Brief Encounter
Summary: Can anything good come from a mix-up?
Disclaimer: High School Musical and all of its characters belong to Disney. I just have them on secondment.
A/N: Thanks to Kristen for being my guinea pig lol! And all the girls on the rooftop, I love you guys.
"Hmm! A lot of loving, long and slow, hard and fast, all night long," she replied wickedly.
Come Home Soon
Gabriella clipped her seatbelt in place and put her head back against the headrest and sighed. She gazed out of the little porthole window as the engines roared into life, the thunderous crescendo drowned out the safety talk by the stewardess although Gabriella glanced back to see her arm actions, knowing full well what she was saying; planes were planes with exit doors in the same places, front, middle and rear. The plane shuddered, coming to life as the tiny wheels took it slowly up the tarmac of Miami International Airport, preparing for take-off. The engines revved up causing the cabin to vibrate as Gabriella felt the speed of the plane charging up the runway push her back into the seat. She gripped the armrests as she felt the plane leave terra firma and soar into the air; take off was not her favourite part for sure. Gabriella glanced out of the window again as it banked to the left giving Gabriella a clear view of Miami and her coastline.
"Goodbye Miami, thank you for the fun times," she thought fondly of the fantastic weekend she had had in the vibrant city, one she would never forget. She glanced down at her wrist, smiling as she glanced at the white gold addition to her wrist. Troy should be half way home now as his flight departed two hours before hers. She sighed wishing she could have gone with him but knowing commitments were commitments and she wasn't one to shy away from hers. Apart from the camera scare, it had been perfect although she ached in places she never knew could ache but it was a pleasurable pain, one she'd endure time and time again if she was given the chance and she was determined to make sure that she got the chance. Troy had carried out her request to the letter as they made love long and slow, then fast and hard finishing with an encore of slow and long again before they finally fell asleep way into the early hours. She'd woken before Troy this morning and loved watching him sleep, his face smooth and content. She knew she'd been naughty but she couldn't resist touching him, not feeling in the least bit guilty when she woke him up and proceeded to carry on where they left off in the early hours, well she hadn't heard any complaint from Troy. Saying goodbye had been the hard part, the only thing stopping her from crying like a baby had been the thought of being back with him in two days time although it wouldn't be the same back in the fishbowl that was Los Angeles. She settled back into her seat and closed her eyes as weariness swept over her.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are approaching Los Angeles. The air temperature is a balmy 74 degrees. Please ensure you take your entire luggage with you when you disembark. I hope you've had a pleasant flight with American Airlines. Have a nice day"
The Captain's announcement roused Troy from his very pleasant nap, as he stretched his legs as best he could within the confined space. The plane banked to the right, showing Troy a glimpse of the Pacific Ocean before straightening up, the engines revved up as it started it's descent into Los Angeles International Airport. Troy's ears popped with the change of pressure in the cabin as the plane cut through low cloud cover, the turbulent air rocking the plane slightly as it drew closer to the ground. Troy steeled himself for the touchdown, the plane jolted as it hit the ground, the thunder of the engines grew tenfold as the pilot put them into reverse to slow the plane down before taxiing along the runway to the terminal. People started to get up and move around the narrow gangway trying to get their belongings from the overhead storage lockers but Troy, being a seasoned traveller, remained seated until the plane came to a standstill and the moving walkway was attached to the exit doors. As the passengers shuffled along the plane Troy slowly uncoiled his length from his seat and reached up to the overhead locker to retrieve his rucksack and jacket, wincing in pain as he pulled them down.
"Are you okay Sir?" asked the pretty blonde stewardess as she walked behind him checking the seats to ensure nothing had been left behind, picking up the odd stray cup from under a seat.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Self-inflicted I'm afraid," Troy shrugged with a smile.
"Ah! Strenuous weekend?" the stewardess replied with a grin.
"Something like that," Troy agreed as he slipped on his jacket, pulled a beanie hat from the side flap of his rucksack and delved into his jacket pocket for his Ray Bans.
"Oh yeah, and I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat," Troy thought with a grin recalling his weekend with Gabriella as he walked off the plane.
Going through Customs was a breeze and without any other luggage to wait for, Troy strolled out of the terminal in a short time, avoiding any loitering Paparazzi by walking alongside a group of Japanese tourists before cutting into the car park stairwell. He unlocked his car and flung his rucksack onto the back seat. Troy pulled out his cell phone and switched it on for the first time since last night when he had waited for the signal from Gabriella. It rang instantly indicating he had at least one message; he glanced down at the screen.
