PLAY IT MY WAY
PART THIRTEEN – PATH WORTH TAKING
Disclaimer: Troy and the gang are fictional characters who I borrow and do not claim any ownership of. (That's what I tell you anyway. The truth is that in my mind Troy is real, very real, he is sitting right next to me now. Say hi to everyone Troy...)
Author's Note: Hello from Brasov, Romania! My muse has been going crazy lately, not necessarily in the direction of this story. But I think it's safe to say that I will be producing High School Musical fan fiction for an ETERNITY at this rate. Hope you enjoy this one. It's personally a favourite but my brain is weird. I liked the last chapter too and didn't get the response I wanted. Anywho. Enjoy. And enter the psyche of the teenage boy.
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The study plans for Troy, Jason, Chad and Zeke for the weekend evolved throughout the week. At first they were just going to chill after working on their assignment. Then they were going to go to the movies. Then they were going to bum around at Jason's place.
Saturday arrived and the plan changed completely. After working on their assignment for a good few hours - and under Troy's strict direction getting a fair bit done as well - they were sitting in a tent, enjoying the serenity of the outdoors.
"I love being outside," Jason commented, sticking his head out the tent flap and breathing in the fresh air.
"There's something about sleeping on the ground, in a tent, which makes you feel like you're totally at one with nature," Zeke said.
Chad and Troy looked at one another like Zeke was crazy.
"I'd rather have a television and a PlayStation myself," Troy said.
Chad snorted. "You'd rather have a mirror to fix your hair in."
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"
"Dude, you know you spend way too much time on your hair."
"I'm still getting used to it being cut," Troy defended himself. "And this whole, using product in it thing that the hairdresser told me to start doing."
"I should get you to show me how you do your hair," Jason commented. "The chicks seem to dig it."
"Troy could dye his hair pink and get a mohawk and the chicks would be all over him," Zeke remarked teasingly.
Troy rolled his eyes. "Whatever."
Chad made a half snort half grunting sound, indicating his opinion of the hairstyling discussion.
"Just because you roll out of bed and let your mop of hair just hang there, doesn't mean we are fortunate enough to allow that to happen," Troy commented.
"Just cut your hair so short that it doesn't matter what you do to it," Zeke advised.
"I think Gabriella would kill me if I did that," Troy said.
Jason proceeded to have a fake coughing fit. "Cough-cough-cough-cough-cough-whipped-cough-cough-cough-cough."
"You are going to let your woman control how you do your hair?" Chad asked incredulously.
"She likes me having hair, well, she seems to run her fingers through it when we're kissing sometimes which I don't mind."
"Okay, we have to put up with watching the two of you together all cutesy often enough, do we really need to listen to your running commentary?" Chad groaned.
"Yeah man, seriously, it's really gross," Jason remarked.
"Okay I propose a change in subject. Did I tell you I talked to Sharpay yesterday?" Zeke said casually.
Jason, Chad and Troy exchanged glances among themselves.
"Yeah, totally a better subject," Chad said under his breath. "I'd rather hear about Bolton's tonsil hockey matches."
"Oh yeah?" Troy asked, trying to sound supportive.
"She's in my English class, and we were broken into discussion groups and she forgot to bring her copy of the novel we're studying. And she asked me if she could share mine. Sharpay wanted to SHARE something, with ME."
"Umm... what about Monica?" Troy asked casually.
Zeke had still not specified to his friends what had happened at the party the previous weekend with him and the pretty dark haired cheerleader. The truth was that Troy was fishing for information and Zeke knew it.
"What about Monica?" Zeke asked, avoiding the topic.
"Dude, just tell us what happened!" Jason exclaimed, not having the patience to go along with Troy's sly tactic.
Zeke sighed. "I thought it was obvious what happened."
The other three exchanged a look. "We're dumb. You need to be explicit," Chad advised.
"Well... we did it," Zeke said.
"You did it? You had sex with Monica? I just thought you were fooling around!" Troy exclaimed incredulously.
Zeke shrugged. "You thought wrong."
"How was it?" Jason asked.
Chad, Troy and Jason were looking to Zeke eagerly for details.
"It was... nice," Zeke said, a little lamely.
