The Lights Shine, Just for Me and You
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, or High School Musical. All recognisable characters, content, or locations belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Part One: Fifteen
Chapter Ten: Smells Like Teen Spirit
There's a pep rally on Friday. With a football game that evening, it marks the official start of that term's athletic season, and the energy throughout McKinley High - the excitement and enthusiasm - is catching.
Gabriella can't wipe the smile off her face if she tried. There's something to be said about school spirit, admittedly, but it's more that Coach Sylvester has reiterated the importance of appearances as a Cheerio. Quite frankly, Gabriella's a little afraid of what the woman would do if she is ever caught looking anything other than enthusiastic, energetic, and effervescent during a pep rally, football game, and/or during any other of her commitments as a McKinley High Cheerio.
Maybe that's insincere of her, but a person can't exist in a heightened emotional state - positive or negative - indefinitely. Human beings simply aren't built that way.
Gabriella's gotten really good at pretending she is, though.
"Are you nervous about tonight?" Kelsi asks. They're meandering their way towards their lockers, post pep rally, and the entire student body has gone wild around them. It's an eye-searing sea of red, white, and black as they celebrate the football teams, throw around confetti and silly string and glitter, blast music from the school's PA system, laugh and shout and cheer as footballers pass them by. It's a madhouse - Gabriella's supposed to be egging them on - and it's no wonder their teachers considered today a wash from the get-go.
"Yeah, kind of," Gabriella admits, "It'll be a pretty big crowd, so that's kind of nerve-racking. Will you be going?"
"Yeah," Kelsi confirms, "Ryan and I are going together. Go Wildcats, right?"
Gabriella laughs, and cheers more enthusiastically, "Go Wildcats!"
To her surprise, it's picked up by people around them, once, twice, thrice, until it's loud and echoing and reverberating in her ears. Traversing the corridors, Gabriella bumps fists, exchanges high fives and hugs and cheers, and through it all, her arm remains linked through Kelsi's.
"This is crazy!" Kelsi exclaims, reaching Gabriella's locker.
"You're telling me," Gabriella concurs. She packs her backpack with what she'll need over the weekend, "And somehow, the game is supposed to be even crazier. I can't even imagine it."
"Neither," Kelsi agrees, "I'm actually kind of excited. I mean, I don't know anything about football, but I bet the atmosphere will be amazing."
Kelsi, Gabriella's learned, looks for inspiration everywhere. She doesn't always find it, but when she does, she picks her muse up and runs with it. It results in a disorganised, eclectic variety of compositions, in snapshots of interactions that may become a story, or a song, and Gabriella is in awe of her friend. Although she's shy, and humble, and overshadowed by domineering personalities like Sharpay Evans and Rachel Berry, Kelsi is so very talented, and it's - she is - extraordinary.
"Better not forget your journal."
Kelsi arranges the cherry red beret on her head, a bright smile on her face. The beret brings out the natural highlights in Kelsi's auburn hair, draws attention to her hazel eyes and peaches and cream complexion, and although she doesn't believe it, Kelsi is truly stunning. "I never do."
As Gabriella clicks her locker shut, she catches sight of Troy. He's accompanied by Ryan and Sharpay Evans, and between conversation with Ryan - they're in Forward Motion together - Sharpay seems to be trying hard to grab Troy's attention. He seems completely nonplused by the blonde's efforts, Ryan completely long-suffering, and upon sight of them, Kelsi gives an exasperated sigh, rolls her eyes, and slumps against the locker behind her.
"I apologise in advance for Sharpay's behaviour, Gabriella," Kelsi says, "I hope you don't hold it against Ryan and I. We've tried to talk her out of it, but…"
"Okay?" Gabriella shrugs, perplexed, but prepared to do just that. That year has taught her quickly that she can't be held accountable for her loved one's actions.
As she offers Kelsi a reassuring smile, the trio reach her, and Troy greets her with a hug. He presses a kiss to her cheek, too, and Gabriella returns both in kind.
"Hi," she greets them, "How've you been?"
"Good," Troy nods, "There was a water fight outside. It was great."
Ryan rolls his eyes, and contributes, "It was completely nuts, more like."
