A/N: Yo:)
So, basically, I have an English Lit Controlled Assessment over this next week, but managed to get this written for you!
Thank you, yet again, to LittleMissEmz who is always so happy to read my latest stuff and help me out :)
And, also, a big thank you to Jadiee who left a review that, for some reason, really touched me and motivated me with this one.
So, thank you guys!
Keep up the great reviews!
––STARSWalkBACKWARD xxxx
Spring (Easter) Break Job – Day 15 (Sunday)
"Don't know how you feel, You're all the things I'm looking For everything and so much more. What I think
You seem to keep it to yourself.
Would you climb mountains,
To show me this is something real.
You are just perfect.
Could it be
That I am worth it.
Is this thing an open door
Walk right through to something more.
You and me
My life would change in a second.
In a second,"
––In a Second – Aly & AJ
Yesterday is History
Chad Danforth frowned as he walked along with Zeke Baylor. The others—PJ, Jason, and Emily—had left, and so they both wondered around together after leaving the bowling alley; still not quite believing they had run into Troy Bolton, with Gabriella Montez together.
Chad was silent—as Zeke was busy texting his scary girlfriend Sharpay Evans—because he couldn't help but feel confused about running into Troy with Gabriella— the weird disabled girl.
It wasn't just that, though.
The whole idea scared him beyond belief, and that was mostly because at the moment he saw his best friend with her, he suddenly felt like he didn't know him at all.
The very idea that he'd lost one of the only constant presences in his life was petrifying...
And also incredibly intriguing considering who exactly he was losing his best friend to.
"Dude!" Zeke tapped him furiously.
Chad snapped out of his thoughts as they rounded the corner to the shoe store Footlocker.
"Looks like Adam-The-Asshole-Kingston is back," Zeke said, surprised as he pointed at a young male who was at least eight hundred yards in front of them and unaware of their presence. He was very broad, tall, and had hair slightly lighter than Troy Bolton's—at a sandy brown. He was the infamous Adam Kingston, who was East High aspiring basketball pointer guard, turned West High American football quarterback.
Chad shook his head.
"And here I was thinking we'd get a clear run at Lava Springs this vacation without the disturbance of Adam-the A-hole-Kingston," he groaned. "God help us if he turns up to Lava Springs on tomorrow and Troy sees he's not still skiing."
Zeke chuckled in agreement. "Tell me about it. All you guys that work there don't even speak to him. I don't see why the douche still bothers to turn up at the freakin' job––when he's not on vacation."
Chad scoffed. "Same reason we all wait on Sharpay look-a-likes: college applications of course."
Zeke laughed at that, used to his friends cracking the jokes about his totally high-maintenance girlfriend.
"Sharpay even thinks he's a douche though, and that's saying something!"
They revved up into laughter again as they carried on in their direction, not bothering to try to hide themselves. After all, Adam Kingston used to be one of them three years ago—an East High 'superstar'. Even when he was, however, he wasn't as good as he always though he was. He had always failed to intimidate Chad particularly, even with his extra half a foot of height.
Chad always found it so hard to believe even his own memories when he thought about how all four of them—himself, Troy, Zeke and Adam—had once been great friends.
They carried on walking as their conversation drifted—neither of them quite ready to tackle the foreboding conversation of their encounter with Troy and Gabriella at the bowling alley.
But now, they realised, they had another near-encounter to worry about.
Adam Kingston was back from vacation early, and if he turned up to work at Lava Springs tomorrow in his usual post, then yet again, there would be a feud of some kind.
"Something's going to happen, man. I can feel it."
Zeke looked at him, agreeing. "Totally. As long as Troy has Gabriella, then—"
"Troy has her? What? How do you know he even likes her?" Chad asked, dreading his friend's answer.
"Dude. How could you possibly think he doesn't?"
Chad looked at his friend, the idea of the two as a couple only just sinking in.
"He would've told us—told me," he protested, meekly.
"Would he? Would he really? I mean, okay, If we're being honest here, all most people see when they look at Gabriella is that she's a size 12, she has something wrong with her legs, and she's a dork. I don't know why you're so surprised anyway. Troy has always had unorthodox taste in girls, since, like, eighth grade." He paused to looked at his friend. "Besides, this is Troy we're talking about! He only talks about girls when he's feeling threatened," he chuckled, "And no one's exactly threatening him for Gabriella Montez, now are they?"
Chad pondering this for a moment, taking in all the arguments his friend had put forward.
