Crash Into You

Chapter 37: When You're Gone

Gabriella paced up and down the airport baggage claim. She had caught the attention of the Starbucks guy who was watching her carefully ever silence she bought a drink from him an hour earlier. She skillfully managed to avoid his winking eye and smirking mouth each time she passed him.

Another crowd of people lazily walked into claim and began to crowd around. Wishing she had worn her heels, Gabriella stretched herself as tall as she could, trying to see over the crowd.

"Kiddo!" she heard his voice ring through the large room.

Gabriella bolted through the crowd and jumped into her dad's arms. "Dad! Where have you been? Your flight was supposed to get in over an hour ago."

He gave his daughter one last squeeze before setting her feet back down on the floor. "My flight got delayed. I called you and even tried that typing thing you kids do with the cell phone."

"It's called texting." She told her dad. "And I didn't get a call."

"Check your phone. Twenty bucks says it's off."

Her head tilted to the side. "Deal." She dug her hand into her small black purse and pulled out a pink phone. She flipped it open to reveal a picture of James, Ashley, and herself. "It's on." She happily turned the phone around to show her dad.

He leaned in close to it and studied the screen. "It's on silent."

Gabriella's smile fell. "Then it's a tie, nobody wins."

Her dad laughed. "Deal. Now when is this big competition of yours?" he asked as he started to follow her out of the airport door.

"Tonight, five o'clock. But I have to be there at 2:30, so I don't know what you can do until then."

"I can hang out with that boyfriend of yours, Troy. He seemed like a nice guy when I last met him."

"Actually Troy and I aren't together anymore." She said quietly. "We broke up a few weeks ago."

"I'm sorry honey." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "How about I make you one of my famous grilled cheese sandwiches before you have to go compete?"

Gabriella smiled. "I think that can be arranged."

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Troy walked through the large convention center, weaving his way in and out of estranged dancers and aggravated parents.

"Troy what are we doing here?" Chad groaned as he followed his friend. "I got places to be, people to see."

"I told you why we were here." He said sternly.

"What if we don't want to see your little high school friend prance around on stage?" Zeke asked. "And why didn't Jason have to come?"

"He had a test, remember?"

Zeke's eyes lit up. "Oh yeah, that reminds me. I have a test too. Uh, Spanish Deserts. It's a killer. I'll see you guys later." He tried to back away from his friends by Chad grabbed his shirt.

"If I have to sit through this, then so do you." He muttered.

"I heard that." Troy turned to them. "And it's important that you guys come with me." His two friends gave him blank looks. "Look. Gabriella isn't just a friend. She's my-"

"Troy!" he was cut off by a very firm voice behind him.

Turning around he saw Gabriella's father walking towards them. "Alex." He gave him a firm handshake as he approached them. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh well I was looking for that bar, but I guess I took a wrong turn." He said as he scratched his head. "Why do you think I'm here?"

Troy laughed. "Right, I should have guessed. These are my friends: Chad and Zeke." Each of them shook hands accordingly. "This is Gabriella's dad, Alex."

Alex looked at Zeke curiously as he shook his hand. "Baker's hands…"

A smile grew on his face. "Yeah. How'd you know?"

"You been in the business as long as I have, you learn to pick up on things." He put an arm around Zeke's shoulders. "Walk with me."

Troy and Chad watched Alex and Zeke walk away. "Okay, Troy. Tell me what's up with that Gabriella chick."

Troy took a deep breath. "You know how I was kind of seeing a girl." Chad nodded his head slowly. "Well, that's her."

Chad's mouth slightly fell open. "Are you telling me that the pimp of Albuquerque, my best friend, was dating a high school girl?"

"Look, I'm not that guy anymore. Why is it so hard for you to believe that I had a relationship?"

"Well, for one, all of your relationships until now have been open and you always used that openness. We all learned our best moves from you."

Troy sighed. "Yeah, I know. But she made me want to not be that guy anymore."

Chad patted Troy on the back. "I am extremely sad to say that you are officially whipped. And by a high schooler no less."

"Let's just go find our seats." Troy groaned as he brushed past Chad.

"Dude, don't think that this conversation is over." He called after him. "I need to know what made this chick so alluring. Hey, maybe I'll start rocking the cradle too."

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"Gabriella, you did amazing!" her dad said as he drove down the road.

She looked at the trophy in her hand. "I didn't expect to place for my solo." She said as she blushed.

"But you placed third and then you and your friends got first for that rock n' roll dance."

"It's called Hip Hop dad. And it was a pretty awesome dance if I do say so myself."

He laughed. "Hip Hop? Well if was pretty hip and you guys did hop around a lot." Gabriella burst out into laughter. "Well whatever you call it. It was great. And I'm glad I was here to see it."

Gabriella beamed. "I'm glad you were here too. So what should we do tomorrow? I have school and decathlon practice, but dance classes are canceled because we did do well. We only have to meet for like a half an hour. But after that I am free as a bird."

"Look sweetie, I got a call and have to head back to California tonight."

Gabriella's smiled faded. "When do you have to leave?" she asked quietly.

Her father sighed. "My flight leaves in an hour."

An hour later Gabriella found herself sitting in a park, staring her shoes. She had dropped her father off at the airport and drove until she reached the park she used to go to every Sunday with her friends.

"Gabriella Montez?"

She slowly lifted her head and looked up to see a boy with bright blue eyes and dirty blonde hair staring down at her. His eyes locked with hers and a familiar sense of calm fell over her. "Yeah, that's me."

"I just watched you perform at the dance show and you were amazing!" he complimented her.

Gabriella smiled shyly. "Thanks." She scooted to the side of the bench and let him sit down beside her.

"I'm Dean." He held his hand out for her to shake.

She grabbed his hand and shook it slowly. "So you a dancer?"

"I was, but then I hurt my knee and by the time it was healed, my brother was starting to compete heavily and there really wasn't enough room in the family for two dancers."

"Wait, are you Dean as in Tom's brother Dean?"

He smiled and nodded his head. "Yeah that's me." Gabriella smiled at him. "Want to take a walk?"

"Sure," she agreed. "I'd lie that." Dean stood up and held his hand out for Gabriella. She grabbed his hand and lifted herself up. Their fingers laced as they walked in the park in the darkness.

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Troy swung his keys around his finger as he walked along the edge of the park, occasionally glancing around at the people around him. The darkness seemed to open up the area as the stars shone brightly up in the sky.

His eyes wandered to his left and fell upon a girl he knew well. He watched as Gabriella grab the arm of the man she was holding hands with and threw her head back and laughed. He knew the guy from high school. His name was Dean…and he was walking hand in hand with Gabriella.

He watched Dean lift his free arm and point to the sky. Gabriella's head immediately looked up, as did Troy's. A shooting star flew across the sky. Troy closed his eyes and silently mouthed his wish.

As he opened his eyes, his gaze once again fell on Gabriella and Dean. He watched him gaze down at her as eyes held shut and her head tilted up to the sky. She slowly opened her eyes and the two leaned closer together and kissed.

Troy ripped his eyes away from them and let out a heavy sigh. Shoving his keys back into his pocket, he continued with his walk back to him apartment.

I know that everyone wants Troy and Gabriella to get back together, but I just can't do that. They've already broke up and got back together quickly, so this time it wont be so quick (if it even happens at all). I hope you all still enjoyed it and comment!