Reviews are always welcomed ;)
The world I love
The tears I drop
To be part of
The wave can't stop
Ever wonder if it's all for you
The world I love
The trains I hop
To be part of
The wave can't stop
Come and tell me when it's time to
'Can't Stop' Red Hot Chili Peppers
----
Gabriella bit her lower lip as she remembered she was still in possession of Troy's items. She quickly shoved the various books into his arms, "Here you go. Sorry I bumped into you," she mumbled quickly before turning on her heels and walking out the door. She felt her cheeks burn as last night's flashbacks came to her full force.
"Wait," Troy called out after her and easily caught up to the fleeing girl. "Hold on for a second."
Gabriella inwardly groaned as she faced the boy, "Yes?"
"I, uh, kind of wanted to," his voice trailed off as he tried to come up with an excuse to spend more time with the brunette. "Wanted to ask if you wanted to grab some coffee with me," he stumbled off. He grinned at the girl.
Gabriella giggled at his uneven request. She wasn't one for relationships but the bright grin found on the boy's face persuaded her otherwise. Plus, he was rather cute.
"Sure," Gabriella nodded in agreement, a little hesitantly.
"Awesome," Troy nodded as he pointed off to a small vendor across campus. "For my little time spent here, I know for a fact that they sell the best college coffee," he told the girl while shifting his books from arm to arm.
"Coffee, a college student's lively hood," Gabriella smiled at him as they departed towards the destination.
An easy-going conversation started between the two as Gabriella noticed how easily she was able to open up to the complete stranger. It took a lot to get past the brunette's barriers but Troy Bolton managed to sneak by them all.
---
"Here you go," Troy passed her a steaming dark-brown cardboard cup.
Gabriella took a tentative sip of the liquid. "Wow, this is good," she told him surprised.
Troy grinned as he took a large gulp from his own. "Told you so," he said to the girl as they strolled along the green campus. "So, which dorm do you live in," he asked her as he eyed the various stone building.
Gabriella took another sip of the warm liquid and shook her head, "I don't live on campus. I actually share a little loft along the beach with some of my girlfriends from high school," she told him as he nodded in indication he was listening to her. "What about you?"
"Dorm bound," he confirmed with a nod of the head. "It's alright though, I room with one of my good friends from high school."
"That's good," Gabriella stated. "No horrid roommates I've heard so much about."
Troy chuckled, "Nope, just a goofy one."
Gabriella giggled softly as she met with his eyes and held the gaze for a few seconds. She broke contact quickly and found great interest in her coffee cup. "So," she drawled out.
"How many people do you live with," Troy asked while looking down at the significantly shorter companion.
"Four," Gabriella stated with a quick nod. "Known one all my life, the other for a pretty long time, and the last since junior high. We all pretty close, almost sisters," she smiled.
"Sounds nice," Troy said to her. "Kind of the same situation with my friends expects we don't live together." He shuddered slightly at the idea, "That would be a disaster."
Gabriella giggled, "Well, my roommates are currently living together quiet smoothly."
"Good thing."
Gabriella smiled as they continued to roam around campus. She found it strange to share such an opened conversation with her college hook-up. Wasn't she supposing to never see him again? Weren't things supposed to be awkward between the two?
Her thoughts were interrupted quickly with someone grabbing her from behind.
"Sharpay," Gabriella gasped as she placed her hand over her erratic heartbeat. "Don't do that!"
"I've been looking for you everywhere," Sharpay placed her hand on her hip. "Where have you," her voice trailed off as she spotted a brunette boy shuffling his feet. A cute brunette boy. "Hello," she said slowly while looking between the two with curious and questioning eyes.
"Sharpay, Troy. Troy, Sharpay," Gabriella gestured between the two.
"Sharpay Evans," Sharpay introduced herself while placing a hand out delicately.
"Troy Bolton," he said slowly as he awkwardly cradled her hand.
Gabriella rolled her eyes at her friend's flirtious manner. She ignored the sudden jolt of jealously and pried Sharpay's hand away from the boy's. "Nice meeting you, Troy, but we have to go," she excused them both quickly while dragging Sharpay away by the arm.
