Sorry it's taken so long for me to update. It's taken this long for me to decide how I wanted the story to go. Originally I only wanted 10 chapters, but whilst in the middle of writing the tenth chapter I realised how I wanted the story to end. So this is the last but one chapter. The final one is not going to be a Taylor Swift song, but a song by an artist very close to her heart. I can't wait to write the final chapter and get the story to where I want it to be! I know what song I'm using and exactly what I want to happen so it should be up soon! I am still learning, I'm still new at this so please tell me your thoughts, I love hearing criticism to make my writing and ideas improve.
Here's the tenth shot!
"He said the way my brown eyes shined
Put those Georgia stars to shame that night
I said: 'That's a lie'."
Gabriella stood outside her house. This was it. She was back. Four years of college had gone by pretty fast and she couldn't believe that she had said farewell to Boston and was back at home in Albuquerque. Gabriella had known that she would end up back in New Mexico after college, she and her mother had moved around enough. This was the only place that she truly felt at home. She loved it here, she had such wonderful memories and also some heartbreak. She shuddered. That was a long time ago, he'd probably forgotten all about her.
Gabriella walked up the steps to her room after a long day of unpacking. She didn't realise how much stuff she had accumulated at college, she was sure that she hadn't started out with that much stuff. She changed into her vest top and shorts ready for bed. An early night was in store for her. After all, the rest of the gang were returning home tomorrow and she knew that she was in store for a crazy week. She couldn't wait to see them all. She smiled to herself, thinking of her friends as she opened her closet doors to hang her clothes up that she had taken off a few moments before. Just as she was ready to close the doors a small shiney box caught the corner of her eye. "What's this?" she mumbled.
She moved the box to her bed and sat down, confused as to why she hadn't noticed it earlier. She carefully traced the lid of the box before taking it off, revealing to her the mystery that was inside. She gasped. There on the top of the box was a picture of her and Troy the weekend that he had taken her to Georgia to see her favourite country singer, Tim McGraw. She traced the picture as a small smile graced her lips. He had his arms around her dancing to her favourite song, looking into each others eyes. She laughed remembering Troy commenting on her eyes and how they put the stars to shame, she remembered saying that it was a lie. It definitely was a lie.
"Just a boy in a Chevy truck
That had a tendency of gettin' stuck
On backroads at night"
Gabriella spent the remainder of the night going through the contents of the box before her. She smiled upon seeing a picture of Troy attempting to push his truck out of a ditch one evening. She laughed, she used to think that it was hilarious when he would get it stuck. He was laughing in the picture, obviuosly agreeing with her that it was kind of funny.
"And I was right there beside him all summer long
And then the time we woke up to find that summer gone"
A sad smile formed on her face when Gabriella came across the picture of the gang at their 'leaving for college' party. Troy left the day after the party. She noticed the distant look in her eyes as she forced a smile on her face for the purpose of the photo. That summer had been the best summer of her entire life and it was because she had spent it with him, with the only person that mattered to her. She wondered if that distant look in her eyes had ever disappeared after that night. She missed him, she still did. A lot. She forced the tears back and packed the box back up and slipped it under her bed. She turned off the light and got under the covers. No she wouldn't think about him, she wouldn't allow herself to. She made a promise not to miss him. It wasn't going to get him back.
"But when you think Tim McGraw
I hope you think my favorite song
The one we danced to all night long
The moon like a spotlight on the lake"
Flasback:
It was Troy and Gabriella's two year anniversary and he was determined not to make a mess of it this year like he had last. He knew that she loved Tim McGraw and he couldn't wait to give her her present. He looked over to his girlfriend who was currently in the passenger seat in his car blind folded. He smirked seeing the look on her lips, she was trying to act mad but by the small smile playing on her lips he knew that she was excited. She loved it when he took control of their dates and suprised her. He knew that she would love where they were going tonight.
Troy helped Gabriella out of the truck and led her to the spot where he had set everything up for their date.
