Chapter 20
"I'm just glad you're not hurt," Gabi said softly, hugging his son.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
Gabriella looked at the clock.
It's almost midnight, Gabi thought. Who would be out at this hour?
Thinking it was Taylor or Chad, Gabriella went to open the door with a smile.
But her smile faded when she saw him.
Troy.
"What do you want, Bolton?" Gabriella in a cold tone that scared even her.
Troy hesitated before saying, "May I come in?"
Gabriella sighed. Than she said, "Okay, fine. But I'm not letting you stay long."
Troy walked in and headed towards the living room.
But he bumped against someone...his minature-self.
"Oh, hi," Trevor said. He took Isabella's hand and ran up the stairs. But unlike her brother, Isabella smiled at Troy.
Troy grinned back and sat down on the living room couch.
"Um, so I, uh, heard you were in town," Troy said. "I just thought I'd drop by."
Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Or you thought you'd get away from Ron and Sharpay."
She is good! Troy thought.
"Well, that too," Troy muttered. "Ron and Sharpay aren't the best family a man could have."
Gabriella glared at him. "You are impossible!"
Troy looked at her. "Why?"
"When are you gonna stop jumping around?" Gabi asked. "First me, than Sharpay, now what? A cute redhead who can actually play basketball?"
"No!" Troy said. "Look, I'm sorry I'm so picky, but now..."
Gabi asked, "Now...what?"
"I don't know if Sharpay really loves me," Troy said.
"You could always ask her," Gabriella said in a 'duh'-voice. "Ask her why she loves you. And you'll know if she really likes you or not."
"How?" Troy asked.
Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Okay, if Sharpay says you're rich, famous, and handsome, she doesn't really love you. If she says you're nice, smart, funny, and maybe handsome could work, thatn she really loves you."
Troy grinned. "Thanks, Gabs."
Gabi felt a little uncomfortable being called 'Gabs' by her ex-husband.
And she felt even more uncomfortable when Troy hugged her. It felt stuffy in his arms. Then he kissed her head and left.
Sharpay watched Troy come out of Gabi's house. She was filled with anger.
So he thinks he can just leave me? Sharpay thought. We'll see about that.
She quickly drove home and was glad to find Ron already in bed.
Sharpay grabbed a bunch of pictures of her and Troy and positioned herself on the couch.
And just in time, too, because Troy came in.
"Hey, Sharpay, what are you doing?" he asked as he sat down next to her.
"Just thought I'd look at these," Sharpay said in a "casual" voice.
Troy looked at the pictures and saw they were all pictures of him and Sharpay or him, Sharpay, and Ron.
At the beach, on a vacation in Maui, visiting Sharpay's parents, who now lived in Florida.
Troy smiled, but it was faked. Than he asked, "Shar, why dod you love me?"
Sharpay laughed. "That's a silly question. You know I love you because your handsome and rich."
Then she went back to shuffling through the pictures, as if nothing was wrong.
Troy nodded, but as he looked at the pictures, he kept thinking, Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why did I have to be so stupid?
Just then, Sharpay kissed Troy.
Troy waited to feel sparks, but none came.
It was cold, wet, and...empty.