I know a lot of you aren't going to like this so sorry in advance lol.
Box of Memories
"Troy, what's that stuff to the left? Is that yours?"
Thirty-one year old Troy Bolton glanced to his left in the stuffy attic. His parents were downsizing and selling the house he grew up in. He was a married man with two kids and a loving wife, living just down the street in the suburbs of New Mexico. His life was seemingly perfect. He worked as a police officer and a volunteer firefighter. He had taken two days off to help his parents move. He accumulated vacation days and sick pay, almost never missing a day of work.
He waved the dust out of the air in front of him before he took the top box from the stack of three. He hummed quietly as he opened it. "Christmas 1989" Troy said aloud. "More Christmas stuff, mom. How many porcelain Santa's do you need?"
"It's called a collection, Troy." His mother said with a small laugh. "Slide it over to me and be gentle."
Troy chuckled, closing the box up and sliding it to his mother who was standing on the ladder half way in the crawl space. "This better not be all Christmas decorations. I'll tell dad to sell it all. Lord knows he would."
"He's tried plenty of times, Troy. Just keep looking."
He picked up the second and pulled the tape off. He licked his teeth and pulled out old books. There was a whole collection of encyclopedias. "It's grandpa's books."
"Is it heavy? You might have to bring it down." His mother said after she passed the first box to Troy's wife who was waiting at the bottom of the small ladder.
He closed the box and lifted to test the weight. "Yeah, it's pretty heavy. I think I'll take it."
"Alright, just slide it out of the way." His mother instructed. A loud cry filled the room. "Noelle must be awake."
"I'll go get her." He heard his wife say from the hall.
"I'll look through the rest of this stuff and bring it down, Ma." Troy said, looking at the third box with his name written on it.
"Alright, Thank you, sweetie. I'll start making lunch." His mom said, climbing down the ladder.
He waited for her to leave before he turned to look at the box again. He tried to recall what he boxed up to put in the attic. He knelt down on the dusty floor, brushing the top to see if there were any more labels. He pulled back the tape slowly, opening the flaps.
He saw a bright red jacket lying on the top. Troy grinned to himself, lifting the jacket out of the box. His letterman jacket was his pride and joy back when he was in high school. His mom must have made this box when he went off to college. It was in perfect condition. The stitching was flawless and the letters were bold and bright. He kind of regretted taking it out of the box since he had nowhere nice to put it.
He settled for the box of books that he never moved out of the way.
A wave of nostalgia washed over him as he touched the state championship badge.
The sharp note of a whistle blew next to him. He called a timeout and rushed over to his team. The group of sweaty adolescents huddled together around his father, Coach Bolton. He looked over at his best friend, Chad, who had a serious look on his face. The normally goofy guy always gave 110% and his head was always in the game.
"Alright, men. Fourteen seconds. We have to keep our lead. We're up five but a lot can happen in fourteen seconds. I have faith in you guys and I am so proud we came this far. You guys have fun out there….." Coach said, looking at his team. "If we don't win back to back, I'm still making your asses run after the game." He said with a playful smile.
The team chuckled and dispersed, moving back to their positions. Troy heard the whistle again and moved his feet to block his opponent. He glanced at the clock. Ten seconds. He saw the opportunity and stole the ball from the other team and ran down court. He took a giant step and performed a lay-up, shooting the ball directly into the basket. The crowd went crazy.
The ball was taken down court again, Troy following in suit. Five seconds. They were still up. Chad blocked a shot but it was rebound by the opposing team. Three seconds. The ball bounced off the back board and into the hands of the man he was blocking. Troy stretched as far as he could. He knocked the ball right out of their hands just as the buzzer went off.
He felt Chad jumping on him in celebration as the stands rushed the court. Confetti flew and a mass of people suddenly surrounded him. He was so proud. He dropped to his knees letting the rush of emotions take over his body in sobs and hot tears down his face.
The sound of distant cries caused his head to snap up and his mind stopped wandering. He turned back to the box now. He saw four year books tucked neatly in the box. He reminded himself to look through those later. He pulled them out and placed them on top of his letterman jacket.
