Love, Is A Really Big Word Right Now. Troy Bolton! o5. Conflict and Resolution... Well for Now. A Sequel to Beautiful Disaster

Part 5: Conflict and Resolution... Well for Now
“I don’t know, Troy” I said as I took my hand off of his knee and shrugged “it’s just, well, I guess I think that everyone is deserving of a second chance… don’t you think so?” Troy sighed as he pulled up to a stop sign and turned to me and said,
“Yeah, I guess, but I mean… its Ryan, Nik!” I shook my head as I sighed,
“I guess… but I mean… no ya know what forget it, I mean it doesn’t really matter” Once Troy had pulled into my driveway and turned off the car, he turned to me and said,
“Look, I didn’t mean anything by it… it’s just-,”
“Don’t worry, Troy, I understand. Listen, I’ll see you on Wednesday… nine thirty right?”
“Nine thirty” Troy nodded before he leaned in and placed a tender kiss on my lips, once he pulled away I smiled sweetly at him and then I said goodnight, climbed out of the car, up my front walkway, and into the house.

Troy’s P.O.V.
As I watched the front door close shut behind Nicole, I hit the steering wheel with the heel of my hand, grimacing slightly at the sharp pain that erupted up his arm. Why did I have to say that?! I mean why couldn’t I just grin and bear it?! I thought to myself as I sighed, rubbed my elbow where I still felt a slight sting and then I pulled out of Nicole’s driveway and started down the block to my own house, where I found my dad in the living room eagerly waiting to hear the present condition of his car. Once I told him and he went out to do a quick look over, I headed upstairs to my room, changed out of my clothes into a pair of baggy basketball shorts and a plain white T-shirt, before flopping down onto my bed and falling asleep.

The next morning
I woke up to the sound of my cell phone ringing a funky upbeat ring-tone. As I flipped my phone open and placed it to my ear thinking it was Nikki I said,
“Hey, beautiful, what’s going on?” only to hear Chad’s voice ring into my ear loudly laughing,
“Thanks for the compliment, dude, but I don’t really think of you in that way… does Nikki know about this?” I instantly got red in the face and I was now wide-awake,
“Chad, what do you want? It’s like extremely early in the morning for summer,” I then glanced at the clock to see the bright green colored numbers flashing the time, 10:33, back at me, “… especially for you” Chad laughed before he said,
“Yeah, I know but life’s too short besides, I heard about the big date last night… thought you might want to hang out, shoot some hoops, maybe hit the skate park. You know a regular guys’ day out. Come on what do ya say? Heck, I’ll even let you tell me all about last night… that’s how good a friend I am!” I thought about it for a little while. I mean I was thinking about calling up Nikki and seeing what she was up to, maybe seeing if she could hang out, and apologize for what I had said last night about Ryan, since she seemed slightly hurt by it… which I still have no idea why she would, but still I hate to see her suffer so it’s really the least I could do. But for some reason, shooting hoops, skateboarding, and possibly bad talking Ryan with Chad seemed more appealing. Sometimes a guy just needs to vent…

Nicole’s P.O.V.
I had been awake since nine fifty-seven, I just couldn’t stand to stay in bed, my brain was keeping me awake. Replaying the car ride home, and how Troy had been so stone-cold and silent one minute and then so up-front and honest the next. It was confusing mostly, seeing as I had always taken him as the type of guy who was up for second chances, but seeing as it was Ryan I guess there was a very unpleasant exception to that rule. So, when Taylor called asking me if I wanted to head out to the closest, and cheapest, spa and get some manicures, pedicures, and then maybe hang out at her place until around nine thirty I was more then happy to accept her almost too perfect invitation.
When she pulled up to my house in her mom’s old Honda, I shouted good-bye to my mom, and then as I hopped into the car I turned to her and said,
“Oh my god, Tay, you have no idea how brilliant your timing is!”
“Well,” she smiled as she back out of my driveway “I try my best” I laughed as I rolled down the window, and she started off towards the Day in Paradise Spa, causing the wind to blow furiously through my hair.
“So,” Taylor started as her manicurist, Chloe, stood up and started for the back room, after finishing painting Taylor’s nails and letting them dry. My manicurist, Ariel, had been long gone by then, and I was getting to the point of wondering if she was ever going to come back. “how was last night?”
“To tell you the truth… I don’t really know how it…” I said before blowing on my nails to help them dry, even though I had checked them about ten times already and they were as dry as painted nails could get
“What do you mean, Nik?” Taylor asked as she turned in her seat to look at me
“I mean… Ok, here’s what happened” I started before going on and explaining the whole night to Taylor, even though she had already heard it from Chad, which I, of course, didn’t know “so, I mean what do I do? It’s just really confusing, Tay” she nodded beside me as she said,
“Yeah, I’m not gonna lie that is pretty messed up, but I thi-“ she was about to go on when Ariel came back into the room, checked my nails and then smiled,
“Ok, you’re all set. Now how about we get you started on your pedicure?” I simply nodded, got up and followed her to the massage chairs that were all set up against a wall of the spa. The whole time thinking, Now she decides to show up!

