A/N: This is the first chapter of my newest fic, and it's my first High School Musical fic. Um, well, a thing about the title. It really has nothing to do with the story. The story was inspired by this song by Dave Melillo, called "Knights Of The Island Counter," so I used it as a title.This chapter may be a little bit awkward, because I'm writing it in 3rd person. If you've read any of my other stories, most of them are in 1st person, so this is a bit of a struggle to stay in 3rd. But I think it came out alright. Let me know what you think! R&R! Thanks! -Mac

Disclaimer: I don't own High School Musical or other related related characters and storylines.

Chapter One

Reminiscent

Gabriella tentatively walked through the open doors and into the banquet hall. There was already a lot of people there and the familiar faces swam before her eyes. Her nerves were getting the best of her and she contemplated turning around, running back to her car, pulling away and driving as far away from this place as she could get. But she didn't. She only scolded herself for letting her mother talk her into coming here.

This place only brought back memories she'd rather not have resurface. Not this place, this room, in particular, but this whole city held memories for her. Memories she had locked away, never to be brought up again. That was her assertion when she believed she would never come back her again, never see these people again, never see him again. Now that she was here, those memories were flooding her mind, overwhelming her.

Once her mother moved out of New Mexico, to live closer to her, she had no reason to come back. She had lost touch with all the people she had once been friends with. It was painful losing touch with people she cared about, especially him. A pain she didn't exactly want to endure again.

He was bound to be here. The school's all star, varsity basketball captain, led his team to championship every year he played, cast as a lead in every musical after his first--alongside Gabriella of course--the two of them knocking Sharpay and Ryan Evans off the radar of the East High drama department. While high was just the beginning of his glory days, it was good to him. He wouldn't miss an opportunity to take a walk down memory lane, while Gabriella so wished she had. Her strongest reservation was probably seeing him again. She wasn't ready to have him back in her life--even if it was only for a few hours of one night.

Gabriella hesitantly surveyed the room, as she proceeded a little further in. She had yet to see any of the people she had been close to in high school, but she was sure that would change at any moment. She was right. Almost the minute that thought crossed her mind, she heard it.

"Gabriella Montez!"

Her name was called loudly from somewhere to her right. Gabriella spun around to see who it was. She smiled as she watched Sharpay Evans bounce toward her. There was a face she would never forget. It was hard to when she saw it plastered across the covers of every magazine and tabloid in the stores.

Sharpay's name was a household icon. Her celebrity was only outshined by one person in their class: her brother. After graduation the twins had drifted apart just enough for them to establish separate careers. Gabriella had personally believed that Ryan just got sick and tired of living in his sister's shadow. Ryan got his big break long before Sharpay did. His popularity skyrocketed past hers--many people said he had a more calm and considerate personality. In recent years though, Sharpay found herself back on top after Ryan dropped out of the scene. The last Gabriella had heard was he was planning on settling down and starting a family before returning his focus onto his career.

Sharpay had the brightest smile on her face when she arrived in front of Gabriella. Gabriella highly doubted Sharbay was that excited to see her, but she waved it off as Sharpay dragged her into a warm hug.

"Gabby Montez! It was been far too long!" Sharpay squealed dramatically. "I haven't seen you since grad. I can't believe we let ourselves lose touch. It's such a shame."

"A tragedy." Gabriella agreed sarcastically.

"So how have you been? Any special people in your life right now?" Sharpay questioned, smiling a knowing smile and winking at Gabriella.

"No, there's no special guy in my life right now. I've been focusing on my job. Nothing incredibly exciting or thrilling." Gabriella answered. "I guess I don't need to ask what's going on in your life right now, I can just read about in next week's issue of 'Celebrities Uncovered.'"

"You can't believe everything you read in those things." Sharpay giggled and tossed her hair over her shoulder.

Sharpay proceeded to tell a heated, passionate tale of her latest fling. Gabriella did her best to listen intently as Sharpay confirmed a story Gabriella had just read in a tabloid two days earlier, while waiting in line at the grocery store. As Sharpay finished up she spotted one of the old drama club alum, and with a quick goodbye to Gabriella she took off in that direction.

Gabriella let out a sigh of relief as Sharpay left her sight. She was certain this was going to be the longest night of her life. Gabriella made a beeline to the bar set up in the corner and grabbed a glass of champagne from the bartender. She was taking her first sip of the bubbly liquid when a piercing squeal reached her ears. Less than a second later she was nearly tackled from behind by the girl she used to call her best friend.

"Gabby, oh my God! Gabby, it's been so long!" Taylor cried as she hugged Gabriella.

