Chapter 10

Gabriella pushed away from Jeff and took a step towards Troy. Troy quickly turned away and shut the door behind him. Troy ran down the steps, grabbed his jacket and car keys and drove off.

Gabriella quickly chased after him, calling his name, but he ignored her as he slammed the door. Everyone else came running out of their rooms asking what happened, but Gabriella couldn't speak, she was sobbing hysterically. Mia tired to comfort Gabriella, but Gabriella broke away from Mia and ran upstairs, ready to thrash Jeff, but when she reached the room, he was gone. The window was open, wind blowing the curtains. Gabriella stuck her head out of the window and saw Jeff's retreating figure, running towards a black Chevy pickup.

Troy drove around, until he came to a bar. He parked the car and walked inside. Sitting down on a stool, the bar tender came over

"what'd you want?" he asked gruffly

"uh..water" Troy said as he remembered Gabriella.

"Man, this is a bar, you don't order water at a bar, you order drinks, like a rum and coke, or jack daniels on the rocks, or I don't know but you don't order water!" the man sitting on a stool, two away from Troy. The bar tender just shrugged and pulled a glass out from under the bar.

"give him a rum and coke, on me" the guy said, "I'm Ryan by the way," he said, stretching a hand out

Troy grabbed it, "troy"

"Ryan!" a girl said from the door, "there you are! I've been looking all over for you! Kelsi said yes!"

"Sharpay, I d---, what did you say?"

"Kelsi said yes!"

"Oh my god! Oh, yes!" ryan yelled, throwing his fist in the air.

"what happened?" Troy asked confused

"I proposed to my girlfriend, but she didn't answer, so I thought she was going to say no, but she said yes!"

"Ryan, who's this?" Sharpay asked, walking over to Troy. She pulled herself up onto the stool next to Troy and stuck out a hand.

"Sharpay, Troy, Troy Sharpay" Ryan said quickly, "I'll see you later. Troy, we'll talk later, Sharpay give him my number and whatever. I got to go! My girlfriend said yes!"

Ryan ran out the door. Troy and Sharpay finished shaking hands.

"rum and coke? My brother order that for you?"

"yeah"

"his favorite. So what's your story?" Sharpay asked, leaning closer to Troy

"I don't know"

"oh?"

"yeah, I mean, I like this girl, but I just caught her making out with her ex, so that relationship is out the window" (pun intended)

"so, you looking for a relationship?"

"I guess so"

"well, I just broke up with my boyfriend of 3 months. I mean, he was such a jerk. Out of nowhere, he comes up to me, makes out with me for like a half hour and then after we're done, he dumps me! I felt like killing him!"

"Oh, I'm sorry"

"So, what do you want to do tonight?"

"huh?"

"you know, get back at our exes? Duh!"

"Oh, well you know,… I'm just not in the mood to do anything."

"Oh" sharpay said, her face dropping. "You seem like a nice guy... I wonder why that girl wouldn't date you. Here's Ryan's number, we should hang out sometime. I'd better get back, so give him a call ok?" Sharpay stood up, kissed Troy on the cheek and walked away.

Troy got up and drove back to the house. Gabriella had stayed up, waiting for him to come back.

"troy?" she asked. He ignored her, changed into his night clothes and got into bed.