…
The Usual
Epilogue
The pudgy man, flushing red in the face with veins bulging from his neck and forehead, screams at the top of his lungs, "I want a refund!" He leans back with his cardboard tray of nachos, winding up for a powerful throw.
"Sir," The blue-eyed waiter pleads from behind the counter, "As I already explained, you ate over half the meal. Company policy dictates that we cannot give refunds on meals over half finished."
"I show you where to shove your company policy!" The disgruntled patron hurls the tray directly at Troy.
Troy ducks just in time, the nachos sticking to the wall behind him. He springs back up, rips his apron off from around his waist and yells back, "Get out or I'm calling the cops!"
The man waves his middle finger behind him in farewell before pushing the door open and joining the bright, sunny day outdoors.
Troy finishes up the last four hours of his shift bitterly; soured by the interaction with the entitled customer. He should be used to it by now. This isn't the first altercation he's had in the last six months at this job.
…
His feet sore and his lower back aching, he finally reaches his level and puts his key into the lock. He lazily leans into the door to push it open and after the whole day of unrelenting awfulness, he finally crosses something pleasant; his beloved girlfriend making stir-fry on the stovetop.
"Thank God you're cooking, babe. I'm starving!" He comes up behind her and places a kiss on top of her bare shoulder.
"I had a feeling you would be," Gabriella giggles. "So I'm making extra."
"I love you."
"I love you, too." She twists her neck to the side and puckers her lips.
Troy smiles, leans his head down to hers and kisses her on the lips.
"I'm going to write a little before dinner." Troy gently pinches Gabriella on the butt, causing her to squeak before approaching his laptop on the side table next to a lone armchair.
"Troy," Gabriella glances behind her to him, "There's something we have to talk about."
"Hold onto that thought, babe," Troy raises a finger and begins eagerly typing. After a few moments of divulging into the fine intricacies of his plot, he realizes that Gabriella has approached him, her arms crossed over her chest seriously.
"I'm sorry, I just must get new story this outlined," he explains himself. "It's about this girl just entering public high school after years of being homeschooled, at first it's all very overwhelming, and - oh yeah! She has this adorable baby sister! She's mainly just there to offset the tragedy in the book. Wait until I get to that. So at first the reader thinks it's about her adjusting to a massive high school, then BAM! The unthinkable happens. It's ultimately a story about triumph and courage and seeking justice for the wrong-" he pauses, catching Gabriella's twitching lips. "Are you okay?"
She glances up to the ceiling above in an attempt to keep the tears from falling. "You sound so excited about this new book, I- I can't believe I have to tell you this and kill your dreams."
"Gabriella," Troy closes his laptop and stands, dropping it onto the chair before bringing Gabriella into his arms. "There's nothing you could tell me that'd squash my dreams. Now, what's going on?"
"I didn't want to tell you this earlier because I was in denial, putting off taking a test, but I'm sure now," she rubs her fingers together in front of her stomach anxiously. "Troy, I'm pregnant."
…
He keeps his knee propped up against the bottom of his desk in order to balance himself on the broken swivel chair. Photos of he and his pregnant girlfriend adorn the short cubicle walls, reminding him why he's putting up with this awful job. With an uncomfortable headset constricting against his aching head, he continues his work. "On a scale of one to ten, how likely are you to vote in the upcoming election?"
The woman on the phone line responds, "A ten, like you."
"Excuse me, miss?"
"You sound hot. Are you hot?"
"Ma'am," He groans, rolling his eyes until they focus on the cold cup of coffee next to his keyboard. "We need to complete the survey. If not I'll have to disconnect the call."
"Why don't you get me to completion first, and then we'll talk about your silly little survey."
He clicks the end call button on his monitor and goes down the list to the next phone number.
The phone rings two, three times before it clicks. A low, disgruntled voice greets him, "Hello?"
"Good evening, am I speaking with Mr. Philips?"
"Who is this?"
"My name is Troy. I'm conducting a political survey on behalf of Pew Research Center. Do you have a moment to speak with me?"
"Take me off of the call list, asshole!" Click.
Troy sighs, jotting a note by the man's name in the call list. After another seven hours of similar calls, he finally swipes his punch card as he leaves the call center. He catches a train home and enters the stuffy apartment. He spots his girlfriend across the small room in their armchair with a book resting atop her bulging abdomen.
"Hey," she sweetly greets him.
"Hey," he shuts the door behind him and tosses his keys into a tray on the side table. He approaches the refrigerator and digs in to find a can of coke. He pops the can open and takes a long swig, rubbing the knot at the back of his neck.
