Summary: It's the roaring twenties and Gabriella is the rich daughter of the governor, living in a world that she is in no control of. One unsuspecting night while on the beach she meets a boy that will change her life forever.
This is one of my older stories that I decided to repost, hope you all like it!
AN: This is loosely based off of a dream that I had last night, except with a few more twist and turns.
"But I don't want to go!" Gabriella cried to her father, they were in the mists of another argument. Gabriella's father was throwing one of weekly parties that Gabriella was always being forced to go to. Her farther had founded Virginia Beach fifteen years ago, and it soon became a fast growing, heavily populated southern town. Where the social classes were greatly divided, and Gabriella being the governor's daughter was part of the upper class, much to her dismay.
"How am I going to explain why you aren't at a party, at your own house. Your mother always knew how to deal with you." He sighed, Gabriella's mother had died two years ago of pneumonia, and his relationship between him and his daughter hadn't been the same since. When she was alive they would spend nights by the beach, and picnics on the weekends. But years had passed and he had moved on. Her name was Louisa, and she was absolutely dreadful, she had caught Gabriella's father's eye at one of his legendary masquerade parties, and since that night she has yet to unhitched herself from his arm.
"Your father is right, this is the biggest party of the year, and there is no way that you're getting out of this one." Cut in Louisa, trying to sound nurturing, she didn't have a nurturing bone in her body. Gabriella knew if she spoke out against her, that it would ruin her father's new year.
"Fine, I'll go, but I won't be happy about it." Gabriella surrendered to her father, they both exited her room, and she was left to prepare for the party.
Her maid soon came through the doorway, and laid her dress, mask, and accessories. Gabriella sighed as she saw what was laid down next, her corset. She had avoided using it many times before this, but her father ordered that it be worn. She felt herself being pulled from side to side as her maids pulled each string tighter and tighter.
"I would like to be able to breathe." Gabriella said to the maid on her right, she felt the corset loosen, and began to breathe normally again. She looked down at her bed and saw that mask that had been selected for her; it was her mothers. She had snuck into her parents' room numerous times just to look at it. A Frenchman had stopped through Virginia Beach and was ordered by Gabriella's Farther to make a mask for her mother.
Gabriella took one last look in the mirror; her one of a kind peach colored dress fell to the floor. There was no denying Gabriella's beauty, which had mostly come from her mother. She studied herself again, her dress popped against her tan skin and dark long hair. As a final touch she grabbed the mask from her bed, it was the same color as her dress, she pressed it against her face and sighed. If she was going to have a horrible night she might as well look good doing so.
Gabriella walked out of her bedroom, down the hall, and down the grand staircase. Looking around she saw hundreds of people; most she didn't even know the names of. How would she ever to be able to find her father? She decided that it didn't matter much, if her father wasn't looking for her then why should she be looking for him. She wondered around the large ballroom, in search of her friends. At last she found them, standing by the balcony over looking the garden she made her way towards them.
"Enjoying yourselves girls?" Gabriella asked squeezing herself in between her two closest friends.
"Gabriella? I thought for a second you weren't coming at all." Her friend Josephine said hugging her.
"We were sure that we were going to be forced to spend the night alone." Gabriella's other friend Elizabeth added hugging Gabriella as well.
"Well it's not like I had much of a choice. So have I missed anything?" Gabriella asked as the three girls made there way back into the ballroom. If Josephine and Elizabeth lived for one thing, it was gossip. They were Gabriella's source of all things juicy.
"Charles has been asking for you." Josephine started, with a smirk on her face. Charles, Gabriella sighed in frustration. The son of a rich landowner, he was incredibly handsome, but equally rude and full of himself. This wasn't the first time Charles had asked for Gabriella, she had caught his eye weeks ago at another dance, and it progressed from there.
"Apparently he hasn't been able to stop thinking about you." Elizabeth finished. Josephine and Elizabeth always had a knack for finishing each other's sentences. It almost seemed like they were two parts of the same person.
