Disclaimer – I do not own any of the HSM characters.

Chapter 3 – The Dinner

Troy and Gabriella were setting up the table while Jason, Kelsie, Sharpay, Ryan, and Taylor were watching television. Zeke on the other hand, was cooking the dinner they were going to eat. They were waiting for Chad to come over straight from work.

"How do you think they're going to act when they see each other," Troy asked Gabriella. He kept his voice soft; he didn't want Taylor to overhear their conversation. Chad was his best friend, and Troy knew that he wasn't going to be thrilled with the idea of being set up. Then again, Chad didn't know of Taylor's condition…yet.

Gabriella replied with a shrug. "Taylor is going to pretend that she doesn't want to see him. It's pretty obvious that she misses him though." She was moving around the table, making sure the silverware and plates were all aligned. It was just one of her habits to make sure everything was close to perfect.

Troy just smiled at the sight of her moving everything just a little bit and making sure things were perfect. "Chad is going to be the same way. I just hope that they end up talking to each other by the end of the night. It's either that or they'll end up hating each other more."

"I hope this all works out," Gabriella said. "Ah, I'm so nervous for the both of them." Troy wrapped his arm around her waist and bent down to kiss her forehead. Gabriella responded by bringing her hands up to Troy's face and deepening the kiss, they both forgot about setting up the table.

"Look at these two," Sharpay laughed. She and Taylor entered the dining room. "Do you two need any help?"

Gabriella pulled away from Troy, "Uh, I don't think so. But, I should check on Zeke to make sure he knows where everything is."

"Don't worry about it," Sharpay said, "I'll check on him." She left the three to enter the kitchen and check on her boyfriend.

Gabriella and Troy continued fixing the table settings when the doorbell rang. The couple quickly looked at each other before looking at Taylor who got the hint.

"I got it," Taylor said, she noticed that the two were busy and she was closest to the door anyway. As she neared the door, Gabriella followed close behind. Once Taylor opened the door, she nearly fainted, "Hi C-Chad."

"Taylor," he asked. "How are-" He stopped when Taylor quickly turned around and made her way to the others watching television. "…you?"

"Hi Chad," Gabriella smiled weakly. She was upset knowing that they were both being hard headed about the whole situation.

"Sorry," he said, closing the door behind him. "This is going to be one awkward dinner huh?"

Gabriella giggled and led him to the others. "C'mon."

While Chad was busy with the two boys and Sharpay in the kitchen, Gabriella went to check on Taylor who was sitting on a window seat. "Hey Taylor are you going to be okay with this all?"

"What do you think," Taylor asked.

"Taylor I know you two split up," Gabriella began, "But you knew that there was going to be a day when you'd see him again. Can't you just try to put the past behind you for one night, for me?"

Taylor let out an exasperated sigh. "I'll try." Gabriella smiled and got up, about to go back to Troy. "Gabi?"

"Hmm," Gabriella asked, turning back around to face her friend.

"Can you not mention the whole leukemia thing to Chad," Taylor asked. "I-It'd just make the whole thing even weirder."

"I wouldn't do that Taylor," Gabriella assured her best friend before leaving Taylor time to clear her head.

Taylor hated the fact that her sickness had taken away so much from her. She was too helpless and too weak to care for herself. Every now and then it'd come to the point that she would need Gabriella or Troy to help her around her own apartment.

Her head snapped back up when she heard laughter from the kitchen. Instead of smiling she went back to thinking – thinking if she'd be able to laugh like that again.

HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMH

The dinner was indeed inept for everyone. They all had to make sure Taylor and Chad were kept at proper distance from each other. Conversations about health, college, and relationships were avoided which added to an even more awkward silence.

"Zeke, that was delicious," Ryan exclaimed, wiping his mouth with his napkin. Everyone else nodded their heads in agreement.

"Yeah, thank you so much," Troy told his friend.

Zeke smiled and shrugged, "I should be thanking you. If it weren't for you and Gabriella doing the callbacks in high school, I wouldn't be able to do this for a living."

"High school was fun," Jason said, looking back on memories that occurred during those four great years, "especially being on the basketball team."

"The basketball team," Sharpay asked, disgustedly. "The drama club members made school fun."

"Yeah," Ryan agreed.

"You two were the only members," Chad smiled, Kelsie coughed, "Yeah you two and Kelsie. And you almost ruined Troy and Gabi's chances of being in Twinkle Town."

"The drama club was still so much better than the basketball team," Sharpay whined. She wanted to win this argument, and she was determined to.

"How," Zeke asked. "I'm sorry baby but no one really watched those musicals…"

"The auditions were pretty funny to watch though," Troy laughed. "Remember how harsh Ms. Darbus was? 'Go see a guidance counselor!'"

The argument of the basketball team versus the drama club kept going on until Gabriella attempted to put a stop to it.

"GUYS," Gabriella spoke up. "I know how to settle this."

"By saying that the basketball team was better," Zeke asked.

"No," Gabriella shook her head. "Both teams were okay… but the Chemistry club was the best."

Everyone was silent for a minute before exclaiming, "Oh please!"

"Hey, it was worth a shot," Gabriella turned to Taylor and smiled. While everyone else was talking about something else Gabriella asked Taylor quietly, "You ok? You've been pretty quiet since we sat down to eat…"

"Uh yeah," Taylor lied. "I was just thinking about stuff."

"What kind of stuff," Gabriella asked.

"Just stuff," Taylor replied. She didn't want to continue with the conversation. She knew, from the moment she opened the door to Chad, what Troy and Gabriella were trying to do. To get away, she excused herself for a water break.

Chad and Troy watched her leave. Troy nodded his head and gave Chad a signal to follow her, which he did.

Taylor was too busy pouring herself a glass of water to notice Chad in the kitchen doorway.

"Taylor," he asked, walking into the kitchen and moving closer to her.

This action took her by surprise and it caused her to drop the glass of water, leaving shattered glass on the floor and a soaked Chad. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" Why should I care if I spilled water on him? He obviously didn't care when he broke my heart.

"No, its okay I shouldn't have scared you like that," he quickly added. At the same time they knelt on the floor to pick up the remains of the cup.

"Ow," she yelped, cutting herself with one of the pieces.

"Let me see it," he offered, taking her hand in his. She refused and quickly pulled away. Instead, she turned on the water faucet and washed the cut. "Taylor can we just have one normal, mature conversation?"

"No," she answered.

"Why not?"

"Because! Chad do you expect us to have the same relationship that we had before when so much happened! You broke up with me expecting us to be friends. What kind of friendship did we have? Oh right, one where you didn't write, call, or speak to each other at all for six years."

"Well then why weren't you the one to try to keep in touch then?"

"I was busy," she simply said.

"You were busy everyday for six years," he asked. "Come on Taylor, give me a better excuse then that."

"I don't want to deal with you right now," Taylor said, walking back to the table of friends.

"Nice going Danforth," Chad sighed.

A/N – Reviews and ideas are greatly appreciated!