"What," Sharpay whispered to her friend while looking back at the boy. "Gabby, he's so into you," she giggled happily.
"Hush you," Gabriella scolded her friend while a tint of pink crept on her face. She snuck a quick look at Troy and felt a little uneasiness in her stomach.
"Hey," Troy called after the two girls without thinking. He cleared his throat nervously as he watched both of them turned towards him in interest. "I, uh, I was wondering if maybe you guys would like to hang out tonight," he stumbled out the words.
Gabriella cringed at the request. Troy was sweet and very attractive but she really didn't need the dramas of dating. She learnt her lesson in high school. "Well," she stated slowly, thinking about a way to let him down gently.
"We loved to," Sharpay stated quickly with a smile. She took a pen out of her pocket while walked over to Troy. She grabbed his hand and quickly scribbled down the address of their loft. "Here is our address and why don't you come over at like seven," she asked him even though it sounded like a command. She saw his nod, "Oh and bring three friends too."
"Okay," Troy stated slowly, not use to the demanding nature of the blonde.
Sharpay clapped her hands together, "Perfect. Let's go, Gabs," she tugged on the stunned brunette's arm. She turned back to give Troy a bright smile that was anything but innocent.
"Taylor," Gabriella whined as she walked through the doors of the shared loft. She flopped down on the black colored sofa where Taylor sat. Kelsi sat over in the matching armchair.
The 'living room' area of the shared loft was tastefully decorated. A square glass table sat underneath a white rug while the furniture was in either black or white colors. Pink accents were found throughout the room in subtle undertones. The issue of color scheme was a drawn-out process between the four girls because of their different tastes. Sharpay, of course, wanted pink and black colors for the whole area while Taylor would rather a business feel of the whole place. Gabriella voted for a more laid-back feel with a garden vibe. Kelsi didn't care about what colors the armchairs were as long as there was a placed to put her piano. Taylor and Sharpay mostly butted head over the color of furniture so Kelsi, ever the peacemaker, came up with black and white furniture with light pink pillows and blankets. Gabriella added the glass table idea and decorated the area with various plants. Kelsi's electric piano was set up over by the sliding doors. The living area was a perfect representation of the four girls.
Both girls exchanged concerned looks. "Bad day," Taylor asked cautiously.
Gabriella shook her head, "No, my day went well. Great even. It was that one," she flicked her thumb towards the blonde's direction. "That one made my day go downhill," she glared at Sharpay.
"Gabriella," Sharpay exclaimed shocked. She gave her an innocent look, "I just helped you out a little."
"What did she do," Kelsi asked Gabriella, interested.
"She invited boys to our house," Gabriella told the two, knowing they would be on her side of the argument. After leaving Troy, Gabriella and Sharpay got into a heated discussion about the whole mess when Gabriella accidently let it slip that she and Troy hooked up at last night's party. She would never hear the end of that.
"She hooked up a random boy," Sharpay shot back while pointing her finger at Gabriella.
"You said you wouldn't tell," Gabriella blushing slightly at the not so innocent encounter with Troy. She tucked her head under the pillow not even able to look at Taylor and Kelsi.
"What," both girls exclaimed.
Sharpay nodded eagerly, "And he's not ugly! He's actually gorgeous," she gushed while thinking about the stranger.
"And he's coming here," Kelsi clarified.
"Wait, I thought you said boys," Taylor asked Gabriella while snatching the pillow off her friend's curly hair.
"Four boys actually," Sharpay said as if it wasn't no big deal. She sat down in the armchair, almost sitting on top of Kelsi.
"Hold on," Taylor held her palm up. "Are you saying that you invited four random men that you have met in your life before to our house for dinner," she asked skeptically.
"Basically," Sharpay shrugged while ignoring the jaw dropping look that Taylor was giving her. "Speaking of which," she got off the couch and pulled Kelsi up. "We need to get ready. One of you can cook," she said over her shoulder.
"Gee, thanks," Gabriella rolled her eyes at the blonde.
"Is she for real," Taylor asked Gabriella quietly.
Gabriella giggled, "Come on, I guess we're having a small get together."