"Kingston just might, though."
Zeke looked ahead of them. "If he does, then he's an even bigger asshole than I thought."
Chad frowned. "It's going to happen again, Zeke. I can feel it."
"Well, Adam always wants what he doesn't have—and more specifically, what Troy has. So, now that he has Gabriella—"
"Would you stop saying that?" Chad snapped, hating the idea of a girl taking his best friend away from him. He paused to compose himself, before continuing. "Adam back at Lava Springs now that Gabriella's there is bad news, dude," he said, regretfully.
"If Troy and her really are 'star-crossed lovers' or whatever, then yes. You may be right."
They spotted Adam once more a little later on, with yet another girl on his arm that he didn't seem to have any real interest in.
Chad, for a moment, just stared at him; stood staring a who he was sure was the only person on earth who could find a reason to dislike, not to mention hate, Troy Alexander Bolton.
—x—X—x—
The first thing Gabriella noticed about the Bolton household was warmth. It was instantly comfortable when she walked through the door after arriving in Troy's beat up truck—that he informed her was 'work in progress.'
"Home sweet home," Troy said, as he held the door open for her.
She smiled at him as she said a small but genuine 'thank you.'
"Mom," he called into the house. "I'm home!"
He turned to her and gave her a small reassuring smile.
"C'mon, Gab. Don't get afraid on me now." he said, quietly, before winking and turning down the hall and into what appeared to be a kitchen.
Gabriella lagged behind, slightly apprehensive to make that move over the threshold that was meeting Troy's mother.
What if she doesn't like me?
She heard him talking to a woman—his mother—saying something along the lines of 'I brought Gabriella, I hope that's alright.'
Her mother sounded friendly enough, so she slowly peeped a head through the door. Troy was talking to his mother who was stood at the kitchen counter currently with her back to Gabriella. Troy spotted her loitering at the doorway, so laughed and walked towards her.
"C'here, Gab."
Gabriella slowly watched as Troy's mother turned to look at who her son was talking to.
She inwardly gasped at the women's familiar face—at Mrs Bolton's face.
That wasn't Mrs Bolton. It couldn't be.
Gabriella blinked as she realised who Mrs Lucille Bolton was.
Gabriella knew her as Lucille Frank. Her physiotherapist from at least four years ago––back when she used to travel over the border into Albuquerque just for physio, every five to six months or so.
The idea seemed ridiculous to Gabriella now, considering she never bothered with exercises at all anymore.
Okay, now even freaky-math-girl Gabriella was confused.
What was going on here?
Lucille Frank, her physio, was Troy Bolton's mom?
What were the odds of that?
"Hello, Gabriella," she said cheerfully, but Gabriella didn't miss the way she gave her an extra intense look.
"Gab," Troy paused. "This is my mom. Lucille."
"Lucille Frank-Bolton to be precise," she added subtly, and that's when Gabriella understood.
Lucille Frank-Bolton was Lucille Frank.
That was until Lucille had decided to move hospitals and become private, meaning Gabriella couldn't travel to see her. Even if she could though, she couldn't afford the sessions, even with her disability allowance given by the state.
She had been her physiotherapist since the beginning, yet Gabriella had never even known she had another name, or the name of her son.
So Frank must be the first half of her double barrel last name. Made sense, but why have two different names?
Why miss off the 'Bolton'?
Suddenly Gabriella felt more naïve than ever.
Why had she only just found out about this?
"Gab. Are you alright?"
Troy was looking at her, concerned by her distracted manner when she had greeted his mother.
"How are you? Been up to anything interesting during Spring break so far?" Lucille asked, walking round opposite her to sit at the counter.
"I'm... great, thank you. And no, no, nothing interesting. Just Lava Springs. Work. Y'know."
She could feel Troy's gaze burn the side of face, as they were both well aware that she was acting absolutely nothing like herself.
"I heard about the champagne incident."
Gabriella laughed nervously, touching her swollen nose.
"Yeah. It's still pretty black and blue, eh?"
"It'll fade soon enough."
Gabriella smiled.
"Let's hope so."
There was silence for a moment as Troy slipped the jacket he had over his arm over the back of a chair. Gabriella gripped the strap of her handbag nervously.
"Are you guys hungry?" Lucille asked, secretly trying to prevent any unnecessary tension or questions. She could see the confusion in Gabriella's eyes, and she planned to answer her questions, but not today.