He saw a lanyard attached to some kind of ticket. He pulled it up and sucked in a breath. There wasn't a sport that Troy didn't like or appreciate. He often jumped at the opportunity to learn new sports. He learned to Snowboard when he was eight years old. They took at least one trip a year to the snow. He would spend ninety percent of those trips on the mountain on a snowboard or a pair of skiis.
Fifteen year old Troy Bolton rushed over to his Dad who was holding a camera. "Did you see that? I just landed my 180!" Troy said excitedly.
"That was awesome!" Jack Bolton said, high fiving his son. "I got it on tape! Let's go show your mom."
"Yeah." Troy agreed. "Next, I want to learn-" He was cut off by a girl on a pair of skiis crashing into him. He hit the soft snow with a grunt. He looked up to see a brunette on top of him. She looked frightened and mortified.
"I am so sorry." She said breathlessly. "My mom said to try skiing cause she thought it was fun but I almost killed you." She felt a hand lift her up. She turned to look at the older man. "Thank you. I can't figure out these things and then they tried to give me sticks and I almost blinded a little Asian child. I can't handle this." The girl said quickly, taking gasping breaths.
Troy chuckled, unbuckling himself from the board. "It's all good. Are you trying to teach yourself?" He asked, getting up, picking up his board.
"I don't know what I'm doing." She said honestly. "My ankles hurt and I am so cold, it hurts to move."
Troy frowned looking at his dad. "We should take her inside." His father nodded in agreement. "Let's get you off of those skis."
"Thank God. You are my savior." She said. She paused for a moment, looking at the men then down at her feet. "How am I supposed to do that, exactly?"
"I'll hold your sticks." Jack said, picking them up off the snow.
"I'll push you in. Just keep your feet straight."
"I'll try." She said, looking at him.
Jack grabbed the snowboard while Troy pushed her towards the ski rental shack. "I'm Troy, By the way." He introduced, holding her hips, pushing her steadily.
"Gabi." She said breathlessly.
They got inside and Gabi sat down. She was shivering even underneath a heavy snow suit. Troy got her a blanket before he took off her skiis. "Are you okay?"
"I'm cold." She said with a small smile. "I hate the cold. I hate the snow."
"You're in the wrong place." Troy said with a soft chuckle.
"Tell me about it." She murmured, hugging herself in the blankets.
"Troy!"
"What, mom?" Troy asked, slightly annoyed. The memory definitely tugged at his heart strings and it felt good looking back.
"Do you want a sandwich or should I order pizza?" She asked, climbing up the ladder.
"Whatever you want, mom." He said, looking back. He turned, blocking her view from the items he'd recovered from the box. "Pizza sounds good."
"Alright, let me find my coupons." His mother said, muttering to herself as she walked down the hallway.
He rubbed his face and sighed. A force in his body made him pick up his yearbook from Sophomore year. He gulped, turning the page to one he'd looked at plenty of times. It was his class. Three hundred and twelve students. Her box was highlighted with a red square that she had made. His eyes drew to it automatically.
Gabriella Montez.
Troy walked into East High after a crazy fun winter break. A couple of the guys from the basketball team stopped to say hello. The upperclassmen on the varsity team wanted him so bad after two weeks on junior varsity he got pulled up. He rode the bench most of the time but they wanted to train him for future years to come.
Coach Bolton was a legend at East High. He won the championship his senior year and came on to coach about four years prior to Troy's freshman year. Coach had won two championship games and wanted another one. This season, they got kicked out the second round of playoffs but were determined to do it next year.
Every guy was buzzing about Troy's performance, even if they hadn't won. His best friend Chad met up with him, exchanging a complicated hand shake. "What's up, man? How was Tahoe?"
Troy's grin grew. "Amazing! I met this gir-"
"Troy! My man! I'm counting on you to teach me that bank shot this summer! You down?" Jason Cross came up to him, slapping his hand. "I heard they're going to have five new spots opening up maybe me and Danforth will move up."
