Hi everybody! First of all, thank you to everybody who reviewed the last chapter! I really appreciate it and it's what keeps this story going - I love writing it and hearing from you guys, so thank you!

Anyway, here's chapter four! We last left off with Troy and Gabriella's awkward encounter, so read on and find out what happens! =)

Chapter 4: Dreams

"Why didn't you tell me he'd be here?"

"Gabi, I swear, I didn't know! He was the surprise Chad was talking about and we were all so excited, it just kind of snowballed!"

"Well, damn Chad! Damn all of you! Seven people and not one of you had the decency to pull out a phone and text me?"

"I didn't…we didn't…think of that. I'm sorry!"

"I look like such an idiot! He's just standing there and I walk in and I look like fucking Bambi!"

"Bambi?" Sharpay cocked her head to one side. They had been in the girls' bathroom for what felt like an hour, hashing out the whole awkward encounter.

"You know, deer in headlights, that sort of thing," Gabriella explained. Sharpay giggled and a few moments of silence followed, until Gabriella spoke again. "I can't believe he's here. It's really him, isn't it? Oh my God, Shar…it's Troy," she whispered softly, allowing herself to say the name she had worked so hard to bury.

"I know, honey, I know. It's a big shock, believe me," Sharpay gave her best friend a side hug and stroked her hair comfortingly.

"What do I do?" Gabriella ran her hands through her hair nervously. A part of her wanted to go back home and forget she had ever seen him. But another part was just the tiniest bit curious as to what his story was.

"I…well, for starters, I don't think you should have grabbed me from my seat and hauled me in here. That was really obvious," Sharpay joked and she heard her best friend groan in frustration. Everybody had thought Gabriella was walking towards Troy, but at the last second, she had changed direction, seized Sharpay's arm, and dragged her to the girls' bathroom.

"I didn't know what to do!" Gabriella reasoned. "I still don't know what to do! Shar, he's here," she repeated herself.

"Gabi, I know. I've seen him, talked to him, laughed at him. It's Troy. He's back. And he's going to be back for a while,"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, no. You're not getting it out of me. Look, you can sit here and whine and cry about it, or you can get your ass out there and talk to him like the adult I know you are," Sharpay coached. Gabriella looked up at her best friend uncertainly. "Gabriella Montez, you are a fucking lawyer, damnit! You're successful, gorgeous, and in an amazing place in your life right now. He deserves to know that!"

"Shar, he…he hurt me, remember?"

"Well, isn't that more reason for you to go out there and show him what he passed on?"

"I…I don't know," Gabriella answered softly. Her mind was swimming with different versions of possible conversations with Troy and as she wiped her eyes, ridding them of mascara streaks and eyeliner smudges, she knew she'd have to face him. There was no way Troy would stop hanging out with Chad and vice versa. "Alright. Let's go," she said, turning to look at Sharpay. Her best friend nodded, linking their arms together and strutting out of the bathroom.

They sat across from each other. She was squeezed between Sharpay and Chad, while he shifted uncomfortably between Jason and Taylor. Despite the sound of conversations drifting around them, the tension was palpable. In the background, Gabriella could hear the live band starting up their own rendition of 'Your Body is a Wonderland,' and her mind flashbacked to a time in college when Troy had spontaneously sang it to her. She forced herself to glance at him quickly, but when her eyes met his, they locked. Gabriella's breath caught in her throat and she saw him sharply inhale. The chemistry was still there, after all the years of heartache and pain, the attraction was still strong. Biting her lip nervously, Gabriella tried to focus on the conversations around her, anything to keep her mind off the fact that her ex-boyfriend was now in town for an undetermined amount of time. Anything to keep her mind off her impending breakup with Brian. Anything to keep her mind off the shivers that shot through her body as Troy's foot accidentally nudged hers under the table.

"Sorry, but I'm kind of busy right now," she waved her hand dismissively, not even looking up from her court cases. Gabriella was seated comfortably in her nearest Starbucks café, papers strewn around her and her laptop open on the table. It was a couple of days after the uncomfortable encounter at Carl's and since she had wrapped up her important court cases, Gabriella went back to working at home, on and off. On this particular day, she had decided to leave the comfort of her living room and exist in the outside world again.

"Where have I heard that before?" a familiar, deep voice answered and Gabriella immediately snapped her head up. He was taller and more muscular than she last remembered him. And without the dim pub lighting that obscured his face the other night, Gabriella was subject to the memorable, intense, ocean-blue eyes that were his trademark. With a sharp intake of breath, she braced herself.

"What…are you doing here?" she managed.

"I was getting coffee and I saw you. Thought I'd say hi, since the other night was kind of…" he trailed off, fingering the top of his to-go coffee cup.

"Awkward," she finished for him.

"That it was. What are you working on?" he asked, leaning back into the armchair. Gabriella groaned inwardly. He was making himself comfortable, which meant she couldn't avoid him at any cost.

"Just a couple of upcoming court cases," she said shortly.

