The sound of screeching tires came to a halt before both boys jerked forward again. "Alright just go in easy, you can do it," Troy grabbed on to the door handle as the car jerked forward one more time. Teaching Eddie how to drive might have been one of his not so clever ideas.
"I can do this," Eddie muttered as he lurched forward and slammed on the brakes again.
Troy nodded encouragingly and once the truck was parked or at least in park Troy took a deep breath. "That was … that was really good."
Eddie looked over at Troy with a smile. "Really?"
"No," Troy said reaching over to get his keys out of the ignition. "Here's a tip, you drive with one foot on the gas or on the brake, just not at the same time alright."
Eddie nodded and Troy shoved the keys in his pocket with a smile. When they got out of the car Eddie looked up at the school entrance where reporters were laying in wait. "Oh shit," Eddie ducked behind the car again and Troy turned to look around at the school.
"I hate reporters," Troy muttered quietly.
"You sound like my sister," Eddie said looking over the truck a little.
Troy looked around the parking lot. "Speaking of which, I don't see her jeep anywhere?"
"She went to school with Taylor this morning in Chad's car," Eddie said bracing himself before stepping out from behind the Troy's truck.
"And here I thought she was avoiding me," Troy mumbled as he followed Eddie.
"Yeah, about that. What is going on with you and my sister? Yesterday she spent the day eating ice cream and watching old movies."
Troy let out a breath, "I think that's one of those things you probably shouldn't tell me."
Eddie nodded and adjusted his back pack strap for a better grip on his shoulder. "Well did you guys fight at the party?"
"No," Troy said shoving his hands in his pockets as they approached the school.
"Did you talk to another girl?"
"You know, this is probably one of those things that we shouldn't talk about."
Eddie nodded and turned his attention to the reporters now running up to them. "Keep your dead down and just keep walking," Eddie said putting on his game face.
"Yeah," Troy watched Eddie and let out a sigh as he ducked his head. "I hate reporters."
"Troy! Have you given the L.A. Lakers any thought?"
"Troy we hear that you're planning to bring this school back to life, what's your game plan?"
"The local girl Gabriella, is she your girlfriend? Do you plan on marry the head cheerleader of this little town?"
"Troy give us a smile for the camera!"
Troy and Eddie froze at the same time and Eddie turned around to see Troy as he looked into all the flashing Camera. "This is not good," Troy muttered as he looked around at everyone shouting questions to him.
Gabriella stood in the window looking down below as Troy was swamped with reporters and Eddie stood there watching Troy as if he were some kind of god. Gabriella rolled her eyes, "What's so special about him anyways? So he's really good at Basketball, big deal." Her voice was crisp. So much for not sounding bitter.
Taylor and Chad looked up from the year book page they were working on. "Gabs the guy is a basketball Champion and he isn't even 19 yet," Chad said walking over to the window.
"So?" Gabriella crossed her arms as she walked back to the table. He was also in her dreams every time she shut her eyes and even in a wondering thought if she let her mind wonder. Gabriella rubbed her arms; maybe she wasn't good enough for him?
"He grew up on an army base with his parents, his dad was a coach for their base. His dad was so good that he privately coached and rehabilitated some of the greatest legends around," Chad said, snapping Gabriella's attention back to the present instead of in the past.
"I thought his dad died at war?"
"He did, the base was called back into action, and it was a huge deal. Lots of press, Coach Bolton was a legend at endurance and calculated courses of action. When his son started playing everyone was impressed with the amount of talent. Troy Bolton is the first 16 year old in history to have a designated spot on the L.A. Lakers any time he wants it."
"Oh," she felt her cheeks burn as she looked back down at the cheerleading page. What a circus her life was becoming.
Despite her lack of attention Chad continued, "That guy hasn't even gotten a High School diploma yet and he has job offers coming in left and right. Everyone predicts that he'll be a young Michael Jordan. Better even, he's never lost a game."
Gabriella's brow lifted, "Never?"
Chad smile grew as he leaned forward both his palms on the table, "That kid is going take us all the way to the god damn NBA's!"
