Title: Summer of our lives
Author: gullnick
Timeline: Takes place as the second movie. They never go to Lava Springs.
Summary: Gabi and gang are looking for a summer job, but without any luck. But they get some help from Gabriella's grandparents.
A/N: This story is a crossover with another movie. Which one I'm not telling at the moment. You can leave your suggestion on a review.
Chapter 1
It was the last week of school. There wasn't much learning at all. Most of the students had their minds focused on their holidays. But Gabriella had other things on her mind; she still needed to find a job for summer break.
Gabriella had been on East High School for the first year. She got there after winter break, since her mother was transferred by her work. Again. It wasn't something new for her since she was used to move at least once a year. But this time it was the last time. Her mom Maria had finally found a workplace she liked and where she was really needed.
Gabriella just turned 17 and the coming school year would be her senior year. After high school she wants to go to college becoming a teacher or doctor like her mother. Gabriella was a good student and really liked to learn. But in the ending year she learned to love two more things: music and Troy Bolton.
They had met at a winter holiday resort on New Year's Eve when a DJ decided to put the two of them together for karaoke. After this night they thought they would never see each other again, since they had no chance to exchange addresses. When Gabriella walked in Homeroom on her first day on East High School she was more than surprised to see Troy as one of her new class-mates. Like it turned out, Troy was the most popular student on the school since he was the captain of the basketball team.
Things moved on and Troy and Gabriella got the leading role at the annual school spring musical. And after some time they became a couple.
Lots of things had changed in those few months in Albuquerque. For the first time in her live Gabriella had found real friends, not just some girls who wanted to be with her to get better grades. Her best friend was Taylor McKessie. They were together on the decathlon team, since Taylor was as clever as Gabriella. And Taylor's boyfriend Chad Danforth was Troy's best friend and member of the basketball team. Normally the science nerds and the jocks didn't get along, but Gabriella changed that because of being with Troy. And even the fashion queen Sharpay Evans and her twin brother Ryan joined their little circle of friends. At the beginning Sharpay and Gabriella didn't get along, since Sharpay feared losing her leading role at the musical, which she actually did. But Sharpay started to like Gabriella and soon she was part of the gang. Sharpay even got a boyfriend, Zeke Baylor, who was a basketball player, too. Those few teenagers were the center of the gang, but there were more of them, who were friends with them. But Troy, Gabriella, Chad, Taylor, Sharpay and Zeke were nearly inseparable.
"Only four more days 'til summer, Gabi.", Troy said after the final bell on Monday. They were on their way to Troy's car to get home.
"Yeah, I know.", Gabriella said, not too happy about it.
"Sweety, what's wrong? We are going to have the whole summer together. This is going to be the best summer of our lives."
"How should I be happy? I still haven't found a job and you know that I need one."
"Gabi, don't worry. You will find a job in time. You are the best student I know and you will get more offers than you can think off."
"Troy, how can you be so positive about that? There are only four days left 'til summer break."
"Don't worry, we will find a job, I promise.", Troy said. He knew that none of his friends had found a job for the summer so far. He just hoped he wouldn't have to break that promise. Troy went to Gabriella's house, where he was going to spend the next few hours.
"Mami, we are home!", Gabriella shouted, entering the house and knowing that her mother had the day off.
"Hello you two. How was your day?"
"Like every day, Mami. Any mail for me?", Gabriella asked her mother Maria. She only shook her head no, which made Gabriella leave for her room.
"Care to explain, Troy? What is going on with my daughter?"
"Not much really. She is just afraid, that she won't find a job 'til next week. None of our friends have so far."
"Finding a summer job is so important for her. It's the first summer we don't have to move and she just wants to be a normal teenager. Okay, you go trying to make Gabriella feel better and I do some calls. I just got an idea who can help you perhaps. But please don't tell her."
Troy went up to Gabriella's room while Maria got the cordless phone and pushed a speed-dial button.
"Hello Mom.", Maria said when a woman answered the phone.
"Maria? Oh my god? It had been a long time since we spoke the last time. How are you and Gabriella? Why don't you come and visit us this summer? I think Gabriella would love being here again. And we would love to see the both of you again."
"Mom, calm down. That's a lot of questions you have. We are both great. The new house and work are just better than I could have wished for. And Gabi has just found a boyfriend. He's a really good guy and they are such a sweet couple. I call because of her.", Maria said.
"Is there something wrong with her? You just said, she is fine."