"Maybe." Troy said with a grin. The bell rang causing Troy and the guys to wander into homeroom. He took his normal seat and turned to talk to Chad. He opened his mouth to speak but a sudden force moved his desk a foot, scratching the floor below him.
A mass of curls was groaning and holding their hip. Troy stood up immediately to help. "I'm so sorry." The curls flicked back to show a familiar face. A sudden smile formed on the brunettes lips. "We have to stop meeting like this."
"You have to stop running into me." Troy replied with a wide grin. "What the hell are you doing here, Gabi?" He asked, before wrapping her in a hug.
"You know the big news I thought was a divorce?" She asked. He nodded. "It was a move. Mom got transferred here to Albuquerque. I didn't know you lived here! When you said mid-west I thought you meant like…Iowa!" She said, waving her hands enthusiastically.
"I can't believe you're here!" He said. He didn't quite know what to say but he was more than excited to spend more time with the girl that consumed his thoughts since she ran into him weeks ago. "After class, I'll show you around."
"Everybody, take your seats. Vacation is over, people!" Ms. Darbus sauntered in the classroom.
Gabriella nodded in response and walked to an empty desk. Troy turned once Darbus went on her daily rant, winking over at Gabriella. A small smile formed on her face, shaking her head at him. God, he'd missed her.
Troy closed the book and put it down quickly. He wondered what else his mom had put away for him. He picked up other odds and ends from his high school life. His cap and gown was preserved in a ziplock. There was a folder with many certificates of achievements. Lastly, tucked away was a small shoebox. This must have been the first thing his mother put in the box.
He lifted it up carefully and opened the lid. His breath caught at the familiar handwriting. He'd forgotten he had all of these memories. All the emotions that he'd learn to repress for so many years flood back making it hard for him to breathe. His chest hurt fully but he decided to pick up the first note his hand touched in the full box.
September 15
Hey Troy,
Sophomore year is going to be amazing. This summer has been the best summer I've ever had because I shared it with you. Usually, it's easy for me to write long notes like we did last year. Something has changed between us. I think you feel it too. We're closer than we have ever been before and I am so thankful that God put you into my life. I know that I can be a lot. I'm clumsy, whiny, annoying… the list goes on. When I'm with you, I'm a normal girl. I feel like Chad and Jason have come around. Taylor more than tolerates you now. I still can't believe they were so jealous. Sharpay is kind of my friend too. Albuquerque has been surreal. Thank you for holding my hand through the shitty times. My heart wants to hold onto you as long as it possibly can. I still think about your lips, when you kissed me under the fireworks on Fourth of July. My heart was pounding and I was sweating. We haven't talked about it but it's been two months and I feel it's time. I know this is going to be weird to read in a note, but I'm a weird girl. If I don't write it down, I'll never say it aloud. I'm in love with you, Troy. I want to hold your hands and kiss your face. I want you to touch my butt in public and play with my hair. If you don't feel the same about me then I give you full permission to burn this letter and forget I ever wrote any of this. If you feel the same, the next time you see me… don't say anything. Just kiss me. Please.
Love Always,
Gabi
Troy looked up with a pounding heart. Had he really read that in the middle of Geometry? No wonder she looked weird when she handed it to him. He normally wouldn't see her until school was over, but he had to find her, right when class was over. God, he couldn't believe it. The girl of his dreams was in love with him. Him? She deserved much, much better than just him. He ran his hands through his hair. There was no way that he was going to be able to learn math today.
Once the bell sounded, he flung his backpack on his shoulder and rushed out of the room. Troy's legs worked quickly to run across the school. His classroom was in the complete other direction but nothing could stop him. He heard her sweet laugh and spotted her down the hall. She was holding her physic's book and talking to Taylor.
He pushed through the crowd of wandering teenagers and stopped right next to the girl of his dreams. He took a second to catch his breath before she even noticed him. "What are you doing over here Troy? You're going to be late for-"
Troy grinned and cut her off. Her eyes widened at the feel of his lips. His hands cupped her face while her body turned to face him. She dropped her book and it fell to his foot. He pulled away and chuckled. "Ow."
She frowned. "Sorry."