"Yeah," Taylor stated glumly while following her friend into the kitchen.
"Hey dude," Troy announced while dropping his book bag on the floor of his dorm room.
Zeke Baylor twirled around in his white chair, "How were your classes?"
"Good," Troy said while kicking off his white sneaker. He leaned back against his bed, "Guess what we're doing tonight, man?"
"Going to Chad and Jason's," he questioned with a shrug. "Playing x-box? Game of two on two?"
"Better," Troy said while folding his arms behind his head. "Remember the girl I was with last night?"
"Um, cute brunette, kind of short with dark hair," he questioned.
Troy nodded, "She invited us, well me and three guys which is basically us, to her house for dinner or something. Technically her friend did the inviting but it's all the same."
"Nice work," Zeke nodded while cracking a grin.
Troy chucked a pillow at his friend's head, "Just get ready. I'll call Chad and Jason."
"So," Sharpay asked as she made her way to the outside patio. She began to line up the table with pink napkins and eating utensils. "We're having a barbeque," she asked in a disapproving tone.
Taylor rolled her eyes, "It was all we could do in three hours." She made her way over to Kelsi who was currently reading over the directions found on the grill.
Kelsi tilted her head to the side, "I think we turn on the gas and light this thing." She began to flip the side of a lighter until a small flame was produced.
"Okay, I think I'll do this," Taylor took the lighter from her small friend.
Gabriella made her way out of the kitchen while carrying a nicely prepared salad. "Ta-da," she exclaimed while placing the wooden bowl in the middle of the table.
"Well done," Sharpay stated while fixing her sleeveless white top paired with light pink knee-length shorts. She matched her outfit with a pair of white-wedged heels. Her dark blonde hair was straightened and pulled halfway up with a sparkly clip.
Gabriella placed a hand on her hip, "I worked very hard on this salad. Plus, we wouldn't be in this mess if it was for you and your meddling ways."
"You love this," Sharpay stated while giving her cheek a peck.
Gabriella grimaced as she began to toss the salad. Her white strapless sundress contrasted well with her naturally tanned skin. She draped a brightly colored green shawl over her shoulders and wore a pair of simple white flip-flops. Her shoulder-length hair was curled and pinned up in the back with a few dark pieces framing her face.
Kelsi started to rearrange the placement of the glassware, nervously. "Am I the only one who finds this whole situation rather," she paused for a second, thinking of the right word to described the upcoming night. "Odd," she shrugged.
Gabriella gave her a small reassuring smile, "Don't worry, I'm on the same boat as you."
Kelsi sighed as she went back to fiddling with the placement of items. She wore a fitted white tank top with a flowy grey skirt that fell to the knees. She added a white and grey-stripped summer scarf to feel less exposed and wore a pair of grey flip-flops. Her dark hair was curled and pulled back in a low ponytail.
"Did you think I need my pepper spray," Taylor whispered to Gabriella.
Gabriella giggled as she lightly elbowed her friend in the stomach. "I don't think we want to scare off the UCLA population of boys in one night."
Taylor rolled her eyes as she took the plate of raw hamburgers and hot dogs to the grill. "You can never be too careful, you know," she told her.
Taylor wore a pair of black dress shorts that stopped right above her knee. She paired them with a bright blue tank top layered under a quarter-length sleeved dress shirt. She added a few bright bangles and wore a pair of simple black flats. Her dark hair was slightly curled at the ends and left down for the night.
"Okay," Sharpay said a little breathlessly as she struggled to carry out the cooler that contain the night's beverages. She let out a loud sigh and flopped down on one of the chairs found on the patio. "The guys should be here at any moment."
"I still find this strange," Kelsi told them as Gabriella finally tugged her away from the glassware.
"Well, if this night ends in disaster then you'll be getting a new roomie, Kels," Taylor stated happily with a smile.
"Hey," Sharpay frowned.
Gabriella heard the doorbell ring and grimaced, "Now or never."
"I vote never," Kelsi squeaked out with an arm raised.
Sharpay rolled her eyes, "And I'm friends with you."
"Just go open the door and get this over with," Taylor told Gabriella while placing the raw meat on the steaming grill.
