I know its not christmas but this thought was in my head. i hope it alright
The smell of chicken roast could be smelt throughout the entire Baylor house. 25 year old Zeke Baylor was in the kitchen preparing the Christmas dinner for his family and close friends.
"Shar do you know what time everyone is coming?" Zeke called out to his wife of 8 months. Sharpay appeared at the doorway.
"Taylor and Chad will be here at about 12:30. Kelsi, Jason, Ryan and Melissa at 12:00. Gabriella will be a little late because she's visiting her mum and Troy should be here in about an hour."
"You know I really can't believe Troy and Gabby are still only best friends" Zeke said as he shook his head lightly.
"Me too. I really thought they would get together in high school" said Sharpay. Suddenly the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it" Sharpay said as straightened up. She walked to the door and opened it. Sharpay was immediately greeted with a gust of cold air and snow. Troy Bolton stood at the door.
"Are you going to let me in Shar? It's freezing out here" Troy asked. Sharpay laughed softly before opening the door wider.
'What are you doing here so early Troy?"
"Merry Christmas to you too" Sharpay laughed before Troy leant down to hug her and kiss her cheek.
"Who is it Shar?" Zeke's voice came from the kitchen.
"Troy" Sharpay answered. Zeke appeared at the door and gave Troy a hug.
"Merry Christmas man" Troy said.
"Merry Christmas"
"So where can I put these?" Troy asked as he picked up the box that was still at the door.
"Tree's in the living room" Sharpay said. Troy picked up the box and walked into the living room.
By 1:00 everyone had arrived except for Gabriella.
"Why is Gabriella late?" Kelsi asked.
"She was visiting her mum."
"Hello?" a voice called from the doorway. Everyone immediately knew who it was.
"In the living room" Ryan called out. A few seconds later Gabriella appeared in the doorway carrying a box of gifts. She was smiling brightly causing everyone else to smile. Everyone stood up to greet her. Gabriella put the box down as she hugged all the girls and kissed the guys on the cheek. When she reached Troy she hugged him tightly. She also gave him a kiss on the cheek. He kissed her on top of her head.
"Merry Christmas Brie"
"Merry Christmas Troy"
"Alright now that Gabby's here, can we eat?" Chad asked. Everyone laughed while starting to make their way to the dining room.
Zeke served up his chicken roast with everyone at the table. Troy and Gabriella sat next to each other while everyone else spread out along the table.
"So what did you get me?" Troy asked silently
"Wait until later" Gabriella whispered back.
"Pretty please tell me?"
"No"
"Would you two care to enlighten us to what you are whispering about?" Taylor asked. Gabriella blushed before sitting up in her chair.
"Troy is just being his usual self and trying to find out what he got before he opens it" Gabriella said as she took a sip of water.
"Oh" Taylor said as she resumed her conversation with Zeke.
"You're going to pay for telling on me Montez" Troy whispered to Gabriella.
"Oh come on Troy. You're not in kindergarten anymore"
"I happen to take these matters very seriously" Troy said. Troy's breath on Gabriella's ear made Gabriella shiver. This didn't go unnoticed by Troy.
"Are you cold?"
"N..no" Gabriella whispered. "Why is Troy making me feel like this? Troy has never made me shiver for no reason or give me butterflies before. The only other time was when I had a crush on him in senior yea..." Gabriella's train of thought trailed off. She didn't notice anyone calling her name until someone yelled.
"Gabriella!" Gabriella jumped.
"Yea?"
"Are you alright?" Sharpay asked.
"What...yea...I'm...I'm fine"
"Are you sure? You kinda spaced out there a moment ago" Chad said.
"Yea, just something I haven't thought about in a long time came back to memory" Gabriella said.
"Okay then. Who's ready for dessert?" Zeke asked. Everyone raised their hands. A few minutes later Zeke came out carrying a platter full of different desserts.
"Dig in everyone" Zeke said.
A couple hours later everyone was sitting in the living room. Ryan had put a Santa hat on and was handing out the presents.
"Did you finish Gabby's present?" Kelsi whispered to Sharpay. Sharpay smiled before she nodded.
"Yea, we're saving it for last"
"What are you guys whispering about?" Gabriella asked.
