Chapter 5: A New Direction
11 Years Later- Albuquerque, New Mexico…
"Dad! Have you seen my jacket I that mom got me this year for Christmas?" sixteen year old Troy Bolton was yelling from his room, "I'm going to be late meeting up with Chad and the guys!"
"Gosh Troy next time it's better if you use your eyes to see where you're things are instead of using your mouth!" Mr. Bolton joked, "Anyways your mother and I are going out to a New Year's Party so will you be fine ringing in the New Year all by yourself?"
"Oh yeah you can trust me…I'll just order a keg, a bunch of marijuana and top it off with a call from the cops saying that there has been a disturbance at the Bolton residence," Troy joked with his dad who gave him this look of sarcasm, "Seriously dad you guys can trust me don't worry it's not going to be a Girl's Gone Wild New Year's Edition. I have your cell numbers in case of emergencies and the guys are coming over for a bit…I'll be fine."
"Okay sport…have you been practicing your basketball lately? We've got to work on your game for this season if we want to win that Championship this year right?"
"Hence the reason why the guys are coming over to play so we can practice dad."
"Jack! Are you ready?" he heard Mrs. Bolton calling, "Are you having problems with your tie?"
"Duty is calling dad and trust me you wouldn't want to keep mom waiting," Troy smiled.
"Give me a minute Diane I'm coming down!" Jack called as he left Troy's room, "I'd better be heading before I face your mother's wrath for keeping her waiting."
'Very wise idea dad hope you two have fun," Troy replied.
As Troy was putting on his basketball gear, he found his lucky necklace which he always intended to wear everyday for the last eleven years. It was the white part of a yin-yang symbol with the black dot inside that he constantly kept wearing everyday since he was first adopted by the Boltons. Troy knew he was adopted and that his real parents died when he was about five years old…but he literally couldn't remember his stay at the orphanage he stayed in before he moved out to Albuquerque.
He practically loved his life the last eleven years whether it be playing basketball or any sports, or even trying to get involved with a few drama plays at school once in awhile at East High School. Troy found himself literally the most popular boy at school, but no one never knew he was ever adopted, not even his friends because it was something he was scared of people finding out and still difficult to cope with.
"Troy!" he heard his best friend Chad Danforth calling from outside, "Hey…are you ready to play ball?"
"Are Zeke and Jason coming over?" Troy asked from his bedroom, "Give me a minute to get organized here okay?"
"Yeah and the girls are coming over too for a little while before we all go home to ring the new year with the folks!" Chad replied as his girlfriend Taylor Mckessie arrived.
"Hey Troy I brought some snacks and Kelsi is coming over with the drinks," Taylor said.
"It would be easier for you guys to just come inside and just put the stuff all in the kitchen instead of shouting to me at my window," Troy smiled as he opened the door to let his friends in, "So we still playing a game of basketball later?"
"Yeah but we'll wait to mix up a little two on two action," Chad smiled as him and Taylor began to make out in front of Troy, "I can't believe I'm ringing in the New Year with my little hottie of the Scholarstic Decathlon Team."
"Always knows what to say huh?" Taylor smiled as the two kissed, "This is going to be a happy new year!"
"When your done showing your affections in front of me…why don't you two get a room or something," Troy teased as he looked at his necklace, "At least…I hope the New Year brings me some good luck I hope."
Manhattan City, New York…
Meanwhile, up on the upper eastside of Manhattan City, New York, sixteen year old Gabriella Montez was getting ready to go ice skating with her father. As she was looking for her skates and mittens, she looked around her bedroom in her father's penthouse suite apartment at all the packed luggage. It was the same routine all over again…next week she was moving again to live with her mother halfway across the country while her dad remained in Manhattan. It was always the same routine since she was nine years old after her parents decided to mutually separate due to their high demanding careers being in her case having a well renowned real estate mother and a father who established himself as a successful business man in the fashion industry.
Gabriella did enjoy her life and being adopted by two successful business parents she thought she had the life. The Montez family were highly surprised that their adopted daughter was a mathematical genius and in their eyes a sort of child prodigy who loved music, dancing, and even a bit of rugby. However, although she made seem to be the perfect kid in the eyes of her parents, it was difficult for Gabriella to make friends due to the fact she constantly moved every 3-6 months, or the fact people looked at her as the freaky math girl.
"Gabriella are you ready to go ice skating?" Mr. Montez was calling to his daughter.
"Give me a minute to get my skates and my mittens dad I'll be coming down," sixteen year old Gabriella Montez smiled as her and her dad left their penthouse suite and began to walk down to Central Park to go ice skating.
"I want to make sure my little girl is buddle up nice and warm," Mr. Montez smiled, "This is a very nice New Year's Eve huh bella?"
