Chapter Text
"You're not just a guy, Troy."
Time seemed to slow, and the buzz of the fluorescent lights above him seemed too quiet to fill the silence but loud enough to make Troy's ears ring. He could only manage to stand there as the room began to blur with unshed tears at his dad's insinuation. Quickly he tilted his head back before his dad could see his watering eyes. The ringing in his ears mixed with the pounding of his heart. His whole life Troy had been trying to prove that he was the son his dad always wanted but he fell short everytime.
Jack Bolton had never wanted a girl. He wanted someone to carry on his legacy, so when his daughter started showing interest in sports he was the first to mentor her. He loved throwing a ball around with her or shooting some hoops. But it became clear very soon that Troy was more than a 'tomboy' and with that came a certain disdain from his father that no kid deserves. And though it was never spoken directly, the sentiment that Troy was an embarrassment was heard loud and clear
You're not just a guy, Troy
Basketball was all Troy had ever known. It fulfilled a yearning for his father's approval that he could never quite achieve. His dad constantly telling him, 'If you insist on being my son, you have to be my son. ' Troy knew deep down, in the depths of his soul, that his father would never accept him for anything else. For a long time he thought anything outside of basketball was out of the question, and maybe he still does.
The older Bolton already thought of him as an embarrassment. He was shunned from family events and holiday get togethers because Troy had wanted to be seen as a guy and Jack was running out of ways to explain away Troy's identity.
But after singing with Gabriella, it's like his world shifted. When he was with her, he felt like he could let go and be completely himself. Perhaps he didn't have to be 'that one sports dude'.
"You're the team leader. What you do affects not only this team but the entire school."
As his father continues with his tangent, all Troy can do is look at the ground, basketball heavy at his side. The words 'you're not just a guy' echoing around the walls of his mind.
You're not just a guy, Troy. you'renotjustaguyyournotjustaguy
"I've gone through so much trouble to get you on this team. Do you want people to know you're a girl? Stop all this sissy singing nonsense! The least you can do is show up to practice without you completely focused, we're not gonna win next week-"
With that comment Troy quickly comes back to himself, "What did you mean by that?"
"By what?"
You're not just a guy
Troy storms away.