Story [High School Musical 1, 2 & 3] - Missing Movie Moments (Various) - 10/?

Okay, I fought with myself about posting this, but in the end I couldn't resist... this is a series of "missing moment" Vigs from HSM 1, 2 & 3. There are 26 of them in all... but I'll post them in the order they would go through the movie as I get time. Most of these are Gabriella & Troy centric, or one or the other with the occasional different character.

Note: If you'd like to see a specific "Moment" that you feel is missing from the movies, please PM me - my muse is on a HSM kick and can always use the help. Thanks!

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Disclaimer: High School Musical 1, 2 & 3 are property of Disney and I make no money off of this; I'm simply destroying the sandcastles - or adding to them.


[b]Title:[/b] Growing Pangs
[b]Author:[/b] Jade_Max
[b]Summary:[/b] Jack Bolton reflects on Troy?s newly discovered singing talents after his son challenges him with the idea that he can be both a playmaker and a singer.

[b][u]Growing Pangs[/b][/u]

Where had he gone wrong?

Ever since Darbus had informed him that Troy could sing he hadn?t believed it. I mean, his son was the basketball guy ? totally committed and totally focused on one thing and one thing only. Basketball. He?d never been prouder than when his son had been voted the team Captain ? and Troy had taken to the role like the natural leader he was.

And now this.

Troy had not only missed practice, but he was reclusive, avoiding the court at home, coming home late from school well beyond practice time and leaving early morning before normal kids even thought about getting up for school. He?d all but disappeared, or so the team had said, from free period work outs and was vanishing at lunch only to show for his afternoon classes just as the bell was ringing.

[i]?But you?re a playmaker - not a singer, right??

?Did you ever think maybe I could be both??[/i]

The look on Troy?s face, the sincerity in his eyes when he?d asked that very question ? before walking out on him ? had said it all. His son had found another pass time that drew him almost as hard as Basketball; a pastime he hadn?t felt inclined to share for some reason. Not only was Troy moving beyond Basketball, something he?d never dreamed would happen, but he was moving into an arena Jack was totally unfamiliar with. An arena Jack would have sworn his son was totally unfamiliar with.

Troy singing - with the Montez girl.

That was another curve ball he hadn?t expected; finding Troy swinging the girl about like a play toy and looking as if he was enjoying it. Yes, his son was sixteen - so an interest in girls was to be expected - but he?d never dreamed one would be able to distract his son from something as crucial as the preparations for the Championship game.

His son had good taste - the Montez girl wasn?t just cute, but truly beautiful ? but she was interfering with a dream he and Troy had shared since Troy had been old enough to hold a ball. Troy playing on a team with a shot ? just as he?d had ? at the Championship. He hadn?t thought anything would have been able to distract Troy from that goal.

Shaking his head, Jack Bolton picked up the ball Troy had dropped and headed for his office, trying to sort through everything he?d seen and heard since the school year had started again. His son had been distracted and gotten himself detention the first day back, missed free period workout and auditioned for Darbus? winter Musicale on the second, missed practice today ? and now he suspected it was because of Gabriella that Troy?s focus had suddenly disappeared.

No. That wasn?t right. Troy was still practicing on his own, often hitting the court before he left for school and whatever he was doing before class and his game wasn?t any worse than before. Except he didn?t talk about Basketball anymore and his focus had shifted from complete absorption in the sport to something else.

Singing.

Throwing his clipboard on his desk, Jack collapsed into his chair and stared at the clippings that lined his walls. The Wildcats ? led by Troy ? through this season with an impressive record. Undefeated, except in their first gam

 

Title: Apology
Author: Jade_Max
Summary: Troy apologizes to Gabriells for his father's behavior in the gym.

Apology

Troy didn't waste the time changing or hitting the showers before he went in search of Gabriella as he left the gym. His father's attitude stung - especially after the talk he'd been given about team supporting one another no matter what. His father's incredulity was like being laughed at by one of his best friends, and that hurt, but it didn't hurt as much as his father's treatment of Gabriella.

His dad could have, at the very least, politely acknowledged her outstretch hand. But instead he'd chosen to be rude and accusatory - derogatory towards the first girl Troy had ever been even the least bit inclined to have meet his parents.

