What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
You're the pretender.
What if I say I will never surrender?
The Pretender--Foo Fighters
"I think we should break up," Taylor says in a hurry of words. It had taken her twenty minutes to compose herself in the library, start highlighting words again to make it seem like to people that when Chad stormed off it didn't effect her, and then she had to convince herself on the walk over to Zeke's room that she is doing the right thing.
Zeke stays frozen on the bed as Taylor stands before him. He numbly flicks off the TV that is on mute at the moment, and just gawks at her. He knows that his relationship with Taylor started going down hill after declaring that he loves her, but she returned that love, didn't she?
Zeke's only able to splutter a few words, "I thought, um…" he clears his throat, "I thought you love me?"
Taylor bites her bottom lip in nervousness. "I love you, you know that," She reasons as she knows now that love isn't enough to get her through a relationship. "You'll always have a spot in my heart."
"Yeah," Zeke says sarcastically. "And you'll always have a spot in mine."
Taylor's momentarily stung at his words. "You have to know that I never meant for it to end like this. I would do anything to take it back," she lies so well through her teeth that it scares her. She's just like her mother.
Zeke shakes his head in disbelief. "Why? I know we're not spending that much time together, but why? I thought we were good together."
They both know that's a lie also.
Taylor tries to smile a little to lighten the mood, but she can't. "We both know that's a lie. We started falling apart long before this. It just happened Zeke. Chad and Sharpay just came around at the wrong time."
Zeke goes to say something, but freezes. "Who said anything about Chad and Sharpay?"
Taylor can hear the darkness in his voice. She knows now that she just made a huge mistake. She wasn't going to tell Zeke about her and Chad. He deserves better than hearing that. "N--nothing, just…you've bee spending time with her, and I've been spending time with Chad…studying."
Zeke rolls his eyes while standing up. His blood is starting to boil as even though Taylor and him weren't joined at the hip, he can still tell whenever she's lying, and sometimes that is hard to do, but he can still do it better than anyone.
He can see the hurt in her eyes. He can see regret. He can see guilt. He can see it all and it's finally starting to come together. The weird moods Chad and her have been in. One day they're avoiding each other, the next they're all laughing and talking. He knows Chad has had a thing for Taylor. He's not as naïve as some people make him out to be when it comes to those two. He just didn't think Taylor would go behind his back.
This makes his blood boil even more, to a point where he can't help but yell. She's standing in front of him trying to beat around the bush that she must've done something with Chad.
"This is fucked up Taylor. Don't fucking lie to me!"
Taylor doesn't notice the tears leaking down her cheeks. Emotions are flashing across his face, but the one that stands out the most to her: hurt.
"I'm sorry," she sobs. "Chad and I--" There's no point in hiding it anymore.
"Chad and you can go to hell," Zeke snarls.
Taylor knows that Zeke knows, and it amazes her that she didn't even have to say it out loud. In ways it made it that much harder, and easier.
"I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you."
"Do you love him too? Is that the game you're playing? Trying to break two hearts?" Zeke asks with a strong demand.
Taylor tries to stop the tears from falling down her dark covered cheeks. "No!" She shrieks in horror that he could even think like that, but then again she hasn't given him reason not too. "I didn't ask for this! I didn't ask the God from above to mess up our lives like this!"
It's silent as all you can hear is their ragged breathing. Zeke's the first one to break the silence, "I think you should leave."
Taylor opens her mouth to say something, but closes it as she sees the anger in his eyes. She nods her head in agreement before going to speak one last time that night.
"I think I should too."
Jason hears his alarm clock go off, but slams his hand down on it. A smile graces his slumbered face as he remembers his previous night with Kelsi. He rolls over and swings his legs out to the side, and that's when he notices it.
Ryan's gone again.
This is becoming a very usual thing. Ryan's always gone before Jason gets up now. They hadn't exactly talked in the last four days, and Jason has no idea what Ryan's feeling since the last he heard, Ryan only wants to punch him in the face, but that was from Thursday. Jason doesn't even know if Ryan and Kelsi are talking again. He chickens out every time he wants to ask Kelsi that question.
Gabriella doesn't wake up from her alarm. She doesn't wake up from talking. She doesn't even wake up from her phone.