As Taylor stepped back, she caught hold of Gabriella's hands and swung them as she jumped up and down in excitement. Gabriella laughed, and tried to still her. In an attempt to determine what Taylor had done over the last ten years, Gabriella tilted Taylor's left hand so she could get a view of her ring finger. Gabriella assumed she would have been married by now. When Taylor finally calmed down a little, Gabriella spoke.

"No ring, so I guess you and Chad didn't..." Gabriella said, but trailed off as she watched the expression on Taylor's face change.

"We broke up, about six months after graduation. About a month and a half after we lost touch." Taylor responded.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." Gabriella's eyes widened.

"No, it's okay. I'm way over it. It's been almost ten years." Taylor shrugged it off, but Gabriella saw something in her eyes that told her she was lying.

"How have you been Taylor?" Gabriella asked sincerely, "I feel terrible that we didn't keep in touch."

"I've been great. I got a job as a science teacher a couple of towns over. I'm in the process of moving back here to teach at East High. There's a teacher retiring at the end of next year--and I think I'm going to be taking her place." Taylor explained. "What about you?"

"I'm a teacher too. Not so shocked that we both ended up teaching."

"Me neither. I think we were just suited for it." Taylor smiled, then her gaze passed over Gabriella's shoulder, "Oh my gosh. Kelsi!"

Gabriella turned to see Kelsi running toward them. Once she arrivedshe caught both Taylor and Gabriella in a hug.

"You guys!" Kelsi called. "Ten years is too long, Gabby, way too long!"

"Kelsi, honey, where'd you run off to this time?" A voice yelled out.

"Jason, sweetheart, over here!" Kelsi turned and waved him over with her left hand. Jason joined them a moment later, kissing Kelsi's cheek.

"Oh my God!" Gabriella cried as a sparkle off Kelsi's finger caught her eye. She grabbed Kelsi's hand and held it up to get a better look. "You guys are married?"

"For almost a year now." Kelsi confirmed, grinning happily. "We would have invited you, but we didn't have your address or number, and you're mother had already moved."

"No, don't worry about it. Congratulations!" Gabriella waved off Kelsi's inevitable apologies.

"Thank you." Kelsi smiled.

"It's nice to see you again, Gabriella." Jason added.

"It great to see you guys, too." Gabriella agreed. "I can't believe you guys are married."

"It is a little unbelievable." Kelsi replied. "I was more than a little surprised when he proposed."

"It was a beautiful ceremony." Taylor added, "Just beautiful."

Gabriella nodded in acknowledgement of the explanation, but her stomache tightened a little as she realized something. Just beause she lost touch with everyone, it didn't mean they hadn't kept in touch with each other. Gabriella looked away for a moment, as Kelsi and Taylor continued to tell her about the wedding. She saw Chad sitting at a table talking with a few guys she recognized from their old basketball team. When he suddenly turned in her direction, she awkwardly looked away and tuned back into the conversation with Kelsi and Taylor.

"It sounds amazing." Gabriella replied once they finished. "Absolutely perfect."

"Oh it was." Kelsi nodded, a dreamy look on her face.

Gabriella smiled and looked toward the doorway. After her eyes were on the doorway for less than a second, yet another familiar face appeared. His arrival was followed by an excited squeal from his sister across the room. Of all her old friends, Gabriella would have to have said Ryan had changed the most. She attributed the change to his current ability to shine separately from his sister. In high school, everything he did was shadowed by Sharpay. When he got out of high school and established his career, everything he did was seen as all his own--and Sharpay wasn't credited for any of it. He was no longer Ryan Evans, Sharpay's brother. He was just Ryan Evans. It sparked a change in his personality, in his entire attitude toward everything.

After a quick greeting between Sharpay and Ryan, the twins headed to the small group of their old friends. There was a round of hugs and sentiments once Ryan joined them. Gabriella was the last in line to get a hug from Ryan. He placed a kiss to her cheek before stepping away.

"Sorry I'm late, everyone. I had to get Kylie set up in a hotel room. Eight months pregnant and she refused to stay home." Ryan explained.

"So you're married?" Gabriella replied.

"Going on three years." Ryan nodded, "Kylie is amazing. I would love for you to meet her, but I told her she had to rest tonight. She's incredibly stubborn, but she knows it's for the best."

"She is amazing. Beautiful girl. Made a gorgeous bride. It was a wonderful small ceremony--just family you know. She's taken to pregnancy well..." Sharpay spoke fast, as she beat her brother to the description of his wife, wedding and baby on the way. "It's a girl! Can you believe it? She's going to be perfect. But will her gene pool, how could she not be!"

