Troy unlocked the front door and walked into the house after getting out of school. He walked upstairs and shut and locked his bedroom door. Troy laid down on his bed and sighed. Gabriella, his girlfriend, of four years, just found out that she was pregnant and had told him the news that day. He was going to be a father at seventeen. Gabriella had cried when she told him. He ruined their lives and Gabriella's chance at going to Stanford, her dream school. Tears ran down Troy's face when he thought of Gabriella's expression when she realized it. He was pulled out of his thoughts when their was a knock on his bedroom door.
"Troy, let's a game going? We need to make a game plan" Jack said.
"I'm not in the mood" Troy said turning over.
"What's going on?" Jack asked.
"I have to wait until mom comes home to tell you" Troy said.
"Did you fail-" Jack started.
"Dad! Wait until mom comes home" Troy said adamantly.
"Okay" Jack said.
An hour later, Lucille Bolton, came through the door and saw Troy sitting in the living room with his eyes closed.
"Troy, are you okay?" Lucille asked.
"I need to talk to you and dad" Troy said nervously.
"Okay, let me go get him" Lucille said.
Lucille left the room to go get her husband. Troy took a deep breath in and released it. Lucille and Jack came into the room and sat on the love seat across from their son.
"What's going on Troy?" Lucille asked.
"I need to tell you both something, but I don't know if I have enough words to say it" Troy started.
"Honey, whatever is bothering you, you know that you can always talk to us about it" Lucille said.
Troy released the breath that he was holding.
"Gabriella..." Troy started but couldn't finish.
"What's wrong with Gabi?" Lucille asked.
Troy swallowed hard and tears came to his eyes.
"Gabriella is pregnant" Troy said.
Lucille gasped. Jack looked down at his feet. Troy sighed in relief that he got the news off his chest.
"Is it yours?" Jack asked trying to control his anger.
"Yes" Troy said.
"Troy" Lucille said quietly.
Jack got up and walked out of the room and went into the master bedroom and slammed the door.
"I know this is my fault. I am going to support Gabriella and the baby. I will get a job" Troy started.
"I think that your dad and I need some time to think right now" Lucille said.
"I don't want you to hate me" Troy said.
"We would never hate either of you Troy. We are disappointed in the choices you made" Lucille said.
Troy nodded.
"And I know that you are scared out of your mind and it is well deserved that you are. But that doesn't mean that we don't care about you" Lucille said.
Troy nodded.
"I'm going to go to Gabriella's. She is telling her parents now as well" Troy said.
Lucille nodded.
"I'm sorry mom" Troy said.
"Don't apologize to me. Apologize to Gabriella and yourself. Tell Maria that I will call her later" Lucille said.
Troy nodded and left the house. He drove down the street to Gabriella's and parked his car. Troy took a deep breath and released it. He got out of the car and walked to the front door that he knew so well. Troy rang the doorbell and Maria opened the door.
"Troy" Maria said with tears running down her face.
Troy couldn't help but release his own tears.
"I'm sorry mom. I'm so so sorry" Troy cried.
Maria opened her arms and Troy walked into them. Troy repeatedly apologized and Maria rubbed her "son's" back.
"Where's my girl?" Troy asked sniffling and wiping his tears away.
"She's in her bedroom" Maria said.
"Is she okay?" Troy asked.
"She's sobbing. Troy, you both aren't going to get off easy. You are going to have to step up" Maria said.
"And I plan to" Troy said.
"Okay. Just so we are clear" Maria said.
"Can I go up and see her?" Troy asked carefully.
Maria nodded.
"Go ahead" Maria said.
Troy walked into the house and went upstairs to Gabriella's room. Her door was shut and he could hear Gabriella sobbing uncontrollably. Troy thought it would be best if he knocked instead of just walked into the room. He knocked lightly. Troy could hear Gabriella's feet coming closer to the door.
"Mami, I don't want to talk" Gabriella cried.
"Baby, it's me" Troy said.
"Troy?" Gabriella clarified.
"Yes sweetheart. I'm here. Can I come in?" Troy asked.
"Is mom with you?" Gabriella asked.
"No. It's just me" Troy said.
Gabriella opened the door slowly and saw Troy standing in front of her door. She ran into her boyfriend's arms and cried. Troy kissed Gabriella's head softly. He closed Gabriella's bedroom door with his foot and walked with Gabriella in his arms to her bed and placed her on it.
"We need to talk about this" Troy said.
Gabriella nodded.
"I'm so sorry Troy. Your scholarship-" Gabriella started.
"Hey, let's not talk about that right now. We need to talk about what we are going to do" Troy said softly.
"Okay" Gabriella said.
"Do you want to keep it?" Troy asked carefully.
"As much as I hate that this is happening now, I want to. I don't want to have an abortion or give it up" Gabriella said.
Troy nodded.
"I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you had an abortion" Troy said.
