Here is chapter ten! A huge thank you to my regular reviewers for continuing to follow this story :) Also, hello to all who have just recently discovered it and have since added it to their favourites. Please do let me know what you think so far! Anyway, enjoy :)

After watching the sunset, I call my friends to let them know what I am doing. Because as they keep reminding me since the night they abandoned me; they do care. And I do believe them, given how supportive they have been since Troy and I became an item.

And on the night of our first official date, I stay the night at Troy's for the very first time. I don't regret the decision for even one moment. However, we are woken earlier than we had hoped when the phone starts to ring. With his arms still wrapped around me as we begin to stir, I can tell that Troy has suddenly become tense in the last few seconds. I know instantly that this is because of who could be calling. He is anxious at the possibility that this is the call to tell him that a court date has been set. Even though he doesn't admit his worries to me, I sit up as he goes to answer the call and tell him, "Hey, it's going to be fine, okay?" He nods and smiles fondly at me.

Half a minute later I hear a loud sigh as he acknowledges the caller, and it quickly becomes clear to me that it is not that phone call. I slowly make my way into the lounge, curious as to who else would ring Troy this early on a Saturday morning. As I listen in, I chuckle softly when I hear who he is talking to. "Yeah, Chad, it turned out great. Yes, alright, I owe you one...Look, thanks for your help setting everything up last night, but can I just ask you one thing?" Troy pauses for a moment, before continuing. "Do you know what time it is?" Another pause. "Exactly, so...yeah, okay...I'm hanging up now...right. Yeah, thanks again, Chad. Bye."

Troy hangs up the phone, then turns to me and rolls his eyes. I laugh when I see the clock and realise that it is only half past eight in the morning. Being up this early certainly didn't seem to be a quality of Chad's. "So, what was that about?" I say with a smile. Troy walks over to me, trying to wake himself up properly. Then he wraps his arms around me from behind as he speaks.

"He said that Taylor made him get up early to go to the supermarket, so he wanted to call and see how our date went last night. He also made sure to remind me several times that he helped me out." I laugh again, and now Troy also cracks a smile. "Well," I reply. "I think we can forgive him just this once. It was an amazing date, after all."

"A very good point," he says. As we sit down, I notice that he is much more relaxed now. He is probably grateful that it was Chad on the phone, deep down. I don't know if he is ready to face Brooks yet, much less stand up in court. And I don't know if I'm ready either. "Troy," I say, reaching over for his hand. He looks up at me expectantly.

"I know you're worrying because any time soon there's going to be a phone call about the trial. I know you don't want to think about it; because I don't want to either. But we have to. I don't know yet how we are going to do it, but we will get through it. Me and you, together. I hope you know that." My eyes never leave his throughout my little speech, and I know that he has been listening intently when I feel him gently squeeze my hand.

"I know. I do know that," Troy replies, his eyes shining with unshed tears. "You're right - I am worrying about it. It's the idea of seeing his face again, and it doesn't even seem like he cares about what he did. But at the end of the day, I know we'll be alright. We can face this together." He is smiling now; a sign that he really means what he is telling me.

I pull him towards me for a hug. It is one of those hugs that make neither of us want to pull away. I want to stay like this forever. Unfortunately, my brain has just registered something, and I let out a groan. I am supposed to be having lunch with my mum today. Not that I don't want to go; we are very close. But I had forgotten about it until now, and had only prepared myself for a day involving minimal effort.

Troy pulls back from our hug when he hears my sound of annoyance. "What's wrong?" he asks. With a sigh, I explain that I am due at my mother's house at lunchtime, and suddenly I have a brainwave. "You don't fancy coming with me, do you? I've told her all about you, but I haven't seen her in about a month because she lives on the other side of London."

When I last saw her, Troy and I hadn't been together for very long and he was still undergoing physio, so it hadn't been an appropriate time for me to bring him to meet her. The reason it is just my mother is because my father passed way when I was very young. I have already told Troy all about it. Well, as much as I can remember; which is that he was very ill for a long, long time before he died. I do remember him; but having only been about five at the time, I now credit my mother as a single parent in my upbringing.

I look up to face Troy again, realising that I have become lost in my own thoughts. He is smiling at me. "I'd love to come with you, yeah," he replies. "It's only fair of me; I mean, my mother introduced you to me, so it's about time I met yours," he jokes. Sometimes I forget these small facts – that I got to know Troy's parents before I got to know him. Then again, it often feels as though I've actually always known him.