"Bloody hell! 8 messages. Aren't I popular?" Troy thought with a smirk.
"Hi Troy, It's Shar. Where are you?" Timed 9am Monday.
"Hey Babe. Hope you had a good flight. Miss you already. Call me." Timed 10am Monday.
"Aw babe! I miss you too."
"Hi Troy, it's your Mom. Don't forget it's your Dad's birthday this weekend. I hope you can get down to see us. Oops! I hope I've done this right and you can hear me." Timed 10.15am Monday.
"Damn! Thanks Mom, I had forgotten, maybe Gabriella can help me pick out something for him?"
"Dude, it's Chad, when are you coming home?" Timed 10.20am Monday.
"Troy, it's Shar again. Why isn't your phone on?" Timed 10.30am Monday.
"Aw man! Hurry back, Shar is driving me nuts." Timed 11.14am Monday.
"Wuss!"
"Troy! You better not have a low battery again." Timed 11.45am Monday.
"Yeah! And these would help."
"Bolton! Turn your fucking phone on, you moron. I need to speak to you. Gah!" Timed 1.17pm Monday.
Troy smirked as he listened to them but frowned when he got to the last couple.
"Fucking hell! What have I done this time?" he thought, throwing off his beanie to run his hand through his hair. He switched his phone off again to be on the safe side, getting blasted by Sharpay when he was driving is not a good mix. He put his car into gear and shot down the ramp, making his way through the early evening traffic, heading for home.
Troy turned his key in the door and walked through his hallway to the lounge, dumping his rucksack at the side of the sofa. The TV was on but there was no sign of Chad.
"Weird!" Troy thought as he walked into the kitchen, reaching for the jar of beans he proceeded to set up the coffee machine. Leaving it to do its stuff he went and picked up his bag and carried it into his bedroom throwing all the dirty washing into the laundry basket, grabbing fresh clothes he then walked into his bathroom to shower. Feeling revived some ten minutes later, he re-entered the kitchen to pour a cup of fresh coffee before walking back into the lounge, puzzled that Chad hadn't put in an appearance.
"Chad, are you home?" Troy shouted as he walked into Chad's bedroom.
"Shit! I'm sorry," he mumbled backtracking fast out of the door, blushing to the roots of his hair.
"Fuck! How was I to know?" Troy groaned inwardly at the sight he'd just seen rubbing a nervous hand through his hair. He smirked despite his shock as he walked back into the lounge picking up his coffee and drinking deeply burning his mouth in the process. He pulled his cell phone from his front pocket and punched a familiar number.
I'm home. You're gonna love this. Speak later. Troy xx
He'd just slipped it back in his pocket when Chad walked in looking rumpled and flustered in a pair of long shorts and an orange vest.
"Erm! It's good to have you home man," Chad greeted self-consciously, a faint blush on his cheekbones. Troy smirked at his best friend.
"Really," Troy kinked an eyebrow, "Are you sure about that?" he taunted. Chad laughed nervously, flicking his eyes warily at Troy then away again.
"Look...I…we" Chad stumbled over the words trying to explain. Troy laughed at his embarrassment.
"You realise I'll be scarred for life," moaned Troy jokingly pushing his advantage watching Chad squirm.
"Fuck you Bolton," Chad said showing Troy the finger. Troy raised an eyebrow and put a hand over his heart pretending to be hurt however his cheesy grin gave him away. They met half way and wrapped their arms around each other in a manly hug.
"Glad you're back Troy." Chad repeated then laughed, "maybe now Sharpay will get off my back," he grumbled.
"Yeah! What is it with her? I switched my phone on and it was like overflowing with messages from her." Troy groaned.
"Don't know dude but she's desperate to talk to you. Expect a call at the very least," warned Chad. "Have you made a pot?" Chad asked flicking his Afro towards Troy's cup. Troy nodded and Chad walked off into the kitchen and Troy sat down in the lounge thankfully stretching his aching limbs out in front of him. He heard a noise and turned his head and grinned at Taylor who stood awkwardly in Chad's dressing gown.
"Well hello Ms McKessie. What a surprise," he greeted Gabriella's flatmate. Taylor blushed delicately and lowered her eyes.
"Hey, enjoy your trip?" Taylor asked politely. Troy raised an eyebrow.