Okay, to be fair his dad was trying to look out for the welfare of the team, but that didn't mean he shouldn't use the manners he'd taught Troy as a basic part of his upbringing. Even if his dad was steamed about detention - which it seemed still rankled - and about his missing practice, an honest mistake, it didn't mean he had to take it out on Gabriella. Troy should have been the target and instead Gabriella had been caught in the crossfire.

Still in his uniform, Troy bolted through the hallways searching for the girl who'd proven to be the only distraction fascinating enough to keep him from basketball. The hallways were empty for the most part, the students who could escape right after class already having left for the day. Darting from one hallway to another, he slid recklessly down one banister in the stairwell and then another, hitting the floor running as he headed for Gabriella's locker.

Hopefully he hadn't missed her - and nearly fell over as he rounded the last corner, barely managing to jump to the side and into the lockers - as he almost slammed into the object of his search. "Gabriella!"

Falling back and away, Gabriella put one hand out on the lockers on the other side of the hallway for support, staring at him in pleased surprise. "Troy! Shouldn't you be practicing?"

Troy recovered quickly, finding his feet and blurted the first thing that came to mind. "I walked out."

Hugging her books to her chest, Gabriella cocked her head at him. There was a slight reservation in her posture that hadn't been there before the confrontation with his father and Troy regretted it instantly. "How come?"

With a shrug, Troy was as honest as he could be. "I didn't like the way my dad treated you or the way he's pressuring me to just be the basketball guy. That's not fair to either of us."

"Wow." She looked impressed and a little mollified. "The Superstar's going against his coach."

Shaking his head, Troy disabused her of the notion immediately. "Not really. This is the son going against his father - that he's also my coach is just bad luck. My dad should trust me. I mean - I've been nothing but basketball for as long as I can remember, it's just what I do. I'm good at it - that's why I'm the playmaker - and he knows I'll give it my all in the championship game no matter what other interests I have... at least, he should know it." Running his hand through his hair, he exhaled noisily. "I guess not though, since he's worried about you taking away my focus."

"Me?"

"Yeah." With a boyishly shy, but charming, half smile, Troy looked away. "I've never missed a practice - until today."

"But you weren't with me."

"Sure I was - we were painting sets." He met her gaze once more. "And no matter who else was there, I was only there because of you."

That made her blush and duck her head. "I thought you were there because of the callbacks."

"That too."

Silence fell between them for a long minute until she shyly looked back up. "Was there something else? I think I've missed my bus."

Troy winced. "Sorry about that. I only came to tell you I'm sorry for my dad and the way he treated you. If I'd known he was going to be so sore about the whole thing, I'd never have tried."

"Wouldn't that h

 

Title: Weekend Woes
Author: Jade_Max
Summary: After Gabriella tells Troy that she's no interested in doing the call backs, she avoids him for the rest of the day at school. It being Friday, Troy isn't given another chance to discover what he did wrong until Monday - which makes for a very long weekend.


Weekend Woes

Troy stared after Gabriella as she walked away from him, the abandoned sheet music for "Breaking Free" clutched tightly in one hand. Shocked, he couldn't do more than stare after her as she disappeared into the crowd, hunched protectively over her books. Confusion and hurt rattled around in his head, careening through his system and keeping him rooted to the spot when he should have gone after her.

Did I miss something?

Her words echoed around him as if she stood next to him.

"I mean, who?re we trying to kid? You?ve got your team and now I?ve got mine. I'll do the scholastic decathlon and you win the championships. It's where we belong."

"What the-?"

Gabriella was gone by the time he recovered enough to even think about going after her. Folding the sheet music carefully, he headed for his own locker, wondering what had suddenly changed Gabriella's mind. Had joining the scholastic team convinced her that she shouldn't be friends with him or something - or did it go deeper than that?

If it was, why hadn't she mentioned anything before? Surely if she'd had doubts she would have told him; building up the expectation that they were really going for the final call backs and then letting him down in the fashion she had seemed... well, unnecessarily harsh. He'd been so pumped from finally getting the team off his back and looking forward to singing with her that the last thing he'd been expecting was what had just happened.

Was it stage fright?

Opening his locker, he traded the sheet music for his books for the afternoon classes. Not one of them was with Gabriella, much to his dismay, but he resolved to corner her after school to try and sort things out. He needed to know why she'd suddenly changed her mind.

