A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, they're awesome. Enjoy…
Summary: Troy-selfish, emotionless, cold, mysterious, arrogant, dark, every girls dream, gorgeous, bad boy, and King of EHS. Gabriella-shy, timid, new, quiet, smart, innocent, small, beautiful, secretive, caring, and sweet. When these two very different people meet, it could only lead to one thing. HATE, or perhaps LOVE (Unspoken attraction).
Chapter 14 – Welcome to my life
Do you ever feel like breaking down?
Do you ever feel out of place?
Like somehow you just don't belong
And no one understands you
Do you ever want to run away?
Do you lock yourself in your room?
With the radio on turned up so loud
That no one hears you screaming
No you don't know what it's like
When nothing feels alright
You don't know what it's like
To be like me
To be hurt, to feel lost to be left out in the dark
To be kicked, when you're down
And feel like you've been pushed around
To be on the edge of breaking down,
And no one understands you
No you don't know what it's like
WELCOME TO MY LIFE!
LM2
"Where were you?" was the first thing Taylor asked when Gabriella practically skidded into the deserted room her face dripping slightly with water and the parts of her hair that had been unlucky enough to fall into her face when she had splashed a handful of water into her face.
"I-I'll tell you later." She panted, red faced. Taylor's dark brows rose in suspicion and she nodded. "Why are you using your moms' car?" Gabriella asked.
"Aisha is home with the flu, so my mother's with her." Taylor slid into the driver's seat and waited until she heard the soft purr of the engine before she began her questioning. "Spill."
And with that simple word, Gabriella found herself relaying everything that'd happened, from when she had left the lab, to when Troy had just left her alone in the gym. Towards the end, she had begun feeling the same emotions she had felt in the gym.
"He almost kissed you?" Taylor said in a very, un-Taylor-like way and gripped the steering wheel tightly in her fists and tried not to look away from the road. Unsure of what to say, Gabriella nodded stiffly. "He's got it for you bad!" the dark-skinned girl remarked looking deep in thought.
"Then why does he hate me so much?"
"He doesn't hate you" Taylor hummed more to herself than Gabriella, "I think he's scared."
Gabriella's face was priceless, "huh?"
"Gabriella," Taylor looked sideways at the baffled girl, "Have you seen the way he looks at you?" she questioned incredulously "He doesn't look at any girl like that." She paused for dramatic effect as Gabriella fidgeted uncomfortably beside her, "he has feelings for you, and I can see it in his eyes."
Gabriella was flabbergasted. Troy Bolton could not have feelings; for starters, she doubted if he even had any feelings or ever felt anything in his entire life, but as she looked back to the day when she had found out his secret, the vulnerable yet angered look in his eyes that had sent shivers down her spine, she realized that even though he had the whole nonchalant and cold façade when people were around, he was actually a hurt and confused boy trying to figure out a way to break out of the hell he called life. She closed her eyes as she remembered the way he looked at her in the gym; no guy had ever looked at her the way he had, or the way he always seemed to be able to actually talk to her, like an actual conversation. How many people can actually say that they've had a proper conversation with Troy Bolton? Not many.
"How can you tell?" she inquired once she had finally found her weak voice.
Taylor blushed and fixed her gaze on the road and chewed on her lip hard, "It's the way I look at Chad sometimes" she said, merely perceptible. Her blush deepened, "but with Troy it's stronger."
"Whoa" a satisfied smirk dilated across Gabriella's face, "dammit! I wish I'd recorded that."
Taylor flushed and stopped at a traffic light before fixing Gabriella with a stern look, "never tell anyone I ever said that, including Sharpay. Or I swear you will never live to see tomorrow!" she threatened. Gabriella tried to keep a straight face, but failed and burst out laughing at the look on Taylor's face.
"I won't, mom."
"Good."
"So how much exactly do you like him?"
Taylor sighed quietly as the car began moving, "I'm not so sure I like him." She admitted
"But you just said that you did!"
"You don't get it, do you?"
Gabriella's forehead scrunched up thoughtfully, and then realization hit her with the force of a soccer ball colliding with her skull. "Oh my G*d." she breathed, shaking her head and trying to hide the fit of excited giggles building up within her chest, "Oh my G*D!" she repeated.
"Shut up!" Taylor felt embarrassed. She had never told anyone about her feelings for the pompom-like haired guy—other than her journal—but Sharpay had guessed, though the blonde wasn't a hundred percent sure her hunch was correct. She hated the fact that she was in love with Chad Danforth, she would do absolutely anything to divert her feelings for him to any other guy, a guy that isn't so full of himself or treats women a lot worse than his own basketball.
"Tay, you should do something about it. Tell him." Gabriella offered, watching as her friend rubbed her fingers in frustration.
"This is Danforth were talking about. Hello."
"I'm just saying, 'cause I think he likes you too."
