"Gabriella…" Troy spoke her name breathlessly.
"Troy…" she said back, just as breathless as he was. Neither of them felt able to breathe since they were choked up on the moment, each of them on their own high.
They stared intently at each other's eyes, forgetting the world around them. They didn't care who was there or where they were, the only thing that mattered was the person that stood in front of them.
"Well, I see you two have been reunited and have begun your conversations but I'm really hungry. Could we go now?" Chad interrupted, causing both to shake out of their moment and try to regain their composures. Chad couldn't help but to smirk at their reactions.
"Yea um…lets go man." Troy walked ahead with Chad while the two girls ran towards Gabriella, gushing at what just happened.
"Oh my God, Gabs! Did you see how he stared at you?"
"Girl, you had him lost for words!"
"Are those fireworks in your eyes?"
"He was just as into the moment as you were!"
"Guys! Chill, will you?", Gabriella said, showing her annoyance, "Did he really seem that into me?" she said with a smirk, the three girls giggling as they each enlaced their arms together with Gabriella in the middle.
"Into you? He was more than into you…it looks like you relit a specific flame." Taylor teased, causing Gabriella to blush and while she looked down.
Kelsi was happy that it looked like things were going to be well, but it suddenly hit her that drama will soon break out once she remembered that Troy was married…to Pam.
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"So everybody, this restaurant is a pretty well known one here in the city. Troy and I have eaten here quite a few times so we could give you guys a good recommendation for it. Want to try and hit it up?" Kelsi asked as she led the group as if she were giving them a tour. They all agreed and continued walking. Taylor walked up with Chad and followed Kelsi, leaving Troy and Gabriella behind.
As they began to walk side by side, Troy nervously raked his left hand through his hair, lost for words. Gabriella started to examine her fingernails, also unsure of what to make of the situation.
Realizing that one of them needed to say something, Troy spoke up, "So how have you been?"
Startled by his sudden communication, Gabriella looked at Troy and back down before she answered, "I've been doing well actually. Can't complain much about life since everything seems to be going pretty good…at least so far. What about you?"
"I've been good…I'm currently loving the life I live. Everything seems to just fit correctly into place and feel right. You know?" Gabriella nodded her understanding. She did feel a little taken aback when Troy said he was happy there. She couldn't help but to reflect on when he said that everything fitting correctly into place, her not being part of the puzzle.
"How has your mom been, Gabs?" Troy suddenly asked, knocking her out of her thoughts.
"She's good. She actually still works for the same company as before but they actually gave her the opportunity to chose where she wanted to live permanently for her next move after some time of my graduation, and she chose Albuquerque. I visit her every other month since I decided to live in California but I do talk to her everyday. I don't see her as often as I would like but with work being so hectic and I'm a pretty important female in my job so…you know." She said trying not to brag about her life.
"That's good. Um, do you know anything about my parents?" Troy couldn't help but wonder what became of his parents since he was lousy enough to not keep in touch with them. He felt slightly embarrassed to say the least that he asked her such a question.
"Well last time I saw them, they seemed to be doing well. They're still living pretty well and both are in excellent shape. Chad would obviously know more about this though; I know he still sees them often…you know, they do miss you Troy…that I'm more than a hundred percent sure of. Why don't you ever give them a call? Or write them a letter? The number is still the same and so is the address…" Gabriella suggested, unsure of whether or not Troy was satisfied with her answer.
"I don't know Brie. Thanks though…for assuring me that they're doing great. So what are you into now? Like, what do you do? Since you obviously know that I'm an actor and you said you're a pretty important figure at your job…" Troy attempted to lighten up the mood.
"I'm the Editor in Chief of 'Clique', it's a magazine. I don't know if you've heard of it before or seen one of its issues. It actually has been selling well lately so I guess I have something to be proud of."
"Wait…you're the editor of 'Clique'? Pam loves that magazine!" Troy said, not even realizing who he just mentioned in front of Gabriella.
"Pam? Who's she?" Gabriella asked, confusion written on her face at Troy mentioning someone that she wouldn't know.
"Um…Pam? She's uh…she's someone that you could say that I'm currently involved with…" Troy stammered, looking at Gabriella's face to see a reaction and noticing a hint of disappointment and hurt in her eyes. Right there at that moment, he felt like such a jerk and regretted for speaking without thinking.
'You're involved with?! What was that Troy? Pam's you're wife for crying out loud! You can't just deny that huge bit of information or bother to leave it out…Gabriella has the right to know about this. Although, it's not like you guys are anything anyway…' he thought.