"Never be sorry." He said softly. He moved his hands down to her waist, pulling her against him. He kissed her lips again slowly, reveling in the feeling. Her hands moved freely along his shoulders, neck, and hair. She even made the move of deepening the kiss with her tongue. He groaned softly, willing himself not to get too aroused.
Her mouth was a tool of pure seduction and bliss. When she finally pulled away, he didn't even remember his own name. She brushed her thumb against his swollen lip. "I will see you after school. Don't be late for class." She leaned up, kissing his mouth softly.
He watched her turn and walk away. He shook out of it when he remembered the note in his pocket. "Wait!" He called out.
"What?" She stopped.
He pulled the note out of his pocket and handed it to her. "I love you too." He murmured softly, sending her a wink before he bit his lip and ran in the other direction.
Troy couldn't help but fold along the creases and place the note back in the box. He picked up a picture. It was them. He was giving her a piggy back ride down the hall. Taylor or Chad snapped the picture and gave it to them as a present. He broke the frame but the picture was perfectly maintained. He pulled out another picture. This one was more intimate. He prayed his mom didn't look through this. Gabriella was wrapped up in his bed sheet, giggling with her head turned. She had a trail of small red circles along her neck.
That Thanksgiving break was full of desperation. They tried to be alone every chance they got. Troy's mom was at work and Troy's dad was out to lunch with some friends. They made the most of the alone time because they knew it would be a while before they got some again.
He couldn't do this. His heart couldn't take it. Fifteen years and it still hurt like it happened yesterday. He put the picture back and turned away from the box. He put his head in his hands and took a couple deep breaths. He understood why this was in a box in the attic. Life is full of little moments. This box of memories was a bunch of little moments he'd repressed just to make it day to day.
They never fought, he and Gabriella. They often disagreed but they could resolve any problem quickly by giving in or compromise. They liked the same movies and listened to the same music. They talked endlessly about their goals and dreams and fears and the weird thoughts their imagination would create. Since she was unbelievably smart, he was going to follow her to any school she decided on. He knew that he was going to marry her one day.
Their sophomore year was everything they thought it was going to be until May rolled around.
Hearing that Gabi was in an accident was nothing new to Troy. His girl was accident prone, often resulting in injuring him. He took with happily as long as she was okay. This accident was different. It was four in the morning when his mom woke him up with a violent shake. She told him that Gabriella was in an accident.
The Montez family was heading back from their vacation to Austin, Texas. They were two exits down the freeway from their house. They were hit by a big rig that had lost control. They rolled off the freeway into two lanes of traffic going in the opposite direction. At least that's what his parents were told by Gabriella's aunt and uncle who beat them to the hospital.
Troy was sitting in the chair sitting far enough away from them to hear but not be bothered. He just wanted to see his girl and hold her hand. He begged God, silently, to let her be okay. A thick lump formed in his throat and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't swallow it. Mr. Montez was in surgery and Mrs. Montez was stable. The doctors couldn't get Gabriella stable. She fluctuated and flat lined twice.
He took two calming breaths and the lump in his throat went away. He tried to get up and get water but a sudden pain took over him. He couldn't move. He couldn't even breathe. He gripped the hospital chair with white knuckles and tried to gasp for breath.
"Troy?" His mother asked. She'd been pacing the long hallway for an hour now. "Troy?" She asked, more concerned. She rushed over to him, looking in his eyes. "Come on Troy, breathe."
A rush of people came over as his vision started getting fuzzy. The noise was loud then the room went black and silent. A dark mass of curls took over his vision. No face but he felt a kiss to his lips and his eyes flew open. He had a mask on his face forcing oxygen in him. He looked wide eyed at his on lookers. His mother looked relieved, his father concerned.
The doors swung open to his left and a man in a lab coat came out. He rung out his hands as he stepped forward. "Mr. and Mrs. Montez?" The doctor asked.
"Rodrigo Montez." Gabi's uncle stood up. "Carlo is my brother, Maria is my sister in law and Gabi is my niece."
