Chapter 2: A Glimpse
Wilton Valley, Alaska
Birch Lake
1509, Jamison Street, Birch Lake road
Residence of Troy Bolton
July 3rd 2009
Thump. Thump. Thump
The loud bang echoed loudly travelling across the lake clearing the birds that were once resting on the surface of the water; interrupting the morning peace although Troy could hardly care. The loud music that echoed in his ears from the tiny white headphones had made the thunderous roar of the pick sound like an insignificant tap.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
His arm swung back before it swayed back down aggressively, slamming the pointed object into the vacant wood carving it perfectly to create a sleek canoe. His muscles contracted and the navy blue T-shirt, along with the grey sweater hugged his torso, the fabric of his clothing travelling swiftly with each angry movement he made. The white cigarette was wedged in between his teeth and the tinted aviator sunglasses were placed on the bridge of his nose to hide the noticeable bags under his sapphire eyes.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
His knuckles were almost purple from his tight hold around the wooden handle but every so often he'd release his death grip to remove the tobacco filled tip from his lips and let the burrowing smoke echo from his mouth.
The clouds covered the sky, the yellow sun barely peaking over the corner of the fluffy veil. It was only seven in the morning but believe it or not he had been up much earlier, tossing and turning all night knowing she was only a few short blocks away. Finally as the time justified it was morning he got up deciding he would finish building one of the boats in the shed hoping to set his mind on something other then the past. Not to mention hitting the crap out of something could really help his frustration.
"Troy?" An elderly man called confused watching him slash away at the wooden canoe but as he saw the white cord dangle in front of his T-shirt and heard the blaring music from the tiny speakers in his ears he sighed, rolling his eyes at the technology that had taken over his grandson. "Troy." He called a little louder and he watched as his grandson's strikes turned harder and more frequent as a look of despair and discontent briefly crossed his features before returning back to a blank expression, the pained look vanishing just as quickly as it appeared.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.
"Son?" He asked softly setting his hand on his shoulder and Troy jumped spinning around and breathing out a sigh of relief before taking out his earphones.
"Jesus, you scared me." He said and the old man chuckled sitting down on the bench near the house.
"Sorry. You alright?" He asked and Troy shrugged.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Troy asked turning back to the boat and crouching down in front of it running his hand along the inside seeing if he got the wood smooth enough before grabbing his sand paper.
"Well, first of all the suns not even out yet and you're wearing your boating glasses. The ones with the extra tint, right?" He asked knowingly and Troy cussed internally.
"What's your point?" He asked not taking his eyes away from his craftsmanship and the grey haired man who was almost the spitting image of the twenty-six year old on the ground, exhaled sadly as Troy vigorously scraped the side of the canoe with the rough square.
"I know she's back Troy." He said and Troy let out a loud breath cursing the small town.
"I figured." He mumbled standing up briskly taking a deep inhale of his cigarette before walking to the ashtray, twisting the orange tinted tip against the glass tray until it was nothing more then a white scrap. "Knowing this place I'm sure it'll be in the papers by tomorrow morning." He grumbled after blowing out the remaining smoulder. His tone suggested he was trying to come off light hearted but it failed. His grandfather just frowned staring at the overused dish.
"You're smoking again?" He asked and Troy turned back to the boat with another shrug.
"I always do."
"No you don't Troy." He replied warily. "I really don't want to outlive you."
"Grandpa-" He started his voice irritated and defensive but he quickly trailed off refraining from yelling. "It's just…I don't know."
"Have you seen her yet?" He asked and Troy just shook his head before sitting next to him.
"No, just her boyfriend." The older man noticed the twinge in his voice that came along with her relationship status making his stomach fill with worry and his eyebrow raise.
"But, that's good right? That she's moved on? Because you have…right?" He asked hopefully. He truly hoped he did. He remembered that time when Troy and Gabriella were so insanely infatuated with one another. They would just lie in the boat for hours talking and watching the horizon. And when she left Troy just…fell apart.
Troy scoffed and stood up from the bench.