Gabriella quickly recovered from the news she was just given, "Oh…that's great! I'm happy for you, really I am." She knew she was lying between her teeth but she tried to spare him a smile, failing miserably but thankfully, Troy ignored it.
Gabriella couldn't deny the pang of jealousy she instantly felt for whoever Pam was. When he mentioned that he was 'involved' with someone, she automatically saw red but couldn't let Troy think that he had caused her to be upset considering that she was supposed to have been moved on from their relationship that no longer existed.
"What about you Gabbi? How is the love life treating you? Troy asked, secretly hoping to hear that she wasn't currently with anyone. He knew it wasn't fair for him to hope that since he was basically married…or as he would call it, involved.
"Uh…I'm actually single at the moment. Like I have dated people but right now I find that I enjoy my life more as a single and independent woman." Gabriella said, mentally kicking herself after, hoping that Troy didn't think that she wouldn't want anything with him if he did. Troy felt slightly relieved to hear that she was in fact single.
'Breathe Gabriella! What are you doing exactly? You're here for Troy, not to scare him away forever! You're single but he's seeing someone right now. Well he did say 'involved'…so technically it cant be that serious then, right? Normally when things are serious, people say their girlfriend or boyfriend but he didn't…he said involved so its safe for me to assume that he's sort of on the market, right?' her thoughts running full speed ahead in her mind.
Seeing that the subject needed to be desperately changed since Gabriella's facial expression changed, Troy asked her about California, engaging her into a distraction. He silently smiled to himself as he watched how animated she became while talking about her new home. He admired how Gabriella spoke of it and the way her face lit up. He chuckled to himself when he noticed just how into the description she was.
"Did I amuse you in some sort of way, Bolton?" Gabriella asked with a hint of humor and sarcasm.
"Actually you did, Ms. Montez." Troy answered in a British accent.
"How so if I may ask?" she asked with a British accent of her own.
"The way you became so enthusiastic out of nowhere when you started to describe California…it was actually pretty cute." He smirked at her, smiling to himself as he watched her lower her head as her attempt to hide her blush.
Gabriella was quite amazed that he could still have that effect on her, the effect to make her blush. She admired how he brought a certain comfortable energy to him still, not a big fan herself of awkward moments.
"You know Gabs, you really haven't changed that much. I mean you do look more mature physically and so are your clothes…not that your clothes weren't nice before but what you're wearing right now seems to suit you better with the way you've aged and developed and I'm rambling, right?" Troy stopped himself before he could cause further embarrassment.
"Yeah…you were. If I'm correct, I think you've been checking me out?" Gabriella teased, grinning at him with a certain twinkle in her eye.
"Um…maybe…I might have…" He looked away shyly, causing Gabriella to giggle.
"It's ok Troy, I might have checked you out as well…" She returned his shy gaze and blushed when she saw the bewildered expression on his face.
"Does my look please the eyes?" He flirted. Troy couldn't help the feeling that the petite woman besides him caused. He felt like if he were just getting to know her all over again because that's what it was, almost like a blind date. He knew that he probably knew her like the back of his hands, knowing foolish and intimate details about her that a lot of people wouldn't know, yet she was still a different person, an older Gabriella.
"I must say that it does. You were always cute, Troy…but you've also grew in your 'mature' look and it suits you." Gabriella replied sincerely, Troy giving her a small smile.
"Were you just complimenting me, Montez?" He playfully asked, his smile growing wider when she responded.
"Perhaps I was. Besides, it's the least I can do from your rambling that was supposed to be a compliment I guess." She retorted.
"So you only complimented me because I complimented you?" Troy questioned, continuing the light playful banter.
"Something like that. You didn't think that I would seriously compliment you first without you having to give me one, did you?" Gabriella asked back with a fake bitchy attitude, giggling when Troy put an over exaggerated hurt expression.
Gabriella stared at him for a few moments after, thinking back on the old memories she shared with Troy. Back then, he was her everything and she would've done whatever it took to make him happy, knowing he would do the same for her. Here she was now, flirting with him with her tummy in knots doing flips, amazed that there hasn't been much awkwardness between the two after everything that happened.
Troy noticed that Gabriella was deep in thought as he caught her looking at him. Waving his hand in front of her face to catch her attention, she blinked several times and was brought back to reality.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Troy was curious as to what was on her mind.