"Long day?" She asks, closing her book and nudging it between the cushion and the armrest.
"Nah," he shakes his head, taking a bowl of cold spaghetti out of the fridge. He tosses the lid off of it and places it into the microwave to cook.
"You sure?" She slowly crosses over the rug into the kitchen.
"What?" He says, rubbing his tired eyes.
"Exactly," she giggles, walking into his chest and wrapping her arms around him by the waist. "Are you sure this job isn't too soul consuming for you?"
"It doesn't matter. I'll keep telemarketing as long as I need to so that you and the baby can live comfortably."
"Surely we can find you something better."
"Like what, Gabriella? We were living pay check to pay check when I was waiting tables."
She suggests, "Maybe you could get an agent again."
"I don't have time to write another book when there are bills that need to be paid." A sudden pop from the microwave interrupts him and the appliance slowly dies as a cloud of smoke emits from its vent. "And now we need to buy a new microwave," he throws its door open and removes the still cold spaghetti, roughly plopping it on the counter.
"I don't want you to give up on your dreams," Gabriella says, removing her hands from around him and laying them on her stomach.
"I'm not giving up on my dreams, I'm trading them. Writing was my dream, but now I have different priorities."
"And you're not resentful of that?"
"Never," Troy chuckles. "Don't you worry about my dreams, sweetheart. I have everything I could possibly want right here." He pulls Gabriella into a strong hold and leans his forehead down onto hers.
While they lay in bed and her breathing gradually evens, he stays awake. His hand embarks on a journey from the top of her head down to her upper arm. His fingertips pass through the web of hair to stroke the soft patch of her skin. He reflects on his words from earlier, wondering if he was being truthful. The long, grueling hours he works in that godless call center truthfully do consume some of his soul. He could have kept writing and waiting tables if it weren't for Gabriella's pregnancy. Now there's too much demanded of him to dedicate any time to writing. The fact of the matter is he cannot continue what he originally set out for New York City to accomplish.
He moves onto his side and allows his arm to wrap around her and rests his hand on her bump. He wouldn't recognizable the man who impulsively abandoned college in pursuit of such an uncertain dream. Becoming a published author suddenly seems so insignificant in comparison to his new purpose, becoming a father. And as he slowly lulls off to sleep, his heart releases the unwritten stories he once cherished into the still air around them.
A/N: Thank you very much for reading! If you thought the story Troy was describing sounded good, go to my profile and check out my other story titled Where Courage Ignites.
Please let me know what you thought about this story in a review. Thanks again!
MORE STORIES BY SOPHIA ANNE MOORE
Leave It All Abroad: Italy was supposed to be the place to relax, reset, and help an old friend. But who else Gabriella finds there could rekindle an old flame and expose a conspiracy wilder than her imagination. This month will be anything but a vacation. (Troyella)
Confessions and Consequences: Troy thinks he knows everything about his best friend Gabriella, but the one thing she never told him might actually destroy their friendship forever. Now that her secret is out, the two must endure the repercussions of unrequited love in order to keep everything between them from coming completely unraveled.
New Year's, 2006: Adrenaline junkie Troy Bolton is always up for the next big thing. He only intended to snowboard and play basketball on this family vacation, not sing karaoke in front a room full of people. What happens when fate puts him in the spotlight? Will he rise to the challenge, or coward away? (One-shot. Troyella.)
Catfish: Amateur investigators Nev and Max help young single mom Gabriella discover the truth behind a mysterious connection.
Where Courage Ignites: First I had to deal with yet another move, this time to Albuquerque. Then I had to transition from homeschool to a massive public high school. Just when I thought everything was finally falling into place, I was raped. Now I'm struggling to keep myself in one piece when all I want to do is disintegrate into thin air.
The Group Project: One day after school, the Wildcats pile in the Evans' home to collaborate on a group paper. When working together in such close proximity, conflict and romance is bound to emerge. (Five-shot. 10 major Wildcats!)
Long Island Medium: It has been six months since Gabriella and East High lost their beloved basketball captain in a tragic accident. In a desperate search for closure, Gabriella makes an appointment with a woman who can talk to the dead. (Troyella. One-shot.)
The Sacred Rays: Troy Bolton's life is split into two distinct parts. His past contained enough catastrophes to break him, whereas today's second chance has given him hope for the future. Will his experience with loss and self-destruction prevent him from trusting his heart again? (Troyella, Chaylor, & Chyan.)