AN: I know i'm taking forever, but i promise this one gets finished.

Sharpay, Chad, and Taylor stayed by the refreshment table in the interest of speedy refills. As the night progressed, the karaoke skills got shrill and sloppy. The rum punch helped to ease the ache in their ears.

"Great minds think alike." Kelsi joined the group, holding up her plastic cup. Chad tapped his cup against hers.

"Just a few more and I'll be ready for my close up," Chad said.

Taylor quickly blurted, "I'm holding you to that."

Kelsi asked Sharpay about her show and what it was like being on set. The two compared the inner workings of television production and Boardway. They knew a few of the same people. Kelsi was about to ask if Sharpay knew a fellow Juilliard alumni when she was firmly elbowed in the ribs. She suppressed her reflex to hit back when she saw where Sharpay was pointing.

At the edge of the dancefloor, Gabriella and Troy were caught in a kiss.

Chad and Taylor were also alerted to the situation. Everyone was quiet except for Sharpay's dramatic slow clap. "There it is, boys and girls. What we've all been waiting for!"

"You're way too invested in Troy's love life," Taylor said to her.

"You would be too if you'd seen the way he's been moping around for the last few years. He's too cute to be going to waste." Sharpay was still watching the couple, unashamed in her actions.

Sharpay's face became worried as they watched Gabriella separate from Troy. She walked away quickly, just short of a jog. Troy was left awkwardly standing on the dance floor. He ran a hand through his hair and walked the other direction. "Trouble in paradise…," Sharpay mumbled before following after Troy.

Kelsi passed her empty cup to Taylor and jerked her head in the direction Gabriella ran off to. She followed her out the double doors to the fresh air. Gabriella had both hands on the stair rail like it was the only thing keeping her standing. Two other people were nearby having a smoke break. Kelsi stood close to Gabriella silently, ready to listen.

It took a few minutes for Gabriella to collect her thoughts and control her breathing. The couple smoking had gone inside. Slowly, Gabriella took her hands off the railing and turned to Kelsi.

"I kissed him."

"I saw."

Gabriella covered her face with her hands.

"How do you feel about it?" Kelsi already knew the answer from the blush still present in Gabriella's cheeks.

"Like a teenager." Gabriella shook her head. "Just when you think you're an adult, WHAM!"

Kelsi laughed. "That's what makes love grand."

"I think that's the worst part." She paused for several moments and Kelsi waited quietly. "It's still grand. That part hasn't changed."

"Some things don't change." Kelsi made a grand sweeping gesture with her arms. "Look at all this! It feels like we could step right back into high school. The building is the same. The friendships are still there."

Gabriella nodded. "That's true," she sighed. "But, I want things to have changed. I've worked so hard to get where I am. I'm proud of it. That means I can't just go back."

Kelsi grabbed Gabriella's hands. "I'm proud of you, too. We've all accomplished great things. Still, we all showed up for this silly reunion."

Gabriella squeezed her hands and took a deep breath. "We did."

Gabriella and Kelsi walked out back inside and immediately regretted it. Kelsi tried to pull them backwards before their friends saw, but it was too late. Calls of their names were already being hurled across the space.

Up on the stage, the entire crew was standing in front of the karaoke machine. There weren't enough microphones for everyone, so they were huddled in closely. Sharpay and Ryan were arguing over the song choice when they joined. Sharpay wanted to pick a current song, but Ryan was wanting to stay on theme. By some miracle, Ryan won the debate. As the beat began to play, Kelsi shared the microphone with Martha and Jason as Gabriella joined Troy, Zeke, and Taylor. Sharpay, Ryan and Chad shared a final microphone.

Sharpay's voice rang out first, of course, with the chants of 'hey' as Ryan added in. Chad must have consumed enough punch because he picked up the first verse. "Won't you come see about me? I'll be alone, dancing you know it, baby," he sang before flinging his arm in the direction of Kelsi's trio.

