Here's the fourth part. It's the biggest chapter so far, enjoy :)
Chapter Four
Gabriella took a deep breath. 'I can do this, I really can do this.' She continued looking at Chad Danforth's house and carried on repeating it to herself until the front door opened and out came Taylor, eyeing her friend suspiciously.
"What are you doing? Aren't you coming in?" She asked with her hands on her hips and a questioning gaze.
Gabriella still stood, looking wide-eyed and coaxing herself that she could manage it.
Taylor noticed Gabriella's hesitance and offered moral support by dragging her into the house. "You still have to tell me what that email said, Gabs." The whispered comment brought Gabriella back to reality. She had to face him again. She didn't know if she could carry on feeling this way.
"Come on sweetie. Everyone's here, we've been waiting for you."
Gabriella watched as Taylor made her way into the living room where she could hear excited, muffled voices. "Everyone's here?" She whispered.
Gabriella stood frozen on the spot as Chad bound into the hall out of the living room.
"GABSTER!" He shouted as he lifted her off the ground swinging her around. The blue-eyed boy momentarily forgotten, Gabriella collapsed into a state of giggles and held on tightly to her friend.
"I've missed you," he whispered in her ear as he placed her steadily on her feet.
"You too Chad, you have no idea." She smiled at him.
He led her into the living room where she was greeted by the gang: Martha, Jason and Kelsi.
She saw him standing there out of the corner of her eye while she was hugged in turn by each of her friends. She turned to him and smiled, whispering a quiet hello; wishing that this awkward moment wasn't being displayed in front of their friends.
"Hey." His blue eyes shone as he greeted her, wanting to return to holding her in her bedroom. He'd had to leave two hours after he had climbed her balcony to get home before his parents sent a search warrant, undoubtedly starting at Gabriella's house. She'd been asleep of course, but he'd left a note.
Gabi,
I'm sorry that I won't be here when you wake up, but I'll see you at Chad's later.
I can't begin to describe how good it feels to see you and hold you. I don't ever want to go that long again. I don't think I'd make it through another 2 months without you.
I love you.
Wildcat.
Gabriella smiled at him, thinking about the words that he'd written. He loved her. He wanted her. She'd never felt so relieved in all her life.
He was so confident in his note and email, which she had finally read. She knew what she wanted. She just needed to find a quiet moment to speak to him.
Finding a quiet moment was harder than Gabriella anticipated. She loved her friends and she had really missed them, but she wanted to be alone with Troy. As the day went on she was itching to speak to him, to just be near him. She hadn't missed the stolen glances that he'd been giving her. Even their friends weren't oblivious to the way they were looking at each other.
By 9 o'clock, having been together since 12pm that afternoon, Gabriella excused herself saying that she was tired. Troy's eyes instantly perked up and offered to drive her home.
The car ride was quiet, full of tension. It had been months since Gabriella had last ridden in Troy's rusty old truck, something that she had missed. It was a part of the Troy package; the truck came with him. Even though she teased him about it, she really loved it. It was so Troy.
Gabriella was shocked to be awakened from her daydreaming as she felt Troy's hand on her arm bringing her back to reality. She looked around and noticed that they were parked outside her house.
"I thought you'd zoned out on me." Troy chuckled.
Gabriella smiled at him. "Just thinking. I didn't realise that we were here already."
"Yeah. So…," he sighed.
"Will you come in?" Gabriella asked, her brown eyes full of hope.
"Yeah, sure." He was out the door and already opening hers before she had time to comprehend his answer.
He led her up the pathway to her house, a walk that they had shared so many times. It usually consisted of stolen kisses and whispers of sweet nothings at the end of a date, making the most of every moment they had.
This time though it was silent. Each of them was thinking things over in their heads, nervous to enter the house and talk.
Troy found himself shaking. What if this was it? What if this was the end? He had sent her a heartfelt email. He had reiterated his feelings in the note that he had left on her pillow the night before. His throat suddenly went dry. He didn't know how she felt.
Gabriella's house was in darkness. She knew that her mother was at her work's Christmas party and wouldn't be home 'til late, that gave them plenty of time to talk. Shakily, her hand reached in her purse for her key and she managed to get the front door open.