"Yeah…it's very nice and it's sad…I'm going to miss it all," Gabriella replied as the two of them were skating, "Dad…can't I just stay with you? I feel like I'm always getting shuffled back and forth across the country between you and mom. I know the pair of you are successful business people but every time, either you or mom get transferred there's always moving."
"I know it's difficult and we've made it hard to you to get adjusted to a new school since you were nine years old and knowing that our separation has been a bit difficult due to our careers, it doesn't mean we don't love you Gabriella," Mr. Montez added, "But you remember the agreement that we settled upon?"
"Most of the time it either involves me either living with you or mom between 3-6 months of the year in one new place after another," Gabriella said, "I've never stayed more than a year in one place and it's difficult for me to make friends because people look at me differently like I'm some freaky genius math girl. It's been 7 years since you and mom split up and sometimes I'm worried if…"
"You think your mother and I would end up getting divorced I know Gabriella. Listen…your mother and I made a deal in order for you to feel comfortable. I talked to your mother the other day and she promised you that she wouldn't get transferred until you graduated and I made a promise that I will come down to live with you two once my contract here is up in Manhattan within a year."
"So we're really going to be a family again dad?" Gabriella smiled, "Oh my gosh I can't believe but waiting a year is a long time…will you promise we'll all be a family again like we used to?"
"I promise my little girl that," Mr. Montez added, "I just need to make sure that you have everything ready before you leave for Albuquerque. This time I made sure that your mother is there at the airport to pick you up. Hey how about we go down to Time Square and watch the Big Ball drop after this?"
"Well since this will be my last week living in New York I'll be more than happy to," Gabriella replied as the two of them left Central Park, "Dad…something is missing?"
"What's wrong bella?" Mr. Montez asked.
"You know that necklace I wear?" Gabriella replied as she began to freak out, "Dad I can't find it I don't feel it around…"
"Honey…check your pockets," Mr. Montez smiled as Gabriella pulled out the necklace, "You should always be aware of where your things are. I guess you were in a rush and you must have slipped it into your pocket."
"Thanks dad I don't know what I would do without this," Gabriella replied as she put on her necklace, "It feels like…somehow this is so important I don't want to lose it."
"You must love that necklace because you've always been wearing for as long I could remember since we first adopted you and sometimes you were scared if you ever lost it."
"I know dad but I don't remember much about my life before you and mom adopted because frankly the last eleven years…I'm happy with the way things are. I got wonderful parents but sometimes...apart of me wants to remember the life before and part of me doesn't."
"But…what do you want right now?" Mr. Montez asked, "Life is full of surprises and maybe this move to Albuquerque will bring you better luck and fortune."
"Thanks dad," Gabriella smiled hugging her father, "Maybe…the new year will bring some surprises for me."
Albuquerque, New Mexico…
"Man I'm beat…anyone want a drink?" Troy asked as him and his friends came inside his house after finishing playing a game of basketball.
"Just get us a bottle of coke on the counter," Kelsi replied as she pointed, "Jason babe do you want to get me some chips and dip?"
"Oh c'mon Kels you always make me get stuff for you everyday," Jason complained as he was in the kitchen with Troy while the others went into the living room, "Trust me Troy if you're ever in a relationship…make sure you know how to satisfy a girl or else you end up facing their wrath."
"I'll keep that in mind," Troy replied, "Anyways I want to watch the Big Ball Drop at Time Square on satellite on the eastern channels. This way we can ring in our New Year earlier here on the eastern standard time and you guys can be home an hour earlier before midnight on mountain time with your folks."
"I didn't get what you were talking about but I think the part where you said you wanted to watch the Big Ball Drop on FOX on the east coast which is happening in about 15 minutes unless we get a move on with this stuff," Jason replied as the two of them brought the snacks and drinks into the living room.
"Finally…what took you guys so long," Chad replied as all of them were digging into the snacks and drinks, "Good I'm starving now!"
"Gosh you people are all like salvages on the snacks and stuff," Troy teased as they turned it to the Fox channel on the east coast, "Wow…it must be nice seeing it snow there when we only get nothing but sunshine and heat."
"Trust me Troy it's fun sometimes to see snow," Zeke replied as his cellphone rang, "Oh the honey is calling me again."
"Tell me again what does he see in the Ice Queen?" Chad asked, "Out of all the girls at East High to date, he decides to date the Prima Donna Queen of the Drama Club."
"Oh Chad at least give Sharpay a chance," Kelsi added, "She maybe a Drama Queen, egoistic, Prima Donna who may sometimes tend to drive you nuts but I don't know how Ryan puts up in the same gene category as her and she tends to try to own the whole show and well…well maybe if you look a little harder from the outside exterior there's some good in her…I think."
