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Chris felt his ankles start shaking, twisting in ways he knew were not natural, swearing in his head as he tried to glide across the frozen pond, throwing a glare at a laughing Tessa who skated in front of him. "Just you wait until after I take these bloody ice skates off!"
Tessa smirked, slowing down her pace and offering her own arm to Chris. "Oh come on Chris, it's not so bad. You even have hockey skates on! Isn't that like ideal for guys who ice-skate for fun?"
"It is only if he knows how to use them and how to stop so he doesn't fall on his ass all the time," called out Ryan, loving the ability to tease Chris and skate away out of harm's way, getting him back for a snide remark Chris had made earlier on in the car on the way back to Albuquerque. The gang had decided to stop to go ice-skating on a frozen pond on the way, which was about an hour away from the chateau they had left behind.
"Shut up Evans or I will purposely total your expensive SUV," threatened Chris, knowing he wouldn't be able to do that in fear of actually hurting someone.
"Go ahead and try! Sharpay isn't going to let you near the driver's wheel bud," yelled Ryan before he turned back around and picked up speed, skating gracefully around the upcoming curve.
"Show off," muttered Chris, ignoring Tessa's giggle as he tried righting himself again only to fall, again, right on his butt. "Son of a…"
"Language dear Christopher," joked Gabriella, stopping next to him to help Tessa get Chris back on his feet. "Graceful on ballet shoes but not ice-skates. That's definitely good to know."
Chris groaned. "At least I am great at skiing!"
"He does have a point Gaby," agreed Tessa, kissing Chris quickly to help try to soothe his bruised pride.
Gabriella shrugged. "I never said I excelled in everything. God knows I don't."
She felt a tug on her hand and looked over to see Troy starting to skate again, reminding her that she was doing so well mostly because he hadn't let her fall even as she wobbled. Without another word, Gabriella began gliding away from Chris and Tessa, happily following Troy's lead down the frozen pond's edge.
"Maybe we should get a pillow to tie to their behinds Tessa," remarked Taylor, pulling up even with Chris and Tessa now, all three watching as Chad raced by them only to fall on his butt a few feet away from Troy and Gabriella, who hadn't even noticed what happened behind them.
"Would make sense," agreed Tessa, laughing a little as Chad tried several times unsuccessfully to get up only to give up and pout like a little boy. "Better get over there and help him before some parent thinks he's a lost kid."
Taylor only rolled her eyes as she took off to help him up.
Chris looked to his left, rolling his own eyes as he saw Sharpay gracefully spinning in the middle. "Figures she'd excel in this."
Chucky laughed as he caught up with him and Tessa. "Insinuating something there Chris?"
"Me? Never," got out Chris, laughing before he tried picking up speed again and managed to fall yet again. "SON OF A…"
This time Tessa stopped him, seeing the glare a mother with two kids just gave them. "Sweetie, there are kids around."
Chris looked and saw the same mother quickly pushing her children on and further away from him. He sighed before he said, "All right, fine, I'll watch my mouth. Still hurts like anything."
"I'm sure it does," returned Tessa, steadying Chris as Chucky pulled him up right again. "Thanks Chucky."
Chucky just gave them a nod, taking off to skate on his own, pausing to help Chad back up as well. "At least I'm not the only one falling on my butt," commented Chris, finding some comfort in that.
Meanwhile across the pond, Gabriella and Troy were just enjoying each other's company as they continued to skate together, maintaining the same rhythm with each other. "I am starting to think you are made for basketball and winter sports," commented Gabriella, giggling as she saw the expected smirk cross Troy's lips. "We at least know you can't ride a horse as well as me. That's a comfort otherwise I'd feel completely inadequate."
Troy turned his head at this, shaking his head at her. "You? Inadequate? Now I find that offensive. You did forget one thing I was made for that I can think of off the top of my head."
"Oh yeah? What is that Mr. Cocky?" joked Gabriella, feeling his grip on her hand reflexively tighten as they got to another curve.
"You," he replied simply, as if that was the only obvious answer.