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End of the School Day ? Friday

Troy skidded to a stop at the end of the hallway where Gabriella's locker was located and checked the clock on the far wall. Two minutes after the final bell. Leaning against the wall, he waited as the students had cleared out... and waited... and waited... only Gabriella never showed.

Another look at the clock showed fifteen minutes had passed - well beyond when Gabriella should have been retrieving her bag to head home - and a sinking sensation settled like a knot in the base of his stomach. The certainty of it only made him feel worse.

She was avoiding him.

There was no other explanation.

But why? He'd thought they were friends, a team set to do their best and show everyone that they weren't just what people thought them to be. To sing "Breaking Free" hadn't just been a callback, but a way to prove there was more to him than basketball - and more to her than math. Sure, his buddies had been riding him hard about it, but that hadn't stopped him from wanting to do it, or from intending to do it - until Gabriella had told him off.

Why?

What had changed so drastically since he'd seen her that morning in homeroom and shared a smile, to when she'd spoken with him after lunch? All he could think of was her comment about having a team of her own to compete in the scholastic decathlon - but why would having her own team change their plans for the call backs?

She knew he'd been cutting short his practices, even missed one, so involved he'd become in it all - surely she could do the same? It was important for him to spend that time with her, to be someone other than 'the basketball guy' and to let her be someone other than the 'freaky math girl' - and enjoy themselves. And, privately, he found he did enjoy singing with her as much, maybe even more, than he did playing on the court.

Not that his team would ever hear it from him.

Leaving the

 

Title: Coming Clean
Author: Jade-Max
Summary: Troy learns what his teammates did in letting Gabriella see what he was telling them - and plans to get her back

Coming Clean

Troy stared at Chad feeling as if they'd just sucker punched him.

"You did... what?"

Chad, Zeke and Jason shared a nervous look. They'd half expected Troy to explode when he learned what they'd done. Instead, their Captain was staring at them in a complete lack of comprehension. Or perhaps it was simple incredulity that his friends had the gall to try and dictate with whom and how he spent his free time.

"We thought this whole singing thing was ruining our chance at winning the game this Friday," Chad told him honestly, repeating himself for the third time. "So we asked Taylor and the decathlon team to help us split you and Gabriella up. I knew if I pushed hard enough you'd snap and say something to get us off your back; Taylor just helped us make sure what you said and did was heard by Gabriella."

Suddenly, everything that had happened this past weekend had a reason, and as Troy stared at his friends, he knew with an almost painful clarity that everything - all of it - was his own fault. He'd been played by his friends, goaded and prodded, ridden to the breaking point... and snapped.

No, that wasn't right. He hadn't snapped; he'd broken under the pressure and given them the means to make his life miserable. And in the process, he'd hurt the only person who'd ever met and liked him without knowing about his East High Superstar status.

"You..." Troy shook his head, staring back across the rooftops but not really seeing anything except for Gabriella's face the way she'd looked on Friday when telling him she wouldn't sing with him anymore. "You guys had... no... right..."

None of his three team mates stepped any closer; they simply waited and watched silently as he struggled with what they'd done - which had to simply funnel his words to where they'd wanted to go. No one had made him say anything, no one had forced him to denounce her the way he had and, as Troy realized exactly what he'd done, his shoulders slumped and his head bowed, his face coming to rest in his hands.

Gabriella probably hated him. He'd said some inadvertently hurtful things about her without realizing she could see or hear him - and worse, he remembered every single one. He remembered telling his team mates that she wasn't important, that the singing meant nothing to him - and he remembered being scared to death they'd never believe him. That they'd see through every single one of those lies and call him on it.

Apparently he'd been convincing enough that the person who'd begun to know him better than even Chad had believed it as well. Maybe he was a better actor than he'd thought.

But how did he fix it?

Gabriella's attitude in the cafeteria had been cold - or so he'd thought at the time - but it was really hurt. He could see that now. She was still reeling, still recovering from his words to his team mates. He must have taken everything she'd thought of him in those moments and shattered it completely. He must have reinforced every stereotype she'd ever heard about him and become the monumentally, universally insensitive jock.

"Troy?"

His head stayed where it was - cradled in his hands. "She must hate me; thanks guys."

