Chapter 4
Julie Maxine Bolton was clicking through random channels on the TV when she heard a car horn outside. She grinned and grabbed the keys from the table. She turned off the TV and hurried outside to see his dad waiting in the car. She waved at him before she locked down the door and hurried behind the house for a moment. She returned a minute later and hurried to the car.
"Hey, dad," she said, leaning over and kissing his cheek, "How was the business?"
Troy looked at her daughter. "Same old, same old. We have a new owner now. G…something. So tell me, what you did behind the house?"
"Hid the keys," Max answered, "She had to leave early today and she made me promise to hide the keys when we leave."
"She gave you the house keys?" Troy asked and eyebrows rose.
"Yes? So? You think I'm not trustworthy enough?"
"No, not that. Of course not that," he quickly amended, "It's just that… how were your two weeks in here?"
"Amazing," Max said, "She's a great cook, she's fun, she doesn't hog the shower, she completely understands everything I go through and she plays hoops. She even promised to teach me how to play chess."
As Troy pulled off, he asked, "What do you mean understands everything?"
"You know, stuff I can't talk to you about. Boys and dating and kissing and periods…"
"Periods?" Troy croaked out. "You're having your periods?"
"Well yeah. That reminds me you have to buy me those Maxis thingies with wings, preferably with at least absorbing level of four or higher."
"How do you…?" Troy blinked.
"Ms. Black told me. I had my first period in her house. She talked about them with me, because she imagined that you and I would have more difficulties talking about that."
"Yes, well, she's right about that," Troy said with a cough, "You don't need to talk about them then?"
"Nope, I pretty much know everything."
Troy smiled, "You're a lot like your mum, you know? She knew almost everything as well, at least in my eyes. Though, I have to buy flowers to that Ms. Black now. I don't think I would have made it out alive for that talk. I mean I KNOW what periods are, but…"
"Don't fret about it," Max said dismissively, "You can talk to me about birds and bees."
The car jerked a bit as Troy stepped on the wrong pedal all of the sudden, "Birds and bees?" he asked, his voice slow and low, "You want to hear about birds and bees?"
"Not right now, dad," Max said, "But you'll need to tell me sometimes."
"Well yes…" Troy started, driving normally again, "When you're old enough to know about that subject. A College student preferably."
"Is that when you learnt about Birds or Bees? Can't be right, because I'm already fourteen and…"
Troy coughed even more, "This is not a subject to talk about while I'm driving, really."
Max shrugged, "I can do the math by myself you know."
"Of course I know," her father answered as they stopped in front of their house. He stopped the car and looked at his teenage daughter. "I think you're old enough to understand what I'm going to say to you right now."
Max unbuckled her seatbelt, but didn't budge from her seat. "Spill."
Troy took a deep breath, "I don't think I love Sarah."
"…"
"Took you long enough!" Max snapped, "She's the bloody devil in disguise."
"Max, no such language in my car," Troy warned, before he sighed, "Other than that, I think you might be right. She's planning weddings in the size of a rock concert and I don't want that. I don't want thousands of guests and hundreds of caterers and I don't want her either."
Max was beaming so happily that she would have glowed in dark. "So you're breaking up with her?"
"Yes, I believe so. I'll just tell her that the weddings are to be postponed and maybe during your birthday…?"
"It's eight days away," Max cried out, "Why couldn't you just walk into the house, say that she has to take her few belongings and get the hell out!"
"Max!"
"Sorry, daddy."
"I have to give her some time to find a new place. I just can't kick her out like that," Troy snapped his fingers, "Though I'd rather enjoy that…"
"So what changed?" Max asked, interested, "Three weeks ago or so, you were completely sure you would get married."
Troy smiled slightly and withdrew his phone. "I got an interesting message from an unknown number about a week and a half ago. Listen."
"You little brat," Max instantly knew the voice of Sarah, even though it was slightly quieter than usual because of the phone, "Because of you I had to spend an hour trotting around in the rain last night! You get your stupid little head home right now! Last night I fell and broke a nail…"
"That's what she said when I called home after I ran away," Max said, blinking. "Who sent it to you?"
"I think it was the woman you've been staying with," Troy answered, "Yet another reason for me to thank her. Max you should have told me."
Max folded her arms across her chest and stared at her father, "I did, remember? You just said I was making it up because I was afraid of new things and changes."
Troy had the decency to look and feel stupid as he answered, "I'm sorry, Angel. I should have believed you when you told those things, but… You've been saying crazy things about my last girlfriends. Like once you told me that Claire tried to hang you, while she was braiding your hair."
Max shrugged and looked out of the window, "If I had to choose between Claire and the blond Screecher, I'd choose Claire, 100 sure… Oh, um, I'm sorry for using that name. I know you don't like it."
Troy chuckled, "Actually after hearing this," he gestured to his phone, "I can see where the name comes from. Blond Screecher – I rather like it."