The doctor nodded. "I'm Doctor Mitchell De Santa, I've been with Gabriella since she was brought in. As you know, she has flat lined twice but we were able to bring her back. An hour ago, she flat lined again but this time we couldn't revive her. I'm sorry, there was nothing else we could do."
Gabi's aunt collapsed into tears while her uncle nodded silently. He heard his own mother gasp and cry out before he felt his father's hand on his shoulder. Troy's eyes welled up with tears and the pain he felt became unbearable. He ripped the mask off of his face and did the only thing he could think of. He ran.
She's been gone for fifteen years. He still remembered the sound of her voice and the way her hair smelled. He missed her so much he couldn't even handle it sometimes. He talked to her often, mostly when he was alone in his car. His wife knew about Gabi. He didn't want to keep any secrets from her. She was understanding. She, too, had one that got away.
Despite it all, they were happy in their marriage. They had two beautiful kids. Charlie was four. He's a little fireball with a ton of energy. Their newest baby girl, Noelle, was only four months old. She was sweet and beautiful. He loved his kids and his family. He was so blessed.
After Gabi's death, he continued on. He grieved in his own way and still grieved to this very day. His friends acted weird for a long time. Halfway through junior year, it seemed like all traces of Gabriella Montez had disappeared from East High School. His heart ached with constant reminders and memories that flashed every time he turned a corner.
He looked to his letterman jacket again, his eyes finding the state championship badge.
Five seconds. They were still up. Chad blocked a shot but it was rebound by the opposing team. Three seconds. The ball bounced off the back board and into the hands of the man he was blocking. Troy stretched as far as he could. He knocked the ball right out of their hands just as the buzzer went off.
He felt Chad jumping on him in celebration as the stands rushed the court. Confetti flew and a mass of people suddenly surrounded him. He was so proud. He dropped to his knees letting the rush of emotions take over his body in sobs and hot tears down his face. His sobs quickly became uncontrollable.
He was so proud, it was his senior year and he won. All he could think about was Gabi and the fact that she wasn't here to see it. She'd been gone for almost two years and he still found it hard to breathe without her. The pain cut through him like a sharp knife. Being without her hurt so goddamn much.
"Troy."His dad held the trophy with a sad, confused smile. He held it out to Troy to take.
"I don't want it." Troy said, wiping his face. He got up off the ground and pushed his way out of the gym. Troy went through the locker room, stopping just quick enough to grab his car keys before proceeding to the parking lot. He found his truck and got in.
The tears found him again. His fist balled up and punched his steering wheel. He started up the truck and drove to his house. He couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't live like this. He was tired to being without her. He was tired of missing her. He was tired of living in regret and wondering what might have been. He still loved her so much. His heart ached for one last moment with her. He wanted to tell her he loved her and he wished he could have been there to at least say goodbye.
He parked his car and stomped up to his room. He felt like he was a bottle of soda that has been shaken for two years straight. He was ready to explode. He got to his room and slammed the door. He looked around the space. He hated himself for being able to live without her. He hated that everybody forgot the one person who was most important to him. He hated that people called her the dead girl and that they give him funny looks every time May rolls around.
His fist went through the wall first. Pictures flew around the room. He let out a scream of frustration as he threw a basketball trophy across the room. He threw the lamp to the ground before lifting his mattress off the box spring. His foot went through his door before he ripped a poster off the wall. Troy pulled his sock drawer out of the dresser. He threw the drawer to the ground before he found the strength to knock the whole dresser to its front.
Another scream rang through the room, but it wasn't his this time. His mother stood horrified as she looked around his room in the open doorway. Troy collapsed into tears on his carpet. His mother rushed over to him, wrapping him in her arms like she did when he was a boy. She held onto him so tightly he couldn't move out of her grasp. He'd finally lost it after years of going through the motions.
"I'm here baby, I'm here. I miss her too." Lucille shushed her son. She held him as tight as she could and let him cry it out.
Troy shut his eyes tightly, trying to push away the memory. He looked down and searched through his box and found another note. He read the note so many times it was more worn than the first note she ever wrote to him. He hesitantly opened the note, scanning over its contents before settling at the top.
