A/N: So, here is a new oneshot. Don't epect any others for a while. I have A LOT of assignments due :\ I am going to work on a full length story soon (I hope) but knowing my luck, school will get in the way.
Anyway, this oneshot is a little bizarre :\ I don't even know what inspired me to write it. But, it was kinda fun to write. I guess, I just like that really awkward situation of the ex and the current girlfriend meeting ^^ So yeah. A little more light hearted compared with 'Less Than Perfect'.
"Oh, Troy, there you are. Why is there an ugly SUV in your driveway?"
Gabriella shook her head to herself. Wow. His standards had dropped immensely and they weren't even divorced yet. Well, that was fifteen years of her life she'll never get back. The girl couldn't be more than twenty five. In a pretty pink baby doll dress that emphasised her curves, Gabriella found jealousy boiling her blood. Three children had left her with the inability to wear such clothes. Troy used to reassure her. But in recent years, he hadn't bothered.
The girl flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder obnoxiously. "Sorry, we're not interested in buying any Girl Scout cookies."
Troy smiled awkwardly at. "Quinn, you remember me talking about my wife, right?"
Gabriella forced a smile at the girl. Quinn, apparently. She could help but compare her to the head cheerleader in Glee that Beth made her watch religiously every Monday on Fox. A little too blonde, a little too pretty and a little too perky. She had cheer captain practically tattooed on her forehead. "Gabriella," she introduced herself.
She had to force herself not to cry as she shook Quinn's hand. She and Troy hadn't been separated for more than two months and someone was already in her place. So much for until death do us part. They had tried their best to make the separation as amicable as possible. But, after fifteen years of marriage, how could there not be any ill feelings? Luckily, her law practice was stable. Unfortunately, nothing else was.
"Quinn," she replied.
They regarded each other for a moment. It was like two felines staring each other up before one would attack the other. Of course, that didn't happen. They dropped the other's hand and Gabriella turned to Troy, quirking an eyebrow. She'd known him for an impossibly long time; literally since the day they were born. Due to this, she had seen him go through numerous relationships before they had begun their own. None of the girls had ever been like Quinn. None at all. Which led Gabriella to conclude...
He was officially insane.
"What were you saying, El?" he asked.
Gabriella sighed and shook her head. "I was going to tell you that Jacob has a soccer match on Tuesday. But, I can see you're busy."
"El," he began.
She shook her head again. "No. Don't. Pick them up. Friday. 8pm." She glanced at Quinn. "Before I forget," she paused to take out a piece of paper from the back pocket of her jeans, "I've spoken to my colleagues and they feel this would be an acceptable alimony payment."
Troy unfolded the piece of paper and looked at her solemnly. "I can't afford this. I'm on a teacher's salary."
Gabriella rubbed her eyes. "You own half a gym with Chad. You have more than that. I know you do. Get in touch with your lawyer. The quicker this is settled, the better."
Troy scrunched the piece of paper up and reached for her arm. "El, can't we talk?"
"We did," she countered. "About two months ago. Went along the lines of 'let's divorce'. Ring any bells?"
"Why are you so mad at me?" Troy yelled. "You're always mad at me and I don't know why."
Gabriella slowly pried his fingers back until he let out a little yelp. She folded her now-free arms and tilted her head to the side. "Why did I marry you?" Her once-mellow voice raised in volume. "You're obviously the blindest, stupidest, most obnoxious guy that I've ever had the displeasure to meet."
"There you go again. Yelling at me and I don't know why," Troy protested, running a hand through his dirty blonde hair.
"If I have to tell you why I'm so angry all the time, it's really not worth it, is it? It would be like apologising and not meaning it." She shook her head. "Friday. 8PM."
"Why so late?" Troy asked.
Gabriella sighed. "So help me God. It's that late because Beth has a piano recital. I told you and you said you were busy."
Troy frowned. "Are you sure you mentioned that?"
"I'm going to leave now. Ring your lawyer. Soon. See you next week." She marched out of the door and went round to the driver's side of the door. She slid in and roughly pulled the seatbelt across her body. She turned to Beth who was in the passenger seat. Thirteen years old, her mother's brains, her father's looks. At that moment, Gabriella couldn't stand the knowing look on Beth's face that made her look so much more like Troy. "Stop it," Gabriella hissed.
Beth plugged two earphones in her ears and settled further into the seat. "I never said a word."
"You didn't have to," Gabriella whispered to herself. She glanced in the rear view mirror at Jacob and Emma. Jacob was too busy on his gameboy or DS or whatever the hell the latest games console was, to notice that she'd even got in the car. That was what he'd started doing more and more. She supposed that it was just his way of escaping the inevitable arguments between his parents and restoring some control in his life. And Emma, bless her heart, was fast asleep. Gabriella couldn't blame her. If she could curl up and fall asleep, she would, too. Unfortunately, she had three kids to drive home, a soccer uniform to wash, dinner to cook, and homework to help with, assuming that Jacob still hadn't done his.
Putting the car in drive, she pulled out of Troy's driveway and headed in the direction of home. Or, her temporary home. She was living, along with her three children, with her parents until she could find another house. Unfortunately, although many would argue that it was fortunate for her, her parents lived across town on the other side of Albuquerque.
To Gabriella, the journey seemed endless. Beth was too busy listening to her iPod, Jacob only gave one word answers and Emma was still sleeping. Sleep deprived, over-stressed and to top it all off, Troy had a new girlfriend. So much for good things happen to those who wait. What happened to the times when she actually enjoyed being at home? She used to love it when the clock struck five so that she could go home, have dinner with her family and then, when the kids were finally asleep, spend some time with her husband. Unfortunately, now she couldn't be in the same room as Troy without an argument breaking out about something.
