Troy sat in his chair. He didn't pay any attention to the active conversations going on at the table or in any other part of the restaurant. He

was waiting for Gabriella to

return from the ladies' room with Taylor and Melanie. He was mad at Dan Liberty and anxious to find out if Gabriella was going to be

okay. He had just realized that

day, just by looking in her eyes that she had suffered a lot to keep him. He hadn't realized how much he meant to her.

"Hey, Bolton!" someone yelled behind him. Troy turned around and saw Dan Liberty calling his name.

"What?" Troy asked impatiently. Dan was pretty much the whole cause of this fiasco. Troy was very angry at Dan. Jealous he was of him

and oblivious. He never

realized how easy it was to make Gabriella cry. He was too oblivious to know and see how sensitive she was. "What do you want,

Liberty?" he asked again.

"Listen, I'm sorry. I didn't know. I didn't realize-- " Dan started.

"Well you should have thought about it. But you can't do anything about it now it's over," Troy said looking down at the ground for a

minute. Dan was quiet after that.

Dan was aghast. He never noticed that Gabriella was so attached to him. He saw, all of a sudden, that he had caused Gabriella all this

pain over the past few years.


A few minutes later Troy spotted Gabriella walked out of the bathroom with Melanie and Taylor. He got up to greet them. He strode

over to Gabriella. He

thought about asking her if she was alright, but decided not to.

Troy walked up to her and put his left arm around her shoulders and said,"Come on, let's go back to the table. The food is about to be

here."

"Okay," Gabriella sobbed. "You probably think I'm so dumb. Gettting upset over nothing."

"I don't think your dumb. I think your the smartest girl I know," Troy said putting a smile on his face. "I am the fool. It was my fault Paige

came. Her so-called

boyfriend is on the basketball team with me and Chad."

"Oh," Gabriella said leaning into Troy.

"I didn't know until after I invited him that he was going out with Paige. Do you forgive me for all my wrongs?" Troy said hopefully with a

pleading look on his face.

"Yes, of course!" Gabriella said reaching her seat. "Why wouldn't I? I love you!"

"The two of them looked at each other and smiled. Before they sat down Gabriella leaned in close to him and they kissed. It felt like that

same kiss Troy gave her the

last night they saw each other. The kiss that promised Gabriella that Troy would never forget her. The two of them then took their seats at

the table and ate their

dinner.

"This could be the start of something new," Troy said with a broad smile on his face.

Gabriella turned her head and gave Troy a shy smile. She remembered the night that they met on winter break, that was the song that they

sang.

"The party's just beginning," Troy said.

Gabriella looked stunned,"What do you mean?"

"You'll see wait until dinner's over," Troy said.


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