May 3
Baby,
Ms. Melloy's class is killing me. I have to write a paper while I'm in Texas for the week. It sucks that I'm going to be so far but I've never been to Texas. I wish I could see your handsome face while I'm gone. You should talk your mom into letting you come. She loves me, she'll agree. I think when I get back, we should start planning for your birthday. You better tell me what you want or else. You do not want to find out what 'or else' means. It won't be pretty. I'm just kidding. I think my mom is going through her midlife crisis. She wants to road trip to all 48 states this summer. I think she's crazy. I just want to be wherever you are. I don't know if I could go two or three whole months without seeing you or kissing you. Pure torture. I'll miss you too much. I love you, Troy Bolton. I don't think I've told you that today. I'll probably tell you again when I see you next. I'm really excited for this weekend. We're going to have the best weekend ever before I leave. We have a whole week to kisses to fulfill and I need at least one night to think about when I'm on the phone with you every night. Insert famous Bolton wink face here. Just thinking about it now sent chills up my spine. Okay, class is over. See your handsome face soon. I love you.
Love always,
Gabi
A single tear dripped onto the page. Troy brushed it off with his thumb before folding the paper up. He put the paper in the box and closed it up. This was all too much. The emotions were still real and raw. He set everything back in the box neatly, the jacket folded on the top. He closed the box and pushed it to the ladder.
He climbed down, bringing the box of books down first. He climbed back up to grab the box of his stuff. He set them both down. "Daddy!" His four year old ran over to him, clutching his legs.
"Hey, buddy. Did you have a good nap?" Troy asked his son.
"Yup!" Charlie nodded. "Gramma said pizza is here."
"Alright." He kissed his son's head. "You hungry?"
"Mhm" He hummed, rubbing the back of his fathers head.
"There you are." His mother said. "We've been calling you."
Troy gave her a slight smile. "Sorry, got a little distracted."
"Are you okay?" His wife asked, concerned.
Troy nodded, leaning down to kiss his wife and nursing baby girl. "I'm just going to wash up."
"You're kind of dusty." His wife said with a scrunched nose.
Troy chuckled and set his son down. He washed his hands before helping Charlie wash his. They both took a seat at the table. Troy grabbed a couple slices and one for the boy. "What else did you find up there?" His mother asked as they started eating.
"Some stuff from high school." He replied hesitantly.
His mother gave him a sad smile and his wife looked at him. "Will you show me later?" She asked with a soft smile.
Troy nodded. "Yeah, when we get these guys into bed."
"I can't believe it's been fifteen years." His mother said, looking at both of them. "I still can't believe she's gone."
"She's in a better place." Troy said softly. "She's with her fellow angels."
His wife smiled at him. "I wish I could have met her. I know we wouldn't have these guys if she were still here but she sounds amazing."
"She was." Troy said softly. "She would have thought you were the funniest person in the world. She probably would have injured you after 30 seconds of meeting." Troy said with a soft laugh.
"That girl was accident prone. She should have came with padding or bumpers or something." His mother shared. "She was very intelligent."
"Troy told me she had a 4.8 grade point average. I didn't even know that was possible."
"She knew everything about math. She took honors physics sophomore year." Troy shared. "I bet she would have cured cancer or something if she was still here."
"Daddy."
"Yeah, buddy?" Troy looked at his son.
"Who are you talking about?" Charlie asked.
Troy brushed his son's hair back. "Daddy's old friend. Finish your pizza."
"Okay."
Troy took another bite as he watched his mom turn to his wife. "Does it bother you, talking about Gabriella?" His mom asked.
His wife shook her head. "Not really. She's a really important part of Troy's life. He loved her so much and I want him to be able to share her with me."
"If it ever gets too much, you can tell me." Troy said, studying his wife's face. Ten years together, he could read her like a book.
Luckily, she was very honest. If it honestly did bother her, she'd let Troy know. "I know, hon. You still talk about her in your sleep. I know you miss her. It's like me missing my mom."