Max turned her eyes away from the window and looked at her father. He was smiling at her in the way Gabriella often did. That smile made her feel safe and encouraged. So she just had to smile slightly.
"When will you tell her that you're dumping her?" Max asked.
"Soon. Maybe today or tomorrow, but I have to let her down gently."
Max scrunched up her nose but chose not to comment. Troy smiled at her that one million dollar smile that made girls swoon and said, "I'll promise that she won't be around for your birthday even if I have to carry her out of the house."
"Come on," Troy said, "Now, let's go inside and act like everything is normal."
As soon as they entered, Sarah came hurrying down. She practically jumped at Troy.
"Honey, you're home! I've missed you so much, both of you!" Troy looked a bit bewildered and Max mouthed, 'She wants something.'
"Troy, my dearest, I was wondering if we could hire several different bands for our wedding, since we need to have the guests entertained."
'Told you," Max mouthed to her father. Actually she was feeling sorry for him. It must be so hard to have a blond moronic moron stuck on you as soon as you entered the house.
"I'm going to go upstairs," Max said, "Phone up Bill and see if he is home."
"Alright Julie," her dad answered, gently prying Sarah's boney hand away from his neck.
Max hurried upstairs and took her iPod and phone and then she went for a walk. While in the middle of the street, she dialed Bill's number.
"Hey, what are you up to?" she cheerfully asked when he picked up.
"Meet me at our spot in ten?"
"Deal, See you!"
Ten minutes later found Max sitting on an isolated park bench, listening to her iPod. Suddenly someone put their hands on her eyes.
"Funny, Bill," She said turning around to face her grinning best mate. "Heyya."
"Hey," Bill answered, still smiling goofily, "So what have you been up to last few weeks?"
Max smiled as she started to retell everything that had happened leaving out some parts about the Screecher and her periods for example.
"Wow, she seems cool… for an adult," Bill said after Max had told him about Gabriella.
Max laughed, "Yeah, she does. Now what did you do on the country side."
"Not much," Bill shrugged, "We went swimming of course, had some fun herding the sheep and I got to ride a horse!"
Max smiled up at him. Yes up at him. Even though Max was tall for a fourteen year old [Big plus in basketball, Bill was taller than her and he'd probably grow even taller.
Bill was the one Max could talk about almost everything. He's the one who wasn't afraid about jumping into the mud and messing up his clothes. He's the one Max could call out to play basketball almost 24/7 and it didn't matter if it was sunny, cloudy or if it rained cats and dogs. He'd always come through.
The two of them spent the afternoon catching up and then headed for Bill's house to play videogames. After that Bill, who lived few blocks away from Max, walked her home. It was rather dark already and when they reached her doorway, Max turned around.
"Same time tomorrow?"
"Depends," Bill answered, "What are you offering?"
"Well… roller-skating and basketball," Max said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. Suddenly she noticed exactly how close Bill was standing and she was feeling rather warm. She started to say goodbye, hoping to get away before something weird happens, but it was too late.
Bill's lips were on hers. That was basically the only thought she had in her mind and for a few moments they just stood there lip locked. Then they started to move their lips and even that last thought was gone from Max's mind. Everything in her mind was a blur on that moment.
Suddenly Bill pulled away, bright red. He smiled some what dazedly and then quickly said good bye and practically ran away.
Max opened the door to her house and went in. She closed it after her and leaned against it, looking thoroughly shocked.
"What's wrong?" Troy, who had exited from the kitchen, asked.
"Nothing," Max answered. "I think I need to talk to somebody."
"I'm here for you," Troy assured her. She smiled a little and explained that it was a woman thing and she went for a walk. She didn't have any destination in mind as she just wondered down the street. She was so deep in thoughts that she didn't notice someone walk towards her and they collided.
"Max?"
"Gabriella?" the girl asked with relief. "I'm sorry, I was thinking…"
"Max, what's wrong?"
"I think… I think that I'm having a panic attack," Max explained, "I need to talk to somebody or I'll burst."
Gabriella laughed, "Guy trouble?"
"How did you…?" Max asked, picking up a grocery bag from the trunk of her car. Gabriella locked it down and the two of them walked into the porch.
"I'll get the keys," Max answered and she ran behind the house and returned with the house key. Max unlocked the door and Gabriella carried the bag inside. She placed it onto the counter and Max took a seat next to it.
"Spill," said Gabriella, who was starting to put things away into the cupboards.
"I need to talk about boys and kissing," Max said her hands in front of her face.
"We talked about that, didn't we?"
"Well, I need to talk about a certain boy and a certain kiss," Max said looking up at her, hoping that she didn't have to elaborate more.
"Oh, your first kiss?" Gabriella asked. Max nodded. "That boy, Bill?" Max looked up hurriedly to see Gabriella smiling at her. She nodded. "And now you're worried that it might ruin your friendship."
