captain split your lip open and they needed you to leave the court? A little hypocritical, don't you think?"
Troy couldn't argue with that but it was one thing to do it during an adrenaline rush while hundreds of people watched, and another to do it in a cabin by yourself where no would see you give in. Leaning against the door frame, he watched with no amusement as she used her teeth to pull off a piece of tape and wrap it around the the base of the two fingers that were most swollen. The other one was just bruised and still moveable. Fumbling, she managed to bind them together before reaching for another piece of tape. When it got tangled, Troy growled with impatience and pushed himself away from the wall. Pulling it from her hand, he pulled off a piece of tape and held it out, catching her hand when she reached for it. When she didn't pull away, he took it as a sign of acceptance and bound the two fingers at the middle joint and then the top one with another piece. Setting the tape on her desk, he looked around.
"Did you grab any ice on your way here?" he asked, and she pointed to the first aid kit on the shelf above her desk. Pulling it down, Troy sorted through the supplies each cabin kept on hand and found a chemical ice pack. Cracking it with both hands, he shook the crystals until they cooled and then handed it to Gabriella. "You should tell Pete, just so he can document it."
"I will," she looked out the window and then back at her hand before looking at Troy's face. "Thanks."
He shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck. Needing something to do, he packed up the first aid kit and returned it to its place on the shelf. Feeling a breeze tickle the hair on his arm as it wafted through the open window, he closed it and hit the lock. When he looked back at the bed, he saw her watching with curiousity.
"Why are you here? Where's the sarcasm and the cocky basketball attitude? You're freaking me out." She watched him with a wary gaze, distrusting his intentions not that he blamed her. He would have reacted the same if it had been her showing up on his doorstep.
"Caleb and I came to a decision to leave the school rivalry for school and work together. We're not exactly in the same position of possibility. For whatever reason, we drive each other crazy even if it's unintentional most of the time." He looked at her and rubbed his jaw. "We don't have to like each other, but we need to work together. Pete has picked up on the animosity and so will the kids. We need to learn to fake the teamwork thing."
"So we have a professional truce," she surmised, nodding. When he shrugged and nodded, she looked thoughtful. "Fine. But I'm still running the main road."
"Fine by me," he replied before walking out of the cabin, leaving Gabriella sitting on her bed and staring at her splinted fingers.
