Power Outage

Summary: He was by her side and he turned to smile at her. Then everything went black. "What's happening?" she asked afraid. "Power outage." TxG ONESHOT

Disclaimer: I don't own any high school musical characters, and I don't own Disney either. I don't think I really own anything, I'm just writing this for my own consent!

Author's Note: I recently had an 18-hour long power outage. Then it took four more hours to get the cable and Internet connection on, so I actually updated my story and I'm posting this kind of late. The idea for a power outage oneshot came to me, and I actually wrote most of this by candlelight. I wanted to post this---I needed to find a way to redeem myself after that terrible Christmas oneshot I wrote on Christmas Eve.

The story is light. There are no heavy dramatic things. It's supposed to amuse, which is why I put this as humor, although you might not find it humorous. If you don't, I really don't mind. *Smiles. Enjoy. Always, schoolgirl 101

She loved spending her Friday nights watching a movie with him. She would sit down on the soft brown couch and snuggle against him---err, the pillows. He would always complain about the movie being too sappy or a chick-flick that he didn't want to watch. She would smile sweetly at him and tell him to suck it up. That was soon followed by chest poking and wisecracks made by the two. The atmosphere was light---and sweet.

Her weekly movie with him played no importance on her though. It wasn't the chick-flick that made her enjoy her Friday night. It was him.

Who was he? He was Troy Bolton, her best friend. And she was Gabriella Montez, his best friend. She liked to say that they spent every waking moment with each other. And every Friday night was their night. He would come over to her house and they would watch a movie together. She loved surrounding herself around him---err, a bowl of butter popcorn, a package of Twizzlers, and a large drink for the two to share.

"I don't like this movie," he said as his eyes stared onto the television screen. Troy cocked his head to the side in an attempt to understand the underlying plot.

"Suck it up," she replied cheerfully and flicked the Twizzler she was eating in his face.

He stuck out his hand and grabbed the Twizzler and took a bite. She glared at him through the light that was being illuminated by the large television in her living room. "You know, this thing tastes even better knowing I stole it from you." His grin was enough to make her squirm in her seat.

"I thought the purpose of us spending Friday night together was for us to watch the movie," she stated. How ironic.

"I know," he replied. "But I don't understand why I put up with this every Friday night. A sappy movie after another sappy movie---it gets so boring," he groaned. He turned back to look at the television before awkwardly turning away and looking out the window.

She studied his face for a moment and looked back to the movie. She immediately blushed. The two main characters, a guy and a girl, were currently locked in an intense make-out. Awkward.

Gabriella wondered what was worse. Watching a make-out scene while sitting next to Troy, or watching a make-out scene while sitting next to her parents---it was probably her fault that she felt awkward whenever she watched these movies with him. It was common knowledge that the guy would get the girl and they would ride into the sunset together on a stunning white horse. If only that was common knowledge for her and Troy.

"Can you hear the thunder?" he questioned and slowly turned his face to look at her.

She grabbed the remote and turned down the volume. "I can see the lightning," she noted as she stared out the window.

Clap. Boom.

She jumped up in her seat. Well, that must have been the thunder.

He looked at her and laughed. "Hear the thunder?"

She didn't even have to look at him to know that he had that stupid smirk of his plastered on his face. "Shut up," she retorted.

He laughed and squeezed her shoulder lightly before grabbing a handful of the popcorn between them and shoving it into his mouth.

"I wonder why there is thunder and lightning, but no rain," she observed as she looked out the window.

"It was sprinkling a little bit earlier," he commented.

She nodded and glanced back onto the television. What? A five-minute make-out scene with the guy stuffing his throat down the girl's mouth? She bit her lip and looked back out the window. "I think I can answer your question," she said absentmindedly and gazed at his face.

"And what was my question?" His face was still focused on the lightning flashing through the sky.

"You asked me why you still came here every Friday night. You certainly don't come for that," she replied pointing to the screen.

He looked at her gesture and smiled politely. "Then why do I come here every week?" his lips curled into a smile as he stared down at the popcorn.

"Easy. You come here for me."

He was by her side and he turned to smile at her. Then everything went black.

"What's happening?" she asked afraid. She couldn't see anything but darkness and she was beginning to freak out.

"Power outage."

Boom. Flash. Boom. Flash. Boom. Flash. Boom.

From the light that was coming from outside every few seconds, she could see that he was staring at her. It was so dark.

"Where's your mom?" he questioned in the darkness.

"Business trip for the weekend."

"Oh."