Gabriella smiled, touched with how very sweet Troy was. There were so many sides and dimensions to Troy that Gabriella sometimes wondered how the members of the council could really dismiss him as a candidate to be her fiancé just because of where he was born and raised. When she thought about it, that was really the only difference between him and someone like Patrick, besides the money associated to his family's name, and Gabriella knew that all the money in the world could not supplement some of the character traits Troy had that would be important when their time eventually came to rule Copanvy as the royal leaders. 'Let's just hope the council allows that to be a reality instead of forcing you out of the line of the throne Gabriella.'
"Damn, will you look at those two out there? I swear they move so well together that I'd think they were lovers if I didn't know they were twins," Chucky said, now skating next to Gabriella with Troy on her other side, pointing to where Sharpay and Ryan were currently skating together, doing tricks like lifts and turns. "They have such great timing together."
"Well their parents did want them to bond and paid handsomely for only the best lessons for those two in whatever they wanted. Ice-skating was a phase they went through together. Shouldn't surprise you though as it is a way of performing too," returned Gabriella, smiling as Ryan gracefully put Sharpay down.
Troy chuckled, thinking of how lucky he was that he wasn't Sharpay's partner in anything, especially in pair ice-skating. "Could you imagine the number of times Ryan prayed for something to save him from her wrath for accidentally dropping her on the ice? I'm sure that had to have happened."
Chucky laughed with him. "Good point man, good point. I can just see that happening too, Ryan making one mistake and Sharpay blowing a gasket. How did Ryan manage to survive unharmed?"
"Oh come on, Sharpay isn't all that bad," stated Gabriella, wincing as she spotted Chris and Chad pull each other down together as they tried skating with Tessa and Taylor together. "That seriously has to be hurting them."
"Probably but it is funny," said Chucky. "You two seem pretty good at this but that shouldn't be surprising."
"And what does that mean Chucky?" questioned Gabriella, giving him a playful look.
"Nothing but that successfully ice-skating together requires both people connected to share the same timing so no one is going faster or slower, keeping a nice even pace like you are. I'd say that perhaps it's even your joined heartbeat you are following together. It's nice to see. Even Taylor and Chad who are married can't get it together although that is no fault of Taylor's. My bro is just not graceful to save his life," he explained, grinning again as Chad managed to fall and bring Taylor down with him this time. "Poor Tay."
Troy and Gabriella both shared a silent look, both wondering if it was so obvious to everyone around them how very in tune with each other they were, knowing it must be so for Chucky to have said what he did. Their intertwined hands closed that much tighter together, an exterior sign that they were in fact on the same page, even then in their thoughts.
"You sure you want to be dropped off back here at Tessa's and Sharpay's Gab?" asked Chucky, who was pulling up in front of their house several hours later.
Gabriella nodded, ignoring the pleading look Troy had on his face to try to get her to stay at his parent's house with him. "As much as I wish I could stay with you Troy, I really have no desire to get put into the same predicament as we were on Christmas Eve," whispered Gabriella, not daring to look at Chad, who was sitting on the other side of her, still groaning of pains from all of his falls on the frozen pond.
"Fine, all right, I give," conceded Troy, knowing it wasn't such an important point to cause an argument over. "Let me help you into the house at least?"
"Thank you," answered Gabriella, scooting out of the SUV and taking his offered help down before Troy went to the back to get her stuff with Chucky's help.
Taylor also got out, giving Gabriella a hug. "We're on for lunch tomorrow right?"
"Absolutely, wouldn't miss it," confirmed Gabriella, waving at Chad, who waved back from the car. "You are so going to have a whiner on your hands later tonight Tay. You want help?"
Taylor just rolled her eyes, already used to the pout that was currently on Chad's lips. "He plays it up more than it's really hurting him, that much I know. Nothing new Gabriella."
"Glad to see marriage suits you two that way," joked Gabriella, turning to see the exterior security team that had been present the entire trip also pull up behind another tinted SUV that Gabriella hadn't even noticed was there before. A smile appeared on her lips as she saw Paul get out of the first SUV, vanishing as soon as she saw the tight look on his face.