She nodded again, "How do you…?"
"Experience," Gabriella answered with a smile. "The kiss, did you like it?"
Max blushed and found sudden interest in the tiles on the kitchen counter.
"I'll take that as a yes," Gabriella continued, her smile growing, "What happened after the kiss?"
"He smiled, said goodbye and ran away… Why did he run away? Maybe I was horrible!"
"Hardly," Gaby answered taking two small cups of ice-cream out of the bag and she slid one of them to Max, who muttered a small thank you, before taking a spoon and digging in. "I think he was just scared about what happened and he felt awkward."
"You think?" Max asked, looking up at her again. She smiled and nodded in return and Max sighed with some relief.
"How did you feel after the kiss, then?" Gaby, who had finished putting away the food asked as she sat down against her and opened her own ice cream.
"I was stunned… really stunned and really tingly. And so warm. I thought I was in a sauna for a moment back there."
"So, what's the problem? You're obviously interested in the guy; you have lot in common and you are best friends. With a friendship like that it's a big chance that something comes out of it. Don't you read Harry Potter?"
Max snorted, "Yeah I've read it, but by the time Hermione and Ron got together they were seventeen and knew what they wanted. I'm just fourteen and I have no idea what's going on in my head."
"If Bill asked you to be his girlfriend, what would you answer?"
Max chocked on her spoonful of ice cream. "If he asks me to be his girlfriend," she gasped. "What if he does ask?!? What will I do?!?"
"First take a deep breath. If you say yes what would be the worst thing that could happen?"
Max was thoughtful for a moment, "We have a huge fight and me with dad's and mom's temper, would murder him and end up in jail."
Gaby blinked, "Okay not that bad one. A fight could happen. Then what? You'll break up as friends?"
"I don't know. I'm not even dating him, what am I supposed to know about breaking up with him," Max was sulking and jabbing her ice cream viciously.
"Risk," Gabriella answered, "I did and those years were the best ones in my life. Even if you don't hook up for life and live happily ever after… You'll have the fond memories."
Max nodded slowly, "Risk. I'm good at taking risks. It's like basketball when your ought to go from the right, but you risk and go left."
Gabriella laughed, "You reminded me of my ex fiancée with that speech. Basketball was what he did."
"Then he couldn't be all bad, right?" Max asked, "If I remind him?"
"He wasn't," Gabriella agreed.
"-Trrrrrrrrrrr- You are being phoned –Trrrrrrrrrrr-"
"My phone," Max said, digging it up from her pocket.
"Hey daddy," she said as she answered. "Uh I told you that I needed a woman to talk to. Who do you think I am with – the Blond Screecher?"
Gabriella smiled at her and Maxine grinned back. "Yes, I'll come home right away. No wait, I'll hop by Bill's before that, okay?"
"Mhmm…"
"Yeah, it's pretty important and no I'm not bothering her… I think, hold on," Max put her hand on the receiver and looked at Gabrielle, "Am I bothering you?"
"No," Gabrielle laughed. Max smiled and removed her hand from the receiver, "Nope, not bothering her. Not now anyways."
"Alright, bye."
Max hung up just as the phone rang again. She picked up and as soon as she did, she blushed,
"Oh, hey Bill."
Gabriella turned around, her hair flying around her and hitting her into the face. As it happened Max laughed into the phone.
"No nothing you said was funny, I'm completely following you," Max answered into the phone, "Something funny happened, that's all."
Gaby didn't try to move as she did her best to hear some of the words Bill was saying. It sounded like he was blabbing.
"Yeah, I liked it too," Max said quietly, but Gabriella heard it anyways and she snickered… in an adult fashion of course. Max gave her the evil eye, but because of the blush on her face, it wasn't that scary.
For a moment both of the girls were quiet listening to what Bill says and then…
"Girlfriend," Max breathed out, "I don't know."
Gabriella wasn't grinning anymore; instead she looked like an anxious kid.
"What if anything goes wrong, I mean…? Yeah, exactly."
Moment of silence
"Hyper pinky promise?"
Gabriella smiled and Max did so as well and then she answered, "Yes. My answer is yes."
A few moments later she said, "Okay, tomorrow. I can do that. Bye."
She hung up and stared the phone like it was about to bite her. "What did I do?"
"You just got yourself a boyfriend, Max," Gabriella answered, grinning.
"But… Oh god, I've got a boyfriend. Karen's going to hit the roof. Especially when she finds out about Bill."
"Why?"
"I think she has interest in Bill, because she keeps asking if he's seeing somebody. Don't get me wrong, Karen can be a good friend, but sometimes she's just too self-absorbed."
"Déjà vu," Gabriella muttered.
"Huh?"
"Never mind me," she said with a small smile, "Now what do you want for your birthday?"