"Nothing" They both said at the same time. Gabriella looked at them sceptically before returning to opening her presents. After everyone had finished opening presents they were all sitting in the living room with hot chocolate and just talking. Kelsi looked at Sharpay who nodded and stood up. She picked up a box that was behind the tree and walked over to Gabriella who was talking with Troy and Chad.
"Gabriella?" Sharpay asked. Gabriella looked up and saw that Sharpay was standing in front of her with the rest of the gang now standing as well.
"Yes?" Gabriella asked slowly.
"I don't know what would have happened if you had not come into our lives. You always put everyone before yourself and would drop anything to help any one of us." Sharpay pulled the box out from behind her and handed it to Gabriella.
"We would have given this to you sooner but it was really hard trying to recover everything." Taylor said. Gabriella looked at everyone with glossy eyes and looked down at the box. She pulled the ribbon off and opened the lid. Inside the box lay a beautiful baby blue book. It had the words East High Wildcats on the front. Gabriella lifted the book out and laid it on her lap. When she opened the cover she gasped and lifted a hand to cover her mouth. On the first page were pictures of everyone
at the after party after the championship game. As Gabriella continued looking through the book she couldn't help the tears that slid down her cheeks as she recalled all the memories.
"This is beautiful" she managed to whisper. As Gabriella continued to look through the book she noticed that everyone had signed somewhere.
"You guys didn't have to do this" Gabriella said. She felt like she didn't deserve such a precious gift.
"You deserved every minute we put into it Gabster" Chad said. Gabriella couldn't take it anymore. She leapt up and hugged everyone tightly.
"Thank you so much" Gabriella managed to whisper. Zeke walked over with a box of tissues. He handed Gabriella one. Gabriella laughed before taking one.
"Would anyone like more hot chocolate?" Taylor asked as she stood.
"Yes please" everyone said. Taylor laughed as she started to walk to the kitchen.
"I'll help" Zeke said as he also stood up. As he walked past Sharpay he kissed her on top of her head.
"They're so cute" Gabriella said to Kelsi who was sitting on the floor in front of Gabriella and Troy.
"Yea"
"I can't wait until I have someone like that to love me so passionately" Gabriella exclaimed as she sighed looking at how a small smile graced itself across Sharpay's lips. Troy couldn't help but overhear the last sentence Gabriella had just said.
"Don't worry Gabby. It will happen one day" Kelsi assured her.
"Troy we need some help" Taylor called from the kitchen. Everyone laughed.
"Why can't you ask your husband?" Troy asked.
"Because I don't trust Chad to carry a full tray of hot chocolate. You'll never see it" Taylor answered back.
"Hey!" Chad said. Everyone heard laughing coming from the kitchen.
"I love you sweetie" Taylor called out.
"Yea yea I love you to"
"Troy!" Zeke called. Troy stood up with a groan.
"I'm coming. I'm coming" Troy said as he made his way to the kitchen. Gabriella and Kelsi laughed.
"You know you and Troy are pretty similar to Shar and Zeke" Kelsi said after a few moments. Gabriella whipped her head around to look at Kelsi.
"What?"
"You and Troy."
"What about me and Troy?"
"Let me ask you something. Have you ever wished Troy would just hold you in his arms and tell you that he loves you on a cold night?" Kelsi asked as she looked Gabriella in the eye. Gabriella's mouth hung open, eyes wide and when she dropped her gaze and when Kelsi notice a blush creep onto her cheeks Kelsi smiled.
"You know what it's kinda cold over here. I think I'm going to stand in front of the fire" Gabriella said as she stood up and walked over to the fireplace and let out a sigh. Sharpay noticed Gabriella sign and walked over to Kelsi.
"What did you say to her?"
"She was saying about how she wished she had someone to love her and I just asked her if she ever thought about Troy in that way"
"Oh. Has she?"
"Well she wouldn't look at me and she blushed"
"Awe... our little Gabby has a crush" Sharpay said.
"You know I can hear you two" said Gabriella.
"Well we weren't exactly trying to keep it down" Sharpay said.
"Hot chocolate" Taylor said as she and Troy came in carrying trays of hot chocolate. Troy reached Gabriella last.