Troy saw Gabriella pale before she started walking towards Paul, picking up her pace as she crossed the street. "Brie?"
Gabriella hardly heard Troy's call, focused only on what could have possibly happened to bring back Paul, especially in the mood he was in. "What is it? What has happened?"
Paul swallowed, leaning against the SUV and looking sadly at Gabriella after sparing a frozen Troy a glance. "I think you need to see some things Gabriella."
Looking down at the offered portfolio, Gabriella took it but glanced back up at Paul, confusion in her eyes. "Are my parents okay? My grandparents?"
"They're healthy if that's what you are asking," replied Paul, reluctant to say anything further.
Seeing that Paul wouldn't give her anything further, Gabriella took in a deep breath before opening the portfolio, freezing as she saw the headline of the cut out article.
"Arranged Royal Engagement Gone Wrong! Princess Gabriella Running For The Hills In USA!"
She hadn't noticed she was trembling so badly until Paul reached out and placed his hands lightly on her shoulders to help steady her. Gabriella raised her eyes up to Paul's and saw the answer to her silent question, seeing the confirmation that things were definitely bad and that her vacation was over. Gabriella's happy ending with Troy was about to vanish. That last part was definitely not an option Gabriella wanted to consider nor wanted. In fact, she was determined not to let that happen but a part of her began wondering if, when the final decision came, she'd be strong enough to follow through with what her heart wanted versus her sense of duty.
Knowing she needed to know how much damage there was, Gabriella turned her attention back to the article, paling the more she read.
With the New Year, new revelations have come to light as to where Princess Gabriella has been all these weeks and what could have possibly driven her back to the United States. An inside source reports that Princess Gabriella left Louvis and quite possibly the royal family behind after an explosive argument over an ancient tradition most of Copanvy was unaware of existed for the royal family.
What is this tradition that could have set off our normally level-headed princess? It has been revealed that for many generations, over hundreds of years, the first in line for the throne of said generation is expected to enter into a marriage arranged for them by the royal family, and as of late, the Copanvy Royal Advisory Council. This tradition has served to do many things including create allies for Copanvy in the foreign political world as well as strengthen the royal line with the power and money we all know they possess.
Pictures have surfaced though recently showing Princess Gabriella freely spending time with her friends but also a certain Louvis Knights basketball player. The couple has been spotted kissing openly and being rather affectionate.
Of course, this must come to a shock to not only the council and royal family but also to Patrick Diaz, who has been mentioned as the choice the Copanvy Royal Advisory Council made for Princess Gabriella. It has been a suspicion that Patrick and Princess Gabriella would one day be married but their arrangement has not been public knowledge during their courtship.
Is the royal arranged engagement between them now off as Princess Gabriella is clearly involved with another man? Or is Princess Gabriella merely living up her free days with Troy Bolton as a last goodbye to freedom before her impending nuptials with Patrick? Is this an act of defiance or a clear announcement that Princess Gabriella would rather live her life as a commoner than live the royal life, giving up life in Copanvy after all these years as well as ending the royal family's existence after her father's reign?
Different inside sources seem to be indicating opposing thoughts at the time of press. One thing is for sure. This New Year brings about definite change for Copanvy and it all seems to rest in the hands of Princess Gabriella, whether she knows it or not.
"God, no pressure or anything!" exclaimed Gabriella quietly, frustrated with the angle the news article took and how everything was portrayed. Her eyes widened as her frustration evaporated from her mind when she saw the large pictures accompanying the article. Feeling her throat suddenly become dry, Gabriella was vaguely aware that her mouth was hanging wide open as she saw several pictures of her and Troy, one of them walking together arm and arm on New Year's Eve, a shot of them dining in a restaurant with the rest of the gang back here in Albuquerque, and the last one, the worst one to have been captured and published, one from New Year's Day morning out on their private balcony in the snow. Of course, the leading picture was a different shot of Troy and Gabriella in their bathrobes, wrapped together out on that balcony spliced next to the image of Patrick proposing to Gabriella.