"Maybe you should call your parents Troy."

"Good idea."

She heard shuffling and then complete silence. "Troy, are you going to call your parents?" she asked while clutching tightly onto the sofa seat. As if someone was going to attack her in the dark---yeah right.

"My phone isn't in my pocket. Do you know where it is?" he questioned.

She thought pensively. "Hmm." A light bulb went off in her head. "You called Chad before the movie started right? And then you put your phone down. I think it was somewhere near the popcorn?"

"Right. Right." He reached in between them and grabbed her upper thigh.

"Troy," she squeaked. "Not your phone." She was thankful at that moment that she was surrounded by the dark and he couldn't see the tomato she called her face.

"Sorry." His voice cracked and he pulled away from her and searched around the couch for his phone. "Bingo." He grabbed at his phone. "Do you think this thing has service?" he interrogated.

"I think so. I think just the home phone won't be able to call out. Your cell phone should be fine."

"I got bars," he replied and called his parents house. She listened to the phone ring before silence overtook the room.

"The line went dead."

"Who did you call? Did you call the house phone?"

"Oh. Right. The house phone doesn't work. Silly Troy. Trix are for kids."

She laughed, rolled her eyes, and stood still. She desperately wanted to smack him in the face but if she aimed wrong like he did---awkward.

Ring ring.

"Hello?" a frantic female voice said on the other end.

"Hey, it's me mom. Calm down." The voice on the other end spoke. "Yeah, I'm fine. The power is out over here too, how long do you think it'll be out for?"

Gabriella couldn't make out the other voice, but she was pretty certain it was Mrs. Bolton. Who else would Troy call mom?

"Yeah, I'm at Gabriella's. Uh huh. Okay. Um---yeah. Okay. I'll ask her."

Troy shifted in his seat to turn towards Gabriella. As if he could see her. "Can I stay the night?" he asked softly.

"Um---sure." Gabriella couldn't contain the smile on her face. "Why?" she inquired.

"My mom is afraid I'll crash if I drive home. Drive into a fire hydrant were her words," Troy chuckled. "The power is apparently out in all of Albuquerque."

"The whole town?" she asked in awe.

"Yeah. My mom thinks that the power outage was because of the lightning interfering with the electric lines."

Gabriella nodded. "Sure, you can stay." Her heart beat faster and she couldn't contain the feeling. Troy was going to be staying at her house. The two of them together---alone. "Oh no," she thought and frowned. "Awkward."

After Troy had said goodbye to his mom, the two sat quietly in silence. Even when the movie had stopped playing and Gabriella and Troy could no longer see the two sexually crazed teenagers on the screen, she still felt awkward. "Can I use your phone to call my mom Troy? I left my phone in my room. I think my mom will be pretty worried if she finds out what happened in Albuquerque."

"Sure." He pressed a button on his phone to light his phone up. She grabbed his phone and quickly called her mom. When she was done, she handed the phone back to him. "What shall we do now Montez?" he questioned.

"Find light?" she answered. "I think there is a flashlight in the kitchen somewhere."

"What about candles?" he asked.

"We ran out of matches last week. Remember we used them up on my birthday candles?" she uttered.

He laughed. "That's right. I can't believe that a seventeen year old doesn't know how to light a match. I mean seriously---seven matches? You could have just asked me."

"Shut up," she said as she attempted to shove his shoulder. She missed and lost her balance. She fell into his lap. "Sorry." Her voice was an octave higher than normal.

His husky voice sounded in the air. "Don't be sorry. At least I didn't get punched in the shoulder."

She sat up and blushed. "Turn your phone on," she stated.

"Why?" he asked.

"So I can grab your hand," she paused. "I don't want to turn red because I grabbed something else," she confessed.

The blue screen lit up and he smirked at her in the small amount of light. "The light didn't really matter. You're already red."

She brushed her hand against his shoulder. He grabbed her hand and they got up as they headed over to the kitchen. They were nearing the dining room when the light on Troy's phone went off. She hit the dining room chair, bumping into Troy at the same time. She heard something bounce onto the carpet.

"You made me drop my phone," he laughed. "There went our light."

"I'm sorry Troy," she hung her head lower in embarrassment. Why did she have to be so clumsy for?

"Chill Gabs," he squeezed her hand. "No big deal, all right? We'll just find it."

He pulled her down and let go of her hand as they searched the carpet for her phone. His head went underneath the dining table to look for his phone, and when he tried to come up, his head knocked onto the wooden table. "Ow," he groaned and clutched onto his head.