Chad's hand settled on his shoulder. "If she hated you, she would at least say something, wouldn't she?"

"She did." Troy raised his head to turn bleak eyes to his friends. "She told me off on Friday after lunch when I went to talk to her. No matter what I said, I never had any intention of giving up the singing thing, or her - I only wanted you to think I did so you'd stop riding me."

"Did she scream at you?"

Troy shook his head, shrugging off Chad's hand in the process. "I wish she had."

"Troy, look," Chad backed away, seeming to understand his friend didn't want him close. "At least you know why she won't talk to you, right? So you can explain-"

"Right - and say what

 

Thank you thank you thank you for HSM fanfic. I'm probably about 10 years too old to like those movies, but I don't care.

Basketball isn't the only thing I'm good at and it shouldn't be the only thing I do simply because you guys can't handle my other interests.

Yeah, that's right! Way to take a stand, Troy.

I hope it's not too much to ask for a story about Ryan.

 

LOL! I'm with you right there hon; I'm probably too old to enjoy these movies too, but I do anyway - I'm even teaching myself the dances - they're one heck of a work out!

Too much to ask for a Vig about Ryan? Heck no! I got my HSM2 DVD yesterday and there's a couple of juicy missing moment scenes in there with Ryan and Gabi that are too much fodder to pass up Won't have a Ryan Vig for HSM, but for HSM2? For sure - the muse is already scheming!

Thanks for reading

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[b]Title:[/b] Rekindled
[b]Author:[/b] Jade-Max
[b]Summary:[/b] Gabriella has accepted Troy's apology sing-a-gram and joined him on the balcony

[b][u]Rekindled[/b][/u]

Gabriella's gaze met Troy's as she looked back over her shoulder at him, a smile having curved her lips, her eyes bright with happy tears. This was the Troy she remembered; the one she'd met on Vacation. This was the Troy she'd spent last week with, who had come to her rescue when she'd stepped up to audition on her own; and volunteered to sing with her. This was the Troy she'd sung with at New Years.

His lips spread in a delighted, almost euphoric smile as their eyes locked and he turned, ducking slightly under the branch overhanging that rail of the balcony to join her. They'd been apart, separated by misunderstanding and hurt for just over three days, and being close to her once again made everything suddenly feel right.

The band that had been tight around his chest since she'd rejected him on Friday eased, disappearing as he stepped close, not daring to place a hand on her, but daring to be close enough her shoulder brushed his chest. They shared a smile and, once again, he was taken with the urge to kiss her, just as he had been at New Years.

[i]"You should just ask her out already."[/i] Chad's words came back to him, but with everything he and Gabriella had just been through, he wasn't willing to push his luck no matter how tempting it might be.

"I really [i]am[/i] sorry, Gabriella." His words were soft, heartfelt; he needed to know she understood. "I never meant to hurt you."

"Sure you're not just playing to your audience again, Troy?"

"You mean you?"

She nodded and he could clearly read the uncertainty in her gaze. While she might have agreed to resume singing with him, he had a long way to go to reassuring her as to the importance of her presence in his life.

"You see me. I meant it when I said that the guy you met on Vacation is more me. The guy who sings with you - that's really me. When I'm with you I don't have to be "The basketball guy"; I don't have to be anything but me and that's special. Really special. I should have just told the guys that."

"And open yourself up to more teasing?"

He settled for singing a line from their new duet. "You know the world can see us, in a way that's different than who we are."

Her smile was well worth the softly sung line - and she picked it up at her cue without looking at the music. "Creating space between us, 'till we're separate hearts."

"They can try," He dared to touch her then, reaching up to brush a tendril of hair behind her ear. "But I promise you'll never doubt me again, Gabriella."

"Who; Troy Bolton the superstar? He was easy to believe - he made sure of it."

Wincing, Troy shook his head. "That Troy you saw is the one everyone sees; the image that's expected of the coach's son and the team's captain. That guy would never dream of anything except basketball all the time - he'd breathe it, eat it, live it all the time... and I suppose he did until this past New Year's."

"What, did he find another interest?"

"Better," he acknowledged. "He found an inte

 

Title: Callback Caper
Author: Jade-Max
Summary: The Wildcats planning session to enable Troy and Gabriella to make the Callbacks.