She hears this clicking sound and it's annoying the heck out of her. She lets her first instincts take over and groans into her pillow while knowing that either way, she has to get up anyways.
She turns over onto her back and sits up. She squints her eyes to adjust to the very bright light that is coming through and groans again.
She can't believe the sight in front of her. Sharpay is already up, showered, dressed, and is now applying make up in what seems like forever.
"You're up already?" Gabriella asks incredulously.
Sharpay's eyes narrow in the mirror. "Just because I might be following your advice, doesn't mean that we're buddy-buddy now. Got it?"
Gabriella rolls her eyes while standing up to stretch. "Whatever," she grunts.
"Someone's not a morning person," Sharpay comments with slight amusement in her voice.
Gabriella glares at her, "Coming from the girl who just declared we're not 'buddy-buddy' now."
Sharpay flips her hair out and stands up as she's already to go while Gabriella still has to get ready. "Whatever. Maybe you'd be a happier person if you would learn not to scream in your sleep."
Gabriella throws her pillow at the bedroom door after Sharpay closes it behind herself. "And the real Sharpay comes back to life," she comments dryly.
Gabriella can feel the sweat dripping down her back, arms, and forehead as panting girls can be heard all around the roofed off stadium.
"We had a record of 10-5 last year when we should've been undefeated," The coach declares. "We went into the tournament ranked number four out of eight schools, and we lost the very first game. We are NOT going to let that happen again ladies."
Gabriella looks around her and notices that at least half the team from the previous year has gone off to college or decided not to play that year.
"We are the only sports team that did not walk away from the tournaments with a trophy. Even the ping pong players won a bronze medal for crying out loud! So if that means that we have to schedule another scrimmage against a different school out of our division, then so be it!"
Gabriella's heart rate is slowing down a little at hearing this. A game she can handle.
"The bus ride is in two weekends on the ninth at 4 in the morning." A lot of groans are heard throughout the tired girls. The coach just rolls his eyes. "It's a four hour bus ride, we get there at 8, have a half an hour to warm up, and we're ready to play."
He looks at every girl in the eye, and Gabriella swears he stares at her the longest as he says three words, "We're gonna win." He looks away with a blow of the whistle. "Team dismissed!"
Kelsi groans from besides Gabriella. "He couldn't have found a closer team to play?"
Gabriella laughs a little as they set off to where their duffel bags are on the side of the field. "Kels, there's not a lot of Academies around here, and the seven closest ones that are, are already in our division. Thus leaves up a four hour bus trip."
"Why aren't you upset? If out of anyone, you're the one who's not a morning person. Everyone knows that." Kelsi points out in a 'duh' tone.
Gabriella rolls her eyes as they see Jason starting to come down from the bleachers with his backpack. "Because I'm excited for the game. I haven't played one in a while."
"You played against the guys' team."
"That SO does not count," Gabriella insists as she can feel the excitement in her veins.
"Hey," Jason greets while meeting them. Gabriella watches as he brings Kelsi into a small hug due to the duffel bag that is covering Kelsi's whole left side.
"You want to come study with us?" Kelsi asks as Gabriella's the only one to notice the slight disappointment on Jason's face who quickly covers it up.
Gabriella smirks and kinks an eye brow. "Studying? Right," Kelsi and Jason can both hear the sarcasm in her voice as Kelsi blushes a little. Something catches Gabriella's eyes and a small smile comes onto her face, "Actually, I um…have plans."
Jason narrows his eyes on her suspiciously. Last he heard, Troy and Gabriella are just friends for now. "Whatever Montez. Go do what you do."
Gabriella just laughs, "I will."
She walks away as she knows if she didn't see Troy standing by the doors leading into the inside gym that she still wouldn't have gone with Jason and Kelsi. She knew of that look on Jason's face. A look that says that he just wants to spend time with one person, and that person now just happens to be one of her good friends.
"You know, standing in the doorway like this is kind of creepy," Gabriella jokes.
Troy lets out a huff of air, "I wouldn't just be standing here if someone didn't take their time on things."
Gabriella smiles once she sees Troy break out into a smile. "No really, what are you doing here?"
