Title: Ice Prince
Author: Mrpointyhorns aka Blemery
Author's Email: M
Status: WIP
Part: 10/?
Pairings: Eventually Troy/Ryan, starts with Troy/Gabby and Ryan/OC
Warnings: Slash, Tryan, abusive relationship
Spoilers: None.
Summary: Sharpay and Ryan try out for the figure skating show. Ryan catches the eye of the ice hockey's captain, but is he as really charming as he seems. Troy starts to ask questions when he realizes that he might be jealous.
Beta: Phoenixdreams
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Disney. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended
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Chapter 10
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Winter in Albuquerque was terrible. It had been snowing on and off since the end of October. Since the beginning of December the snow was almost always present, but it was not always fresh. It was very unusual for the area to see so much snow. Most years the town had the occasional snow fall usually melted by mid-afternoon, but this year was different.
So by the twenty-sixth of December, Troy had stopped enjoying the winter fun and started dreading all the work and headache a long winter brought. He had to endure the frigid weather that day, to meet Gabriella in the park. He wore a semi-light winter coat, because it was not snowing that day, but it was still windy and cold enough to keep the old snow from melting.
Troy sat on a bench near the entrance of the park, his hands shoved into his pockets, and his feet kicking up dirty snow from underneath his knees. He was getting jittery because he had been waiting for fifteen minutes already. He was not as worried as he was bored. What he would not give to be home right then. He led his mind wander to the XBox 360 and many games he received that year. He dreamed of sitting in his boxers and creaming Chad in a game of online NBA. He could almost feel the ache in his wrists and thumbs from hours of play, just from the thought.
A breeze picked up drawing Troy's attention. He pulled his coat on tighter and thought that he would even prefer Basketball practice to this. His father, Coach Bolton, had arranged for an optional practice for any guys still left in town. Troy was sure that the entire Varsity team would be there, missing practices meant less court time. He felt sort of guilty for wishing that he was listening to his father rant, instead of sitting around waiting for his girlfriend to show up.
"Troy!" Gabriella called as she rushed over. "I'm really sorry that you had to wait. We left later then we wanted to." She pointed over to her family's van parked parallel to the entrance. She and her family were going skiing for a week. They wanted to be at the lodge by noon, but it was unlikely now.
"Its okay, Gabs. I wasn't waiting too long," Troy lied through his charming smile.
Gabriella smiled back sitting on the bench next to Troy. She never seemed to notice the cold. Taking his hand she squeezed it gently. "I'm glad you came. I've been thinking that we should see other people," She said in one big swoop.
"Wh-what?" Troy felt as stunned as his looked. His mouth hung open and his eyes were wide and the question hung in his mind.
"We should see other people. I'm breaking up with you," Gabriella spelled out correctly. She was doing the best she could. She had never broken up with someone before, and it was difficult trying to be firm and sympathetic.
Troy did not know what to say. He just sat there trying to take in what she was saying. It took several silent minutes before Troy spoke. When he did it was slow and deliberate. "I gave you a promise ring yesterday."
"I know and it made me think. I am not ready for something like that. And then I kept thinking, shouldn't I be ready if Troy is the right guy for me. That's when I realized that I don't feel anything for you anymore." Gabriella explained.
Another jaw-dropping expression took over Troy's face. "You don't feel anything for me?"
"Well, no. I'm not really sure I ever did. When we started liking each other, as more then just friends, there was all this excitement and drama going on around us. I think I projected that excitement into feelings for you. I mean we auditioned for the musical together and that was incredible, and this summer was exuberating, so I felt those things for you too. But now that things are quieter, those feelings that I thought I had for you started to disappear. Now I feel nothing.
"That's why I can't accept a promise ring from you, because I can't promise you anything right now." Gabriella looked so crushed. She obviously thought that she should accept his ring, and that she should have feelings for him, but it was not her fault that she did not. It was hard for her.
It was hard for him too. "Gabriella, you can't be serious. I gave you my heart, my word that we'd be together, for a long time. And now you're telling me that you don't feel that way about me." He sounded frustrated, angry, and even a little bit hurt.
"Yeah, I am," Gabriella squeezed his hand. "I'm glad you gave me the ring though, because it made me realize that I'm not ready for that. It also made me realize that I'm not into us anymore."
Troy nodded slowly, agreeing. He sat up leaning his elbows on his knees. "That would have hurt worse I bet. I'm glad that you trusted your feelings and told me that you don't feel anything for me anymore," Troy confessed to Gabriella. He was hurt, but he knew that she was only doing what was right. He knew that in a few weeks, maybe even a few days, he would be grateful to her honesty.
She leaned forward and hugged Troy quickly. "Thanks Troy. You're going to be okay, you know that. You'll find someone else, and hopefully that will be the one." Those words and the hug brought comfort and closure to both of them.
When Gabriella' father honked the horn of his vehicle she pulled away. "Thanks for understanding. I will call you when I get home." Troy waved as Gabriella hurried off to her car and as her family drove away.
Once Gabriella was gone he leaned back against the park bench and let out a deep breath. He felt like he had been holding it a long time. The chill of winter blew around him, and in between the layers of his clothes but he no longer cared. The cool air felt good on his burning skin and it helped block out the warm tears that slid down his cheeks.
He already knew he would get over his relationship with Gabriella. In fact, he already knew that he felt the same way she did, and later he would wonder why he thought that a promise ring was a good present in the first place. Despite knowing this, Gabriella had been a good girlfriend. She was his first kiss, his first love, and his first sex. So it still hurt to know that he was losing that part of his relationship with her.
He would miss the little things about her: kissing her first thing in the morning when he picked her up for school. He would miss the big things about her: like the way she made him a better person. He would just miss her. He would miss them.
It hurt. The feeling was not crushing, or burning. It was a gentle numbing pain that was necessary but not detrimental to his growth, or to their friendship.