"So you really went with the whole lawyer thing?" he took a sip of his coffee, as Gabriella raised her eyebrows questioningly at him. "I just remember you also wanted to be a writer,"

"Oh," she said quietly. She couldn't believe he still remembered that dream of hers. It was in their sophomore year, when they randomly attended a seminar held by Harper Fitz, a successful and popular author. Gabriella was entranced by the publishing world and immediately began taking creative writing classes, in addition to reporting on the campus newspaper.

"I'm guessing you're not writing anymore, then?"

"It's just been crazy these past few years. Being a lawyer isn't easy work, so writing's on the back-burner for now," she explained, although her mind brought her to the countless unfinished Word documents she had saved on her Mac. They were outlines of possible plotlines, character developments, and several short stories.

"I see," he nodded. Gabriella continued to stare at him, nervously anticipating what he would come up with next. She wasn't ready for this. She didn't want to see him; she was doing so much better without him, wasn't she? "So how are things, Gabriella? What's life been like?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, we didn't really get to talk at the bar the other day," he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and Gabriella gulped, suddenly feeling like all the air in the room had disappeared. There was something about Troy that affected her, physically, mentally, and emotionally. It was like whenever he was around, the air got hotter, she felt nervous, and he managed to push all the wrong and right buttons at the same time.

"I've been…why don't you tell me what's been going on?" she bit her lip. "You've been in North Carolina the past few years,"

"Yeah, well, I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to play with the Lakers," he grinned. "It's the dream, remember?" she could feel his eyes gazing at her, trying to search for an answer or reassurance – she wasn't sure which one.

"That it is," she looked up at him reluctantly and in an instant, all her willpower and nervousness went out the window. They held each other's gaze and for a moment, the world stopped, as the last words he said seemed to reverberate through her mind.

-FLASHBACK-

Gabriella stepped into her boyfriend's cozy apartment, shaking off her coat and scarf, sending snowflakes flying everywhere. It was Christmas break and she had flown to North Carolina to visit and spend the holidays with Troy.

"Baby? Where are you?" she called out, stepping out of her boots and giving her hair a quick fluff, heading towards the living room to find her boyfriend sitting on the couch. She knew from his position that he was in deep concentration. Gabriella leaned against the doorframe for a minute, drinking him in. He was resting his elbows on his knees, a beer dangling from his fingers between his legs, and his eyes focused on the TV in front of him. The Lakers game was on and Gabriella knew he was mentally taking notes of his favorite players. "You know, I never understood why you rooted for the Lakers. Shouldn't you be cheering on a team closer to home?" she piped up. He straightened up at the sudden interruption and waved his hand in the air as if to say hello, all while keeping his eyes glued to the game. Sighing, Gabriella crossed the room and plopped down on the seat next to him, her hand instinctively going to play with the ends of his dirty blonde hair. They had been dating since sophomore year in high school and having just celebrated their four-year anniversary, Troy and Gabriella were more comfortable with each other than ever. She knew how much he loved zoning out and focusing on basketball, he knew how much education meant to her. 'What the hell did I ever do to deserve such an amazing, passionate man like this?' she thought to herself, as the Lakers scored and Troy pumped his fist into the air. The game went to commercial and he finally turned to face her.

"Hey, sweetie," he grinned, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. "How was your day?"

"It was good, Megan showed me Hill Park, where you guys do your training," she said, reaching over to grab his beer and taking a quick sip for herself. "Now give me a real kiss," she smiled at him. Troy chuckled at his girlfriend, taking the beer bottle and setting it on the coffee table. Snaking one arm around her waist and the other around her neck, he pulled her in for a soft, sweet, lingering kiss. "Mmm. That's more like it," she smiled, kissing the tip of his nose excitedly, before snuggling into his chest and leaning back against the couch. "So how are the Lakers doing?"

"Amazing, as always. I know playing for the Devils is awesome and if I get drafted into the Bobcats, it's going to be unreal, but all I've ever wanted was to play for LA, you know?" he thought aloud, letting his fingers get lost through her mass of curly hair.

"You will, one day. I know it, I can feel it," she giggled.

"Yeah, who knows," he shrugged. He felt Gabriella tense and move away from him slightly, before she tucked a finger underneath his chin and lifted his face to meet hers.

"Hey," she said softly. "I know you, Bolton. I've seen what you can do. You were the golden boy in high school, you're the superstar here at Duke, and you will get on the Lakers, I promise you," she assured him, her tone confident.

"You think?" he raised his eyebrows.

"I know," she nodded, giving him another kiss on the lips. "Look, a couple of years from now, you're going to be the newest, hottest addition to the LA Lakers and life is just going to be peachy. If it's the dream, it'll happen," she smiled.

"If it's the dream, then you're going to be there with me," he whispered softly.

"Yeah? Doing what, exactly?"

"You can be my groupie," he shrugged, his tone flat with mock seriousness. Gabriella looked up at him, hurt for a second, until she saw the mischievous sparkle in his baby-blue eyes.

"Very funny, Bolton," she rolled her eyes, punching him playfully on the shoulder. He laughed, catching her at the waist and pulling her against his chest, hugging her tightly.

"Okay, so I'll be playing on the Lakers, just like I always wanted. And you're…you're going to be a successful author. You're going to write amazing novels and do journalism on the side," he explained, his voice pensive with hope and sincerity.

