- 4 -

Although college was still on break, high school was back in session, so Troy decided to drop in for a visit. His father was delighted, and at his request Troy suited up and ran a practice workout with the current Wildcats. The team was doing well, and Troy was agreeably surprised to find that "Rocketman" had settled down a bit and become a good player. He was also amused to see Tiara Gold waiting for Jimmy to finish. Apparently a lot of things had changed with the new school year.

After practice, Troy found himself heading for the auditorium. He snuck in the back (remembering with a grin how he'd hidden behind a cleaning cart the first time) and settled in to listen to Ms. Darbus expound on the importance of clear diction. When she dismissed the group, he ambled down the aisle.

"Hi, Ms. D." he said.

She turned and smiled. "Well, Troy Bolton. What a pleasure to see you here again. I wondered if you would be stopping by." She sat in her usual seat and gestured for him to join her. Troy settled in the row in front of her, sitting sideways to face her.

"And how is college?" she asked, a safe enough conversation starter.

"Fine," he gave his usual reply. "Our basketball team is doing really well, my grades are good…" He trailed off under her perceptive gaze.

"Have you participated in any theatrics yet?"

His eyes slid away from hers. "No," he said. "It didn't feel right to try without Gabriella there. But you know what, I kind of miss it. I thought it was just being with her, but I think I miss being on stage itself too." He laughed a little self-consciously and looked back at her. "Sounds silly coming from a jock, huh?"

"Mr. Bolton, you are anything but a simple jock," she said sternly. "You have a lot of talent in more than one area and it's a shame if you choose to waste it."

"Are you angry that I didn't try harder for the Julliard scholarship?" he asked.

She looked surprised. "Of course not! You gave a fine performance at the musicale, and, frankly, even if you had been at your absolute best it would have been hard to outshine the work Kelsey and Ryan did."

Now it was his turn to be surprised. "Then why…?"

"I submitted your name because you have a talent for the stage as well as the basketball field [Troy didn't bother to correct her] and I wanted you to be aware of all your options. Tell me, before that, had you even considered anything but basketball?"

"Not really," he admitted. "I'd thought of other schools than U of A, but not of other careers. I've always been 'the basketball kid'. That's how everyone has always thought of me." He paused, remembering a similar conversation with Gabriella.

Ms. Darbus regarded him for a moment. "May I tell you a little story?" He nodded. "When I was your age I was certain I was destined for great things." She gestured dramatically. "I knew that I was going to be a star on Broadway. I focused all my energies on that through high school to the exclusion of everything else, and instead of going to college I headed for New York to make my fortune."

"What happened?" he couldn't help asking. She raised an expressive eyebrow and he flushed. "I mean, you didn't… you're not…"

She took pity on his floundering. "No, I didn't set Broadway on fire or win any Tonys. There were hundreds of other people in New York with the same dream. I had talent, but I eventually realized I didn't have enough to really stand out in the crowd and I wasn't happy being a bit player. Unfortunately, I didn't have anything to fall back on. I worked a number of jobs in all aspects of the theater, which turned out to be excellent preparation for what I do now. But in the meantime, I had shut the doors to any other options. When I went to college to get my teaching degree I realized that I had missed a lot along the way."

"Do you regret it?" he asked curiously.

"Do I mind not having become a Broadway star? Of course. I would be lying if I pretended otherwise. On the other hand, I'm still active in local theater and my life as a teacher has been very fulfilling. I have had the joy of passing on my love of the theater to a whole new generation and sometimes there are special students like Sharpay, Ryan, Kelsey - and you and Miss Montez - who make it really exciting." She grinned mischievously. "Not to mention the challenge of getting someone like Mr. Danforth to put down his basketball and dance!"

They laughed for a moment and then she continued.

"What I had hoped to do, Troy, was to open your mind to making the most of all your talents, not just some of them. Basketball is just part of your life. Don't make the mistake I did and shut out everything else along the way."

Troy nodded. "I'll think about it," he promised.

"Good," she said briskly, rising from her seat, and he followed suit. "Now I believe it's about time for the faculty meeting."

She turned to go, but Troy put a hand on her arm. "Ms. Darbus." She stopped and looked at him. "Thanks."

She patted his hand. "You're quite welcome."