"No, nothing is wrong with her. I call because I need to ask you a favor. Gabriella is looking for a summer job, but so far neither her friends nor she had any luck."
"And now you are going to ask if we need some helping hands?"
"How did you know?", Maria laughed.
"Oh, I can remember a couple of times when you asked for jobs for your friends. And the same did your siblings. Well, I think we could use some more helping hands here. And if we are going to see our daughter and granddaughter again on this way, we would even create some new jobs. So when are you going to come and how many persons will you bring? You know, we have plenty of space for you."
"Mom, you are the best. I just don't know at the moment, if Gabriella is going to take the offer. I first have to talk to her and her friends. I'll call you later with the details. See you, Mom." Maria put down the phone and went up to her daughter's room. She lightly knocked at the door and entered the room. Troy was sitting on Gabriella's bed, hugging her. It seemed like she had calmed down at least a bit.
"You two, I have to speak with you.", Maria said, sitting down next to Gabriella's bed on a desk chair.
"Oh no, Mom. You promised me. We are not going to move this summer.", Gabriella said, kind of angry.
"Sweety, why do you think we are going to move? I never said a word about it."
"You started this way last summer and the summer before and the summer before that. Should I go on?", Gabriella asked.
"Okay, point taken. But I was not going to tell you, that we are moving. I promised you we wouldn't and I'm going to keep it. Actually I was going to ask you about some happy things."
"I'm sorry, Mom.", Gabriella said, hugging her mother.
"Okay, Troy told me, that you haven't found a summer job so far and I know that this is something really important for you. So I made a call. You know, your grandparents own a holiday resort in the Catskills. They are looking for students willed to work up there. I'm not telling you to take that offer. This is just something you can think off. And by the way, they would love to see us. They invited us to go up there. But this is up to you. And now, I'm going down to the living room. I think you have enough to talk about."
"Thank you Mom, but I don't think I can take the offer. I can't leave Troy here the whole summer. I was going to spend some time with him, too."
"Hey, wait a minute. They are looking for students, not just for you. You are free to tell you friends about this offer and I think your grandparents will be thankful for a few extra helping hands. At least they were when I was your age.", Maria smiled. "And now think about it. Tell your friends about it and then tell me your decision. I will take care of everything else. See you later, Sweety."
"So, now tell me something about the resort of your grandparents. What is it like? What jobs would we find there?", Troy asked.
"Well, there is not much I can tell you about it. I was there just one time when I was five or six years old. I was a little kid and everything seemed so large to me. I can remember a big white house where the dining hall was located. It was the first real thing I saw there. And everywhere were little bungalows. I think they were white, too. And there was a lake. I only remember it, because my grandfather taught me how to swim there."
"Okay, so you don't have many memories. How come that you don't have contact to them?", Troy asked, being curious about Gabriella's live.
"Well, that's easy. We were moving every summer so we got no chance to pay them a visit. And my grandparents lead the resort, so they just can't leave for a visit. I know, it's sad and I know that my mom would have loved to see them once in a while. She misses her parent's and her siblings. Like she told me, the whole family comes together up there at the end of the summer. There are family members in my family I didn't have seen even once in my live."
"So I imagine, you have quite a big family. I can tell, that you would love to take this offer just to have the chance to spend some quality time with your family.", Troy said, knowing what was on his girlfriends mind.
"I would really like that, but I'm not going to ditch you here. This is our first summer together and we should at least spend some time of it with each other."
"So, there are two possibilities. First we are both going to find a job here, so we can hopefully spend some time together at the evening. Or second possibility, is that I ask my parents if they let me go to your grandparents resort where we can spent the whole summer together without parents in sight. I don't know about you, but I'll go for number two."
"I'll second that. So let's grab my mother and we are on our way to your parents. I think my mother can do a better explanation about the resort than I can."
"Wait a minute. Your mother said they are looking for a few people for help. Why don't we call the gang for a little BBQ and tell them all together about it? So they can decide if they are coming, too."
"That's a great idea, but let's talk to your parents first. There is no need telling the gang about that offer, when it's not even sure you can come up there. I won't go there without you."; Gabriella said.
Together they went to Troy's home, which was only one block away. Troy's parents Jake and Lucille Bolton were living at a big two story house with a big garden behind it. The main space of the garden took the basketball court since Troy's father was teacher at East High and coach of the basketball team.
Did you like it so far? Any idea about the second movie? Please leave a review.