"Kels it takes a magnify glass to search the exterior workings of Sharpay Evans," Taylor said.
"Or try entire telescope but she is after all Zeke's girlfriend," Troy replied, "All we got to do is put up with her that's it."
"Honey I got to go I'll see in school next week," Zeke replied as he hung up, "Give Ryan a shout out and tell your parents Happy New Year…have fun on your vacation."
"So getting whipped again by the girlfriend?" Troy teased.
"Nope…just checking up on me and stuff," Zeke replied, "Guys the countdown is happening look at all those people at Time Square."
"How can all those people be standing out there and it's literally freezing," Taylor added.
"I couldn't imagine being down there in that crowd of people," Kelsi replied, "But at least the people on the east coast get to ring in the New Year two hours earlier than we do. I guess it's a Happy New Year for them. It seems different than how we celebrate the New Year here in Albuquerque."
"Something wishes…I want to be there right now," Troy smiled, "It may look crowded but inside I get this feeling I just wanted to watch the celebration of the New Year right now in New York before we wait to ring it in here."
"Trust me east coast girls are a different breed of girls than those up here on the west coast here take it from someone who knows," Chad joked, "They assume they live the high glamorous life and it's all about the status quo with the teenage scene up on the east end."
"Huh watching all those teenage drama shows don't classify as an assumption to the life of those up on the other side of the country," Troy added as they were drinking, "C'mon if in assumption I met an east coast girl…I bet she wouldn't fit the assumption or the stereotype of what teens our age are like based on lifestyle or personality, they're just regular kids Chad."
"Finally thank you at least something intelligence we heard tonight," Taylor and Kelsi joked.
"What oh c'mon Tay why do you have to hate on me?" Chad teased, "It's just facts."
"It's called wrongful assumptions based on irrelevant facts that don't have any social or scientific theory," Taylor smiled as she kissed Chad, "At least you have me to keep you in line boo…and you get a complimentary kiss into the new year."
"This year I hope things turn out different," Troy thought to himself, "If you're working your magic up there…fortune at least shake things up in my life to be more interesting.
Manhattan City, New York…
"Gosh can you believe all that traffic outside dad?" Gabriella smiled as they back home from Time Square, "I'm glad to have seen this before I leave daddy."
"I know Gabriella and it literally took us two hours to arrive back," her dad replied, "It's getting late dear and I expect you to be in bed. I need to make sure you have everything packed before you leave for the airport."
"You remember daddy you promise I can come back for a visit during Fashion Week I really don't want to miss that," Gabriella added, "Have you guys started working on some new designs yet?"
"Yeah we've got half of the fashion line ready and we're going to see Michael Kors and Nina Garcia within two weeks to see which ones we're going to use for the show," her dad replied.
"Yeah I remember seeing Nina one time during one of the fashion shows in the fall she was really nice and she commented to me how she liked working with you and your company dad."
"Well keep your fingers crossed and pray your dad can get this line into Fashion Week for the fourth year in a row," her dad smiled as he said goodnight, "C'mon it's getting late and I don't want you to get worn out okay?"
"Alright daddy goodnight," Gabriella smiled as she went to her bedroom, "I'll see you in the morning."
As Gabriella stepped into her room, she went to her window and looked outside at the view of Manhattan from her room. Most girls her age would pretty much either envy her because her dad knew a lot of big people in the Fashion Industry and her father working with some of the biggest brand names whether be Burberry or Prada, most teens her age would be set for life and want the life she's living. Both of her parents were really well developed names in their specialties of wherever they worked, but Gabriella wanted more in life and she felt like something was missing.
She may have been adopted in a life most teens her wish wanted, a life of fame, a life of elegant parties, a lifestyle of the most elite well name people, and money, that was Gabriella's life for the last eleven years. It was so far the only life she knew…and she had very little memories of her previous life. She sat on her bed as she clutched her favorite teddy bear which was chestnut brown and wearing a suit and top hot, she called it "San Diego Bear." It was her favorite toy and next to the half yin-yang necklace, this was something she kept and treasured all these years, at least a vague reminder of her past life.
"Well San Diego Bear we're leaving the big apple and heading back west again as usual but I know you'll keep me company," Gabriella said talking to her bear, "For some reason I feel like I can talk to you because I won't feel alone. What am I doing? I'm 16 years old and I'm talking to my stuffed teddy bear…but no worries at least by this time next week we're going to be in Albuquerque with mom. I wonder…what will be out there for me? I hope it's more than this so call life of luxury and wealth…maybe I'll finally somehow live a normal life I hope."