Callback Caper

Troy arrived in the science lab five minutes after the lunch bell to find everyone was already present. Glancing behind him, he closed the door and drew everyone's attention. Gabriella grinned in anticipation as his gaze sung past her - stopped for a split second - and then continued. Checking the faces about the room, Troy found every single one of them to be eager to hear the plan he'd started concocting since reading about the callback time and date change.

Rubbing his hands together, he couldn't stop the anticipatory grin that mirror Gabriella's as it stretched across his lips. "Are we ready?"

"I'm dying to hear this plan," Taylor told him honesty. "I didn't think anything would tear you away from Basketball."

"Cute," Striding into the room, Troy pulled out the notebook he'd been using that morning to write down his ideas. His mind had been spinning since reading the callback change and he was bound and determined to sing with Gabriella - if for no other reason than to show what an amazing voice she possessed. She didn't deserve to be in Sharpay's shadow because she wasn't given the opportunity to shine. "Okay, here's what I've got so far. There's nothing concrete, but I'm hoping you guys will have some ideas on how to flesh this out."

The other gathered around, Gabriella ending up pressed up against his left shoulder as Chad crowded her from behind to see over both her and Troy's shoulders. Their gazes locked and Gabriella blushed as Chad coughed deliberately.

"Uh, Troy?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you gonna explain this?"

Forcing his gaze back to the page, Troy pointed out the first section. "Okay, this is everything that will cause an evacuation of the gym. We can't just stop the game for a couple of minutes and I can't disappear if dad subs me off - and he won't." There was no ego in the statement; it was simply fact. Troy was the playmaker on the team which meant he only came off if injured - and even then it was only if he couldn't continue.

"Good thing you're the Captain and not me."

Chad's comment made everyone laugh before Troy continued. "So whatever we decide is going to have to be something that stops the game for ten or fifteen minutes; something that will force the gym's closure for safety reasons, but allow it to be reopened once they discover the issue."

"What'd you have in mind?"

Troy glanced back at Gabriella to answer her question. "This morning I thought about flooding the place, but that could be dangerous."

"What about an air issue?"

"Or an electrical outage?" All eyes turned to Taylor and she took a half step back. "What?"

"Taylor, you're a genius!" Troy started to write it down. "If we can cause electrical issues through the gym that interferes with the score clock and lighting, they'll have to call a time out and evacuate the gym; it's in the school's safety regulations."

"How do you know that?"

The Basketball star shrugged. "It pays to know what kinds of things can interfere with practice and game schedules. Can it be done?"

Taylor's expression turned smug as she shared a look with several of the other students on the decathlon team. "The electrical systems throughout the school are child's play. I think between the five of us we can come up with something."

"Good." Troy glanced to his fellow teammates. "Is there anything you need from us?"

"A distraction to get the equipment we'll need to plant in place."

"Will it take long?"

The braniacs shared another look. "Ten minutes or so?"

"Then you already know what you're going to do?"

"Leave it to us, Troy," Taylor assured him. "We'll need to get into the electrical room that houses the relays for the score clock and the gymnasium lights, other than that, we'll handle it from the decathlon."

"Wouldn't a timer be a better idea than whatever it is you're planning to do remotely?"

"Maybe," Taylor agre

 

Title: Something More
Author: Jade-Max
Summary: You're only as strong as the sum of your parts; strive for something more.
Notes: This was written before the rest of the ficlets posted thus far in the thread, but it fits

Something More

Troy kept his hand linked in Gabriella's as they left the stage, pausing only to collect the lab coat that was a part of her decathlon attire. The students who'd come to watch them audition were still cheering as they descended the stairs together, Gabriella blushing with the ovation. Troy lifted one hand to wave to everyone - and stopped dead in his tracks.

His dad stood at the back of the auditorium - and he was smiling. Troy didn't quite know what to make of it. If he'd known his father was coming to watch them audition, he might not have been able to sing - and things would have turned differently.

"Troy?"

Gabriella tugged on his hand, her concerned tone drawing his attention. "Sorry, what?"

"You okay?"

Troy nodded to where his father stood, and Gabriella followed his line of sight. "I guess I'll find out sooner rather than later what my dad thinks of the singing thing, huh?"

"He looks happy - I think. Come on."