She pulled into driveway and sighed. She was unsure whether she was grateful or annoyed that both of her parents were, currently, visiting family over in Santa Fe. This meant that she was alone with three children. Beth was the oldest at thirteen. This, of course, meant that none of them actually understood the severity of separation or divorce. Emma still asked on a daily basis, each evening, why Troy wasn't there to kiss her goodnight.
Gabriella, Beth and Jacob got out of the car. Gabriella threw the keys to Beth. "Open the door while I get your sister."
Jacob frowned. "How come she gets to do it?"
"Because I'm older and smarter and I probably won't mess it up." Beth grinned at him as she approached the front door. She had politician written all over her.
Jacob trudged after her. "Mom! Say something. Beth, it's opening a door, how can you mess it up?"
"You'd find a way," she countered.
Gabriella sighed and gently picked Emma up from the back seat. She nudged the door shut with her hip. "Not now, kids," she whispered as she stepped inside. "Lock the car," she told Beth.
"Mom!" Jacob protested. "Why can't I?"
"One second. Let me put Emma down," she murmured.
Once Emma was safely tucked up in bed (she shared her room with Beth), Gabriella went into the kitchen to prepare dinner. Chicken salad would be lovely. Simple, easy and (thank God) fast to prepare. Things in her life were too complicated. So much so that even the meals she prepared had to be as simple as possible. The simpler, the better.
"Mom," Jacob murmured.
Gabriella looked up from mixing the salad. "Yeah?"
"Why didn't you let me open the door? Or lock the car?" he asked. His face was dark and moody. Gabriella realised that the stress and confusion of the past few months had caused the teen angst, which she had assumed wouldn't happen for a few years, to happen now.
Gabriella set down the tongs she was using and wiped her hands on a cloth. Leaning against the counter, she suddenly saw her son for what he was: a growing boy. For so long, she'd seen him as the tiny baby that the midwife had placed in her arms. Now, he was asserting his independence and just wanted some answers. Jacob was exactly like her. With dark hair, tanned skin and the need for knowledge, he was the spitting image of his mother.
"Is it because she's oldest?" Jacob demanded. "Because that's not fair. It wasn't my fault I was second!"
Gabriella gestured to the kitchen table. "Sit down, Jacob." They sat down and were silent for a moment. "Jake, I didn't ask Beth because she's older. I asked her because you seem to be taking everything that much harder."
Jacob stared at the table cloth with a frown. "It's not fair, though."
Gabriella rolled her eyes. Yes, he still had Troy's stubbornness. "I didn't think it was that important. Beth just opened the front door. I didn't give her your inheritance."
Jacob cracked a smile but it faded quickly. "I mean it, Mom. I don't want you and Dad to divorce. None of my friends' parents are divorced. I'm the only one who has to go across town at the weekend."
Gabriella sighed. "I can't help you with that. But, your father and I aren't who we used to be and this is for the best."
"He's an idiot," he muttered.
"Jacob! Don't talk about your father that way," she scolded.
"You were thinking it."
"Why do you think your father's an idiot?" Gabriella asked calmly, brushing her son's hair.
Jacob shrugged. "I don't know what he did. I just know that he upset you which means that he's pretty idiotic."
Gabriella frowned. "You mean that?"
Jacob nodded. "Yeah."
"I kind of assumed you sided with your dad. You never talk to me very much anymore," she murmured.
"I talk less with Dad. If I can get away with grunting, I will," he exclaimed.
Gabriella laughed. "I'll tell you what: I promise to pay you more attention. I am so sorry. I didn't even realise I was doing it. I guess, I still see the little baby that the midwife handed to me. I keep trying to protect you from all of this and I can't. Because you're not that little boy anymore."
Jacob rolled his eyes. "Don't go all fortune cookie on me."
"Are we okay?" Gabriella asked seriously.
"I think the question is: are you okay? Mom, I hate seeing you like this," he whispered.
"I'm not a big fan but it's what we've got to do. Anyway, go and wash up for dinner."
Friday night rolled around and, as promised, the doorbell rang at 8PM on the dot. Gabriella pulled the door open and cracked a smile at Troy. Instead of greeting him verbally, she craned her neck down the hall. "Kids, your father's here." She turned back to Troy and looked in his eyes.
Troy rocked back and fore on the balls of his feet. "How are you doing, El?"
"I'm fine. Yourself?" she asked.
He shrugged. "I'm okay."
Gabriella glanced down the hall and then leaned closer to Troy. "Don't ask me that again. You know the real answer. You always know the answer. So, just don't, okay?" She stepped back when Emma appeared beside her.
Emma, at four years old, still didn't quite understand why Troy and Gabriella didn't live together anymore but viewed the whole thing as a constant sleepover. Every weekend, she slept over at her daddy's. Gabriella envied her naivety. She didn't particularly want to know the details of the divorce, either. Emma launched herself into Troy's arms, a teddy bear held tightly in her hand. "Daddy!"
Troy chuckled and kissed her in greeting. "Hey, there, baby girl. How are you doing?"
"I'm great, thanks, Daddy," she exclaimed.
Jacob came down the hall, his backpack slung over his shoulder. "Bye Mom," he murmured, kissing Gabriella's cheek.
"By, honey. Be careful." She watched him get in the back of Troy's car.
Troy sighed and set Emma on the ground. "Sweetie, why don't you go and ask Jake to help you in?"
Gabriella turned back to the hallway. "Beth!"
"I'm coming," the thirteen year old muttered as she carried her backpack, began texting and was putting her earphones in. Gabriella was proud. If multitasking ever featured in the Olympics, her daughter would bring home the gold.
Beth stepped past Troy, towards the car, but he stopped her. "How was the recital?"
She shrugged and turned back to her phone. "Standing ovation," she muttered before heading to the car.
Troy frowned and turned back to Gabriella. "What's her problem?"
Gabriella shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe her problem is that her dad didn't see the standing ovation. Is that everything?" She was about to shut the door but he stopped it with his foot. "What?"
