All I want for Christmas
AN: So…. Where to start… I had planned on this being finished by Christmas, I really had… but my muse would not cooperate, so here's the deal. There will NOT be updates everyday like I had originally planned, but I'm going to post as I finish. I have worked on getting a bit ahead of things, so hopefully it won't take too long.
I work a lot in December so I won't have that much time to write, but I'll do my best.
I will keep posting chapters until this story is finished even if that means posting after Christmas.
Hope you enjoy
December 7th
A long yawn escaped Gabriella as she walked down the aisle of the train looking for her seat. It was barely six in the morning and far too early to be awake in her opinion, but it was the only option if she wanted to make it back to Albuquerque on that specific day. Outside the windows, the world still seemed to be asleep. Not even the sun was awake yet, she thought as another yawn crept up on her.
"45, 46, 47, 48," she mumbled. "50."
Dropping her bags she let herself fall into the seat just as the train slowly started to make its way forward. Aside from her the cart was empty and she felt no need to put her things into the overhead shelf.
"Ticket, miss?"
Glancing up she was met with the less than pleasant face of that morning's ticket inspector, and quickly pulled her ticket out of her pocket. He gave it a short glance before pressing a stamp against it.
"Have a nice trip."
Gabriella could tell the phrase was one of habit, not one of actual care, so she mumbled a simple thank you before snuggling into her seat. The fact that she was actually headed home was a thought she was still trying to process. Her original tickets had been booked for almost a week later, but after being informed that exams were being moved her mom had booked her new ones.
Everything was still kind of a blur if she was honest with herself. The meeting at school had covered so much information she was certain she had missed at least half of it. The extent of the damages was not yet clear as the building was still too hot to enter, but they did not expect that much, if anything could be saved. The students affected by the fire had been given the option of taking exams as planned, or taking them with group that would be re-doing them later in the year, but without it being put as their second attempt.
Gabriella had kind of lost her concentration after hearing that, and she still wasn't sure how she felt about her decision.
She knew very well that she wouldn't do well if she took the exams without studying more, but in some way it upset her that she had spent so many stressful hours cramming for an exam she no longer had to worry about. At least not for the time being.
With a small sigh she leaned her head against the cold window pane and let her eyes follow the landscape outside. It had always fascinated her how so many things changed in the time span of only a few minutes. One minute the roads were practically empty, the next they were bustling with life. A minute could decide whether you got stuck in traffic that morning or not.
The world she was currently watching seemed to still be asleep though. Only every now and then did they pass a street where a car was driving or someone was walking a dog. It was the quiet before the storm, and though she was tired she couldn't deny the fact that she enjoyed the early morning drowsiness that that still cocooned the world around her.
A sudden jerk to the side caused her shoulder to connect painfully with the window and she groaned quietly. They really should put padding on the walls she thought as she sat up straight again. On the seat next to her she noticed her calendar sitting dangerously near the edge and quickly picked it up. The 7th drawer was still hiding its surprise and she knew that a simple tug was all it took to please her ever growing curiosity.
A small smile spread on her face as she let her fingers toy with the tiny handle for a few seconds before slowly pulling it open.
As it came out she felt something shift within and quickly removed the white note.
It was a horseshoe key-chain.
She didn't need a hint to figure that one out, but unfolded the piece of paper anyways.
Because a school trip to a ranch landed you in the hospital.
Oh yeah, that was NOT a field trip she would easily forget.
The school bus seemed to buzz with the sound of excited voices as it made its way along the dusty desert road. The somewhat random field trip was a welcome distraction to the whole class, and Gabriella grinned to herself as she realized just how much the scene around her reminded her of elementary school.
Back then field trips had been more common, but the noisy bus ride was always the same. The only major change she could think of was the seating arrangement and the fact that her head was comfortably resting against Troy's shoulder.
Snuggling had definitely not been part of their elementary school trips.
"What are you thinking about?" Troy asked quietly against her hair.
"How I'm half expecting someone to break into a cheesy bus ride song."
Troy chuckled at her response and pulled her even closer.
"This does feel familiar doesn't it?"
"It really does, minus a few seat changes. If I remember correctly Taylor and Chad were much less cuddly back then, rather the opposite actually. Unsupervised they were in danger of clawing out each other's eyes."
"Oh my god," Troy laughed. "Do you remember the time the teachers paired them up for a project and Chad accidently put his afro on fire when lighting a match?"
"Oh god! And then he emptied his water bottle over his head and spilled water all over the project! She was ready to kill him! With the amount of revenge plans she had I actually feared for his well being for a while," Gabriella giggled while shaking her head.
"Who would have thought that seven minutes in heaven would actually end with them kissing…I know we all joked about it, but I never actually thought it would happen. I was half expecting a dead body when we opened that door," Troy said as she glanced to where Taylor was sleeping peacefully against Chad's body.
