JP and Troy were sat, in the same Starbucks in which they had met.
"So…" JP cleared his throat. "How did… everyone take it?"
"My girlfriend freaked out… for about five minutes… but then she was okay with it. She understands. She found it hard to let go though."
"Poor girl." JP said quietly. "It can't be easy to hear."
"Yeah." Troy nodded, rubbing his face. "My Mom was fine about it too, but my best friend, Chad, freaked out a little. Gabriella brought him round. And my Dad…" Troy let out a bitter laugh. "Think he's still in the freaking out process."
"It will all be fine. Sounds like it went relatively smoothly."
"Ugh. I suppose it could have been a lot worse."
"I take it you haven't told the team."
"No." Troy raised his eyebrows. "And I do not intend to."
JP smiled sympathetically.
"I don't blame you." JP sighed as he started to flick through a magazine that had been left on the table. "But if they find out, it's gonna be awful."
"I know." Troy looked down, not wanting to talk about the subject he blocked out of his mind. "I've gotta be extra careful."
"Uh…" JP said, frowning. "Did you say your girlfriend's name is Gabriella?"
"Ex - Yeah." Troy said quietly.
"Montez?"
"Yeah…" Troy said, looking down at the magazine in JP's hands.
"You never said she was famous." JP looked at Troy with raised eyebrows. "Wow. 'My boyfriend, Troy, is very supportive.' Says Gabriella. 'He's my soul mate.'"
Troy was looking out the window when JP looked up.
"I guess I have something else to tell you." Troy said quietly. "I wasn't keeping this from you, I swear, I just forgot it was relevant. And I can't exactly tell many people. But you should know."
"What? That she's famous?"
"We…" Troy swung his chair round to JP's side and whispered quietly. "We're pretending to still be together. For the press. For the sake of both our careers." Troy sighed, moved his chair back to opposite JP, and rested his head in his hands.
JP stayed silent.
"Messed it up again, didn't I?" Troy sighed. "I'm sorry. Guess it's not a case of whether I'm ready. It's whether anyone is ready to get involved in my twisted life."
"It's not that bad." JP sighed. "I guess if anything happened, it would have to be secret anyway, if you aren't telling the team. Since you're a small time celebrity around here by now anyway."
"I am?" Troy grinned, and then frowned. "Wait, small time? Hello?" Troy picked up the magazine and pointed to it.
"Whatever." JP laughed. "So… how about we go to my apartment. Then we can stop whispering?"
"Sure." Troy laughed.
----------------
Troy looked around him. It was weird being back here. Last time he was here, he was at the height of confusion. He sipped on his take-out mocha. He started to think maybe he was becoming addicted to this drink. He laughed to himself when he wondered if maybe it was a symbol of his new-found sexuality.
He took his vibrating phone out of his pocket and flipped it open, and took in the familiar sight that was receiving a text from Ryan.
'Hey Bolton, how's life in the gay lane x'
'I'm at JP's. So life in the gay lane is… quite gay.x"
Troy put his phone away as JP walked back into the room.
"So." He smiled, putting a plate of cookies down on the table. "I mean, how serious were you and Gabriella, 'soul mate'?"
"Pretty serious. Three years. We lived together."
"Oh. Gosh. I assume one of you have moved out."
"I moved out. Only recently though. I'm now back with my parents." Troy sighed.
"Your parents? That's rough."
Troy laughed and picked up a cookie.
"It's not that bad."
-------------
"Your friends go to Julliard? I used to date someone who goes there."
"Please, tell me it wasn't Ryan Evans."
"No, but I'm sure I know that name." JP thought for a moment. "Oh, yeah, I met the Evans family a few summers ago. I had a summer job at Lava Springs County Club."
"No way!" Troy laughed. "So did I. 2007."
"I did 2006! Small world, huh."
"I know. How much of a pain is Fulton?!"
"He's not that bad." JP laughed. "Now Sharpay, she's a pain."
"God, that girl got on my nerves. The amount of times she tried to break me and Gabriella up." Troy grinned. "I wonder if Ryan's told her I'm gay. I hope not, I'd love to see her face."
"So would I." JP laughed.
Troy laughed and shook his head, sighing.
"Small world."
"I nearly went back." JP laughed to himself. "The next year."
"We would've met." Troy said thoughtfully. He threw his head back on the couch and stared at the ceiling. "Wonder what would've happened."
JP looked at Troy and laughed. He grinned at him.
"What?"
"Nothing, just… your face." He grinned. "Deep in thought."
"It's just strange! I really wonder what would've happened."
"Yeah." JP smiled. "Lava Springs has lots of places to get up to all sorts."
"I know, I did!" Troy laughed as JP raised his eyebrows.
"Naughty boy, huh?"
"Yeah, I wasn't good as being naughty though, we got caught like, all the time."
"Let's hope your little… big secret goes better then."
