"I'll sport a smile, take in some color THE STARTING LINE, ISLAND
Under the stars, I'll be your lover
With no distractions I'm gonna treat you right
Well it seems like things are only getting better
Well it seems like we can never catch a break
Just a keep a hold on me don't let go
If you float away, if you float away
Waiting too long for a ship to come
Don't you float away, don't you float away"
The cooing noise that was supposed to resemble those of an owl jarred her from her act of faking sleep, her eyes snapping open as a mischievous smile played on her lips. Silently slipping out from under her thin bed sheets, she slipped her feet into the sandles that she had laid out by her bed hours before. The escape had been planned perfectly, down to every last consideration, dodging every bullet that could have been thrown her way. Searching the dark room for her bag that she'd had prepared, her hand clutched onto it almost immediately, having known exactly where she'd placed it.
Another cooing sounded off, signaling that she was taking too much time, the seconds ticking away. Where in the world had she placed her sleeping bag? Something so simple she could not believe she overlooked. She had thought she had everything planned and ready to go. She could have sworn that she had it next to her duffle bag, all prepared for the long night ahead, stashed behind her bed so that her parents would not notice that she had bags packed to go somewhere.
Suddenly, she froze in her spot, the sound of the sliding screen door making her heart leap in her chest. Her breathing became haggard and sharp as she was filled with fear and anticipation that she could feel on her fingertips. She didn't dare to turn around but couldn't help but start to scream when a hand clamped over her mouth, pulling her back into the chest of a stranger.
"Relax," an all too familiar voice whispered into her ear, calming her instantly. She could almost feel his lips on her ear, he was entirely too close. When the hand retreated back to the side of its owner, she chose to turn around and glare dangerously at her surprise visitor.
"This wasn't apart of the plan, Troy," Gabriella scolded, her heart finally returning to it's normal rate. Troy let out a small laugh as she blew her fringe from her eyes, always annoyed when someone went off course from what she had originally scheduled. Controlling and defiant, she was Gabriella, the same brown-eyed girl he had known since he was only kindergarten.
He rolled his eyes. "You shouldn't have been taking so long then. Chad's idiotic bird call is only so convincing," he said sarcastically, letting his sapphire eyes adjust to the pitch-black room, scanning over her frame. She had been wearing a pair of white shorts, a black tank top and flip-flops as well. "What are you even waiting for? You look ready to me."
"I can't find my sleeping bag," She groaned, annoyed as she crouched down on her carpet, letting her hands roam underneath of her bed, hoping that maybe they'd stumble across the missing sleeping bag.
Shaking his head, Troy took a hold of her duffle as she crawled around the floor, heaving the bag over his shoulder and sliding through the door that he had come in through. Standing on her balcony, he peered downward where Chad stood underneath, waiting to catch Gabriella's bag. On the count of three, the bag landed into Chad's arms and was soon loaded in the back of his van.
"Any day Bolton," Chad called, his anxiety shining through in his voice, worrying that somehow, they'd be caught in the least obvious way. Maybe her dog would wake up and begin barking. The labrador-retriever had never liked him. Maybe her dad was still awake, waiting to spring out of bed at the sound of a pin dropping on the floor. Every possible scenario was playing in his head like a strip of film. Though Chad was the clown of the group, always joking or getting himself into some kind of trouble, this 'mission', as Troy had called it, was keeping him on his toes and he was not necessarily liking the feeling.
Troy crept back into the room, his impatient posture warning Gabriella that they did not have too much time to be searching for missing sleeping bags. "You can just share with me," he suggested, trying to think of anyway to get them out of the house. He felt as though it were a time bomb or a land mine, waiting to go off at any given moment.
"You'd like that, wouldn't you," She shot back, disapproving the suggestion.
Of course, she had say no, Troy thought, shaking his head stupidly. He had messed things up between them when they had been only fifteen. Now, three years later, the grudge still seemed to remain at the most random times. "I can't find it," Gabriella said, exasperated, kicking at a shirt that had been on discarded on her floor in pure frustration.
Enough was enough.