"I've never seen anyone quite as red as Tay turned when she realized we were looking at them," Gabriella giggled.
"I have."
"You have?"
"First time was when your mother first walked in on us making out," he teased and gave her waist a gentle squeeze.
"Oh my god….don't even go there," Gabriella said, her eyes wide.
Troy simply chuckled.
"It wasn't that bad, babe."
"Not for you maybe, I got the whole 'no glove, no love' speech after you had gone home," she said with a small shudder. "I was horrified."
"My parents were no better. They just happen to behave whenever you are actually around."
"Thank god for that," she said as she tilted her head upwards to place a kiss against his jaw. Troy smiled and quickly turned his head to capture her lips gently.
"Ahem…"
"Dad, come on," Troy groaned.
"Rules are rules, Troy," Jack Bolton said somewhat teasingly and Gabriella swore she saw him give her a wink.
"There's no-one around who cares."
"I'm here."
"You see us kissing all the time."
"Doesn't mean I like it, now behave, please."
"Yes, Mr. Bolton," Gabriella said as a small blush crept onto her face.
"I hate when he does that," she mumbled once Jack had moved further down the aisle. Troy simply chuckled at her feeble complaint and pulled her closer.
"Sadly I think he takes great pleasure in doing it."
"I know he does, he winked at me," she grumbled, causing a laugh to escape from Troy's lips. His chest vibrated underneath her head and she struggled to keep the smile of he own face. As much as she had loved having his dad around for certain situations at school, there were others that really made her wish it would be illegal for parents to be teaches at their children's school.
-HSM-
By the time lunch rolled around Gabriella's already tan skin had gone a shade darker and Troy's much fairer skin had gotten a reddish tint to it.
"I have sun block you know," Gabriella said as they settled down in the shade of a big tree.
"But I never get burned, babe, how bad can it be?"
"Pretty bad, Troy; wouldn't surprise me if that nose of yours start peeling if you don't put something on it."
"How come you never get burned?" he practically pouted at her before taking a bite of his burger.
"Because I put on sun block…and my skin loves the sun."
"So unfair," he grumbled.
"Yeah, yeah," she giggled while fishing around in her bag for the small bottle she'd brought with her.
"I bet Chad doesn't need sun block."
"What on earth is the deal with you guys and sun block?"
"I don't know… it's just one of those things I guess," he said as he reluctantly accepted the dreaded white substance she held out to him.
"Sometimes you guys are too macho for your own good. It's not like people would know if you put it on. I'd much rather prefer you without skin cancer, thank you very much."
"Drama Queen," Troy teased, while squirting a good amount of the white cream into the palm of his hand.
"Am not. It can totally happen," she argued before popping a French fry into her mouth.
Troy held back a chuckle as he rubbed his hands together and then ran them gently over his face and neck to apply the protective lotion.
"There, all covered, happy now?"
Gabriella simply nodded, but it was clear she was holding back a giggle.
"What?" he asked, watching as Gabriella's laughter bubbled to the surface.
"All white," she giggled and reached her hand out to help smooth out the thick lotion.
"See!" he said exasperated. "This is why boy don't wear sun block!"
The only reply he got was Gabriella's melodious laughter.
-HSM-
Gabriella felt several droplets of sweat trail down her neck as the sun beat down on her back. They had been out riding for almost two hours and though she enjoyed the gentle movements of the animal beneath her, it was getting too hot for her liking. It felt like her head was slowly being boiled under the thick black helmet and she really couldn't wait to take it off.
"You ok, babe? You've been awfully quiet," Troy asked as he maneuvered his horse so he was side by side with Gabriella's.
"Yeah, just hot and tired. I'm ready to sleep on the bus all the way home now," she said as wiped her forehead with her hand.
"The ranch is just over that hill apparently. We'll be there in a few minutes."
"Can you throw water on me or something when we get there?"
"Sure."
The usual playfulness was gone from her voice and Troy frowned in worry. As they continued on their way, he seemed to be focusing more on her than on the trail in front of them and they both sighed in relief when the ranch came into view. Gabriella was already fantasizing about dipping her head in a bucket of water when they stepped onto the dusty grounds inside the ranch fences.
Shaking her head she adjusted her grip on the rains and focused on the stable walls.
So close.
Suddenly the need to get out of the heat and helmet became urgent as the scenery around her started to spin. Her heart rate sped up and she felt the panic starting to bubble within her.
'Just a few more feet' she desperately told herself.
She didn't notice that the horse stopped moving or that Troy now stood on the ground next to her. Everything was spinning and she suddenly realized that she was going to faint.
"Troy…"
She didn't remember falling or Troy catching her before she hit the ground. What she did remember was Troy's frantic call for his dad as he pulled her helmet off and emptied his water bottle on her head to cool her down.
"DAD! Call 911!"
"911? What's….oh god, what happened?"
