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The Distance Between Us
Chapter Nine: Room Full of Junior High Insecurities
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"I can't believe you gave away our effing fridge."
Sharpay yanked a silver sequined dress off a hanger in her closet and then tossed it into the large reject pile on her bed. I raised my eyebrows at her, amused by her reaction.
"Sharpay," I began rationally, slipping my jeans over my hips. "You didn't even want it. You said it made you angry to look at it."
Sharpay turned to face me and placed her hands on her hips. "Yeah, well, I would have gotten used to it." She pursed her lips and glared. "But no, Saint Montez had to go and give it away to poor old Troy Bolton because they got in a petty fight. My god, I can't imagine what would happen if one of you were to seriously hurt the other."
I let out a sigh of frustration. Sharpay's comments about the nature of Troy and I's relationship were growing tiresome and I had long ago given up on correcting her. Either way, the appreciation I would feel if she were to cease and desist such matters would be immense.
"Seriously, though," Sharpay pulled out a black sparkly number and threw it into the reject pile before diving back into her seemingly endless closet. "What is the story with you and this Bolton character? I mean, I know you say that there's nothing between you, but I've always been a firm believer that friends of the opposite sex cannot spend that much time together and not feel something for one another."
Pulling a curling iron through my hair, I ignored Sharpay, but contemplated her words. Troy and I were friends now, honest to God friends. I seemed to have forgotten or just put it in the back of my mind that I came to New York for Troy because I was in love with him, and somewhere in the mist of our growing friendship, this no longer seemed important. It was, though. It wasn't that I no longer loved him, because I truly did. But the part of him that I was in love with seemed so small compared to the different parts of his personality that I was learning now.
Troy was still devastatingly beautiful, but his sense of humor was just as charming. The way he was motivated to do well in his courses took place of the way he dressed and styled his hair. He wasn't just good looking anymore. He was the real person I'd always known he was.
Still, we were friends and nothing more, nothing less. We studied together and went out to eat, but we did not hold hands (on a regular basis) nor did we kiss or behave as a couple. So it was beginning to be bothersome that Sharpay was continuously implying otherwise.
"Are you just going to ignore the question, Gabriella?" Sharpay asked from inside of her closet. I sighed, annoyed.
"Sharpay," I began diplomatically. "You know there's absolutely nothing going on between Troy and I other than platonic friendship."
"Ah, ah!" Sharpay stuck her hand out of the closet and wiggled her index finger. "You say that, but you and I both know you want something more."
I spun around in my chair, staring at her submerged limbs. I felt my face and neck get hot. "That's not true, Sharpay."
"Uh huh," she retorted from inside the closet. "You don't see how you look at him."
My face burned hotter. "I don't look at him in any special way!"
"Ha!" Sharpay exclaimed and stepped out of her closet, now dressed. "That's such bull and you know it! But, on to more important issues, because I see we're going nowhere with this: how do I look?"
Sharpay was dressed in a bright pink tiered spaghetti strap dress with a large bow around the waist. Underneath was a sunshine yellow t-shirt and around her neck were several strands of pearls. On her feet were sparkly gold heels. On anyone else, the outfit would look ridiculous, but with Sharpay's blonde curls and bright make up, it looked fabulous.
"You look great," I said earnestly as I set the curling iron down on the dresser, standing up myself. "What time is it? Troy said he'd be here just after seven."
Sharpay raised an eyebrow. "Troy isn't your boyfriend but he's escorting you to the party? Oh, what bull, I," she paused, her eyes fixated on me. "Holy shit, Gabriella, you look fantastic."
Flushing, I looked down at my outfit. "You sure it's not too much for a dorm party?"
While I hadn't gone to such extremes as Sharpay, I had decided to dress up just a little for the occasion, as to me it held sentimental value. My first real college party; an event like this needed to be marked with pretty clothes. I wore a red strapless dress with a little bow beneath the bust with a long black v-necked cardigan over top. On my feet were simple black flats. I didn't think it was anything special, but I had bought the dress shortly before moving to New York 'just in case'.
"Seriously!" Sharpay exclaimed, stepping forward to examine me closer. "You're a knock out! That dress is killer! My god!" She looked me up and down. "Who knew you had curves?"
I folded my arms over my chest self-consciously. "Gee, thanks Sharpay."
She shook her head and circled me. "No, I'm serious. You're always huddled up in jeans and t-shirts or sweats. You look amazing. Bolton is going to fall over his feet when he sees you."
I rolled my eyes. "He will not. Besides, he doesn't like me that way."
A knock at the door broke our conversation and we looked at each other. After staring at each other for several milliseconds, we both bolted to the door, desperate to answer it first.
Unfortunately for me, Sharpay got there first and I ended up being slammed with the door as she flung it open. I held my forehead in pain.
