Road To Nowhere – Chapter One 'Coming Home'
I'm coming home, I'm coming home
Tell the world I'm coming home
Let the rain wash away
All the pain of yesterday
Coming Home – Diddy Dirty Money ft. Skylar Grey
A/N: Hey guise (waves). Okay, okay, I know I'm a terrible writer. I never stick to one idea, as I actually never did The 7th Year even though I said I would, me so lame. Anyways! This is my newest story which I already have the first 2 chapters written and most of it set out and I'm really excited for this! I love the idea and what not so... yeah aha!
Pretty please review, I want to know what you guys think of this :D
Enjooooooy! ;)
DISCLAIMER: I don't own it, obviously since I'm writing here.
"Gabriella, watch out!"
Shooting up from the sudden memory, the 24-year-old brunette rubbed her eyes and looked out the window of the moving vehicle, remembering where she was. Why was she here? Why on earth would she come back to the place she thought she would never see again? Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath in before she let it out, opened her eyes yet again and looked out the lightly tinted window to find she was driving down the main street of her hometown, passing all the stores she used to love as a kid.
Upon turning off the main street and onto a winding road, she settled her hands in her lap and tried to have her mind anywhere but the memories this town brought her. She licked her dry lips and rolled them together and before she could even comprehend anything, the taxi had stopped and Gabriella realised she had to face reality.
Pulling her two large suitcases out of the trunk of the taxi, she dumped them on the front path of her mother's house and turned to pay the taxi driver before he was off, not caring about anything. She sighed and turned to face the house above her, everything was the same. The light grey roof, the white painted brick and the perfect picket fence. The garden was just the cherry on top of the house, reminding Gabriella even more of her past.
Forgetting about her suitcases momentarily, she trudged up the stone path before hesitantly pushing the gate open and stepping inside her old world. Taking baby steps towards the door, she faintly knocked and waited for a reply. Minutes that felt like hours later, the dark grey door creaked open and a younger version of her was standing in the door, utterly confused.
"Gabi?"
Gabriella Montez smiled at her younger sister's confused expression, which soon turned into the biggest grin and Gabriella found herself enveloped in a bone crushing hug. "Gabi! I am so glad you are here!" Tatiana Montez greeted as she pulled away from her elder sister but kept her arms rested firmly on her shoulders as if to keep her from running. "Does mum know you're here?"
Gabriella shook her head no as Tatiana nodded weakly before stepping aside and letting Gabriella walk through the door. She muttered a 'thanks' before stopping in the foyer of her childhood home. Everything was much like the outside – the same, nothing had changed.
"Mum! Gabi's here!" Tatiana's voice yelled throughout the rather large home as Gabriella chuckled at her sisters' antics. "Oh, Gabi," She began as Gabriella smiled at her sister. "I'm so glad you're here... even if it's just for a visit. It'll mean a lot to mum."
The sound of footsteps was heard from the large staircase before Maria Montez stopped at the bottom of the stairs, seeing with her own two eyes, her daughter who she had not seen in two years. "Oh, Gabi..." She whispered and wrapped her daughter in an embrace. "I have missed you, darling."
"I missed you too, ma." She whispered into her mother's shoulder before pulling away and smiling nervously at her.
"How long are you here to stay?" Maria questioned eagerly as Gabriella gave her a sheepish smile.
"I'd like to come back." She said as Maria just smiled weakly. "I'd like to stay here... I uh, have two suitcases which are..." She trailed off, remembering her suitcases left out in the open.
"I'd love for that, Gabi." She smiled as Tatiana grinned along with her. "This house is far too big for just Tia and me."
For the first time in 6 years, Gabriella felt at home. But she knew home would never be considered the same thing as it was before as her brown eyes scanned a basic wall with a family portrait on it. A family portrait that brought tears to her eyes, an ache to her chest.
x-o-x-o-x-o
After unpacking her suitcases in her old room that she did not want to be in, Tatiana offered to drive her into town and show her around the new places that had changed over time. So, right now Gabriella found herself wandering down one side of Old Creek Road, her right arm linked through Tatiana's left arm as they window shopped like they used to.
"Oh! And remember the diner we used to go to for dinner sometimes?" Tatiana questioned. Gabriella looked at her younger sister and nodded in reply. "Well, no one knows how, but it burnt down last summer. No one was in there, thank god! But you should've seen Margie..." She sighed, referring to the owner. "She was devastated. And then, the stupid government were going to turn it into some... bank! But Margie didn't go down without a fight, the diner's still being done up." She smiled as Gabriella lightly giggled at her talkative sister. "I really missed you Gab." She said after a short silence.
