5 Years Later.

"Bolton!" Yelled the head coach for the Lakers. "Head left! Come on! If you screw up in practice how you gonna play a real game?" Troy rolled his eyes. He missed playing for the love of the game, now it was all competition. "Come on! Come on!" the coach yelled again. Troy looks over at the Laker Girls. His current girlfriend-even though he shivers at the thought-is Amber Ferrera, big boobs and big ass but small as hell brain.

After practice, Troy went over to the bleachers, grabbing a towel, and wiping his face off. His laker-cheerleader girlfriend Amber walked over, "Oh baby, you did great!" he nodded, "Thanks." he smiled, "Hey, why won't we go celebrate?" she giggled.

Troy rolled his eyes, but smiled, "umm yeah.. I guess." Amber caught a glimpse of his cell phone screen cover and saw the picture of him a brunette girl. "Who is that!" he looked down at his phone, biting his bottom lip, "It's an old friend of mine-" "you mean an old girlfriend! is that the girl that has made you act weird!"

Troy glared at her, "Watch it Amber-" "That's it Troy boy! were O-V-E-R..OVER!" Troy rolled His eyes, "and I D-O-N-T C-A-R-E.. Don't Care." and with that he pushed her away and followed chad outside to go to the bar.

TGTGTG

"Tequilla please." Gabriella nodded, going over to the bar table getting the tequilla for the lady. as she gave it to her and got the money her boss came over to her as she began wiping tables. "Your serving drinks tonight. the laker team is coming in tonight."

Gabriella bit her lip, "but sir, whose going to look over the counter?" he crossed his arms, she sighed, "Sorry Sir." "That will be out of your pay check..Now." he gave her the tray, and put the beer bottles on it, "go serve the laker team." Gabriella sighed but nodded carefully lifting the tray to the table.

Troy and Chad were standing up around the table, "So Amber goes, We're O-V-E-R Over, then Troy goes and I D-O-N-T C-A-R-E Don't Care!" the whole team starts cracking up. Gabriella gulped nervously bumping into Troy and spilled beer all over him. Gabriella started panicing, "oh my god! I am so so so sorry!" she scattered up the stuff on the tray.

Troy looked at her as she came up and locked eyes with her, "Gabriella?" she froze, "T-T-Troy?" he looked at her, "What are you-" "Gabriella!" she flinched as her boss yelled at her, "Look what the mess you made! this will be out of your pay check too! Clean it up!" he looked at Troy as Gabriella got down on the floor and cleaned the mess. "I'm so terribly sorry Mister Bolton.."

What. The. Hell? Troy watched as Gabriella was on her hands and knees cleaning...after him. "Uh..." he mumbled, looking at his team. "could you...excuse me for a minute." The rest of the team nodded, respect for their captain, and they walked away.

Except Chad of course, he cares for Gabriella just as much as Troy, but more like a sister. "Gabriella.." Troy said, squatting down and lifting her chin. "What are you-what happened to Stanford?"

Gabriella bit her lip, "Troy I can't talk right now.. I'm going to get in trouble." "But Brie-" Gabriella shook her head, "Listen, please.. I have to go." she lifted up the tray with the broken glasses on it.

He grabbed her arm, "please. just talk to me for a minute." Gabriella was just about to speak until, "Montez!" she flinched, and turned around to face her boss, "Yes sir?" he looked at her, "There is no time for flirting-" "Sir, I was just-" "no buts. don't make anymore screw ups tonight or your fired, get back to the counter."

Gabriella bit her lip, "Yes Sir." she turned back to Troy, "I'm sorry...Mister Bolton." she sighed going over to the counter and dumping the glass in the trash.

She sighed looking down at her cell phone to see that is was 9:30. she bit her lip, to see that Troy was talking with her boss and keeping his eyes on her the whole time. Gabriella sighed, lifting the table and going under it.

"Look..I didn't mean to get her in trouble..see she's an old friend of mine-" her boss laughed, "of yours? Ha! That's rich...kind of like you-" "I'm not joking, she's an old friend of mine..ex girlfriend really-" "just don't chat with her while she's working...she has enough on her plate already with the college situation."

