Title: Austin

Author: bangelluvforever

Rating: K+

Time Line: AU or Alternate Universe.

One Shot Started: August 7, 2010.

One Shot Finished: August 8, 2010.

Summary: Based on Blake Shelton's song of the same title. Anyways, the basics of this is that Gabriella unexpectedly disappeared the summer after the Wildcats freshmen year in college so, what happens when a year later, Gabriella makes a certain phone call to a certain someone who still holds her heart. Find out now in "Austin".

Author's Note: Well, here's this one and I would just like to say that this came to me as I was laying in bed listening to my iPod, I've been trying to take songs from my iPod and make a one shot from each song so, this song is on my iPod, laptop, FrostWire, iTunes, and now in this story. Enjoy and please don't forget to read and review.


=Austin=

-By Jessica L. Ayers-

She left without leavin' a number

Said, she needed to clear her mind

He figured she'd gone back to Austin

'Cause she talked about it all the time

On August 17, 2010 it would be a year since the nineteen year old girl by the name of Gabriella Marie Montez had unexpectedly disappeared the summer between her freshmen and junior year at college from the University of Ohio back in 2009.

There were a lot of rumors going around the city of Sandusky, Ohio, some of them even crazier than ones heard of in Hollywood and having to do with the celebrities in California. All the rumors touched a different genre each time one was said, and with all the different stories going around, nobody knew what to believe. Two of the longest rumors known around the city were that Gabriella had ended up pregnant and ran away and the other was that she had caught her boyfriend of six years, Troy Alexander Bolton, cheating on her with either her best friend, Taylor Annabelle McKessie or her cousin Victoria, but seeing as Taylor was still going strong and engaged to Troy's best friend, Chad Nicholas Danforth, everyone assumed the later. With all the different rumors going around, it would be hard to believe just one or to find out what really happened to the young Filipina, right? Wrong.

There was actually a group of thirteen people who knew why the young girl had left and they were Troy, Taylor, Chad, Gabriella's mom, Troy's parents, Zeke Lake Baylor and his girlfriend Sharpay Anne Evans, Sharpay's twin brother Ryan Joshua Evans and his girlfriend Martha Lynn Cox, Kelsi Monique Nielsen and her boyfriend, Jason Allen Cross. But out of the whole group, nobody but her mom knew the real reason why she left.

So when the group of teenagers came to her and her mother's, Inez Anne Montez's, house Gabriella knew that all they would find was a note, a note that didn't contain a phone number but one sentence: I need to clear my mind – Gabriella.

And Troy, well he figured his Austin went back to Austin, Texas because not only was she from there, but she also talked about it all the time for that was where her father still resided. And knowing that she was at least safe, he would give her the time and the space that she needed, knowing that when the time was right and when Fate would step back in like six years ago, she would be back safe and sound in his arms for him to protect, caress, and love the beautiful teenager.

It was almost a year

Before she called him u

Three rings and an answering machine

Is what she got

On August 10, 2010 in Austin, Texas sitting on the island in the luxury kitchen in her dad's – Gregory "Greg" Anthony Montez's – house, the now twenty-year-old female stared at the white and black cordless telephone debating whether or not to call the one person – besides her mother who she talked to every other month – who had been making guests appearances in her dreams and thoughts.

"Gabi," Gabriella heard her father say from his position leaning up against the sink, facing her with his arms crossed over her chest.

"Si, Papi," Gabriella replied, lifting her head up to look at her dad, letting him know that he had her full attention.

"Llámelo," Greg gently told his daughter, "you know you want too. Hell, even I know you want too as does your mother."

"Why don't you call Mami," Gabriella shot back at her dad, "you know that I know that you miss her."

"Touché," Greg replied back to his daughter, holding up his hands in surrender before he said, "Baby Girl, just call him. What could it hurt?"

"I…" Gabriella stuttered for a reply.

"How about if you call yours, I'll call mine," Greg suggest to his daughter.

"I….I…" Gabriella stuttered for a reply again before finally finding one. Nodding her head slightly, she agreed before whispering to her dad, "But I…I don't know what to say."

"Just listen to your heart and not your head, Gabi," Greg told his daughter. Walking over to her, he gave her a smile before placing a kiss on her forehead and saying as he walked out of the room, "Your heart always knows best for it holds the answers to your true desires. Trust it."

"Gracias, Papi," Gabriella gently called out.

"De nada, Gabi," Gabriella heard her dad reply back.

Taking a deep and shaky breath, the young woman picked up the cordless phone and dialed the number she knew by heart…well, ever since her mom had told her the number to his new apartment. Gabriella listened as the phone rang three times before an answering machine picked up; causing her to sigh in sadness knowing that was all she was getting.

If you're callin' 'bout the car I sold it

If this is Tuesday night I'm bowling

If you've got somethin' to sell

You're wastin' your time, I'm not buyin'

If it's anybody else, wait for the tone

You know what to do

And P.S. if this is Austin

I still love you

"Hi, you've reached Troy Bolton and if you're calling about the car I was selling, I'm sorry to say, but I've already sold it. If this is Tuesday night, I'm out bowling and will be gone till late. And if you've got something to sell, you're wasting your time with me because I'm not buying," Gabriella heard Troy's voice through the answering machine causing her to smile as she remembered how every Tuesday Troy and her would go out with their friends to Al's Bowling Alley to go bowling, where the teams were always couples and she and Troy would always win, in fact they held the top score at the Al's. Soft tears started to glisten in her eyes as she continued to listen to the machine, "but if you're anybody else, wait for the tone and you know what to do…and P.S. if this is Austin, I still love you."