As if the student body understood their direction as Gabriella and Troy headed for Coach Bolton, the applause died away and the students began to filter from the auditorium using the opposite exit. It gave them a clear pathway up the aisle to Troy's father. Troy didn't relinquish Gabriella's hand as they stopped in front of Jack Bolton.

"A singer, huh?"

Troy tensed at his dad's words. "Dad, I-"

"Gabriella!" The trio turned as Gabriella's mother came rushing across one of the rows and engulfed Gabriella in a hug. "I can't believe it, why didn't you tell me you were doing this?"

Gabriella's hand was still caught in Troy's as she hugged her mother with one arm and then pulled back, glancing nervously from her mother to Coach Bolton and back. "Troy and I didn't want anyone to be disappointed if we didn't get the part."

"Disappointed? Oh, sweetie, how could I be disappointed after that?"

Gabriella looked to Troy in a silent plea as she glanced between her mother and his father. Troy smiled, mustering his courage and squeezed her fingers. "Ms. Montez, this is my father, Coach Bolton. Dad, this is Gabriella's mother, Ms. Montez."

The adults shook hands. "You didn't know about this, huh?"

Ms. Montez shook her head. "Gabriella didn't say a thing."

"Did you know she could sing?"

"Not like that."

The adults turned identical contemplative looks at the two teenagers who were standing side by side - and hadn't yet relinquished their supportive clasp on one another.

"I had a hint that Troy was interested, but I hadn't heard him sing before now."

"You must be proud."

Coach Bolton looked contemplative. "He's always been the basketball guy-"

Gabriella felt Troy tense next to her and stepped closer, grasping the hand still in hers with both hands.

"-I never thought he didn't want to be just the basketball guy."

"Neither did he, Coach Bolton," Gabriella blurted. "Singing wasn't something Troy ever thought of doing."

"Which begs the question, Ms. Montez," Troy's father told Gabriella pointedly, "where did he get the idea when none of us knew he could sing - yet you did?"

"May I have your attention please," the PA system crackled to life, saving Gabriella and Troy from having to explain. "Power has been restored to the gymnasium and the chemistry lab has been aired out. It is once again safe to resume all activities. Thank you."

"Look at that, gotta run," Gabriella squeezed Troy's fingers before letting go. "Good luck."

"You too!"

She flashed him a smile before darting out of the gymnasium, her mother on her heels with a polite smile. Troy flashed his dad a grin, "Shall we go get that championship?"

"What team?"

"Wildcats!"

Troy jumped, spinning in place to find his team had stayed behind as the auditorium had clear

 

And so we begin with the HSM 2 Vignettes

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[b]Disclaimer:[/b] High School Musical 2 is property of Disney and I make no money off of this; I'm simply destroying the sandcastles - or adding to them.

[b]Title:[/b] Ending of a Fairytale
[b]Author:[/b] Jade_Max
[b]Summary:[/b] Gabriella reflects on how Troy is slipping away from her.

[b][u]Ending of a Fairytale[/b][/u]

As the vehicle carrying Troy pulled away, Gabriella looked back over her shoulder, silently wondering if that wasn't symbolic of everything that had been happening.

Just yesterday her sweet, adorable boyfriend had been coaxing her into the pool for an illicit swim, daring the wrath of the Country Club's manager to enjoy a private moment. He'd been late, sure, but she'd just been happy to have some time with him. Now she wasn't so certain she should have been so lenient - as Taylor said she had been - with Troy's tardiness.

Sliding her hands into the pockets of her shorts, she headed back inside, following the disillusioned Wildcats as they went looking for a fourth for their two on two game. Troy wouldn't be back that night; she didn't know how she knew it, but she was sure of it. Something would happen to keep him at the gym, and while she didn't begrudge him the opportunities which seemed to be falling into his lap, she did object to the sudden change.

Troy was no longer the same young man she'd met months earlier. He wasn't the same guy she'd sung with during the Winter Musical - the one who'd had to coax her to sing in the audition and helped her over her fear of singing in front of a crowd. The concern for others was still there, except he was suddenly starting to let his concern for his future - his [i]personal[/i] future - override everything he had been. The Troy she'd known was disappearing, sliding into obscurity without so much as a whisper of protest.

It wouldn't have hurt so much if it had been an unwilling change.