Sharpay burst out laughing at the sight and then grinned upon seeing the person standing behind the door. "Bolton!" she proclaimed, nearing hysterics. It really wasn't that funny. "Come on in!"
Troy walked in the room, smirking with raised eyebrows. "What's so funny, Sharpay?"
She held her sides, her eyes watering. "I just killed Gabriella with the door. It was priceless."
Troy's eyes fell on me, still clutching my forehead. "Is this true, Gabriella?"
My hands held my throbbing head and I cursed the day I was assigned to this dorm with Sharpay Evans. Lowering them slowly, I peeked through my eyelids to glance at Troy. "Uh, yeah. Is there a bump on my forehead?"
I lowered my hands completely so he could inspect it, and his mouth fell open ever so slightly. I saw his eyes run up and down my figure and his gaze nearly burned me. He was dressed in a pair of distressed denim jeans and a short-sleeved plaid button down which showed off his tan arms. His hair flopped over his own forehead into his blue eyes that were staring at me with such an intensity that I had not seen before. I swallowed, remembering what had attracted him to me in the first place. God, he was gorgeous. Did I really almost forget that?
Well, not really, but how was I able to focus on something else during all this time we spent together?
He drew his bottom lip into his mouth and bit down on it before smiling wildly at me. He took a step forwards and shoved his hands into his pockets, almost awkwardly. "You look...wow. You look amazing, Gabi," he said bashfully, glancing down at his face.
All the blood in my body rushed to my cheeks and I pulled at one of my curls. "You sure it isn't too much?"
"No!' Troy shook his head quickly. "I mean, um, really. You look really, really...you look...you know.."
My heart leapt into my mouth as I willed my brain to form words to string together a coherent sentence.
"T-thank you," I stuttered.
Sharpay, however, wasn't so quick to let it go. "I'm sorry, but I don't know. She looks really, really what, Troy?"
"Okay!" I said suddenly, not wanting to perpetuate the situation any further. "Come on! Let's go!" I opened the door and motioned for us to leave, which Troy did promptly, obviously eager to get out of the awkward situation Sharpay had thrown us in. As she slipped through the door, Sharpay shot me a sly look before winking and whispering,
"I told you so."
---
"Oh my god," a girl with long brown hair exclaimed and came to stand in front of the girl who was seated next to me on the couch. "I was just smoking a blunt. I think I smell like it." She grabbed the girl's face and pulled her to her. "Quick. Kiss me and tell me if you can taste it on my breath."
Their lips connected in a sloppy kiss that lasted a few seconds before pulling away. The girl next to me shook her head and grinned. "Nope! You taste like a tic-tac!"
The brunette smiled and mocked wiping sweat from her forehead. "Oh! Thank god! Now I have to find Jordan, must find Jordan." And with that she walked away.
I sat on the couch next to Taylor, who was giggling almost obnoxiously. Taking a sip of the bottle Sharpay had given me, the tart taste hit my tongue and while I didn't particularly enjoy it, it wasn't bad.
I couldn't help but laugh to myself at the what had just occurred in front of me. Was this what all parties were like? Hanging out, drinking and dancing? People kissing random people, just to check their breath? While the whole experience was interesting, it was certainly not like anything I had used to and not necessarily something I would make a habit out of.
Upon arriving at the party, which was essentially the common room cleared out with a large table filled with a keg and various bottles and cartons of juice, along with a stack of red cups, Sharpay had ushered me over and shoved a red bottle in my hand, proclaiming that I had to at least carry it around with me if I didn't want to get really drunk, which I didn't. The bottle was strawberry daiquiri something or the other and had only point five alcohol in it, but as the lightweight I apparently was, it was enough to get me mildly buzzed if I drank too much.
I had drank alcohol on a few family occasions and wasn't particularly fond of it, but this was a social situation and I was a foreigner in Rome and as they say, when it Rome, do as the Romans do.
Troy got lost promptly after we arrived at the party, being ushered into some obscene game of beer pong by Zeke, who had already been playing enthusiastically for over half an hour and was slightly inebriated. So instead I found solace in Taylor who was dressed in the tightest pair of black skinny jeans and a leopard print halter. We sat on the couch watching the crazy people dance, one of which included Sharpay and sipped on our drinks.
"I gotta say," Taylor said loudly over the music. "This party? Kind of lame. Nothing like the awesome parties I go to in Brooklyn."
"Hey!" I yelled. "Don't knock it! This is my first college party and frankly, I love it!" I grinned brightly and moved slightly to the music. The alcohol, while it didn't affect my train of thought was certainly making me less inhibited.
Taylor threw her head back and laughed. "If you enjoy this, just wait till I take you to a party in Brooklyn. It's awesome, Miss. Montez."
