Chapter 6 - Cuando éramos más joven (When We Were Young)
"Hey." Gabriella looked up to see Troy standing over her. She frowned at him and shrugged. "Did you enjoy dinner?" He sat down next to her.
"I don't know if you've noticed, Troy. But I'm trying to get this project finished by fifth period. Is there any real reason why you're here?" She slammed her pen down and the entire library scowled at her. She mouthed an apology and folded her arms.
"I'm trying to make an effort, Gabi." He leaned across the table and for one horrific moment she thought he was going to kiss her. "My parents knew something was up last night. The last thing I need is them on my case about being an ass. I've got you for that." He smiled jokingly, and she returned a half-hearted one.
"So it's all about keeping yourself in the clear, huh? Just like when we were young." She smirked and picked up her pen to start writing again, frustrated that she'd lost her train of thought completely.
"Gabi..." He began, and she huffed and scooped her belongings up and stood up. He grabbed her wrist and stood up next to her. "Hear me out."
"Let go of me." She whispered, trying not to make a scene, even though most of the juniors were gawping already.
"Not until you sit down and listen." She looked up into his eyes and immediately wished she hadn't. They were so blue, she used to say they had some sort of powers. Over her, at least. She pulled her wrist free and sat back down. "Thank you. Where do you want me to start?"
"I want you to start by leaving me alone." She retorted, quicker than she even thought it. He laughed sadly and looked away from her.
"OK, we'll start in 2006. Summer. I-"
"-No."
"No?"
She paused for a moment, then looked at him in disbelief. "No. Troy, why in the world would I want you start there? I've spent the last two years blacking it out, I'm not going back there." She clenched her teeth, and he nodded in understanding.
"I know, I know," He ran his hand through his hair, just so he couldn't reach out and take hers. "Well, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"
"-I get it." She cut him off again, and looked into his eyes. He saw the hurt and a part of him was desperate to prove that he wished he couldn't blame himself for it.
"OK. Gabi, please, I hate this."
"You've had two years to say all this. Why now?" She didn't break her stare, and she wasn't going to.
"Because I haven't thought about it the past 2 years. I've surrounded myself with people who didn't know, people who knew me as a jerk. People who couldn't tell me to stop acting up." He muttered, dying to look away from the sadness he was causing her. "Girls who knew I wasn't soft. Who knew not to expect a call in the morning." She finally broke away from his eyes and sighed in disgust.
"That makes me feel so much better, Bolton. Gee, I might just take you back now!" She shook her head in disgust. "Sharpay told me what you said."
"Sharpay told me a lot of things too." It was his turn to twist the knife. "Like how you used me."
"What?!" She screeched, and the librarian gave her a furious look. "You've got a nerve to even suggest that! I said, I said this would happen! How many times did we sit and talk about how we'd all change, about how we'd meet people and realise what our old friends were lacking?" She took a deep breath and rubbed her eyes.
"I know you did. But hey, dating Troy Bolton got you a place on the cheer squad!" He laughed sarcastically.
"Dating Troy Bolton got me nowhere." She stood up again and he didn't even bother copying her. "All it got me was this crappy outlook on life." She leant down and muttered in his ear on her way out. He sat, not knowing what to think of her words, he couldn't even think of a remotely good comeback to it. Because dating Gabriella Montez had got him in every sticky situation he'd been in in the past two years. And he knew he deserved it.
"Troy? What the heck are you doing in the library?" He heard Sharpay come round the corner and she sat down next to him.
"I was ... reading." He mumbled, picking up the first book he saw on the table. The Dictionary. Great. "Um, are you coming to Chad's party tonight?"
"OF course!" She waved her hands and giggled. "Listen, we took a vote, and we all agreed you look the oldest. So you're in charge of alcohol, sorry." She patted his shoulder and walked away. How could she be so normal with him? He'd been a bigger ass to her than Gabi! Well, not quite, but Sharpay was known for her lethal grudges. Now he had to figure out a way of getting enough alcohol for his own long bath in his sorrows, and around 40 other students who were used to not sleeping at the weekend and coming into school on Monday still a little drunk.
He stood up and made his way to the gym. His parents always kept a lot of strong drinks in the cabinet. But they would notice it was gone by supper when they went to pour some wine. He realised he also had to be at dinner with his parents and Gabi, which gave him literally no time to go to the store. He looked at the clock, it was 2pm ... he had Drama next, Ms Darbus probably wouldn't notice he was gone if he got Chad to tell her he was helping out in props, an area she rarely ventured into.
"Dude, tell Darbus I'm helping props, thanks buddy." He slapped his friend on the shoulder and hurried away.
"Wait! Where will you actually be?"
"Sorting out your party." He called behind him and burst through the double doors. He felt one spring back faster and heard a crack on the other side, Shit. "Hey, sorry, are you-"
He saw Gabi standing behind the door rubbing her head, tears streaming down her face. "Like you give a fuck." She mumbled and stamped a foot in pain.
"Woah, Gabi, calm down." He put a hand out to touch her shoulder.
"I've told you before Bolton, don't touch me." She sniffed and turned her head away from him. "Just go!" She yelled, making him flinch.
"Whatever. I really don't need your dramatics right now." He shrugged and turned away from her. She slid down the wall and sobbed silently. He knew nothing. Her father was ill. He couldn't fly home for Monday, and her mom had decided to fly to him on Tuesday. Leaving her alone for god knows how long, since neither of them considered her responsible enough to fly herself. It also meant spending even more time at the Boltons. Her mom was transferring more money into her account, luckily she'd managed to cover for the fact she hadn't touched what she'd already given her. She was having a bad day.
Troy pulled up outside the store and panicked. He had no idea what he was doing. Everyone in town knew he was Jack Bolton's son, he was captain of the basketball team at East High. Everyone therefore knew he was no way 21. He sighed and started up the truck again, planning to tell everyone else he didn't get sold anything. Sure, they'd be pissed, but if anyone who knew his dad saw him, he wouldn't see the semi-finals.
His phone started ringing and he pulled it out, still sitting outside the store. "Gabi?"
"Hey." She sounded hoarse. "Um ... my mom left a lot of alcohol in the house. I guess I could tell her I cleaned up and threw it out."
"Why would you do that? Are you planning a binge?" He knew she was offering to help, but he wanted to hear her say it.
"Because I know you're so damned famous round here nobody is going to even think about selling you any." He heard the spite in her voice, of course anything nice had a sting in its tail.
"Thank you, Gabi." He taunted and hung up, making sure to call Chad. It rang. And rang. And ra-
"Mr Bolton. Office. Now!" A woman yelled, and he cursed violently. How could he be so stupid?! A party would take his mind off everything.
School.
Ms Darbus.
His Dad.
Money.
And Gabriella.