"Can we talk for a minute?" he asked quietly.
Gabriella frowned. "Why? I have things to do."
"Like what?" Troy exclaimed.
"Oh, I don't know...Wash all of your children's clothes, hoover, get some work done. And that's just tonight. Don't even get me started on tomorrow."
Troy held his hands up. "Okay, okay. All I really wanted to say is that I think you and Quinn should hang out together."
Gabriella shook her head. "I'm not doing that. She seems like a nice girl and I'm so happy that you seemed to have moved on after all of five seconds and all, but I really don't care who you go out with."
Troy frowned. "I want you two to get along."
Gabriella gave a harsh laugh. "Why would you want that? We don't get along, why would I want to get along with some prom queen that you're dating?"
Troy gave a sad smile. "You just reminded me why we're divorcing."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.
"You don't think about anyone but yourself, do you? You're selfish," Troy exclaimed.
Gabriella glared. "Over these past months, you've accused me of a lot of things but the one I won't accept is you accusing me of being selfish. How dare you? I raised your kids, I brought in most of the income for years and I've never complained."
Troy rolled his eyes. "Selfish. So are you going to try to get to know Quinn or not?"
"Fine," she said reluctantly. "We'll go to the mall tomorrow. 10AM. One condition. Shar and Tay can come with me."
Troy sighed. "Fine with me."
Gabriella stared in her floor length mirror. Taylor and Sharpay were downstairs, waiting for Quinn, and Gabriella was getting ready. A simple white button up shirt and a denim skirt which fell just above the knees. At the minute, the blouse was undone and she was staring at her reflection. She hadn't looked at herself like this, scrutinising herself, in a long time. She was an attractive woman. She knew that. Troy had been in her life to witness the transformation from cute little girl to sexy young woman. She touched her lovely mass of dark hair that tumbled over her shoulders to her mid-back. Her hair had always been her favourite feature of herself. Her chocolate eyes, she knew, had once been sparkly and full of life. Now, though, they were dull, dark and, to her dismay, rather old-looking as if the divorce had aged her. Her skin was tanned and, despite being thirty three, enduring law school, having three children and now suffering a divorce, was surprisingly smooth. Sharpay envied that.
Her figure.
She'd always been petite. She used to spend hours, trailing through shops in the mall to find pants that were just the right length. Her waist had always been slim. However, being pregnant three times had ensured that she now possessed curves in unwanted places. She was still slim and attractive, but her stomach was just not what it used to be. Troy used to protest, telling her that she was beautiful. Not anymore.
She turned to the side, analysing her body from that perspective. Resting her hand on her flat stomach, she let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. Things were so complicated and they were about to get much worse. She hadn't needed a doctor's confirmation. She knew the signs and, luckily, no one else did. No one else had seen her fall asleep on the couch last weekend for twelve hours because she was so tired. No one else had seen her eat the rather tasty pickle wrapped in cheese (although she definitely won't be eating it after eight more months!). No one else had seen her leap from her bed to throw her guts up into the toilet.
It was better if she left it a while. No one needed to know just yet.
She turned back to the mirror and buttoned her blouse back up. Giving her make up a final check, she reached for her bag and made her way downstairs just as the doorbell rang. Sighing, she pulled the front door open. "Hey," she muttered.
Quinn smiled awkwardly. "Hi."
"Shar, Tay," she called.
Sharpay, a tall, blonde woman with a wardrobe which consisted of pink and glitter, approached Gabriella. "What took you so long? You took forever."
Taylor, an African-American woman who had a more reserved fashion sense, followed and shoved Sharpay's shoulder. "Forever. Right. You're so impatient. How on earth did you cope with marriage and motherhood?"
"Therapy," Sharpay replied simply.
Gabriella sighed. "Quinn, these are my friends. Sharpay and Taylor. Troy said they could come."
Quinn nodded. "Sure. I guess that's okay."
Locking the front door behind her, Gabriella said, "I'm not doing this for you, okay? Let's clear that up." She turned to Quinn, narrowing her eyes. "I sure as hell am not doing this for Troy. I have three children who are upset, confused and angry. The less complications, the better."
Taylor, Sharpay and Quinn watched as she got in the driver's seat of the SUV. "Don't worry," Taylor murmured, "she'll loosen up."
Quinn frowned. "Are you sure? She hates me."
Sharpay and Taylor glanced at each other. "We're sure."
Gabriella picked up a blouse and stared at it for a minute before Sharpay took it away and put it back on the rack. "Hey! I liked that."
Sharpay shook her head. "No you don't. Although it's 'in' at the minute, it won't be tomorrow and it won't ever be 'in' again. Like shoulder pads."
Gabriella rolled her eyes and began looking at a cute pair of flared jeans with flowers sewn at the bottom. "Unlike you, motherhood has made me ignorant to fashion. And ignorance is bliss, right?"
"Ignorance is humiliating if someone sees my best friend in something as ugly as that," Sharpay exclaimed.
"Shar," Gabriella hissed as a shop assistant walked past.
Taylor chuckled to herself as she looked at smart blue sweater. "Don't worry," she murmured to Quinn, "you get used to it."
Quinn frowned. "Why are all of you friends? You don't seem that much alike."
Taylor looked at her friends as they began bickering over what Gabriella should and shouldn't buy. "We're not alike at all. None of us. You know, when we went to East High, all ten of us, so many people wanted to break us up. There were jocks and drama club members and I suppose Gabi and I were classified as geeks. But, no one was ever quite strong enough to change anything. We started East High together and we graduated together. And, of course, we're still together now."
"But, don't you fight?" Quinn asked in shock.
Taylor laughed. "Are you kidding? Of course we do. When Sharpay and Zeke dated before they married, they had a weekly break up. I simply yelled at Chad because I knew he'd do something I didn't approve of. And, you know, Shar isn't exactly easy to get along with. Ironically enough, the only ones not to fight were Troy and Gabi. That kind of makes everything kind of sad, I think."