I took a long sip of my drink and stared back out at the dance-floor. "Tell me, Taylor, why are we sitting here and not dancing?"
Taylor grinned back at me and stood up, downing the rest of her drink and extending a hand to me. "I was thinking the same thing. Come on, Gabriella, let's dance."
We stepped into the throng of people who were moving their hips and arms to the music and fell into an easy rhythm. The music blared through the speakers and I let my hands sway above my head to the music, feeling comfortable and enjoying the music.
"You can come take me away, there's no pressure, play all day. Grab me tight and don't let go. Mmm, papi, love you."
I had always enjoyed dancing as a young girl and had actively participated in ballet and jazz lessons, but as I grew older and became more emerged in my school work, time for such extra curricular was unheard of. Still, dancing as I was now was like a fresh of breath air that I didn't know I was gasping for.
"Hey!" I heard a male voice exclaim and I spun around to find Ryan standing there, grinning like a loon, his arm looped around the shoulders of a petite female.
"Hey, Ryan!" I said cheerfully. "What's up?"
He laughed and stepped closer to me, never missing a bit, his arm never falling from the girl's shoulders. "You seem like you're having fun!"
I nodded vigorously. "I am!" I glanced at the female beside him and realized she looked oddly familiar. "Have we met before?"
She grinned brightly and adjusted the glasses on her nose. "Sort of, but not very formally. I'm Kelsi, Ryan's girlfriend. You're Troy's friend, right?"
I slowed my movements again, realizing this was indeed the girl I had mistaken for Troy's girlfriend. I flushed slightly at the embarrassing memory as the song changed. Looking at she and Ryan now and the tight grips they had on each other, it was laughable to think that she and Troy were involved.
"Oh, yeah!" I said, still embarrassed. "Sorry for running off so quickly. I was having a bad day."
Kelsi waved her hand in the air, as if telling me to forget about it. "It's no big deal. I wouldn't talk to anyone for three weeks when I started here last year. In comparison, you did much better."
We laughed and the couple slowly made their way across the room to something else after saying a quick goodbye. I continued dancing with Taylor, who seemed a natural at it. Glancing around the floor, my eyes suddenly fell on Troy whose gaze was fixed on me. Despite my self-consciousness at him watching me dance, I did not cease my moments. I raised my eyebrows at him, confused, but his gaze did not falter. Instead, he grinned and cocked his head backwards, motioning for me to come over.
"I'll be back," I hissed in Taylor's ear, and began making my way over to him. Once I arrived, I saw he was stationed against a wall, with a red cup in his hands standing next to a girl and a boy who seemed rather drunk.
"I love you," the girl cooed, wrapping herself around the boy.
"I love you, too," he replied, his hands encircling themselves around her waist. The pressed closer together as the girl continued to babble nonsensically.
"Really, truly. I love you."
"Yeah," the boy replied, before turning to face Troy and I. He looked at as seriously, but his eyes were bloodshot and his words slurred. "We love each other. We're going to get married."
Troy nodded and bit his lip, trying not to laugh. "Congratulations," he said, before winking at me. I leaned against the wall beside him and he bent his head down to speak to me.
"They just met five minutes ago," he said, chuckling. His breath, surprisingly, did not smell like alcohol, but maybe that was because I had been drinking, too. Wasn't that how it worked?
"Ah," I said, pressing a hand to my mouth to stifle my laughter. I looked up at Troy who was grinning at me.
"You having a good time?" he asked, stepping to stand in front of me. He pressed his hand to the wall behind me so that it was resting beside my head, trapping me in.
I nodded. "A great time, actually. More fun than I thought I would."
"Really now?" he cocked an eyebrow and smirked. "And here I thought you only enjoyed studying and drinking hot chocolate."
"Didn't you know, Troy," I said coyly. "There's so much you don't know about me." I stuck my tongue out to show I was joking.
His smirk grew in size and he removed his hand from the wall. "Is that so?" he took a long drink out of his cup. "Well, at any rate, I'm glad I'm getting to know you at all."
I stared up at him. "Really?"
He nodded slowly, his face growing serious. "Really. You're...you're not what I expected Gabi."
"Is that a bad thing?" I quirked an eyebrow, feeling awkward and suddenly out of place.
"No, no!" he shook his head and placed his hand on my shoulder. "Far from it. It's a great thing."
I smiled, feeling my body envelope in warmth at his words. "The same goes for you, Troy."
We didn't say anything for a moment as I reveled in his words. It was still hard to get my head around the notion that he and I were friends, even as we stood against the same wall together, at a dorm party in New York. If someone had told me this is where I would be now a year ago, I would have laughed in their face.
"Oh my god!" a voice exclaimed. "Guess who I saw coming out of the Royal?"
A girl with pink hair staggered over to a boy, her face stretched into a large grin. "Who?" he asked, eagerly.