Troy shrugs, "I was thinking since we have this new friendship thing discovered and talked about, that we can celebrate? How about going to the Foreign Language building to see one of the cheesy movies they play every night?"
Sharpay waltzes into her room dramatically as she catches the eyes of Gabriella Montez. Gabriella wants to say something. She wants to ask how Sharpay is doing, but decides against it. She isn't going to ruin the perky mood Sharpay seems to be in.
Gabriella goes back to straightening her hair, and smiles as it's complete. She pulls on a tight fitting American Eagle sweat shirt that still shows off how little she is, and glances over her shoulder to see that Sharpay has stopped going through the fall script and is looking at her.
"What?" Gabriella asks finally.
"I didn't say anything," Sharpay retorts.
Gabriella can't help but notice that Sharpay is looking at her sweat shirt.
"Is there something on my top, or something?" Gabriella asks.
"Like I just said, I didn't say anything."
Gabriella sighs while glancing at the clock. She turns back around to get her matching green bag, and sees that Sharpay is glancing at her again. She makes a quick decision and clears her throat awkwardly. "You know…you can borrow this if you want?"
Sharpay sticks her nose in the air, and straightens out her posture. "I don't think that'll be necessary."
Gabriella holds back her retort as there's a knocking on her door and she panics. If Sharpay sees Troy picking her up to go see a harmless movie that their Headmaster wants playing every night to try to keep kids occupied from seven to nine at night, then Sharpay could possible go into her weird funk again.
Gabriella rushes to the door, and hesitates to open it.
"What are you waiting for?" Sharpay snaps. "Open it before they knock again. I don't need a head ache before my rehearsal."
Gabriella doesn't look back as she only opens the door so her body can slide out of the room, and then closes it instantly.
Sharpay's eyes go wide as she swears she caught a glimpse of Troy's caramel colored hair and tan skin. Her mouth parts, and she's taking deep intakes of air. She didn't want to believe the rumors around school that started over the weekend that now Gabriella was going to make a move on Troy Bolton, but here she is, sitting on her bed watching her roommate walk away with her ex-boyfriend.
Even though her and Gabriella have never been the best of friends, or friends at all, she never thought Gabriella would already go after Troy.
"I thought we were going to meet out here?" Gabriella asks while controlling her panic. Did Sharpay see? If she did, there's nothing to worry about because they're just friends. Nothing more…for now.
Troy shrugs; clearly not seeing anything wrong with picking her up at her room which is only five feet away from the original meeting point. "What's the big deal? I only had to take three steps."
Gabriella rolls her eyes as they walk outside. "The big deal is…is…Sharpay could've seen."
"Did she?" Troy challenges.
Gabriella looks down at the ground in defeat. "I don't know."
Troy chuckles good heartedly. "Well then you need to forget about it because I don't want to watch a movie with a sulking friend."
Sharpay slams the door shut behind herself and storms into the building. How could Gabriella do that to her?! Go out with her ex-boyfriend! Sharpay thought maybe they could be friends…that's a HUGE maybe, but it was quite possible with all the hints Gabriella was leaving around, and now that Troy is out of her life, they wouldn't have anything to fight over.
First, Gabriella says she's not interested in Troy. She practically spelt it out for Sharpay, but yet everyone can tell that Troy and Gabriella are good for each other. Second, Gabriella brings her lunch. No one has brought Sharpay lunch without being ordered too, and then out of the blue Gabriella came barging into their room with lunch. Third, Gabriella has not called her Evans in a while now. They have been on tight first name bases, and granted it wasn't easy, and is still not, but Sharpay is adjusting her life to call Gabriella by her first name.
Now, even though those reasons are self centered around Sharpay, she still believed that they could've been at least borrowing clothes friendly. They could've been in the room without glaring friends. They could've been maybe even partners on a project friends. They wouldn't actually be friends though, but they could be a getting-to-be friend. But not anymore. Sharpay is too mad to even think about getting to know Gabriella anymore.
She let her guard down. She was actually willing to try to get to know another person outside her circle of friends, but not anymore.
She doesn't even notice that she's entering the cooking room, and there's another person there already.
She takes in his broad shoulders. His muscular frame. The way his wrist flips the frying pan. The way his biceps bulge out with every grip he frames around the metal.