"Wow! This is a first, Taylor being polite. Sweet!"
"Yeah, it was good," replied Troy, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly while thinking "good…it was fanfuckingtastic."
"Have you been here all weekend?" Troy asked.
"Pretty much," she replied looking guilty.
"Let me get this straight, he shipped you in as soon as I'd walked out the door?" Troy queried with a raised eyebrow. That explained why Chad didn't push to go see his second Mom.
"Jeez! Be as quick in my grave," Troy looked put out then grinned. "Let's hope Chad changed his sheets," he commented with a smirk. Taylor glared at him giving him the evil eye. "Maybe I should up his rent, double occupancy you know, " mused Troy thoughtfully rubbing his chin. Taylor's eyes narrowed menacingly until Troy burst out laughing.
"I'm joking Taylor. I'm really happy for you," Troy assured her. Taylor smiled happily at him as Chad came back into the room carrying two cups of steaming coffee handing one to Taylor. Chad looked worriedly between his girlfriend and best friend.
"Hmm! Is everything okay?" he asked picking up a vibe.
"Yeah, everything is good. I was just paying Taylor back some dues she owes me," Troy said cryptically. Taylor walked over and thumped him on the arm.
"I'll remember this Bolton," she warned with an evil smirk.
"Oh I'm not finished yet. That was just on account," Troy retorted with an answering smirk. Chad looked between them puzzled by their repartee.
"Am I missing something?" he asked as he slung an arm around Taylor's shoulder.
"Nothing to worry about sugar," Taylor reassured dropping a kiss on his cheek. Troy grinned at her comment storing the nugget away to relate it back to Gabriella later. Just then the phone went off in Troy's pocket, Troy looked at Chad worriedly.
"I guess this is it," he said resignedly, "at least she's only phoning and not calling in person." Troy sighed as he pulled his cell out of his front pocket.
"Talk to me"
"About fucking time. Where have you been all day?"
It's good to talk to you too Shar." Chad and Taylor looked at each other and started giggling. Troy sent them a death glare.
"Yeah well it's good to finally get hold of my best friend who never returns my phone calls," she said huffily. Chad and Taylor smirked as her voice carried over to them.
"God! Shar I've only been back half an hour or so."
"Whatever, when is Gabriella back?" Troy raised his eyebrows aware of the audience close by.
"That's right Shar. Get straight to the point, why don't you? None of the 'had a good trip?' nonsense."
"How the hell would I know? Wouldn't Ryan have a better idea?" Troy replied coolly.
"Yeah well, he's gone missing in action too or he's caught your bug and switched his damn phone off."
"Hang on, Taylor is here let me ask her." Troy looked over at Taylor who frowned at him for revealing that but mouthed Wednesday to him and shrugged. "Wednesday, she thinks. Why?"
"You need to get your arse in gear Troy. She's been spotted with a guy in Miami, getting cosy is what Jared says." Troy's heart hit the floor.
"Shit! Shit! Shit! So it was the paps."
"So?"
"So? So! Is that all you can say Troy?" Troy moved the phone away from his ear and rubbed it.
"What do you want me to say?"
"Bolton! I know you like her Chad said so and I've seen you together and there is definitely something there, bubbling beneath the surface."
"Oh yeah and Chad is the expert." Troy chuckled trying to defuse the situation. Chad glared at him and Taylor kinked an eyebrow reminding him of her kitchen.
"Look, I'm just saying as your best girl friend who cares for you a lot that you're going to miss your chance if you don't do something and you'll regret it for ever," whined Sharpay laying it on with a trowel. Troy could mentally see her pouting at the other end of the phone.
"Whatever! You just want me shackled like you are and of course there is the added bonus of having a new girlfriend to take shopping." Troy reasoned, glancing at Taylor as she giggled again.
"Hmpf! Well it's your funeral Troy but one day you'll be old and grey with no-one to talk to, all alone in your sterile apartment, watching reruns of your stupid basketball games, eating TV dinners, with only a mangy old cat for company and you'll wonder where you went wrong and I'll be there to tell you I told you so."
"So I won't be alone will I Shar?" pointing out her obvious flaw in her ramblings, "and what's with the cat? I don't even like cats."
"Whatever Troy but you get my drift. You can't say I didn't try."
"Thanks for mapping out my future Shar. Should I just slit my wrists now?"
"Duh! What's the point?"