"Either you keep searching and we get caught here or you get over yourself and we leave," Troy stated ignoring the look of desperation on his friend's face. "Or you know what?" He asked rhetorically. "I will carry you out of right here, right now."
"I'll scream."
"You wouldn't, you'd give us all away."
She seemed to stop to consider this. "No…Sharpay and Chad would be able to get away…my parents would only figure that the creepy neighbor boy had somehow managed to sneak in while we were all sleeping."
"You wouldn't," Troy paused, second guessing himself. "They wouldn't, both Sharpay and Chad and your parents.."
Troy knew her phases. She was a bitch when she wanted to be and would stop at nothing to get her way. He believed that she got that from her best friend, Sharpay Evans. "This isn't a negotiation, Montez," He said coldly.
She opened her mouth to retaliate but was quickly cut off, the same hand recovering her mouth, just as it had about ten minutes before. He pulled her towards him, one hand over her mouth while the other wrapped around her waist, preventing her from making any further movement. Troy tried to ignore the infuriated look that was showing in her dark eyes, preparing for the onslaught he'd receive once they got out of there. Shutting the balcony door behind them, he hadn't thought of what he would do next. Contemplating whether or not he should just throw her over the edge, he laughed to himself. He uncovered her mouth, swinging his leg over the side of the railing that encased the balcony.
"What..?" Gabriella whispered.
"Follow me down," Troy said in a hushed voice, transferring from the balcony's railing to the tree beside it, climbing down until his feet hit the ground, just as he had done many times before. Swallowing a large gulp of air as if she could swallow her fear, Gabriella braced herself on the outside of the railing, refusing to look down at Troy who was now stationary on the ground, waiting for her.
"Now you reach for the tree…" Troy said in an amused tone, chiding her to continue.
"You know that I am terrified of heights."
"And you know that no matter how annoyed I am with you, I won't let you kill yourself."
"But I know-"
"Nothing," Troy finished curtly. "You know that you're fucking up the plan, that's what you know."
If looks could kill, the one written on Gabriella's face would murder him where he was standing, instantly and tragically. "Always have to be difficult and dangerous," She mumbled, her leg swinging over the side of the railing, mimicking his movement moments before. Gabriella chewed her bottom lip, feeling cowardly as she was now mentally cursing herself for looking at the ground before she reached for the old oak tree's branch that could provide her with some leverage and eventually help her place her feet safely on the ground.
"I am really beginning to believe that Sharpay is rubbing off on you." Troy called up once more, waiting impatiently, glancing back and forth, nervous that they'd soon be caught. Once she was close enough to the ground, she extended her arm, her hand searching for his, expecting him to help her and to be there. He always was, always had been.
In a matter of seconds, the two were quietly settling into the backseat of Chad Danforth's van, closing the door as lightly as possible. "It's about time, Dumb and Dumber," The boy that could be identified miles away because of his large hair said halfheartedly, tapping on the steering wheel with a smile as he felt the weight and anticipation of being caught, lifted from his shoulders.
"Montez had to find a way to screw up."
"Shove it, Bolton."
"Now, now, kids, play nice," Sharpay called tiredly from the passenger seat, letting out a yawn, her head resting against the cold window of the van. Gabriella watched as Chad's free hand reached for Sharpay's, fingers lacing instinctively. East High's golden couple.
They were random, thrown together by fate. Sharpay Evans was the president of the drama club, the drama queen, and the girl envied by every girl in the student body. She came off icy at first to most, but Gabriella had known her throughout her entire life, and couldn't help but love her.
Chad Danforth on the other hand was the kid in the class who would sit in the corner with a dunce cap in their younger years. He'd never been one to take things seriously. He had his serious moments though and they came around most frequently when he was on the court playing basketball. Serious and safe, he was Chad Danforth with the catch phrase of 'if you're going to live on the edge, at least wear a seat belt'.
Together, they were wild, weird, and well…perfect. Gabriella let out a small sigh, leaning back in her seat to make herself a bit more comfortable, her eyes catching Troy's looking at the same thing that she had been staring at, the hands of Sharpay and Chad. Had he been thinking exactly what she had?
