A New Chapter (High School Musical 2) (Complete)

Chapter 10: Changes

The next day, Grace sat outside underneath a tree with her uncle as she spent time with him. While she was spending time with her uncle, her cousins were off with her brothers and father. She looked up from talking with her uncle to see her boyfriend coming up to her. Grace then excused herself from her uncle and followed Troy away from earshot. Troy said to Grace, with an apologetic look, "Hey, look. I'm so sorry for you getting in trouble. That wasn't my intention." Grace shrugged her shoulders and replied, "It's okay, Troy. Oh, by the way, I told my cousins about you and I'm about to tell my uncle. Maybe soon I can introduce you to them." Troy grinned and said, "That would be awesome. Then, later, maybe we could......" He didn't have time to finish when he and Grace turned to see Sharpay banging on the window a few feet away with a sign in her hands. It read, 'Fulton needs to see you! Now!' Troy sighed and said, "I guess I better get going to see what Fulton wants. I'll see you later?" Grace also sighed sadly and replied, "Sure." Troy sneaked a kiss from Grace, causing her to gasp in shock but lean into the kiss, then left. Grace watched as Troy made his way across the grass and greeted his friends as well as the guests at the club.

From afar, Charles had watched the entire interaction with slight concern. He noticed the tension between his niece and the boy she was talking to, mostly his niece. His sons told him that the boy came up to them awhile ago to hang out with Grace, unaware who they were. Charles gave his niece a smile and said to her, "Who was that boy?" Grace replied, "Troy Bolton, my boyfriend, Uncle Charles. I would like to officially introduce him to you, Will, Harry, and Aunt Camilla but we haven't been around each other much. He's been working so hard." Charles chuckled and said, "I'm sure he must feel a little on the edge of dating royalty." Grace replied, shaking her head with a smile, "Troy is cool with it, Uncle Charlie. When we started out as friends, I kept it from him until finally I had to tell him and he was just shocked." Grace didn't even notice Taylor and Gabbi running towards them until they came up to them. The two girls curtsied to Charles then pulled Grace away. Taylor nodded at Sharpay, who was watching Troy make his way inside, and said, "What's she up to?" Grace sighed and replied, "I don't know, Tay. Your guess is as good as mine. I haven't spoken to her since I came back from England and since my cousins have been here." Gabbi noticed how Sharpay was avoiding eye contact with her, Grace, and Taylor. She said to Grace, placing her hand on her friend's shoulder, "Believe me, she does."

While he had no idea what Fulton had in mind for him to see him, Troy wanted to get the point across that it wasn't Grace's fault for the pool date. He was willing to take the blame for Grace. He met Fulton in the staff lounge and said to him, "Look, Mr. Fulton, you cannot blame Grace for the pool last night. It was my idea." Fulton replied, interrupting Troy, "I'm promoting you." Troy stared at Fulton in shock and said, "What? Are you serious?" Fulton replied, Yes, there's a opening for a pro golfer's assistant. Salaried job and no clocking in." Troy said, "But, I......" Fulton interrupted, "$500 a week, plus tips." Troy's face lit up like a kid on Christmas Day and said, "What? Per week?! Oh, my g......That's off the hook!!" The teenaged boy stopped when he saw the unamused expression on Fulton's face. Fulton then started to head out of the room, expecting Troy to follow. Troy turned to look at his friends in shock. They looked back at him in awe. Fulton's voice boomed, "Bolton!!" Troy shrugged his shoulders and said to his friends, "I don't know!" He ran after Fulton to catch up with him.
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With Grace, Grace was hanging out with Gabbi, Taylor, and Ryan along with her cousins. She had sent a text to Troy to see if he was free so she could introduce him to her family but he hadn't responded. Grace smiled at her friends and said to them, "Gabbi, Taylor, Ryan, these are my cousins; Will and Harry. Will and Harry, these are my friends." Will nodded at them and said to his cousin's friends, "Hello." Harry waved at them and said, "Hello. Grace, where's that Bolton fellow?" Grace replied, shrugging her shoulders, "Who knows? I've sent him a text but he hasn't responded." Taylor gave Grace a pointed look and Grace only rolled her eyes. Gabbi smiled at her friend's cousins and said to them, "So, do we have to call you by 'Your Royal Highnesses' or by your names?" Harry smiled at Gabbi and replied, "Our names, in private, of course. In public, our titles. It's customary." Ryan turned to Grace and said to her, "How come no one addresses you as 'Your Royal Highness', Gracie?" Grace replied, "My parents kept our departure to America in secret. So secret that the press doesn't even know that we're here. That might change since Mum was with Uncle Charles and he is on an royal engagement. He just stopped by to spend some time with my family before they headed off to speak with the president." Harry and Will both nodded at their cousin's response.
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With Troy, he followed Fulton to another part of the club. Along the way, his phone vibrates and he took it out to look at it to see a text from Grace. It read, 'I'm introducing my cousins to our friends before they leave for their royal engagement soon. I was hoping that if you get a chance, I could introduce you to my uncle, stepaunt, and my cousins all together. No pressure. Love you!' Troy smiled at the text and looked up at the sound of someone clearing their throat to see Fulton with an unamused look. Troy said, with a nervous smile, "So, you said you wanted me to teach golf?" Fulton nodded and replied, as he led Troy to a locker room where they stopped in front of the door, "To the kids. Oh, the joy." Troy shaked his head and said, "But, sir, I don't think I'm qualified." Fulton opened the door and replied, holding the door for Troy, "Worry not. Simply show the little angels which end of the club to hold, tee the ball up, and then duck. Maybe, that little princess girlfriend of yours can give you a tip or two." Troy didn't know whether to take that as an insult to his girlfriend or a compliment. He just decided to let Fulton continue. Fulton led Troy into a another changing room and said to him, opening a locker door, "In addition, the board is extending membership privileges to you. You have complete use of the club faculties, but do so prudently, meaning, your fellow Wildcats? No. The Prince of Wales and his family? No, we do not wish for them to blow their cover here. They would like the press to stay as far away as possible. Congratulations. You'll find an appropriate choice of clothing her." He continued, as Troy looked at the locker's contents, "Do not mix checks with plaids, blues with browns, and avoid wearing white socks at all costs. Leave your shoes outside of the locker, they will be buffed and polished each evening."

Fulton gave Troy his own bag of golf clubs, which he took. Troy exclaimed in excitement, "Yes! Oh, man." He went to do a swing but was stopped by Fulton. Fulton said, "Save it for the first tee. And to get there, this might come in handy. *He gave Troy a golf cart key* Here's your key to your golf cart. Number 14, the same number that's on your basketball uniform. So I am told. Any questions?" Troy nodded and replied, "How did this happen?"  Fulton said, "It would seem that the Evans family thinks you untapped potential. Young man, the future is full of uncharted waters. This family has real clout, so I suggest you take the ride." Troy raised his eyebrow and said, "What about Grace and her family? I'm sure that have some type of status above the Evans." Fulton replied, "Grace and her family have reputations to uphold, young man. They cannot risk anything that could bring them down." Troy held the urge to roll his eyes, he saw Sharpay's hand in this. Ever since he and Grace started dating eight months ago, Sharpay's antics to get him to be with her went out of control. He just knew that he had to stay with Grace, for his love was with her, not Sharpay.