It was Friday before he could realize the week had gone by, try outs were tonight. Chad still hadn't asked Taylor about Saturday's poetry jam and Kelsi took the new better than he expected. She said that Chad needed this more than he needed culture in his life. Holding his books in his left arm held the Library door open with his right. Two women walked in and he smiled before entering himself. Troy walked into the library and walked up to the front desk. Looking around for the librarian he jerked back in surprise as Gabriella appeared behind counter. "Well, well, well… work study?"
Gabriella tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled. "Girls gotta make a living right?" she answered walking up to the desk. "I just started yesterday morning."
"Interesting," he said placing his books on the counter. "So I got an e-mail that my interlibrary loans came in, maybe you could get them for me?"
Gabriella smiled her blue dress loosely draped over her body and her bare shoulders covered with a white sweater. "I'll go look in back or ask someone?"
Troy smiled as she disappeared into the back room. She was cute, a bit plain, a bit commitment required but she wouldn't be that hard to resist. Troy turned around and looked around the library then at a woman walking by with her little boy securely at her side. He remembered things about his mother, like the way she smelled, sound of her voice, standing next to her at parties or events. She was a little shorter than him. When his mother died his dad shut him out but his Grandmother let him in. He carried her groceries, fixed things in the house for his father was too busy to get to. He loved his grandmother, the entire reason he was here and still sane was because of that little woman.
"Here you go Troy."
His attention snapped and he turned around and offered a smile. When he looked down he noticed of her black nail polish as she wrote down the pickup order. "Didn't picture you as a black nail polish kind of girl," he said pointing at her nails.
"Well you should never assume." Her lips formed a tight smile and Troy chuckled as she handed him the pen.
"Guess not," he said signing his name and grabbing the two books and added them into his pile.
"So I'll see you tonight?" she said leaning on the counter a bit. "I'm nervous."
"Don't be," Troy picked up his books and gave her a wink. "I'll sing with you."
"I'm not looking for a hand out," she said leaning back.
"Then don't," Troy said lifting and hand and waving as he walked off.
Gabriella stared at Troy signature on the sheet and let her fingers gentle touch the ink. It was crazy to get butterflies over someone like Troy. In her letter to her mother she told her everything but anything about Troy. Biting her lip she filed away the paper, this was ridiculous feeling something for someone who hurt her cousin. What would Chad think, what about Kelsi, she felt even worst about Kelsi? On Wednesday Kelsi and the girls watched Titanic in her room as they talked about Zeke and Chad. She Knew what Kelsi was feeling about Troy.
"So, how's the job going?"
At the sound of Ryan's voice she jerked around and gave him a nervous smile.
"Hey Ryan,"
Ryan looked around the library and then back at her, "Listen I was wondering if you could put in a good word for me?"
"What do you mean?" Gabriella said picking up a book and walking to the desk.
Ryan shrugged and a slight shade of red came to his cheeks. "I know you girls all hang out together. I was just hoping that maybe in the matters of Kelsi…" he didn't say more he just nodded and soon Gabriella nodded with sympathy.
"Oh, Ryan, I don't know." She said wincing a bit. "Kelsi has a crush on Troy."
Ryan looked down at his hands as they tapped the desk top. "I know, but I figured maybe I could give it a shot."
Gabriella was silent for a moment. It couldn't hurt, a good word was only a good word wasn't it? "I'll see what I can do Ryan."
"Thanks Gabi, I know Sharpay won't … she said it's kind of gross if the good word came from my sister." Ryan rolled his eyes and let out a sigh.
Gabriella plastered a fake smile on her face. "I guess," he asked his sister?
"You're a nice girl," Ryan said with a small smirk as he tapped his hand one more time.
If she was so nice why was it her 7th day on campus and not a single guy had mentioned her as nothing more than a study buddy. It seemed like spring had come early and everyone was playing musical chairs. Gabriella let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. What was the rush, what was she expecting? "Thank you," she said feeling the tension on her shoulders recede for the moment.
"Hey dinner is at the café tonight, Chad said that the taco bar is awesome," he said backing away.
"I'm sure," Gabriella said opening the book and scanning it into the system.
"Later," he said in a loud whisper once he was far enough to be too loud.
Gabriella nodded and placed the book on the cart for re-shelving later.
Troy sat at the cafeteria table with his laptop, he didn't know why he was but he was currently looking at Gabriella's page. Something about her made him curious. He read through her information, apparently she only had 127 friends. Chad wasn't joking about the small town thing. She interested in men, looking for friendships and networking, not a single dirty piece of information anywhere. Under bio it said 'well, if you get to know me, you'll know all about me.' what kind of shit was that? Her interests were reading, performing, Numbers and Achieving set goals. For music she listened pop and country which she might as well have just written I only listen to Hannah Montana. Under books there was a long list of authors and series. She like Disney movies and romantic comedies and she didn't watch much television.
Troy leaned back in his chair and looked at her profile picture of her and a tiny brown kitten. "Who are you?" he said to the computer.
"Who's who?" Chad said putting his bag down in the chair besides him and putting his tray down.
"No one," Troy said closing his laptop and putting it away in his bag.
Chad smiled and made a woof noise. "Someone's got a target."
Kelsi and Sharpay put their bags down and Ryan placed his tray besides Chad. "What Target?"
Troy looked from Chad to Ryan and then at Taylor and Zeke who were walking side by side towards the table. "Hey Lover boy, make a move before someone else does," Troy said motioning behind them.