Troy noticed this too, his face gaining a bit of color, coughing awkwardly, a fake attempt at clearing his throat. Rolling her eyes, Gabriella turned to look out the car window, ignoring the light conversation among her friends in the car, her mind drifting back two years ago, like it had sometimes without her control, as if it were impulsive.
Troy's home.
The two words rang in her ear like loud church bell, signaling her to prepare to see him again. Did he forget? She hastily fixed her hair, fluffing it over her shoulders and then touching up her makeup. Smoothing out her shirt, she wondered if Troy would notice that she had definitely 'grown up' over the summer. It was about time she hit puberty, though, she thought with a smile, ready to present the 'twins' for the first time.
She was out the front door in a rush, her hair still wet from coming out of the pool, her skin tan and shining in the sun. Gabriella had waited all summer for Troy to return from basketball camp. All summer long, she'd missed her neighbor, her best friend, her lifeline.
Remembering the day clearly, she hoped that it had meant something to Troy as well, the day before he'd left for summer camp.
"Troy."
His name had sounded soft with her voice, spoken quietly against the chirping crickets, the cool summer air barely stirring around them. It had been at least a half of an hour since the rest of their friends had headed home, initially leaving Gabriella and Troy to have some alone time.
Turning to face her, he rolled on his side, noticing that her breathing was at a quicker pace than it usually was, her chest rising and falling rapidly. She was laying on her back, her head held high to the sky as if she were looking for the stars to spell something, anything out for her.
"What is it?" Troy's side was turned inwards, toward her, though it didn't matter since it seemed she would not make eye contact with him.
"I love you."
She couldn't believe she had managed to say it without choking, gasping for breath. She was in complete shock, stunned in the complete and utter silence besides the background melody of the bugs that were singing to each other.
Without hesitating or even considering what Gabriella had said, Troy responded with a simple, "I love you too," adding a shrug.
He did not understand, he just couldn't have, Gabriella knew. She turned towards him, biting her lower lip, a nervous habit that she possessed. "No…"
"What do you mean, no?"
Troy was beyond adorable when he quirked his eyebrow in confusion.
"I am in love with you, Troy. I think I have been since I was five, to be honest," She said, exhaling a long breath. This was so much easier than what she had expected…maybe because she felt as though she were only confiding in her best friend, like she always had done. "I know we're friends, the best of friends…hell, we grew up together." She paused, looking for a sign of any emotion on Troy's face. She couldn't find a single one. Gabriella did not know if that was a bad sign or a good sign. She sighed, "I just can't keep this to myself anymore. You know how I get when I keep things to myself. I lose my mind. Troy, I'm losing myself."
When Troy woke up that morning, he'd expected one of many things.
He had expected to finish his packing.
He had expected to see an outdoor movie with Chad, Sharpay and Gabriella, and then head back to his house to hang out afterward.
He had expected to eat, to stuff his face with his favorite food in Albuquerque before he could not get it anymore.
Not once had ever in a million years thought that those words would come from Gabriella's mouth. He had been given no warning, no indication that this was coming. How could he have known the right response to this? Troy blinked slowly, as if that would clear his mind. When he reopened his blue eyes, his best friend still lay in front of him, waiting for something.
"Oh."
He'd apologized the next day, once he was at camp and at a safe distance. Troy made a promise, a promise that they would talk about everything when he returned home, that way it'd be more personal that a phone call or text messages. Gabriella had thought that this was a good thing. All she wanted was to see his face again…
She was greeted pleasantly by Mae Bolton, Troy's mother, just as she always had throughout her life. She'd told her that Troy was with a few friends by the pool and that she was welcomed to join them, figuring that he would be delighted to see his friend.
Inhaling a deep breath before she opened the sliding door that would take her to the Bolton's backyard, Gabriella made small baby steps, feeling more vulnerable and exposed than ever. What had she been thinking, going alone? The least she could have done was invite Sharpay for some kind of support. No, she warned herself. This is all you, she thought, no one else but you.