As Gabriella grins at Kelsi's best friend in greeting and acknowledgement both, Troy shrugs, unable to deny the truth in his words. "Po-tay-to, po-tah-to. Gaby, do you know Sharpay?"
"Yeah, we've met," Gabriella nods. She spares the blonde in question a brief smile, "Hey, Sharpay. Are you enjoying the chaos?"
"Not really," Sharpay answers plainly, "Having to talk so loud is straining my voice, which is completely unacceptable."
"Well, it'll all be over soon enough," Gabriella acknowledges, unsure of what else she ought to say, "Unless you decide to go to the game…?"
"Oh, I'm definitely going," Sharpay insists. She glances at Troy, and asks, "You'll save me a seat, won't you, Troy?"
Troy is completely gobsmacked. Gabriella is, too. "Um…"
"We can all sit together?" Kelsi offers up hesitantly. "If that's okay?"
Troy shrugs, but he looks a little less tense around the shoulders, a little less like a deer caught in headlights. He likes Kelsi and Ryan. "I'm sitting with the guys, but they won't mind if you guys join us."
Sharpay nods succinctly. There's a satisfied smile on her thin face. "Great. I'll see you then, Troy. Ryan, let's go. Alfie is waiting."
It looks as though it's the last thing he wants to do, but nevertheless, Ryan offers them both a brief, resigned smile-wince thing, and then accompanies Sharpay towards the exit. Kelsi hesitates briefly, offers Gabriella and Troy an apologetic grimace, and then follows in their wake.
Troy clears his throat, shoves his hands in the front pocket of his pullover, and observes, "So that was…"
Gabriella grins. She's not sure why, but the entire situation amuses her. "You know she wants you, right?"
Troy arches an eyebrow, bemused. "That girl is way too plastic, and crazy high maintenance besides… Emphasis on the crazy."
"Oh, is that why you're with me? Because I'm low maintenance and a cheap date?"
Troy catches sight of her teasing smirk, and grins. "Now you're just putting words in my mouth, Montez."
"Maybe I should be doing something else with that mouth."
He acts coy. "What did you have in mind?"
Gabriella grins too, soft and fond and just a little bit playful, and slips her hands into the front pocket of his pullover. She uses it to tug him forward, and Troy moves with the pressure, his grin turned knowing and entirely willing. "Come here, Sparky."
And as Gabriella reaches up on her toes to kiss him, as he leans forward to meet her halfway, Troy doesn't protest.
-!- -#-
After the game, and another date at Breadsticks, Coach Bolton drops Gabriella off at home. There's an afterparty at Cooper Waters' place, but Gabriella's scheduled to start her first shift at Tom's Diner the following morning, so she's not exactly eager for a late night. Moreover, Troy feels weird about the fact his dad will probably know exactly where he is - and what he'll be doing - so he's not exactly comfortable with attending the party with everyone else. They go on another date instead, eat pizza and play games in the arcade, before Troy's dad picks them up and drives her home.
"Huh," Gabriella observes as Coach Bolton pulls up at the curb in front of her house, "Looks like Mom and Dad are home. Weird."
"That's weird?" Coach Bolton wonders, bemused.
"It's usually just Nonna and I," Gabriella explains, "Mom and Dad work a lot, so…"
Coach Bolton nods his wordless acknowledgement, and Gabriella gets the impression he's not sure what he ought to say, if anything. He doesn't seem impressed, though.
Troy clears his throat in the awkward silence. "I'll walk you to the door."
Gabriella doesn't argue. Instead, she opens the door, and as she leaves, she says, "Thanks for the lift, Coach Bolton."
"No problem, Gabriella. Good luck tomorrow."
"Thanks. Have a nice night."
Troy and Gabriella don't talk much during the short walk to her front door. They make plans to chat on the phone later, but they're quiet by the time they reach the front stoop, an Troy's got a frown on his face.
"Do you think everything's okay with your parents?"
"I guess I'm going to find out," Gabriella replies, a little rueful. She reaches out for a hug, and Troy folds himself around her, tall and lean and warm, "Thanks for tonight, Sparky."
"Thank you," Troy counters, "I guess I'll see you on Sunday?"
Gabriella nods her confirmation, reluctantly separates herself to unlock the front door, and offers her boyfriend a smile. "Night, Troy."
