Hi Gabriella. His voice was shaky as though he was scared to be calling, and was raspy from crying.
"I tried to catch you before you ran out the door, I think if you ever get the time track is something you should pursue. Joking aside, I was trying to explain that I knew the possibility of you getting pregnant was there. The last time, in the bathroom I hadn't hit my head I pulled the condom off and noticed it had ripped at some point. I know how you get about things that aren't definite and I was trying to save you un-needed stress about it. I care about you so much, and I am always trying to think of ways to show you that only this time I guess I was scared. I don't want you to go through this alone, or worry about me leaving you because I want to focus on my career. I will be there, if you want me to be and I hope you do Gabby, because I love you so much. I hope you get this and call me, I'll be up for a while. I love you."
Jocelyn closed the phone and handed it back to a teary Gabriella.
"I messed up Joz."
"Just call him honey, he sounds like he's really upset." She said.
"What I need right now is my best friend....no offense Joz." she dialed Taylors number, and waited.
"None taken sweetie." Joz said, giving her a hug. "I''ll be in the bathroom if you need anything."
Gabriella nodded gratefully and smiled when Taylor answered.
"Taylor, i know your in town for something. Could you come see me? I need you! Thank you! yeah, it's Griffin hall, 14a. See you!" She hung up the phone and began putting on her pjs. She was tying her hair up in a ponytail, when Jocelyn walked in to get in bed.
"I love that hoodie!" She said cheerfully, pulling back her sheets and sliding in between them.
"Thanks." Gabriella mumbled.
"Where'd you get it" she asked.
"What school did I go to Joz?" Gabriella snapped, picking up her clothes and putting them in the hamper.
"uh, East High?" She asked, more than answered.
"So what would this 'E' mean?" she said, pointing to the red E on the front of the hoodie.
"East High, you played basketball?" she cringed, when gabby turned to her, placing her hands on her hips. Turning back around, she pointed to the number '14' on the back, and it read "Bolton" as well.
"Oh, right it's troys. I'm sorry." She hung her head, embarrassed for bringing him up.
"Joz, im sorry. I'm going to have to say that a lot, apparently." She said looking down at her flat tummy. Hearing a knock on the door, she ran to open it up.
"GABSTER!!!" Taylor shrieked, as she wrapped Gabriella in a bear hug.
"Are you sure you shouldn't be in school for Drama Taylor?" they laughed, squeezing each other.
"Taylor, this is my roommate Jocelyn. Jocelyn this is my best friend from High School, Taylor."
They shook hands and said hello to each other, "Thanks for taking care of Gabby, I hear she keeps you on your toes too." Taylor laughed, pointing at Gabriella.
Jocelyn laughed, "She's a good kid."
"Oh, come on." Gabriella laughed, pulling Taylor towards the living room. "Jocelyn needs her booty sleep. Night Joz!" She laughed as a pillow was tossed at her, and she closed the door behind them, and sat down on the couch.
"So, What's up Gabriella? You sounded very upset over the phone."
"I needed your advice on something, kind of serious." She said slowly.
Taylor situated herself on the couch, and faced Gabriella, "You can tell me anything." She said.
"I know I can, but I need you to promise me this stays between us for right now. Not even Chad." She said seriously, knowing they told each other everything.
"Oh wow, so it is serious. You have my word." Taylor said, reassuring her.
"Okay. So, I found out last week that." She sighed, not knowing how Taylor would react. "I found out that I'm pregnant." Taylors face remained calm, and Gabriella waved her hand in front of her face. "Did you hear me?"
"Yes, I did." Taylor said nonchalantly.
Gabriella expected a long lecture on pre-marital sex and the importance of contraceptives, but got nothing.
"Okay, so Troy apparently knew last time that the condom broke and I guess he was afraid to tell me. He was right, I mean I do over-react when things don't go according to plan. "
"Look, have you tried talking to Troy? He should be the one you are talking to, not me." Taylor said, pulling at a snag in her pants.
"God Taylor, sorry for bothering you! I didn't realize you had better things to do." She snapped, getting up from the couch, and going to the window.