The first few people that she recognized were Jason Cross, a member of Troy's basketball team and of course, Chad Danforth and his infamous hair. He waved to her immediately, heaving himself out of the pool to engulf her in an unnecessary bear hug, water seeping through her tank top and jean shorts. Chad seemed the read the question that lingered in Gabriella's eyes.
"He's around," Chad told her with a wry grin.
Shit, Gabriella cursed herself mentally. Chad knew. She'd never live this down. Letting her eyes venture further into the 'gathering', Gabriella noticed a few cheerleaders…the girls of the school that she despised and they did not care for her either. It had completely slipped her mind that the basketball team and the cheerleaders usually went away to the same summer training camp. She almost laughed out loud, feeling sorry for Troy and Chad since that had to deal with these girls all summer long.
"Troy, your neighbor's here," one of the processed blondes shouted over the noisy splashing and obnoxious boys hollering.
Neighbor..Gabriella thought to herself. She considered herself many things to Troy but never had she called herself the obvious…his neighbor.
"Troy!" The same girl called again, her whiney voice annoying Gabriella already, and she'd only begun talking.
It was then when Gabriella had seen it. The tangled hands, the frantic lips…Troy, her Troy, pressed against a cheerleader. His caramel hair, now lighter from being in the sun was tousled and his sun kissed skin looked flushed. Not just any cheerleader was wrapped around him…no, he had to choose Nicole Mendelson, the prettiest and most perfect of the bunch. She was the 'it' girl. Good grades, true friends, the looks. More importantly, she was everything that Gabriella could not be.
The walls were closing in on her, it was all happening so fast. She felt dizzy and suddenly, the Bolton's huge backyard became entirely too small. Gabriella could feel the bile rising in her throat, the pricking sensations behind her eyes, and the voice in her head telling her how stupid she had been, thinking that she stood a chance. She'd never been more embarrassed in her life.
It did not take him too long to notice that she was there; she was out of place, the crooked puzzle piece that didn't fit there. He parted from Nicole for a moment, the same blank look on his face that he had given her the night before he had left for camp.
Chad had caught on to what was going on now, trying to find something to say to make this better for his two friends. "Troy, Gabs is here," He said, trying to sound cheery but it came out sounding like a joke, the exact opposite that he was aiming for.
"Oh."
Oh. That's all he could say. Oh.
Even though her world was shattered, her heart was breaking and her head was pounding, the music continued to play, the laughter never subsiding. Gabriella was in living hell.
"Lauren this is my-" Troy went to introduce them.
Gabriella's mouth hung open. Did he honestly believe she'd welcome this girl with open arms, ask her to go shopping with her, share her secrets with her? "Neighbor," She cut him off, coldly, watching as he flinched slightly, surprised by her harsh voice. "Neighbor," she repeated. "Just wanted to stop in and say hi, I'll leave, I feel as though I'm imposing," Gabriella barely managed to speak, turning and walking quickly out the gate, ignoring his calls for her.
She had refused to cry and yet, she still felt the acidic tears on her cheeks, her pulse she could feel in her fingertips. A sturdy arm wrapped around her shoulders and she knew she was not alone. Chad Danforth, her irreplaceable friend. He hugged her, awkwardly at first, letting her cling with all her might as she simply cried, trying to forget, allowing herself to let go. How stupid she had been, how vulnerable, she'd never go back to that, she refused to. She needed a way out, a safety.
The only problem was...her lifeline,Troy Bolton.
The gentle shaking of her shoulders had brought her back to life. "Wake up, we're switching shifts," Troy told her, laughing as she groggily pushed him away. "I will drag you out."
"I'm perfectly capable of walking out myself," Gabriella snapped, catching him of guard, a small frown coming onto his features, both of them knowing that she had meant something completely opposite from switching seats in a car.