"Troyyy are we nearly there?." He chuckled at her eagerness. He stilled her body and moved behid her, sending shivers down her spine as he whispered "here."
He untied the blindfold from her eyes and searched her face with a smile as he saw her eyes widen and heared her gasp in the still night.
She couldn't believe her eyes. She looked from Troy to the scene in front of her numerous times before she jumped into his arms. "I can't believe you did this for me." She whispered against his neck. "I love it." She turned to look him in the eyes and sweetly kissed his lips. Troy took her hand and led her over to the 'date spot'. He had set a table for two, with two lillies and a candle in the middle. She gently touched the lillies and turned to smile at him.
"You remembered." He grinned.
"Of course I remembered, I know how much you adore lillies and not roses." He scratched his neck. "I learned my lesson Valentines Day." She giggled.
"I told you I didn't mind." She whispered against his lips before covering them with her own. He moaned into the kiss.
"Come on let's eat and save desert for later." He wiggled his eyebrows and felt his heart soar when hearing her giggle.
Troy had prepared a three course meal for Gabriella. He told her over the main course that he had been prerparing for weeks, asking his mum to let him help her cook so that when the day came around he could do it all himself. She couldn't believe that he had done that for her, she knew that cookery wasn't an interest of his. She savoured every mouthful knowing the effort that he had gone through for her.
They had just finished desert and Troy stood, offering his hand to Gabriella. She giggled.
"Troy there's no music." He smiled.
"Ah, that's where you're wrong Gabi." She watched as he went over to the basket of food and pulled out a CD player. He pressed play and watched as a smile formed on Gabriella's lips. Tim McGraw, 'You Don't Love Me Anymore' started to play, her favourite song.
She allowed him to lead her to the bridge that they had been to so many times before. He took her in his arms and they danced the whole night long.
Gabriella smiled remembering the way the lake glistened in the light. That was one of the best nights of her life.
"When you think happiness
I hope you think that little black dress
Think of my head on your chest
And my old faded blue jeans
When you think Tim McGraw
I hope you think of me"
Gabriella knew what the word 'happiness' meant to her. It meant that night, the night of their two year anniversary. She remembered her head leaning on his chest as they danced the night away in her little black dress. She remembered how he had suprised her and presented her with two tickets for a Tim McGraw concert in Georgia two weeks from that date. She remembered how she had worn her old faded blue jeans to the concert and how he had told her that she had never looked more beautiful to him. When Gabriella thought of the word 'happiness' and its meaning, one face filled her mind. Troy Bolton's. The only person that would ever mean pure happiness to her.
"September saw a month of tears
And thankin' God that you weren't here
To see me like that"
Gabriella awoke the next morning feeling drained from the night before. Her mother was currently on a business trip and would not be back until tomorrow evening and her friends, well most of them were arriving home this evening. She couldn't wait to see them it had been far too long since they had all been together. Together. That scared Gabriella. All together meant Troy too, how she did not want to see him. She was nervous, but anxiuos too. She wanted to see how he'd changed in their time apart. She hoped that he had kept his promise, that he was still the beautiful person he was when they were in High School. That Troy Bolton she prayed woud always be there, the same boy that stolen her heart when they first met, her first kiss, her first love. Yes, she definitley wanted to see him. She remembered crying everyday after Troy had left for college and everyday in September whilst she was at Harvard during her first semester. She had missed him too much. If only she had savoured that time that they had been together because she had to go through the next three years of college without him completely and that tore her apart even more.
"In a box beneath my bed
Is a letter that you never read
From three summers back
It's hard not to find it all a little bitter sweet"
Thinking of Troy she took out the box from underneath her bed that she had hid last night when she couldn't take anymore. She carefully looked through the memories and curved her lips into a smile when her eyes landed on what she had been searching for, the envelope containing the letter she wrote to him three years ago. She scanned her eyes over the letter and wondered if she had made the right decision in not giving it to him. She remembered writing it, finally understanding why Troy had broken up with her. It was to save them, to save their relationship. But that didn't mean that she had to like it or that it would help her miss him any less. She traced the words with her fingertips. She knew what she had to do.