"Come Sharpay I seen Gabi in line already," Kelsi said rolling her eyes at Troy and Chad.
Troy leaned back in his chair silently as Taylor and Zeke debated third world countries along with Kelsi's and Ryan's input while Sharpay showed Chad and Gabriella some of her drawings. Such a friendly bunch his friends were.
Looking around Troy spotted a red head with long legs walking towards another table, she was wearing a green dress that was almost illegal. On her feet were a pair of tie around the ankle gold sandals and Troy imaged those legs wrapped around him. What a vision, such plump breast and slender waist. She was made for the bed, made for tossing around and experimenting with.
"Troy, not at the dinner table," Kelsi said kicking him under the table.
"So that's the new it girl?" Chad said craning his neck to see the red head.
Troy silently kicked himself. "Just some strange, nothing to place any name tags on yet."
"Seriously do you think talking about girls like that will get you somewhere?" Taylor asked looking at him disgusted.
"Well, not to brag but I hear more pleasure noises then I do objections." Troy said making all the guys in the table chuckle.
"That's gross," Taylor said picking at her taco shell.
"Hey, we both agree to not being each other's type, and I'm cool with that," Troy said leaning back in his chair and folding his hands in his lap. Telling by the look on Chad's face he was thrill by that. Troy felt a pinch of guilt.
"Troy is an acquired taste," Kelsi said sending him a small wink.
"See she gets me," Troy said with a smirk and leaned forward on the table.
"Right because all girls are the same and we all just love the asshole." Taylor rolled her eyes. "What ever happen to the nice guys," she said looking his way then Chad's, "What is it? A little romance is going to make it shrivel up and fall off?"
"If you think all women are the same your stupid and if you think nice guys finish last I've got a full knowledge of every tragic tale that says otherwise." Troy said pointing his finger on the table.
"What do mean?" Gabriella said shocking him a bit with the daring tone in her voice. He didn't expect her to feel the same as Taylor or to be offended.
"All the greatest love stories are never about the nice guy."
"Romeo,"
"There was a bounty on his head, he was forbidden to see her, and he killed a man. Not your everyday nice guy."
"Beast, from Beauty and the Beast?" Sharpay said, "He was kind of mean at first then he got really gentle and nice, so your kind of right?"
"My point is nice guys who don't have confidence or treat you like little pretty dolls are considered too nice and end up in the friend zone aka dick in a glass box."
"But don't you believe that friendship can turn into a relationship," Gabriella said with a small smile.
"That only happens after the girl has dated a million wrong guys. Then she settles for the one who rubs her feet and watches movies with her on Saturday nights. Trust me the only reason that's classic is because the nice guy is the last option you girls have," Troy responded.
"What about chivalry?" Sharpay said looking towards Zeke with a smile. "Real men know how to behave."
"Yea, it's called tricks." Troy leaned back and looked around the table. "We open doors, we pull out chairs and we flip the bill, all just a bunch of tricks until we figure out the right combination to get into your pants."
"Wow," Ryan's eyes opened wide and he looked over at Kelsi and then at Troy. This was the man she choose over him? This was her knight in shining amour in all his glory?
"Why can't a guy just be nice?" Gabriella placed her fork down and lifted her glass.
"Look in the fairy tales there is always something in it for the hero. No guy ever takes the first step unless he thinks he's going to get somewhere."
Taylor looked at him disgusted, "Why is it all about sex with you?"
"Never said it was about sex on that part," Troy said pointing to Taylor. "Look, plain and simple," he said standing up from his seat to take the apple from her tray. "If a guy likes you, he's only going to ask you out if there's 95% chance you'll say yes. A guy will only open the door and pull out your chair if there's a 50% chance the date is going well, a guy will flip the bill without fuss if he had a good time. He'll take you all the way to the door if there's a 25% chance he's either getting a good night kiss or a second date. No one does anything without something in it for them."
Kelsi rolled her eyes and looked over at Sharpay who was staring at him with silent wonder. "Truth from the lips of an asshole," she said looking over at Ryan with a smile. "Taking notes boys?"
"I would but somehow I don't think the lessons for me?" Ryan replied as he placed his hand under his chin.
"Dude that is the most honest piece of bullshit I've ever heard." Zeke said with a small smile on his lips. "I would like to know more about how your men treat their mates."
"Well you came to the right table." Chad looked over at Taylor and shrugged. "Got to admit it Tay, some of this is true."
Troy nodded and Taylor shrugged her shoulders.
"What about for the girl?" Gabriella said before Troy could lean back in a victory.
"What about her?"
"Why does she do it?" Gabriella said leaning back.
"My Grandmother once told me that women do not want to be loved because they're pretty, or good, or well bred, or graceful, or intelligent, but because they are themselves." Troy looked around the table and smiled. "Love is as much of an object as it is an obsession, everybody wants it, everybody seeks it, but few ever achieve it, those who do will cherish it, be lost in it, and among all, never... never forget it. No woman wants to snuggle up with a cat and good book." He said ending on Gabriella. "We cease loving ourselves if no one loves us. So to answer your question you date guy after guy, prick after asshole in search for that one that's going to take the time and make you feel special."
"If I were a girl I'd fuck you," Chad said in low voice.
Taylor and Sharpay giggled and Kelsi smiled. Troy looked over at Gabriella who looked down at her plate and calmly closed her eyes. Troy felt a pinch of guilt in his stomach; maybe he went a bit too far about the cat and book.