"Tell me your troubles and doubts," they continued singing. Gabriella lost track of the rest of the verse. She knew the song well and the movie it came from even better. Troy was smiling at her, knowing that she was pleased with the choice. Gabriella had made him watch it so many times that he had stopped letting her pick the movie.

She leaned into the mic for their turn, singing "Slow change may pull us apart when the light gets into your heart, baby."

The entire group picked up the chorus, belting out way too many repetitions of "Don't you forget about me." Taking turns on verses and smashing together for the chorus, they finished the song. Gabriella punched the sky like John Bender at the end.

It was nice having the whole group together at once. Gabriella had missed the feeling of being part of a greater whole. Conversations flowed easily and laughter was common. She wanted to pay more attention to the topics at hand, but she was constantly sneaking glances at Troy. He was giving her space yet staying close at the same time. She knew the routine well. It was one of the many things she loved about him before. Troy was always so good at the balance of being in a group without making her feel alone. At parties, she would never have to go looking for him. He didn't disappear at sporting events when the women's line was longer than the men's. At family cookouts, he was always close enough to intervene when his grandmother started talking about marriage and babies. She knew the energy was different this time, he was nervous, but the actions were the same.

The reunion was starting to wind down. Several people began to leave, including Jason, Martha, Zeke, and his wife. They had babysitters to relieve. Everyone exchanged hugs and made sure they updated contact information. Martha made everyone pinky promise not to go another decade without a get together.

Troy was biding his time. He knew Gabriella needed some space, but he was also increasingly aware of the reunion ending. He kept watching Gabriella, trying to gauge when she had relaxed. Finally, she caught his eye and he motioned for her to follow him. He walked away from the group, not looking back in case she didn't follow.

Thankfully, she did. He held open the door for her as they walked outside. The slam of the door behind them made them both jump and then chuckle at their own unease. Even after dark, it was hot. Troy felt himself starting to sweat under his McFly layers.

"Troy, I-" Gabriella said.

Troy began with "Gabriella, we-" at the same time.

Gabriella shook her head. "We used to be good at this."

"What, talking?" Troy laughed as she agreed. "We weren't, actually. Or I wasn't. That's what broke us up."

"It was a lot of things. Neither of us handled change well." Gabriella leaned against the metal railing of the stairway, looking out to the parking lot. He watched her knuckles go white as she gripped it tightly, grounding herself.

"You can say that again," Troy agreed, but wished it wasn't true. Sometimes, change felt inevitable, so much so that the idea of living in the moment was the only option. Other times, it was like you were a tire in the mud spinning frantically without any traction. He didn't know which one he was in right now. It was hard to wrap his mind around being in the same place with the same people when so much had unfolded within the last decade. It was like he jumped right back into a parallel universe that didn't really exist.

"So much has changed in ten years," Gabriella said somberly. She exhaled loudly and adjusted her bright scrunchie, fiddling with her dark hair.

Troy opened his mouth to reply, but thought better of it. He needed to say this correctly. The railing was cold under his forearms as he leaned beside her. "I don't think so," he said and she turned her body to face him. "Hear me out. A lot has happened, definitely. Most of us went to school, several of us have created entire human beings, and most of us are all spread out now. But does Zeke making baby food surprise you? Ryan obviously fits right into East High and drama. Sharpay was made for TV. Chad is doing exactly what he said during our graduation musical. What I'm trying to say is, things have changed, but the people are the same."

Troy moved to hold both of Gabriella's hands in his. "You really think so?" Gabriella asked. Her brown eyes were wavering.

"I do. I've tried my hardest to become a better version of myself, but I'm still me. You've done so much, just like I knew you would. You're a caring, ambitious, beautiful genius. You're still you." He squeezed her hands. "It's still like kindergarten."

Gabriella's eyes were glossy with tears unshed. Troy let go of one of her hands so he could touch her face. "I want another chance at this. Us." He stroked his thumb along her cheek. "It's now or never. Can we try again?"

Gabriella nodded, the movement making a tear fall down her cheek and onto his thumb. He pulled her closer and kissed her quickly before hugging her into his chest and refusing to let go.