"Secrets, I can keep!"
"I have a secret."
"Oh?" Troy asked, worriedly thinking that he thought they'd got everything in the open.
"You're cute." JP grinned.
"Oh!" Troy laughed as he breathed a sigh of relief. "That's… not a secret, JP."
"You're so cheeky." JP smiled sweetly at Troy. "Hey, you said before you used to sing, right?"
"Yeah."
"You wanna give me a rendition?" JP grinned.
"Nope."
"Aww!" JP laughed. "Did you ever do any dancing?"
"A little bit, not much though. I learned the Waltz, that was… Well, I can't believe I learned it."
"The Waltz, huh?!" JP grinned, standing up. "Show me what you got."
Troy looked up at JP, and laughed.
"You dance?!"
"Yeah. I always took dance class when I was younger. It kinda faded out when I started High School. I didn't think it was manly enough."
Troy grinned and rolled his eyes. He stood up.
"I'm nervous now. What if I don't remember?"
"God, Troy. If you mess up, it doesn't matter. Calm down."
Troy blushed slightly. He put his hands up, but didn't know where to put them.
"Uh…" Troy shrugged. "Should I…"
"You lead, if that's how you know now."
"Okay."
Troy put his left hand on JP's waist, and clasped his hand in his own. He felt a little sweat starting to form on his forehead.
As Troy started to take his first steps, he smiled to himself as the steps flowed through him out into his feet. Until he took a wrong step, crushing JP's toes underneath his own.
"Sorry!"
"It's okay." JP smiled. "You're not bad."
"Yeah right." Troy sighed.
"You have grace! That's why you're such a great B-Ball player."
Troy smiled.
"Thanks." Troy said quietly, face just inches from JP's. "You're not so bad yourself."
JP brought his hand up and gently touched Troy's cheek.
"Soft skin as well, huh?" JP grinned. "Starting to think Troy Bolton is a little too perfect."
"That's not actually the first time I've been told that." Troy grinned back. He kissed JP's hand.
JP moved his hand to Troy's neck, and pulled his head closer to his own. He stared into Troy's eyes, as he brought his lips in to meet Troy's.
He watched Troy's eyes flutter closed, just before his own eyes did the same. He let out a small contented sigh, before pulling away.
"Jeez." He rolled his eyes, as he spoke quietly. "Even your kiss is perfect."
"Yup." Troy nodded.
"And your eyes." JP continued.
"Yeah…"
"Your hair…" JP whispered as he ran his hand through Troy's hair. He kissed Troy again, entwining his fingers in the mop of hair.
Troy's heart was beating wildly, as he started to feel a little overwhelmed. It felt a little strange to be kissing a guy, especially after three years of kissing Gabriella everyday. He broke the kiss and took a breath.
"You okay, Troy?"
"Yeah." Troy nodded. "Yeah." He repeated, grinning. "It's just a little… weird. In an awesome way…"
JP grinned at him.
"I guess I probably kiss differently than your girlfriend did."
Troy shrugged.
"Her beard never used to tickle me as much."
JP shook his head, laughing.
"I bet she'd kill you if she heard you say that."
"She probably would, yeah." Troy grinned. He glanced over at JP's clock. "I probably should go."
"Right. You've gotta behave now you're back with Mommy and Daddy."
"It's so true. My Mom's probably waiting up for me."
"Do you want me to walk you home?" JP smiled.
"you can walk me to my truck. It's parked, like, right by Starbucks."
"Oh." JP grinned. "Okay, sure."
As the two walked the relatively empty streets of East Albuquerque, JP thought to himself about what Troy was currently going through. He remembered back to when he had just come out, and the whole world was his oyster.
"You look deep in thought." Troy laughed.
"I was just remembering back to when I came out." JP smiled.
Troy coughed and put his finger to his lips.
"You never know who's listening." Troy said, looking around him paranoid.
"Where did you learn to be so cynical?"
"From jealous friends videoing you saying things you don't mean. And from Sharpay Evans. In general."
"Okay, I see." JP raised his eyebrows and laughed to himself.
"So…" Troy said, quietly. "What exactly were you thinking about?"
"About how I was so eager to get out there, and live as the person I now knew I was. Do you feel like that?"
"I guess, kinda…" Troy nodded. "But at the same time.. I'm nervous. About being me. That sounds silly."
"No, I know what you mean."
Troy stopped walking as he approached a beat up truck.
"This is my truck." Troy said, sounding rather ashamed.
"It's….nice."
I'll give you a call soon." Troy smiled, unlocking his truck.
"I guess…" JP whispered, moving in close to Troy, "There's no chance of a goodnight kiss."
"Absolutely not. But I'll mentally do it. There, I just did. That's something for you to think about tonight."
"Troy." JP laughed and rolled his eyes.
"Night."
"Take care, Troy. Drive safe."