Gabriella nodded.
"We both need to find jobs as soon as possible and start saving money" Troy said.
"I agree" Gabriella said.
Troy looked at his girlfriend and could see that she was scared to death.
"Baby" Troy said softly.
Gabriella looked at Troy.
"You know that I'm always going to be here for you and the baby right?" Troy said.
Gabriella looked at Troy and tears ran down her face. Troy took Gabriella into his arms and let her cry. He rubbed her back soothingly and inhaled the fruity scent of her hair. Twenty minutes later, Gabriella's cries turned into sniffling, which then turned into silence. The couple sat in each other's arms thinking about their future.
"I love you" Troy said.
"I love you too" Gabriella said.
"Look at me Brie" Troy said.
Gabriella looked at Troy, whose eyes were also red, from crying, like her own.
"We are going to get through this" Troy said.
Gabriella nodded. There was a knock on the door and Maria poked her head in.
"Gabi, I made you an appointment with Dr. Brand for tomorrow morning" Maria said.
"Who's Dr. Brand?" Troy asked.
"Gynecologist" Maria said simply.
Troy nodded.
"Do you want me to go with you?" Troy asked looking at Gabriella.
Gabriella nodded.
"If you want, I can take Gabs to Dr. Brand's tomorrow mom. I don't want you to have to take a day off work for my mistake" Troy said.
Maria smiled slightly.
"Are you sure Troy? This will be your first time at an appointment like this. Do you think you are going to be alright?" Maria asked.
"We are going through this together. I am going to be there for Gabriella whenever she needs me and right now, I think she needs me more than ever" Troy said.
Maria nodded.
"Okay. Thank you Troy" Maria said.
"No problem" Troy said.
Maria left the room. Troy looked at Gabriella.
"Do you need me to do anything?" Troy asked.
Gabriella shook her head.
"Tell mom and dad that I'm sorry" Gabriella said.
"I will baby. How about you take a nice hot shower? It will relax you a little bit and help keep your mind off this nightmare" Troy said.
Gabriella nodded. She leaned in and kissed Troy's lips softly.
"Will you still be here when I get out?" Gabriella asked.
"If you want me to" Troy said.
"I want you to" Gabriella said.
"Okay" Troy said.
Gabriella walked into her bathroom that was connected to her room and closed the door. Troy heard the shower turn on and sighed. Twenty minutes later, Gabriella emerged from the bathroom and was dressed in one of Troy's t-shirts and basketball shorts that she had stolen from his house after she had slept over.
"Feel a little better?" Troy asked.
Gabriella nodded. She walked over to Troy and wrapped her arms around him. Troy put his hand on the small of Gabriella's back. He kissed her shoulder softly.
"Why don't you take a nap? You have had a crazy day" Troy said.
Gabriella nodded. She got into bed and Troy tucked her in. He kissed Gabriella's lips softly.
"I love you. I'll be here tomorrow morning to pick you up for your appointment okay?" Troy said.
"Okay. I love you too" Gabriella said.
Troy leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips one last time. He then looked at Gabriella's stomach and kissed her bellybutton.
"I love you too baby" Troy said.
Gabriella smiled.
"I'll see you tomorrow. Get some sleep sweetheart" Troy said.
"Apologize to your parents for me Troy" Gabriella repeated.
"I will" Troy said.
Troy left the house and drove home. He walked into the house and saw his mother in the kitchen.
"Troy?" Lucille called.
Troy walked into the kitchen.
"Yes mom?" Troy asked.
"How is Gabi?" Lucille asked.
"Before or after she sobbed in my arms?" Troy asked.
"She's going to be like that for a while, Troy. She's the one with a baby living inside of her" Lucille said.
Troy nodded.
"She has a doctor's appointment tomorrow that I need to take her to. Maria couldn't get the day off so I am going to take her" Troy said.
"Okay. Do you need me to go with you? I will if you want" Lucille said.
"I think that we should do this on our own. Gabs is nervous and I don't think she wants you to see her just after we found out. She needs time" Troy said.
"Alright" Lucille said.
"It's not that she doesn't want you to go, I just think she doesn't know what to expect and neither do I. We want to see how this goes by ourselves" Troy said.
"I understand Troy" Lucille said.
"Is dad still angry?" Troy asked.
"He is upstairs still but he has calmed down a little bit" Lucille said.
"Should I go and try to talk to him?" Troy asked.
"Try it and see what happens" Lucille said.
Troy nodded. He walked out of the kitchen and went upstairs. Troy saw his father in his office watching old basketball games. He cleared his throat and knocked on the door. Jack turned around and looked at Troy.
"Dad-" Troy started.
"Sit down. We need to talk" Jack said.
Troy sat down in the chair that was in front of the desk.
"Troy, do you understand that this can affect your future? You may not be able to play basketball because of a baby" Jack said.
"Gabriella and the baby are my future, dad. I've already made that commitment" Troy said.