"No, thanks, mom." Troy intercepted. "We got burgers on the way home. Gabriella insisted."
Gabriella looked at him, and hit him on the arm hard.
"Liar!"
He laughed loudly as his mother smiled amusingly at the two of them.
"Oh, Troy Bolton!" she conceded, looking at her with a stern motherly gaze. "Gabriella insisted, my ass."
They all laughed at his mothers comment, mostly because it was a completely unpredictable thing to say.
"Whatever you say, Mom," she teased.
"Well then, if you need anything just let me know, okay?" said Lucille.
Gabriella nodded meekly with a smile, still very confused at who exactly Lucille Frank-Bolton—or Lucille Frank as Gabriella remembered her—really was.
"Shall we go outside?" Troy asked her, quickly.
Gabriella tried to hide her disappointment, and her slight fear that he might ask her to play sport with him.
Surely, despite his own athletic Mojo, he knew she was the worlds worst sports person?
"Okay." She followed him towards the glass patio doors, but stopped short. "Erm, Troy?"
"Hmm?"
"Where should I put my bag?"
He smiled and chuckled to himself, amused.
"Anywhere. Kitchen counter?"
Gabriella proceeded to place her bag there, not before taking off her shoes and placing them in it.
Troy looked from her sock-clad feet, to her face briefly—causing her blush self-consciously—his expression showing how bemused he felt.
"Before you say anything, I have to do this because my feet get really messed up and achey, especially on days when I stupidly decide to wear totally flat shoes."
They both began to make their way our the doors and onto the patio.
"I also am absolutely shit at sports—all sports actually—so don't for one minute think you've dragged me out here to play on THAT," she carried on, throwing a disgusted and horrified glance towards the basketball court that was right in front on them in the middle of the lawn as she pointed at it.
Troy laughed and nodded. "Duly noted."
There was a slight pause as both took in the sight of the near-dusk lighting and the sound of the cheerful crickets.
"So, ready to climb up to the most amazing treehouse you will ever see?"
Gabriella almost choked on her own saliva.
"Climb up to what now?"
Troy was already walking over the basketball court to the far corner of the garden, where there was an undisturbed green lawn (that eventually lead up to the patio and a barbecue pit) and a huge oak tree. Staring upwards, Gabriella gazed at the wooden tree house that stood in the high branches, the almost non-existent sun shined through the leaves and made patterns on the ground that looked the darkest green almost black by that time in the evening.
"Wow."
Troy looked at her, wondering if he was meant to hear her hushed admiration.
"You weren't kidding about the treehouse, then? she laughed.
"Nope. Me and my dad built it––before he became obsessed with my playing of basketball," he said, before pulling her towards the huge tree trunk, onto which a wooden ladder was nailed.
Troy stood at the bottom of the ladder as Gabriella tried desperately to calm herself.
"Troy." She took a step towards him and inwardly cringed when she almost tripped over herself, crossing her legs in an attempt to keep her balance. She blushed deeper as Troy moved to help her.
"I'm fine. I always do this—I'm—I fall over my own feet—hum—I'm fine, really."
Troy gave her his kindest expression as he bowed down to her like a royal doorman.
She giggled and rolled her eyes as she began to climb the ladder. She had climbed at least four rungs before she heard Troy begin to climb too.
She was very conscious of the fact her butt, that stuck out anyway because of her bad posture, was sticking out not far above Troy Bolton's head.
Holy shit, how did she get herself into these awful situations?
It could be worse! her conscience scolded. At least you're with Troy Bolton, at his house!
"You alright up there? You're not going to fall on me, are you?" she heard Troy call from below.
She rolled her eyes.
"And here I was thinking you had more faith in me than that," she answered sarcastically.
He was still laughing to himself as Gabriella reach the top of the high ladder and gingerly stepped behind the thick rope barrier, waiting for Troy to follow. The view of the house was a pretty one, and as more stars began to emerge as the sun disappeared, part of Gabriella wished that she didn't have to go home.
"Awesome, eh?" Troy said, smiling as he came to stand next to her.
"Color me impressed."
Troy squinted at her before laughing at her choice of words.
"You wanna' know something?"
Gabriella's eyes narrowed.
"Generally, yes."
He took a step toward her, one hand tracing the thick rope fencing.
"I've never met someone who confuses and intrigues me as much as you do."
Gabriella took a deep breath.
"How so?"
"Well," he paused, leading her round the side of the treehouse edge to sit and look at the open sky where spectators from the house couldn't see them. "If I'm totally honest, it's everything about you. You're so... unusual. I..."
