Disclaimer: I DO NOT own High School Musical.

Chapter Eleven: During Start of Something New Reprise

Taylor couldn't remember the last time she couldn't focus on her schoolwork. It probably would have been so much easier if Chad didn't go and text her earlier that day. The point of them being broken up was supposed to be to not talk to each other. Taylor glanced across her room where she saw his basketball. She was sure that was the only reason he even contacted her. Chad was nothing without his basketball so without Taylor to focus on he probably wanted it back.

It, not her.

But why was Taylor even thinking about that? After their argument why would he want her back? She started their argument and she came off as a complete witch. She felt guilty about what happened with Gabriella and she let all her anger and frustration out on Chad. She'd spent so much time keeping her feelings bottled up, not wanting anyone to ever see her upset or hurting, and it came out at the worst possible time. But maybe it was for the best. She got what she deserved; Gabriella had her heart broken and now Taylor felt the same. It was a sign. Now she could focus on the Decathlon team like she was supposed to and things could go to the way they were supposed to be. Tonight would be the last night Taylor would willingly see Chad and then it would only be one more year before they never saw each other again.

As if Taylor could go the rest of her life without seeing Chad ever again. She'd seen him nearly ever day since second grade. Every day at school there he was playing with his basketball, getting in some kind of trouble or just plain goofing off. Even during the summer Taylor saw Chad constantly. He would be running down the street with his basketball buddies or hanging out at the park or somehow in front of her house. Taylor sighed; she should probably enjoy those little moments while they lasted because once Chad got his basketball back the only time she'd ever talk to Chad again is if they started another fight.

Taylor had to snap out of it; she couldn't spend all the time worrying about her and Chad. He would be here any minute and there was no point dwelling in the past or worrying about the future at this rate. Taylor headed downstairs and glanced out the window, keeping an eye out for Chad. She raised an eyebrow and then opened the door to see Chad standing outside, fixing his hair.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

Chad's arms dropped and he quickly turned to her. "Nothing," he said almost too quickly. He cleared his throat, "I mean, nothing."

Taylor looked at him doubtfully.

Chad looked around nervously before turning his attention back to Taylor. "So…can we talk?" he asked hopefully.

Yeah, talk. That's what he came here for. Taylor rolled her eyes and signaled for him to follow her upstairs. The best thing to do was to get this over with, and fast. She didn't want to drag this out anymore than it needed to. She didn't even bother to close the door when Chad got up there like she normally did; she just handed him his basketball.

"Ok, you can go now," she said.

Chad took the basketball but looked at her confused. "What?"

"That's what you came here for, your basketball," she responded.

"No, I actually came here to talk," Chad said.

"Chad, you can stop lying now," she insisted. "We're done here now, so can you please just go?"

"No."

"No?"

"No."

"No?"

"N...no."

Taylor rolled her eyes. "You're so stubborn," she muttered.

"Tay can we not fight now?" he asked.

"Chad just drop it," she insisted.

"I really need to talk to you."

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Yes there is."

Taylor groaned. She didn't want to deal with this anymore. Chad had barely been here five minutes and it was already getting unbearable. Why couldn't he just take a hint and get lost? They were done; there was nothing left for them to say to each other. And if she was going to have to fight with him it might as well be at school instead of in her own house where they spent their time doing so many better things. Like watching movies, laughing, cuddling, falling asleep during failed study sessions and kissing…. Taylor sure missed his kisses. She missed the way he wrapped his arms around her and held her close, living in the moment and capturing her lips in his…. But she had to snap out of it. How many days has it been since they broke up, two? She may have missed all those things about Chad but there was no way Taylor could let him know how much she really did miss him. Or how much she wanted to kiss him just to shut him up.

"Chad we've already said everything that needed to be said," she sighed. "So there's no point in dragging this out or lying anymore. We both know you only came here to get your basketball. You've got it now, so you can go. There's nothing stopping you."

"Yeah there is," Chad said. "About the fight-"

"I don't want to talk about it either," she interrupted. "What's done is done and we don't need to keep bringing it up. So we might as well let bygones by bygones and move on with our lives. I've got a competition to prepare for. You'd better go home and practice for your championship."

"I don't wanna go home and practice," Chad replied.

"I think you should," Taylor said.

"Really? You think you know what I should be doing right now?" he asked.

"I think I know what you would rather be doing right now," Taylor corrected.

"I don't think you do know," Chad said.

"Really?" she replied doubtfully.

"Really," he nodded.

"Alright then Chad, tell me, what do you think?" Taylor questioned.

"I'll tell you what I think. This is what I think," he replied. He tossed the basketball out the window. He didn't miss a step or give it another second; he just threw it out the window the second he finished his sentence.

Taylor looked at him shocked. She couldn't believe her eyes. He actually dropped his basketball two stories for her.