Gabriella turned to her sister and smiled a weak smile. "I missed you to, Tia."
Tatiana grinned before they stopped out front of Augusta's Flowers. "And this is where I work!" She smiled as Gabriella laughed; knowing Tatiana had always wanted to work here. "I also help out at Mum's, but this is where I mainly work."
"Well, you're little miss everywhere aren't you now?" Gabriella teased as Tatiana smiled sarcastically at her.
"Haha, you're so funny."
Gabriella smiled and turned away from her sister as they continued to walk down the path, smiling and laughing together.
"Liana! Get back here now!" A voice boomed that startled Gabriella and caused Tatiana to chuckle. Gabriella looked at her confused, but Tatiana just motioned in front of them. Gabriella looked ahead and saw a young child, being chased by her mother, the mother being someone she knew and hadn't seen in years. The young girl whizzed past Gabriella as Tatiana giggled.
"Gosh, Tia, never have children. They're a pain at age 4, especially girls." The mother said before looking to Tatiana's side and her mouth gaped a little. "Gabi?" She whispered as Gabriella hesitantly nodded and looked down. Stood in front of her was her best friend – or used to be. Sharpay Evans watched in shock before she shut her mouth and a small smile graced her lips.
Tatiana smiled as she watched the two old friends. "Um, I'm just gonna look in..." She trailed off looking around for a shop she could escape to. "Somewhere." She settled for and unlinked herself from Gabriella and walked off.
Gabriella looked up and saw Sharpay smiling, which caused her to smile herself. "I've missed you so much, Gabi." She said as Gabriella nodded.
"I missed you too." She replied weakly as Sharpay titled her head.
"Are you okay? You seem a bit... out of it." Sharpay asked as Gabriella just smiled and nodded.
"I'm fine." She explained as Sharpay rose an eyebrow. "Anyways! Was the girl that ran past your..." She trailed off as Sharpay just grinned.
"Daughter." She finished for her as Gabriella smiled. "Liana Elisabeth Baylor."
"Aw, Zeke's. That's so sweet." She said as Sharpay smiled and nodded and couldn't help but wonder what life would be like if Gabriella didn't escape all those years back.
"Mummy." A small voice sounded from below as Sharpay looked down to the light brown haired girl tugging on the end of her cardigan. "Can we go to the creek now?" She asked sweetly as both Sharpay and Gabriella smiled at this.
"Sure sweetie, but I want you to meet someone first." She said as Liana nodded. Sharpay picked up the 4-year-old who proceeded to look at the stranger in front of her hesitantly. "This is Gabriella, mummy's friend from school." She explained as Liana's mouth formed an 'O' shape.
"I seen picha's of mummy and you!" She exclaimed as Gabriella giggled.
"It's nice to meet you, Liana." Gabriella said as Liana grinned up at her.
"Nice to meet chu to Gabr... Gabrel..."
Sharpay smiled and shook her head slightly before interrupting. "Gabi. Try Gabi, Ana."
"Gabi!" The over excited 4-year-old exclaimed as Gabriella laughed. "Can we pretty please go to the creek now? I wanna swim!" She exclaimed as Gabriella smiled and Sharpay shook her head, rolling her eyes.
"Little drama queen." She said more to Gabriella but Liana 'hmpfed'.
"Oh, like you?" Gabriella replied as Sharpay shot her a look.
"I'll see you round... right, Gabi?" Sharpay asked hesitantly as Gabriella smiled. "I don't wanna lose my best friend again." She said as Gabriella nodded in agreement.
"Yeah," She whispered. "I don't wanna loose mine either." She said as Sharpay nodded and smiled. Wrapping her arms briefly around her, Sharpay pulled away at the sound of Liana's complaints and rolled her eyes.
"See ya, Gabi."
x-o-x-o-x-o
Walking though the door of her home later that day, Gabriella shut it before leaning back on it and breathing in the smell of something. She smiled as she made her way towards the kitchen where indeed her mother was cooking something. "Hey, mum." Gabriella greeted as Maria turned around and smiled at her daughter.
"Hey, sweetie. Where's Tatiana?" She asked as Gabriella grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and took a bite into it, jumping onto a stool.