"Charlene!" she exclaimed and they burst into laughter.
"Oh, she is so totally a hooker!" the boy exclaimed and Troy. He looked at me and I looked at him and within seconds, we burst into our own laughter.
"Oh, wow," he said, letting me go and running a hand through his hair. "That was priceless."
"I know!" I laughed in agreement. "The way she said that."
Suddenly things had shifted again. We had gone from being serious to being pals, laughing over something ridiculous. Oddly enough, it felt normal.
A soft strum of an acoustic guitar filled the room as a soft male voice filtered through the speakers. I glanced at Troy awkwardly, recalling one too many slow dances in elementary school that had resulted in tears or embarrassment. Instinctively, I turned to make my way off of the dance-floor, but a warm handed grasped my wrist, pulling me backwards.
It was Troy.
I peered at him curiously, my heart pounding in my chest. "What is it, Troy?" I asked softly, afraid if I spoke too loud the moment would break.
He was staring at me oddly, his eyes sparkling in a funny way I hadn't seen before. His hand slid down my wrist and he enlaced his fingers with mine. I swallowed, a heavy lump rising in my throat as he dropped my hand and wrapped his own around my waist, pulling me closer to him.
"Dance with me," he whispered huskily in my ear and my heart jumped into my throat.
"New York down to Mexico, Seattle to Oklahoma. Your ghost will always haunt my soul, Dallas up to Baltimore."
I looked down at my feet as I cautiously placed my hands around his neck. "I'm not very good at it," I admitted, feeling my cheeks flush at our closeness.
Lowering his hands to my hips, he pulled me closer. "Liar. That's impossible, Gabriella."
"Seriously," I bit my lip and shuffled my feet as we swayed to the music. "You should have seen me at elementary school dances. I can't handle basic coordination such as swaying."
He chuckled slightly. "Well, I'm seeing you right now and you're doing just fine."
"Give me a few minutes and your feet will be bruised from my stepping on them," I joked as we grew more comfortable. The skin on his neck was smooth and the strands of his hair were tickling my fingertips. I longed to touch them, but refrained.
"You know," he began, licking his lips nervously. He bent down, pulling me closer and dipped his head close to my ear. His warm breath danced on my skin and I shivered slightly, goosebumps irrupting on my arms. "Earlier, I don't think I explained myself well enough."
I let out a shaky breath. "What do you mean?"
He didn't say anything for a moment, only bent his head even closer to mine. "You look absolutely gorgeous tonight, Gabi. Gorgeous."
My heart fell to my feet. Gorgeous. He said I was gorgeous. The only other man in my life to utter such sentiments to me was my father and even then he had never used such an adjective like gorgeous before. My face had never felt so hot and I bit my lip hard, trying to stop myself from saying something stupid.
"Thank you," I whispered so softly I was sure he hadn't heard me, until he pulled back and whispered a reply.
"I'm only telling the truth."
I looked up at his words and when his eyes met mine, I felt my breath catch in my throat. My heart continued to increase in pace as we gazed at each other, neither of us daring to blink. He pulled my flush against him so that there was no space between us, and I felt the warmth of his chest against mine and the dizzying sensation that followed.
"I will follow you home. I will follow wherever you go."
The music intensified and our gaze did not break. Something within me snapped and Troy bit his lip, his eyes searching my face. His hands tightened around my waist, fingertips digging into my flesh and I felt dizzy as warmth and sparks shot through me.
What was happening?
'It was like we could speak without words. I wonder how and when we learned it, this secret language."
- Felicity Porter
--
I have to thank my best friend so much for all her support. I was a complete ball of stress when I was attempting to write from a combination of an uncomfortable situation with our mutual friend, haters on the internet and school work and just one phone call from her cleared up all that drama. Thank you so much, you have no idea how much you helped me with your simple, logical words.
Furthermore, I said to her during our religion class that I needed a song for Troy and Gabi to dance to and was completely lost for one. Ten minutes later she pulled out her iPod and gasped in excitement when she found the lovely song used in this chapter, 'I Will Follow' by Shorelines End. It could not be more perfect for the situation and my Troy and Gabi and I am so extremely ecstatic and pleased that she was able to lend her musical taste to me. :D
There was originally a grind scene in this chapter and while I know it's deletion may disappoint some of you, after careful consideration from my mom ("It's too out of character for Gabi, Diana. She'd have to be really drunk like the girls at the party you went to at New Years.") and the best friend ("It's...it's not something I see them doing."), I felt it was best to get rid of the scene altogether. I'm not developing this story slowly for nothing.
:) Fun times are ahead, it may just take a while.
P.S. All 'party conversations' are from the real-life New Years party I attended this past year. Except for the one about the hooker. That happened the other day in the car.