The worst part of it all, was that the Troy who was both her friend and boyfriend would have agreed with her opinion had he been able to step away from the situation. He'd have clearly been able to see that what he was going for and the path he was taking might have been lined with gold - but underneath the foundation was eroding with every step. His relationships were slowly deteriorating, fraying at the edges from his actions; actions she had yet to see him show any kind of remorse or acknowledgement of.

Heading back into the kitchen, she considered her options as Chad, Zeke and Jason continued to search for someone to join their two on two game and fill Troy's spot.

Taylor was supposed to give her a lift to the baseball diamond, but hadn't yet finished her duties. As the designated member activities organizer, her shift ended a little later than the others, giving Gabriella a chance to reflect on what had just happened and had been happening since Troy's promotion. No, that wasn't right. Since they'd gotten their jobs at Lava Springs.

Initially things had seemed to be business as normal - Troy had rallied the Wildcats behind him and convinced them that working for Fulton wouldn't be the nightmare they anticipated. It had been just like school, with Troy leading the way and the Wildcats following his natural charisma to pull together. And while they didn't have classes to attend, Troy had a way of making things seem like a fun challenge instead of work.

That fun was what had driven them in the beginning, bonding them together in a fashion she hadn't thought anything would be able to dissolve. A week and a half of harmony had resulted, with a pattern emerging for the team as they'd found their niches at the club and where they'd fit in. Troy had been the same attentive, caring and solicitous boyfriend she'd come to rely on through the school year.

And then Troy and Chad had been asked to caddy for Sharpay's family.

Whatever had happened on the course - and neither of them had said - had been the start of Troy's defection. It had started that night when he'd been late for their date by over an hour, and e

 

Title: What About Us?
Author: Jade_Max
Summary: After seeing the Wildcats rehearsing - and the hug Gabriella and Ryan share - Troy reflects on the fact that Gabriella seems to be slipping away from him and he doesn't know how to stop it. HSM2 Missing Moment-ish vig

What About Us?

Watching the Wildcats cavorting around the practice room with Ryan in their midst, directing and guiding them through various steps as they looked to be having a blast was amusing - until Ryan took Gabriella's hand and danced with her down the center of the double lines they'd formed. It was like taking a blow to the chest after having been hit once. He'd felt jealousy before when he'd walked in on Ryan and Gabriella playing around by the poolside - and Ryan had put his arms about Troy's girl as if he had the right.

Then it had been a sharp, stabbing pain that had resulted in curt responses and an uncomfortable silence when Ryan had finally left Gabriella alone with him. He hadn't known what to say in that silence as he'd looked at her, wondering when that had happened. Talking with Gabriella had never been an issue; she'd always been the one person he could share any thought with and not be worried about ridicule.

Gabriella was his girl; she was his matched pair - someone to balance out his strengths and weaknesses with her own and gave him the courage to move beyond the roles that were expected of him.

Now, it was like a chasm had opened between them, slowly growing wider and wider and he hadn't a clue how to stop it. She was slipping away from him, even then, and he'd been desperate to hold on - but hadn't a clue how. It wasn't as if he was deliberately moving away from her; he'd tried to call when things had run overly long at the gym, but she hadn't answered. He'd tried to explain just how things seemed to be going his way and all she'd done was criticize - what had happened to the supportive girlfriend who'd always been there before?

Or was it Gabriella that had changed after all? She'd accused him of becoming a new Troy along with the perks that had been allocated him at Lava Springs and hadn't been nearly as excited as he was. He hadn't pegged her as the jealous type, and her tone hadn't held jealousy - but it had held a reserved note he'd not heard before. A critical, disapproving variance he'd never dreamed to hear from her.

Now, as the Wildcats completed their performance, the knife in his chest twisted just a little as they parted to reveal Gabriella clinging to Ryan in an enthusiastic hug. The blade dug in a little more deeply as Ryan set her away - only to drop a gallant kiss on the back of her hand. Her delighted smile said it all. She was enjoying the attention. Which was fair, he supposed darkly; it wasn't as if Troy had been around much in the last week since his promotion, but she didn't have to look like she enjoyed it as much as she obviously did.