The car stopped and Gabriella climbed out but not before hugging her friend.
"I love Chad fucking Danforth." The dark skinned girl muttered to herself and drove off.
LM2
Gabriella wasn't really much of a "movie" person, but after her mother had called to tell her she would be in Detroit for two nights, she felt like watching something to at least keep her entertained so she grabbed her comforter, her favorite pillow and a large bowl of popcorn and settled in front of the T.V.
Minutes into the movie, her cell phone blared.
"Déjà vu." She muttered under her breath whilst reaching for the device. Her words got caught in her throat as her dark eyes stared at the familiar number flashing brightly on the screen. It was curiosity that led her to answering the unknown person; but on any other occasion, she would have let it ring without answering.
"Hello?" she said, rather apprehensively.
There was a pause on the other end of the line. All she could hear was the sound of faint labored breathing.
"Hello?" she repeated, a lot more confident, "who is this?"
The person exhaled, "did you get my message?" the familiar husky voice spoke softly.
"Troy?" the brunette gasped. She reached for the remote and muted the T.V.
"Yeah, it's me" he muttered somewhat embarrassed. "Did you get my message?"
"No." she snapped the anger she had felt towards him in the gym returned at full force, "why did you call?"
"I…um, I'll just call later." And the line went dead.
LM2
1648
10/13/10
To: Gabriella
I'm sorry.
From: unknown number
Gabriella felt overwhelmed as she stared at the words; who had ever heard Troy apologize to the same person, thrice, in a little over a month? Her thumb hesitated over the open button for the second time. Sure, she wasn't sure if she should have opened the first message, but she did and now she was anxious for the second.
1734
10/13/10
To: Gabriella
Ella, I know I've said this a lot, but just so you know I always mean and this time I mean it the most, so, I'm sorry. I really, truly, am. You have no idea how hard things are for me; I've got my dad to deal with, my friends, East High, and you. I just have so much to deal with right now, especially these fucked up feelings of mine . I really want to get to know, more than you could possibly imagine, but it's hard and I know it shouldn't be but is.
From: unknown number
Gabriella fingered the keys and stared at the illuminated television screen like a lost puppy. She didn't know what to think: what to say or what to do. Her fingers ghosted over the keys, her heart thumping frantically in her chest. Thoughts raged through her clouded mind as she waited for her mobile phone to flash, but even after what felt like minutes, not once did it flash.
By eleven thirty, after finishing her movie and the rest of her homework, Gabriella had given up on all hope that Troy would call back so she abandoned her cell phone on her desk and decided to go for her long awaited shower. Just as the soothing warmth of the water trickled down her body a loud blaring came from her room. Without even thinking, she shut the water off grabbed her towel, ran into her room and grabbed her phone, not caring that she had left large puddles of water behind her.
"Hello." She panted without even looking at the caller ID.
"Um, hey" Troy sounded hesitant, "did I wake you?" Gabriella shook her head cordially forgetting that he couldn't see her, "Gabriella, you still there?"
"Yea." She whispered, "You okay?" she had taken note of the hoarseness in his voice and managed to put two and two together. She would have just come out and asked but knowing that he was very sensitive and unpredictable about the subject, she didn't. There was a long pause on the other end of the line, before he finally spoke,
"Yeah, I just wanted to hear your voice." His husky voice stretched out like a talon which gripped at Gabriella's heart strings and tugged them gently. Her eyes closed as a hint of crimson began to form on her cheeks. "G*d, I wish I was there to see your blush." She could see him smirking proudly at his accomplishment and she bit her lip hard to keep from retorting, but it came out anyway, "Get a life, Bolton." She snapped.
He chuckled, "Ouch." She smiled. "Have you studied for your history test tomorrow?" he asked randomly
"How do you know I have a history test tomorrow?" she asked teasingly, but he only laughed, "So I take it you've been following me?"
"How could you accuse me of something like that?" he asked with fake shock. Gabriella just smiled and shrugged. Hours passed without the duo even realizing it; they were too caught up in their conversation to notice the time that was until Gabriella's eyes traveled to the clock sitting on her bedside table which read 2:46am. Realizing this she accidently let out a loud yawn and blushed. "Aww, sounds like someone's sleepy." Troy teased stifling a yawn as well. Her blush deepened,
"I'll see you in the morning?" he asked his voice suddenly quieter.
"Hmm." She mumbled.
"Pick you up at seven?"
The brunette yawned again, "yup."
"Goodnight, Ella."
LM2
His muscular body hovered over hers, beads of sweat running down his front and back as he moved at the same speed as her, expressing his love for her. His turquoise blue eyes never leaving hers, he cupped the side of her hot face and pushed the damp strands of her hair behind her ears. Her own hands untangled from his chestnut waves and slithered down to his shoulders causing him to shudder in pleasure.
She was so close.