Gabriella let out huff as she sat down, "Well if you ask me knowing how to bounce a ball doesn't make you any better than the rest of us."
"Are you kidding me?" Chad gaffed in disbelief. "He's better than that, he's like a basketball god." Chad smiled as he looked from Taylor and Gabriella. "The basketball team is here to stay. Do you know what that means? It means scouts will come, it means more of us will get a chance at scholarships, it means the basketball team is going to mean something."
"You know he's just a normal guy, right?" Gabriella said quietly as she remember the way he went on last night about being some stupid hero. If he was that unhappy about it he should just stop trying to be a one, instead he took it upon himself to do everything and be everyone's hero. And she actually felt sorry for him.
"Alright calm down," Taylor opened her laptop. "Here just see for yourself. Chad is a little crazed at the moment."
"Crazed, baby I'm over the moon. My mom can't afford to send me to school. Do you know how amazing it would be for me to bring home a full ride?" His arms came around her and lifted her from the ground and Taylor let out a shout as he twirled her around.
Gabriella turned the laptop around to look at the Google page for Troy Bolton. Sitting up she looked through the endless photos of him and his family posing with trophies, at him with his dad, and one of him on the court aiming a basket.
Chad was right every article she saw was all about a wonder boy from Georgia whose dad was a coach in the marines, he was indeed a basketball legend with lot of people interested in the boy who never loses. Gabriella instantly shut the laptop. So that's it was it, the big mystery behind Troy Bolton. The burden on his shoulders.
Gabriella got up again and walked over to the window watching as the crowd was being disbursed by the school security guards. He had the world eating from his palm with endless possibilities and he didn't want it.
Meanwhile she was losing every upper hand she had going for her and all she had was Julliard to show for it. Gabriella placed her hand on the window. As soon as she could, she was going to get out of this town, she was going to go to Julliard and reinvent herself, go back to the real reason she loved music. "I have to go."
"I'll see you in science," Taylor said as she giggled and wiggled from Chad grasp.
Gabriella grabbed her bag and headed out into the halls of the school which were buzzing with rumors already.
"Hey, hey, hey why don't you let you hair down for me Rapunzel?" A boy snickered coming her way with smile as he performed an air humping movement and winked at her.
"Gross," she uttered in disgust as she held her thing closer to her body. She wasn't going to miss High School, not the immaturity or the backstabbing Stacy's and cheating boyfriends or rejection. Gabriella rolled her eyes and kept walking down the hall. She didn't want any part of this anymore.
"Hey Montez, I'd join the basketball team too if it meant being with you," Some guy let his finger slide down her arm and Gabriella moved away from him pressing up against her locker in disgust.
"As if," she mumbled as she opened her locker.
Gabriella turned to the sound of heals clicking down the hallway only to see Stacy and a few of her followers. "Gold digger," Stacy said as they walked by and turning around to face her again "But then again why dig for gold when all it takes is a phone call from daddy to get you into your number one school." With a smirk she waved her little fingers at Gabriella and then turned to her group as they continued on their way.
Gabriella watched them disappear into the crowd her mouth hanging open. Her heart just about stopped as her fingers clung to the metal door. What the fuck was going on?
"Before you freak out," Sharpay showed up from somewhere on her left and gave her a folder. "You have to see this. Please don't kill the messenger."
Gabriella opened the folder to see an image of Troy climbing down from her back window, the headline read Daddy's Little Princess Woos a Late Night Prince. Gabriella shut the folder and looked up at Sharpay "Where did you get this?"
"Every magazine stand in town is selling it," Sharpay said taking the folder. "What are we going to about this? And what was he doing climbing out of you window? More importantly what were you thinking?"
Gabriella pulled Sharpay into the closest bathroom she could find. "He came over to return my keys."
"And the back door wasn't an option?" Sharpay said holding up the folder.
"I needed someone to talk to."
"Then you should have called me," Sharpay placed her hands on both of Gabriella's shoulders. "What happened Saturday?"