As Gabriella began to waver on her feet, Paul put his hands out and onto her shoulders again, steadying her. "Gabriella, breathe, please. You can't faint on me here."
"There's nothing more than this right? Please Paul tell me there is nothing more!" pleaded Gabriella, already feeling the weight of everything begin to crush her into the ground.
Paul shook his head. "I can't honestly tell you that but you don't have to see or read them. You do however need to read what's right after that news article."
Trying to stop the shaking, Gabriella grabbed the news article by a tiny corner as if it would burn her and turned it, looking at a letter written on official royal family stationary with handwriting belonging to her father Stephen.
Gabriella,
By now you know that things have exploded here in Louvis and throughout Copanvy. We need you to come home immediately. Cut the trip short, say goodbye to your friends, and come directly back here. It is absolutely important that you do not say anything to anyone about how you are feeling or what you are doing. Trust no one Gabriella, not even Troy. Paul is the only one who knows about this letter and knows quite a deal more about what is going on and it will stay that way for now. Accompany him to the airport and get on the first flight you can. You know me dear daughter and I would not ask this of you unless it was absolutely critical.
See you soon.
Dad
Gabriella read the letter five times to make sure she wasn't hallucinating or misreading. Seeing the same words written in black ink stare back up at her twisted Gabriella's stomach, making her so upset that she wondered how she wasn't puking there on the street. Her eyes met Paul's knowing yet concerned gaze, knowing the answer before she even asked it. "This is all true?"
Paul hesitantly nodded his head. "Unfortunately it is. Things are very serious and I need you to go into Sharpay's house, pack up your stuff, say goodbye to everyone citing a royal obligation and refusing any accompaniment. The next flight leaves in little more than two hours so you need to be quick."
Breathing in deeply and closing her eyes, Gabriella let out the same breath and snapped the portfolio closed as she sensed Troy quickly approaching.
"Is everything okay? Brie? Paul?" asked Troy.
Tears pricked Gabriella's eyelids at the sound of Troy's genuine concern in his voice. "I have to leave Troy. Paul has come to remind me of a royal obligation that I have to be at."
It didn't take long for Troy to realize that he was being lied to despite the steadiness of Gabriella's voice. "Gabriella, please, what's going on? Don't shut me out like this."
Gabriella felt herself be turned around, opening her eyes only when she was sure that the tears were pushed away. Seeing the pained expression the love of her life wore just then was nearly Gabriella's undoing, leaving her barely grasping to the sanity she had and the knowledge that as much as it hurt them both, she had to do what her father asked of her. "Troy, I have to go. Please let me leave it at that."
Studying Gabriella for a few moments longer, Troy saw that whatever it was that she and Paul were both hiding had shook her up, badly. "Whatever it is, we don't have to talk about it now. I'll pack my things and I'll come with you."
Miserably, Gabriella shook her head. "You can't. Please, it's better if you stay here and make the best use of the time we planned to have left with our friends. I need to take care of this on my own. I'm sorry Wildcat."
"But whatever is going on, I should be there with you Gabriella! I want to be there! Together we face the world, right?" answered Troy, a sickening feeling eating away at his gut.
"We do face it together but this time, you need to be there in spirit with me, trust me on this. I want you to be there with me, I need you to be too, but you can't Troy, not this time. Please, don't make this any harder. I'll see you in only a few more days time okay?" begged Gabriella, pleading with Troy to work with her, to let her go without having to lie to him any further. Gabriella knew this was tearing Troy up inside just as it was her but she needed to find out what was going on back in Copanvy and knew instinctively that whatever it is, for her father to write what he did, that it wasn't good, nowhere close to it.
Troy's eyes flickered towards Paul who didn't seem to contain an ounce of optimism or happiness in the moment, confirming Troy's worry that something had happened. "You can't force me to stay here Gabriella. You need me, I can tell you do. You've even admitted it!"
