Chapter 3

The next day was a Saturday and it was scorching, hot outside, so the gang all wanted to go to the beach, minus Troy and Gabriella of course. The gang didn't want Troy and Gabriella avoiding each other for the rest of the their lives. So, the guys and the girls decided to go to Troy and Gabriella's houses and force them to come to the beach, if necessary. The guys were on the way to Troy's house with all the beach stuff. When they got there, they walked up to the door and started knocking until Troy opened the door.

When Troy opened the door, he was about to say something, but Chad cut him off saying, "No protesting, go get a shower and then put on your swim trunks. We're going to the beach, whether you want to or not. We'll drag you there if we have to."

Troy figuring he had no choice but to listen to him, just shrugged and went up to his bathroom and got in the shower. Chad, Zeke, Jason, and Ryan all sat down in the living room and waited for Troy to get out.

Fifteen minutes later, Troy came down the stairs with a shirt and blue swim trunks on and then muttered, "let's go, since I'm being forced to go to the beach."

So, then the guys left and got in their car and headed to the beach.

Meanwhile with Gabriella and the girls

Sharpay, Taylor, Martha, and Kelsi were trying to convince Gabriella to go to the beach, but she wasn't having any of it. She kept saying that she wasn't going. So, the girls had enough and told Gabriella to go get in the shower and put on her bathing suit. They weren't going to take no for an answer.

Gabriella moved to object, but the looks that her friends were giving her, stopped her right there. So, she just went to get in the shower while the girls waited for her to get out.

Nearly half an hour later, Gabriella walked down the stairs and said "okay, I'm out. Let's go to the beach."

When the girls got to the beach, they found the guys and parked next to them, but when Gabriella saw Troy in the car, she froze and almost started crying again. But she held it in and said to herself that she can do this.

They all started walking down to find a place to set their stuff down in the sand. It was a very silent, awkward walk. Gabriella and Troy kept glancing at each other, but quickly avoided looking at each other when they saw that the other looked at them.

They all decided to go get in the water, but Troy and Gabriella didn't want to. Everyone was thinking OF COURSE. So, the guys (minus Troy) and the girls (minus Gabriella) all went into the water.

Gabriella decided to sit in the chair and just read for a while. While she was reading, a shadow showed up next to her blocking the sun. She looked up and lo and behold, it was her ex-boyfriend Troy Bolton.

Troy then said, "Mind if I sit here?"

"not at all," Gabriella mumbled sadly wanting nothing more than to be curled up in Troy's arms right now.

Troy sat down next to her and just looked out at their friends all laughing, having a good time in the water. He wished that he and Gabriella were having fun too, but that was not the case. At that thought, he just sighed.

When she heard Troy sigh, Gabriella looked up and said, "what's wrong?"

Troy looked at her and said, "I hate this. Us avoiding each other. I miss you. Can we at least try to get back to what we were before we started dating all those years ago?"

Gabriella looked shocked at this, but rallied herself and said, "I miss you too Troy. I would like that. I want us to get back to what we were."

And for the first time in three months, Gabriella and Troy both smiled. They were both happy to be trying to be friends again.

About thirty minutes, Troy and Gabriella were sitting down next to each other, just laughing at anything the other said, just like a bunch of complete retards.

The gang were still in the water, but then they heard laughing and turned around. What they saw made their jaws drop. Troy and Gabriella were laughing and talking. But, then the gang smiled. For the first time in months, things were looking up for Troy and Gabriella. But the gang hoped that they end up getting back together because they know that Troy and Gabriella will only have true happiness if they are together.

They got out of the water and walked over to the two laughing twenty-four year olds and said, "well, well, well, what do we have here? Troy and Gabriella laughing?"

Troy then said, "yes we are going to try and get things back to us being best friends." Under his breath, Troy added "and hopefully, we'll be getting back together eventually."

Gabriella heard this but decided not to say anything because she didn't want to ruin their renewed friendship. She wanted to smile and cry at the same time when she heard him say that. Because she was happy that Troy still wanted to be with her, but she knew it was her fault that they weren't together and that thought made her want to cry.

They decided to leave a little later and Troy and Gabriella both went to bed when they got home since it was a little after 11 when they got to their houses.

They both went to sleep with the same thought

"Maybe, just maybe things are looking up between us."