"Nice? NICE?" Chad exploded. "
Zeke sighed. "Well it was hot but what exactly do you want me to tell you?"
"How about, everything?" Jason suggested.
"I do have some respect for her," Zeke said, rolling his eyes.
"So what, it was just a one night thing or what? I mean, I haven't really seen you guys talking this week at all," Troy pointed out.
"Yeah. Um..." By now Zeke had given in. It was only a matter of time before he would have told them what happened anyway. "Monica is awesome, she's hot and nice and fun. I wouldn't have just done it with anyone. After it happened, I asked her if it meant anything. I mean... Well I kinda asked her out."
"And?" Jason asked.
"She said that she knew that I was too wrapped up in Sharpay to get involved and to let her know when I get over her," Zeke sighed. "Which I don't think is gonna happen any time soon."
Chad groaned. "Dude, that's a clear sign this thing with Sharpay has gone too far. I'm starting to get really worried about this fixation of yours. Thinking Sharpay is hot is one thing but… I'm really starting to think you care about the ice princess."
"I just think that there are layers to her is all," Zeke said, defending himself. "You don't see me criticising you for YOUR choice of a girl to be all gaga over!"
"Who exactly am I 'gaga' over?" Chas asked, making air quotes as he mimicked Zeke's uncool choice of words.
It was now Zeke, Troy and Jason who exchanged the glance at Chad's question.
"Uh, Taylor?" Jason supplied.
"I am not 'gaga' over Taylor!" Chad snapped.
"Oh please," Troy scoffed.
"I don't think you are one to judge me for being 'gaga' over a girl!" Chad retorted.
Troy held his hands up defensively. "I don't deny that I'm crazy about Gabriella. Hello, she's my girlfriend! You on the other hand are in complete denial. Obviously you think Taylor is hot, otherwise you wouldn't be randomly making out with her at parties… and… the rest of what has been going on."
"And don't forget that time at the movies; it's not just at parties with alcohol, it happens while you're sobre," Zeke added, glad the negative energy had shifted away from his crush about instead on Chad's.
"Are you saying there's something WRONG with Taylor?" Chad queried, an element of alarm to his tone.
"Nah, Taylor is cool," Troy said very genuinely. "I've talked to her a lot lately, being Gabi's best friend and all. I think she's awesome."
"So why am I being judged for thinking she's hot?"
"I wasn't JUDGING you," Zeke replied. "I was saying that you shouldn't be dissing a girl I think is hot because I don't diss the girls you think are hot."
"But the girl I think is hot isn't a heinous bitch," Chad said frankly.
"Guys, let's cool it," Jason said, not liking the defensiveness that both Zeke and Chad were displaying.
"Yeah, let's talk about Jason's thing for Kelsi instead," Troy suggested with a smirk.
"I don't have a THING for Kelsi," Jason denied. "I think she's cool is all."
"You don't have to pretend with us man. Kelsi is cool. Hyperactive, but cool," Chad declared.
"I reckon she might be interested in you," Troy said casually.
"You think?" Jason asked, perking up a little at the prospect.
"Well Gabriella and I were talking about it and…"
"You were talking to Gabriella about me and Kelsi?!" Jason asked, pure alarm emanating through his tone.
"Not… not in detail," Troy said, defensively, biting his lip, realising what he'd just said.
"Dude, that's like violation of the guy code," Zeke remarked.
"Kelsi and Gabriella aren't that close," Troy pointed out. "And I trust Gabriella."
"That's not the point! Seriously man, don't you get that girls TALK about EVERYTHING?" Jason said, panic now setting in. "Whether they are close or not."
"So when you and me and Gabriella were talking about getting Chad and Taylor to hook up the other day, that was acceptable?"
"You were talking about WHAT?!" Chad exclaimed. "I happen to know for a FACT that Gabriella and Taylor do talk about everything."
"You know that for a FACT do you?" Troy queried.
"Yes. I do. Because half the shit that Gabriella tells Taylor about you, Taylor then tells me."
"And you reckon nothing is going on between the two of you, and yet you're off having secret conversations gossiping about my relationship," Troy commented. "And WHY aren't you passing this shit onto me?"