"Hot chocolate madam?" Troy playfully asked as he bowed. Gabriella laughed and did a little curtsey before taking a mug.
"Why thank you kind sir" Troy laughed and set the tray on the table before taking his own cup.
"And what are you doing over here?"
"Oh you know just warming up and looking at the tree" Gabriella answered.
Taylor sat down on the couch where Sharpay and Kelsi were. She looked over at Troy and Gabriella. She also noticed something above their head.
"Hey guys" she whispered to the girls. Sharpay and Kelsi stopped their conversation and looked at Taylor.
"Yes?" Kelsi asked.
"Have you noticed where Troy and Gabriella are standing?" Sharpay and Kelsi looked over at Troy and Gabriella.
"They're standing by the fireplace" Sharpay said.
"Have you noticed anything else near them?" Taylor asked. Sharpay and Kelsi looked over in their direction until Sharpay looked at the roof. Her mouth and eyes went wide.
"They're standing under the mistletoe!" Sharpay said excitedly.
"Who's standing under the mistletoe?" Jason asked. By now everyone was surrounding the girls except for Troy and Gabriella who had no idea what was going on.
"Troy and Gabby are under the mistletoe" Taylor told the guys.
"Should we tell them?" Chad asked.
"Tell who what?" Gabriella asked. The gang looked up to see Troy and Gabriella looking at them.
"That you two should probably look at the roof right about now" Kelsi said with a smirk on her face. Troy looked at Gabriella before he looked at the roof. He knew Gabriella had now looked up because she heard her gasp softly. Troy looked down and met Gabriella's eyes.
"Come on you two. You know the tradition" Zeke said. Everyone noticed Gabriella blush and look down. Gabriella felt two fingers under her chin forcing her to look up. Her eyes met Troy's.
"We can't break tradition Brie" Troy said quietly.
GABRIELLA'S POV
I was about to say something when I felt Troy softly place his lips on mine. It only lasted a few seconds but I was sure I heard a camera go off.
END POV
Taylor and Sharpay's mouth's dropped open when they saw actually leaning in to kiss Gabriella. Sharpay quickly grabbed her camera and took a picture.
"Do you think this means anything?" Kelsi asked.
"I'm not sure" Sharpay said as she saw Troy pull away. What happened next surprised everyone even Troy and Gabriella. As Troy pulled away Gabriella lifted her arms around Troy's neck to bring him back closer.
"Well I think it means something now" Taylor said. The guys couldn't help but stare at their two best friends kissing in the living room.
Gabriella suddenly seemed to register that she was kissing her best friend and pulled away quickly.
"What's wrong Gabby?" Taylor asked. Gabriella looked at her friends. She shook her head.
"I'm... I'm s.. sorry but I really have to go" Gabriella said as she picked up her coat and ran to the door. Everyone heard the door close.
"Well aren't you going to go after her?" Chad asked. Troy didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed his jacket and ran out the front door. The gang rushed to the window and saw Troy catch up to Gabriella in the front garden.
"Gabby!" Troy shouted once he was out the door. He saw Gabriella walking to the gate and ran to catch up to her. He grabbed her arm and spun her around. As Gabriella stood there Troy noticed how the snow gently rested on her eyelashes.
"What is it Troy?"
"What's wrong?"
"What's wrong? You want to know what's wrong. Well let's see I just kissed my best friend and when he went to pull away I stopped him. I kissed him again and now I know that I just ruined a perfectly good friendship with someone who now I just realised I have feelings for and now it's all going to get awkward and—" Gabriella was cut off when Troy kissed her. When he pulled away he rested his forehead on hers.
"You know you talk too much" Troy said. Gabriella laughed. "So you have feelings for me" Gabriella's eyes went wide and her hand flew to her mouth as she now realised what she had said when she was rambling on before.
"I...well...umm..." Gabriella sighed knowing that it was out in the open now and there was no going back. "Yes I do" Gabriella said as she hung her head down. Troy walked closer to Gabriella and placed his arms around her waist. This action caused Gabriella to look up.
"That's good. Because I just realised that I love you Gabriella Montez" Troy said. Gabriella smiled before she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I love you too Troy" Gabriella said before she kissed him again.
