Tick

Sixty minutes.

Tock.

One hour and one second.

Sighing, Gabriella Montez, rests her chin on her palm, staring at the clock, tapping her deep red painted nails. Flicking her black bangs out of her eyes she freezes her finger tapping at the sound of a car, pulling up outside. She stares back at the clock. He had been late for One hour and one minutes now. No surprise.

Taking a long, slim glass in her small hands, she takes a sip of the sweet wine that was contained inside. Letting the taste settle onto her tastebuds, she hears the sound of the front door opening. She tightens her grip onto the glass. Fearing that she will break the glass in two, she sets it down and returns to taking her anger out on the vintage dining table, tapping her fingernails aggressively.

She licks her plum red lips, looking up at the attractive twenty-three year old male, entering the room. Keeping on her straight face, she has a staring competition with him. Finally losing interest, he turns around, disappearing into the kitchen. Gabriella swivels her fingertip around the edge of her wine glass, waiting for him to arrive once more.

She shivers at she feels his shadow creep over, before noticing his long, strong arm come into view, reaching over for the bottle of wine. Raising her chocolate eyes, she watches him make his way over to his seat, placed on the other side of the table, a good six feet away from her.

Troy Bolton, keeps his gaze on his wife of four years, pouring his own glass of wine. Was she going to mention the fact that he was late? No. She never did. Just like the way he never questioned where she really was at night. Cutting up his meat, blue never leaving brown, he puts more pressure onto his knife, cutting through the meat like butter. She didn't need to say anything. Her eyes said it all. The way they would turn into slits as she took a sip from her glass, as if she thought he wouldn't see. He places the meat into his mouth, his tastebuds screaming 'Thanks yous', with him not eating since that morning.

Gabriella smiles her famous smile, watching him chew it slowly, his brows furrowed. She quickly looks away at this, it was one of his many looks that made him so attractive. "The meats good."

It was the first words spoken between them both since yesterdays dinner. "Thank you," Came her sweet reply.

He nods staring down at his plate. Should it always be this awkward when having dinner with your wife? It never used to be.

~*~

She sits up in their king-sized bed, reading her favourite book, 'Wuthering Heights', which she had happened to have read over atleast eleven times. It was torn and battered, reason being because of the amount of times she had opened it up, when trying to relieve stress. After taking off her reading glasses, she sets them down onto the small bedside cabinet, along with the cherished book. She turns off the lamp from beside her, shimmying down, under the duvets. Facing the window, she stares at the moonlight shining through the dark room. It looked like the way it did on the first night she met Troy. It was at this time of the day, or night, whatever, that she would feel peaceful and relaxed. A time she would look back at the happier times of her life, whether it was in childhood, her high school years, or her marriage. Turning over onto her side, she frowns when the back of her husbands head comes into view. What happened to them?

Dated two years, married four. The first four years of their relationship together were the most of the happiest moments in her entire lifetime. She reaches out to stroke his thick hair on the back of his head, thinking back to when they first met in sophomore year. After four months of hanging out, going to the cinema, going to the mall, they all finally lead to that first kiss they shared at the beach. Which then lead to them finally becoming a real couple, the Brangelina of East High. Throughout those many months of just being together, kisses were shared, laughter was heard, and at all hours of the night making love, especially in the summertime. When they were both at the age of nineteen, Troy Bolton got down on one knee, and proposed to Gabriella Montez. Both were ecstatic when she replied, with an obvious 'yes', everyone said they were to young to marry, but they never listened, they were so convinced that they were in love.

She frowns, taking back her hand from his chestnut locks, thinking back to when everything between them changed. It was when Troy turned twenty-one, they were constantly arguing, most the time about his career. He would go on about how she had ruined the chance of him having his basketball career, she would say she never forced him down onto his knee, or pulled onto his balls until the words 'I do' slipped out of his mouth.

When Troy recieved a call, informing him about a buisness trip he had to attend, he had left with the last conversation between him and Gabriella being about how he couldn't leave her to take care of the house by herself, whilst he left for a few months. Without a goodbye, he slammed the door behind him and fled. That afternoon Gabriella cried, days on. When he returned two months later, it was as if he had never left, they didn't speak, a simple 'Hello' was exchanged and that was about it. Worse of all, Gabriella knew he had cheated on her whilst he was gone. Though, she never did question him about it. She thought that all her feelings for him had gone since then, but could never bring herself to asking him about it, incase another argument blew up between them again, causing them to finally divorce.

And so, she carried on with her life, lips sealed, sleeping around with other men, whilst knowing he was doing the same. They sure wasn't having sex anymore, so why not? When keeping quiet about it all, she didn't see it as saving her marriage, she saw it more as proving to people they wern't too young to marry, still knowing fully well they were probably right.