"We don't talk THAT much, just IMing and on the phone sometimes," Chad said defensively. "And I tune out when she is talking about you and Gabriella because I don't need to hear the stupid details. That's not the point! We were talking about… hang on… what were we talking about?"
"Why aren't I a part of any of these secret discussions?" Zeke asked.
They fell quiet, allowing the still night air of the outdoors to encompass them, the sounds of crickets chirping to fill the silence.
"Boys, I'm just making some hot cocoa if you'd like some," a voice called.
Troy peered out of the tent flap, in the direction of the back door.
"Thanks mom, that would be great, we'll be inside in a second!" he called.
Normally, if the four boys decided to camp they would actually head out somewhere on the outskirts of Albuquerque and camp properly. However with the restrictions upon Troy's physical activity, combined with various budgetary restraints - pitching a tent in the Bolton backyard had taken the place of actual camping.
The four guys trooped inside the Bolton residence, attacking the refridgerator - even though they had a small fortune's worth of lollies, chips and chocolate in the tent.
"I've also got some chocolate chip cookies about to come out of the oven," Lucille said.
"See, this is why we hang here. All because you're such a legend Mrs B," Chad declared. "Have I told you before that you make the best chocolate chip cookies in the world?"
"Have I told you about Gabriella's moms brownies?" Troy asked.
"I think I wanna ban that name," Jason said.
"Huh?"
"GABRIELLA."
"Excuse me for talking about my girlfriend. Who is your friend, need I remind you," Troy said indignantly. "Besides, at least I HAVE a girlfriend to talk about."
"That was lame man," Zeke said.
"Yeah it kinda was," Troy agreed.
Lucille ignored the banter, and proceeded to pour cups of the hot chocolate, and then pulled the tray of cookies out of the oven.
"Now, be careful because they're..."
Each boy had already picked up and devoured a cookie.
"... hot," Lucille finished, unnecessarily.
"Awesome," Jason responded, his mouth filled with his second cookie.
"Well, I aim to please," Lucille remarked. She glanced at Troy. "Have you taken your medication honey?"
Troy rolled his eyes. "Yes. I do have some brain capacity."
"Just checking," Lucille said, a smile on her face. "Anyway, I'm heading upstairs. If I hear any racket from out in that backyard, you know I'll be down there in a second."
"Yes Mrs Bolton," all four boys responded simultaneously.
Chad picked up the tray of cookies as Mrs Bolton headed towards the stairs. "Okay, back outside?" he suggested, and led the group back to the tent.
As they settled back into their positions in the tent, Zeke grabbed another cookie.
"I really do think these are awesome. I should get the recipe from your mom," Zeke remarked.
"I thought you had already perfected your cookie recipe. What was it Sharpay said it about them again?" Troy asked sarcastically.
"She said that my cookies are genius," Zeke said in a far off, day dreaming tone - not realising Troy had been completely sarcastic.
Chad snorted. "You're really serious about this whole baking thing, aren't you?"
Zeke stared at him. "Well, yeah. I thought I'd made that pretty obvious."
"I mean like, it's not just for fun. You want to do it as a... as a life thing?"
"I guess. I don't think about the future a lot. But yeah, I guess I do. I think the first step will be some kind of summer job in a restaurant," Zeke said. "If I enjoy that, then I guess I'd like to try to work as an apprentice, or maybe study overseas. Europe is the way to go to study desserts, which is kinda my thing."
"Wow," Chad said with a sigh. "And we never knew you were into any of this."
Zeke shrugged. "Whatev."
"I think it's awesome," Troy said genuinely. "You have like a semi plan."
"As if you don't," Jason scoffed.
"I don't," Troy said defensively. "No more of a plan than you."
"You have a thing that you love that you could actually make something out of," Jason pointed out. "I mean, I love basketball but I'm not stupid, I don't have the talent to make it in the big leagues. And I love movies and I've been working on my script but that's just another crazy dream that can never come true."
"That's bull shit. You keep talking about this movie you're gonna make. Just MAKE IT," Chad declared. "Even if you get a bunch of student actors and film it on a crappy camcorder. You have to start somewhere."