"Why are they divorcing? Troy didn't tell me," Quinn muttered as she looked at a pink bikini.
Taylor leaned closer to the younger girl. "I don't think they actually know. I think things were said that shouldn't have been and here we are now."
Quinn looked over to Gabriella. "That's hard to imagine. That they didn't fight, I mean."
Taylor sighed. "It's breaking her. You can see it. Even before she was with Troy in a romantic relationship, she was always so sure of herself and so strong. Now, I think the only reason she gets out of bed on a morning is because of the kids."
Gabriella stormed over to the two women. "Taylor, control your friend."
"She's your friend, too," Taylor countered, quirking an eyebrow.
Gabriella glared over at where Sharpay was hastily piling clothing into her arms. "Not anymore she's not."
Taylor raised her eyebrows at Quinn. "See what I'm up against?"
Quinn watched Taylor wearily as she went to assist Sharpay in holding the clothing. "Are you okay, Gabriella?"
Gabriella sighed and shook her head, a few tears leaking from her eyes. "Not really. I'm living with my parents, I'm getting a divorce and my husband is dating you. I mean, you seem like a nice girl and I have no problems with you and him being together. I don't mind you being with my kids. But, can you understand how it makes me feel? Troy and I break up and the first thing he does is find a girl like you."
Quinn frowned. "Like what?"
"Beautiful, a good body, and obviously a very decent person. I used to be you. And I'm not anymore. I've had three kids so I don't look so good anymore and I'm just...old when compared to you. It kinda sucks that my husband left me for you."
Quinn paused. "I didn't think about it like that."
Gabriella smiled ruefully. "I don't suppose you would. But, do you know what hurts me the most?"
Quinn shrugged and shook her head. "I don't know."
"I should've seen this coming. I should've known. I shouldn't have even become his girlfriend. I should've run in the opposite direction as soon as he brought it up." She looked away from Quinn, sifting through a rack of black blazers.
"Why?" Quinn murmured gently. Defying Gabriella's presumption of her, Quinn never touched a piece of clothing, but instead watched Gabriella curiously.
Gabriella turned away from the blazers and turned to the younger girl. "How much has Troy told you about me? Anything?"
Quinn shook her head sadly. "Nothing."
"Didn't think so," she admitted. "Would you like to have a cup of coffee with me?"
Quinn looked over to where Sharpay was perusing a rack of shoes. Taylor was following blindly, her vision hidden behind the pile of clothes in her arms. "Are you sure they'll be okay?"
"They'll be fine. Rather her than me," Gabriella commented.
"So," Quinn began as she set her cappuccino down, "why should you have run away?"
Gabriella stirred her latte for a moment. "I've known Troy a long time. Our moms met at the hospital. They had a scan on the same day or something. And it was inevitable that we'd be friends. Before the time when I had feelings for him, I saw him go from one girl to another. Not because he was a player as such. I can only describe it as boredom."
"What do you mean?" Quinn whispered.
Gabriella sighed. "You know when you look in your closet and the clothes that you had fallen in love with at one time, are just unappealing? You're bored with them. You want something different."
"Sure. We've all been there," Quinn exclaimed.
"It was like that. None of the girls held his attention like they should have. He went through girls like I went through books. That was a lot, by the way. I have a large book collection," Gabriella mumbled.
Quinn smiled, sipping her coffee.
Gabriella shrugged. "At sixteen, I loved him. I woke up one day and thought, he's not the annoying brat of a kid that was my best friend. He was different. Mature. Well, as mature as any high school guy can be. So, when he asked me out, I said yes, making the mistake of assuming that it'd be different with me. I thought it would simply...last." She looked down at the table. "But it didn't. Fifteen years and now I'm settling our divorce. Not exactly the fairytale ending I imagined when I said 'I do' at the altar."
Quinn tentatively reached across to touch Gabriella's hand. "You don't want to leave him?"
Gabriella lifted her head. "Want to? Why would anyone want to admit that their marriage failed; that they failed as a wife? Who would want that? We'd been going downhill for a while. We just didn't want to admit it."
Quinn paused, taking her hand away from Gabriella's. "I'm confused. Do you want me with him or not?"
Gabriella shrugged. "I don't actually give a damn. Do what you like. You're obviously a good person so if you stay with him, I don't mind you being around my children. I'm just telling you all of this to warn you. He will get bored. I guarantee it. It may take a week, or it may take fifteen years. But it'll happen and you'll cry yourself to sleep at night, wondering why you set yourself up to feel this way."
Quinn stared at Gabriella. "Why are you divorcing him? Really?"
Gabriella shrugged. "When you've been in a relationship with him as long as I have, you'll realise that he's got bored and you'll get sick and tired of being taken for granted. You'll realise that you're worth more than that and you just want out."
"He takes you for granted?" Quinn muttered. "Really?"
Gabriella nodded. "Don't get me wrong, in the beginning he's genuinely perfect. He doesn't know that he'll get bored. But when he does, he just doesn't try anymore. He'll come in from work, watch TV and not do anything else."
"And you don't think he'll change?" Quinn whispered.
Gabriella shrugged. "He didn't change after fifteen years of marriage, did he?"
"I guess not," Quinn admitted.
"I'm sorry," Gabriella whispered.
Quinn shook her head. "Don't be. You're just being honest with me. You are being honest, right?"
Gabriella laughed. "Of course."
Quinn pushed her empty mug away. "I can't believe I thought we had a chance. We met in a bar downtown. I was with some friends and I went to get another order and we started talking. He was sweet and genuine and I was surprised that a mature, good looking guy seemed interested in me."
"He is at the minute," Gabriella protested. "To Troy, you'll be the best thing since sliced bread at the minute, but I can almost guarantee that at some point, he won't feel the same."