Gabriella smirked pessimistically at him.
"Unusual's not the word I would've you used," she said, sarcastically.
"Gabriella," he groaned at her attitude.
"What?" she asked defensively.
"Don't say that. Why do you put yourself down like that? It's all you ever seem to do."
She looked away from him, feeling hurt.
"Why? Take a wild guess," she said in a sad and distant voice, as she looked everywhere but him, suddenly feeling tears building at the thought of her deepest vulnerabilities.
Troy watched her profile and felt instantly guilty.
Way to go, Bolton. You've upset her. Idiot. Such an idiot.
He sighed as he attempted to find words.
"Please Gabriella, don't take anything I say the wrong way," he said, apologetically. "I always seem to put my foot in my mouth."
Gabriella swallowed before using all the courage she had to look him in the face.
"Same here," she giggled, secretly tearily.
"So when I say you're unusual, I don't mean it at all in a bad way. Really I didn't... You're really cool, Gab."
She gave him another deadpanned look—about to concede with another sarcastic comment—but he stopped her quickly.
"Don't say anything."
She ignored him.
"Me, cool?" She laughed. "Really?"
"Really," agreed Troy, humorously, his voice deep and low.
Wow. He has such a beautiful voice. So deep. So smooth...
She smiled at him, gratefully.
"Well, that's very nice of you. Thank you, Troy."
He squinted, disbelieving, nudging his large shoulder against her smaller one where they sat with their legs over the edge.
"There's no need to thank me so graciously. There's no need to thank me at all, in fact. Thanks to me, this was probably the worst first date ever."
Gabriella whipped her eyes back to his face, surprised.
"Did—" she paused for a moment, but couldn't help herself. "Did you just say 'date'?"
"No," he denied as if it was obvious.
"You said date!" she exclaimed slowly, grinning as she let go of her knees that she had been hugging.
"No, I don't—didn't."
Gabriella laughed. "You so did!"
Their bickering went on a little longer, Gabriella's much more forthcoming than Troy's, as he found he began to run out of excuses.
She laughed to herself.
"Busted!" she said, slapping her palm down on her thigh for effect. "So it turns out you did have alternate intentions after all, Bolton."
Troy rubbed the back of his neck, awkwardly, not sure how to cover his slight blush and obvious embarrassment. He rolled his eyes at his tongue wondered the inside of his cheek.
"Guilty as charged, I guess."
Gabriella smiled kindly at him, having had more than enough of seeing him squirm. She liked his bravado.
"Nah. You haven't been charged just yet, Bolton."
He smiled in a much more relaxed manner then, losing the tension.
"Oh? And why's that? Not enough substantial evidence?"
Slowly she got to her feet, and tried not to wince as her knee caps made a cracking clicking noise.
"Jury's still out," she said, but he wasn't really listening now, as he had heard the creaking of her bones, and it intrigued him.
He looked bewildered.
"Sorry. That was me."
"What was you? What was that?"
Gabriella laughed in spite of herself.
"I'm like an old woman; I creak," she said as she leant against the outer wall of the treehouse. He turned in his seat to look at her.
"I guess your knees get some major wear and tear, eh?"
She shrugged dismissively.
"Knees, hips, ankles, back. You name it, it creaks."
He stood up with ease to move next to her.
"I guess I have all that to look forward to."
"As an athlete? Hell yeah."
Troy looked over at her after a few moments silence.
"You want something to eat?"
"How did you know that one burger wouldn't be enough for me?" she teased.
"I had my suspicions."
She laughed.
"Yes. As much as I shouldn't say it - Yes, I'd love some cake if you're having some."
Troy smiled, nodding once.
"I'll be right back."
Once he was off down the ladder and back into the house, Gabriella took in her surroundings as she walked inside the treehouse.
She smiled at the photos of Troy and friends—including Chad—that was pinned up all over the wooden walls. She peered on her tiptops to see a photo of Coach Bolton and Troy building the treehouse itself. He looked around eight.
She touched the photo endearingly as her eyes wondered some more.
As she drifted her fingertips over the photos, she felt something fall from under her fingers, seconds later seeing two photographs fall onto the floor from under the others. She frowned as she picked them up, seeing; a photo of an early teenaged Troy, Chad and Zeke sat on the edge of the treehouse; and another even older photo of Chad, Troy and another boy, all around the ago of ten, playing basketball.