"I think I am gonna do that actually, this summer," Jason said. "I was talking to Kels about it last Saturday, and I was telling her about the script and she had a bunch of ideas and wanted to help out. And she said she would write and play some songs for my backing track if I wanted. I just have to find someone to sing some of it."
Jason glanced slyly at Troy.
"Ask Ryan Evans," Troy said immediately. "Kelsi is pretty tight with him I think, well tight enough that he'd do it for her. I'm so done with the singing thing man."
"You wouldn't be done with it if Gabriella wanted you to sing again," Zeke pointed out teasingly.
Troy sighed. "Gabriella does not CONTROL everything I do. I don't know where you lot get that idea from."
"No, but you used her as an excuse for why you ever wanted to do Twinkle Towne," Chad pointed out. "Making it sound like 'oh yeah, my girlfriend wanted to audition' and whatever else."
"I did not! Well I kinda did with the guys on the Roadrunners but that was with good reason. Look what happened with Jackson, imagine if I'd said, yeah I happen to enjoy singing."
"He admits it, he enjoys singing," Jason said with a victorious smile.
Troy looked semi annoyed - but at the same time it wasn't something he could really deny.
"I don't have a thing. Should I have a thing? I mean… other than basketball and wearing stupid shirts," Chad mused.
"What, you think that musicals are suddenly a thing for me?" Troy asked. "I don't actually want to pursue anything long term with them, not like these guys."
"Hello? Your thing is basketball!" Chad said.
"And so why can't your thing be basketball?" Troy asked.
"Because you take that place. I need my own thing."
Troy sighed. "You have other stuff. You're just as good at baseball as you are at basketball, and you're on the track and field team and…"
"It's all sport," Chad said bluntly. "Maybe I am just a lunkhead athlete like Taylor keeps saying."
"You actually take the stuff that Tay says seriously?" Troy asked. "Dude, you know she likes you right?"
"Besides, what's wrong with sports?" Jason pointed out. "Who is to say you can't have a future in sports?"
"Yeah man, look through that career guide in the sport section. Other than being a professional athlete, there's sports psychology, physical therapy, sports management, coaching, physical education teaching…" Zeke began to list.
Chad looked dubious. "Do you guys actually look into the future and see yourself in some… job? Like… I just can't imagine anything beyond high school. I can't imagine myself doing anything, being anywhere, but here in Albuquerque, at East High, just chilling with you guys."
"But everything will change sooner or later, won't it?" Troy remarked. "I mean I can't picture it but… I know it'll happen."
All four boys fell silent.
"This is way too deep," Chad said.
"We're like a bunch of girls talking about this stuff," Jason agreed. "I propose we chill this conversation out and not CARE about any of this for now. And just for the occasion..."
He grabbed his backpack and rifled around in the front pocket. "Brought a little something that might help in lightening the mood."
He finally grasped the item he was searching for, and pulled out a bottle of bourbon.
"Nice," Zeke said approvingly.
"Coach Lang would so kick my ass right now," Troy remarked. "Getting totally smashed last weekend, eating all this shit, and now more drinking? I swear, from Monday, it's all health food."
Chad sighed. "Troy. Dude. You need to relax. It's off season. You're not in training. A few drinks will not be the end of your career."
"There's hardly any here anyway. Between the four of us we'll barely feel a buzz," Jason said.
"Nah man, this is sweet," Chad said approvingly. "Better than what any of us brought."
"Who wants first drink?" Jason asked.
"You do the honours. You did supply it after all," Zeke pointed out.
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As Troy accepted the bottle from Jason and took a gulp, his mind was filled with worry.
There was a lot of worry going on for someone so young.
He felt as though his friends were content to pretend the future wasn't imminent. That he was the only one who really thought about the path he was taking in life.
The truth however, was that there was little difference between Troy and his three friends.
On the surface, all four boys were content to pretend that the future wasn't imminent.
Content to participate in underage drinking; take a few swigs; feel a buzz; pretend that their worries and insecurities didn't exist.
That's all they were doing.
Pretending.
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Author's note: Okay. So no direct Gabriella appearance I realise, which a few of you will probably be a bit grrr about but that's fine. Feedback? Thoughts? Opinions? Abuse?