"Yeah of course." He said and his grandpa nodded although he didn't believe a word of it. "I mean it's not that big of a deal. Who cares if she's back? She's allowed to visit her parents, who am I to stop her? And if her boyfriend wants to come along then great!" He said with forced enthusiasm as he packed the tools in the red metal tool box. "We were teenagers, it was nothing." He said with a shake of his head and a shrug of his shoulders while picking up the end of the nearly finished canoe and sliding it across the grass to store it back in the shack.
"You were married teenagers." He mumbled and watched Troy freeze briefly before picking up his pace again and making his way to the wooden shed. As he shut away the boat he felt the cold sting of his broken heart slam against his chest.
Thump…thump…thump…
Wilton Valley, Alaska
Birch Lake
May 22nd 2002
The boat rocked peacefully, the water causing it to sway back and forth. It was tied securely to the dock keeping it in place although it felt as if they were sailing, floating towards the horizon. Gabriella laid comfortably between Troy's legs wrapped up in one of Troy's grandpa's old fishing jackets and a pair of jeans while Troy stayed cozy in a pair of black track pants and a blue hoodie.
His arms were wrapped tightly around her torso squeezing her to his chest and she folded her arms over his, rubbing the soft skin of his forearm while leaning her head against his shoulder. Sighing peacefully she let her head fall to the right taking in the side of his face before burying her head in his neck breathing in a deep inhale.
"Troy you stink." She said pulling away quickly and he looked down at her.
"Well that's not very nice." He said smelling his shirt and she giggled turning on her hip and resting her hand on his stomach.
"You know what I mean." She said smiling at him before her lovable grin turned into a pout. "When are you going to quit?"
"I'm trying baby, I really am." He said and she just smiled softly. It was true. He was trying very hard to give up the habit, which flattered her slightly. She didn't like to pester him so much about it, knowing he was working on it, but she had known people who died from lung cancer, and she didn't want that to happen to him as well.
"I know you are. I just worry" She replied and he grinned and leaned in to give her a kiss but she giggled and shook her head holding his jaw while leaning her forehead against the side of his face briefly. "Who says I want to kiss that mouth?" She asked playfully mumbling the words lightly against his cheek and she watched his cheekbones rise as he smiled causing her to press a long kiss right below his ear.
She watched him roll his eyes making her giggle as he took a package of gum from his pocket and wave it playfully at her. She smiled and turned around to face him, sitting on all fours as he popped it into his mouth and was quickly rewarded with a kiss. He smiled against her lips and let his hand easily dip under the curtain of her hair and rest on the back of her neck. As they broke away she only smiled coyly before turning back in her position in between his legs, using him as a back rest and he grinned and squeezed her tightly smiling into her hair causing her to bite her lip bashfully.
"I like it here." She declared, breaking the comfortable silence looking out at the setting sun. "On the lake."
"I'm glad." When they first met she had hated the lake, her lack of swimming skills forcing her to hate the murky water, but as they spent almost everyday on Troy's boat she began to love the serene feeling and even tried to convince Troy to give her swimming lessons. "I like having you here." He said and she smiled. The lake was Troy's domain; it was where he belonged. She would never see him as relaxed and composed as he was on that old boat he adored. And Gabriella was happy she fit in with his other love. Her being the first one of course.
Which brings her to his third love.
She eyed the sketchpad by her feet and curiosity took over. The last ten months were a dream come true to her. He opened her up to so many new things; fishing and sailing and drawing. Troy loved to draw, but was always too embarrassed to let her see his sketches. He always had a pencil behind his ear and the notepad stored away in the boat, where he did most of his drawing.
"Can I look?" She asked hopefully bringing the shabby scrapbook to her lap and he grimaced slightly.
"I don't know Kansas."
"Please." She begged swivelling her head against his shoulder so she could look up at him.
"They're stupid."
"I'm sure they're fantastic. Please." She said again looking at him with earnest eyes and he stared at her before the pleading look plastered across her face worked like she thought it would and he cracked, nodding his head allowing her to take a peak making her grin widely and open the tan coloured notebook excitedly but she soon gasped as the black and white pencil sketches of the mountains and the water was unveiled. She flipped the pages looking at his talent on paper with awe. Trees and boats filled the pages along with a beautiful drawing of his grandfather's shop. "Troy these are amazing." She said in wonder and felt him shrug modestly.