"You need to go to school too. Your scholarship isn't awarded very often" Jack said.
Troy took a deep breath.
"Screw the scholarship! I'm having a child dad. My future is Gabriella and the baby" Troy said.
"If you don't go to school, you need to move out" Jack said.
"Fine. I'll have my stuff out by the end of the day. Thanks for your help" Troy said dryly.
Troy left the office and went into his bedroom and pulled out a suitcase and started packing. Lucille came into the room and looked at her son confused.
"What are you doing?" Lucille asked.
"He told me that if I don't take the scholarship that I need to move out. I'm not taking the scholarship, so I am moving out" Troy said.
"Where are you going?" Lucille asked as she watched her son pack his things.
"I don't know. Probably with Chad because I know that Maria probably won't let me stay in the house overnight anymore" Troy said.
Troy finished packing his things and walked to the front door.
"Call me and tell me you are safe please" Lucille said.
"I will" Troy said.
Troy left the house and drove to Gabriella's. He climbed onto the balcony and let himself into Gabriella's bedroom, where he saw her sitting up in bed.
"Hey baby. Did you sleep a little?" Troy asked.
"A little bit" Gabriella said.
"Dad kicked me out" Troy said.
Gabriella's eyes widened.
"Troy" Gabriella said.
"He told me that if I didn't take my scholarship to U of A then I have to move out. So, I moved out" Troy explained.
"What did mom say?" Gabriella asked.
"She didn't say a lot but she knows that I'm here or at Chad's. But I told her that I was only going to stay here if your mom allowed me to" Troy said.
Gabriella smiled.
"You are the father of my child and the love of my life. If she doesn't let you stay, I will move out too" Gabriella said.
"Where would we stay if we both moved out Brie?" Troy asked.
"The tree house" Gabriella said nonchalantly.
Troy laughed.
"Very funny. As a pregnant woman, you are very funny" Troy said.
"I need some laughter after all of this drama today" Gabriella said.
Troy nodded.
"Why don't you get some sleep and I will go talk to mom alright?" Troy said.
"Okay, if you need me, wake me up" Gabriella said.
"I will" Troy said kissing Gabriella's lips softly.
Troy walked out of Gabriella's bedroom and closed it quietly. He then walked downstairs to the kitchen and saw Maria sitting at the kitchen island on her computer.
"Am I interrupting?" Troy asked making himself known.
Maria looked up and smiled at Troy.
"No, you aren't. Sit down" Maria said.
Troy sat down at the island and looked at his second mother.
"I don't know how to express how sorry I am mom. I used protection and everything, but the condom broke" Troy said.
"I understand Troy and I don't hate you either" Maria said.
Troy looked at Maria.
"Your mom called and talked to me for a while" Maria said answering the question that he was thinking.
"I just want you both to understand what you are getting into" Maria said.
Troy nodded.
"I know" Troy said.
Troy and Maria heard Gabriella call Troy's name.
"I will go see what's going on" Troy said.
Maria nodded. Troy jogged up the stairs and went into Gabriella's room.
"What's the matter baby?" Troy asked.
"Did you ask?" Gabriella asked.
"Didn't get that far. Let me go ask" Troy said.
"And come to bed after" Gabriella said.
"I will" Troy said.
Troy walked downstairs and Maria looked up.
"She's okay. My dad kicked me out" Troy said.
"He did?" Maria asked.
Troy nodded.
"Gabriella and I wanted to know if I could stay here so I would be close in case something happened. If you don't feel comfortable with it, I will stay at Chad's" Troy said.
"You can stay here Troy. But there is going to be rules" Maria said.
"That's fine. What are they?" Troy asked.
"No sexual activities in this house. I know that Gabi is pregnant already, but I don't want it in my house" Maria said.
Troy nodded.
"Use the front door if you are coming home late" Maria said.
Troy nodded.
"And that's all I ask" Maria said.
"Got it" Troy said.
"Alright. Goodnight, Troy" Maria said.
"Good night mom. I love you" Troy said.
Maria smiled.
"I love you too" Maria said.
Troy walked upstairs and went into Gabriella's bedroom. She sat up and looked at her boyfriend. Troy closed the door and took his shirt off and climbed into bed.
"What did she say?" Gabriella asked.
"She said that I can stay but there are rules" Troy said.
"What are the rules?" Gabriella asked.
"No sex in the house and I have to use the front door after practice or if I am coming home late" Troy said.
Gabriella nodded.
"Okay" Gabriella said.
"You really should get some sleep" Troy said.
"Now I will be able to" Gabriella said.
Troy kissed Gabriella's lips softly.
"Night baby. I love you. If you need anything, wake me up" Troy said.
Gabriella nodded.
"Night wildcat. I love you too" Gabriella said.
The couple fell asleep in each other's arms and hoped that Gabriella's appointment the following day would go smoothly.