The telephone fell to the counter

She heard but she couldn't believe

What kind of man would hang on that long

What kind of love that must be

"Oh my God," the Filipina whispered as the cordless phone dropped to the counter. She didn't hear it right, right? No, she her heart and mind agreed, she'd heard it right, but she couldn't believe it and she had to ask herself a question, What kind of man would hang on that long, and immediately her heart gave her a reply: A man that is truly sorry, wants to explain what you saw, and who truly, madly, and deeply loves you unconditionally.

She waited three days

And then she tried again

She didn't know what she'd say

But she heard three rings and then

On August 13, 2010, three days later from her first call, Gabriella dialed the number to Troy's apartment again for the second time that week. She waited as she got three rings before his familiar voice came through via the answering machine.

If it's Friday night, I'm at the ballgame

And first thing Saturday, if it don't rain

I'm headed out to the lake

And I'll be gone, all weekend long

But I'll call you back when I get home

On Sunday afternoon

And P.S. if this is Austin

I still love you

"Hi, you've reached Troy Bolton. If it's Friday night, I'm at the ballgame and first thing Saturday, if it doesn't rain, I'm headed out to the lake. I'll be gone all weekend long, but I'll call you back when I get home on Sunday afternoon so you know what to do..and P.S. if this is Austin, I still love you."

Gabriella had tears in her eyes as she thought about: how every Friday in high school, the basketball games were held with Troy, Chad, Zeke, and Jason leading them to wins and championships on Friday nights, Troy always the star player. And how after every ballgame, no matter what kind it was, they would always go out for pizza at Marc's Pizza Pies and sit at their normal table in the back and by the window that over looked the city skylines. How every Saturday, if it didn't rain they all would head up to Lake Erie to their own private and unknown spot and spend the weekend camping and having fun, always coming home on either late or early Sunday afternoons.

Well, this time she left her number

But not another word

Then she waited by the phone on Sunday evenin'

And this is what he heard

On August 15, 2010, Troy entered his one bedroom apartment and set his duffle bag full of dirty clothes in the laundry room before he slipped off his CONVERSES and emptied out his pockets on the kitchen island.

Troy then proceeded to walk over towards the main phone out of the two cordless phones in the house to check the messages on his machine.

No, I can't be, Troy thought after hearing the last of his fourteen messages, Could it? Troy then pressed a button to repeat the last messaged and listened to the voice intently left nothing but a phone number – a phone number that he knew very well.

The evening he found himself in front of the TV watching the San Antonia Spurs play home in San Antonia, Texas against the Los Angeles Lakers with a bottle of Budweiser in the twenty-one year old's hand.

As the Lakers scored a three pointer against the Spurs, Troy decided to make the call he had wanted to make all day so, turning down the TV, he dialed the familiar number and listened as the phone rang three times.

If you're callin' 'bout my heart, it's still yours

I should've listened to it a little more

Then it wouldn't have taken me so long

To know where I belong

"Hi, you've reached the home of one Greg and Gabriella Montez, we're not home right now, but if you're calling about my heart, it's still yours. I should've listened to it a little more that way it wouldn't have taken me so long to know where I belong," Troy heard the love of his life's voice say through the machine, knowing that during the Spurs game Greg would always have the phone ring three times before going straight to the machine so, that way the game wouldn't get interrupted.

And by the way, boy

This is no machine you're talkin' to

Can't you tell, this is Austin

And I still love you

Troy smiled as he listened to the rest of Gabriella's message on her and her dad's answering machine, "Oh, and by the way, Wildcat, this is no machine you're talking to. Can't you tell? This is your Austin and I still love you, too."

"Brie…" was all Troy replied in the tone of a shocked, yet grateful whisper.

"Wildcat…" he heard Gabriella sigh his nickname back.

The day, August 17, 2010, had finally arrived, and that day had thirteen people waiting inside the station at Sandusky's Amtrak station as they waited for their precious cargo to arrive from New York City, New York….and on that day at 8PM, two people met in the middle of the station one with arms and legs wrapped around the other as they held the other up while their lips were locked.

Pulling back and setting foreheads against each other's, the only thing either person could say was, "I still love you."

~The End~


Well, there you have it. I hope you all enjoyed it. Please don't forget to tell me your thoughts on this one shot, it's greatly appreciated. Well, it's 1:55 in the morning here and I should probably go to bed after I post this so…

Thanks Again,

Jessica.

TRIVIA: Does anyone know why I chose August 17? I'll give you a hint it does have to do with HSM trilogy.

P.S. I'm just wanted to say that I'll understand if you didn't enjoy or practically like this one because truthfully, I'm not quite sure what my opinions are on this story right now either. Anyways…

I wanna see that Hawaiian wedding,

I wanna see that blissful 'Honeymoon' phase,

I wanna see her bearing their child,

I wanna see that sweet little angel with its father's eyes and mother's features,

I Want To See Them Have It All

But... I guess I will have to wait...

~Z&V~