Disclaimer: I have no affiliation to anything, anybody, or anyplace in the High School Musical series. This is purely for fictional and entertainment purposes.
Summary: Troy Bolton is the captain of the Los Angeles Lakers. When he suddenly sets his eyes on a cheerleader from a rival team, he is unprepared for the love and rejection he receives throughout his relationship.
For The Love of Rivalry
Chapter Sixteen
Troy was ready.
He was in the zone.
He was the man for the job.
He was the captain of the Lakers.
It was that time of the year for the new NBA season, with Troy's team leading the start of the pack. They were going to win this one. He could feel it in his soul. They had won the playoffs, proudly displaying the trophy in the coach's office. And, every day before their practice and even before this game, Troy made sure to sneak into the office and show pride to the trophy. It seemed to bring him luck, though he was sure he didn't need it.
They didn't need it.
He understood that the entire team, the coach, and the fans were depending on him to kick off the season right. That was his plan, too. He was going to move past the other team, sink that orange ball into the hoop, and seal the first victory that would lead them on to winning the playoffs again.
"Dude, are you in the zone?" Chad came up to him beside his locker.
Throughout the passing months, Chad had changed quite a bit. His hair was a bit shorter, but it still had its curly do. He was still living in his same quarters, but had inherited a roommate.
Sharpay.
After so much skipping around, they had finally decided to become an item once they "did the deed" after Troy and Gabriella's wedding. Of course, everybody caught them when they had expected Troy and Gabriella to get into the limo. It was embarrassing, but everyone was relieved that Chad and Sharpay had finally gotten together.
"I'm definitely in the zone." Troy paused with a smirk, watching as Chad began to text on his phone, completely ignoring Troy's response. "Are you?"
Chad didn't respond, but he smirked at his phone. His fingers and thumbs were still moving.
Troy chuckled. "Chad, quit sexting your girlfriend. We have a game to prepare for."
Chad looked up, startled. He even seemed defensive. "Girlfriend? No way."
Troy furrowed his brows, confused. "What are you talking about? Aren't you dating Sharpay?"
"Well, yes. I mean, you can say we are. We definitely are. But..."
"Spit it out," said Troy, sighing.
Chad began rubbing the back of his neck, a habit he had caught on from Troy. "Well, I've been doing some shopping lately. Ring shopping."
"Dude, you're proposing?!" exclaimed Troy.
A few of the other teammates looked toward them in confusion. Troy kept his voice down and listened to Chad.
"I know she wants to get married. She's been dropping hints like flies. Every time we pass a jewelry store or a dress shop, she'll look at the rings and white dresses. She even buys those wedding magazines," he explained.
"Yeah, that's normally the sign. Gabriella bought so many of those magazines after I proposed. She chose over 100 dresses," said Troy.
Gabriella.
Their marriage had been going amazingly well. They were still handling the press perfectly well, even though nasty rumors continued to spread. He remembered clearly when a rumor had spread about him having a one night stand with some stripper. She even sold the story to a magazine.
Obviously, Troy was able to prove that he had never met her. She had said that they had hung out all day and night on a Wednesday when, in fact, he had been with his wife in the park and at a movie. He even had fan pictures and candids to prove it. Needless to say, the stripper was indeed embarrassed to be caught in a lie.
Ella was the most perfect baby, too. She loved to laugh, she loved to eat Cheerios (on her high chair or on the floor), and she loved to roll over. Ever since she had learned how to roll over on to her stomach, it had been hard to get her to quit. She was only eight months old, but they could have sworn she had a first word. Gabriella swore she said "mama", but Troy only heard babbling.
"I want to propose to her tonight." Chad reached into his locker and pulled out a velvet box, revealing a pink, princess cut diamond. "What do you think? She likes pink."
"She'll love it. Congratulations, man."
They did a "man hug" and walked over to the rest of the team, seeing that the coach was ready to give his speech about loyalty, winning, and the season in general.
Troy listened to the coach, but his mind was on Gabriella. He knew she would be in the stands tonight. She would have Ella with her, too. He would win this game, not just for the team and the fans, but for his family.
"Ladies and gentlemen! You know him around the world as your captain and your hero!" The cheers vibrated through the stadium as the announcer spoke. "Here he is! Number fourteen! Troy Bolton!"
Troy ran out on to the court with a determined face, listening to the cheers and even a few jeers from the opposing side. But, the cheers overlapped it all. He was loved all around the world. He did care about the love from his fans, but he cared about the love from his family, too.
He stood in the middle of the court and looked up at the stands, spotting his wife holding their baby. She was grinning from ear to ear, even the baby too. They both waved and cheered for him.