Taylor put her head in her hands, and stole a glance at the bedroom door. She felt sorry for Jocelyn, because Gabriellas hormones were definitely ugly.
"Are you just looking for someone to fight with tonight? I came all the way over here to be there for you, don't take this out on me." She stood up and strolled over to Gabriella. "You need to call Troy, he's the only one that can fix this honey. He wants to be there, so let him."
"You are my friend, you're supposed to give me advice and lecture me on pre-marital sex, and stuff. I don't understand what's changed?" She said.
"What's the point in saying any of that? You've clearly had sex, and condoms break. It really isn't necessary." Taylor said, glancing out the window.
"Oh my god Tay. You're sleeping with Chad aren't you." she whispered.
Taylors horrified face whipped towards Gabriellas, "What?! " Taylor tried, but it was no use because Gabriella was already dragging her to the couch.
"Oh my god! You did! When? Where? I want details!" Gabby squealed.
"I am not discussing my sex life with you. You didn't tell me anything." she said, trying to squeeze a bit of comfort out of a pillow.
"What do you want to know? Come on, we're best friends, this is stuff we talk about!" She said, jutting her lip out, forming her pout.
Taylor hesitated, but found it hard to resist Gabriellas pout. Now she knows how Troy got roped into everything. "We finally did it 4 days ago, it just sort of happened. It's just sex gabby, no big deal at all."
"How is it not a big deal Taylor? You slept with Chad! Why was it 'just sex' though?" She took a sip of her water, that was sitting on the table.
"I mean....I don't know. It hurt. A lot, and it was uncomfortable afterwards. I don't think we've said two words to each other about it since it happened. We just sort of go about it like it never happened."
Gabriella giggled sweetly, and leaned back against the couch, "Of course it hurts the first time, and naturally it's awkward. But you get over it."
"Gabby!" Taylor squealed.
"What?" she asked innocently.
"How many times have you slept with the boy, and where is my best friend who blushes when you even mention boys?" slapping her playfully on the leg.
"Only twice, but it's beautiful Tay. He makes it so amazing, and sweet. And Joz has made it virtually impossible to be shy about it anymore, it's all she likes talking about. Sex and boys 24/7 that girl." She said giggling.
Taylors heart swelled up at the sight of her best friend. She had transformed from the day she met her, to who she is today, and being able to see that happen was beautiful. She also couldn't believe how she managed to turn her attention to Taylor when she had just found out her own big news.
"I think I like Joz too." she said laughing, "What's Troy done that's so special?" she asked shyly.
"The first time we did it, neither one of us knew what we were doing. But he kept kissing me, and talking me through what he was going to do, he played with my hair. He'd look into my eyes, and it was like I could see into his heart. I get goosebumps every time I think about it." She said, showing off her bumpy arm.
"Aw. I'm glad Troy is a sweetheart. Well not everyone has an amazing first time I guess." she said sadly. "Maybe I should just break up with him, it's hard doing this long distance thing anyways."
"Taylor, you love him. I know you do, I can see it in your eyes when you talk about him, or I can hear it in your voice when you call to tell me about his games. Give it another chance, sex isn't for everyone. But that doesn't mean you need to give up on him!" she nudged her best friend with her elbow, "Besides...Troy and I have no idea what we're doing either, but we know we love each other. And to me, that is more powerful than knowing what the future holds."
Taylor stared at Gabriella, in awe at what she had just said. She had came out to help Gabby, but it turns out, she ended up helping Taylor instead.
"Gabby, im so proud of you! I love you." She said, tearfully giving her a hug. "You mean so much to me! I can't tell you what to do with your life, but I know Troy would do anything for you and that baby. And i can't wait to meet baby Bolton." She smiled at her, and wiped her face with a tissue.
Gabriella giggled, "Thank you Taylor, i love you too. You'll be auntie taylor, oh lord." she sighed, floating back to the reality of her being a young pregnant mother, still in her first year of law school.
"So, are you going to call Troy?" she said, snapping her out of her trance.
