Do You Take This Man?
Gabriella Montez stood in front of her full length mirror dressed in her wedding dress. Today was her wedding day. She was getting ready to be the young wife of a senator. Her soon to be mother in law was prepping her to be the next Jackie Kennedy while her fiancé was trying to be future president.
Joseph Roberts was a man who would never stop at anything until he got the job right. He had met Gabriella at her college when he was making a speech on campus. He had been hooked from the moment they met and thought she was perfect material for a Future First Lady. His mother had urged him to propose to her right after she had met Gabriella for the first time.
While the Roberts loved Gabriella, her mother Isabelle Montez wasn't too thrilled with the family her daughter was joining. She kept her mouth shut thinking her daughter was happy. Isabelle had secretly hoped that Gabriella would marry Troy Bolton, her high school sweetheart.
Gabriella looked out the window at all the people who had been invited to her wedding. She did not even know most of her own wedding guests. Sharpay Evans, Taylor McKessie and Kelsi Neilson walked into the room. Sharpay was the Maid of Honor while Taylor and Kelsi were her only bridesmaids. Gabriella had pretty much slapped Joseph's sister in the face by not asking her to be Maid of Honor, let alone a bridesmaid.
"Gabby?" Sharpay asked gently.
"Is he here?" Gabriella asked in a whisper.
"I don't think he is going to come." Taylor replied knowing full well who she was talking about. "He's still in love with you. I don't think he'd be able to handle it."
Gabriella nodded her head. She and Troy had dated all through high school and the first two years of college. They had broken up just after Gabriella had met Joseph for the first time at his speech. The distance between them had just been too much for them and though neither one wanted to, their relationship ended. Six months later, Gabriella had found herself engaged to Joseph.
Gabriella closed her eyes thinking about Troy and Joseph. Joseph was a guy she loved, but Troy was the guys she was in love with. When she hadn't heard from him once her engagement was announced to the media, she thought that he had moved on from her.
"But we did bring you some people who will cheer you up." Kelsi said.
Chad Danforth, Zeke Baylor, Jason Cross, and Ryan Evans walked into the room. Gabriella smiled and raced to hug them all. Isabelle Montez entered at this scene and smiled as seeing Gabriella with her close friends. Chad wrapped his arms around Gabriella and hugged her tightly.
"You look beautiful." he remarked, kissing her gently on her cheek.
"Thank you." Gabriella said beaming. "And you all clean up very nice."
"Well, we knew this was a wedding for a senator and knew there would be many important people for us to meet." Ryan said as everyone laughed.
"We are all very happy for you, Gabby." Zeke said.
"What the hell is going on here?" Kathleen Roberts demanded. "No one is to see the bride before the wedding unless you're a member of the wedding party."
"I'm sorry, Kathleen." Gabriella said. "These are some of my best friends from New Mexico. They just came to here to wish me good luck."
"Well isn't that sweet." Kathleen said smugly. "Out!"
The guys began to leave. They each kissed Gabriella on the cheek before walking out of the room. Kathleen gave a thin smile before leaving herself. Isabelle quickly followed her.
"Kathleen, what the hell was that all about?" Isabelle demanded her daughter's future mother in law.
"Nobody is allowed to see the bride before the wedding except the wedding party." Kathleen explained firmly.
"If Gabriella did not want them there, she wouldn't have been so happy to see them. This is Gabriella's wedding, not yours, so stop controlling it."
Isabelle then rushed back into the room that held her daughter. She saw Gabriella looking out the window again. Sharpay, Taylor, and Kelsi were talking to her quietly.
"Why is your mother in law such a bitch?" Sharpay asked.
"She's just trying to get me ready as a politician's wife." Gabriella replied. "My father in law makes up for her though. He is the sweetest guy; he's always looking out for me, taking care of me."
"Do you love him?" Isabelle asked suddenly as the four girls turned around to look at her.
"Joseph?" Gabriella asked.
"Do you love him like you loved Troy?"
"I could never love anyone else like I loved Troy, nut Troy has moved on and I've got to do the same."
"Gabs, there are news' crews out there." Kelsi said slightly in shock.
This wedding is being turned into a media circus." Isabelle mumbled. "Gabby, this isn't the wedding you've always dreamed of."
"I've got to learn that to deal with sacrifices and things not always going my way." Gabriella stated numbly.
"Gabby, are you ready?" her soon to be father in law, William Roberts, asked from the doorway next to his wife.
"Gabriella, her name is Gabriella." Kathleen stated. "Not Gabby or Gabs."
"But we're her friends." Kelsi said. "We've always called her Gabby."
"It's just not proper." Kathleen snapped. "Gabriella, are you ready?"
"I'm ready." Gabriella agreed quietly.
Kathleen had come up with the great idea for Joseph's father escorting Gabriella down the aisle since Gabriella's own father had past away and also showing the media that Gabriella was welcomed into their family lovingly. Isabelle placed the veil over her Gabriella's face. Mother and daughter shared a loving hug. Gabriella then took William's arm as they all began the journey towards the wedding location.
The wedding party was to make their entrance by emerging from the ballroom and then walking down the aisle. Kathleen was being escorted to her seat by Joseph. Gabriella watched from the ballroom as Kelsi and Taylor began their walks down the aisle. Sharpay turned to face Gabriella and gave her one last look before she was to leave for her walk.
