We Love Pretending.
Chapter 20 - Less Means More.
Mental Calculation Number One.
Question: Why is Gabriella Montez attractive to me?
Possibility Number One: She is one of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen in my life.
Possibility Number Two: She is sweet and caring, and easy to talk to.
Possibility Number Three: She doesn't judge me, and has never mentioned anything about my career, like most woman do when around me.
Possibility Number Four: She has the most infectious smile, and makes me happy, even when I am really depressed.
Possibility Number Five: She is brave, and in the same career path. Brave; she has three tattoos for Goodness sake! And by being in the same career path, she understands dilemmas I have.
Possibility Number Six: She's just purely amazing.
Mental Calculation Number Two.
Question: What things do I like about her, emotionally?
Answer One: She is a happy person.
Answer Two: She is carefree, and lets go at the correct times.
Answer Three: She helped me let go for Charlie and the past I had with her. She is helpful to me.
Answer Four: She is fragile, but keeps her feet on the ground. She is vulnerable, and understands she doesn't have to pretend to be some she isn't.
Mental Calculation Number Three.
Question: What things do I like about her, physically?
Answer One: Her glossy hair, which I could run my hands through all day.
Answer Two: Her full lips, which I could kiss all day.
Answer Three: Those beautiful eyes, drown me.
Answer Four: The way her body moves, every inch desired.
Overall Answer To Mental Calculations: I have feelings for Gabriella Montez.
This is what Troy had been doing for the last hour. With Gabriella sleeping peacefully beside him, her feet up against the plane chair in front, her head resting gently on his shoulder, there wasn't much else he could do. Of course, he could sleep. But he couldn't waste an opportunity like this. For days he'd been wanting to figure out his feelings, and just look at her. She moved so fast, and he never got chance to just… look. It was like looking at a porcelain doll; so fragile, but amazingly beautiful at the same time. Occasionally she would move, shuffle closer to Troy's body or her eyes would flicker slightly, adjusting her head so she didn't get cramp. But Troy wouldn't trade this moment in for the world. To just have Gabriella so close, close enough to touch, was Troy's idea of heaven, and now he knew why.
He had feelings for Gabriella Montez.
He hoped, just small feelings, but Troy had never been known to just have crushes. Ask anyone, even reporters, because they knew that once he saw someone he liked, truly liked, it was like he was caught in headlights; he was struck. And he fell for them.
For the past week, he'd been trying to figure out what he felt for her. His feelings were so confusing to him. He'd only just got over Charlie, she who had betrayed him. And that had hurt. But for him to find someone else to quickly was another story. And their story seemed very ironic. How he had broken up with Charlie, and her with Max. It seemed too perfect timing. He was just waiting for something to go wrong. Something was bound to at some point, right?
He turned his attention back to a moving Gabriella, now leaning over his chest lightly. He smiled down at her sleeping form, noticing how his body fitted into hers perfectly. He wanted to run his hands down her back to produce goose bumps. Thread his hands through her hair and hear her moan in pleasure. Kiss her lips and bite down softly on her bottom lip as her hands evoked feelings for him all over his body. He knew this thoughts were totally wrong. Nothing like that would ever happen, he knew. But Troy Bolton always had hope.
His eyes caught onto a small shape on her shoulder blade. The small amount of light coming from the plane lit it up, giving it a luminous glow. He felt himself gasp. He'd seen it before, but it hadn't looked this beautiful. It was her butterfly tattoo. He moved his hand to touch it, but realised it would wake her up, so didn't, his hand going back to his lap. But his eyes still looked on.
The little butterfly had four wings, each a different colour. Although it was small, it had amazing details. The top left wing was a dark shade of red, with small black dots, making it look like ladybird skin. The bottom left was a turquoise blue, small strokes of indigo running through. Opposite that one, was yellow, a small, black star in the centre of the wing, and above that, on the top right wing was green, a small GM symbol on it, written in navy blue. It was beautiful, and she had obviously put her own design into it.