One thing was for sure.
She'd recognise Troy and Chad's smiling faces anywhere.
She frowned in confusion though as her gaze crossed the one face she didn't realise in the first photo: a thin blonde girl with bright blue/green eyes, wearing a blue vest top with the Union Jack flag along it and skinny jeans.
Who could that be?
Was that... Daisy from England?
In the second photo, the boy with sandy hair and blue eyes stood beside Troy was a complete mystery to her too.
Troy made his way up the ladder carrying balancing himself and two plates expertly. As he climbed up and walked into the treehouse, he saw Gabriella holding the photos that had sub-consciously hidden, and spoke up.
"I got cake," he said, walking to see what she was looking at.
She quickly went to put the pictures on the wall again.
"Is that Daisy? The one Chad was talking about?" she asked, bravely, pointing at the Union Jack blonde in the first photograph.
Troy looked at the photo distractedly, looking away from her.
"Yeah. Yeah, that's her."
She noticed how he tensed up he became mentioning her, so pursued carefully. She took the plate of chocolate cake and whipped cream and went to sit on a beanbag in the homey setting that she could really get used to. She slowly and stiffly fell back on the large beanbag, only just managing not to fall onto the floor. She smiled to herself as he carried his plate and sat beside her.
"Did she go to East High?"
Troy looked up from his plate.
"Hmm?"
She smiled. "Daisy. Did she go to East High?"
He took a deep breath and turned directly toward her.
"Yes," he said, quietly.
She looked at him curiously.
"Where is she now?"
"She went back to England at least two years ago now."
He paused, deciding to continue.
"She was came here in 8th grade, she was 14—same age as me. Basically—to cut a long story short—she was my first girlfriend."
Gabriella looked over at his face as he looked away for a moment. "Did you really like her? Why did she move away?"
"She had to," he said. "Her dad was in the British RAF. He relocated a lot."
Gabriella nodded understanding, busying herself by eating some of her cake.
She hadn't missed the fact that he hadn't answered her first question.
"Gabriella," he started. "Do you know who Adam Kingston is?"
She thought for a second.
"That god-awful West High football player?"
"Quarterback. Yeah."
"What about him?"
"The boy stood next to me in the second photo you were holding. That's him."
She looked at him, surprised. "I've only ever seen a recent promotional picture of him when my mom had to go into West High territory for work. I didn't recognise him."
"You wouldn't. He's pretty freaky these days. Basketball, much as he wished it, was never his Thing as much as it was mine and Chad's. Turns out he's perfect for football. A total aggressive douchebag."
Gabriella agreed. "He's the one everyone on the East Side calls Adam-the-A-Hole-Kingston, right?"
Troy let out a laugh.
"Yeah. I think I started that."
She laughed.
"No way! It's like a past-time! Why do you hate him so much?—if you don't mind me asking."
Troy took another bite of his cake.
"He used to go to East too, with the rest of us. So, when Daisy joined Junior High here on the East Side in 8th grade, we all became friends with her, even him. Soon, I had already told all the guys around me that I liked her, and so they all knew, even at that age, to back off a little."
Gabriella laughed and intervened.
"So, you called dibs on her?"
He rolled his eyes and laughed at himself.
"In effect, yes. We got closer, y'know, and we basically a thing—but for some reason we never really put a label on it. I guess we weren't really sure about it all—being, what, fourteen years old?" He paused as her scraped his fork along his plate to collect the cake that stuck there. "Basically though, Kingston was already getting big for his boots with his attitude, and previously we'd just all ignored him, thinking he'd grow out of it, but it turned out it only took one pretty girl to push him over the edge."
Gabriella frowned. "What did he do?"
Troy was staring at something far off as her ate the last of his cake.
"First year of high school, he had a party," Troy said, a hard edge to his voice she hadn't heard before. "A huge, lame-ass party that I wasn't even invited to. He invited Daisy and her friends—none of who I liked very much—He even invited Zeke—and Emily! It was just me and Chad that 'accidentally' got missed off the list, because he knew that if Chad was there it would basically be like having me there."
Gabriella looked at his distant expression and felt bad for bringing up the subject.
"You don't have to tell me—"
Troy turned to her, his eyes more intense than ever, happiness hiding somewhere behind them.
"No," he interrupted, quickly. "It's fine. I... I want to..."
He paused.
"He made a move on her—Daisy. He had one ambition that night, one that had been growing all that time, and she," he stopped, his voice dropping in somewhat disbelief. "She gave it to him."
