Chapter Four
Present Time
They received no signal. The phone lines were still down. There was no other way they knew of that they could contact someone. An eerie silence filled the room. Gabriella rested her head on Troy's shoulder. Taylor was constantly fiddling with her fingers. Chad tapped his fingers on a nearby table. Sharpay was painting her fingernails with a bottle of nail polish she had in her purse. Ryan was messing with the straps on his mummy costume.
" Maybe we can break a window," Troy suggested.
" What good would that do?" Sharpay asked.
" Well, we could yell or call for help," Troy said.
" Seems like a good idea to me," Chad agreed.
" Hold on," Taylor stated. She got up and walked to the closest window. She tapped it once… twice… and a third time before coming back to the group with an explanation. " It'd be physically impossible for us to break through the window. It's made out of a rare bulletproof material that I know they only use at NASA to prevent the windows from caving in due to the pressure increase in outer space. (I just made that up)"
" So the windows are out?" Sharpay questioned.
" Windows are out," Taylor confirmed.
" We're never going to get out of here," Sharpay whined.
" Maybe we should split up?" Troy said.
" Split up? Are you crazy? What is this, Scooby- Doo?" Sharpay asked.
" Let him explain Sharpay. Keep going Troy," Gabriella defended.
" Well, since we all don't know if there's any trapped doors or secret passageways hidden somewhere in this condo, maybe a few of us should go check around to see if there's someway out," Troy stated.
" That seems like a good idea," Gabriella commented. " Maybe we should try it."
" Ok, but maybe a few of us should stay here, so we all can meet up here if we find anything," Ryan amended.
" I agree. So who should go?" Taylor questioned.
" Well me and Gabi…" Troy began.
" No way, you two aren't sneaking of someplace to go make out," Chad said.
" Fine, then you and Taylor can't be together," Troy snapped back.
" Okay. How about you, me and Sharpay," Chad stated.
" Sharpay?" Troy repeated.
" Me?" Sharpay clarified.
" Well, we need someone small to get into spaces me and Troy can't reach and we can't choose Tay or Gabriella," Chad explained.
" Fine. I guess I'll go," Sharpay huffed.
"Ryan, Gabi, Taylor, you guys make sure you stay here. Only if you think you're in danger should you move, but otherwise stay right here," Troy ordered.
" Okay. Good luck guys," Ryan encouraged. Gabriella and Troy shared a hug, as did Chad and Taylor. Ryan and Sharpay just shot glances at each other without saying a word. They soon left the living room and out of sight of the three.
" Do you think they'll be alright?" Gabriella asked to no one in particular.
" Of course they will be. Of course," Ryan kept saying, hoping it would be true.
Flashback
" Ryan," Sharpay called out to her sibling. She received no response. " Ryan!" she called out again. Still no response. " What is he doing?" she wondered as she began to search for her brother.
Ryan was sitting on the couch watching the latest episode of The Real World: Denver (don't own either) when the high heel stomping of his sister entering the room disrupted his focus.
" Ryan, I've been calling you forever. Were you not listening to me or something?" Sharpay asked, well more like screamed at, her brother. This was it, Ryan's chance for independence.
" No, Sharpay, I was actually watching television. And I would really like to continue," he stated to his sister. Not in a question form as you can tell, but in more of a command form.
Sharpay's scrunched up her face like a confused dog. Maybe she had heard wrong. Was her brother telling her to do something? She just pretended she didn't hear it and began with what she came over there for.
" Anyway Ryan, I need you to help me decide what to wear for the party," Sharpay demanded.
" Sharpay, you have a little over a week. Why rush?" Ryan argued.
" Because Ryan, perfection doesn't come easy. I don't naturally look this good," she counteracted.
" Don't you think I know? I'm the one who has to see you in the mornings," Ryan mumbled under his breath.
" What was that, Ryan?"
" Nothing."
" Well, I need help."
" Sorry Sharpay, but I'm busy right now."
" Ryan T.V. can wait, I need your help now."
" You need my help to prepare for a party over a week from now?"
" Um, yeah."
" No Sharpay." Sharpay's jaw dropped. Did she hear correctly? Did he just say no?
" Excuse me?" she asked.
" I said no Sharpay," Ryan said definitively. For once he was standing his ground. Besides the fact Sharpay looked like she was ready to kill him, he felt good about it.
Sharpay didn't say a word. She was shell-shocked. Her brother was breaking away from her. The one person she knew she would always have was slipping away. Maybe there was something wrong. Maybe he was sick or something. She had to convince herself in every way that he was rebelling against his will. Maybe he just needed some time alone. She turned her heel and left the room without saying another word.
Ryan turned his attention back to the television. He felt vindicated. Sure it was a slow start, but a step in the right direction. He was leaving his sister's shadow. Little did he know, it was at his sister's expense.
Gabriella sat in her pink (I think it's pink. Well, if it's not, in this version, now it is. And if it is, then I have an amazing memory) bedroom staring at her closet door. There hung Troy's wildcat jacket he had given her earlier today. Her and Troy had a wonderful time going out to eat. But she had to admit, she was frustrated. Why wouldn't he ask her out already for crying out loud? She knew he liked her, in fact the whole entire school knew. Plus, she has dropped so many hints to him proving that she likes him back. The whole time they were talking, she must've said 'date', 'boyfriend', 'girlfriend' at least 20 times. Why could he just say it? Will you go out with me? Six words, that's it! She sighed loudly in frustration and buried her head in her pillow. There was a knock at her bedroom door.
