Title: The Hired Help

Author: Jade-Max

Summary: Troy asks Fulton for his Kitchen job back.

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The Hired Help

Troy stepped into the Lava Springs main entry way, taking a deep breath as he searched for Fulton. The General Manager of the country club was nowhere to be seen and Troy doubted the man was in the Kitchen making trouble for the Wildcats - after all, Sharpay believed she'd gotten what she wanted when Gabriella had quit.

He'd overheard the confrontation between Gabriella and Sharpay and secretly he'd been more than a little shocked at Gabriella's assertiveness. She'd always been so sweet and shy, it was a little disconcerting to see she had more of a spine than any of them had ever known. Not only that, but once she was through with Sharpay, she'd turned that newly found determination on him in a way he'd never expected her to.

Gabriella had broken up with him.

Dazed by the move, he'd gone numb and hadn't reacted well to her quitting and leaving him all at the same time. It had taken being shown that the rest of the Wildcats weren't going to be able to participate in the much anticipated show - and a lot of soul searching - to realize what he needed to do. Finding the courage to do it had been easy once he'd opened his eyes to what was going on around him and realized his friends were right.

He had become a jerk with new shoes.

Walking quickly through the lounge of Lava Springs, he headed for Fulton's office - and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

"Mr. Fulton?"

"Ah, Mr. Bolton!" Fulton's expression was welcoming as he lifted his gaze from his paperwork - only to frown when he saw what Troy was wearing - jeans and a red Wildcats t-shirt. "That's not acceptable atire for the course, Mr. Bolton."

"I know - and that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"You need a better wardrobe?"

Troy laughed once, shaking his head. "No, sir. Actually, I came to tell you that after doing the job as the assistant golf pro for the last week, I'm under qualified and uncomfortable with it. I'd like my kitchen job back."

Fulton blinked as if he'd been blindsided. "Excuse me?"

"I'd like to go back to work in the kitchen."

"That's what I thought I heard." Fulton stood, bracing his hands palms down on his desk as he regarded the Wildcats' Superstar curiously. "Do you know what you're throwing away, young man?"

"Respectfully, Mr. Fulton, it's what I'm losing that I'm worried about. I'm not willing to take the ride the Evans family is offering if the cost of admission is my friendships with the rest of the Wildcats. Ever since I started working here, they've been super nice to me but haven't even glanced at the rest of my team. In some ways, they've gone to great lengths to separate me from them and I don't like that. So I'd like my kitchen job back - if that's at all possible."

"You do realize that means giving up your membership rights and everything that comes with it?"

Pulling the keys to the golf cart that had been his for the last week from his pocket, Troy tossed them on the desk in front of the Manager. "I can live without the fancy shoes, the golf cart and the designer clothes, Mr. Fulton. I can't live without my friends around and, frankly, I shouldn't have to."

"You're making a mistake, Mr. Bolton."

"Maybe." Troy agreed with a shrug. "But it's my mistake to make. To be honest, sir, I think the mistake was in accepting the golf pro position when I hadn't earned it and letting myself be sucked in by all the glamour and glitter of this high flying lifestyle."

"You're adamant then? You do realize this means you can't sing in the talent show tonight with Ms. Evans, don't you?"

A grin crossed Troy's lips. "I know."

They shared a surprisingly candid look of understanding before Fulton settled back into his chair with a nod and a secretive smile. "Alright, Bolton; but I leave it up to you to inform Ms. Evans of the change in your employment status. I will not take responsibility for that."

"Thank you Mr. Fulton." Troy extracted the key to the locker he'd been given as well as the membership card that had been his from his back pocket before placing them on the table with the golf cart key. "I'll let Sharpay - oh, sorry, Ms. Evans - know immediately about my demotion."

"Voluntary demotion, Mr. Bolton. I won't have her blaming me for this."

"Of course not sir."

"Well, chop chop; that kitchen won't clean itself you know!"

Troy mock saluted the older man, turning on his heel as he strode from the office, feeling as if a lead weight had been lifted from his shoulders - one of several. Next task, find Sharpay and let her know about his new position - and his inability to sing with her in the talent show. It felt right to do this; Sharpay had taken a beautiful tune and turned it into something he didn't recognize - something he felt just plain wrong singing with her.

His mind traveled back to Taylor and her promise to try to give the necklace back to Gabriella and a pang of regret squeezed his heart. Things were all working out for the better on most fronts, but he was bleakly aware that the bridge between he and Gabriella might have been burned for good and he had no one to blame but himself.

fin