Max grinned, "Only seven and half days away from being fourteen. You'll be on the party of course?"
Gabriella nodded, "I'll come."
"Good and you'll sing?"
"…"
"Oh no," Gabriella exclaimed, as the meaning hit her. "I don't sing anymore!"
"Please," Max begged, "As my birthday present? Just one tiny song. Just one. You don't have to sing any more than that. Just to get the karaoke going at the start. When two adults sing, then kids be more willing right?"
"Max, I don't…"
"Gaby, pleaaaseee!"
"Don't look me like that! Max…"
"Please, do this for me?"
"Fine!" Gabriella gave up, "One song and then I'm going to sit behind the bar and laugh over the rest of the singers."
"Thank you," Max called out, completely thrilled. "Thank you, thank you!"
"Yeah, well, don't make me regret this," Gabriella said, feeling that she had gotten herself into a good mess now.
"I wont," Max called out, "I got to go home and I have a … date… with Bill tomorrow, but I'll try to swing by some time… And thank you."
"Don't mention the singing…"
"I wasn't talking about the singing, but the recording you sent to dad," Max called from the hallway and then she left.
When she reached her home, she found herself seeing a very weird sight. On the lawn bunch of packages had been thrown and in the middle of them all stood a screaming Sarah.
Max started to laugh as she saw his father, looking more furious than ever, opening a window upstairs and throwing another bag down.
"Troy, honey, I didn't mean anything I said. I love you! Give me a second chance!"
"Take your stuff and get off my lawn!"
The venom in his voice made even Max stop laughing. She quietly sneaked past Sarah and slipped into the house.
"Daddy?" she called out. A few moments later a bit furious but grinning Troy Bolton entered the hallway.
"Yes, sweetie?"
Max grinned, "What are you doing?"
"I came to an understanding that she doesn't need any time getting her snobbish, greedy and not too mention stupid self out of my house alongside with all those "great plans" she had."
"Alright, what did she do to get you over the edge?" Max asked. Troy scowled and said,
"She insulted two of the most important women in my life after I heard her talk to someone about how she'll ship you to a boarding school. She could live in the gutter from now on if she wants to!"
Max blinked, "Daddy?"
"Yes?"
"Can I help to throw out her stuff?"
Troy threw his head back and laughed a real, deep throated laugh, "Sure, you can start with all those beauty products in the bathroom."
So the two of them found a good family activity. For the rest of the evening stuff was thrown out of the windows faster than they had been brought in. After a while they stopped since they had returned pretty much everything she owned in the house… Actually it wasn't that much.
It took about another hour of begging for forgiveness from Sarah, before her sister drove there with a big car and started to help her put away all her things. As her stuff had been collected Sarah trotted behind the door and yelled, "I'll come to that birthday party just in case you change your mind! YOU WILL CHANGE YOUR MIND!"
Then she sat into the car and drove away with her sister. Inside of the house, both father and daughter groaned.
"This is it," Troy said, "She's gone and I'm never bringing another woman here again."
"Don't be too hasty," Max said, "You might want to some day. Love can hide itself in weird places."
Troy laughed, "Since when do you know about love?"
"I don't, but that's what Ms. Black says. Besides I'm starting to believe her."
"You really like that woman?" Troy asked, looking at Max, who was picking up something from the ground.
"Yeah. I trust her almost as much as I trust Bill and that's saying something," Max answered, before she frowned, "Do you think the Screecher will show up for my party?"
"She might," her dad said with a smile, "But when she does, we'll get her kicked out like this." Snaps his fingers.
"Are you hungry?" Her dad asked.
"Nope, I ate something already," Max said dismissively. Then she got a brilliant idea.
"Daddy?" she tentatively asked.
"Yes, Angel?"
"Would you do me a favor?" Max asked, her eyes glittering with hope.
"Anything for you, baby," Troy said sitting down next to her on the couch, "What is it?"
"Well, I want you to sing at my party."
"…"
"Nooooooo," Troy's voice was steely, "I don't sing."
"Aunt Sharpay said you were one of the best male singers in the school," Max insisted, "Please, just one tiny song so the people would loosen up and go up there willingly."
"Julie, don't," her dad said, "I don't sing."
"I'm begging you," Julie said, "Just one song and I won't bother you again. Daddy please, you said you'd do anything for me."
Troy Bolton slid his hand through his hair. His mind reeling.
"Fine," he said and he couldn't believe that he agreed this. "But just one song. After that I'll sit in the bar and laugh over the other singers."
Max looked him weirdly.
"What?"
"Nothing, never mind… But thank you daddy. You're the best!"
She threw herself at him and he laughed as he hugged her. Why would he need another person in his life if he got his little Angel?
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A/N – I bet you all know what is going to happen ) Now, please give me reviews; that's what feeds me. If I die of hunger then who'd finish the story :O?