"When you think Tim McGraw
I hope you think my favorite song
The one we danced to all night long
The moon like a spotlight on the lake
When you think happiness
I hope you think that little black dress
Think of my head on your chest
And my old faded blue jeans
When you think Tim McGraw
I hope you think of me"
It had been amazing for Gabriella to see the entire gang again, well not the entire gang. Troy still hadn't returned home from Duke. All the others had arrived back in Albuquerque earlier that day, to say Gabriella was anxious was an understatement. She discussed Troy with Chad, intently listening to how his life had been over the past three years. Chad asked Gabriella her feelings for him and she replied "I don't know, I guess I'll decide when I see him."
"And I'm back for the first time since then
I'm standin' on your street
And there's a letter left on your doorstep"
Gabriella turned onto the familiar street. She caught her breath as she saw the house, the house that held far too many memories for her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her hands were shaking causing the envelope in her hands to shake also. As she approched his front door she shuddered remembering the last time that she had been here, their break up. She forced back the tears that were forming in her eyes. 'No Gabriella, don't be stupid. That was a long time ago, leave it alone.'
She gently set down the letter on the Bolton doorstep and smiled gently before walking away from the house, out of the street and out of sight. She had made the right decision in finally giving it to him. At least it was better late than never.
"And the first thing that you'll read is:"
Troy got out of the car with his parents and smiled, 'home sweet home...finally.'
Lucille Bolton made her way to the front door and stopped upon seeing something white on the floor. Puzzled she bent down to pick up what looked like an envelope and turned it around inspecting it.
"Troy" she called and he made his way to where she was standing with his back pack in his arms. "This is for you sweetie."
He frowned and took the letter from her outstretched hand. He recognised who it was from instantly, on the front of the letter in her neat writing was his name. He called to his parents informing them that he'd be right back and ran to his room for privacy.
He opened the letter and read what was inside.
"When you think Tim McGraw
I hope you think my favorite song
Someday you'll turn your radio on
I hope it takes you back to that place
When you think happiness
I hope you think that little black dress
Think of my head on your chest
And my old faded blue jeans
When you think Tim McGraw
I hope you think of me"
Troy opened his bottom drawer, his memory drawer. He shuffled around in there looking for the mixed CD Gabriella had made him years ago. He placed it into his CD player and turned straight to number fourteen, his number. As the words of Tim McGraw filled his room he layed on his bed letting the song take him back to that place, his place with Gabriella. He remembered how she looked in that little black dress she had worn on their anniversary, the way she had rested her head on his chest whilst he held her close, the way she wore those old faded blue jeans. No one could pull them off like she could, she'd look amazing in anything.
Of course he thought of her when he heard Tim McGraw, how could he not? He remembered the way she jumped into his arms when he showed her her anniversary present, a trip to Georgia and two Tim McGraw concert tickets. He had never seen her smile so big. He had never seen her look so beautiful, the way the moon reflected off the water and onto her face lighting it up even more and allowing him to see her more clearly.
"Oh, think of me
Mmmm"
As the song finished Troy jumped up, suddenly realising what Gabriella's letter meant. She still loved him. Of course she did, what else could it possibly mean? Chad had told him that she was arriving home first meaning that she was here in Albuquerque, and he knew exactly where to find her.
"He said the way my brown eyes shined
Put those Georgia stars to shame that night
I said: 'That's a lie' "
Gabriella was sat on the bridge with her legs dangling over the lake. She loved it here, this is where she envisioned her happiness.
She was taken from her thoughts when she felt that familiar shiver, one that she hadn't felt in a long time. That only meant one thing...Troy.
"The way your brown eyes shined put those Georgia stars to shame that night." He smirked.
"That's a lie." She whispered. Troy caught her whisper as he came to stand directly behind her.
She turned, a small smile gracing her lips. "Troy" she whispered before crashing into his arms.
She was here, she had achieved it and she remembered that this is what true happiness felt like.