He felt good.
He was going to win.
He shook hands with the other team's captain and stared at the basketball. The referee blew the whistle and the ball went up. Troy immediately got the ball to his team and the game began. Shoes were squeaking on the court, shouts were being heard, and fouls were being called. Points were being shot and dunks were being made.
Before anybody knew it, the game was in the fourth quarter and it was all tied up. The guys were tired and sweaty, but determined. Somebody was going to win tonight and start the season off right.
It was Troy's turn to make the shot that could seal it all.
With ten seconds left, Troy was tossed the ball. He dribbled down the court, faked out another player, and shot the ball in the basket with an impressive dunk. He landed on the ground and threw his fists in the air as the buzzer sounded, earning the win for his team and securing the spot for the season.
Cheers could be heard in the stands as the announcer shouted that the Lakers had won the night. Troy was thrust in the air by his teammates as they all cheered and shouted in pure joy. The start of the NBA season was one that was difficult to seal with fate.
But, the Lakers had just done it.
Troy had did it.
Troy stared at the clock, his duffel bag wrapped over his shoulder. He smiled and shook his head. How was he this lucky? He had a beautiful wife, a lovely daughter, and a secure career. It was everything he could have dreamed of.
"Hey, handsome."
He turned to see his beautiful wife and smiled. "Hey, you." He grinned at Ella, who was being held by her mother. "Hey, Ella-bella."
Gabriella handed her to him and smiled. "Congratulations, hot shot. It's kind of sexy that you're a winner."
Troy smirked at her. "Well, I can be a winner in more ways."
She giggled, watching as Ella rested her head on Troy's shoulder. "Somebody's tired. We better get her to bed. I have some...things I want to show you."
"Oh, what things?" asked Troy, walking with her towards the exit.
Gabriella shrugged. "Things."
Troy laughed softly, making sure not to wake Ella. "I love you."
She smiled at him. "I love you too."
20 years later...
"Chad! Sharpay!" yelled Troy, throwing on his jacket. "We're going to be late!"
"Sorry, but this one was busy fixing her hair!" shouted Chad, coming down the stairs in a rush as he put on his jacket.
Sharpay scoffed, following him. "Shut up."
Troy rolled his eyes. Even after eighteen years of marriage, they still fought. They were lucky they still loved each other, though. He grabbed his car keys and his wallet, looking around. Somebody was missing.
"Gabriella! Come on!"
He heard the rush of heels on the floor and saw her come out of the kitchen, putting things in her purse. "Sorry, sorry. I'm making sure I have my camera and my phone."
Troy furrowed his brows. "Honey, you can take pictures with your phone."
"I know. But, I want to print out the photos. It's his first game," she smiled.
He smiled at his wife. She was still the same, even after all this time. "You're cute."
"Let's go, guys! We're going to be late," said Chad, rushing out the door with Sharpay.
Troy held Gabriella's hand and led her to their vehicle, helping her in the car. He got in the driver's side and began to follow Chad and Sharpay in their car towards the UCLA stadium. There was already traffic on the street with people honking their horns, shouting, and cheering out the window.
When they finally arrived at the stadium, they walked out on to the grass and entered the basketball court to join the other fans on the bleachers. They got to the third level and stood, clapping as they heard the music start to bring out the team.
They began calling out the players and their numbers, finally reaching the one person that the four were waiting to hear. "Coming in at number 14, Alex Bolton!"
They began cheering loudly as a tall boy with tan skin, blue eyes, and chestnut hair jogged out on the the court. The cheerleaders began cheering loudly for him, including his own sister Ella Bolton who looked so much like her mother every day.
Troy and Gabriella smiled at their eighteen year old son and their nineteen year old sister. They were very lucky to have such a wonderful life together with two wonderful children, who had gotten into UCLA on a full sports scholarship; Ella for cheerleading and Alex for basketball. They had definitely inherited genes from their parents.
They watched their son stand in the middle with the other captain from the rival team and followed the ball as it went in the air. Alex tossed the ball to his team...
...and so did the game begin.
Thank you guys so much for your support for all of my stories, even this one! So begins my hiatus, though. But, no worries. I will definitely be back in the spring! I'm aiming for early March, so it won't be too long. I will have three new stories, including the second season of "Wildcat Fever" ready by then. I'll decide when they shall debut, like the days and such. Also, I will be publishing "At First Sight" this week! You can keep track of its updates and other news on my Twitter or my website. That link is located on my profile. Don't forget to write me at P.O. Box 1327 North Wilkesboro, NC 28659. I love you guys! xoxo