"They're alright."
"No, no these are incredible." She said quickly, spinning around to look at him. "Troy you should pursue this."
"What? No they're just some stupid drawings."
"I'm sure there's some amazing art schools that would love to have you." She said continuing to flip the ivory pages and the farther she got through the notepad the more nervous he became remembering a couple of drawings he'd prefer she didn't see.
"Okay I think you've seen enough." He stuttered slightly trying to grab the book but she held it to her chest before he could take it.
"I'm not done." She told him with a teasing smile.
"Gabriella, really…" He said and watched her expression change from playful to blank and he looked down at her lap seeing she found the drawings of her making him cringe from embarrassment and his cheeks turn pink.
The pencil sketch took her breath away. It took up the entire page but only down to her waist was visible. He captured a certain sparkle in her eye and made her smile so extravagant. Her hair flowed just past her shoulders and was shaded with dark led. Her body curved in a graceful yet sensual way and he covered her in a tank top and light cardigan. Her favourite cardigan.
"Oh my god." She whispered staring at it with wide eyes before quickly turning the pages to see the other portraits.
"Can I have it back now?" He asked pleadingly and she just continued to stare down at the replica of herself shocked, ignoring his plea.
"Troy…" She breathed hugging it to her chest before finally looking up at him. "You draw me?"
"I'm sorry. I know it's kind of creepy and weird but I just…I like drawing you." He said sheepishly and she exhaled sharply as the words left his lips looking once again at the picture.
"Do you do this all from memory?" She asked and he looked at her embarrassed before nodding and her jaw unhinged slightly looking back towards the sketch. "This is the most…wonderful, most romantic thing anyone has ever done." She said and his eyebrows scrunched confused.
"What?" He asked taken off guard by her reply as he watched her once again stare at the picture.
"You make me look so beautiful." She breathed with touched tears welling in her eyes and he looked at her for a moment before shaking his head.
"I don't do anything. I just draw what I see." He replied honestly and she breathed out quietly obviously moved.
"Can I have it?" She asked after a pause and he looked at her with innocent eyes.
"You want my drawing?" He asked surprised and she just nodded her head. "Yeah." He said quickly.
"Yeah you can have it." He added thankful she wasn't bothered by the portrayal and she smiled trailing her fingers over the picture.
As Gabriella stared down at the magnificent piece of art in her hands she suddenly felt a new love for it. A passion sparked inside of her from the beautiful gesture and she found herself wanting to create something so beautiful and touching the exact way he did.
Wilton Valley, Alaska
1311 Lincoln Drive,
Residence of Mr and Mrs Montez.
July 3rd 2009
The smell of bacon filled the kitchen as the sun slowly crept from behind the clouds, dispersing the grey and gloom of the morning whilst stretching across the sky bringing light to Wilton Valley. Mrs Montez monitored the red hot stove as the strips of bacon sizzled and the eggs boiled in the hot water.
"I don't understand the problem." David said sitting at the table spreading out the newspaper in front of him. "Why can't Troy come over for breakfast?"
"Shhh!" She hissed quickly looking towards the stairs. "Don't say it so loud."
"What, breakfast?" He asked jokingly but she gave him a pointed look. "Oohh" He replied to her glare by elongating the word playfully before looking back down to the paper. "You mean Troy."
"David!" She hissed again and he chuckled.
"Teresa stop worrying. Gabriella's a grown woman, you don't need to tip toe around her."
"It's just such a touchy subject." She mumbled.
"I know, but it was years ago! Surely she doesn't feel anything for him anymore."
"Why hasn't she come to Wilton in the past five years then huh?" She asked. "I don't want her to think she can't come home, why do you think she doesn't know about Tr…you know coming by here almost everyday?"
"Cause it's not that big of a deal? " He guessed and she tilted her head at him with a raised eyebrow making him sigh. "Look as much as I love Troy, he's in her past." David replied reassuringly. "She's with Josh now and he seems to really care for her."