"She said she was hot and then she fainted...Dad, she fell off the horse…" the last part came out in a way that made Gabriella want to cry and she could feel his hand underneath had head, protecting her from the hard ground.
The first tear slipped out before she even managed to open her eyes.
"Wake up, babe…"
"I don't feel good," she mumbled.
"I know; Dads getting a doctor here. It'll be ok, just breathe, baby, it'll be ok," he soothed and gently pushed some wet hair away from her face. Desperate to focus on anything but the nauseating feeling that was spreading through her body, she shifted her thoughts to the movement of Troy's hands as he tried to comfort her. It felt like they'd stayed like that for hours when she finally heard the sirens of the ambulance.
Everything after that had become somewhat of a blur.
-HSM-
She had been told at a later date that Troy had managed to stay calm and somewhat collected until he had been wheeled into a room to be treated for heatstroke and dehydration.
It still broke her heart to picture him in tears because of her own stupidity. She hadn't had nearly enough to drink that day and had been put on IV fluids in the hospital until they were certain she was hydrated. The whole incident had caused quite the stir at school and at home. She could still remember clearly how her mother had hovered around her all that summer, making sure she drank enough. Troy had gotten protective as well, but not quite as bad. He just made sure they always had water nearby whenever they were out in the sun for longer periods of time.
Gabriella had understood why they had kept an eye on her, but there really had been no need. She had learned her lesson. If there was one thing she was absolutely sure of, it was that she never wanted a repeat of that day ever again.
Shaking her head slightly she folded the note back together and placed it back in the drawer. The keychain had already made its way to her keys.
Although that day at the ranch had ended badly it still marked something special in their relationship. It was the first time anything serious had happened while they were dating and it had created a whole new level of trust between them.
Troy had stayed with her every minute he had been allowed to. He had gone with her in the ambulance and though she couldn't remember much of it, it meant that he hadn't run off when things got rough.
It wasn't long after that he had told her he loved her.
Smiling to herself Gabriella leaned against the window and closed her eyes. There were still a lot of hours until she would be home in Albuquerque.
-HSM-
Gabriella was restless. She was restless, tired and homesick. If everything had gone smoothly she would have been home by now, but that's not how things had gone. Her train had been delayed due to the heavy snowfall in the region, and then she had almost been refused her attempt to check in at the airport even though the flight was delayed as well. Fifteen minutes and several tears later the issue had been solved with the help of the manager and she had been allowed to pass through security.
Thankfully Troy had not put any suspicious or potentially dangerous items in the calendar so that was one thing that had been relatively drama free.
Her current problem was that she had been sat at the airport for three hours and still didn't know exactly when she'd get on a plane headed for Albuquerque.
Feeling tears well up in her eyes she wiped them stubbornly. She had cried more than enough already.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we will begin boarding flight 765 for Albuquerque at gate 16 shortly. That's flight 765 for Albuquerque at gate 16."
Gabriella's head snapped up the second the voice boomed over the loudspeakers. Glancing around she made sure she was in the right place before fishing out her phone.
Boarding the place. See you in a few hours.
Three and a half hours until she would be home.
-HSM-
Never in her life had Gabriella had never been happier to be traveling with only hand luggage as she was when she stepped off the plane in her home city. Everyone around her seemed to be rushing around to find the right luggage carousel, only to find 'out of order' signs on half of them, so yet again everything was delayed. Instead of joining in the chaos, Gabriella calmly walked passed it and headed right for the hallway labeled 'Exit to Terminal'.
Changing her grip on the calendar she walked through the automatic doors and looked straight into Troy's eyes. Something about seeing him right there made tears well up in her eyes and without a second thought she sped up and walked into his arms where she could no longer hold back the sobs.
Strong safe arms wrapped around her and she breathed in the smell that Troy.
"Shhhh, baby. It's ok. Everything's going to be ok," he whispered against her hair.
"I know…I just…." She trailed off as she sniffled.
"I know."
Feeling soft gentle kisses on the top of her head she buried her face in his chest and tried to calm herself down.
"Let's go home, babe," Troy said and stroked his rough fingers down her soft cheek. "Mom's got dinner ready and your moms waiting for you at our house."
"Really?"
"Yep. Dad's been rolling his eyes at them all day while trying to watch TV in the living room."
"I'm not sure if I should be happy or worried that our moms get along so well."
"I'm worried… they have our whole lives planned out. Apparently we're having twins, did you know that? Charlie and Connor."
Despite her tears, Gabriella couldn't help but burst out in giggles at his statement.
"Say what now?"
"Exactly."
"Right… now I'm worried too."
"You should be, they'll probably start talking about flower arrangements for the wedding when we arrive."
"But we're not engaged!"
"I don't think they care, babe."
"Oh my god," Gabriella laughed as he guided her out the door and towards his old beat up truck.
Some things never changed.