"Sharpay?" Zeke asks in surprise as she walks over to the counter top and sits down on one of the many bar stools.
"What?" She asks in a mono tone voice. She's done being used. Used by Troy. And used by Gabriella who just thinks she can give Sharpay 'great advice' and then go behind her back and date Troy.
"Are you…okay?"
Sharpay rolls her eyes, "I could ask you the same thing."
"Then why don't you?" He snaps and then looks at her apologetically. "Sorry…just had a rough day."
Sharpay stops herself from saying something she actually might regret. All plans of bringing up the fact that Zeke is jealous of Chad are blown out the window now that the cat's out of the bag.
"…Yeah," She says awkwardly, "I heard about that."
"Who hasn't? It's fucked up that news spreads so fast around here. Who even gets the gossip before the actual event is over?"
Sharpay shrugs her shoulders. "Probably some fucked up people."
Zeke finds this ironic since he knows that Sharpay is one of the biggest gossip queens. "Is that including yourself in that?"
Their eyes lock and he leans in some. "I didn't specify, did I?"
Zeke smirks, but doesn't respond. "So…what brings you here in my kitchen?"
Sharpay's eyes go lighter and lighter until they're practically glowing gray. "I hate break ups. They always put a damper on my day," she scoffs.
Zeke tries to smile apologetically, but he can't. He can't even disagree with her because he knows that she's telling the truth. "I know how you feel."
They were moving in gradually as the conversation happened and now find themselves practically inches away. "You're eyes are really different in color," he comments about the gray.
Sharpay shrugs it off as if it's normal. "They get like that from time to time." He goes to speak, but she puts a finger to his mouth to silence him. "Are you gonna kiss me soon?"
He nods his head numbly before she takes her finger back and their lips gravitate towards each other. Each needing comfort to cover the hurt.
As their lips touch it's like time has stopped. His hand slowly comes up to her head, and interlocks with the waves of blonde strands. Her teeth slowly tug at his bottom lip before their tongues meet for the first time. Nothing can ruin the moment until Sharpay abruptly pulls back.
"I can't," And for what seems like the hundredth time that week, she feels tears prick her eyes. She steps away from him. "I'm sorry, but I can't."
Zeke doesn't realize how hard it is for Sharpay to stand there in front of him, and admit that she is doing something wrong.
"What?" He hisses. "Are you fucking serious?! Do I like have a sticker on my back that says I should just get screwed over by you girls?!"
"I know what it's like to be used, and I'm not going to give you false hope. And this is coming from me, but no one deserves that." She looks him dead in the eye. "Goodbye Zeke."
Ryan had been avoiding it really. He had done everything he could to avoid Kelsi and the inevitable conversation after the fight on Thursday. It wasn't really hard to do the first two days since Kelsi kept her distance, but then since Sunday it seems to him that she had been trying to talk to him.
But here he is; waiting for Emma to sit by him in the auditorium for their drama meeting to start, but instead of the blonde sitting down next to him, Kelsi does.
He shifts uncomfortably in his seat, and is now wishing that instead of choosing to sit in a seat that is on the end of a row with no other options for someone else to come and sit next to him, but that he sat in a different seat where he is closer to Ms. Darbus and has more options as to a oppose of getting cornered by one person.
"Hey," Kelsi whispers as if it's the most common thing to say.
Ryan looks at her strangely, but sees that she's busy rifling through her bag next to their feet for something, so he looks straight forward again.
"…Hey."
Kelsi's head bobs up and she lays her music folder on her lap. "Did we start yet?"
Ryan knows that she's making light conversation, but something's bugging him. "What are you doing Kelsi? Aren't you mad at me? Because I know that I'd be pissed off if you attacked my girlfriend."
Kelsi sighs as she rubs her temples. She's acting like this is the biggest problem in the world right now. "I was hoping we could avoid this talk, and just be friends again."
"I think it's too late for that," Ryan sees Kelsi's face go into shock and worry, and he realizes what he just said. "Too late for avoiding, not the friends part. That's what I meant, I swear. We HAVE to talk now," he declares and sees Kelsi's face go into relief.
"Good," she breathes out. "I was about to freak out." She looks at him, and then realizes that he actually did ask her a question before, and now it's time for the truth to come out. "No."