" Come in!" she called out. In walked her mom.
" Ella, what's wrong?" her mother asked concerned. Only her mother called her Ella. Whenever she did, Gabriella instantly felt like a kid. As if she could open up and talk about anything with her mother.
" Oh, mom, I had an amazing time with Troy today," she confessed.
" That's great Ella! Don't you like him?"
" Yeah, but I don't know if he likes me back. I mean I've tried almost every possible subtle way to try and get him to ask me out, but he just isn't make a move."
" Well, with boys, subtle hints don't work. Don't give up, Ella. If he's really worth all this work, then he'll be worth it in the end," Mrs. Montez reassured.
" Thanks mom. I don't know what I'd do without you," Gabriella thanked. She gave her mom a hug.
" Did you need anything else?" her mother asked.
" Um, no. Not really," she replied.
" Ok then, I'll leave," her mom said as she got up and left out the door.
Gabriella looked again to Troy's wildcat jacket hanging on the door of her closet. Will her and Troy ever be?
Meanwhile, Troy walked through the front door of the Bolton household. He immediately spotted his dad at the kitchen counter and decided to talk to him about the one thing on his mind, Gabriella.
" Hey son, where did you go off to after practice?" Mr. Bolton asked his son.
" Oh, I, um. Went to get something to eat," Troy hesitated.
" Did you go with anyone?" he asked.
" Um. Kinda."
" Who?"
" I'm sorry, what?"
" I asked who did you go with?"
" Gabriella," Troy quietly muttered.
" Gabriella?" his father repeated.
" Yeah."
" Troy, she distracts you from your form. You don't play half as well when you're with her."
" No dad, I don't because, I play five times better than I do. Gabriella is the best thing that has happened to me. Why can't you see that?"
" Troy, I only want what's best for you."
" Well what's best for me is Gabriella. It's about time you realize that." Troy huffed his way past his father and headed towards the stairs.
" She's like your mother," Jack Bolton sighed. Troy turned around so fast, he almost got whiplash.
" She's what?" he questioned his father.
" Gabriella, she reminds me so much, of…of Carol." Mr. Bolton was referring to Troy's birth mother, Carol Lynn. Carol and Jack were so in love. A few years after they met, they got married. Couple years after that, they were blessed with the birth of Troy. When Troy was about three, Carol had received an offer for a new job out in California. Of course taking this job would require Carol to fly out to the western state. She left, expecting to come back within two weeks. A month had passed and Jack was raising Troy on his own. A letter came in the mail addressed to Jack, from Carol.
Jack,
I'm sorry, but I don't think we can work out anymore. In my stay out here in California, I've realized, we rushed way too soon into things and I'm just not ready for the responsibilities of a family. I know you'll do well in the future, and so will Troy.
Sincerely,
Carol Lynn
Jack was surprised. He received divorce papers in the mail the next day along with Carol's wedding and engagement rings. He was heartbroken. Jack eventually met Francis, Troy current mother, who was at his daughter's P.T.A. meeting. The last Jack heard of Carol, she was married to some dance guru in Sacramento.
" Dad, is that why you don't want me around Gabriella?" Troy asked his dad. They never talked about Carol, so Troy was really at a loss for words.
" Troy, I'm just saying don't rush into things. Take your time," he advised.
" Dad, I won't, but I just can't stop seeing Gabriella."
" I understand. Just go slow."
" I will." Troy left the kitchen and headed to his room. He was going to make this work. He knew Gabriella wouldn't leave him out on a wing. One problem, they weren't dating. He knew he could change that.
" So if 'x' equals 23, what the 'y' value?" Taylor asked. They were making progress with Chad's math. Little, though. Chad was distracted. He wanted to know why Taylor wouldn't go to the party with him. Did she not want to be with him or something? Did he have that bad of a reputation when it came to dating? Let's face it, when you were the Chadmeister, you were bound to have your faults. " And you move the 'c' value here since we don't know that one. Chad? Are you listening?"
" Oh, what?" he said snapping out of his trance.
" Chad is it me?" Taylor inquired.
" What's you?"
" Am I boring you or something? Do you still not understand the information?"
" No, you're not boring me. And I get the info, it's just," Chad paused. He decided, now was a great chance to convince Taylor to come with him. " Why don't you want to go to the party with me?"
" Chad, are you really bringing this up again?"
" Yeah, until I figure out why you don't want to go with me."
" Chad, it's not you. I just don't want to go to the party at all."
" Why not? It'd be fun."
" Chad, I just don't want to spend my Friday with a bunch of stupid, drunk idiots making out and all over each other for them not to remember any of it by Monday."
" Well you can just hang with me. Please go with me. It'll mean a lot, Tay." Tay, he never called her Tay.
" Since when do you call me Tay?"
" Do you not want me too?"
" No, Tay's nice."
" Well, Tay can you go with me?"
" You're not gonna ditch me, are you?"
" Of course not. Just go, please?" he asked with those big brown eyes. (how can you say no to Corbin Bleu? Get real.)
" Alright Chad. I'll go to the little Halloween party with you, but right now, let's focus on math."
" Ok, I promise Tay, you won't regret it. And the answer's 46c," he replied inferring to her previous question. Taylor held up the paper to confirm his answer.
" Yes, that's right Chad. How did you know?"
" I have a good teacher. And it doesn't hurt that she's drop dead gorgeous," Chad complimented. Taylor blushed and turned the other way.
" That was sweet Chad," she thanked him with a quick kiss.
" I know," he replied smoothly.
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