"I don't know, honestly I must be the world biggest idiot. I thought I felt something for him and he felt something to so like some kind of attention deprived idiot I threw myself at him he turned me down," Gabriella said in a low voice.
"You did what?" Sharpay hit her shoulder with the folder. "How could you keep this from me?"
"It didn't happen to you," Gabriella shifted her weight to a different foot. "Besides, you've made it clear how you feel about him. Bu I don't know Shar things are different with him, whenever he's around I just feel more …"
"It's called hormones," Sharpay said with a huff as put the folder away in her bag.
"No, more like he makes me feel alive," Gabriella said as walked across the bathroom. "He gets it, he gets me and when he's there I feel so open and comfortable. Like I can tell him anything."
"Even though he turned you down?" Sharpay looked at her friend and let out a sigh. "Did you see all those camera's this morning pointed on him? Asking him about you, about his plan to save the school! Since when did we need saving and who died and made him Clark Kent?"
"I have cameras on me all the time? They asked about Aaron, my plans after high school. How can judge him on that you know the media is bullshit," Gabriella said leaning on a sink. "I just don't know if I blew it or not," she looked down at her outfit she was wearing a white blowy shirt with a pair of jeans and flat ballet shoes. There was nothing wowing about her appearance, she was an average teenager, she was attractive but ordinary. "Maybe I just came on to strong."
Maybe there was something wrong with her, maybe that's why he didn't want her. Maybe she was too thin or worst what if he saw her love handles. Gabriella lifted her hands to cover her body as much as she could. "Is there something wrong with me?"
Sharpay jerked back a little, "No, Gabs, there is nothing wrong with you. You're a caring person and you're beautiful," she walked towards her and placed her hands on Gabriella's shoulders. "This guy really has you twisted doesn't he?" she said quietly.
Gabriella was quiet as pondered her situation. She'd never been like this before. She was Gabriella Montez. Boys didn't reject her. Boys didn't get over her. She never had a single Friday night with at least an invitation somewhere. Now Aaron was cheating on her and Troy was rejecting her. What the hell happened?
"What did he say when he turned you down?"
Gabriella looked up at Sharpay only half hearing the question. "What?
"Tell me what he said," she said with concern.
Gabriella let out a sigh, the whole incident was on replay in her mind, just rewinding and playing on a loop from hell. "He thinks I'm using him," Gabriella looked up at the Florence lights and then down. "He kept asking what I was expecting, if I was looking for a reason to stay or a reason to go. He even asked me if I was on birth control."
"Well, what are you expecting?" Sharpay said with a shrug.
"I don't know, I don't want to think anymore. I'm tired of figuring things out I just want him to like me."
"Trust me by the looks of what was happening on the kitchen counter top. You succeeded." Sharpay assured her as she let out a breath, "You're in love with him aren't you?"
Gabriella frowned.
"Like the real deal, stars in your eyes, can't eat, sleep, or think about anything else." Sharpay turned Gabriella to the mirror and smiled, "You are Gabriella Montez, and you can have anyone you want. Troy is head over heels with you. This minor depression your feeling right now will pass? Brush it off, and flip the switch on him."
Gabriella looked up at Sharpay's reflection looking back at her. Flipping the switch. "And how do I that?"
"You're going to go back out there and own it. You don't show weakness. You don't sweat it." Sharpay coached her.
"What do I do about Troy?" Gabriella in a low whisper.
Sharpay carefully adjusted some strands of Gabriella hair. "Boys can make us go crazy, and let's be clear he didn't turn you down. He just wants more reassurance," Sharpay rested her chin on Gabriella's shoulders. "Talk to him, tell him how you feel, trust me it's the best way to get all those voices out of your head."
Gabriella looked back at her own reflection, "Sharpay?"
Sharpay who was getting ready to leave, stopped and turned to look back at Gabriella with a smile. "Yeah?"
"Why don't you like Troy?"
"I never said I didn't like him, I just didn't trust him," Sharpay shrugged. "But if he's making your toes curl he's got a second chance in my book."
Gabriella nodded and watched as Sharpay left the washroom.