When she began to stir from her sleep, Troy dropped his head gently onto hers and closed his eyes. Why hadn't he seen that tattoo like that before, when she had showed him. He mentally shrugged. He put it down to the alcohol they had consumed that night. He then remembered the other tattoo he wouldn't show her, and now he really wanted to see it. But he shook that thought off. Why dream and look at something, when you couldn't have it to yourself?
He suddenly felt her cold lips press against the skin of his cheek, and he pretended to let his eyes flutter open. When he opened them fully he saw that Gabriella had changed position, and now had her legs over Troy's lap, her back resting half on the chair and half on Troy. She was basically sitting on him, and he didn't mind one bit.
"Sorry, did I wake you?"
Her sweet voice turned his attention to her, and he smiled back groggily.
"No, I was already coming to, but it was a nice way to wake up."
He watched her smooth cheeks blush and she hid her face. "Well, I just… I… yeah." She couldn't figure out why she'd done it, just kissed him like that. But it had felt right, like something she should have done. So she'd just done it. As a reflex.
"So tell me about life in Britain." Troy was interested.
He saw Gabriella's face light up, and knew that Gabriella thought Britain was home. Her eyes sparkled with delight at the prospect of going home. "It's amazing. I love it there, it being my home I'd obviously love it, but for me, it's the place I live and can go to get some peace and quiet. Believe me, it's a lot quieter than America. In America, everything is so AHHH!' Gabriella exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air for dramatic effect. 'But in Britain, its sort of peaceful, in a non-boring way."
"But obviously Brie, its not as quiet for you. Surely you have paparazzi at your door, that sort of thing. Because if you don't I'm moving to Britain." Troy insisted.
A laugh escaped Gabriella's. "Ha-ha. No, it's quieter for other people. Not so busy for them, I suppose. But yes, I'm still very busy, but the people there are a lot more considerate. I think anyway. They respect you a lot more. And yes, I do have paparazzi on my every move, most of the time. But they have more boundaries. Like they don't go in your garden, or stand outside your gate waiting for you. They give you more space, and I like it that way."
While they were talking they hadn't noticed that the lights on the plane had flickered on, people were buying breakfast, and that the large screen TV had come down from the ceiling. Troy's eyes wandered away for a second, only to be met with an image of himself and Gabriella on the screen. He nudged Gabriella, her eyes following to the screen, and she gasped. They quickly grabbed the headphones, sinking lower into their seats, and caught some of the news about themselves.
"…now it seems that Gabriella is getting very attached to Troy. We have seen countless pictures of them being together. But something isn't right about this. Max Witherspoon, Gabriella's ex boyfriend had been on the scene before Bolton had met Montez. It all happened very sudden, and Gabriella was sure to sort rumours out when she heard them."
Clips from a few nights before when she had shouted at the paps shot up onto the screen. She felt her cheeks heat up, and sunk even lower into her chair, hoping the other passengers wouldn't notice she was on their flight. She listened to what she had said on the screen.
"Gabriella, how does it feel to be cheating on your boyfriend?"
The screen showed Troy trying to lead her away, but she turned around and the anger in her brown eyes was evident.
"Who just said that?"
"Excuse me?"
"Well, if none of you are big and manly enough to admit it then let me say this to you. Max Witherspoon is my ex-boyfriend. I'll repeat, ex-boyfriend. We are no longer together. Haven't been for nearly two weeks. So before you start spouting rumours, get your facts right. As to the others questions - No comment. Good night."
The screen flashed back to the studio, and Troy closed his eyes. He felt so bad for Gabriella. He had felt she shouldn't have said that, but she'd stood up for herself, and knew it had been something she'd had to do. If he had been anyone else he'd have been shouting, 'GOOD ON YOU!', but he had been there, and knew how much it had hurt her. He looked to his side, catching Gabriella looking weak and tired of this game. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly. As soon as they got home, she'd be fine. He hoped.
"That would never have happened in Britain." He heard her mumble as she dragged the headset off her head and put it back onto the chair.
A flight attendant turned to them, and her eyes shot out her sockets.