"Yeah, tomorrow. No need to wake him up now, it's almost 12:30." she handed Taylor the trashcan, and she tossed her Kleenex inside.
"Are you kidding me? Is this the same Troy Bolton who couldn't eat, sleep, or play basketball without you? There is no way he's sleeping Gabriella, and you know it." Taylor handed Gabriella her cellphone from the table and put her hand on her shoulder, "Call him Gabs. I gotta head out, I have to talk to Chad. I love you, okay!" They stood up and gave each other big hugs.
"You're probably right, thank you so much for coming out Tay! I miss you so much. Drive safely, please." she said, hugging her friend.
"I will, I'll call you when I get back to school and let you know how it went down."
Gabriella laughed, "See you, good luck!" she said, closing the door behind her.
After contemplating for 10 minutes, she finally dialed Troy's number, hoping Taylor was right, and he was still up.
"Hey" He sounded very alert, and she felt guilty.
"Hey, I got your voice mail." she said, feeling an inch tall.
"I'm really sorry I didn't tell you." He said softly.
"It's okay..."
"No, it isn't. You deserved to know but I panicked. I know it would've turned your world upside down, and I never thought you'd get pregnant. I wasn't thinking."
"I understand that Troy, I forgive you though. Regretting not telling me won't change anything." She was scared, and not like she was every time she started at a new school, she was terrified of everything that came after 'your pregnant'.
"How am I supposed to feel then Gabby?" he sighed on the other end of the line, "I got you pregnant, and you had your whole future planned out."
Her heart broke in two, hearing Troy talk like he was to blame for some horrendous crime against humanity. You could hear the hurt in his voice, and she could almost see his face scrunched up like he would when he was upset.
"Troy...You didn't 'do this to me', it just happened. You don't need to blame yourself, that's like me blaming Joz for getting fat off of all the ice cream she 'makes me eat'. It was my choice to eat it, just like it was my choice to sleep with you."
"Maybe you shouldn't have." he mumbled.
"What is that supposed to mean?" She paused, almost afraid to ask," Do you regret sleeping with me Troy?"
"I don't, nor will I ever, regret sleeping with you. I don't regret meeting you, I don't regret being your friend, I don't regret kissing you, I don't regret falling in love with you. I don't regret moving to California to be close to you either. The only thing I regret is ever being the reason you are crying."
"Troy, I'm scared." she blurted out, wiping away a few tears. "I'm scared of what's going to happen to me, and my body. Scared of what is going to happen to us, I don't want to lose you or what we have."
"Gabs, nothing could ever make me want to be anywhere else but with you. I thought that I have proved that to you already..."
She thought about all the times he had put his own life on hold, to show her he loved her. She was kidding herself, she knew how much he cared about her.
"You have, I'm sorry! I'm so hormonal, and emotional already. We have no reason to argue, right?"
"Right." He agreed, "Do you want me to be in you and the baby's lives?" he choked it out. He wasn't going to let on to Gabriella, but he too was scared out of his mind. Being strong for her was something he planned on doing.
"Yeah, I mean of course I want you in my life Troy. I love you, and having a baby isn't something either one of us planned, but life is full of un-expected events I guess."
He sighed softly, "I'm glad you said that, because I want to be there for the both of you. I've actually done a little bit of research of my own, you want to hear what I came up with?"
"You've thought about it?" she never expected troy to do research on this, especially since he had just found out.
"Well yeah. I was online, and an ad popped up for planned parenthood, and I started surfing around. There is a family housing complex that is between both schools, Juniper Hills. It's beautiful, and it's right by the planned parenthood, and about a mile from the hospital. They offer assisted housing for parents in college, with childcare and everything." He set the paper down he had been reading off of, and hear her sniffle. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, it's just....I'm so touched that you researched all of that, even when I ran out on you like i did." she wiped her face with his hoodie, and pulled her legs up to her chest.
"Gabby, I love you. Of course I'm going to find a way for this to work."
"Troy?" She cried into the phone, "I hate to ask you this, but can you come over?"
"I'm on my way Gab."
Hormones were a bitch.