Author's Note: Hey peeps! Thanks for all your magnificent reviews, especially since I lost all my dignity in the last chapter practically begging for them but there you go. Keep them coming! Heres the next chapter!
Chapter 21: Balloons, Banners and Half-Price Birthday Cake
The next morning, the gang had decided to go visit Chad in hospital. Who was in a rather crabby mood to be precise.
Troy: Its not that bad, man
Chad: Yeah but would you like to have to be escorted every time you went to the bathroom? I think not.
Taylor: Well Dr Lawson says that you may be able to go home in about two days
Chad: Yeah I know but... right now I wanna be able to walk, run, have a laugh and just be free. I wanted to try my hand at surfing. Even when I get out I wont be able to do that because of this stupid arm.
He prods his left arm's cast with his finger.
Chad: It's just not gonna be the same. I don't wanna have to spend half my holiday in this bed wishing that I could be with you lot.
Jason: Well it could of been a lot worse. You could have still been in that coma?
Taylor: And don't think we don't miss you? Last night when we were at the talent show, I missed it when you usually put your arm around me.
Chad: There was a talent show last night?
Taylor: Yeah. Actually, Troy and Gabriella won!
Chad: Oh great, I missed that too. I mean congratulations and all, but I'm just so irritated with myself for walking out on the road and not looking.
Kelsi: Well, I'm gonna go get a drink at the vending machine, see guys in a minute.
Kelsi left Chad's room to go to the machine down the hall, as she paid for a diet coke she was surprised to see Jason appear behind her.
Jason: Hey
Kelsi: hey
Jason: So how's Ryan?
Kelsi: How would I know?
Jason: Well you know, since um...you and Ryan are eh... kinda...of...a...um couple.
Kelsi: What? Where did you hear that?
Jason: 'Cause you know its fine and eh...I don't mind
Kelsi: Jason, I'm not out with Ryan
Jason: You're not?
Kelsi: No, to be quite frank, for me, he's a little too...
Jason: flamboyant?
Kelsi: Yes
Jason: Wow
Kelsi: yeah
Jason: So that means that you're single, right?
Kelsi: (smiling) yeah
Jason: (smiling) so you wouldn't mind if I uh... you know
Kelsi: (smiling in a teasing way) You what?
Jason: If I, eh... ask you out?
Kelsi: No. I don't mind.
Jason: Great. Great. (starts to look at his feet)
Kelsi: Jason?
Jason: Yeah?
Kelsi: You haven't actually asked me out yet
The group left the hospital in their cab, Kelsi and Jason with big smiles on their faces, and then Gabriella had an idea.
Gabriella: Wait a minute, you know how Chad was a little irritated
Troy: Was he? I hadn't noticed
Gabriella: Shut up. I just thought we could use the $200 we won from the talent show and throw a party for Chad in his room. He said he was gonna try and get a nap for a couple of hours and when he wakes up we could have the whole place decorated for him and just have the fun that he's missing out. It'll cheer him up.
Taylor: That's a great idea, he'll love it.
Gabriella: Well we only have about two hours so we'll have to go buy decorations and food and stuff right away.
Troy: (teasing) Wait a minute, what about those fantastic sneakers I saw at the mall?
Gabriella gave him a quick kiss
Troy: Driver, I'm afraid we're taking a detour back to the hotel.
Everyone had set up court in the girls' room back at the hotel where everything was getting organised. Taylor had taken control of the situation.
Taylor: Streamers?
Gabriella: Check
Taylor: Balloons?
Troy: Red and White, Chad's favourite, oh um, check
Taylor: Sodas?
Kelsi: Check
Taylor: "Get well soon" cake?
Gabriella: Jason and Zeke went out to buy some. In fact they should be back soon.
Taylor: Fine, banners?
At that moment, Zeke and Jason walked in.
Taylor: Great, did you get the "Get better soon" cake?
Jason: Nope, because they didn't have any. Just birthday cake. So its "Happy 70th Birthday". The good news is, it was half price!
Taylor: Happy 70th? You might as well of had a cake that said "Have a Happy retirement until you die!"
Zeke: Taylor, chill. That wasn't the good news. The good news is that I can easily change the icing, Since I cant bake the whole cake at least let me change the decor. Don't worry we bought extra icing stuff
Jason: And we could afford to since the cake was half price!
Taylor elbowed him in the side.
Chad knew he was awake, he just didn't want to open his eyes. Open his eyes to the dull colours of his ward. But he kept hearing noises. Very quiet, shuffly noises. But he just thought it was people walking outside. Until he heard a hushed "Oww, Zeke! That was my foot!". Chad opened his eyes to see bursts of red and white. There was streamers and balloons hanging from the ceiling. Pictures or his face on the window. There was a table full of food and several people he recognised trying to hang a banner that said "Get better soon Chad!"
Chad: You guys!
Everyone: Oh, uh SURPRISE!
Chad: What are you guys doing?
Troy: Well we felt bad that you were missing out on all the fun so we brought the fun to you.
Gabriella: And we even have cake.
Jason and Zeke brought a large cake over to Chad so he could read. It was covered in red icing, with orange and black basketballs around the sides and written in white icing. "Hope You Get Better Soon Chad! Getcha Head In The Game!"
Chad: You guys, this is great. Thanks Zeke.
This was the first time he'd spoke to Zeke since the argument before the accident.
Zeke; Oh its okay, I didn't exactly bake it...
Chad: Yeah but you just don't buy that sort of cake in the shops do you?
Zeke: Well no.
Dr Lawson: What did I tell you kids, you need to keep the noise down or I will have
to stop this party. Its a wonder I let you do it as it is.
Troy: Oh come on doc, Are you sure we can't tempt you with some cake?
Dr Lawson: Ooooh… well all right then.
Everyone laughed and started to enjoy themselves, also making Chad the happiest he'd been in days.
To be continued...
A/N: There wasn't much drama in this chapter but I suppose you can't have drama all the time and this one was quite light-hearted and cute. R&R!