The door bell rang again impatiently and Lucille scurried to the door pausing briefly with her hand on the door knob to look back at Gabriella whose face seemed to be draining in color. Taking a deep breath and swinging the door wide open she ushered in her beaming son. She commented at his height not understanding how he'd grown taller as he lifted her to kiss her cheek. Putting her back down on the floor he looked up expecting his father. Troy stood in the door frame frozen in place by the mirage standing in his parents' living room. At the moment, the heat in the cab would have been a better place to be. No one spoke for a moment focusing instead on the entrance of Jack Bolton whose face had managed to replicate the shade of his red shirt perfectly. Lucille's face twitched an awful pinkish as if caught with her hand in her own cookie jar. Gabriella's eyes gave her the appearance of a doe in headlights, the gasp almost audible on her lips. The words lumped in his throat, his mouth dry and uncooperative, his heart becoming the only working body part increased rhythm at a dangerous place. Jack recovered fastest inviting his son into his childhood home. The men embraced lingering a little longer than necessary as if saving themselves from starting the conversation. Seeing the two men hug somehow sparked Lucille's memory of the lemon bars browning in the oven, excusing herself, she returned to the kitchen her eyes purposely skipping the stunned brunette. Jack disengaged from his son patting him on the back before giving the room over to the one time lovers. The silence in the room became deafening. Gabriella still hadn't budged an inch giving Troy time to look her over and more time to figure out how to speak again. He hadn't thought he would see her today, but if he had of imagined it he would have seen the petite teenager of awkward college transitioning. A woman stood before him today. She was still short, barely coming up to his chest. Her hair was much longer, extending past her neck and disappearing below her back. Her pink shirt clung perfectly to her drawing his eyes to a place he was no longer entitled to look at, but he couldn't resist going all the way down to the black pants tracing a full curved bottom. She sucked in air as if he'd touched her, his eyes snapped back up to her face. Her brown eyes still seemed so large and warm; her lips were full and pink. His body reacted. Stepping forward he pulled her into her third unexpected hug of the day. The charge was immediate. His hands gripped the fabric at her waist keeping her firm against him. Her hands shot to his chest causing his heart to accelerate to a dangerous level.
"It's really great to see you, Gabriella," he finally breathed out.
His cologne was amazing. Gabriella stifled the urge to run away, blinking rapidly as if not believing the sight before her eyes, moving a step back to regain her lost personal space. She couldn't handle the intensity in his eyes and settled hers on a photograph of a young Troy hanging on the wall behind his head while attempting to reign in her vocabulary in order to respond to him.
"What… are you doing …here...Today?" she finally gasped out placing a hand on her heart to calm the hurried beating, forgetting that he, if either of them, had more of a right to be standing inside the Bolton home. The shining smile on Troy's face faltered for a moment at her not so warm reception and he crossed his arms and planted his feet firmly preparing to retaliate.
"No, I mean, maybe, I should go. Now." She rushed in confusion, unclenching her fingers from her palms, leaving behind crescent shaped imprints. "I…Troy, I can't believe how long it's been. You are so…" she trailed off unable to relay her shock or excitement properly. She suddenly felt like a ninth grader again. Somehow the spark that had intertwined their lives in high school had preserved itself for this date; she could feel the electricity pulsating through her body even now that they were practically strangers. "Troy,' this on spoken with wonderment. "Hi," he said once again. "Wow, I never expected to see you here today. I thought I wouldn't see you until school started. Chad and Taylor said you wouldn't be here for another week. Isn't it crazy that we'll be teaching at East?" Troy rambled about his dad retiring and Gabriella's position, but her mind focused on Chad and Taylor. They'd known he was coming back. The secret looks at breakfast. Taylors worried look when Chad had called the night before. They had been hiding him from her. She felt confused about why they had decided to let her find out on her own. Taylor, especially, knew how much pain Gabriella had been in when it became necessary to leave Troy; how many nights she cried; how many men she'd turned down since. The anger settled uncomfortably in her stomach as Lucille reentered the living room hosting a plate of treats that on any other day would make her salivate, but, today, turned her stomach.
Lucille looked from her son to Gabriella placing the platter down delicately. Troy and Gabriella seemed locked in a silent tangle. The past was replaying itself all over again. She smiled to herself thinking of all that could happen for them if they could rekindle what she'd seen of them as teenagers. A mothers' only wish was her child being happy, and she had witnessed her sons' transformation with Gabriella. This situation called for a little interference since it was clear both were placating the next move.
"Gabriella, why don't you come for dinner tonight? We are celebrating Jack's retirement and he'd love to have you there. You'll come won't you?" Jack shrunk back unsuccessfully in the corner knowing that his wife was meddling. She was a hopeless romantic. In the kitchen, she'd rambled giddy about the cosmic sign of Gabi and Troy being home, and how they could be together, and marry, and have babies. Gran babies, he suspected, were the primary goal in her plan.
"Taylor and Chad are coming. You should definitely come," Troy chimed in with a twinge of hope in his voice. "I'd really like to catch up, and ma's right, Coach would be devastated if you didn't show. What do you say?"
"Yea, I'll be there," Gabriella responded walking to the door. "I'll just finish up my run and see you all later. Sending a hurried goodbye she rushed from the home and back towards the apartment, her legs not carrying her fast enough. Overwhelmed, the tears started before she cleared the driveway.
Troy stood in the window watching her retreat in the window until she was just a pink dot. He picked up his luggage and dashed up the stairs to rinse the cab ride from his body. He snickered to himself at how he reverted back to caring what she thought of his appearance. As the water slid over his body, a feeling of refreshment replaced the sadness he'd felt the last few years. Maybe, he and Gabi could start over, even as friends.