Troy gave her a soft smile. Her mom passed away when she was sixteen as well. She had breast cancer. Growing up with a single father wasn't the easiest. She'd been working two jobs when they'd met in college. In fact, they'd worked at Starbucks together for a year before Troy quit and enrolled in the police academy.
"It's crazy how fifteen years can speed by and drag on at the same time." Troy murmured. Both women nodded in agreement.
Later that night, Troy tucked his son into bed and read him a story. His wife was feeding the baby before putting her down to bed. Troy checked up on them after Charlie fell asleep. He picked up his box from his moms house and put it in the living room. He got up and poured them both a glass of wine. He sipped his as he stared at the box, waiting for his wife.
"She's finally down." She said as she walked into the room. She changed into something more comfortable. Her hair piled at the top of her head. "You okay?"
Troy looked at his wife and nodded. "Yeah. Here, I poured you some wine."
"Thank you kindly." She said, taking the glass from him, settling down next to him. She took a sip and hummed in pleasure. "I missed alcohol."
Troy chuckled, kissing her temple. "Are you ready to take a walk down memory lane?"
"Yes, sir."
Troy sat up, opening the box that sat at the table. "First things first, The letterman jacket."
"Troy! Why is that in a box? That needs to be hung up!" His wife stressed putting her glass down. "This is so special." She took it from him, looking over the stitched patches and numbers. "Bolton fourteen. How cute. Did you try it on?"
Troy laughed. "No, I didn't."
"Well if you're not going to wear it, I am." She said, sliding her arms in the sleeves. "How does it look?"
"Beautiful." Troy chuckled. "You're the only woman who has worn the jacket."
"Lucky me." She teased, sitting up. "What's next?"
"Some old tickets to shows and snowboarding passes." He said, pulling them out of the box and set them on the table.
"Heavenly… this is where you met Gabriella, right?"
Troy nodded. "Yep, she skied right into me." He looked at the box. "I have four yearbooks in here."
"Oh my god. This is where they were. Remember when I asked you about them a couple years back?" She said, picking up his freshman one. She opened it, looking at all the pictures. "Oh my god. Troy. Is that you behind the hair?"
Troy laughed. "Yeah, my mom made me cut it after we got those pictures back. She said I looked like a sheep dog."
His wife giggled from next to him. "Oh man, look at Chad. He looks like a baby."
"Yeah, he hates that picture."
"Let me see sophomore year." She reached over for the next book. She opened it quietly and flipped through a couple pages. "Troy, you look so handsome." She said with a grin, she turned the page and smiled. "Wow."
"What?" Troy asked, looking over to see what she was looking at.
"She's beautiful." His wife smiled slightly. "I remember I used to mark up all my year books like that." She said, noticing the box. "You must have got this right before it happened."
"Yeah… Gabi was on the year book committee. They got theirs before the rest of the school. She gave it to me after writing all over the back of it." Troy said, flipping to the back page. "You can read it if you'd like."
Dearest Troy,
I didn't plan on giving you my yearbook but I thought it would be pretty special. I wanted to write as much as I wanted without concern for others. I know you're fairly popular and all your fan girls are waiting to write their phone numbers in the book. Luckily, you already have mine and also my heart. This year has been everything Troy. I can't believe I got to stay in one place and have a boyfriend and just live my life without the fear of when I'm leaving next. Did I tell you that my mom is not being transferred until I graduate? How amazing is that? I get two whole more years to spend with you in East High. I can't wait to graduate with you and move out to California for college. After we both graduate college we can move down to San Diego and live in a beach house like you've always wanted. We can raise our babies in the sand and sea. I can't wait to sleep next to you every night. It will be like having a sleep over with my best friend. I hate to say it, but you know there is always a possibility of breaking up. If we ever break up, I want you to read and remember this. I'll always be here for you. You're my best friend and I want you to be happy. Find a girl that makes you laugh and make sure she's you're best friend as well. You deserve nothing but the best Troy Bolton. I can't wait to spend another amazing summer with you. I love you, Troy. Love Always. Gabriella Montez
His wife looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "It even hurts me to read this." She said softly.
