Band vs. Love
Previously
"Gabriella Fucking Montez, that was the best thing I've ever heard," Chris smiled at her, standing up from behind the drums to hold his hand out for a high five, which she returned.
Troy frowned at Chris' interaction with Gabi. Chris may have been his brother, band mate, and pretty much best friend, but it he knew exactly how Troy felt about Gabriella and he ignored his brothers' feelings completely, considering the multiple times he'd continue to flirt with her.
xx
He laughed, enjoying the feel of having her at his will, along with enjoying the satisfaction of him being the one to make her laugh and not Troy.
"Having fun?" Troy asked, walking into the kitchen to get a water himself.
Gabriella jumped away from Chris and pushed her hair out of her face, trying to calm her breathing. "Oh, hey Troy."
xx
Chris smirked. "How's it feel, Troy-boy?"
Troy clenched his jaw, squeezing the water bottle in his hands as well, trying hard not to say anything he'd regret later.
"Gabriella is special Troy. I'm just helping you out here, but I don't think she's your type. You two would never work out. And I don't want to see either of you hurt when it doesn't."
"Oh and you and her would?" He asked, staring Chris down.
Chris hopped off the stool, smiling and walking past Troy, patting his shoulder as he did. "Obviously kid, open your eyes."
But when you get music and words together, that can be a very powerful thing.
-Bryan Ferry
Chapter 2
Gabriella walked into her house and dropped her bag on the counter, wandering into the living room to find her dad on the couch watching football.
"Hey, Daddy," she spoke, plopping down on the couch next to him and getting comfortable as she grabbed the bag of chips out of his hands.
Joe Montez looked over at his seventeen year old daughter with a curious face. He'd never seen her come in the house that happy before. "Okay what's going on?"
Gabriella tore her eyes away from the TV to look at her dad again. "What do you mean?"
He took the bag of chips back from her with a look. "You've never been this happy before. What happened today?"
She shrugged, trying to hide the smile that wanted to break out on her face. "Nothing."
Her father simply rolled his eyes, but then widened them when a thought crossed his mind. "Oh no!" He groaned out suddenly, making Gabriella jump at his outburst. "It was something that happened with one of those boys wasn't it? Don't make me regret letting you join that stupid band…"
"Come on Dad, it's not stupid. We're really good and if you'd let us play for you just once then you'd know that."
"Gabriella, so help me God, if one of those boys touched you inappropriately…"
"Whoa?! What are you talking about?" She asked, frightened for his answer.
"I'm talking about one of those horny teenage boys making a woman out of my innocent baby girl. Sweetie, why?"
"Dad! I'm still a virgin," Gabriella clarified, still disturbed by the thought that her dad assumed her happiness was because she had sex, with one of her band mates at that. "Why would…oh my gosh, EW. I would never, Dad, trust me."
Joe looked at his daughter, curiously, wondering if he could believe her statement. She had never lied to him before or given him a reason not to trust her, so why start now. He sighed, running a hand over his face and putting down the bag of chips to rest his arm over her shoulders. "I'm sorry, baby girl. I didn't mean to jump to conclusions; I just always assume the worst. After your mother died…"
As her father trailed off, Gabriella laughed with a memory of her mother filling her head. "She was good at that wasn't she?"
"Understanding you? Better than me that's for sure," her dad spoke up in memory of his wife. "That's why I used to let her handle all that teenage girl stuff."
"Well if it helps, you're doing a pretty good job," she complemented, leaning into his embrace.
He smiled, kissing her forehead as she snuggled against him. "Thank you, sweetheart. But please, for the sake of your old man, try not to give me a heart attack by becoming involved with one of those boys."
Gabriella laughed, her face in the fabric of her fathers' shirt before giving him a quick hug and standing up. "I'll try not to, but I can't make any promises."
"That's not funny!" He called after her as she went up the stair, smirking in her absence and grabbing the bags of chips, putting his feet back on the coffee table and getting back into his football game once more.
-XOXO-
"So they liked your song, huh?" her blond friend asked over the phone line a few days later as Gabriella tapped her pen against her notebook while sitting at her desk.
"Yep, but now I can't think of anything else to write," Gabriella replied, staring out the window as she heard the rustling sounds of her friend over the phone. "Shar, what are you doing."
Sharpay Evans was notoriously known for always being up to something. "Nothing, Gab, chill out."
"Nothing doesn't exist when it comes to you. Now explain please."
"I'm just setting up."
"You're not throwing another party while your parents are out of town again, are you? I'm not helping you clean up this time…"
"It's not a party," Sharpay answered with a wave of her hand on the other line. "Plus, Ryan would help me clean if it were."
Gabriella rolled her eyes. "They're gonna catch you one day."
"Psh, yeah right. Ry and I are pros at throwing secret parties, trust me. I'm actually just inviting Zeke over for the night, while I have the chance," the blond bit her lip, waiting for her friend to catch the hint.