The gang had pulled into a gas station for two things, food and a bathroom breaks. After a few minutes of bickering in front of the cash register, Chad and Sharpay finally returned and got comfortable in the backseat, ready to eat and then sleep while Troy drove the rest of the way to their final destination. Gabriella had been kicked out of the back seat and into the passenger seat so that Sharpay could 'properly stretch out her legs' or at least that was what she had whined. Now, two hours later, Gabriella was starting to believe that she would not survive the rest of the car ride.
"Lend me some sugar!" Troy had been singing to himself, a steering wheel drummer, off in his own world. "I am your neighbor," He laughed his head falling backwards and though Gabriella was slightly amused, she would never let Troy know of it.
Instead, she rolled her eyes as he bellowed the chorus of 'Hey Ya'. "Can you please keep it down, you're going to wake them and I really am in no mood to here Sharpay's bitching."
"Could you drop the attitude?" Troy asked, still all smiles as the old song came down to its final lyrics, the new song unfamiliar, causing him to frown because he couldn't sing along.
"Attitude?"
"You've had one since we busted you out of confinement."
"I didn't need your help," Gabriella said bitterly, drawing her knees to her chest and hugging them close. "I'm perfectly capable of being on my own, believe me." Her eyes tried to make out the passing figures in the darkness outside. Tree. Tree. Tree.
Troy sighed, knowing that arguing with her would get him absolutely nowhere. "I figured I'd come check to see if everything were alright, that's all."
"You didn't before," She mumbled, her mind wandering back to the dream she had, the dream that was more like a nightmare from the past.
"What was that?"
"Nothing." Gabriella reached out, turning the radio's volume a bit higher, hoping that would end the conversation entirely. With her luck, Sir Mix-a-Lot's song "Baby got back" began to pump through the stereo, leaving Troy smiling like a child on Halloween who had just hit the mother-load of all candy.
The lyrics began obnoxiously pouring from his lips as he practically bounced in the seat, swaying with the beat of the song.
"You would know all the words to this song," Gabriella groaned, having to hear his off-pitch singing. "Pig."
"Spare me," Troy chuckled, "You probably know all of the words as well, prude."
"I am not a prude."
"Then stop being so uptight," He said lightly, trying his hardest not to let Gabriella's sour mood rub off on him, but he couldn't help but let the little immature kid inside of him shine through. "Prude," Troy said the word slowly, letting it roll off of his tongue in a teasing manner.
She glared, her mocha eyes lighting up as if dancing with fire. "I am not."
"You don't have to defend yourself."
Inside, Troy really did not want her to. For some reason, he didn't want to know of Gabriella's past with anyone else. He found it unnecessary information that made him extremely uncomfortable.
Pushing some hair over her shoulder, Gabriella turned in her seat to face him, her face contorted with anger. "I am not, I-"
"Shit! Was I supposed to turn there?" Troy exclaimed suddenly, stopping Gabriella mid sentence, preventing her from finishing her unwanted statement.
She turned to look behind them, the darkness was a benefit to Troy since it kept her from seeing his untruth, that there was no road that he could have possibly turned on to. "Turn where?" Gabriella asked, forgetting that she was about to prove Troy wrong.
"Never mind, I think we are good." He added a fake relieved sigh, his hand going back to the volume dial. "Little in the middle but she got much back…" His voice trailed off as he glanced over to see Gabriella's eyes set on him as if she were studying a book intently, trying to find a hidden meaning. "What?" His voice came off as apprehensive. Coughing, Troy attempted to cover it up.
Gabriella shook her head slowly, breaking herself out of some kind of trance. "Nothing, nothing at all," Gabriella said as she begun turning to look out the window once more, not seeing anything that particularly interested her.
"Hey," Troy's free hand landed on her knee, squeezing gently. "Lighten up, would you?"
She immediately put up her shield, like a force field whenever he touched her. She wouldn't make the same mistake twice; letting those feelings for him resurface. Moving her hand to bat his away, Troy reacted impulsively, swiftly taking her hand in his for a moment, a moment that felt too short once he let go, pulling his hand away and placing it firmly on the steering wheel, his face going red.
This car ride and the next two weeks all of a sudden felt like a year to Gabriella. She wasn't sure if she was going to be able to endure it.