"Because I can't ever lie to you Troy but this, just please don't make me lie Troy. I'm not letting go of us all right? This isn't it, I promise you but you need to let me do this on my own right now. If anyone else asks, let them know I had a royal obligation I needed to attend to. I'm letting you know what I just did because I love you Troy, with all of my heart, but I can't offer any more than that," stated Gabriella, leaning up to kiss Troy's cheek before walking towards her friends' home, stopping to break the news of her early departure to the rest of her friends.
Sharpay and Taylor merely followed Gabriella inside to help her pack quickly while Chucky, Ryan, and Chad lingered outside, all wearing different expressions on their faces as they felt the gloom that was now hanging over Troy, a clear polar opposite of the glow he had previously held just moments before.
Once Gabriella was all packed, she handed off her bags to Paul and Curtis, who loaded them into one of the tinted SUVs, allowing Gabriella some privacy to say goodbye to her friends.
Tears gathered in Gabriella's eyes as she said goodbye to each one of her close friends, hating the sense of déjà vu she was experiencing at the rushed farewell.
Almost as if they were all feeling the same thing, Tessa said, "We really need to stop losing you this way, all the sudden departures from trips out here that were supposed to last longer."
Gabriella pulled away from the hug and nodded her head, agreeing with Tessa and the others who were all nodding their own heads. "I know, it definitely sucks. I wouldn't be going if it wasn't for this stupid obligation and my need to be there. I'm so sorry to cut out on you guys."
Sharpay was the next to pull Gabriella into a fierce hug. "Don't worry about it Gabriella. Things happen. It's not like this is the last time we'll see you either. Just try not to stay away for so long."
"I'll be back sooner, promise," replied Gabriella, returning the hug before being enveloped next by Ryan and then Chad.
After sharing embraces with Chucky and Taylor too, Chris was second to last, looking at Gabriella as anxiously as Troy was. "Ella, let me or Troy come with you, please. I don't get a good feeling about this 'royal obligation' you are talking about."
Gabriella bit her lip, so touched that Chris would be so concerned about her. "Don't worry about me. You only have a week with Tessa before you have to go back too. We may have had a break for the Nutcracker being done by the children's division of the company but the new season will be starting soon and you'll need to focus on that again. Treasure your time here with her Chris and watch Troy for me please."
Chris sighed, knowing there was no arguing with her with the way she was talking. "Of course."
They shared a quick hug, Chris kissing Gabriella's cheek before pulling away, handing Gabriella over to Troy, who silently wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her tightly to his body. Gabriella allowed herself to cry a few more tears before she forced herself to stop, remembering that she had to keep up the best front she could per the letter from her father.
"Say goodbye to your parents and Amy for me please and apologize to them for me not saying goodbye personally. I'll see you in a week all right?" offered Gabriella, clearing her throat as it tightened once again on her.
Troy reached back to her petite right hand and pulled it into his own, bringing their joined hands together between them. "Whatever it is that is going on, I trust you Gabriella. No matter what, this ring you wear is a material symbol that came from my heart to remind you of my constant, unconditional devotion and love for you. I know you'll fight for us, just as I always will. Travel safe Brie. I love you."
"I love you too," she whispered back, barely containing the tears as their lips met in one last kiss before Gabriella pulled herself away, giving Troy and the rest of their friends one last look before getting into the tinted SUV, heading off to a future that was unknown but had her terrified.
"She's not going to some royal obligation or function she forgot about is she?" asked Chucky, once the tinted SUVs were out of view.
No one answered, not knowing what to say exactly as the words that came out of Gabriella's mouth seemed to assure them that she was just sad to leave them while the air around her spoke of something quite different. Only Troy knew for sure that the "royal obligation" was a farce and a cover for something, he only wished he knew what. Although he couldn't see what the next few days, weeks, or months held for them, Troy knew instinctively that they were going to be the most important to him, Gabriella, and their shared love, praying that somehow they would make their planned future together a reality in the end despite the tiny seeds of doubt that were flourishing in his mind.