The Gardener
Summary: During that transitional summer from freshman year to sophomore, Troy took the job of a gardener to be able to work with long time crush Gabriella. He expected a nice tan, bulging muscles and cash but that's not all he received. Coming back to school, after that disastrous summer how could he pretend nothing has changed when everything had?
Author's note: So anyways hi! Thanks for clicking on the link. I decided to try writing something new, something different from the light and funny plot I did for His Dream Girl. This one will be more serious, I hope. Anyways, enjoy!
Prologue
On the first day of school, freshmen year, I used to think that now that I was in high school everything would be different and fun. I used to think that I would become a ladies' man and popular and that I would become someone entirely different from who I used to be in middle school. I was pretty much bummed out when I walked the halls of East High for the first time feeling not at all different from the year before. My buddies and I had promised each other that by the time freshmen year would end we would rule the school and each would have had our first girlfriends. But really, it was just big talk since we didn't end up being the 'men on campus' or 'babe magnets'. Nor did we really do any effort to obtain that kind of status.
By the end of the year, yeah, I guess we were considered cool. Like, not completely loser and reject, but not necessarily popular either. We were just a little above average, meaning, we were invited to parties but not to every one of them. We talked to the popular of our grade and got along with them just fine, but we didn't hang out with them. I used to think that once I built up some muscle on my scrawny frame, grown a few inches and the gap in my teeth disappeared, I would be the happiest guy alive because I would maybe have a shot with Gabriella. I also thought that it was only when I became popular that I would be worthy of her.
Her- Gabriella Montez- popular without being the most popular. Best friends with Sharpay Evans therefore hanging out with the popular crowd. While most guys fantasize about Sharpay Evans, I long for the brunette standing in her shadow. Don't get me wrong, she does have many followers, in fact a lot of my gym classmates talk about her in the locker room, they just don't seem to have it as bad as I do. From that first day in 6th grade when she transferred into my class back at East Middle School I had a crush on her. Seeing as I'm not entirely rejected from the student body, we did exchange few conversations in our freshmen days. Every single time, I'm not even going to lie, I wrote it down in my agenda. That's how much of a loser I am.
Today is our first day back from summer vacation. Many things have changed since that last day of school up till now.
"Troy, you're gonna be late!" my mom exclaims from upstairs.
"I know, I'm heading out right now," I reply, placing my toast between my teeth while I slid on my black hoodie. "Bye!" I yelled, slinging my backpack over my shoulder.
"Have a good day hun," she says.
I closed the door behind me and finished eating my breakfast before making my way to the bus stop. I know I've been doing this for basically my whole life, but somehow today this just didn't seem right. I don't know, I meet up with the same students as last year to wait with them, take the same bus, but it somehow just doesn't feel right. I settle in a seat near the back, bring back my hood over my head and plugged in my ear buds. Listening to the same old songs that used to get me excited for the day, but they just don't anymore.
"Oh man, Bolt is that you?" I hear as soon as I step off the bus.
"Hey Jase, how you doin' man?" I ask meeting up with my old crew, cracking a smile.
I haven't seen my buds since they were either gone to visit their families or to summer camps, so it's nice to see them all again.
"Damn dude, d'you take steroids all summer or somethin'?" Chad Danforth jokes after we'd finish our infamous handshake.
"Yeah, you used to be so lost in that hoodie last year, but now it almost seems like it's too small for you," Zeke Baylor remarks. "And where did that tan come from?"
"Bet he went to a tanning salon all summer long too," Jason Cross chimes in.
I smile but say nothing else. The whole summer all I've done was mow the lawn and cut the bushes on those rich bastards' yards and I guess it paid off. I also realised I've grown a good 6 inches and the gap between my teeth is now a distant memory from freshmen year. Not only that but, one week ago my mom was forced to buy me some new t-shirts because they were all too tight on me. I almost don't recognise myself when I look at myself in the mirror! Also the fact that my usual shaggy brown hair is now shaven off into a short haircut doesn't really help the situation.
"Hey, how was the job by the way?" Zeke inquires.
"Um, it was," how am I supposed to say this? "exhausting." At least I'm not even lying.
"Did you get with Gabriella at least?" Jason replies.
They know I had a mad crush on her and they also know that I chose this job because I knew I would be working on her street.
"Yeah," I say simply.
"Yo speaking of hot chicks, this summer at camp…" Chad starts but I block him out.
This all seem so normal- too normal.
"Hey can we go inside? I kind of want to put my stuff in my locker," I interrupt.
"Yeah, sure. Anyways and then I just leaned down and…" my bushy haired friend continues but nonetheless we made our way inside.
Like last year, all four of us managed to get lockers beside each other. I open the metal door, shove my bag in and slid the lock I brought into the slot. I then turn around to pretend I'm listening to my friends. But then that's when something else catches my attention … or more like someone. Without addressing them another word, I hurriedly made my way through the crowd, ignoring all the gazes the girls were sending in my direction.