Silently, Gabriella led Troy up to her room. She turned her lamp on as he moved to her bed and took off his converse. She stood in front of him, watching him loosen the laces so he could easily slip his feet out.
He looked up to find her watching him. She looked frightened. She was shaking. He didn't know whether to comfort her, he wanted to so badly, but he knew that it would only prolong what she had to say. He wanted to be selfish for once, to hear what she had to say as soon as possible.
For the second consecutive night brown met cobalt in the lightly lit room. Gabriella stared into the eyes of the hopeful boy and she knew what she had to, what she had been wanting to do for weeks.
But she didn't know how. Where should she start?
"Gabriella!" Troy's agonised voice broke through the silence. "I'm going crazy." He sighed as he tried to curb his frustration.
"It's been horrible without you." His sad eyes looked over her body, the raw pain evident. "I've tried to throw myself into basketball, but even that's failing to stop the pain."
He moved towards her and halted his step inches in front of her. Gabriella looked into his expectant eyes. "Please tell me it's over. Please say that we can go back to being us, because I can't take it anymore."
She felt everything that he did, every little bit.
"This break that you asked for, well it's Christmas. It's over. You need to make a decision."
Two months ago.
"A cheat?" He gulped as he said the words. Is that what she really thought?
"Is that what you think of me?" His voice choked out. He couldn't take his eyes off her, the girl who he loved more than anyone and anything in the world. She thought that he had betrayed her. He couldn't bear her being in pain, especially because of him. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists.
Gabriella, noticing Troy's stance, felt a tear trickling down her cheek. She hadn't believed it when she'd first heard it, but with Troy's reaction, well how could she not? As much as she hated to see him hurt, she was hurting too. She needed to know the truth.
"Well, isn't that what you and Jack were talking about? That, that girl who was in your room?" The vulnerability shone through in her voice. His eyes opened and the intent gaze that made her weak at the knees locked on her own. Damn him. He knew exactly what to do to melt her resolve. She closed her eyes so that he didn't continue to weaken her, she couldn't let him.
When she opened them again he was sat next to her. He was so close that she could hear his ragged breathing and feel his warm breath on her face.
"Nothing happened with Seren, Gabi. I promise you." He searched her eyes, needing her to believe him. "I have not and would never cheat on you. I have never lied to you, you have to trust me."
She wanted to so badly. She wanted to believe him, to fall into his arms and have him kiss her. She wanted it all to go away. But it wasn't that simple. Something had happened, something had changed and she needed to know exactly what it was.
"It was all so messed up." He shook his head. "We were at a party and she had too much to drink. She couldn't remember where her dorm was and asked if she could crash at mine." He suddenly got on his feet, pacing the space in front of her.
"I mean what was I supposed to do? She'd been so good to me. She's in the same situation that we are. No matter how small the distance is, it's still hard."
Gabriella was watching him intently. She had never seen him act this way before. He had never had to be nervous about telling her anything, never had to feel guilty. This was a new side to Troy and not one that she ever wanted to see again.
"We talked about Adam, her boyfriend, and you." He looked down at her now pacing beside her bed. "I miss you so much Gabriella that sometimes it's unbearable. I like, need to see you, to hold you, just to hear your voice." He ran a hand through his hair. "But I get that you're busy, I am too. Not seeing you, not being able to take the time to just turn up at your door, things that I took for granted before, well it sucks."
She nodded she felt the same way. She missed their relationship so much - she missed him.
"Seren, she gets it. She's going through the same thing, or so I thought." He gulped. He really should have called and told her the day after it happened, why didn't he? Then this would never have happened and Gabriella would never have thought the worst of him.
"So she came back to my dorm and I let her have my room. I moved out into the couch. Anyway, in short, she came onto me. I walked in while she was changing, one thing led to another and she kissed me."
Her worst fears were confirmed. She allowed a moment of weakness, just one moment; tears fell down her cheeks. Then she found her voice. "Get out." She wasn't the weak girl anymore. He'd cheated. No matter how much he said he loved her, he'd kissed another girl. What more was there?
"Gabi, please just let me explain…" He begged, but she cut him off, determined not to let him finish.