Gabriella took in a sharp intake of breath at him admission. Daisy had cheated on him with Adam-The-A-Hole.
How far exactly had they gotten?
Man, poor poor Troy.
"And I know what me and her had wasn't perfect," he voice was low, almost a whisper. "But I never thought..." He looked over at Gabriella, clearing his throat.
"Emily was the one who told me. At first I was so angry with her for ruining my ideal situation. I hadn't needed to know anything, but she told me and so I couldn't stay with Daisy anymore... So, yeah. At first I was so mad, so pent up about it that I didn't speak to Emily for weeks, and when I did finally confront Adam, I expected him to deny everything—which would have been the friend thing to do..,"
Gabriella grimaced at the image. "But he didn't," she realised.
Troy laughed bitterly and shook his head.
"Nope. Didn't even bother to deny it. Things got violent then... I'd never hit anyone before, and I don't ever intend to again... I just..."
He sighed heavily, and Gabriella smoothed a hand on his shoulder.
"I get it... And what about her?"
"Daisy?" he asked. "I never spoke to her again... I didn't feel it even deserved an explanation... After a while she gave up trying to get me to listen..."
Gabriella felt his hand trace the vein in her wrist where it lay in her lap.
"It wasn't at all surprised by his actions, to be honest. I just never in a million years imagined she would choose him over me."
He seemed so sad in that moment, that Gabriella felt small and weak, but at the same time, incredibly capable. As his fingers traced her lifelines, Gabriella thought about all he had just told her and could not express how much she admired his honesty. She moved herself closer to him and slowly embraced him.
"You were only fifteen, Troy," she said lowly. "How were you to know that she was actually a lot more..."
"Rough and ready?" Troy suggested, amusingly.
"I was going to say 'Down and Dirty,' but yeah," she smiled kindly. "Troy, you weren't to know she could be like that."
Troy sighed. "But I should have known. I really liked her... I spent so much time with her... I... I should have known."
She stood and opened her arms to him, and he gladly accepted, standing and hugging her to his chest gratefully.
"Thank you," he said into her hair, his voice filled with absolute gratitude.
"Thank you," she answered, loving the feeling of his soft cotton polo-shirt against her cheek.
He was still smiling when they pulled apart.
"Was that why you were so worked up when you found me with Emily earlier? I've seen you be tense with her but—"
"I know, I'm so sorry about that... I don't normally get angry, but... I suppose there have been times when I still blame her for my not being with Daisy because she's the one that broke the news to me... But in reality that's ridiculous, because Daisy cheated on me, so I should glad—and I am... I just... I get worried," he said as he stepped closer to her and slowly took her hands and laced his fingers with hers.
"Worried about what?" she asked, her voice barely audible with nerves, very conscious of the heat of his hands spread through the skin of her fingers.
"Worried that she'll waltz in and..."
"Ruin everything you have all over again?" she guessed in a whisper.
He just looked at her with a tiny "Yeah."
She smiled at him. "Oh, Troy," she cooed, quietly. "I'm sure she never meant to do anything to upset you. She was doing what she thought was right—what was right. Besides," she smiled genuinely. "I would never do anything like that to you."
Troy felt a blush creep up her neck as her smiled at her words.
"Ditto," he nodded, running his thumbs over her knuckles.
Gabriella busied herself with looking around the treehouse, while Troy just watched her.
"Wanna' watch a movie, Montez?"
She frowned. "Here?"
Troy raised his eyebrows at her, smirking.
"Yup'."
She followed him up some tells to a large cabin hole in the wall, and Gabriella grinned at the sight of a pile of plentiful cushions, a comforter, a laptop, and a small window that let in fresh air.
She climbed in and Troy followed, settling into the cushions and setting the laptop down in front of them.
However, they never did put a DVD in.
"Have you ever been kissed, Gabriella?"
Gabriella turned to him, totally taken aback by his question.
"I... I can't lie..." she laughed. "I mean, do I look like the kind of girl that gets the guy?" She laughed again. "I have been kissed, once or twice, neither of which I remember because they were so feeble and such a long time ago."
"How long ago?"
Gabriella blushed and looked down at her hands.
"My first was ten years ago," she mumbled.
Troy's face moved towards hers.
"You were eight?"
Gabriella laughed.
