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deborahdeshoftim5779 · 2 days ago

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An entertaining song.

But let's review the lyrics:

(Did you ever) lose yourself to get what you want?

I have rewatched High School Musical 2 twice within the last few weeks, and I have it playing now. I was last interested in this fandom between 7-9 years ago. Yet my opinion remains the same: Troy never "lost himself" in order to pursue a scholarship opportunity. He simply became busier, was unable to meet commitments with his friends, and he was stressed from trying to please Mr. and Mrs. Evans, Sharpay Evans, the Redhawks boosters, the Wildcats, and his girlfriend. This is a plateful for an adult; how much more so for a teenager?

(Did you ever) get on a ride and want to get off?

This would most apply to Sharpay Evans' relentless pursuit of him and her unethical quid pro quo, participation in the Talent Show in return for preferential treatment from the University of Albuquerque's talent scouts.

It would not apply to Troy getting to play with the U of A's basketball team, which he enjoyed so much he described it as "being in another world".

(Did you ever) push away the ones you shoulda held close?

But Troy never pushed his friends away. He was under pressure, being pulled in all different directions, and something had to give. Had Gabriella Montez in particular allowed him to explain, then he might well have made up for these problems. "I'll pick you up in my new truck, and we'll go to a movie. I promise." Likewise, Troy never pushed Chad away. His only fault was pushing a plateful back to Chad, thereby cutting the latter off as he prepared to greet a U of A Redhawks player. Later on, Troy wasn't able to invite Chad and the rest of the Wildcats basketball players to come to scrimmage because the Wildcats weren't invited. That was beyond his control. "It's a closed practice." It was Mr. Evans who had selected Troy; notably, none of the Wildcats petitioned Mr. Evans or Mr. Fulton for the same privileges. They simply blamed Troy.

My problem isn't that the Wildcats made mistakes; it's that they never apologised for their own share of misunderstanding. The Wildcats also forgot their own advice from the previous movie, that they would be cheering for Troy as he pursued his own passion. Clearly, the Wildcats' definition of being a team was that nobody received any preferential treatment at all, but that isn't how life works. Fame isn't fair. Mr. Bolton already explained this to his son: keep your eye on the prize, else you get left behind. Troy's father had no problem with his son getting advantages over his teammates, "as long as you've earned it". According to the objective opinions of Mr. Evans, Mrs. Evans, Ryan Evans ("My dad says you're doing great with those college guys."), Sharpay Evans (bigging up Troy's achievements and correctly pointing out that Troy was "far too modest"), the U of A talent scout, and the U of A basketball players, Troy definitely did earn this attention. He did deserve the opportunity, even despite Sharpay's unethical intervention.

If Troy had to apologise for "losing himself", then the Wildcats ought to have apologised too for not supporting him and jumping to the worst conclusions without taking into consideration the pressure he faced and his obligations to please the Evans family. If not, then at least they ought to have apologised for inflicting the silent treatment on him when Sharpay banned employee involvement in the talent show. If they wanted Troy to show solidarity with them, then it made no sense to stop speaking to him. Instead, the Wildcats wanted to punish him.

It worked. Troy blamed himself for Sharpay's own wrongdoing, accused himself of being a jerk, and turned down his future, and in so doing, earned the Wildcats' approval once more.

I will never understand this movie.

High School Musical 2 2007 | dir. Kenny Ortega

#hsm 2 #troy bolton

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only-kiwi · 24 days ago

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brother’s best friend

in which you’re chad danforth’s younger sister & you’re in love with his best friend.

word count: 2.9k

content warning: nothing tbh??

troy bolton had been a constant presence in your life for as long as you could remember. he and chad had been best friends since childhood, and you had watched them grow up together, laughed at their inside jokes, and cheered them on at every game. but it was troy’s kindness, his passion for the game, his love for his friends, and that quiet intensity in his eyes that had drawn you in, long before you ever realised you were in love with him.

you were close enough in age that you shared some classes together, but the more time you spent around troy, the more you realised that he was always there - whether it was picking you up from school or waiting with chad after practice for you to finish your homework. he treated you like family, but it was always that lingering feeling, that heartbeat in your chest, that reminded you it was something more.

there was that one moment you would never forget. it was the day after the big game where the wildcat’s had won the regional championship. troy was walking with your brother to the locker room when he noticed you sitting by the bleachers, lost in thought. he smiled, that warm, sincere smile of his, and walked over.