Troy looked at him, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him back as he walked away. "What college situation?" Her boss shook his head, "the fool dropped out of college...won't tell anyone the reason.."

Troy's eyes widened, His Gabi, His girl dropped out of Stanford? why? Troy licked his lips, "Uh..er thanks." Troy said sighing as he turned to Chad. Chad sighed, and looked over at Gabriella at the bar.

Troy looked at her, she was just as beautiful as he remembered, possibly even more beautiful. she was sliding drinks to people. Troy bit his lip walking over and take a seat. he was the only one over there now.

Gabriella turned around, and froze. he sitting there playing with his phone. her eyes went to the other bartender. the other bartender looked at her, her eyes going to Troy and smirking. she mouthed to Gabriella, 'Go.' Gabriella shook her head, and mouthed 'No.' The other bartender shrugged and walked away.

Gabriella sighed walking over to Troy. "Hey, can I get you anything?" Troy looked at her, "Brie, Can I talk to you...after work of course." Gabriella bit her lip, "I.. er No.. cause I work all night Troy...Sorry." she got out a glass pouring some beer into it.

He looked at her, "your a bartender now?" she nodded sliding his glass to him, "Yeah. you dissapointed?" she asked biting her upper lip.

He let out a breath, "to be honest..." he started saying, "yeah, I am..I thought that-" "I'd be some big shot pre law student at Stanford?" why did her voice sound so...so...hopeless?

He grabbed her wrist before she could take it away and move on to the next customer. "Brie...please, I'd really like to talk to you-" "not now..please." "Tomorrow? Lunch?" Gabriella bit her lip, looking him square in the eye before letting out a breath, "Fine...lunch."

Troy nodded, "Okay. I'll meet you the cafe down the street around noon tomorrow?" Gabriella nodded, "Yeah." he nodded, "It was great seeing you again." she nodded, "You too Troy." he smiled softly, giving her 20 dollars.

She looked down at it with wide eyes, and looked back up at him, but before she could give it back to him he was already gone. she sighed throwing a hand threw her hair.

That Sneak.

TGTGTG

Troy sat at the cafe, his hand hold the coffee cup, taping his foot lightly, waiting for Gabriella. Soon she walked in. he looked at her, she was beautiful. Wearing a Black shirt with a white design on it with dark blue skinny jeans, and black boots and her hair down in curls.

She walked over to him, "Hi." she said. he smiled, "Hey." she sat down, throwing the 20 dollars back at him. "I can't accept that." he looked at her, "Brie. come on, just take it." she bit her bottom lip, "Troy, I don't need charity from you-" "It's not charity. I'm just trying to help." Gabriella sighed leaning back in her seat.

Troy sighed, "Be honest with me Brie.. what really happened with Stanford?" she sighed biting her lower lip looking at the window. "It started great at first you know, had my own dorm, "I had a part-time job working at the bar that you were at to make money for myself."

She sighed turning towards him, "Turns out, I couldn't hold down going to school, and having a job at the same time. I couldn't do my work, and I was late for classes, and late turning my work in. so finally I just had to give up stanford, and..and just work my job at the bar... and that's what happened Troy."

Troy looked at her, "I could've helped you-" "You were busy." "I was..Brie, really? Gabriella I would've helped you! Or at least tried my best!" Gabriella shook her head, "I'm not a child Troy...not anymore, I can take care of myself."

"I would've helped you!" Troy yelled again, this time getting a bigger response from bystanders and people around them. Gabriella hid her face behind huge gucci-knock off sunglasses. "Troy ...please...just forget it."

Troy looked at her, sitting back down, "Brie, why won't you go back?" she sighed, "I can't Troy..it's..it's just too late now, and I can't quit my job-" "Brie, that boss there treats you like shit. why would you take that crap from someone?"