"Damn, Troy Bolton is so hot," I hear one girl state loudly.
Two months ago I would've cried in happiness if I would've heard that. Now, I'm totally indifferent to it, my focus entirely on the person standing only a meter away from me. Gabriella's eyes met with mine and I didn't hesitate to bring her against my chest, into a hug.
"I thought you said you wouldn't come today," I whisper against her hair, holding her equally as tight as she was.
I pull away a little to inspect her face and my heart clenches when I look into her sad eyes.
"I didn't feel like staying at home, with the Nielson's house across from ours," she admits softly, looking down.
I nod and hug her again, needing as much comfort as she does. I don't know how long we stayed like this, in each other's embrace; all I know is it was way too brief.
"It's gonna be alright, I promise," I whisper. "It just has to."
For me, all I could see, all that mattered now, was her. How she breathed against me, how her head rested comfortably on my chest, her strawberry smell, her presence, the way her body fitted into mine… everything else just seemed to fade away. In that moment I didn't care about the various stares we were getting from our schoolmates and that's all that mattered. We both groaned when we heard the first bell ring, meaning classes would start in 5 minutes.
"What class do you have?" I inquire.
"Smith," Gabriella sighs. "I don't want to get to class yet."
"I don't either, but the sooner this day starts, the sooner it'll be over. So come, I'll walk you," I suggest wrapping an arm around her waist.
We made our way around the school and once we were in front of her homeroom, she kisses me on the lips softly.
"Good luck," she says pulling away, eyes still closed.
"You too," I say sending her an encouraging smile before walking away.
The morning trailed on normally, Gabriella being in none of my classes to help me get by. It's incredibly surreal how not even three months ago I used to be heartbroken by the fact she would never like me back and now, I'm dating her. I also used to have a silly crush on her but now I fully love her. During the few classes I had with my friends, they would try to question me about what happened in the hallways earlier but every time I would just pretend I didn't hear them. When finally the lunch bell rang, I rushed out of my class, shoved my books in my locker and waited for her at her locker.
"So, I heard that you and Gab officialised yourself this morning huh?" Sharpay Evans remarks, smirking. "I thought you would've waited at least until lunch."
"Doesn't matter, either way they would've found out," I shrug.
"It seems like it's the new hot topic right now. You're lucky I knew about you guys or else I would've look incredibly stupid on my first day of sophomore year," she states.
"And nobody wants that I bet," I reply sarcastically.
"Shut up," she says punching me lightly on the arm.
Who would've thought that I would become sorta friends with Sharpay Evans by the end of the summer? I certainly didn't.
"Have you seen Gab?"
"Can't live without me, I see," I heard my girlfriend say behind me.
I turn around to see her smiling slyly. I'm relieved to see she looks happier than this morning. Without another word I wrap my arms around her and kiss her. I may seem clingy, but what can I say? I just missed her.
"How are you?" I inquire once we were done.
"Better," Gabriella says plainly, slipping her arms around my left bicep. "So, what did I miss?" she asks her best friend.
"Nothing except that I really really don't like your boyfriend," Sharpay declares.
"Oh no, what did he do again?" she questions raising an eyebrow at me.
"He doesn't get that I have a reputation to keep and he even makes fun of me," she pouts.
"Troy, you know her reputation is crucial to her," my girl startes, 'scolding' me. "After all, it's all she has."
We both burst out laughing and the blonde joined in, even if she was trying her hardest not to.
"You guys are horrible! You do deserve to be with each other," she declares.
"You know it!" I joke.
All three of us walked to the cafeteria, talking amiably with each other. It's crazy how much this past summer changed everything, I mean, here I am, hanging out with the two hottest girls in the whole school. I try not to look at all perturbed by the fact the whole school are looking at us when we walk in. My friends look the most shocked though. Settling in one of the empty table reserved to the popular gang, Sharpay leans closer to me and Gabriella.
"Have you heard anything about the Nielson's case?" she whispers cautiously, making sure no one else would hear what we were saying.
Gabriella's eyes darken, indicating she is upset and just shake her head.
"Not since, the case started," I state rubbing my girlfriend's back soothingly.
Sharpay is the only other person apart from me and Gabriella who knows what really went down the night Kelsi Nielson died two weeks ago and it is to stay that way. I'm not even going to tell anyone else about it. Not even my boys. They wouldn't understand. It feels like this secret is just going to set us apart. Besides they're going to find out soon enough at the trial when the judge will ask the gardener what happened on the 24th of August while he was picking up his stuff.
After all that's how it all started; I did choose to become the gardener that summer. And it's because of my job that I became witness to a murder.
Like it? Hate it? Please leave a review to tell me what you think.