"Thanks," Quinn muttered. "You're cooler than I expected you to be. When we first met, I thought you were some cranky ex that wouldn't let go."
"And you're cool, too. I thought you were some prissy cheer captain that was way below Troy's usual standards," Gabriella commented, waving over at Taylor and Sharpay; both were laden with shopping bags.
Sharpay and Taylor joined the two other women at the table. "What are you girls talking about?" Sharpay asked, looking intriguingly between the two.
Gabriella shook her head. "It's not important, Shar."
Quinn laughed to herself. "I just have one question: are you still in love with him?"
Gabriella gave a harsh laugh. "Of course not. And on that note, excuse me, ladies, I need the bathroom."
Quinn looked at Sharpay and Taylor as Gabriella left. "Is she telling the truth?"
Sharpay and Taylor glanced at each other and then simultaneously burst out laugh. "That's a good one," Taylor exclaimed.
Sharpay shook her head in dismay. "She's lying through her teeth. She's still hopelessly in love with him. She's just afraid to admit to anybody, including herself."
Troy knocked on the door of Beth's bedroom. "Beth? Are you okay?"
Beth didn't even look up from her math text book. "I'm fine."
"Can I talk to you about your mom and me?" he asked as he sat on the bed.
Beth sighed and turned around in her desk chair. "Dad, I'm a big girl. I get that you and mom aren't together anymore. But, right now, unless you know anything about quadratic equations, don't bother."
He watched as she turned back to her homework. She reminded him so much of Gabriella. She got so worked up over homework that she refused to talk to anyone until it was finished, handed in and she had received her well-deserved A+. Still, Troy was as stubborn as his daughter. "I remember those. Not how to do them, or anything. Just being clueless, your mom helped me through them and I somehow passed my finals."
"I know," she muttered. "Mom tutored you, right?"
"Yeah. I'm just glad all of you kids seem to have your mother's brains," Troy joked.
Beth got up from her desk and went to the other side of the room to another pile of books on her dresser. "Did you think that maybe that's because Mom actually takes time to help us?" She sat back down with another notebook and curled a lock of dirty blonde hair behind her ear. "Now, I'm serious, Dad. I need to do this homework."
"And I'm serious," Troy exclaimed. "Don't talk to me that way."
Beth put her pen down and sat up straighter but she refused to turn to him. "You wanna talk, so talk."
"Well, it's good enough," Troy muttered, clasping his hands together. "What's wrong? You don't talk to me anymore."
Beth slowly twisted in her chair to face him. "I can't believe you just asked me that. Hello? My parents are getting a divorce!"
Troy frowned. "It's not your fault," he whispered.
"Then stop acting like it is," she cried, tears gathering in her eyes. "You don't take any time with us anymore. You haven't for ages, way before Mom left. You just leave us to do whatever we want. I don't talk because neither do you. You don't show that you care for us." She sighed and wiped her eyes with a tissue she produced from her jeans pocket. "You wonder why Jake stays in his room and only comes out for food like a Neanderthal? He doesn't want to see you anymore. Emma, well she's still naive and hasn't a clue what's going on."
Troy couldn't answer. He stared down at his hands as he simply thought. He never said a word. He'd failed. He'd failed his marriage. And he'd failed as a father. How had he been so stupid? He hadn't known he was doing it but he'd simply...excluded his family. He hadn't bothered to help Gabriella around the house, he never talked to her and they hadn't even had a make out session in months, let alone had sex. And the kids...once upon a time, Troy would play dolls and forget his masculinity just to make Beth happy. He would play basketball or football with Jacob at the drop of a hat. And little Emma...he'd do anything for her.
But he hadn't done any of that in years.
Troy put his head in his hands. "Oh Beth," he muttered. He ran a hand over his face and then looked ruefully over at his oldest daughter. "You're so clever, do you know that?"
She didn't lift her eyes but shrugged. "I try to be. It's pretty hard to get into Stanford."
"You want to go to your mom's school?" Troy whispered.
"Yeah," she admitted. "Mom was talking about how amazing it was the other day."
"Law?" Troy asked, already knowing the answer.
She nodded. "How'd you know?"
"You're exactly like your mother. Besides, I was placing my bets on either that or politics," he joked.
She cracked a smile. "I meant what I said, Dad."
He turned away. "I know," he admitted. "And I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry, Bethy."
That caught her attention. "You haven't called me that in years."
He nodded glumly. "I know. And I am such an idiot. No wonder your mom hates me. If I could divorce me, I would, too."
She rolled her eyes and reached for a nearby pillow. "You're an idiot!"
"Hey," Troy protested.
Beth climbed onto the bed and began smacking Troy with her pillow again. "How the hell did you graduate high school? At least I now know why my brother is such an imbecile."
"Hey, hey, no hurting Dad," Troy protested as he snatched the pillow from Beth's grasp. "I'm old, therefore, it's more likely I'll be hurt. Why am I so stupid, then?"
Beth sighed. "Mom's still in love with you. She doesn't like it. She doesn't admit it. But, Dad, it's the most obvious thing in the world."
Troy frowned. "She might still love me but I know she hates me, too."
She rolled her eyes. "I'm so sick and tired of everybody feeling sorry for themselves. I know you love her, too, so do something about it."
Troy shook her head. "She doesn't deserve me."
Beth hit him with the pillow again. "Stop saying that. What happened to the man Mom told me she fell in love with? The guy who, after forgetting dates, which he did a lot," she paused to give Troy a disapproving glance, "climbed onto her bedroom balcony to apologise? Where is he?"
Troy sighed. "You're right. It won't happen overnight, you know? That's if we actually get back together. Your mom will probably say no."
"What happened to my dad? That never gave up on anything?" Beth whispered.
"I don't know," Troy admitted. "But, no matter what happens between your mom and me, I need you to know that I love you so much, Bethy. I love your mom and all but you and Jake and Emma are the most important things in the world to me and your mom. Nothing will change that."