"No?" He asks with confusion. "No, you don't want to talk, or no you don't want to be friends?"
"How about, no I'm not mad at you?"
"What?"
Kelsi sighs again, "If I can forgive Jason, then I can certainly forgive you. You guys just kind of scared me. I had no idea that I could make you guys fight like that, and then I heard from Gabi that after I ran off, things got even worst?"
"Yeah, things got--"
Ryan stops momentarily as he sees the average height, petite girl walk down the aisle. He bites his bottom lip as he realizes that Kelsi is in the spot that he is supposed to save for her.
"Ry?" Kelsi questions, but gets no response as Emma comes and stands next to Ryan.
She looks clearly confused, and Ryan sinks lower in his seat. How can he tell Kelsi to move when they just got onto good terms again?
"Um…I'm sorry for interrupting," Emma says slowly; everything's processing in her mind, and then she finally realizes that Ryan and Kelsi have probably just made up from Thursday night. "I'll just…um…go someplace else."
"Wait!" Ryan calls out, and realizes he just did the stupidest thing, but then again he did promise Emma…
Kelsi fidgets uncomfortably in her seat. Ryan didn't say anything about saving a seat for Emma. Emma catches Kelsi's eye, and Kelsi feels a little guilty for intruding without even knowing, and the way that Emma is looking at her…she has eyes that just look so innocent and sad, no one can resist.
"Emma, I was just getting up. You can sit down," Kelsi offers while gathering her things quickly.
"No. It's okay. I can always go sit next to Shar. She's probably wondering where I am," she makes an excuse.
"Shar isn't here. I promised you I'd save you a seat, and I stay true to my word," Ryan insists as he motions to the now empty seat next to him.
Emma slowly slides in past him as neither one notices the skeptical look on Kelsi's face as she walks away.
"So um…did you hear about Tay and Zeke?" Gabriella asks as she tries to fill her head with thoughts while they're walking outside in the dark. Even though the street lights are still on, Gabriella is secretly glad that Troy is persistent and insisted on walking her back.
"Yeah…I heard Chad grumbling about it last night." Troy forces a chuckle as his hand brushes up against Gabriella's while they turn the corner on the path. He pulls his hand back slightly, and if Gabriella felt anything then she didn't say. "So…I heard about the soccer scrimmage scheduled for two weeks from now."
Gabriella chuckles too as her nerves tingle in her stomach. "Yeah…I can't believe that we were the only team last year that didn't place. We had two girls out on injuries, and then I never even showed up! I should've come back after hearing about the first loss of the season."
Troy can hear Gabriella scolding herself through her words, and shrugs as if that will comfort her without having to personally touch her.
"Don't sweat it. I hear the ping-pong team only won because the opposing team had to forfeit because of food poisoning."
Gabriella giggles at this and it puts a smile on Troy's face.
"So as a friend, I get to come watch you play, right?" He asks, and he swears he sees Gabriella's face pale in the light.
"No!" She shrieks with horror. "There's no way that you're going."
Troy looks hurt, "And why not?"
"Because I'll be nervous, and then with you there I'll be even more nervous." Troy smirks at her, but doesn't say anything, and Gabriella's eyes go wide. She tries to save herself, "And then Chad will want to go, and Taylor will say that she has a right because we're best friends, and Jason will come with a video camera, so it'll just make me nervous all together. With EVERYONE there."
Troy nods, but doesn't say anything as he knows that there's buses that take any students who sign up to the away sports games. But half the time students don't go to weekend games since that's basically the only time that they have to go downtown and shop since they're busy on weeknights.
They stop walking as they stand on the stoop of the steps. They look around awkwardly and Gabriella thanks God that Sharpay isn't out in the lobby.
"So…" Gabriella draws out, and Troy decides to make the first move.
He holds open his arms for a hug, and Gabriella hesitates at first, but then eases into it. He wraps his arms around her in a protective way, and just basks in her presence. If only he knows that she is feeling the same way, but doing a whole lot better job at self preservation.
"You think you won the argument of me coming to see you play soccer? I have my ways Brie," he whispers in her ear.
"You wish."
Troy smirks while reluctantly pulling back. "I have a plan: never surrender, and eventually I'll be bound to win."