"Yeah, he is nice."
"Yeah. He's no Troy but…" He replied playfully.
"David!" She screeched and he laughed watching her huff and turn back to her cooking.
Six or seven years ago David Montez would have said he hated Troy Bolton, the man that stole his daughter away. The one who derailed her from her dreams of being a surgeon and set her on a new more creative path. The one who she lost her virginity to and the one she cried over whenever they fought. The same one who corrupted her with thoughts of young love and marriage.
But as he watched her glow in the happiness Troy gave her Mr Montez slowly became used to the fact of a young Troy in his daughters life. He treated her right, which he appreciated and loved her deeply which he always wished for his daughter. But he rarely brought her home on time. That, he didn't like so much.
But in a flash Troy was no longer someone he was just used to. He was family. Married into the Montez clan. He remembered talking about it over and over with his wife. They could have said no, refused to let them marry and since they were underage, the lovers wouldn't be able to do a thing about it.
Except move somewhere else. A place where they could get married. And because of the fear of losing their children both parents of either child signed the consent form. And Gabriella became a Bolton.
But on that fateful day as Gabriella cried more then she ever had and packed her bags for school in New York, he felt a new sympathy, of course for his daughter but also for the boy who had crumbled when she left him. He finally saw the strong feelings they both felt and witnessed the downfall when Gabriella left, taking a little bit of Troy with her.
Troy had turned sad and disheartened understandably, then angry and loathsome, and then he found himself back at square one: depressed and miserable, spending night and day building his house by the lake.
That's when Mr Montez had enough. He brought Troy into their home and told him to man up, to stop feeling sorry for himself and forget about the entire town who pitied the poor boy. He told him that Gabriella was gone, and it sucked not only for the previous husband but for her father too. They related to her leaving and David along with Troy's father and grandfather took him under their wing and helped him stand back on his two feet, and after a few more months, Troy was back.
They helped him find love in drawing and taking the boat out on the lake again. He started building wood canoes and rowing boats for his grandpa's shop and even faced the town walking down the street with a grin. Plus Mr Montez teasingly suggested that if he ever had to get his mind off of anything, there were always things around the Montez house that needed fixing, and Troy took him up on his offer. After a while cutting grass and fixing hinges wasn't to occupy his mind, but a man helping his family.
Which is why Teresa and David accepted Troy into their house with open arms. He was once married into the family and that's where he remained, although Teresa was always careful of bringing their only daughter up to him, remembering the first year of her absence and the affect it had on him.
And it seemed she would use the same technique with Gabriella.
Being taken from his thoughts David looked up as he heard a knock on the door.
-
-
Gabriella stared up at the white ceiling the duvet covering right past her waist. She glanced thoughtlessly at the clock beside her showing it was only eight-thirty. She barely got any sleep remembering the boat she saw for the first time in five years only yesterday, sitting by the dock rocking gently in one spot just like it always did. Well, that is when it wasn't sailing around the giant lake of course.
'Maybe that wasn't his boat.' She thought to herself. It could have been anyone's. Who says its Troy's? She grumbled lightly to herself cutting the act. 'Of course it's Troy's.'
She turned her head to the side to see all her posters still hanging on the wall just like she left it, including pictures with her parents and friends seeing the ones of her and Troy were taken down, although a drawing of her with short hair and a cardigan covering her arms still hung proudly.
She remembered the day she stumbled across the sketch and how it made her feel. It was indescribable. Although now if you asked she would simply just say it was a sweet gesture, but for some reason it was so much more. It unleashed something inside of her and had unlocked memories from her seventh grade art class. She always liked to draw, but never took a huge interest in it until that May.
She experimented, doodling and trying to get them to look as amazing as Troy's, and she found she had a little bit of talent, but Troy showed her everything he knew and told her how she could make her drawings even better. And look where she is now.