"hey, you okay?" he asked, sitting beside you. his presence was enough to calm the storm that had been raging in your chest for days.

all you could do was nod, trying to force a smile. "yeah, just... thinking."

troy raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "you know you can talk to me, right?" he said gently, his voice soft and comforting.

the words were on the tip of your tongue. i’m in love with you, troy bolton. i’ve been in love with you for as long as i can remember. but you couldn’t say them. not to him. not to anyone.

you’d always kept it to yourself. who would believe you? who would understand that the boy you’d practically grown up with was more than just your brother's best friend? but it wasn’t something that was easy to hide. the way troy’s smile lit up a room, the way his laugh could make everything feel lighter - how could anyone not fall for him?

it all started when you were young. you would watch him from the sidelines during basketball games, feeling a rush of pride when he scored, your heart swelling with a love you couldn’t define. over the years, you’d developed a secret routine: pretending to just be “chad’s little sister” when all you wanted was to be someone troy noticed for more than just being in his orbit.

***

chad had decided to host one of his legendary pool parties at your house. laughter rang out as people told stories around the fire pit, and you found yourself sitting at the edge of the group, gazing at troy without meaning to. he was talking to chad, but every now and then, he would catch your eye. a playful smile would cross his face, and for a fleeting moment, you dared to believe that maybe, just maybe, he saw you differently too.

your brother, ever the protector, leaned over and nudged you with his elbow. “stop staring at him, sis. you’re gonna make him think you’re a weirdo. that’s if he doesn’t already think that.” you rolled your eyes but didn’t respond. what could you say? the truth was too impossible to admit.

the night grew late, and people began to filter inside the house. you stood up, ready to go in and call it a night when troy stopped you.

“hey,” he said, his voice warm as always. “you coming inside?”

“yeah, just… needed some fresh air,” you stammered, feeling the familiar nerves bubbling in your chest.

troy stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. “you know, i’ve always thought you were cooler than chad gives you credit for,” he said with a smirk. “you’re not just his annoying little sister.”

your heart skipped a beat. what the hell is happening right now? you thought. “thanks,” you whispered, not trusting your voice to carry more than that.

he smiled, that same smile that had haunted your dreams for years. “you should come hang out with us more. i know you’re always kind of in the background, but you’re more fun than you think.”

“yeah, maybe,” you said, trying to play it cool, but your pulse was racing. the idea that troy bolton, the one person you’d adored secretly for so long, thought of you as fun made your head spin. maybe he didn’t know what you felt for him, but this small shift felt like a crack in the door, a potential glimpse of something more.

“i mean it,” he said, his voice more sincere now. “you’ve got a lot more to offer than just being chad’s sister.”

the words hung between you, both of you standing there, not knowing what to say next. you wanted to tell him everything, wanted to tell him that you’d been in love with him for as long as you could remember. but you were scared - scared of ruining the friendship, scared of being rejected.

troy seemed to sense your hesitation and offered a reassuring smile. “anyway, just think about it. you’re always welcome to hang with us.”

“thanks,” you said, barely able to hold back the emotions threatening to spill over. “i’ll… i’ll think about it.”

as you turned to walk inside, you couldn’t help but smile to yourself. maybe, just maybe, troy had started to see you—not as chad’s little sister, but as someone else entirely. and that was a start.

maybe the love you’d kept locked away in your heart for so long didn’t have to remain a secret after all.

***

the next few days felt like an eternity. after that conversation by the fire, you couldn’t stop thinking about it. troy had always been kind to you, but this—this felt different. it wasn’t just the casual words of friendship. there was something in his tone, something in the way he looked at you that made your heart race. you replayed that moment in your mind over and over, wishing you could somehow decipher what it all meant.

but troy wasn’t one to be obvious with his feelings. he kept his distance, acting like everything was normal, like nothing had shifted between you two. he hung out with chad, joked around, and played basketball as usual. but every time you saw him, you couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed.

it wasn’t until a week later that you got a chance to talk to him again. chad had dragged you out to one of their practice sessions, claiming he needed a “cheerleader” and that you were the closest thing to one. you’d only half-heartedly agreed, but when you arrived, you found yourself leaning against the bleachers, quietly watching troy as he practiced with his team. the way he moved, his natural leadership on the court - it was hard not to admire him.

after a while, the team wrapped up, and troy jogged over to where you were sitting, wiping sweat off his brow.