He was late for class; Eddie was asking a million questions a minute and the reporter were snapping pictures like they were looking for Troy's secrets through photographs. Troy stood at his locker his forehead resting on in it in the quiet of an empty hallway. Everyone knew. Everyone one was cheering him on, patting him on the back, some people were looking at him with scowls, girls were suddenly all over him. It was a three ring circus compared to his first day.
Now the day was almost over and so far he'd only run into Gabriella once in class and even then he was too surrounded to do anything about it. They still hadn't actually spoken to each other and he had to talk to her. He needed to talk to her. After a few turns the locker was open and he browsed through selected items he needed to survive the next few periods.
He just wanted to go home, but he couldn't lead the sharks straight to his front lawn. He'd be safer here on school grounds, he wondered if reporters were knocking on his grandmother's door, pestering her while she was watching the wheel. All these thoughts came to a screeching halt when a fresh painted finger nailed hand came up from behind and rested on his chest. Troy tensed up as he shut his locker before turning around and facing a pair of green eyes that smiled at him.
"I don't think we met, my name is Stacy."
"Hello Stacy," Troy looked at the different strands of blond running though her straight hair. She was cheerleader, and Aaron's new playmate. Put two and two together and her standing there wasn't a good thing.
"Hey so I was wondering about my star magazine cover," she said pulling a magazine from her bag. "I just have to ask, do you make house calls or is it something about that stupid doe eyed look that gets you hot?"
Troy looked at the cover and it felt as if someone had injected ice straight into his veins. "Where did you get that?"
"They're selling them all over town; I think its pretty cutting edge stuff don't you?"
Now he really had to talk to Gabriella, "I got to go," Troy went to move and saw Aaron coming in on his left. Troy stopped and looked back at Stacy, the three of them stared at each other quietly.
"What do you want?" Troy broke the silence.
"Not so smart are you?" Aaron teased as he rested a hand on the locker. "We want the football team to stay on top," Aaron said coming up to him and getting really close. "East High doesn't need a super hero."
"I'm no one's super hero; I'm just an everyday Joe."
"Every day Joe's don't get job offers from the L.A. Lakers," Aaron said banging a hand on the locker besides Troy's face.
Troy looked from Stacy to Aaron, "I commend you both on your bullying skills, their up there with the best, but I don't give a rat's ass about your social status problems."
"Then let's make this short. If you get on that court I'd hate to see all the horrible things that could happen to Gabriella," Stacy smiled and Troy attention shifted.
"Alright," Troy said holding up a hand, "let's be civil about this, leave her out of it, I'm the one fucking up the curve. Not her." Troy said looking from one to the other.
"No you're the one fucking with everyone's life," Aaron said pointing his finger closer to Troy's face.
"If you want to keep that finger get it out of my face." Troy looked up at Aaron with extreme annoyance.
"Hey," Aaron barked.
"Relax," Stacy grabbed at Troy's face and brought his attention to her. "Listen to me, you can play your little ball game, you can even have the girl for whatever she's worth but if you win. I'm sending a few of my own photos of daddy's little princess to star magazine."
"You're bluffing," Troy said with grunt as he pulled away from her.
"Yeah because you've known her for all of three weeks, that means so much," Aaron smirked. "Girls will do some freaky stuff if you get them drunk enough."
"What did you do?" Troy lurched forward and Aaron pushed him back into the locker full force. Stacy smiled as looked at him struggle for a moment.
"Let me make it clear. If you lose, I'll delete the photos and the football team stays on top and all the attention remains on Aaron getting a scholarship. You win, and I will sell the photos." Stacy nodded and Aaron let him go.
"She has nothing to do with this. I swear to god if you hurt her I'll-"
"Hey," Stacy interrupted, "I'm the queen bitch now, and I don't have the time to care. Besides she has everything to do with it. You seem to care about her so this kind of decision should be easy for you?" she said crossing her arms and looking towards Aaron. "Walk me to class baby," she gave Aaron a pouty look and Aaron did as he was told.
Troy watched the two disappear down the hall as soon as they were gone he turned around slammed both hands into the locker. "Shit," he grunted as he took a step back.