Chewing the apple in her mouth, she swallowed before shrugging. "She ran into a friend of hers and said she'd be home later." She said taking another bite of the apple as Maria nodded. Looking around the kitchen, Gabriella noticed it had been done up a bit. The cupboards that were usually a creamy colour with the flower lining on the bottom where now glass with a grey painted border. The bench was grey instead of cream. Everything seemed to have changed from cream to grey. "You changed the kitchen?"
Maria placed the lid on the pot she was stirring and turned towards her eldest daughter. "Yeah." She said as Gabriella nodded. "When Tia and I came home... we decided to do up the kitchen." She explained as Gabriella looked around and smiled.
"I like it."
Maria smiled before turning back to the pot, removing the lid and began stirring again.
"What are you cooking?" Gabriella questioned as she hopped off the stool and made her way towards the bin, not feeling like eating the apple anymore. Chucking it in, she turned to her mother and tilted her head.
"Chicken soup."
Gabriella nodded as she rolled her lips together. "Hey, mum?" She questioned as Maria turned to look at her. "Is it possible that I could come work in the cafe again?" She asked as Maria grinned.
Maria's was a cafe that Maria Montez had run since Gabriella was 4 and Tatiana was 2. Gabriella had loved coming in there as a child and sneaking the chocolate muffins and juice boxes. She and Sharpay had once snuck in, ready to sneak two muffins when Maria looked down at the 7-year-olds and laughed. It was also the place Gabriella had worked at all through her high school years.
"I would love that, Gabi." Maria said as Gabriella smiled.
x-o-x-o-x-o
"Fuck!"
Troy Bolton was a man of many words.
He cursed as he dropped the plank of wood he was carrying as it hit his toes. Closing his eyes he kicked the wood away and stomped towards the end of the dock behind his home. "Stupid fucking wood." He muttered before grabbing another plank. The sound of a boat passing by made him turn and look out at Bluey Creek. He watched as the boat stopped and a bunch of 23-year-olds he happened to know smiled at him suggestively. He wanted to roll his eyes but he didn't.
"Hey, Troy!" A brunette named Chelsea greeted as the other 3 smiled at him.
"Hey, ladies." He said as he hoisted the plank up on his shoulder. He watched as they giggled to each other causing him to raise an eyebrow.
"What are you doing?" A red-head by the name of Ashley asked as he motioned to the plank on his shoulder with his free hand. "Ooh! Are you like, making something?"
"Nope, just fixing the dock." He explained taking a step back, not wanting to deal with the girls at the moment.
"You're such a hard worker Troy!" Chelsea said as Troy smiled fakely. "Why don't you put that down and come out with us for a while?" She questioned a smile present on her perfectly made-up face.
"Uh, thanks but no thanks." He said as all 4 girls visibly frowned. "Gotta get this done. Was nice talking!" He said before turning around and finally rolling his eyes. He expected to hear the sound of the boat going off, but instead his name was called out again. "Do they ever quit? He muttered before turning and facing them.
"She's not coming back, Troy." Ashley stated as Troy just looked away from them. "I don't know why you have this... feeling she's coming back. But she's not and we all know it."
"You may as well just give it up Troy!" Chelsea cut in as he looked at her, no expression on his face. "She left. Without an explanation and when her mum and sister came back, she was nowhere to be found."
Closing his eyes, he tried to get rid of their words. He wouldn't let them get to him. He opened them as he readjusted the plank on his shoulder. "Goodbye ladies." He said raising his eyebrows as Chelsea rolled her eyes and started up the boat and sped off.
Watching them until they were gone, he turned around and walked to the start of the dock and dropped the plank carelessly.
He was mad. Why did they have to bring her, out of any person in the world, up? He sighed as he ran a hand over his face and tried to rid his thoughts of her, anything would be fine to think about at the moment but the girl he broke his heart.
He supposed it was true what the girls were talking about. He knew she wasn't coming back and the thought of that made him even madder. No one knew why all those years back the Montez family suddenly packed up and left. No one knew why 2 years later Maria and Tatiana came back, but there was no word about Gabriella and Marcus. No one knew why Maria and Tatiana left for a few weeks a year after they had returned, then came back yet again with no Gabriella or Marcus. No one knew.
And the thought of that annoyed Troy immensely.
The thought of Gabriella Montez alone annoyed him immensely.
Shaking his head, he pulled off the red and black flannelette shirt, chucked it to the ground and got back to work trying to fix the dock... trying to rid his mind of Gabriella Montez.
x-o-x-o-x-o
"Gabi, thank you for this. You too Alarna."