"Troy, are you all right?" she asked and crawled closer towards the sound of his voice. She squinted and tried to see his figure in the darkness. Nothing. She reached out for him, and instead of hitting the soft carpet, she hit something hard. "What am I touching?---" her voice trembled.

"My bicep," Troy chuckled. "I work out. Enjoying what you're feeling?" he joked.

Gabriella turned a darker shade of red and ran her hand down the length of his arm to find his hand. "I think finding your phone is out of the question for now. Why don't we find the flashlight first, and then grab your phone?" she asked.

"Sounds like a plan," he responded.

Gabriella grabbed his hand and pulled him from underneath the table. They stood up and headed for the kitchen, on their way hitting various walls, and surfaces of tables.

At least Troy wasn't all that perfect. He wasn't exactly Mr. Graceful. If he was perfect, Gabriella knew that there was a very high chance she would have ended up in asylum by now.

Gabriella wanted to scream for joy when her foot fell down on the marble tile. They entered the kitchen in one piece. She wanted to shout Hallelujah when they found her flashlight in the drawer next to the silver knives.

"I'm glad I know the way in your kitchen," Troy smiled. "I know which drawer the knives are in, so it would be hard if you wanted to kill me now in the dark."

"What would make you think that I wanted to kill you?" she asked innocently.

"I have my reasons."

Gabriella laughed and grabbed the flashlight in the drawer and turned it on. Click. Click. Click.

"Why isn't it working?!" she asked raising her voice.

"Don't hyperventilate on me Gab. Are there batteries in the flashlight?"

She shook the flashlight rapidly to see if she could hear the batteries. "Yes," she groaned.

"By the tone in your voice, the batteries are dead then, right?"

"Get that stupid smirk off your face," she muttered. "How was I supposed to know that there would be a power outage and I would be needing matches and a working flashlight?"

"You should always be prepared," he grinned in the blackness. "I'm also guessing that you don't have extra batteries, or we would have another bad outcome trying to find them, right?"

She nodded. "We could always go to my room and get my phone. Or go and grab my laptop. That will give us some light for a while," she suggested to Troy.

"Your room is upstairs," he commented.

"So?" she questioned.

"We're not exactly Mr. and Mrs. Smooth. Don't you think we'll trip going up the stairs?"

Gabriella smiled brightly. "We could always stay down here with the silverware in the kitchen if you want. I always wanted to act out a murder scene with these oh-so sharp knives," she giggled.

"Let's go upstairs," he said quickly. His hand dragged Gabriella out of the kitchen and towards the stairs. They didn't bump into anything this time. Gabriella could feel the railing of the stairs next to her and she smiled happily.

"Hey," Troy laughed. "We made it in one piece. Maybe we aren't so clumsy after all." Troy pulled Gabriella closer and up onto the stairs.

She quietly followed behind him as he pulled her up the stairway.

"Almost there," he whispered.

She nodded and placed her foot on the next step. Gabriella slipped and crashed onto the stairs bringing Troy with her. He fell on top of her and his chest collided into hers. She took a sharp breath and she stopped breathing. She had never been that close to him before. She gasped loudly. She really hadn't been breathing.

"You jinxed us," she murmured, her breath falling onto his face. "We tripped on the stairs."

"Not we," Troy smiled. "You tripped on the stairs."

She scowled at him. He must have been able to see it, but she wasn't sure. Darn this blackness surrounding them. She could barely make out his figure. "Maybe we should go find my phone," she whispered.

She was about to stand up when she realized Troy was on top of her. Her face turned red. As if it wasn't red already.

"I always wanted to try something," he spoke softly. "But I was too afraid to see your reaction."

Gabriella's heart sped up at the choice of his words. "Well," she whispered. "You can't see me now."

"You were always the smart one, weren't you?" he mumbled. He cautiously and slowly pulled his hand from underneath her to find and caress her face.

She trembled at his touch and he smiled. He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. His breath tasted salty from the popcorn, and sweet from the candy. His lips moved slowly against hers and he stroked her shoulder with his free hand. He pulled away. "Good?" he asked in doubt.

"Perfect," she bit her lip and grinned widely. "Thank you."

"No, thank you," he chuckled and rubbed his hand soothingly on her shoulder.

She reached up to connect their lips once more. A couple of seconds past before he spoke.

"Those aren't my lips," he whispered.

The lights blinked on and the room irradiated with brightness. She squinted.

He was right. Those weren't his lips.