She looked over at Joshua who was sound asleep before sighing quietly to herself and returning her gaze back up to the ceiling. She loved Joshua, she really did. He was sweet and amusing-not so much funny but witty and he loved her. But he had no real fascinations, no intense passions or sincere interests. She tried opening him up to new things but it turned out unsuccessful. He was horrible, horrible at art in any form; he hated the outdoors and found no point in camping. He thought of sports as boring and futile and couldn't stand to pick up a book finding it boring and lifeless. So she gave up on trying to get a passionate side out of him. Something Troy so clearly had.
She wanted to see him. Maybe not talk to him, not knowing where the conversation would lead, or come in close quarters with him because of their unpredictable actions, and not run spontaneously into him on the sidewalk because she was unaware of how she would feel or how she would handle the brusqueness of meeting him again. Just see him. See if he's changed; see if he still looks the way he looked when he was seventeen, if he's with someone else, or if he still has the same fascination with the lake. That was all she wanted, just to catch a glimpse of him out of her own curiosity.
Inquisitiveness seemed to be one of her weakness that morning for when she heard a loud slam that sounded remotely like metal hitting against the tile she rose from the bed and journeyed downstairs.
-
-
"Oh hello Allen." Teresa greeted merrily giving the seventy-six year old a hug.
"Teresa, hello David."
"Nice to see you again Allen. How's the shop?" He asked standing up letting him sit down on the wooden chair before moving to the one on the other side of the table and he smiled gratefully before accepting the seat.
"Oh just fine. Troy's a big help, I'm not as young as I used to be."
"That name's off limits." David said teasingly looking at Teresa who rolled her eyes.
"What, Troy?"
"Mhmm." He mumbled his reply shaking out the paper before redirecting his attention to the black and white newspaper.
"I just think we should try to mention Troy as little as possible around Gabriella." Teresa defended and both men looked at each other amused.
"Well that's probably a good idea. Is she home?"
"Mhmm. She's just upstairs sleeping." Mrs Montez answered and Allen nodded his head.
"I hear she brought her boyfriend down." He said helping himself to a piece of toast that was one of the many piled on a plate in the center of the kitchen table.
"Did Mrs Otis tell you that? That woman just can't live without gossiping." She huffed while picking up the pan, checking on the sizzling strips of bacon.
"Uh no, Troy told me." He replied and the crash of the pan echoed through the kitchen as it hit the floor startling the other two people residing in the room.
"Teresa!" David cried. "What's gotten into you?" His wife ignored his questioning and instead sat next to Troy's grandfather.
"He knows?" She gasped and he just nodded taking a bite out of his buttered bread. "How's he taking it? Is he upset? Has he seen her?"
"No he hasn't seen her yet. He's alright I guess. He says he's fine but I don't know if I believe him. It's always hard to tell with Troy. He says he's not bothered by her coming back especially with her boyfriend, but he was smoking again, and was up around seven AM hollowing out one of the canoes."
"Poor Troy." Teresa cooed standing back up and picking up the pan along with the bacon that had hit the floor.
"Troy's fine." David said with a wave of his hand.
"David he's smoking again, he's not fine."
"You're worrying over nothing."
"Oh my god." The familiar voice rang through the kitchen and Allen looked up at the stairs his smile stretching up to his ears.
"Gabriella! I heard you had come to visit." He said standing up from the chair and Gabriella grinned running down the stairs and giving him a hug. "How's New York treating you?"
"Wonderfully thanks." Gabriella replied before her smile faltered slightly.
"Um, how's…the shop?" She asked cowering away from her original question but Allen smiled knowingly.
"The shops great. It's still right by the lake; don't be too afraid to come by." He said and she nodded with a small smile. "You've gotten so beautiful Gabriella." He said and she blushed shaking her head. "Not that you weren't before."
"Thank you." She giggled. "I heard something from upstairs. Is everything okay?"
"Just that your mother has snapped her cap." David replied and Gabriella looked over to her mom who glared lightly at the back of her husband's head before looking in Gabriella's direction.
"I dropped the pan is all." She said before looking to the ruined breakfast with a frown. "And that was the last of the bacon."
"Well I can run out and grab some." Gabriella volunteered quickly. "Josh and I were going to walk around the town today anyway; he really wants to see the sights. He must have pestered me all night about it." She said smiling at the grey haired man.