"No probs, Mr. Montez!"
"Yeah, it's no problem, dad."
"This is going to be a goo—"
"Gabriella, watch out!"
Shooting up from her sleep, Gabriella breathed heavily as she tried to rid of the dream she had every once in a while. Looking around the room, she noticed she was not in her crappy apartment in New York, but in her childhood room. Pushing the lavender duvet back, she slid off her bed as she walked towards her walk in wardrobe where she had unpacked her clothes yesterday.
Coming out a few minutes later dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, she looked around her room and spotted a stack of photos on a shelf on her wall. Smiling, she walked over and looked at them. A photo of herself, Sharpay and Taylor McKessie on their first day of their freshman year, the next was of herself and Sharpay, with Sharpay giving her a piggyback. Photo upon photo made her smile until she came across one and frowned.
She ran her fingers softly over the photo and smiled sadly. Herself and Troy Bolton, as she sat on an outside bench at their school with him in front of her. The two people in the photo were smiling and so in love... how things have changed.
Pushing the photo away from her vision, Gabriella turned on her heel and walked out of her room, stopping at Tatiana's along the way. Pushing the slightly shut door open, she saw Tatiana looking in the mirror placed upon her wall as she tied her straight, shoulder length hair up in a ponytail, her fringe hanging out.
"Morning, Gabi." Tatiana greeted, seeing her older sister standing at her door. She turned around and smiled at her before walking over to her newly made bed and grabbed her work apron.
"Morning, Tia."
Tatiana smiled at her and walked over to her. "When are you starting work at the cafe?" She asked as the two begun to walk towards the staircase. Upon reaching it Tatiana looked at Gabriella who shrugged.
"Whenever mum needs me to start." She said as the two descended the stairs and made their way towards the kitchen. "I could start today if she wanted me to, it's not like I have anything to do." The two walked into the kitchen and watched as their mother walked around the kitchen panicking.
"Oh!" Maria began as Gabriella and Tatiana walked into the kitchen.
"What's up?" Tatiana asked as she walked over to the fridge and grabbed out the carton of orange juice.
"Tatianaz what time do you go into work today?" Maria asked as Tatiana poured herself a glass of juice. Gabriella walked over to a stool and sat down on it as she watched her mother walk around the kitchen as if she was searching for something.
"Um, I start at 9."
"Great, can you take Gabi into town?" Maria questioned as Tatiana nodded confusedly. Maria turned to Gabriella who had her eyebrows raised. "Can you open the store for me, Gabi? If it's not too much to ask. Juliana called in sick so that means I have no one to help make the pastries so I will have to do that so can you go in and work the counter?"
"Yeah, sure. I was just gonna sit round here all day anyway." Gabriella said smiling up at her mother.
"Oh thank-you, Gabi." Maria said as she grabbed her car keys and handbag.
"Wait, why am I driving Gabriella?" Tatiana questioned as she brought the glass of juice away from her lips.
"Because Gabi doesn't have a car?" Maria explained as Tatiana rolled her eyes. "Speaking of that, we'll have to work on that, alright Gabriella." She said looking at Gabriella who nodded.
"No! If you're going in, why am I taking Gabi?" Tatiana questioned as Maria looked at her.
"Oh. I have to go to the supermarket." Maria said as Tatiana nodded. "Okay, Gabriella the keys are where they usually are, you know what to do right?" She asked as Gabriella nodded and smiled.
"Yeah I've only opened the cafe a million times, mum." Gabriella said as Maria smiled at her.
"Thank-you, sweetie. I'll be there around 9.30, 10 at the latest!" She called as she was walked towards the front door. "Bye!"
The door was heard slamming shut as Tatiana rolled her eyes. "She's always in such a rush." She giggled as Gabriella smiled.
"Well that will never change." Gabriella said as she hopped off the stool and walked over to the bowl where Maria kept the keys to the store. Upon picking the right set of keys up she spun them around on her pointer finger, watching as Tatiana placed her glass into the sink, washing it out a little.
"Well, I'm just gonna grab my stuff from upstairs them we'll go, kay?" Tatiana said as Gabriella nodded. Watching her sister half run half skip from the kitchen, Gabriella walked out herself. Finding her phone on the living room coffee table, she placed it in the front pocket of her jeans.