She stood and faced him, looking him straight in the eye. "You've had your chance Troy, now get out. You've just confirmed everything I was thinking. I can't believe you had the audacity to act so hurt, you kissed her!" He had never seen her like this before, fiery and angry. He'd never hurt her this badly before. He'd never wanted her so much. The fiery sparkle in her eye was incredibly sexy.
"Nothing happened," he gripped her by the arms. "Nothing happened Gabi, I promise you." She struggled to get out of his grasp but it was no use, he was too strong, too determined.
"She kissed me but I stopped it. I don't want her. I don't want anyone else, I only want you." Was he crying too? "Please, you've got to believe me. I know things have been different recently. We've both been under pressure starting college and with everything going on. But I swear to you, nothing happened."
The glint in his eye was back, the glint that always told her that he was being sincere. It was the same glint that she had seen at graduation when he first told her that he was going to Berkeley, not U of A.
He touched his forehead to hers and slid his hands down her arms. "You've got to believe me. There's no one else, there never will be. It's only you. I only want you, always."
The way that he was nuzzling his face against hers, it was pure heaven. But she couldn't pretend that things hadn't changed, whether he'd cheated or not.
She stroked her hand through his hair and cupped his ear, bringing him closer to her.
"I trust you, Troy. I do." She cooed in his ear. "But we can't pretend that nothing's happened, that nothing's changed."
He tightened his grip on her. "I know, but it's just because we've been apart. Things will be better now, you'll see." He moved back slightly so that he could look into her deep brown eyes. "I've told coach that I need a few days off. I don't have to be back at practice 'til Thursday, can you believe that?" The widest smile filled his face. "We have two whole days together. Just you and me." He tapped her nose affectionately. His smile faded when he saw that hers didn't reach her eyes.
"I don't know if that's such a good idea right now, Troy." She stepped away from his embrace, needing to be out of his touch if she was going to say what she was about to.
"I think we need some time, time apart. All this stress on our relationship, on us, it's not doing us any good." There was no way he could bargain with her, he knew that tone of voice all too well. It was the tone that she used on him when she'd had enough of his procrastination and was encouraging him to get on with his homework. She was firm and couldn't be persuaded.
He was staring at her, the pain returning to his eyes. "So what, you mean like a…break?" He couldn't control the break in his voice uttering the last word.
"I think that it's best." Both knew what a break meant, a stepping-stone to finality.
"Oh." She couldn't look at him, she wasn't brave enough. She knew that the look on his face would be enough for her to tell him to stay, stay forever. But it was wrong. They needed to work on themselves without the pressures of a relationship, no matter how much it hurt.
"I think," she had to continue before she broke down, "That we should take 'til Christmas break to work on ourselves". She finally looked up at him and her tears threatened even harder. "You need to put so much into basketball and I get it, I don't want you worrying about me anymore. You do what you have to do, I can focus on my work and then we'll see."
This was the scariest place they had ever been. Before it was high school drama but this was the real world. It was difficult to believe that sometimes, no matter how much you love someone sometimes, it doesn't work out.
"I can't walk away from us." He shuddered at the sound of his voice, why couldn't he hold it together?
"We're not," she assured him. "We're just putting us on hold because we can't give the time right now. Who knows, maybe this will save us and put us back on track in a few weeks."
He moved closer to her. "You do know how long it is 'til Christmas right? That's two months Gabriella. Two months. We've never been apart that long. We've had beach and hotel trips, just because we haven't actually visited each others colleges, that doesn't mean that we don't, that we can't…We've just been busy that's all. It's fixable."
She didn't know who he was trying to convince anymore, her or himself.
"It's fixable, I know it is Gabi." She gave a small smile at his determination. Troy Bolton wasn't a quitter. He progressed right the way to the end and that's one of the many things that she loved about him, his passion.
"Troy, we're not letting go, not for good. It's just for now. It's been tough and it'll only get tougher as the end of the semester nears. We need to get this first semester over with, then we have winter vacation and we'll see each other then."
She seemed so sure, so confident. Surely, if she felt that way, then it would all work out okay. She sure hoped so.
"So take a break for now and then see what happens at Christmas?" He had to take what he was given.
"Yeah, I think it's best."
The next chapter will be the concluding chapter of the story. One more update to go!