"My thoughts are worth more than pennies." Gabriella smirked from her response.
Troy pulled out his wallet and was about to open it, "How much is it to know what was on your mind then?"
"Troy put that away. My thoughts aren't worth any kind of money and besides its not big deal." Gabriella replied.
"Well it must be worth something because I know that I still consider your thoughts important whether it's something that you consider not worth knowing or something that actually is." He said, pouring every ounce of sincerity into his words.
"Thanks Wildcat…but I'm going to leave the thought to myself…at least for now." She said back.
"That's fine. By the way, did you just call me wildcat?" Troy smiled, remembering that that was her pet name for him when they were younger.
"Yep." Gabriella looked back at him with a smile of her own as she walked up ahead to join the rest of the group.
Troy shook his head, watching her retreating back. "Something's will never change… and I'm glad that's one of them." He whispered the last part, as they arrived at the restaurant.
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The gang finished their meals as they sat at the rectangular table with Gabriella and Troy sitting next to each other while Taylor and Chad sat on the opposite side. Kelsi sat at the end of the table, next to Gabriella and Taylor. Not wanting to leave just yet, they started to make small talk.
"You took the girls to see your aunt Jenny? How is she?" Troy asked. He remembered the times that he spent with Chad's family, visiting his house everyday during the summertime to hang out with his cousins from North Carolina.
"She doing good man…you know how she is. Never lets anything bring the smile off her face. Still sweet as candy if not more than ever." Chad replied, smiling as he thought back to just a few days ago when he was with her.
"She was delightful! I couldn't believe that she and Chad came from the some bloodline. Who would've thought?" Taylor joked, earning a playfully evil glare from Chad.
"That's nice. Will you guys excuse me? I should call Patrick and let him know where I am…" Kelsi said but was stopped before she could leave the table.
"Who's Patrick?" Gabriella asked with a grin, figuring it must've been her current love interest.
"Patrick is the guy that our Kelsi here seems to be seeing right now." Troy answered for her, Kelsi blushing the entire time.
"Yeah which I should really call him so um…I'll be right back", and with that said, Kelsi made an exit towards the bathrooms with her cell phone in hand. Taylor and Chad looked over towards the former lovers sitting in front of them and noticed that they seemed to have been caught up in their own world that they created just for the two. Neither of them noticed that curly haired boy nor the dark skinned beauty was staring at them as they spoke amongst themselves.
"Looking at them makes me feel glad that we did this." Taylor commented, nodding her head in Troy and Gabriella's direction.
"Yeah, me too. This is exactly what they must have been missing. I haven't seen Gabriella looked this…happy or into a conversation with a guy in a long time. All she needed was that little push to come here…we did the right thing Tay." Chad responded. If he didn't know who they were, he would've thought that they were already a couple do to the glow that each one had. Their eyes sparkling as they laughed with each other at whatever they seemed to have found funny. Just the way they were in each other's presence was enough to convince anyone that they clearly still shared something.
"We did do the right thing…I know we did." As Taylor finished her sentence, Kelsi appeared back at the table, sitting in her seat again.
Gabriella looked away from Troy and glanced at Kelsi, eyeing her before asking her how she met Patrick.
Kelsi began to tell the story that she just told Troy the other day as everyone listened. Before they knew it, it was almost midnight and they were the last ones sitting in the restaurant.
"So where are you guys staying at? Troy asked, looking at Chad, Taylor, and Gabriella.
"We're staying at Hotel McHill. Hey, why don't you come by and stay a bit with us? We still got a lot to catch up on…" Chad suggested with hope in his voice.
Troy knew he couldn't because he had Pam that he had to hurry and get home to. "Uh, sorry man…can't do it tonight. But I'll see you guys tomorrow? We don't do shows on the weekend so if you guys want, I could show you other things about the city besides its main attractions."
"Sounds good, Troy." Taylor replied. Chad exchanged numbers with Troy so that they could continue their fun tomorrow. The five of them stood up and paid their bill, walking to the front of the restaurant.
"So I'll see you guys tomorrow?" Troy questioned, looking directly at Gabriella. She smiled in his direction, blushing that he practically directed the question towards her rather than the group before she answered.
"You can count it."
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So there you have it - the reunion! If I have any typos, please excuse them because I didn't read the chapter over. I hope you guys liked it!
REVIEW PLZ! IT ISNT GONNA KILL U TO TYPE A FEW WORDS ABOUT YOUR OPINION!