.HSM.

A few hours later, I am driving the two of us up to my mum's house, having gone home to change and collect my car. I have already phoned ahead to let her know that Troy is coming: a piece of news she greets warmly along with the promise of extra food, and an extra place set at the table.

When we arrive, I park the car on the drive and take Troy's hand as we make our way up to the front door. My mother opens the door immediately, and I realise with a chuckle that she must have been watching for us out of the front window. "Gabriella!" she exclaims loudly, almost crushing me in a hug. Perhaps I should endeavour to visit her more often if I want to avoid these kinds of greetings. She pulls back to survey me, as if she hasn't seen me in years; instead of the four weeks that have actually passed. "Hi, Mum," I say in a bemused tone that makes her laugh as she lets Troy and I through the door.

"Well, it has been weeks and weeks since I last saw you – I was starting to forget what you looked like!" she jokes before turning her attention to Troy. She smiles welcomingly at him and then looks back at me. "So, are you going to introduce us, then?" asks my mum pointedly, and I smile at how eager she is. "Mum, this is Troy Bolton. Troy, this is my mother, Maria Montez."

I watch as Troy smiles brightly and then clears his throat. "It's nice to finally meet you, Mrs Montez." Mum is still smiling at him, but raises her eyebrows in good humour. "Now, you must call me Maria, Troy! It's nice to meet you too – emphasis on the 'finally'part, I should say," she tells him, picking up on his reference.

"Mum!" I exclaim in embarrassment. She laughs softly and pats my shoulder, her way of letting me know that she has finished teasing me now. I look over at Troy and roll my eyes as if to say, "mothers...", at which he just grins in amusement. I suddenly have a flashback of his own mother, mischievously leaving the two of us alone in his hospital room shortly after we first met. It seems that all mothers have that indescribable knack with their children, no matter what their age.

Finally we sit down in the dining room, and it isn't long before Mum serves us our lunch. It is roast beef, which at times like these I almost revert to as being my favourite meal, rather than fish and chips. What I will say is that roast beef, when cooked by my mother, is my favourite home-cooked meal by far. Besides the fact that I miss her between these long periods of not being able to visit; this is another huge reason why I should come and see her more frequently.

"So, Troy," my mum begins in between mouthfuls. I can tell by her tone that she is about to embark on a serious conversation, and that the jokes are over and done with for today. "Gabi has told me all about you – and everything you've been through. It sounds like you've overcome so much," she says. I am immediately glad that I brought him here today, despite the humour at my expense. My mother somehow always manages to put people at ease when she meets them for the first time. And when I recall Troy's amused smile from earlier, and then see the look on his face now, I realise that she has achieved it again.

"Thank you. I suppose I have. I don't think I could have come this far without Gabi, though," Troy replies, squeezing my hand under the table. Mum looks truly delighted at his obvious devotion to me, as am I. I never thought anyone would feel like that about me, but for some reason, Troy does. It is moments like these that make me wonder what on earth I would do without him.

Lunch is finished considerably quickly, which isn't hard given the quality of the food. Troy finds it as easy to talk with my mum as I find it to talk with his, and when we eventually leave, we end up promising that he will come with me again on the next visit.

Troy and I are both smiling away on the drive home. It is only when I pull up to drop him off at his flat that his smile suddenly disappears. "Gab?" he says quietly, looking flustered. "This is going to sound...well, it's going to make me sound like a wimp. I just don't want to be on my own if it turns out there's a message on the answering machine about..." I cut him off and reach for his hand.

"Of course I'll come up there with you, Troy. I was hoping our day wasn't over yet, anyway," I tell him with a smile. "And by the way, you are not a wimp. Come on." We get out of my car and make our way into his building, and as I keep hold of his hand I can tell that his anxiety has returned. I wish I knew how to take it away from him. But I can no more do that than I can rid myself of my own anxieties about what is coming. The trial. Giving evidence. Seeing that man again.

Troy looks incredibly relieved when we enter his flat to find that there have been no calls whatsoever. But just as we sit down to gather our thoughts, there it is. The phone is ringing now. I know it could easily not be the call we are expecting. But as Troy and I look at each other apprehensively, all I can think is that this is it.

Mini-cliffhanger time! Sorry lol ;)

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