Flight plan

Chapter Two- Take off

"Let's just hope the toilets don't overflow." The man noted wryly as he glanced around the aircraft, his husky tone confirming his identity. In spite of herself, Gabriella laughed at his remark. Troy froze at the sound of her laughter and spun in his seat to look at her closely.

"Gabriella? Is that you?" He asked with a trace of wistfulness in his voice. Suddenly unable to speak, Gabriella nodded meekly. "Oh my God, Gabriella Montez! How the hell are you?" There was delight written all over Troy's perfectly sculpted features. As his cerulean blue eyes met hers and lit up with warmth, Gabriella found herself trying to remember why it was that she hadn't seen this man for ten years. He leaned over towards her, as if attempting to hug her, but Gabriella ducked slightly, making as if she was reaching for her briefcase.

"I'm good. Busy, but good. And you?" She squeaked out, trusting herself to speak only in short sentences. Somehow, just seeing him was making her feel like a shy teenager again.

"I'm great. Heading home for my baby sister's wedding." Gabriella gasped at the news. In her mind, Amy Bolton was perpetually ten years old.

"Amy's getting married? Is that even legal?"

"She's twenty years old, Gabriella. Not exactly jailbait. Though, if I had my way, she wouldn't even have started dating yet."

"Twenty still seems awfully young to get married. If I knew at twenty what I know now…" Gabriella remarked and then trailed off with embarrassment. Troy quirked an eyebrow at her, recognizing the significance of twenty to both of them. She quickly picked up the demographic report that lay in her lap and pretended to study it. Rather than take the hint that she wanted to end their conversation, Troy chose to continue to make small talk.

"What brings you to New Mexico?"

"Work…of sorts. It's kind of a favor for Taylor." Gabriella was purposely vague, unsure how wise it would be to publicize her friend's political plans.

"What kind of work is Taylor asking of you? Last I heard she was a state senator. Just the first step in her master plan of world domination, I assume." Troy chuckled, thinking back to a day their senior year when she announced her plans to run for president- after she finished college, of course.

"I work in politics, actually. Consulting. I do polling and media work for candidates primarily on the east coast. Taylor wanted my input on her next steps, so I'm heading out for a few days." Troy looked dumbstruck at her.

"I thought you were going to law school…going to fight for the little guy or something like that."

"I did go to law school…Harvard actually. But I realized part way through that I had no desire to actually practice law. I like numbers and strategy more than the legal process."

"Wow...life takes us all strange places, doesn't it? All that time worried about every assignment so you'd get into a good law school and you aren't even a lawyer?" There was an edge of bitterness in Troy's voice that took Gabriella by surprise. After all these years, why would it matter so much to him whether she was practicing law or not?

"I'm still a lawyer. I even took the bar in New York, I just don't practice law. Actually, most people I work with went to law school, some of them knowing from the first day they never intended to see the inside of a courtroom." Gabriella shot back, irritated that he was expressing any opinion at her career path.

"Hey, calm down. It's just a little funny how life turned out. You killed yourself over your grades for all those years to get into a good law school and I spent more time on a basketball court than in my own home and I haven't touched a ball in years." Gabriella started at his confession and her jaw dropped.

"Catching flies, Montez? I blew out my knee the fall of my junior year. Had micro fracture surgery, with hopes of preserving my senior season, but there was a lot more damage than they expected. My orthopedist says I'm lucky to be walking normally." There was a trace of something- bitterness or regret, Gabriella couldn't quite interpret. It had been ten years since she had been able to read his every expression and every tone in his voice. Being unable to do so now made her profoundly sad.

"I'm so sorry, Troy. I know how much you loved basketball. So are you acting these days?"

"Actually, no. Turns out the theatre world is pretty damn competitive too, and it just wasn't ever as fun as it was in high school." Troy grew silent and kept his eyes firmly on the seat in front of him. Gabriella was about to comment, when the pilot came over the loudspeaker again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have been cleared to fly. We'll be taxiing for just a few minutes and then in the air and off for sunny New Mexico shortly. Thank you for your patience." A few people around them started applauding and cheering. The sweaty gentleman on Gabriella's left shifted in his seat and let out a deafening snore. As he shifted, his legs crossed further into Gabriella's seat, pushing her towards Troy.

"It's going to be a long flight." She whispered with a forlorn look on her face. Troy chuckled and a light of recognition came into his eyes.

"Oh… you hate flying, right? Looks like your flying karma is still pretty lousy. Stuck between a snoring walrus and an ex. You realize this means your luggage will end up in Guam." Gabriella giggled.

"I didn't check anything this time. I finally learned my lesson after spending a fortune on a new Prada suit to pitch a media strategy to the governor of Oregon last month because it was the only store that would open for me at 8 AM." They shared a moment of laughter until the airplane began to pick up speed and ascended into the air. Gabriella gripped the armrest between her seat and Troy's tightly, drawing into herself with anxiety. Instinctively, Troy reached over to put his hand on hers in reassurance. His touch made her jump ever more, sending shockwaves through her whole body.

"Sorry…it's just getting through the clouds. I'm fine once we level out."Gabriella attempted to cover her reaction to his touch. Troy watched her carefully, but did not remove his hand from hers. He restrained himself from wrapping his arm around her shoulders as his younger self would have. It amazed him that this clearly capable, professional woman who if he was honest with himself, he didn't even know, could bring this overprotective side out in him still. Perhaps it was because when he looked in her eyes, he could still see a hint of the shy and sweet girl he loved a lifetime ago. He didn't know her anymore and yet, he wanted to take care of her.

"There's got to be a pill or something to get over this." He muttered to himself in frustration.

"There is…but they make me kind of loopy, so I decided to try and fly without them." Gabriella answered. Troy shot her a perplexed look, so she continued "Ativan-an anti-anxiety medicine. Anyway, so far this experiment is a terrible failure." Troy continued to stare at her with a mixture of confusion and awe in his expression, which made her stomach lurch again. She tried to slow her breathing down, hoping it would help, but somehow it only made her feel light headed. As if sitting inches from the long lost love of her life wasn't enough to do that. She glanced down and realized Troy was still holding her hand, absently caressing the outside of her hand with his thumb. She really needed to stop that. There was no reason for her to hold Troy Bolton's hand. She wasn't sixteen anymore.

As if he had heard her thoughts, Troy suddenly jerked his hand away. "Seems like we've leveled out. I'll let you get back to your work." He said with a hint of apology in his voice, though whether he was apologizing for holding her hand or something else, Gabriella couldn't tell.