Troy gave her a small smile. "She signed her full name. She never signed her full name in the letters we sent. It got me through high school. I put it in my head that it was her makeshift way of telling me goodbye. Now I realize that it's silly."
She frowned. "It's not silly."
"It is. I spent so many years waiting for her to just walk in the door like it was a big joke. We got married and I never regret marrying you. Sometimes I still feel that way, ya know?"
"What would you do if she walked in the door right now?" She asked out of plain curiosity.
"I don't know…" He trailed off. "I would give her a hug and tell her I missed her. We would learn about each other again and I'm sure we'd become great friends… the three of us." He studied his wife. "We wouldn't divorce, if that's what you're thinking. I made a promise to you and a commitment to you. We have our babies and I love you." He said simply.
"I love you too." She shared a soft smile. "I know it's hard with the unanswered questions, but I'm happy I ended up with you. Like she said, you're my best friend. You know entirely too much and if we ever divorce, I just might have to kill you."
Troy laughed. "We won't, so don't worry about that."
"Let me see junior year." She said, closing his sophomore year book and handing it back to him.
"Beware of the hair." He said with a wince.
Her eyes lit up. "The hair grew back?!" She opened it and found him before she burst out in giggles. "Why, Troy,Why?" She observed his outgrown hair.
"It was the thing to do!" He defended. "The chicks dug it."
"Yeah, right." She said sarcastically.
"You're right. It was like my girl repellent." Troy said with a laugh. He scooted over to look for himself. "Senior year has my favorite picture though. My mom made me look nice. She'd kill me if I hadn't."
She watched him open his year book to the picture she'd seen dozens of times around his parents house. "So handsome." She commented. "Charlie is never growing out his hair."
"He can wear his hear however he pleases." Troy spoke of their son. "I'm sure he's going to be a handful in high school."
"He'll be a handful the rest of his life." His wife agreed. "Luckily, Elle will be a perfect little angel."
"God I hope so." Troy murmured. "She's too beautiful. She's not dating until she's 21."
"Don't be unreasonable." She teased.
Troy looked at his wife seriously. "If any man lays a hand on my girl, I will break their fingers."
"Can't wait to tell Elle that when she's sixteen."
Troy groaned. "Why do kids have to grow up?"
His wife kissed his head. "She'll be fine. She has a daddy like you to protect her." Troy sighed, sitting back to sip his wine. "What else is in here?"
He sat up again, setting the glass down. "My cap and gown… A box of notes and pictures."
"From Gabriella?" She confirmed.
"Yeah." Troy picked up the box. "We don't have to look through it if you don't want to."
"Whatever you're comfortable sharing with me." She said supportively. "I'm being completely nosey Troy. You don't have to show me anything if you don't want to."
Troy shrugged. "There's not that much to see. The notes are all about school and stuff. I'll show you the pictures."
"Okay." She said softly, watching him rummage through the box.
Troy pushed around the folded notes to pick up the pictures. There wasn't a ton of them. He picked up the stack and handed them over to his wife. He watched a small smile form on his wife's face as she looked through the pictures. "I hope you know, you're amazing." Troy murmured.
"I know." She said with a small smile. "You're so handsome."
Troy watched as she flipped through them again. "What do you think?"
She reached over and brushed his hair back before handing the pictures back. "I think that you both were very lucky to have something so special at such a young age. I know she is so happy for you and I am very thankful that I get to spend the rest of my life with you."
"I'm thankful and lucky that I found you. I know that you love me the way she would want me to be loved."
"How about we don't throw this box of memories up in the attic?"
He tilted his head, looking at his wife. "Where are we going to keep them?"
"We can put up some pictures. Put your yearbooks in the office. You can keep your notes and pictures somewhere you can find them and go back to them whenever your heart tells you to. I wish they weren't hidden away for so long." She sighed, sitting up and moving into his lap.
"Her memory got the best of me for a long time. I wasn't okay so I see why my mom put it all up there." He kissed his wife on the cheek. "But I didn't want that. I wanted to live a great life for the both of us. She deserved that from me. Her memory won't be reduced to one box anymore. She'll live on in my heart."
"And my heart too."