~*~

Pumping harder into the short, redhead, his breathing becomes uneven, feeling his climax building up. Her sharp nails, leaving scratches on his perfectly formed back muscles. He tries hard to block out her animal type growling as she felt her own climax building up. Finally feeling his seed erupt inside of her, he catches back his breath, resting his head on her shoulder, his hair stuck to his head with sweat. Her lips leave trails of kisses on his firm shoulder, leading upto his jaw, towards his lips.

He pulls away getting out from under the duvet, picking up his jeans and shirt. He hadn't had sex that good since before the first buisness trip he went on when he was twenty-one. Though, he'd never admit that out loud.

"You going to call me back?" The redhead asks, reaching over to her side, pulling out the small draw a single cigarette. Troy stares at the cancer stick in her hand in disgust.

"You smoke?" She nods her little head, taking the thin stick into her mouth. "You couldn't of told me that before?"

She smirks, inhaling the thick cloud of smoke. "No, because you deteste smoking. And I knew, if you knew, you wouldn't fuck me."

Troy narrows his eyes slightly, observing the cloud now spreading around the bed, drifting towards his nostrils, causing him to gag in disgust. He had to get out of there. "Well, I guess you know the answer to your question then?" He says, slamming the door behind him, leaving her alone in the bedroom.

He pulls on his jacket as he quickly runs down the stairs of the Fifthteen story apartment. He pulls out his cell phone, scanning through the many messages he had been left, he swallows hard when the name 'Gabi' pops onto his screen. Opening up the message he furrows his brows, reading each word carefully. It was probably the first message she had sent him in like one year. He had forgotten her name was even stored in his phone.

'Not going to be home till tomorrow mornin

make your own dinner. G'

The anger he felt when around her boiled around in his brain. He knew what she was doing while she was gone for the night. He'd even seen one of the guys she had slept with once when spotting her leaving a hotel with him. When keeping quiet about it all, he didn't see it as saving his marriage, he saw it as having a chance to sleep around and still have enough money, because he wasn't wasting it all on divorce. Any guy would love to live the life of sleeping around with half of the city, and still having a beautiful latina as their wife, even when she knew about the sleeping around, he wasn't, he could honestly admit he was living life, miserably, at the age of twenty-three. Maybe people were right, maybe they did marry too young. They really should of left it until they really knew each other.

He frowns as he thinks about when he first saw her.

The snow fell slowly from the sky, leaving freezing droplets onto his tanned skin. Looking over to his best friend with the bouncy afro, Chad Danforth, he smirks as he watches him slip and slide on the slippy ice. His afro was hidden under his woolly beanie, making his head look a lot smaller than it usally looked.

"Chad, you suck at skating, you said you was good at it," Troy lets out in a laughter, just as Chad falls back and lands on his butt.

"Fuck you, Bolton. I can skate better than you can."

Troy looks down at the ice infront of him. There was no way in hell he was even going to even try to get onto the ice, let alone skate on it. "You know, you're probably right, but at least I admit i'm shit."

Chad shrugs, getting back onto his feet. Looking over Troys shoulder, he lets out a loud whistle. "ZEKE!"

Troy looks round over his shoulder, finding a chocolate skinned guy walking over, his arm wrapped around a blonde, with two other girls following far behind. The blonde stumbles on the snow, snapping a heel on her jimmy choo, which probably came from daddies credit card.

"Damn it! Stupid snow!" She whines.

"Babe, I did tell you it would not be a good idea to wear those shoes in the snow..." The african-american, who went by the name 'Zeke', says holding onto her arm for her support as she bent over to check out her broken heel.

"Dibs."

Chad nudges elbows with Troy, smirking, as Troy just shakes his head. Typical Sharpay Evans. In Troys words, an annoying little blonde, who lived off daddy and his goods, who managed to find something to complain about all the time.

"Guys, this is Gabriella Montez. She and her mom just moved here last week, she's going to be starting East High next week," Taylor says, the chocolate skinned girl, who was following a little further behind Sharpay and Zeke, along with... Gabriella.

Troy doesn't even hear what she says as he looks away from the group, looking over at the trees topped with snow. He rubs his hands together for warmth, he turns at the feeling of Chads cold hands on his small shoulder.

Troy stares at him in confusion. "What?"

"I said dibs." Chad says.

"Dibs? What are you talking about? Dibs on who?"

Chad nods in the other direction. "Gabriella."