"So it's a girl?" Taylor asked, once Sharpay calmed down.

"Yeah." Ryan answered simply, "Kylie's happy about it. She grew up with three older brothers, so she's happy our oldest is going to be a girl. Plus she says she needs to be around some femininity."

"Do you have a name for her yet?" Gabriella piped up.

"We have a few in mind, but nothing certain. Kylie doesn't want to decide until we've met her. Something about matching her personality." Ryan explained.

"I've always liked the name Joslyn."

Ryan turned around sharply, "Chad! It's great to see you!"

"Hey Ryan." Chad greeted him. "You're hear less than five minutes and you're already onto baby talk?"

"He's the only one who can talk baby talk." Taylor replied.

"And you're outnumbered by girls..." Kelsi began.

"Women." Gabriella corrected.

"Women, right. You're outnumbered by women and women like to talk babies." Kelsi finished, "I think it's in our genes."

"Babies are just so adorable and so innocent." Gabriella agreed, smiling.

"I'm happy to oblige." Ryan joked, "Just wait until the baby is born. Kylie will be the one down here chatting it up with all you ladies, while you fuss over the baby."

"How is Kylie? I haven't seen her since you guys came in town for that big Christmas Party your parents threw two years ago." Chad replied.

"Very pregnant and stubborn. She's set up in a hotel down the street. Wouldn't let me come alone. She said pregnant or not, she was coming." Ryan explained to Chad.

"She is mighty stubborn." Chad agreed.

"She can certainly hold her own." Ryan nodded.

Conversation jumped around from topic and topic as the old friends caught up. The first major halt in conversation was when Zeke made his first appearence. An awkward silence fell upon them. Despite her lact of contact with everyone, Gabriella knew all about what happened between Zeke and Sharpay. Practically everyone in the country knew what had happened.

It was right after Sharpay hit it big. It was that small period when her name and face were everywhere--"Hollywood's Newest It Girl" and "Breakout Star of the Year." Everyone around her and everything she did was spilled out onto the covers of tabloids. Every move she made was made under the scruchinizing eye of the public.

The relationship between Sharpay and Zeke was great during high school. Sharpay was a little different when she was with Zeke, but just a little. She was very much the same Sharpay Evans. As shallow and snobbish as ever. While they weren't exactly voted "the most likely to stay together after high school"--that superlative was actually won by Taylor and Chad--it was still a surprise when their much publicized relationship went south.

Their breakup was everywhere. It made the front cover of every tabloid. It started out as a mutual breakup, but as time progressed the reporters warped the story into something much worse. One stated that Zeke had dumped Sharpay when he found out she had strayed during a late night premiere party--he had been unable to attend with her. Another raved on about how Sharpay had ditched Zeke because he didn't have her level of fame and status and she no longer wanted to dirty her hands with the common people. The rumors got nastier and nastier until there was a brand new, "fresh", scandal to cover.

Either way, it was clear Zeke and Sharpay were no longer together. After greeting Zeke, he joined the group and conversation started back up. Gabriella, however, noticed that Sharpay had grown quiet--only putting in short commetns every so often and with less energy--and that Zeke kept spending hesitant glances in Sharpay's direction.

Gradually, and it was kind of unclear to Gabriella how, they separated a little. The guys went off a ways to talk of "more masculine" things as Chad put it. The girls found a table in one corner, and with a fresh round of champagne settled in to talk about more feminine things.

They passed the time with laughter, drinks and memories. For Gabriella, it felt good to be around the people who used to be practically the center of her life. She had never found friendship like the friendship she once had with these people. Sure, she had friends--in college, at work. But none of them meant something to her in the same degree as these ones did.

Moving into East High was the best thing that happened to Gabriella, for many reasons. She regretted losing touch with all her friends, for all these years. It wasn't like she wanted to, but she just didn't put the effort into staying in touch. This time she would though. This time she would.

"I need another drink." Gabriella announced after she took the last sip of her glass.

Gabriella stood and headed for the bar. She smiled at the bartender as he poured a new glass for her. Just as he placed the glass on the bar in front of her, she had the strongest urge to turn around. It was a strange feeling, but she felt as if it was very important for her to look behind her. Giving in, Gabriella turned.

It was like the world around her began to move in slow motion. It was an odd sensation in the pit of her stomach, that she couldn't explain. Gabriella spun around to look just as he came in the door. She froze. She completely froze: body stationary, limps totally paralyzed. She couldn't flinch, blink or even breathe. It was him.

Troy Bolton.