*** Hey guys! So I'm back and I quickly updated :) I'll probably be updating more considering I got cut from the softball team and so I have a lot more time for typing… I just thought that you would appreciate this coming out so soon. Let me just say this: it's a lot easier to update when you aren't thinking 'I need to make it to 3,000 words!' and just think 'I can type until I'm happy with what I have'. I hope you all have that experience in your life!

Also I wanted to give a few shout outs to people that I feel like giving them to:

EmmaWoodhouse88- My turtle, Juliette, says hi! And thanks for the review!

MissIndependentlyPerfect- Thanks for loving it, I am too ;)

Babeloun- trust me I am continuing and am glad you like it!

Lilypadlover1234199-thanks for the continuous reviews to basically every chapter, it really makes me smile:D

Midnight113- thanks for the input and for always reviewing for me!

Bluebell140- I agree with the closeness… and thank you soo much for taking the time to review every chapter.

Bubzchoc- thank you for always reviewing and giving me what you think of the chapter!

Love all you readers:) ***

~Blast from the past~

"Hey boss I heard we got a newbie!" Austin walked in at the worst time. Troy and I jumped back from where we were trying to create a distance between us. Troy looked a mixture between embarrassed and annoyed. "Um, did I interrupt something?"

"No Austin you didn't. Troy I want to introduce you to your coworker, Austin."

"Pleased to meet you buddy! Welcome to the Hoes and Bows work force," Austin stated placing out his hand for Troy to shake which Troy did. Austin was not a very tall man, actually he was quite small. Austin stood at 5' 2" had blonde hair and had been on the tennis team when he was in high school. He may not have had the looks but he was one of the friendliest guys you'd ever meet.

"Glad to meet you to," there was some question laced in Troy's tone of voice but friendly none the less.

I folded my hands together and looked over to Austin, "I think that you can take it from here can'tcha," He shook his head with a large grin on his face. "Okay, well I need to get to my other job, so see you guys later. Troy remember lunch, I'll pick you up around one o'clock-ish so be ready."

Troy looked back over at me, with a hint of fear in his eyes. I couldn't stand the look; I quickly walked over to him and wrapped my arms around him. My hands hooked together at the back of his neck as they had been so many times before. He leaned down and was fully enwrapped in my hair, smelling it, touching it, and combing it. It was a wonderful feeling that I just didn't want to get rid of. The parts of my skin that was touching his skin was roasting, it was almost as if an electric blanket was hugging me. I knew that this was too good to last long, and Troy slowly backed away. Cold air filled the spaces that he used to inhabit, making me shiver.

"Bye Brie," he whispered. I turned back around and headed towards the employee lounging area. I went to my small office that was located near the door to the main show room to grab the manual that I was to give to Troy.

I walked into my office and realized that I never really did any work here. It was a sad thought because I really loved it here, this was my baby. However, I loved my other work as well. I got to help the environment and run my own company at the same time while using environmentally friendly products that I learned about at my first job. Having both of these jobs and doing them both very well before the age of twenty-five did leave me without a serious boyfriend, fiancé, or even a husband. All I got was a quick fuck from one man then off to the next one. And I was getting tired of it.

I finally got to work, and not late as I thought that I was going to be. I quickly went to work on some of the papers that my boss had given to me to look over. After about fifteen minutes I realized that I didn't have music playing as I usually did. I scooted across the floor to my iPod I put on Savin' Me the same song that Troy had been singing in the shower. While listening memories came back from high school:

Rain drops were coming down on me as I was sitting on a bench outside of school. I didn't mind the rain considering it hid the tears that were streaming down my face. I had just been cut from the softball team. Sharpay and Taylor had both made it and I had been better than the both of them, I thought. I was so caught up with my thoughts and emotions that I didn't hear a person sneak up from behind me.

"Brie, hey, what's wrong?" Troy had popped up from nowhere and had already seated himself next to me. I just shook my head and kept crying. I had only known Troy for six months, how could I just open up to him especially when he didn't talk to me much outside of school. "Seriously Brie, what's up? I see you have a bat bag with you, so what is wrong?"

"I… I… I got cut," and the sobbing began again. This had been the second time that I had cried in front of him since I had met him.

"Aw Brie, they don't know what they're missing. Coach is probably, no will regret not putting you on the team."

"How… would you know…?" I managed to get out between sobs.

"How could I not know? I've seen you weight lifting, running, conditioning, and throwing all winter! Yeah, I looked in your gym during basketball and you looked fine," Troy teased.

"But I didn't make it! Taylor and Sharpay did! Plus Taylor just started two years ago and she's on JV," I replied. My crying had toned down.

"It's just freshman year Brie. Did you know that Elvis failed music class, Einstein failed algebra, and most importantly Michael Jordan got cut from Varsity basketball his sophomore year. See they all turned out alright. As will you, I promise you that," Troy told me. I was so impressed by his knowledge of failures that accomplished great things that I threw my arms around him and gave him a hug.

"That has that has to be one of the sweetest things someone has ever told me. Thanks, also do you need a ride, 'cause my mom's coming soon."

"Yeah I do," We left in my mom's car and Savin' Me was playing which we sang every lyric to. That night I had met the one guy in my life that I knew would always be there for me.