"Yeah, I know. Just about... I can hardly believe it either... The second one was when I was like ten or eleven. I barely even remember that... I don't even remember it being a big deal... Which is ridiculous considering if it happened now at seventeen it would be like the biggest deal in the world for me..."
She looked sad, so he smirked at her comically. "A big deal, eh?"
She rolled her eyes.
"What the hell are you thinking?"
His facial expression became a cheeky one. "What would you do... if I kissed you?"
She didn't know what to say.
"I'd... be afraid... of doing something wrong, to be honest."
Troy laughed softly, running two fingers over her brow bone as he looked at her in the dim lighting.
"Would you be offended if I tried?" he murmured.
She shook her head but remained very still, trying to keep her breathing even as her stomach fluttered.
Kiss me, Kiss me.
"Stay still," he whispered. "I'll go slow, I promise."
"Troy," she said louder. "I... I don't know about this. I can't—"
His lips pressed against hers suddenly and she didn't know how to react. His fingers touched her cheek, slowly bringing her out of her shell.
He simply pecked her lips a few times, before leaning backward just a little bit. She could feel his hot breath on her lips, as she tried desperately to think clearly.
"Are you okay?" he whispered as he smoothed her hair.
She swallowed hard and nodded frantically.
"I know you're nervous," he carried on. "I am too." He swallowed as he looked at her nervous expression, and smiled softly. "Here," he murmured. "Take my hand."
He held up his hand and she grabbed it, Troy locking his fingers tightly with hers. "If you want to stop, just squeeze my hand," he told her lowly.
She nodded.
"Will you..." she paused to try and catch her breath. "Will you tell me what you're doing? Otherwise I'll never learn the art of kissing, will I?"
He laughed affectionately.
"Here's me thinking you were the nerd," he joked, making her laugh and hit him on the arm.
"I'm kidding," he smiled. "Of course I'll teach you."
He leant down a gave her a series of pecks on her lips again.
"This is Step 1," he whispered before kissing her again. After pecking her repeatedly, he began kissing her much more slowly, one hand still attached to hers, and the other was clenching the comforter beneath them.
Gabriella felt herself relax as he kissed her for a few seconds before pulling away just a little, and then kissing her slowly again.
"Step 2," he whispered of his actions.
Gabriella's eyes were clenched shut as her breathing at heavier. All she could feel was heat.
Suddenly her skin felt hot and the air felt hot, and Troy's lips and breath were hot. She didn't know if she could take it.
He gently ran his tongue along her lower lip, hinting for her to open her lips and let him in.
But Gabriella had no idea how exactly to do that.
She'd never been kissed properly like this before.
She squeezed his hand hard and he pulled back and looked at her.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"
She giggled, interrupting him.
"It's not anything you did..." she said, out of breath. "I just... I'm just... Hu... I'm sorry."
Troy, also breathing deeply, took her face in his hands and slowly pressed his lips to her forehead, before nuzzling his nose into it.
"Don't be sorry. There's no rush. We have forever, Brie."
Forever...
Did he really mean that?
"Gabriella. I know there's no excuse for my bluntness, but you make me so happy and nervous at the same time that I'm just going to come out and say it: I like you."
Gabriella laughed once and smiled at him.
"I like you, too... But––"
Troy grimaced. "There it is."
"No, Troy. I really do mean it... It's just... I've never had a boyfriend before, I wouldn't know what to do—"
"Who said anything about being a boyfriend?"
Gabriella felt her heart drop.
He didn't want to be exclusive?
Had she gotten it all wrong?
"What?" she asked, hurt clouding her vision.
Troy suddenly grimaced and laughed.
"Chill. I'm kidding, dork!" he stated, smirking as he smoothed her curls.
She scoffed at his stupidity, and hit him hard, knocking him back into the cushions.
"Who's the dork now, Bolton?"
"Still you," he teased complacently, smiling at her as she smirked down at him. Her cheeks were rosy with heat and excitement and she couldn't knock her smile off her face.
But you're my dork, he thought as he restrained himself from taking her and squeezing her to his chest.
He wished he could, but suddenly he felt like he had to be subtle. He had to wait.
"What time is it?" she asked suddenly.
Troy wriggled where he lay to get his phone out his jean pocket.
"Ten."
Gabriella frowned. "I should be getting home soon."
Troy frowned too. "Let me drive you."
Gabriella shook her head.
"No, it's alright. You've driven us enough for one day. I'll walk."
Troy choked, shocked.
"Are you sure that's the best idea?"
Gabriella suddenly had a hard look on her face.