"Ah, Mr Bolton, Ms Montez. I trust you are having, a…um… good flight?" Gabriella felt sympathy towards her. She was just trying to do her job, yet she possibly felt responsible for having that up on the screen.
Troy answered for them both. "Yes.. Eh, thank you."
The flight attendant leant down, and whispered to them apologies. "If I'd known they were going to show that on the screen, and that you were there, I would have told them not to. I'm so sorry you had to see that. We can change channels if you'd like."
Gabriella patted her hand in a friendly manner. "No worries. I've been in this business a long time. It doesn't bother me so much now. So don't worry, we're not going to get you sacked."
Relief passed through the flight attendants eyes. "Well, thank you. Now, can I get you some breakfast?"
--
Before they knew it, it was time to get off the plane. Gabriella felt much better once she'd stepped off it, her and Troy's guards surrounding them safely as they made their way from the plane to the luggage line. As soon as they entered the large hall with everyone in it flashes were shooting out at them. Troy instantly grabbed Gabriella's hand and the guards tightened their circle around them.
"Gabriella! Over here!"
"Gabriella, how come you're back in Britain?"
"Troy!"
"Troy! Gabriella! Why back in Britain?"
"Troy! Will you be moving in with Gabriella?" Troy heard a small chuckle come quietly from the girl at his side, and he couldn't help but small. Luckily, the paps couldn't see it.
"Gabriella! Does this mean Max and you are totally over?"
They had reached the baggage clam, but felt Gabriella stiffen in his arms at the reporters words.. His arms snaked around her waist while they waited for their luggage to be seen. He kissed her ear gently, fully aware of the eyes and cameras watching them, but they didn't faze him like they used to. He felt her grab his hand, and she played with his fingers.
"I thought you said there would be less paparazzi? And that they 'gave you more space' as you put it." Troy whispered gently in her ear, while nuzzling her neck with affection.
She laughed. "That was before you were here." She whispered back.
And then he understood. He was the reason there was more paps than normal. Now he felt guilty. "I'm sorry I came."
She turned around in his arms and kissed his jaw. "Nonsense. I couldn't have come back without you." She hugged him, while he smelt her hair, the aroma he now loved. He could stay like that forever.
About half an hour later they were in the car going to Gabriella's house. It was getting dark now in Britain, and jet lag was taking control. Plus Troy's lack of sleep didn't help. He was shattered. Once they'd managed to get passed the increased number of cameras, they' d been put in one of Gabriella's often hired limos to be taken home. Troy had commented on how posh it looked.
"Well, at the time, when I was 16, I had to be taken everywhere. At least do it in style, right?"
He had nodded.
Now they wre drawing up outside Gabriella's house. From the darkened windows, everything looked black, but the lights outside her house shone brightly, so that the hosue was now clearly visable. It was very large, white, and like a replica of The White House in Washington. It seemed very glamerous, much better than his house.
"Your house is huge!"
She had laughed. "I don't live there, silly! That's the estate I live beside. Me, I live there." He had followed where she had pointed to see a much smaller house, but cosy looking. It was two storeys, just like his, and was a caramel colour on the outside. It was a small garden, with a cute loveseat. It looked practically picture perfect.
"Like it?"
Troy nodded. "It's sweet."
Some of the guards were taking out the numerous suitcases from the boot. He went around to collect them, while Gabriella stood back to look at her house. He came to stand beside her, only to see shock pas through her eyes, her mouth wide open.
"Gabriella."
No answer.
"Brie?!"
He waved his hands in front of her face, but no features moved. He clung to her, trying to get her to say something, but nothing came. Her shaking hand pointed up to the house.
He followed her gaze, and gasped.
A/N; DUN! DUN! DUUUUN!. Tehe, I love cliff hangers, but only if I write them. You're probably going to hate me in the next chapter, but hey, this story has to have some drama! I've got the scheme where I try and write every day, since its the holidays, so hopefully an update will be quicker than normal.
Review! I'm loving them. It makes me want to update quicker, so if you want quick updates, you know what to do...