"What's wrong with him?" Josephine asked. She could never understand Gabriella's distaste for Charles, we was incredibly wealthy and destined for greatness. Not to mention he was absolutely gorgeous.
"He's dreadfully boring, all does is talk about himself." Gabriella said with a sting of hate.
"One dance won't hurt." Elizabeth replied, Charles had confronter her before. Asking her to make Gabriella agree to a dance. She willingly agreed if she could get on Charles good side she might not have a chance with him, but she did with one of his friends.
"Maybe not you." Gabriella said. Charles was always a heavy topic with her farther, he strongly approved of Charles always trying to set them up somehow, which made her only distaste him even more.
"Hello Gabriella." A voice said from behind her, she instantly recognized who it was. She sighed in aggravation forced a smile to her face, and turned herself around.
"Charles, how did you know it was me? Apparently my mask has not done enough of a job to seal my identity." Gabriella said trying to sound as kind as possible, she couldn't be too blunt about her hate for Charles, if word go round her father would be extremely angry.
"Just call it instinct." Charles said with a crooked smile. Remember, you hate him. Gabriella reminded herself, smiling back. "I was promised a dance by one of your friends." Charles continued turning to face Elizabeth, who eyes widened. Gabriella shout her a hateful stare, Elizabeth knew that she would be paying for this later.
"Well it seems that you have been promised a dance, and I am never one to break my promises." Gabriella replied trying to sound as nice as possible. If word got around that Gabriella had refused a dance with Charles her father and Charles's father's relationship would forever be torn, and she would never do that to her father.
Josephine and Elizabeth watched from the sidelines and Gabriella and Charles moved gracefully across the floor. Both were experienced dancers, quick on there feet and followed the music wonderfully.
"So how was your Christmas?" Gabriella asked trying anything to make the time pass by.
"Oh, wonderful." Charles replied simply and continued to dance.
"Mine was great too." Gabriella said…thanks for asking.
Once the song ended Gabriella practically ran across the floor, escaping any chance of Charles asking her to dance again. She made her way back to her friends, she wouldn't be mad at Elizabeth there was no escaping Charles's charm.
"Your father has called everyone into the main room." Josephine said as Gabriella walked towards her.
"Apparently he is going to make a very important announcement." Elizabeth finished. Gabriella had no idea as to what this announcement might be; she slowly made her way towards the great room with her friends at her side.
As they walked into the filled room she heard the sound of applause towards the staircase. She looked over and saw her father and Louisa standing on the top step, holding hands. Gabriella rolled her eyes, just looking at them together made her sick.
"I have an announcement to make," Charles said shifting his gaze towards Louisa. He paused for a moment, and then bent over on one knee, the whole room went silent.
"Louisa, you are the light of my heart, the air I breathe, my everything," He paused again
"Will you marry me?" he asked taking a ring from his pocket. The whole room applauded when she agreed and leaped into his arms, all except for Gabriella, Josephine, and Elizabeth. They knew very well of Gabriella's hate for Louisa.
"No!" Gabriella screamed, not even knowing that she did. The room went silent, and all eyes were on her. She couldn't bear to watch anymore, she stormed out of the house, and started running towards the beach.
The only reason that her farther had bought this house was because Gabriella loved it so much. He had given her the room that faced the ocean so that at night she could watch the sun set from the comfort of her room.
She threw herself onto the sand, and began to sob, her sadness soon turned into anger, she then stood herself up, picked up a rock, and with all her might threw it into the ocean. Gabriella fell back into the sand, knowing that Louisa was her soon to be mother scared her more than anything else in the world. She ripped off her mother's mask and threw it into the sand. She asked her self that same question that she had asked herself many times before, Why did you leave me? She began to cry again, nothing could save her night, nothing.
"Are you alright?" asked a voice from behind Gabriella. She turned around expecting to smart mouth who ever her father sent out to get her this time, but she instantly caught sight of the deepest bluest eyes she had ever seen.
AN: Well what do you think? It's not your typical Troyella story. I Just figured its something new, and I should try it out. Tell me what you thought, Thanks for reading!
And don't worry, Troy appears in the next chapter. :D :D