Gabriella sighed, "It's a job, and it pays Troy. I'm sorry if you can't understand that." she stood up getting her bag. he grabbed her wrist, "wait, when can I see you again?" she looked at him, biting her lower lip, "Troy-"

He stood up, grabbing her hands with his, "I'm still inlove with you Gabriella..I still love you...I never stopped." she sighed, "Troy, I never stopped loving you." she pulled away, throwing her hands up, "But I just can't be with you anymore...not right now anyways.."

Troy looked at her, "Brie-" she tugged her hand away and backed up. "We can be friends...but...I can't-I can't be with you romantically...not yet." He looked at her, reaching for her hand again, but she mouthed 'no' and turned around walking away; paying for her .75 cent rasberry water first.

He watched her walk to the bus stop, sitting on the bench and pulling out a book, if he squinted he saw the title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. He smirked, still obsessed with Harry Potter? Then his smirk dropped. She said she couldn't be with him...romantically.

Well, he could do a friendly thing and ..."Hey!" he shouts, getting up from the table and -forgetting to pay for his coffee- running over to her. "Gabriella, at least let me give you a ride home...something a friend would do?"

Gabriella looked at him, biting her lower lip, "I..I guess that would be okay." he nodded, "okay, well then come on-" "Hey! pay for your coffee asshole!" Shouts an angry employee. Troy sighed, "Oh yeah, sorry." and he gave the employee 10 dollars.

Gabriella giggled, "Same old Troy." "Same old Gabriella. reading those harry potters books still." Gabriella smiled, "Hey. I'm obsessed." he smiled, as they walked to his car. he opened the passenger door for her, and he got into the front-seat.

"So where do you live?" Gabriella told him the directions to her apartment. about 3 minutes later, he pulled into her parking lot. Gabriella sighed, "Thanks for the ride." he clicked her seatbelt, grabbing her bag and rasberry water and harry potter book.

Troy nodded, "Hey...no biggie-" "Biggie?" she raised an eyebrow at him, her lips curling up in a smirk. "Yeah...same Troy." he chuckled, tapping her chin with his hand, "same Gabriella." she giggled. "funny..anyway...I should go." Troy nodded, "yeah...uh...nice seeing you.." he looked out the windsheild, the apartment building was rundown and the paint was chipping in some areas. She lived like this?

Troy looked at her, "cause er, I think that...uh you sure?" Gabriella nodded, "you on top of the covers in a sleeping bag or something and me under the actual covers.." Troy looked at her, "uhm yeah that sounds ..sounds good." Gabriella smiled small, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Lead the way Maestro." he chuckled, "always with that funky spanish talk.." "oh Troy," Gabriella cooed sarcastically, "don't tell me you forgot my spanish lessons already?" he shook his head, "I didn't forget them, I just mostly remember the study breaks we used to take together.." her eyes widened and her face burned, "you..remember-" "Yeah...I do."

Gabriella blushed, "umm yeah.. lead the way." he smiled grabbing a hold of her hand and bringing her into the bedroom. Gabriella looked around, "Oh wow. nice." she giggled. he smiled at her giggle. "Yeah. thanks. you tired?" Gabriella smiled, "Exhausted." he smiled, "Well um.. maybe we should lay down." Gabriella bit her lip nodding.

Troy got into the bed first, getting under the covers and taking off his shoes. Gabriella took hers off, and then slipping in beside him. Troy fought the urge to put his arm around her. Gabriella smiled softly, looking up at him. "Goodnight Troy." she smiled, her eyelids becoming heavy. "Goodnight Brie." he spoke. Gabriella's eyes fell shut, and her head snuggled into Troy's chest, wrapping her arm around his waist gently.

His arm twitched as he slowly let it drape over her waist; but only just, the way he saw it...he just got her back. "Goodnight..." he buried his nose lightly in her hair. "Brie-Brie." his voice was a whisper in the darkness of the room as he snuggled closer to her. He just got her back, he did...he couldn't believe that-really thought that she'd make Stanford work, but...what really happened? He sighed, turning his head so he stared at the ceiling. He couldn't sleep that night, he either watched Gabriella sleep, or thought about how to keep Gabriella by his side. Or both.