Beth nodded with a smile. "I know that. I don't think Grandpa would let you live another minute if that wasn't the case."
Troy laughed. "That's true. So are we okay?"
She smiled. "Of course. I love you, Daddy." She wrapped her arms around his torso.
Troy tentatively wrapped his arms around her, mystified how the tiny baby, wrapped in a pink blanket, that the midwife had placed against Gabriella's chest had become an intelligent, strong willed young lady. "I love you, too, Bethy."
Beth pulled back and looked at him sternly. "I know you may not want to but you need to talk to Jake. Tell him what you just told me."
Troy nodded. "I know. I think I should do that now. Will you be okay with your math? I mean, I'm not that good but I could brush up you'd like me."
Beth laughed. "Don't bother. I don't want you hurting yourself. If I get too stuck, I'll ring Mom."
Troy kissed her forehead and stood up. "I love you." He left the room and shut the door behind him. He walked down the hall, towards the door with a poster for the band Kiss. At least his son had a good taste in music, even if he did have a bad attitude. If he was like this at ten, Troy dreaded his teenage years. He knocked on the door.
"Go away," Jacob called.
Troy sighed. "I want to talk."
"I don't," Jacob protested.
Rolling his eyes, Troy pushed his son's bedroom door open. Jacob was a teenager before his time. His walls were adorned with more posters of Kiss than Troy had ever seen. It seemed his son now had some idols which weren't a games console. Jacob was sat on his bed, playing a song on his electric guitar. Pausing for a moment, Troy sort of recognised it as 'Shout It Out Loud' by Kiss. Figures. It wasn't perfect. In fact, unless you knew how much Jacob loved Kiss and could assume that it's a song he'd play, you wouldn't recognise it at all.
"You're getting really good," Troy complimented.
"It doesn't sound right," Jacob muttered, stopping his playing. He stuck his pick between his teeth and inspected the tips of his fingers on his left hand.
Troy walked in and looked in amazement at the posters which Jacob must've spent days tacking up onto the walls. "You're playing four beats. It's supposed to be three for that song." (A/N: I actually haven't a clue. I don't know Kiss' music :\)
Jacob frowned. "How would you know that?"
Troy turned to his son and shrugged, digging his hands in his pockets. "I played that same song at our junior prom. Your mom was humiliated. But, I played it. It's three beats."
"You play guitar?" Jacob asked slowly.
Troy smiled and sat down next to Jacob. "Played. I stopped when you kids came along. I didn't really have time then. Your grandma wanted me to have a talent other than basketball."
Jacob smiled. "Sounds about right."
Troy nodded. "I knew what it felt like to just play. To shut the world out and play by yourself. I wanted you to have that. And I know that it's a real chick magnet," he joked, nudging Jacob's shoulder.
Jacob seemed to realised he was getting along with Troy because he rolled his eyes and sighed. "Don't bother. Just leave me alone."
Troy frowned. "Why do you hate me so much?"
"You hurt Mom. And you act like we're not important anymore," he muttered.
"I'm sorry," Troy whispered. "I didn't know I was making you all feel this way. You mean the world to me, you know. If I could go back and change everything, I would."
Jacob shook his head. "Those are just words. They don't mean anything."
Troy nodded. "I know." He laughed to himself. It was a weak, hollow laugh; full of regret. "I don't know how you feel, Jacob. When I was growing up, my mom and dad were together and so I don't know how it feels. But, do you know how it feels for me? Right now?"
Jacob fiddled with his guitar pick. "No."
"I feel like I've failed," he whispered. "My marriage is in pieces and your mom and I can't be in the same room without arguing, you hate me and obviously want to live with your mom and now I'm trying to move on by dating a very sweet girl but I know that...I can't. Nothing will change how I feel." He sighed and shook his head. "I remember telling your mom that I loved her. Just before our senior year. I thought we'd be together forever. And when Beth came along, everything was so perfect. And it was the same for you and for Emma."
Jacob didn't say anything for a while. "What's your point?"
"I'm sorry," Troy whispered, looking seriously at Jacob. "I know I've been messed up and I've been selfish for a while. And if you want to live with your mom, I won't stop you. But, I need you to know that you and Beth and Emma are my entire world."
Jacob sighed and stood up to put his guitar on the stand. He turned to Troy and folded his arms. "What do you want me to say?"
Troy shook his head to himself. "I don't think there's anything you can say. I just wanted you to know that none of this is your fault." He stood up and headed out of the room.
"One question, Dad," Jacob murmured as he fell back onto his bed, looking up at his ceiling.
Troy slowly turned to him and frowned. "I thought we'd had that talk."
Jacob sat up and averted his eyes. "I know all of that. I'm not being scarred for life twice. What I was going to ask is: why aren't you chasing her?"
Troy walked over to the bed and sat back down. "I am going to. But, I need to think about everything. And even if your mom and I decide to give it another try, it'll take time to get accustomed to everything again."
Jacob sighed. "You know, I was talking to Mike at school about this and I was talking about how depressing it all is. He said that the one upside is that I get two of everything: two bedrooms, two TVs."
Troy nodded silently. "Jake, I know you're taking it hard and I don't know if your mom will even consider getting back together, but I love you so much. You have to understand that, right?"
Jacob stared at a poster on his wall. "I know that. If you and mom get back together, do not, under any circumstances, screw it up again."
Troy rolled his eyes. "I know. So are we cool?"
Jacob frowned at him. "Don't hurt Mom again. She's really upset, you know. And everything's exhausting her. She's so tired all of the time. I think she's getting ill. I'm worried."
Troy nodded. "Don't worry, okay? I'll talk to her, I promise."
Gabriella pulled the door open, revealing herself to Troy in a really flattering pale blue summer dress. "Hi honey," she greeted as Emma skipped past her, eager to find her Grandma and Grandpa.