"No, really thanks for caring Sharpay. By the way who is Jared?"
"That's your problem Bolton, you never fucking listen. Jared is Just Jared the gossip column."
"Oh right. And I'd retain that useless piece of shit." Sharpay sighed.
"Well you can't say I didn't try. Toodles." Troy flung his phone on the lounge chair and put his head into his hands groaning.
"So Gabriella has a new guy?" Taylor commented plopping down beside him. "I don't believe it, she'd tell me if it was anything serious." Taylor put her arm on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah! As well as can be expected after being mauled by a mountain lion," troy said grimacing. Taylor and Chad laughed at his woebegone expression.
Taylor and Chad invited Troy out for a late supper but he declined claiming he needed some sleep. After they left Troy went into his bedroom and switched on the laptop stripping out of his clothes while it fired up. He clicked on the search engine and entered Just Jared into the search field. A minute later he was staring at a grainy picture of Gabriella holding his hand and a shot of his left ear and the back of his head. Thankfully there was only one plus one of the car windows the tinted glass revealed nothing but shadows.
Gabriella has a new beau!!
The beautiful songstress was spotted
coming out of 'A fish Called Avalon' in Miami
on Sunday night looking flushed and excited.
She held on tightly to her mystery man's hand.
No word yet on who the lucky guy is.
Gabriella is busy promoting her new album and single
Slated to be released May 12th.
Look out for this. Word is it is going straight to the top.
"Whew! It could have been worse." Troy breathed a sigh of relief. He flipped open his cell and speed dialled her number.
"Hey babe, it's good to hear your voice."
"Troy, it's good to hear yours too. How was the flight?"
"Long but oh so worth it," he said huskily. She giggled.
"Well I think so although I could do with a massage right now. I ache all over," Troy chuckled.
"I wish I could help out babe," he groaned with need.
"I think that would defeat the object Troy," she said saucily.
"Very probably," he agreed with a chuckle.
"So what was with your cryptic text message?" Troy laughed
"I caught Chad and Taylor at it."
"What! Actually doing it?"
"Oh yeah, not a pretty sight. I'm scarred for life," he replied theatrically. Gabriella giggled.
"You're so bad Troy. I bet Taylor was mortified."
"Yep, she was, even more so because it was me, I think. Of course I gave her some payback. It was so satisfying too." He said with relish. "Who would have thought Taylor McKessie could blush so much." Gabriella chortled down the phone, sending a warm feeling to his heart.
"I bet she ran out of there screaming."
"Oh no, she was a sport and took her punishment well. Did you know she calls him sugar?" Gabriella giggled all the more. Troy cleared his throat.
"Hmm! Gabi…" he paused not sure how to tell her.
"What's the matter Troy?" Gabriella asked worriedly picking up on his hesitation.
"I have some good news and some bad news. Which do you want first?" Gabriella sighed a lump the size of a basketball hitting her solar plexus.
"Now don't get too upset will you?" he added trying to soften the blow.
"Go on Troy, what's the bad news?" she asked steeling herself for the blow to fall.
"You were right, it was a Paparazzi at the restaurant. Sharpay rang to inform me that our picture is on Just Jared's website." Gabriella groaned in dismay but breathed deeply trying to steady her beating heart.
"Holy shit! And the good news?"
"It's a grainy picture and there's only a back shot of me." He said. Gabriella sighed in relief. Troy chuckled.
"You never knew you were dating a man of mystery did you?" Gabriella giggled.
"I didn't but it sounds as sexy as hell," she whispered huskily.
"God Gabi. I miss you. I loved waking up beside you." Troy moaned.
"Me too. I never realised a bed could be so lonely as this one is right now." Gabriella uttered regret lacing her voice. Troy closed his eyes hating the distance between them too.
"So what did Sharpay say?"
"You mean once she'd finished lashing me with her tongue for having my phone switched off," Troy chuckled. Gabriella giggled again. "Oh you know the usual, she said I had to get my act together or I'd lose you to this other guy. Blasted me actually, I think she scared Taylor which is no mean feat."
"That's true, so she was on top note I take it?"
"Oh yeah! They probably heard her at the Hollywood Bowl and there's a concert on too." Gabriella choked on her laughter.
"So we're good?" she asked.
"Yeah we're good. Come home soon babe."
I really enjoyed writing this chapter. I love writing Sharpay, she is so much larger than life but you've got to love her.