Avoiding Sharpay had been easy, but he hadn't really seen her when Gabriella had departed the music room, instead he had eyes only for Gabriella. It had always been that way - the second he'd met her and heard her sing, he'd been enraptured. Now was no different than before; except he now saw her for who she was, not just what she could do.

And it hurt.

It hurt because he was losing her and couldn't figure out why. Worse, it felt like he was losing her to Ryan because of his lack of attentiveness, but if he stepped in now, he'd only seem like a jealous boyfriend. And maybe he was, but the rational part of his brain told him not to be, that he had to trust her and Ryan would never dare to try and take Gabriella away from him. It wasn't in his character.

Still, they were drifting together naturally, much as he and Gabriella had, and it made Troy wary. It was the kind of situation where, for the first time, he truly considered he might lose her. Not because of something he'd done, but because of something he hadn't done. Gabriella and he hadn't spent any time together since he'd been promoted - mostly because he'd be

 

Title: A Stranger Wearing His Face
Author: Jade_Max
Summary: After leaving Troy and her job at Lava Springs, Gabriella reflects on what's happened and how things are going to change. HSM2 Missing Moment-ish vig

A Stranger Wearing His Face

"Gabriella?"

Ignoring the summons, Gabriella shifted her position on the edge of her balcony, using the nearby tree as a backrest. The sun was coming up after the worst night of her young life - and she didn't feel like smiling.

"Gabriella?"

Her mother's voice drew nearer and finally the genius girl was forced to turn her head to answer. "Out here, mom."

"What on earth are you doing out there?"

Gabriella turned her face away before her mother could see it; she hadn't been willing to explain when her mother had picked her up from Lava Springs the night before, and she was even less inclined to this morning. She'd broken up with Troy; something she'd have sworn would be impossible six months ago. After their rocky start, they'd been inseparable and he was her best friend and confidante.

Or rather, had been.

Another tear slid down her cheek. "I couldn't sleep."

"Gabby, that's the matter?"

The compassion in her mother's tone was the last thing Gabriella wanted at that moment. "I'm fine, mom."

"You don't sound fine." The sound of her mother's footsteps came closer. "And you weren't fine when I picked you up from work last night."

"I told you; I quit my job."

"Was that all? I saw you with Troy, and-"

"Mom." Gabriella almost choked on the syllable, holding up one hand to stop whatever she'd been about to say. It took a shuddering breath and a tough swallow to move past the ache in her throat before she could continue. "Please just drop it."

Ms. Montez paused before answering, her tone full of understanding. "Alright. I'll be downstairs if you need me or if you want to talk."

Gabriella tilted her head back against the roughness of the wood as her mother departed, opening her eyes to the green canopy of the oak that overlooked the balcony outside her bedroom. She well remembered pleading with her mother for the bedroom with the view - and her mother's teasing capitulation about wanting a quick escape route.

A quick escape route. Hardly. The balcony wasn't one she'd dared climb down - but it was one that Troy had climbed to see her on more than one occasion. She'd half expected to find him waiting out there this morning with an apology - while she'd also known he wouldn't be. Troy didn't see what he was doing as wrong.

Green swam before her eyes, blurring as more tears flooded her gaze and trickled down her cheeks where - again - she made no move to stop them. She hurt; her chest hurt, her throat hurt - her heart hurt. Breaking up with Troy had been the right thing to do, but regardless of it, she felt as if she'd forcefully severed a limb. That she'd slowly been losing him to Sharpay and his dream of a perfect future during their employment didn't matter.

Eventually she'd have lost him completely, but at that point it wouldn't have been her decision. It would have been her inability to walk away from a deteriorating situation or to confront him. No. This way was better, no matter how much it hurt, and Troy needed to see that what he'd been doing was slowly alienating himself from his friends and from her.

If he cared.

The sincerity in his gaze - how tightly he'd hugged her - as he'd begged her not to go, not to leave him, had broken her heart - but she had needed to stand firm, for both herself and for him. If she'd let him continue as he had been, he'd have thought it was okay to treat people the way he'd begun with his friends and teammates. If he continued, she knew he wouldn't have any friends left when school began again and the Wildcats' chance for back to back Championships would be shot.

Still, she hadn't done what she'd done for the school. No. She'd done it for herself. Once before in their stormy relationship Troy had made a similar mistake, except this time it wasn't that she doubted what he felt for her. She was sure he s