“hey, you actually showed up,” he teased, his smile making you feel like you’d just been hit by a wave of warmth.

“i never said i wouldn’t,” you shot back, trying to act casual even though your heart was beating louder than the basketballs bouncing on the court.

troy chuckled and sat down beside you, resting his arm on the back of the bleacher. “i guess i owe you a drink for coming all the way out here to watch me get sweaty.” he grinned, a playful glint in his eyes.

you rolled your eyes, trying to keep your composure. “i didn’t come for that,” you said, but the corner of your lips lifted into a smile.

“sure, sure,” troy teased. “well, how about we grab a smoothie after this? my treat.”

you hesitated, it wasn’t like you didn’t want to hang out with him - alone, but you didn’t know if you were ready for that yet. you’d dreamed of this moment for so long, but now that it was here, you felt like a deer caught in headlights.

“i don’t know,” you said, glancing over at the basketball court. “i’m not sure i should hang out with you without chad around. you know how he is.”

troy raised an eyebrow. “what, does he get jealous or something?”

you laughed nervously, rubbing the back of your neck. “well, he’s... protective. you know how it is.”

troy’s expression softened, and for a moment, it seemed like he was considering something. “you don’t have to worry about him. i’ll make sure he doesn’t find out. i mean, unless you want him to. i wouldn’t want to cause any family drama.”

you didn’t know how to answer that. the idea of spending time with troy alone, without chad hovering over you, felt like a dream - and a terrifying one. but what if this was your chance? what if he actually wanted to get to know you better, beyond being chad’s sister?

before you could come up with a response, troy nudged you gently with his elbow. “come on. i promise it'll just be a quick smoothie. no big deal.”

there was something in his voice that made you believe him—something in the way he looked at you, making you feel like the world had narrowed down to just the two of you. you felt a rush of courage.

“okay,” you said, your voice barely above a whisper. “but just one. and if chad finds out, you’re explaining it to him.”

troy laughed, a sound that sent a flutter through your chest. “deal.”

an hour later, you and troy found yourselves sitting at a corner booth at the local smoothie place. the conversation was easy, flowing naturally between the two of you. you laughed more than you had in a long time, enjoying the time together. but even in the midst of all the casual talk, there was an undeniable tension - something unspoken hanging in the air.

as you finished your smoothies, troy leaned back in his seat, eyes locking onto yours. “you know, i’ve always liked hanging out with you,” he said, his voice a little quieter now. “it’s just… you’re always so quiet when we’re all together. but you’re fun to talk to, you know?”

you swallowed hard, your heart racing again. “thanks,” you managed to say, feeling a little flustered. "i guess i just don’t really know where i fit in with you guys."

troy’s eyes softened, and he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “you don’t have to be just ‘chad’s sister,’ you know. you’re your own person. i can see that. i think… i think i’ve always noticed you, even when you didn’t think i did.”

your heart skipped a beat. had he really just said that?

you opened your mouth to respond, but no words came out. you stared at him, your feelings threatening to spill over.

troy, sensing your hesitation, smiled gently. “it’s okay. you don’t have to say anything. i just wanted you to know that i see you, and i… i’ve always liked hanging out with you. just, you know, as you.”

that was all it took. the walls you’d built around your heart - those walls you’d kept up for years to protect yourself from the unspoken love you’d carried for troy - came crashing down in an instant. you finally understood what he was saying. maybe he didn’t feel the same way you did, not yet, but he saw you. really saw you.

and maybe, just maybe, that was all you needed.

“i’ve always liked hanging out with you too,” you whispered, meeting his gaze. “more than you know.”

troy smiled again, a small, knowing smile, as if he understood exactly what you meant. and for the first time in years, you allowed yourself to hope.

maybe this wasn’t just a friendship anymore. maybe this was the beginning of something more.

and maybe, after all this time, your secret love wasn’t so secret anymore.