Gabriella sighed as she made her way over to the door. It was college. She guessed it was time to try new things.
---
Gabriella gathered all the enthusiasm she could muster and opened the door. She smiled brightly at the four guests found on the front steps. She could tell by their awkward positioning that they found the whole situation rather odd too.
"Hey," Gabriella said brightly to Troy as they shared an uncomfortable embrace. The basketball player's strong arms engulfed her small frame as she moved her arms over his muscular physique.
"Nice seeing you again," Troy said with an easy-going grin found on his face. He wore a blue and white striped dress shirt and a pair of faded blue jeans. Gabriella noticed the easy-going nature of the new-comer by the way his sleeves were rolled up and how a few buttons were undone so she could see his white undershirt peaking out from underneath.
"Thanks for coming," Gabriella opened the door wider so the four boys could enter. She moved herself closely against the door so no part of her body touched the entering guests. She was a little imitated by the four guys. She never really considered herself a tiny person but standing next to four boys who were at least over 5''10 tended to change someone's mind. She managed to give the four a small wave, "I'm Gabriella, by the way."
"Yeah, we know," a bushy-haired boy stated while checking out the spacious loft. He got a quick whack in the head by a darker-skinned boy who stood behind him. "Ow," he grimaced at his friend.
"That's Chad," the other unknown boy told her quietly as he leaned the doorframe.
"Hey," Chad waved at the girl as Gabriella giggled. She could tell he was probably the jokester of the group by the happy grin on his face that held a little mischief. His wild bronze hair went out in various directions and his skin had a dark undertone. He wore a cream-colored t-shirt with a little saying found on the front in green script and a pair of dark grey cargo pants that fell below his knees. Gabriella couldn't put her finger on it but there was something about him that made her think he'll become a part of her life.
"I'm Zeke Baylor," the darker-skinned boy introduced himself. He was tall, the tallest of the group, with short, black hair that was cropped short to his head. Gabriella could see his muscular frame under his white dress shirt and jeans. "I'm Troy's roommate," he added helpfully with extending his hand.
Gabriella smiled as she exchanged a quick handshake. "And you're.....," she left the sentence open as she turned towards the raven-haired boy who hung by the doorway.
"Uh, Jason Cross," he introduced himself quickly while accepting Gabriella's hand. His floppy raven-colored hair was covered by a backwards baseball cap and he was dressed in a green polo and a pair of shorts, similar to Chad's only in a dark brown color. Gabriella could tell by his happy grin and shy demeanor that he would be perfect for a certain brunette friend of hers.
"Nice meeting you all," Gabriella said, a little relieved that they all seemed to be well-behaved boys. Maybe one of Sharpay's plans will come through in the end. She pointed to the back of the room, "Is barbeque, okay?"
Troy nodded, "Sounds perfect."
Gabriella smiled, feeling a little more confident. "Okay, I'll introduce you all to everyone and we'll have ourselves a barbeque," she said happily.
A/N:
So sorry for the long wait! If it counts, I feel bad for waiting almost a month to write this chapter. I tend to have trouble starting a new story because of having to lay groundwork and all that good stuff that I find rather boring. I have tons of ideas swimming in my head about this story but I don't want to throw everyone into a story with no substance or anything. Now that I have all the characters introduced (sort of) you'll be reading much more interesting chapters in the days to come. Anyway, I promise that my updates will come much quicker now that I have the 'main' characters of the story are now characters of the story.
In relation to the whole boys living situation. They all live in dorms. I made Troy/Zeke and Chad/Jason roommates just because I like to change up the norm relationships of the boys. That doesn't mean that I will make Zeke/Troy best friends because I do see Troy and Chad as the closest friends as well as Jason and Zeke. Usually Troy and Chad would be roommates as well as Jason and Zeke but I just wanted to shake up the normal friendships even by a little bit.
I also changed the title to the story because I felt it fit more. Just a random note. It's not going to changed the whole story. I like the title better but who knows?
I don't like this chapter a whole lot. I had trouble with writing it so reviews would be much loved! As always tell me what you liked or disliked and I will try to make the chapters much better. REVIEW!