"Oh would you?" Teresa asked and Gabriella nodded.
"Gabriella?" Josh called slowly, walking down the stairs seeing an unfamiliar face. "Hi, I'm Joshua." He said extending his hand to him and Allen shook it.
"Nice to meet you I'm Allen. I'm Tr-"
"He's a family friend." Gabriella said quickly watching him raise a curious eyebrow at her while Josh nodded with a friendly smile.
It wasn't necessarily a lie. Allen was a family friend. He was also her ex husband's grandfather, but she liked to keep the information regarding Troy and their past together limited, as you already know.
"It's great to meet you." Josh said and the older man smiled.
"You too son." He replied. "Well I should go; I just wanted to stop by since I heard you were home." He said and Gabriella smiled. "I have to head back to the lake anyway. Where the shop is, as always." He said and Gabriella subtly roll her eyes shaking her head at the old man's not so subtle attempts before watching him skip out of the house.
-
-
"So where are you going again?" Josh asked watching her slip her head through a black T-shirt that accented her curves nicely, topping off a pair of jeans. She sighed as she was getting annoyed by the question and grabbed the brown leather belt from the bed, fitting it through the loops in the dark washed denim of her pants.
"I told you, I'm just running up to the store to grab some things for mom."
"Okay well why don't I go with you? I'll get dressed."
"No Josh, really, stay. You don't have to come. I'll be gone two seconds. Why don't you go downstairs and get more acquainted with mom and dad?" She suggested and he nodded. "We'll go out later today."
"Yeah, alright. But you'll have to show me around eventually." He said wagging his finger at her and she giggled while nodding her head.
"I promise." She said and as she watched him lean in for a kiss she suddenly felt herself panic for an unknown reason and instead pull him into a brief hug. "Two seconds." She promised and he nodded watching her quickly exit the room.
Weird.
Wilton Valley, Alaska
Birch Lake
July 3rd 2009
Her brilliant ebony waves danced lightly in the faint wind and she wrapped her coat tightly around her small torso almost insecurely as she caught sight of him. She stood high up on top of the vibrant green hill, observing from afar as not to be seen and watched attentively, granting her wish from this morning. He changed. His hair was a little lighter then she remembered and it no longer swept over his right eye but was cut short and his bangs instead flipped up in an appealing way.
He chuckled to his father who was standing behind him while reaching out trying pull a boat close enough to him so he could tie it to the harbour. She noticed the difference in his build almost immediately. He was no longer lanky with subtle and slightly awkward muscles protruding from his biceps, but instead he was toned. His arms curved sexily and as he tugged the heavy wood of the canoe towards him she watched it flex making her take in a deep inhale of air.
His blue T-shirt rose exposing the small of his back as he stretched out over the water while his father seemed to be telling him something entertaining or funny considering the amused smile on his face. She then looked to the man standing next to Jack, Troy's dad, seeing the oldest of the three Bolton's who must have joined the duo shortly after Troy successfully managed to grab a hold of the craft. Troy suddenly jumped to his feet and Gabriella felt herself back away slightly at the sudden change and watched him wrap the rope around the peg of the port.
Getting a head to toe view she realized he didn't look much different then the changes she previously listed. He still had the same dazzling and slightly shy smile and his naturally tanned skin still glowed in perfection. And how could she forget his eyes. They still shimmered with the beautiful blue she once loved so dearly. Even from the distance she was currently in she could see the pierce of the azure iris as he joked around with his family. He looked happy, his face showed he was happy, but something told her it was a charade, and it made her stomach twist and turn guiltily.
As she felt her chocolate eyes fill with the familiar sting of tears she blinked hoping to clear them away before taking a deep breath and spinning on her heel making her way to the store telling herself there was no need to stand there any longer. She got what she wanted: a glimpse.
The old man with the blue eyes glanced up at the hill and watched her wipe her face with the back of her hand before disappearing out of sight.
This is the easiest story in the world to write! Lol I love it. I start it and I just can't stop. Anyway I hope you liked it and please review.
Love Dani.