***

the days after your smoothie date with troy felt like they were in slow motion. you couldn’t help but replay everything in your mind - his smile, the way his voice softened when he spoke to you, the way he seemed to see you in a way no one else ever had. the tension between you two had been undeniable, and yet, it didn’t feel awkward or forced. it felt… right, in a way that made your heart flutter every time you thought about it.

but of course, you didn’t want to rush anything. troy hadn’t exactly confessed his feelings, and you weren’t about to push him into something he wasn’t ready for. still, every time you saw him - whether at school, hanging out with chad, or at another one of their basketball practices - you couldn’t ignore the way your heart skipped whenever his eyes met yours.

and then one afternoon, after school, things changed again. it had been a week since the smoothie date, and you were at home, trying to get some homework done, when you heard a knock at the door.

you opened it to find troy standing there, looking a little sheepish, his hands shoved in his pockets.

“hey,” he said, his voice a little quieter than usual. “got a minute?”

your heart skipped in your chest, the weight of his sudden visit making you nervous and excited all at once. “uh, yeah, sure. come in.”

troy stepped inside, and you led him to the living room, where you both sat down on the couch. the silence between you was comfortable, but there was a tension in the air that made it feel heavier than usual. troy shifted slightly, glancing at you with a nervous smile.

“i wanted to talk to you about something,” he said, his tone uncertain, but there was something in his eyes that made you feel like this was important. “i’ve been thinking a lot about… everything. about us.”

your pulse quickened. your throat went dry, but you forced yourself to speak. “what do you mean? about us?”

troy sighed, running a hand through his hair, looking a little lost for words. “i don’t know. i just… i think you’ve been trying to hide something from me. and i’ve been stupid for not seeing it sooner.”

you blinked in confusion. hide something? was he talking about your feelings? you hadn’t thought you’d made it that obvious.

troy met your eyes again, his expression soft but serious. “i don’t want to keep pretending like i don’t know. i’ve noticed the way you look at me, the way you act around me. and it’s… it’s been hard to ignore.” he paused, as if searching for the right words. “i guess what i’m trying to say is… i think i’ve been hiding something from you too.”

your heart thudded in your chest. you hadn’t expected this. not like this. “what do you mean?” you asked, your voice barely a whisper.

troy took a deep breath, leaning forward slightly. “i’m not sure when it happened, but over time, i started to realise that… i don’t just think of you as chad’s sister anymore. i’ve started to see you as more than that. and i can’t stop thinking about you.”

your eyes widened as his words hit you like a wave. he felt the same way?

before you could say anything, troy rushed on. “i didn’t know if you felt the same, or if it was just some weird thing in my head, but i needed to know. because… i like you. a lot. and i’ve been too scared to tell you, but i can’t keep pretending like i don’t care about you.”

you could hardly believe what you were hearing. for all this time, you’d hidden your feelings - your love for him - thinking it was something you would never be able to say. and here he was, confessing that he felt the same.

the silence between you stretched for a moment before you found your voice, barely able to contain the overwhelming emotions surging through you.

“i… i’ve been in love with you for so long,” you admitted, your voice trembling slightly. “i just never thought you’d see me the way i see you.”

troy’s expression softened, and a small, shy smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “i’ve always seen you, even if i didn’t realise it. i just didn’t want to mess things up, you know? with chad, with our friendship. but now, i don’t want to hide this anymore.”

without thinking, you moved closer to him, the space between you vanishing as your heart raced faster than ever. “so… what does this mean? are we…?”

troy’s smile grew, and for the first time in forever, you saw the same vulnerability in his eyes that you’d felt every time you’d looked at him. he reached out, taking your hand gently in his. “it means that i’m not just troy bolton, chad’s best friend. it means that i’m… me - and i want to see where this goes. if you’re willing to take the chance with me.”

for a moment, everything felt suspended in time. the world outside, the worries, the uncertainties - they all faded away as you looked at him. you hadn’t imagined this moment would come like this, and yet, here it was. he was offering you exactly what you’d wanted for so long.

you nodded, your throat tight with emotion. “i want that too. i’ve always wanted that.”

troy’s smile brightened, and without another word, he pulled you into a gentle embrace. the moment his arms wrapped around you, you felt a rush of relief, of joy, of everything falling into place. you’d always dreamed of this - being with him, not as chad’s little sister, but as someone who mattered to him, in a way that was all your own.

as you pulled back, he looked at you with a tenderness you’d never seen before. “i’m glad we’re on the same page.”

you grinned, your heart soaring. “me too.”

and in that moment, you realised that the love you’d kept hidden for so long was no longer a secret. it was real. and this time, you didn’t have to hide it anymore.

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