"I love you." Sharpay mouthed.
"I love you, too." Gabriella mouthed back.
Sharpay began to march down the aisle. Gabriella watched her and tried to spot anybody she knew. All of her close friends were seated in the middle of her side of people.
"Gabby." William whispered. "It's time."
Gabriella nodded her head. She looped her arm through his and he kissed her hand gently. The door opened as "The Bridal Song" began to play. All the guests stood up a Gabriella emerged on the arm of her fiancé's father. Gabriella and William began to walk towards the altar. Joseph smiled happily. Kathleen had a smug smile on her face thinking about the future with her living in the White House with her son the President of the United States. Sharpay, Taylor, and Kelsi had smiles on their faces, but deep down all three knew that the groom was not right. William and Gabriella stopped next to Joseph.
"Who presents this woman?" the minister asked.
"I do." Isabelle whispered tearfully.
William gave Gabriella's hand a gentle squeeze
before sitting down next to his wife. Joseph took Gabriella's arm as they took a step closer to the minister. The couple turned to face each other. The video cameras turned to them as they prepared to say their vows.
"Gabriella and Joseph, I've never seen two people more right for each other. The two of you complete the other one. It is my honor to be the one chosen to marry you." the minister said. "Joseph and Gabriella have chosen to recite the traditional wedding vows to each other. Joseph, do you take this woman, Gabriella Montez, to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I do." Joseph declared.
As the minister was making his speech, a lone figure was waling down the aisle. Chad looked up to see his best friend, Troy Bolton, standing there. Troy looked over at his best friend and saw him motion for him to stop the wedding.
Sharpay caught something move with the corner of her eye. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped opened slightly when she saw Troy. She motioned for Taylor and Kelsi to look. Their expressions matched Sharapy's.
"And you, Gabriella Montez, take this man, Joseph Roberts, to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
Gabriella stared at Joseph numbly. Her friends and family waited to see if she was going to run. Kathleen was waiting for Gabriella to say she would. Finally she got fed up and walked behind Gabriella.
"I do." she said pretending she was Gabriella.
Everyone looked at her like she was insane. William stood up and grabbed Kathleen and pulled her down to her chair. Joseph looked at her.
"Do you, Gabriella Montez, take this man, Joseph Roberts, to be your lawfully wedded husband?" the minister asked again.
"Do you?" Troy asked from where he stood.
Everyone turned to face him. Gabriella turned to look at him and gasped. Troy had come. He still loved her. Joseph grabbed her hand trying to get her attention back to him. He motioned for his groomsmen to take care of Troy.
"Will you take me as your loving husband, who loves you for who you are, who would love even if you were poor? Who has loved you from the moment he set eyes on you and has never stopped, not even for a single second? Baby, please!" Troy declared as he tried to shake the groomsmen off of him.
"I will!" Gabriella said as she tried to reach him.
"There!" Kathleen shouted. "There! She said it!"
Gabriella loosened her grip from Joseph and ran to Troy. Troy caught her in his arms and lifted her up. The two soul mates kissed each other passionately. All of their friends and their parents stood up and began to cheer happily. Joseph, the groomsmen, and his parents were making quick exits so that the media wouldn't quickly ask questions about Joseph being dumped at the aisle.
"Is anyone getting married today?" the minister asked.
"Hold up!" Troy called as he pulled a beaming Gabriella back towards the altar. "We're coming!"
All of their friends stood up in the aisle and quickly ran towards the front of the chairs cheering loudly. Chad took his place as Troy's best man and Zeke, Jason, and Ryan were the groomsmen. Troy and Gabriella looked at each other happily.
"Can I have your name please?" the minister asked Troy.
"Troy Bolton." Troy answered never taking his eyes off Gabriella.
"Do you, Troy Bolton, do you take this woman, Gabriella Montez, to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I do." Troy promised slipping Gabriella's wedding ring onto her finger.
"And you, Gabriella Montez, take this man, Troy Bolton, be your lawfully wedded husband?"
"I do." Gabriella promised slipping Troy's wedding band onto his finger.
"Then by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may…"
Troy didn't need any other sign than that. He pulled Gabriella and kissed her passionately. He dipped her backwards to intensify their kiss. All of their friends began to cheer loudly. Troy and Gabriella pulled apart and smiled at each other. Troy then lifted Gabriella into his arms and carried her back up the aisle with all of their friends cheering behind them. Gabriella leaned down and kissed her new husband.
That evening all of the news stations were covering the turn of events at the wedding. Gabriella and Troy were watching most of them in bed from Troy's hotel room/honeymoon suite. Troy turned the volume up.
"It seems that Washington's wedding of the season became one that you would see from the movies." one reporter said. "Gabriella Montez was all set to marry Senator Joseph Roberts when out of nowhere a young man appeared in the aisle and began asking Miss. Montez if she would take him as her husband. Miss. Montez quickly agreed and quickly left Senator Jacobs at the altar and jumped into the strangers arms. Senator Roberts and his family left before any reporters could ask for comments and before Miss. Montez and the young man, who was later discovered to be Troy Bolton, got married themselves in front of close family and friends. In other news…"
The rest of the newscast was completely forgotten by Troy and Gabriella as they moved along to more important events of the evening.
The End