Her nails dug into his shoulders as she bit her lip hard to stop from crying out.
"Ella!" he grunted, pulling her body closer and breaking their eye contact by burying his face in the crook of her neck and nipping at the skin there. "Shit." She could feel the burst of pleasure building up within her as he cradled her body against his and took her to unreachable heights.
"Troy" she whimpered, clawing mercilessly at his back with her nails.
His lips found hers, as…
The shrill beeping of an alarm woke Gabriella from her dream. She detangled herself from her soaked sheets and made her way to her bathroom. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her face glistened with sweat, her eyes shone brighter than they had in a while and her hair stuck matted to her head; he had done this to her. A wide smile played at her lips as she thought of their conversation the night before.
"Troy Alexander Bolton." She tested the name on her tongue and found that she liked it, a lot; a lot more than she should have. As she got ready, she noticed that she put more effort into her appearance than she normally would have. For once she decided to leave her hair down—well the half up, half down do. A little foundation for the growing zits and she was ready. As she walked out into the chilly morning she couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and discomfort in her new attire; a black and white striped and floral tunic tank, over a another black tank, dark skinny jeans and black and white Converse high tops; definitely a new Gabriella.
Climbing into Troy's truck she slapped her forehead for forgetting to bring a jacket when it was freezing outside.
"What's wrong?" Troy asked, starting up the vehicle.
"Be right back. I forgot to get a jacket."
But Troy stopped her, "Hey I've got a spare in the back…" without waiting for her reply he reached into the back (A/N: I know Troy's car doesn't have a backseat but let's just say it does) and pulled out an oversized hoodie, that had the wildcats head on it, sprawled across the seat and tossed it to the brunette, who held it reluctantly,
"Is it, you know…clean?" she asked shyly.
Troy laughed, "I don't have sex in my truck, if you must know. Never have never will." He paused and looked at her slyly, "unless your impatient and want to—" she cut him off by hitting him hard on the arm but she was smiling. "You look really different by the way…good different." As he spoke he pushed the hair covering her bronze shoulder and cupped the side of her neck, using his thumb to stroke her jaw affectionately. The familiar electric zings shot through their bodies at the contact. She knew she shouldn't like or want the feelings and desires he sparked inside of her. Her small hand clasped around his wrist.
"I think we should get going." She said awkwardly turning her head away from his warm hand when she felt her face heat up. She let her hand drop and intertwined it with her other one. Troy nodded, embarrassed and pulled his hand away.
"Don't wanna be late."
Gabriella nodded in agreement. She pulled the oversized hoodie on. Her eyelids fluttered of their own accord when his familiar scent surrounded her. She found herself snuggling deeper into the soft material that smelt and somehow felt like Troy.
"You know, you're the first girl I've ever let wear my clothes. You should be honored." He stated smugly
Gabriella sighed dramatically, "fine, I'll try but that's only because I'm not in the mood to bruise your ego."
During the ride they continued where they had left off the night before. Troy parked in his usual spot, and before he could say anything, Gabriella left before he could say anything fearing that he would not want to be seen with her.
"Loving the new look, chica, except for that…thing." Was the first thing Sharpay said to her that morning, frowning at the gray hoodie. Beaming, the brunette twirled on the spot and puckered her lips playfully. Then the blonde saw the big bold letters on the back, "BOLTON?" The blonde screeched unable to control herself, "you're wearing Bolton's hoodie?" Several heads turned at the mention of their star player's name, but Sharpay hadn't noticed. She grabbed Gabriella by the sleeve and turned her around, her light hazel eyes studying the material. "What is going on between you two? Are you together?"
Gabriella shook her head. She could feel her face heat up at the number of glares she was receiving from the students in the hall. "NO!"
Sharpay's lips formed a thin line and she placed her hands on her hips, "Explain."
Unable to take the stares any longer, Gabriella grabbed the blondes arm and pulled her into an empty hall, "He gave it to me because I forgot mine."
"When?" She asked suspiciously, "does he still give you rides?" Gabriella nodded somewhat hesitantly.
"This morning he gave it to me." And with that, Gabriella began explaining what had happened in the past two days, purposefully leaving out a number of details.
"He so likes you." Sharpay concluded once Gabriella had finished.
"No he doesn't."
"Does he act, say, different around you?"
"He acts like Troy…"
"Exactly." Sharpay exclaimed, "when is Bolton ever Troy around people, even with Chad he's cold, but with you he's like a whole other person." The blonde paused dramatically, "he likes you, a lot. So much that he's not afraid to be himself."
"How do you know that what is in school is who really he is?"
"No one can be born without feelings. Face it, Gabs, you're the only person Troy Bolton isn't afraid to be himself around."
LM2
A/N: Sucks, I know. It was kinda rushed. I wanted to update for a passionate affair but I don't think I can 'cause I'm traveling soon, but all the same I'll try.