Troy’s P.O.V.
“It’s just I can’t believe she actually wants to give him another chance, ya know?” I said as Chad and I sat down at a small green table outside of a café near the local skate-park, our boards each leaning up on one of the legs of our chairs.
Taking a day to just hang out with Chad was more fun then I thought it would be. We got a bunch of boarding time in, played a complete one on one game until we were both to tired to move, and now here we were sitting in front of a Calvin’s Coffee Shop talking about my big “date” with Nicole last night. I mean I don’t even consider it a date anymore seeing as the definition of a date… well at least in my dictionary is the following,
Date (n.)
1. An intimate event shared between two people who share a common attraction to one another.
2. A tropical fruit
And I most definitely do not share a common attraction with Ryan Evans that would be something I share with Nicole Joelens, my girlfriend!
“Well, dude” Chad said “I mean maybe Nik is right maybe you should give the guy another chance…” I look sharply up at Chad
“What?! Are you kidding me? Dude, this is Ryan Evans we are talking about! Am I the only one who still believes- no, knows, that he is still evil?!”
“No, you’re not,” he stated calmly
“Good” I said as I settled back into my chair, trying to relax
“But,” Chad continued “do you see what this small, tiny little disagreement is doing to you? I mean imagine how, or what Nicole is thinking right now, let alone feeling! I mean, dude, you promised her this summer would be about the two of you. And right now you’re spending more of your time obsessing over Ryan Evans, then making that promise turn into a reality, and hey, maybe that was Ryan’s whole evil plot, but either way I think you should just forget it… Ok?” I stared at Chad, I could feel my jaw about to fall open, but instead I said,
“Since when did you get so deep?” We both laughed and then went on to talk about summer jobs and stuff. I asked Chad if he and Taylor had gotten work yet, he said he hadn’t, and he’s not so sure about Taylor either. So I told if he wanted I could call Trisha DeFrank back and see if there were still any slots open, to which he gratefully thanked me and then we got up, and headed back down to our neighborhoods, each riding our different ways on our skateboards.

Nicole’s P.O.V.
It was around seven thirty that Taylor and I were finished at the spa we then headed back to her house and started to set up to watch a movie. That’s when my phone rang from inside my jeans pocket. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and looked at the caller ID I looked at Taylor and said,
“It’s Troy… do you think I should answer it?”
“Why not?” she asked as she spread out a soft red blanket right in front of the television. I sighed and took a deep breath before flipping the phone open and putting it to my ear,
“Hello?” I asked
“Hey, it’s me, listen I wanted to tell you something” I heard Troy’s voice say on the other end. I started out of the room and into Taylor’s bathroom as I said,
“I’m listening”
“Look, what I said last night… it was completely stupid! Insanely out of order! I mean, you want to give Ryan another chance, and I can accept that… and really I admire how you can do that so easily, Nik. I mean that’s one of the many things I love about you, you’re so forgiving” I smiled to myself as he said the word ‘love’ I had never heard Troy say that word before. I don’t even think he said it to Gabriella when they were going out, it made me feel special and important.
“Well,” I said playfully “I accept your apology, and Troy thanks for saying the things you just said it means a lot, and it really does take a big man to admit to his mistakes”
“And we all know that I am that big man” Troy teased back
“But of course, listen I’m kind of at Taylor’s so I gotta go, but I’ll see you on Wednesday… Ok?”
“Alright, bye!”
“Bye!” I said before hanging up the phone and starting out of the bathroom, only to have Taylor turn around at that exact moment, the grin on my face from when Troy said ‘the many things he loves about me’ still visible.
“What are you smiling about?” she asked. I only walked over to her, my smile growing wider and wider with every step.