Troy glances at the small brunette, her nose was red and her hair was covered in snowdrops. She was hugging onto herself as if her life depended on the pink coat she was wearing, she shivered looking timid. As soon as he set his eyes on her he knew that one day she would break his heart. Staring at her, mouth wide open, he feels his feet quickly making there way towards her. It was as if he wasn't in control as them. Gabriella turns around when she gets the feeling of someone stood beside her. Her breath gets caught in her throat. In the whole of her sixteen years, she had only ever had one crush before, his name was Jacob, and he didn't speak English, so... it didn't work out. But when staring at the blue eyed god infront of her, she felt all those familiar feelings come rushing back. And suddenly, it was very warm.

"I'm Troy," His sweet voice comes, his hand red with it being so cold as he held it out. Slowly taking it she gives him a small smile.

"Gabriella."

He feels a smile playing onto his lips. The fireworks shooting up his arm, bringing back the feeling in his numb body. She was perfect. She was his. He had already decided. She was his. Fuck Chad. Dibs? His dibs. She was his. He smiles to himself as he watches her teeth slip out her mouth and pull at her bottom lip. He could tell she was a shy girl, sweet and caring. She was innocent, the way he liked them.

Frowning as he feels her hand slowly pull away, stroking her fingertips against his before fully letting go, he watches her introduce herself to the others. God she was beautiful. And all his. Well... not yet. But hell he got everything he wanted, that wasn't going to change any time soon.

"Don't you know what dibs means?"

"Yeah... I do."

Chad glares at him. "I don't think you do," Realising he's probably not listening as he gaping at the gorgeous latina, he taps his shoulder once more. "It means stay away."

"It does, huh?" Chad nods. "Dibs," Troy says patting Chads back before walking away. Chad stares open mouthed.

"Wait, you can't dibs after I dibs! Troy!"

Not listening, Troy walks back to Gabriella, the air getting hot again, under his thick jacket, he was starting to sweat instead of freezing his balls off. Gabriella blushes as she feels his presence, hoping that he thinks it's just because it's cold that she's gone so pink.

"So... where did you come from?" He asks casually.

"Erm... California." She answers, ducking her head. He grins at her. She couldn't get any cuter. If she was any smaller he could just put her in his pocket and take her home. Obviously, he couldn't do that, so talking to her as much as he could that night would have to do... until next time. "Wh-what about you?"

He smirks at her question. "I er, I live here..."

Gabriella curses herself for asking such a question. "Yeah, of course. Taylor already told me, I-" She sighs and thinks she should just stay away incase she embarrases herself even more, but when turning to leave, she feels his strong grip on her upper arm. She glances up to meet his gaze. His ice blue eyes were soft and welcoming. He seemed friendly, maybe she could sit and talk with him a little longer.

...

One hour had passed. Gabriella closes her eyes, inhaling the scent of the cool fresh air, the sky was midnight black, the moonlight was shing down on the paper white field the group of friends sat on. Other than Gabriella and Troy, who was sat on a tree branch, further away from the others. Troy smiles, watching intently as Gabriella slowly breathes in and out, eyes closed, her hands holding tightly onto the bark of the tree for support, her dark brown hair blowing about in the winter breeze. The snowing had stopped, so the snowdrops on her head had melted. She opens her eyes again, smirking at Troy. "It's beautiful here, Troy."

He nods looking ahead at the view of the houses underneath the hills, only the lights in the houses visible to them. It really was a beautiful night, the moon shone down on them in a perfect limelight. Looking back towards her, he finds himself coming face to face with her. She quickly turns away, just as a gust of wind blows over the hills and over them both, her hair widely blowing around, she pulls at her jacket and feels a strong arm wrap round her and pull her close to a stone chest. "You cold now?"

She shakes her head at him, before smiling to herself and leaning her petite head onto his chest. It was then she decided, this was the guy she was going to marry. Never would she of known it would come true.

Glaring at the text message, he snaps out of his thoughts of that night. The way she looked, the way she smelt, the way she felt, but most of all, the way she made him feel. What happened to them both? Now, it was as if they were strangers sharing a house together. He didn't want that. He wanted the girl he fell in love with, the girl he proposed to, not this girl who showed no emotion to him anymore, betrayed him almost everynight, like he did. He missed her laugh, he hadn't heard in three two years, her smile, her real smile, he hadn't seen in one year, and that was only a closed one the last one he saw. He missed her telling him she loved him. He couldn't remember the last time he heard that. And he couldn't remember the last time he said it back. He missed his wife.

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Eeek. I'm so exited, i've never written a story before, I'm a reader more than a writer, but i'm very excited, and I would just love it if I had many reviews to see what you guys thought. Please, please, please review. Thank You for reading! =] xo Taylor.