"Of course it is. It's not that far, you know. I am perfectly capable of walking to my house. I'm not an imbecile," she said harshly, obviously offended by his tone as she moved and climbed out of the cabin space.
"Gabriella—"
"I'm fine, okay?"
He climbed down after her and watched her tie her long curls into a messy bun on top of her head. He couldn't help but notice how her left leg turned completely inwards at the knee, her foot on its side, as her left kneecap leant against the side of her right knee as she stood still in order to keep her balance.
He'd never seen anything like her before.
He watched the way she moved, walking almost completely on her toes and her feet turned inwards.
It wasn't an attractive walk, no, but it just seemed to intrigue him.
Besides, did the way someone walked really matter?
He had some many questions he wished she would let him ask. He knew that sometimes he was too curious for his own good.
Before he had even noticed, she was awkwardly taking the first few steps down the ladder.
"Where are you going?"
She got to the bottom as Troy was following her.
"Home," she said sharply, as she walked through into Troy's kitchen, grabbing her bag, and struggling to pull on her shoes stood up as she kept almost falling over.
He felt a stab in his chest as it tightened. Don't go.
"Gabriella. I'm sorry. You know I didn't mean it like that."
Frustrated that her shoe wouldn't pull on, she huffed and pulled it on harder, gripping the counter with one hand for balance. "Mean it like what, Troy?" she asked, testing him.
He looked at the way she struggled, and he wished she'd let him help her, but knew that him helping her do something as trivial as putting on a shoe would do nothing but embarrass her.
"I didn't mean to imply that you couldn't walk home," he said, not bothering to sugar-coat his reply. "I just meant that you should walk home alone."
Gabriella smiled at him a little, almost sympathetically.
"I'm not mad," she said factually, walking back up to him, leaving not a metre between them. She looked into his bemused bright blue eyes and couldn't help but feel eighty years old compared to him in that moment. He had so much to learn.
"One of these days you'll learn, Troy Bolton, that there's no use worrying about me. I do enough of that for myself."
She picked up her bag and threw a reassuring smile his way.
"Will I see you tomorrow?" he asked frantically as she turned to leave.
She smiled to herself.
"Of course you will, silly. Lava Springs can't function without us both there to terrorise it."
Troy chuckled once at this as he followed her to the front door.
He just wished she would let him walk her home.
"You promise you don't live too far?"
She rolled her eyes slightly.
"I live a mile and a half from here, Troy. Give or take. It'll take, what, twenty minutes? Besides, I like this state. It's warm all the time. No need to worry about the cold."
Troy just looked at her, not quite believing he had heard those words come out her mouth.
This girl was like five different people.
How the hell did that work?
"I'll see you tomorrow, Troy," she said, before opening the door and stepping out into the front yard. "Oh," she said, turning back. "By the way, if my mom asks, you dropped my off at the end of the avenue, okay?"
Troy couldn't help himself, he had to laugh.
This girl was really something.
"Alright. I got it," he said, as he watched her walk the unique way she did down the path and onto the sidewalk, walking away from him into warm open air.
He smiled as he watched her disappear, knowing that whatever had happened today would be the start of something that, he hoped, was for the better.
"And so it begins," he muttered with a smile as he walked back inside, replaying the memory of Gabriella hot lips against his over and over again. Closing the front door, he braced himself for the Spanish inquisition he was going to receive from his mother in the morning.
Gabriella walked as straight as she could until she knew Troy couldn't see her anymore, then, since trying to walk as normal as possible caused her muscles to cramp, to gave up and walked clumsily. She pondered the night as she walked, feeling suddenly giddy as the events from the day she'd had hit her all at once.
"He kissed me," she murmured in wonder as she touched her lips, just to check they hadn't fallen off or something. She grinned to herself and span around repeatedly on the sidewalk until she was dizzy, but she didn't care.
She then found herself laughing and squealing gleefully out loud.
"He kissed me. Troy Bolton kissed me!... And he likes me..." She smiled. "And he called me a dork," she laughed, somehow the thought made her even cheerier.
Her celebrations were interrupted, however, as her cell phone began to vibrate in her pocket. She quickly pulled it out and felt a wave of excitement hit her at the sight of Taylor McKessie's name.
But then she remembered, she had still to tell her best friend anything of her encounters with the NVP Troy Bolton.
"Hello?"
"Gabriella Montez," came the stern voice of a pissed Taylor McKessie. "You have a lot of explaining to do."