"I don't care if we're fighting. I almost don't care if we're not even talking," Chad said, "but I'd rather be here with you than at home with my basketball. The fight was stupid and we both screwed up. Heck, I know how much I screwed up. I didn't get why you were upset and I let our argument over this whole status quo thing get the better of me. And I'm sorry. But I don't wanna be broken up."

"Chad, I…" Taylor's voice trailed off. She nearly felt speechless. What was someone supposed to say when the person who's head they were just biting off two days ago apologized and tried to prove that a person was more important than a sport? And it was really hard for her to not fall for his voice. Or into his eyes. But she had to maintain her ground. Taylor kept telling herself that them breaking up was for the best. She spent the past two days telling herself that; but it was difficult to believe when she spent so much time with him. "I really think we're better off broken up. Look at all the trouble with the status quo now. Imagine how much worse it'd be if people found out about us, too," she forced out.

"That's the thing," he admitted. He ran his fingers through his hair before meeting her eyes. "I don't care anymore if anyone knows about us. I don't care what anyone thinks…or thought…of us being together. I already told Troy, Jason and Zeke. And if they tell everyone else then let them tell everyone else."

"You're not serious," she said. For as long as the two of them had been together, Taylor hadn't once heard Chad insist that he wants people to know about them. Sure, he asked the occasional 'what if's' and thought about letting people know, but he never went through with it. This was the first time she was hearing him be so nonchalant about outing them.

"I'm really serious," Chad nodded. He took a step closer to her, "Walk with me to school tomorrow."

"What?" she asked, still taken aback.

"Walk with me to school tomorrow. Where everyone can see us," he said. "And let them think whatever they want and say whatever they want."

"Chad…" He was making it more impossible for her to say no to him.

"Tay," he replied.

She shook her head. "I don't know," she said softly. It was probably the closest she was going to get to say no.

"One kiss then," he said.

"What?" Taylor raised an eyebrow.

Chad let out a breath, "One kiss. So then that way you can tell me to my face if you don't feel anything at all and I'll drop it and we'll stay broken up."

Taylor bit her bottom lip, "I don't think so."

"Why? It's not like it's a lot to as for," Chad responded. "…Is it?"

"No, that's not it," she replied.

"Then what is? All I'm asking for is one kiss."

"No."

"Just so I know you can say to my face that it's really over."

"Chad, no."

"Well why not then?"

"Because I won't be able to lie about it!" she blurt out.

For a moment Chad stared at her wide-eyed. She couldn't read his expression, but all Taylor could tell for sure was that he was shocked.

She sighed. "I know we should be broken up. But if we kiss then I'm not going to be able to say I don't feel anything. Because I can't lie about something like that."

Her answer was short and simple; Taylor hoped that it'd be enough for Chad. Taylor was always stubborn and she wouldn't admit to her feelings. But Chad always knew how to push her. He knew how to make her talk and what to say to change her mind. So Taylor wondered if he was going to convince her to say anything else or if she had gotten through to him. It didn't matter how much they argued or if they said they were broken up; it didn't change the way she felt about him.

But it didn't look like it took much for Chad to understand. After a moment of letting it sink in, he filled the remaining space between them and kissed her. It didn't take long for Taylor to return the kiss and wrap her arms around his neck. Chad pulled her close and held her tight in his arms. They slowly broke the kiss and just looked into each other's eyes. There didn't seem to be anything else they needed to say; the kiss pretty much said it all.

"So you mentioned something about walking with me to school tomorrow?" Taylor asked with a smile.

Chad let out a chuckle and nodded before kissing her again, this time with more passion. That was how their relationship worked sometimes; they could have a fight about anything and then make it better with one kiss. And just when neither of them thought there was anything left to say, one of them would say something that would put a smile on the other's face. And before they knew it all their thoughts about their friends, the drama and the status quo went right out the window with Chad's basketball.

So i know it's been about 2 weeks since i updated this story. I was planning on updating sooner but after i started the chapter i had other stuff to do. I tried last week to finish it but it wasn't turning out good at all. So tonight i buckled down and focused and got this chapter done! Hopefully it came out decently enough. I planned some time ago how i wanted this to turn out, and of course by now i'd forgotten pretty much all of it save for Chad throwing his basketball out the window. And i was also struggling with how to end it. But don't worry, the story's not finished yet! Everyone still has to all be in it together and get Troy and Gabriella to their callback after Sharpay gets Darbus to change the date of the callbacks to same day as the championship and Decathlon...and i totally just spoiled the ending! :O Oh well. XD On a side note, I've also updated my list of stories on my profile. Some ideas are deleted and some are still there and i marked off the ones i know i wanna do. I've already started on one of the ideas but i'm debating on when to put the first chapter up. And yes, they are all Chaylor, in case you were wondering. ;)