She turned back to Troy and he smiled. "Hey."
"Where are Jake and Beth?" Gabriella asked, curling a lock of dark hair behind her ear.
A door of Troy's car slammed shut and Beth stumbled out of the car, texting someone, changing the song on her iPod and carrying her bag all at the same time. When she was next to Troy, she kissed him on the cheek. "Bye, Daddy. Hey, Mom, what's for dinner?"
Gabriella frowned in bewilderment as Beth went upstairs. "Um, pasta salad," she called. Turning to Troy, she frowned. "Is she okay?"
Troy shrugged. "As far as I know."
"And Jake?" Gabriella demanded.
"DS," Troy whispered absent-mindedly. He was so quiet because he was scrutinising her. The dress was gorgeous on her. He loved her body. He remembered taking so long to memorise every inch of her body. He loved her, even after she had endured three pregnancies. But, he knew that what Jacob had said was true. The separation was taking its toll on her. She had bags under her eyes and she seemed to be struggling to keep her eyes open.
Jacob finally leapt out of the car, doing a small victory dance. "And completed! Who is the best gamer ever? Oh yeah! Your son." He jogged over to Troy and smiled. "Thanks for the game, Dad. It was awesome."
"Even though it took you all of two seconds to finish?" Troy asked sarcastically.
Jacob shrugged. "See you next week, Dad. Before I forget, I've got a baseball game on Wednesday. You're coming, right?"
Troy grinned and nodded. "Of course."
Gabriella watched Jacob head up to his room and frowned at Troy. "What's happened?"
Troy shrugged. "We just talked. That's all. How are you doing, El?"
She shrugged. "I'm okay. Now, is that everything?"
He shook his head. "I was actually hoping we could talk, just the two of us. Maybe in the back yard?"
Gabriella sighed and nodded. "Go ahead."
Outside, they stood side by side by the far fence, looking straight ahead. The night was warm and peaceful, crickets were chirping, fireflies were glowing and there wasn't a cloud in sight. In theory, it was a perfect night. But it wasn't. Not for either of them. There was too much awkwardness, too much anger and, on Gabriella's part, too many mood swings.
"So what do you want?" Although Gabriella had planned to ask the question in an honest, curious manner, it came out much harsher than she planned.
"Quinn's gone," Troy whispered.
Gabriella rolled her eyes to herself. "Well, that's a record, I think. Congratulations." Sarcasm dripped from her voice.
"She left me," he admitted reluctantly. "She pointed something very important out to me."
After a moment, Gabriella turned to him and quirked an eyebrow. "Are you going to enlighten me?"
He shrugged timidly, looking rather forlorn. "I'm not ready for that. I won't ever be ready for someone else."
"Don't go there," she hissed, looking away.
Any hint of Troy ever looking forlorn melted away and was replaced by frustration. "Don't do what? Admit that I was a bastard these past few years? I am so sorry, El. I apologise and I'll tell you every day until you damn well accept my apology."
Gabriella glared at him. "That doesn't change anything, does it? It's not like everything's going to magically be alright, is it? We're still getting divorced."
"Why?" Troy challenged, stepping closer to her. "You're the one who always said that people who rush into a divorce are missing a chance to fix things. Why won't you give us that chance?"
Gabriella's look of anger and frustration, that hadn't quivered in the slightest in her confrontation with Troy, slipped away to reveal a shy little girl. Tears were in her eyes and she had to turn away for fear of crying in front of Troy. "I'm pregnant," she whispered.
Troy stepped away. "What?"
She swallowed and looked down at her feet. "I'm pregnant," she repeated.
Troy glared. "You cheater. You...slut."
Gabriella frowned. "Excuse me?"
"Well, it's pretty obvious that you've cheated. We haven't made love in ages," Troy protested.
She shook her head defiantly. "I did not cheat on you. Please don't accuse me of that."
"So, what? It's another immaculate conception? Praise the lord, his son has returned," Troy exclaimed loudly.
Gabriella glared. "Stop that." She turned away and stepped closer to the fence. Placing a hand on her stomach, Gabriella spoke quietly. "Stop accusing me of things that aren't true. Think about it for a minute before you become your usual male self and jump to conclusions. Five weeks ago, on a Thursday night, I got a call from you. You wanted me to pick you up from a bar down by East High because you were drunk." She turned to give him an unreadable expression before turning back to view in front of her. "I don't know why considering it was a school night and you had work the next day."
"El," he whispered and stepped closer to her. He rested a hesitant hand on his shoulder and, to his surprise, she let him.
She turned to him fully then, looking him straight in the eye. "Be honest with me. Do you remember what happened next?"
"I wanted to talk," he began hesitantly. "I'd only had a few beers but it'd been so long since I'd drunk that it affected me too much. I felt sad, lonely, and melancholy. I just wanted someone to talk to and despite everything, I wanted to talk to you."
Gabriella nodded slowly. "So I took you to the creek. I stopped the car and we talked for a while. Or, you talked, I listened."
Troy looked down at her sorrowfully as he brushed his hand down her arm and linked their fingers together. "I kissed you."
"And I let you," she admitted quietly. "See? The baby is yours. Troy, I don't have time to cheat on you. I don't go anywhere because there's always something that needs to be done."
Troy swallowed and nodded. "I'm sorry."
She let her hand slip from his and stepped away from him, knowing how much he could still affect her. "But, that's why I want this divorce," she whispered.
He frowned. "Surely, you being pregnant is the reason for us to stay together!"
She shook her head. "No it's not. This relationship is too stressful for me and I don't want to harm the baby." She walked away and sat down on the wooden porch swing.
Troy hesitantly sat next to her. "So you really want this to end?"
"Why do people say that?" Gabriella cried. "I don't want to end this. I'm thinking of your child."
Troy paused. "I want you back, El. I can't do anything without you."
"It's not good enough," she whispered, tears in her eyes.