"Night, Gaby," Troy answers. He's shoved his hands into the front pocket of his Wildcats pullover, "Talk soon."
"You bet."
With the front door closed and locked behind her, and with her bags deposited haphazardly by the stairs, Gabriella approaches the living room. Her parents and nonna are there, chatting amicably over the low din of a late news broadcast. They're diverted, however, as Gabriella approaches, more interested in greeting her.
"You're home!" Her father greets her cheerfully. He stands up to do so properly, and they share a hug.
"And so are you," she acknowledges mildly. She greets her mother in kind, and then settles hesitantly in the seat between them. In the armchair adjacent, her nonna offers Gabriella a clueless shrug - apparently, their return was a surprise to her, too - and Gabriella's stomach starts churning. "Is everything okay?"
"Everything's fine, honey," Maria Montez assures her, "We just wanted to surprise you. We weren't expecting you to be home so late, though. How was the game?"
"It was fine," Gabriella replies, indifferent. SHe's not particularly invested in football, but nevertheless… "We won, so that was good. Mike and Matt were pretty excited about it."
"Who are Mike and Matt?" Carlos queries, "I've not met these boys, have I?"
"No," Gabriella replies, "They're friends of mine. Troy, too, but not really any of the others you've met."
"What about your other friends?" Maria queries, "Santana, Brittany, Taylor? You've hardly mentioned them all term."
"I hang out with Brittany during training," Gabriella shrugs, "Santana and I don't talk much, anymore, and she doesn't talk to Taylor at all. Taylor and I talk during Academic Decathlon practises and whatever, but she's got this new friend, Martha, who doesn't like me, so I kind of avoid hanging out with them."
"I'm sorry, honey," Maria combs a hand through Gabriella's hair, "It's an unfortunate fact of life that people change, and so to do relationships."
"It's fine. I'm used to it now."
"And the boys?" Carlos prods.
"They're fine," Gabriella replies, restless. She doesn't particularly appreciate the inquisition, "Same old, same old. Playing basketball, you know, the usual stuff."
"And you and Troy are…" maria leads.
Gabriella frowns. "Is that why you're here? Because Troy and I are going out? I told you that, like, the day after we decided to."
"No, honey," Maria assures her, but Gabriella's not sure she believes it, "We're here because we wanted to see you; spend time together as a family."
"I'm busy this weekend," Gabriella informs them bluntly. She's not sure how she feels about the surprise visit, but she doesn't feel exactly pleased.
It's a little strange, actually, because at the start of term, she'd been disappointed by their absence.
It seems her friends aren't the only ones to have changed in the last few weeks.
"What are your plans?" Her father asks, "We can work around them."
"I start my new job tomorrow, and then I was going to a friend's place for a study session."
"Your new job," Carlos muses, "It's hard to believe you're old enough to start working, Princesa. Where did the time go?"
Gabriella shrugs, and bites back her initial response that maybe if they'd been around more often while she was growing up, it wouldn't seem like such a drastic change.
"What about Sunday?" Maria asks.
"Troy and I usually meet up for lunch and spend the afternoon together. Then Nonna and I hang out."
Nonna Valentina, who has been conspicuously silent throughout the whole conversation, thus far, smiles softly. SHe's got plans to teach Gabriella to cook (homemade) chicken pesto this week, and Gabriella's not about to bail on her - or Troy, for that matter - because her parents thought they could wander in and disrupt her routine as they pleased.
"I'm sure Troy wouldn't mind if we stole you for the day," Carlos says genially.
"No, he wouldn't," Gabriella agrees, "But I would. You can't just come here unannounced and expect me to change my plans to cater to your - I don't even know - parental guilt or whatever this is. That's not fair."
Maria sighs, disappointed. "Gabriella, we hardly see you. Couldn't you-"
"Yeah, and whose fault is that?" Gabriella interrupts her. She stands roughly, irritated and unwilling to continue the conversation, "Don't blame me for your life choices. I'm going to bed."
She makes sure to give her nonna a hug before she stalks out of the room. She stops to gather up her things, stomps upstairs, and then slams her bedroom door shut. And then, once she's certain her door is locked and her parents aren't going to follow her upstairs, Gabriella flops onto her bed, buries her head in her pillow, and bursts into angry tears.