"While you have the…oh..OH! Wait, you wanna do that…tonight?!" Gabriella asked, now fully attentive to her friend and sitting up straight in her chair.
Sharpay shrugged although Gabriella couldn't see her. "Why not? It's been 7 months Gabs. I think I'm ready."
"You think you're ready. You need to know that you're ready. Don't rush into this."
"Gabi, I promise you that I feel ready. And how would you know what I need to do, you're still a virgin remember?"
"And apparently up until tonight, you still are. Plus I don't plan on changing that any time soon," Gabriella commented, giving up on writing for the night. "I guess I'll let you prepare for your BIG night. Call me tomorrow?"
"You know I will," she answered back.
"Be safe!" Gabriella warned, causing her friend to laugh. "I'm serious."
"Okay, MOM! I'll call you in the morning. Bye."
Gabriella hung up and placed her phone on top of the notebook. "Shar's really gonna lose her virginity," she spoke out loud to herself. She shook her head with a smile just before her phone rang again and she answered. "Yes?"
"What happened to hello?" the deep voice on the other line questioned.
She laughed at his response as she moved over to lay on her bed. "I don't have to say hello to you, but if it makes you feel better, hello Troy."
His deep chuckle sounded good on her end. "Hey, Brie."
"For what do I owe this phone call?"
"Whoa? I wasn't notified that I now had to have a reason to call you. Sorry, Ms. Montez."
"Don't be sorry; just don't let it happen again."
"Oh haha," he answered making her giggle. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing at all."
"Really?"
"Yes, actually. I just got off the phone with Sharpay and now I'm on the phone with you."
"Oh, Sharpay…"
Gabriella laughed, rolling over and grabbing her pillow to prop herself up on. "Don't sound so bothered when you say her name. I know you don't like her, but at least pretend."
He scoffed on his end. "Why? My mother always taught me to be real, thank you very much."
"She's really not that bad…"
"Not that bad? Gabriella, in 4th grade she put peanut butter in my hair because I smiled at her!" he reminded her as she rolled her eyes.
"We were young. She was naïve and she didn't know you then. It was an honest mistake," she tried reasoning in her friend's defense.
"Oh please. She hated me from the start and you know it," Troy pouted from his end of the phone.
"Get over it already. It was 6th grade. We were 12. Don't you think we've grown past that stuff now?"
When she didn't hear an answer she sighed. "Or maybe not. This isn't what you called for is it?"
"No, of course not. I was just seeing what you're doing tonight?"
She shrugged although she knew he couldn't see her. "Probably a little homework and then I'll work on a song."
"How's that going, by the way?"
She smiled tapping against the desk with her pen again. "It's not actually. I can't think of anything. Total songwriters block I guess. My mind is blank."
"Maybe you need to get out the house. Clear your head. It helps me sometimes."
"Helps you do what?"
He chuckled on his end. "Write."
"You've written songs?" Suddenly this new piece of information caused Gabriella to sit up and pay more attention.
"Uh, yeah. Believe it or not, I'm not completely useless."
She shook her head. "I never said you were, Troy. I just find that surprising. You've never shared any of them with us before."
He stared out the window as he thought of a good response to her. "I've never had a reason to."
"Other than we're your band? Why wouldn't you share them?"
He shrugged and sat up a bit, feeling slightly awkward at the sudden turn of conversation. "Not sure, guess I just wasn't ready for anyone to hear them."
"Does that mean if I asked you'd tell me no?" She asked, hoping for a good answer.
"I don't know Brie, it's not something I'm confident about…"
"I'm sure the songs are fine Troy. It can't hurt to get a second opinion."
"I don't know. I'll think about it if you say you'll come out tonight."
Gabriella moved her head to see the clock on her nightstand. "It's almost 9, Troy. We do have school tomorrow."
"I aware, but seriously. Just for like 30 minutes. We'll take a walk and talk and stuff and it'll clear your head, I promise you. That song will be written in no time. Please."
She looked back at the clock again, thinking about it as the seconds ticked by. What could it hurt? "Okay, yeah. Meet me at the park in 10?"
"Sweet, see you in 10." Troy hung up before Gabriella could say anything else, but as she held her phone in her hand and dropped it down to her thigh, she felt herself smiling at the feeling that the conversation with Troy had left her feeling. As she grabbed her keys and crept out the door, careful not to key her father in that she was leaving, she couldn't shake the fact that her heart was pounding beneath her chest.
I also apologize in advance if I might possibly go M.I.A this next week. Move in is Sunday and I'm a little anxious cuz there's a whole bunch going on right now so although I am writing, it's not as much as I'd like to and I fear it'll slow down in the coming weeks, so don't hate me and please be patient.
Once again guys, I value your opinions so please REVIEW and let me know what you think. Of course I'm flattered that you're adding me to favorites and alerts lists, but I really would like to know what you think of the story. It helps more than you think to review trust me.