"I need you back," he cried.
She shook her head. "Not good enough." She stood up and looked down at him with tears in her eyes. "I know that you didn't mean to hurt me. But, you did. You stood in God's church and said that you'd always be there for me. And you weren't. And I can't forgive you for that."
He watched her head towards the patio door and he slipped off the bench swing to kneel on the ground. Now, Troy Bolton was proud of his masculinity. He never cried at anything. It was an odd quality. He hadn't even cried at the sight of his children. The days when his children were born were unforgettable; he simply didn't cry. Early in their relationship, Gabriella had joked, saying that it made him seem almost like a robot. But he simply couldn't cry. He would watch movies with Gabriella like A Walk To Remember, My Sister's Keeper, The Notebook, Love Story... All the films which had Gabriella weeping into his shirt for hours afterwards. And, still, he didn't shed a tear.
But, Gabriella turned to him, finding him with tears streaming down his cheeks and rather un-masculine sobs escaping his mouth. He was on his knees, simply crying. She watched him for a moment, knowing that the past few years were just an exhibit of how stubborn they could be to each other. They simply weren't willing to back down from an argument and admit that they needed each other much more than they let on.
That was the problem.
Gabriella swallowed and, against her better judgement, stepped closer to him. She shouldn't be afraid of him. But, to some degree, she was. She was bringing a brand new life into a relationship that could fall to pieces again. But, she looked at Troy and saw how broken he was in that moment and knew that he wouldn't let their marriage break again.
But, still, she had to consider Beth, Jacob and Emma. She knew they were all struggling with the divorce. But, would they simply accept that they were back together? Despite how Jacob seemed to be getting along with Troy, she knew that it would take a lot more for Jacob to forgive Troy for what he'd done.
It didn't matter. That was Gabriella's conclusion. Because as soon as she was close enough, Troy wrapped his arms around her legs, like a small child would, and pressed his cheek against her stomach. She hesitantly rested a hand on his head. She looked down at him as he lifted his head.
"Please, El. I mean it. I don't want you to leave. I need you. I'll change. I promise. I might need you to remind me but I'm a guy. I don't remember things like how to do the washing or to help you with dinner. Please."
Gabriella shrugged. "I don't know," she whispered.
"Marry me," Troy blurted.
Gabriella slowly stepped out of his arms, frowning at him. "Troy, the whole point of us getting a divorce is that we're not married anymore."
Troy shrugged, looking up at her. "Marry me again. Renew our vows. Please?"
Gabriella stepped closer and knelt in front of him. She stroked his cheek and nodded tearfully. "I'll marry you again. If you want me to."
He smiled and nodded. "El, of course I do. I know I'll have to work hard but I will, I promise. I want this baby to come into a home, okay? Our home."
"I'd love for that to happen. But, don't screw it up, okay?" she warned.
He chuckled. "Don't worry, Jake won't let that happen."
She laughed. "Sounds about right."
Troy looked down at her stomach and rested a hand there. "My baby?"
She nodded. "Our baby."
"You're not going to do anything for nine months. I'll cook and clean and do everything, I promise," he murmured.
She rolled her eyes and stood up. She held her hand out expectantly and helped Troy up, brushing his shirt down. "Now, let's not go overboard. Let's take it one day at a time. Besides, no matter how pregnant I am, I am not letting you cook."
He laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist. When they were close enough so that there wasn't a gap between them, his face became serious. "I love you so much, El."
She nodded, tears in her eyes. "I love you, too."
They shared a small smile before Troy leaned down and captured her lips in a loving kiss. He pulled back and looked over Gabriella's shoulder. "We have an audience," he whispered.
"I guessed as much." She turned around and beckoned for Beth, Jacob and Emma to come over.
"See, I told you they'd get back together," Beth exclaimed, nudging Jacob's shoulder.
Jacob sighed and reluctantly brought out his ten dollars allowance. "Here you go."
"You bet that I wouldn't get your mom back?" Troy exclaimed indignantly.
Jacob shrugged. "I didn't think you had the guts."
"Thanks for the support," Troy muttered.
"Mommy," Emma exclaimed, pulling on Gabriella's dress.
Saving Gabriella from bending down, Troy lifted Emma up. "What is it, sweetheart?" Gabriella asked.
"Are we all living together now?" she asked innocently.
"Yeah," Troy whispered.
"Finally," Beth exclaimed and she and Jacob sat down on the wooden bench swing.
"Hey, kids," Gabriella began slowly. "Your father and I are back together and we're going to renew our vows."
Jacob groaned, making Beth elbow him. "It's romantic."
Jacob pulled a face. "I'll just be in a really itchy suit all day."
"Anyway," Troy exclaimed. "The thing is, it's not going to be just the five of us anymore."
Emma frowned. "Who's leaving?"
"No one's leaving, sweetheart," Gabriella murmured.
"The thing is," Troy murmured, "we're having another baby."
Emma squealed and hugged Troy's neck. "I'm going to be an older sister."
Beth glanced at Jacob. "Trust me, it's not all it's cracked up to be."
Jacob frowned. "Try having an older sister."
"Kids," Troy protested.
"Sorry," Beth and Jacob muttered as they stood up.
Beth hugged Gabriella. "I'm happy for you."
Jacob hugged Gabriella, too. "Yeah. Just try not to fight all the time."
"Can we go and tell Grandma and Grandpa?" Emma asked excitedly.
Troy set Emma on the ground and watched their kids run into the house. He turned to Gabriella. "Well, I think that went rather well."
She laughed as he wrapped his arms around her. "I'm glad we worked it out."
Troy nodded, giving her a mischievous smile. "Now, why don't your parents babysit, we go home, and we celebrate by ourselves?"
Gabriella giggled. "That sounds wonderful."
Troy laughed and leaned down to kiss her, knowing that, despite his history of being bored in relationships, Gabriella was his only exception.