"What about my law degree? You know, the one I'm busting my ass trying to get?" she snickered.

"Aw, man. Okay. So, I'll be at the Lakers and you'll be a lawyer, but also an author. You can do both, right?"

"I guess it sounds possible,"

"Alright, so that's where we'll be. Living it up in Los Angeles – a basketball player and a lawyer-slash-author. And we'll get our own house, somewhere in the private area in Hollywood Hills,"

"Mmm, I'd like that,"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, and we could get a puppy!" she exclaimed.

"We could get a puppy," he nodded, chuckling into her hair.

"Sounds perfect, doesn't it?" she asked, hugging his arms closer to her. The truth was, the idea wasn't far from crazy. The future was coming at them faster than ever before and although neither one dared to admit it, Troy and Gabriella both felt like they had found 'The One.' They had ambitions, together and apart, and knowing that those dreams could coexist, made their relationship stronger. Gabriella sighed into his chest, her thoughts far away in their future life together. "It's the dream,"

Gabriella blinked fast, shaking her head and coming out of her daydream. Her memories of life with Troy were still so vivid, so colorful, and so real, that whenever one crept up on her, it had a way of paralyzing her. She tried to focus on what was going on and glancing across the table, she noticed that Troy was speaking.

"I know it's sort of crossing the line and I probably have no right asking you, but what do you think?" he was fidgeting nervously in his seat, she could tell.

"Um. I'm sorry; I think I totally spaced out for a while back there. What are you talking about?" Gabriella asked sheepishly.

"Well, I was just wondering if you maybe want to grab dinner sometime. Or even just drinks. You know, to catch up," he explained, wringing his hands uncomfortably. Gabriella's eyes widened at the sudden turn of events. How did they go from being in love to being exes to a night filled with awkwardness to him suddenly asking her out again?

"What?" she blurted out, her voice incredulous at his sudden request. Troy looked down at his shoes, scuffing the floor for a moment, before dragging his eyes up to meet hers again. There it was that sudden, unexpected punch to the stomach. Gabriella felt the air leave her lungs and for a moment, she couldn't breathe.

"I just…it's probably out of line," he shook his head at himself. "Gabi, we're going to have to be civil to each other,"

"The conversation we just had wasn't civil enough for you?" she scoffed.

"You know what I mean. I don't think I could handle the forced, fake stuff," he shrugged. "I'm just being realistic,"

"You're being realistic," she repeated, the words tasting like sandpaper on her tongue. On one hand, Gabriella was glad Troy was back in town. It meant Chad could have his best friend back, the Lakers would gain an amazing player, and their Wildcat gang would be complete. On the other hand, Troy coming to LA conjured up a whirlwind of emotions she wasn't entirely sure she could handle. He made her want to drop everything and run into his arms, where she knew it was safe and comforting. Seeing him again made her want to forget about her life and pick up where they had left off – but they both knew it was still too raw, too fresh to talk about. It made Gabriella angry that he could have this effect on her. After years of shutting him out, of trying to move on, all it took was one look at him and she could feel her perfect life start to crumble. "I need to go," she said abruptly, gathering her piles of paper and slamming her laptop shut.

"Gabriella," he started, but she held a hand up towards him.

"No, Troy," she crammed her papers in her bags, trying desperately to hurry up, before tears could fall. "You don't get to come back into our lives, into my life, and act like everything's okay. I have a life here, I have Brian and a job, and…" she trailed off, gazing at Troy, who's expression had gone from awkward to downright bewildered. "You're living your dream, right? Let me live mine. Without you," she added solemnly, before grabbing her things and walking briskly out of the store.

Troy ran a shaky hand through his hair, messing it up artfully. It had been half an hour since Gabriella walked out on him and he was sitting in the same exact position, trying to figure out what happened. All he wanted was a nice, quiet dinner or even a friendly conversation over drinks with her. He knew it probably crossed a 'friend' line somewhere, but he really didn't want there to be any tension between them – after all, the past was a long time ago. But Troy was beginning to realize something since he had moved to LA, and that was that the past never really stayed in the past for long. Troy sighed exasperatedly, all he wanted to do was smooth things over with Gabriella. There was no denying there was still chemistry between them, the sparks when they were together could start a raging fire. 'And I really wouldn't mind that…' he thought to himself. Standing up, he started to make his way towards the exit, before coming to a stop in his tracks as a few choice words Gabriella said crashed through his thoughts. 'I have Brian…' Troy swallowed the disgusting taste coming up his throat and clenched his fists unconsciously. Who was Brian why did Gabriella have him?

Whew! There it is! As of right now, Gabriella and Brian are still together, Troy is just trying to make things easier (although clearly, he doesn't know his ex has moved on!), and drama ensues. Lol. It might be confusing as to why Gabriella hasn't broken up with Brian yet, but remember, they have been dating for quite some time and the full reason as to why she doesn't let go as easily will be discussed. =)

I hope you guys enjoyed it! I had fun writing this one, I love doing flashbacks. =) Please review and leave some constructive criticism, I'd really appreciate it! Thanks! =)