My hands were getting sore from all of the typing that I had been doing, trying to write a letter to some CEO's about switching over to more eco-friendly products and the profit that they could accumulate by doing so. Grabbing some lotion from my purse I looked over to the clock on my wall which read 12:45pm. I really needed to get going to get to Troy in time.

I ran inside the store. "Troy, I'm here," I breathed trying to catch my breath. I looked around trying to find him. I couldn't see him. "Troy! Austin! Where are you?" I sang. I waited a few seconds, looked down at my watch which read 1:07pm, and then looked back up.

Troy and Austin popped up from beneath the counter where they had been working. I jumped in the air and let out a little scream. Troy and Austin started to buckle over laughing. "You should have seen your face," Troy said in between his laughs.

"Yeah, it was priceless," Austin agreed tears were creeping their way out of his eyes because he was laughing so hard.

I was starting to get a little mad at them, "Seriously, you both are what twenty-three, twenty-five? And you are both playing these pathetic tricks! Plus I'm your boss!" This didn't affect them what so ever, they continued to laugh.

Troy was the first one to stop laughing. "Oh, we were just playing a little trick on you. You're alright," he said while walking over to me.

"I may be alright but my hearts still pounding extremely fast because of you two idiots," I countered.

"Nah, it's not what we did that's making your heart pound; it's just me standing here. Isn't it?" He smiled at me cockily.

"You always think that everything is about you. Don't you?"

"It is, isn't it? That was one of the reasons why you liked me."

"Yeah, keyword being liked in that statement."

"Oh, I feel sexual tension rising here!" Austin chimed in. Troy smirked at him as if trying to say 'when isn't there' while I was glaring at Austin for just putting more thoughts into Troy's little head. "Those were some looks of love. Wait just a second. You two both used to date right? Is that part of this sexual tension thingy?"

"Yeah, we used to date. But that was a long time ago," I stated strictly.

"She just wishes that she could still be dating this," he gestured to his body. "Oh don't deny it. Girls used to fawn over me, as did you."

"I would never!"

"Um, okay," Austin smiled at us one of his 'I really don't care/understand' smiles. "Well, have a wonderful time at lunch you two," he gave the both of us a little wave of the hand then walked over to some clothing that needed to be folded.

"You still wish you were dating me, don't ya'" Troy said. Sort of, my mind replied. However I wasn't going to let him know that.

"Psh no, if I wanted you then you would probably know. Now can we leave, I'm starving!" and with that my stomach growled in its agreement.

We entered the restaurant and sat down immediately. The waitress came and took our orders. "So, you haven't talked really since I picked you up," I started.

"Eh, there really hasn't been too much to say. I went to work, which that you took me to so no conversation there. I worked at work, we folded clothing and checked people out so not much there either. Then you picked me up and we drove here, and lookie there not conversation," he replied.

"God, no need to be cocky, I think I know something that can get a conversation started," Troy rolled his eyes at me. "Did you know that a Neanderthal's brain was larger than the Homo sapiens? Oh, wait, I no longer can call you a Neanderthal. That's depressing," I informed him.

"Well did you know that the electric chair was created by a dentist? Or that the state of Florida is larger than England? Or that Winston Churchill was born in a ladies room during a dance?" Troy rambled on.

"You never did cease to amaze me with your useless information. Remember when I used to make fun of you when we were dating?" I laughed.

"Oh, just wait, I will make it on Jeopardy someday and I will meet Alex Trebek and I will win."

"Um yeah, sure you will," I countered. At that moment our food came and we started to eat. "Do you like the food?" I asked Troy.

"Yeah, but it's nowhere close to my cooking abilities!" he stated proudly.

"Well you're going to have to show me them some time because I loved how you used to cook in high school. Yum, the chicken that you cooked was so good," my mind was off to food heaven. While off in food heaven, Troy took my hand that was on the table and just held it, this brought me back from there.

"This is nice," Troy said. He was now rubbing my hand with his fingers. Goosebumps were showing up on my arm as a result of the intimate hand holding. My cheeks began to flush because of the goose bumps. God, Troy why are you doing this to me? I thought to myself. I nodded my head, a little late to his response but I did it anyways.

The check came and I paid it. Troy looked off as I paid it because he didn't like the fact that I was paying for it and he wasn't.

"Want to take a little walk before we go back to work?" I suggested hoping that he was catching on to the idea that I liked him, which was evident through the multiple almost kisses, but men being men I just wanted to be safe.

"That sounds great with me," he replied and we were off. We walked alongside the road a little bit and then into Central Park a little ways. We were looking off into a lake when I felt that someone was looking at me. I looked over at Troy and he was looking at me. This moment felt right, as if all the previous almost kisses had been foreplay to this very moment because Troy was lowering his head towards mine. I raised myself up a little bit onto my toes to get closer to his lips. Both of our eyes closed as we closed the gap in between our lips. The first moment I felt his lips brush against mine I felt a tingling sensation on them that I hadn't felt since the summer after senior year…

*** Mwahahaha, I'm evil. Now if you are all good little readers and review for me I will probably have the next chapter up soon! Parties can get out of hand when you don't know your boundaries…*** REVIEW!