Looking at the family portrait that graced the white wall of the living room, she sighed. Walking closer to it she faintly smiled at the photo in the middle of several others. She looked upon her 16-year-old self and a 14-year-old Tatiana and her two parents, all smiling away at the camera. Closing her eyes, she sighed again before opening them and looking at the other photos that graced the white wall.
Photos of herself, photos of Tatiana, her parents, herself and Tatiana together. She smiled at each of them before she came across one of herself and her father. She smiled at it before she felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped a little. Turning around she saw Tatiana.
"Ready to go?" She asked softly as Gabriella faintly nodded and the two walked out the door towards the car.
x-o-x-o-x-o
Maria's was a place that Gabriella had always loved. It just had a feel to it that made her feel safe and welcome.
After Tatiana had parked her car and the two walked the opposite directions, Gabriella had opened the cafe and stepped inside to find that nothing had changed. The spacey cafe had tables scattered among the place with its matching chairs, a table pushed over to the right side of the space with a simple stereo system on it, the counter with several bar stools along it, everything was the same.
She pulled her phone out of her pocket and checked the time seeing she still had 20 minutes before it was 9 o'clock and she was to open. It being a Sunday, the cafe opened an hour later than usual. Before placing her phone back in her pocket, she looked at her wallpaper and smiled.
Walking around the left side of the counter and behind it, she chuckled the keys onto the shelf under the counter and bent down, flicking on a few switches to turn on the appliances. Hopping back up, she walked towards a wall and flicked a few more switches, giving a little light to the place before she grabbed a cloth and spray and began to wipe at the benches.
8:55am came and Gabriella walked over to the door and walked people walk by, going about their business. She flipped the sign on the door over to the open side and smiled before walking back around the counter and waited for her day to begin.
x-o-x-o-x-o
9:45am came and Maria walked through the door to see a few of her local Sunday morning customers sitting at tables. Smiling, she walked further into the cafe, her hands firm around the plastic bags.
"And here you are." Gabriella's voice was sounded as Maria watched her hand a take-out coffee cup over to Mr. Albatross who would be on his way through town before he headed down to the creek like he did every Sunday morning. "Have a nice day."
"You too, missy." He replied as Gabriella smiled. "Haven't seen yourself in town for a while. It's good to see ya." He smiled before waving at Gabriella and walking out of the cafe.
"I see you're making quite the impression on a few people, Gabi." Maria said as Gabriella smiled at her. She walked around the counter and next to Gabriella as she placed the few shopping bags on the floor. "Everything going well?" Maria asked as Gabriella smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, it's good. And a heap of people have recognised me, so, it's been fun so far." She said smiling which caused Maria to smile. "Oh and we're almost out of coffee..." She trailed off as Maria waved her hand.
"I know. That was one of the things I had to pick up." Maria explained as Gabriella nodded. Bending down, she grabbed the tins of coffee she bought and handed them to Gabriella. "Just put them under the coffee machine with the empty one."
Gabriella nodded as she watched her mother pull a few more things out. Bending down, she placed the coffee tins under the bench on the shelf. She opened a new one and peeled the silver cover off, opened the almost empty one and tipped the remains into the new one.
"Gabriella, could you put these bags out back?" Maria questioned, holding a few plastic bags out to her. Gabriella grabbed them as Maria smiled and continued serving her customer.
Grabbing the empty coffee tin along the way, she walked out the back where all the cooking equipment and storage was. She chucked the coffee tin into the nearest bin and put the plastic bags into a clean bin full of them. Turning around she watched as her mother walked back with flour and sugar in her arms.
"Gab, I just need to put a round of the muffins on, you'll be right out there, right?" Maria questioned as Gabriella smiled and nodded.
"Yes mum. I'll be fine." She reassured as Maria smiled.
Walking out of the back room she walked to the front of the counter and began wiping down the counter a bit. Bending down to grab the spray, she heard the door open and a person clear their throat. "Yeah one sec!" She called before grabbing the spray and standing up.
Not looking at the customer, she spoke. "How can I help you?"
"Gabriella?" A voice breathed as Gabriella finally looked at the customer and sucked a breath in.
There he was standing right in front of her looking even more handsome than he did 6 years ago if that was even possible. She noticed his hair had been cut, as it did not fall in his face covering his blue eyes like it used to. He was dressed in simple jeans and a white, dirty t-shirt. Her mouth gaped a tiny bit as he looked just as shocked as she did.
Troy Bolton was standing right in front of her, 6 years after she and her family fled from Bluey Creek. The same Troy Bolton she left and never called again.
"Hi."
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