Hello all! Happy Monday. Plan is still on for Chapter 22 to be posted either Friday or Saturday. And I guess that's all there is to say. So enjoy 21 and make sure to leave a REVIEW when you're done (:

My Best Friends' Baby

Chapter 21

4 months later

"Mom, I've got her!"

"Are you sure?"

Gabriella sighed, juggling her crying daughter in one hand while attempting to heat her bottle with the other. "It's not like I haven't done this before…"

Her mother instantly rolled her eyes. "I never said that Gabi, I was just trying to help."

"I know, but you have work, so go and she'll be all yours at 4."

"Fine," she leaned in, pressing a kiss to her daughters' cheek and another to her granddaughters' forehead. "I love you, see you later."

"Bye!" She turned, bouncing Kayla lightly. "Come on baby girl, just be patient with mommy for a second."

She continued to cry and Gabriella attempted to hush her as she worked to get her bottle ready. Thankfully seconds later it was warmed and in the infants' mouth, hushing her cries as she sucked on the nipple of the bottle silently. "Guess you really were hungry, huh?"

Being careful not to jostle her too much, she moved over to the couch where she settled Kayla into the crook of her arm while she ate and grabbed her phone to check her text messages. Of course, it wasn't the best thing to be doing on her Saturday, but she didn't mind.

There were two text messages, a group with Taylor and Sharpay respectively:

Are we still on for dinner tonight?

Bitch, you better show!

Rolling her eyes to Sharpay's text, she sent back a quick response explaining that she'd be there as long as her mother returned from work on time to watch Kayla.

If Mama-Montez knows what's best for her, she'll show on time.

Are you threatening my mom?

No…but we need this.

What Sharpay means is, of course your mom will show on time, and as soon as she does, you get to us for much needed girl time.

Yeah, well I'll text you guys when I'm leaving the house. Gotta go burp and put down Kay for her nap.

Later!

Bye baby mama.

Looking down at Kayla, she saw the bottle nearly gone and her child's eyes half closed. She hated to wake up, known specifically because of the cry she let out minutes later when Gabriella shifted her over her shoulder, patting her back softly. She felt asleep somewhere in the process and when Gabi finally adjusted her back to lying in her arms, she was pretty much out cold.

Walking over to the small play pin, she placed the four month old on her back in the crib, placing the pink baby blanket with giraffes over her body. She watched in awe as her tiny body instantly snuggled up to the small monkey sitting inside that she'd received from her grandmother not long after her birth.

It amazed her that just 4 months ago she'd given birth to this growing human being; that she had been smaller than she was now and inside of her. Kayla had gained almost 20 pounds in the months she had been home. Her eyes seemed to be a sort of mixture of her parents, not exactly Gabriella's chocolate brown but a light hazel that seemed like it had a splash of another color. As her hair grew, Gabriella and her mom recognized the chestnut brown curly locks. And although her facial features geared to looking more like Gabriella, there were plenty of qualities of her father that she exhibited, even at her early age. If there had ever truly been a question of paternity, that question could clearly be answered by looking at her.

Knowing that she hadn't gotten much done and knowing that Kayla would only be out for an hour or so, Gabriella quickly moved to go get some school-work done while on a break from mom-work.

Gabriella sighed heavily as she pulled into the parking lot of Dolly's Diner, spotting her friends through the window as they laughed together. Of course her mother had been a little late home from her work meeting and it was always tough for Gabriella to say goodbye to Kayla.

Exiting the car, she opened the door to Dolly's and sent a small wave to Dolly before joining her friends. "Sorry I'm late."

Taylor smirked. "We were convinced you weren't gonna show…"

"Yep, you know how you are with bailing on us."

"I don't mean to bail! It just happens. I've got a kid now guys."

"Understood, we just miss you, ya know?"

"Well I'm here now. What'd I miss?" Gabriella asked glancing down at the menu although she knew everything that was served like the back of her hand by now.

"Sharpay's having sex with Zeke," Taylor blurted out almost instantly, making Gabriella look up from her menu gaping.

"Taylor!" Sharpay blushed, sinking in her seat.

"What?" Gabriella questioned. "When did this happen?"

Sharpay shrugged. "A few days ago. You know he's going to UNM and I'm interning there and…well…"

"Oh My God!"

"I know right," Taylor smiled. When they both looked at her questioningly for her excitement she shrugged. "What? I finally get to be the one breaking the news and enjoying it. Let me have my moment."

"Whatever. It's not like that's the most scandalous thing going on right now. Ask her to tell you what happened with her and Chad." At Sharpay's look and Taylor's face Gabriella shook her head.

"I'm not even sure I want to know," she said.

"It's dirty," Sharpay hinted. "They were…"

"Okay," Taylor stopped her, hand over her mouth securely. "Point taken, done enjoying your misery now."

Sharpay smiled in satisfaction before turning her attention to Gabi. "So what about you? What's going on with your love life lately?"

"Lately?" Gabriella scoffed. "Nothing at all. Love lives are non-existent for 17 year old moms."

"Oh please. Travis?"

At mention of his name, Gabriella glanced over to the other side of the diner where Travis happened to be sitting with a few of his friends. She'd acknowledged him briefly when she came in, but hadn't given it much thought. When she looked over, she caught his eye and he sent her a polite wave and friendly smile, which she returned.

"See?" Sharpay smiled. "Details!"

"There are none to tell."

"You and Travis are done?" Taylor asked as the waitress delivered Sharpay and Taylor's food and quickly took Gabriella's order.

"We never really were anything," Gabi admitted. "I mean sort of, but we agreed a while ago that us wasn't really in the cards while I was pregnant."

"And now you're not, what's the problem?"

"Problem is I assumed back then that I was giving Kayla up for adoption and that I'd have more free time to actually have a love life of sorts, but it didn't work out that way."

Sharpay narrowed her eyes at Gabriella's nonchalant shrug. "I'm sure Travis would understand," Taylor added. "I mean he has to. He understood then and I'm sure you having a kid isn't exactly a problem for him. Have you seen the way he's been looking at you?"

She shrugged again. "It's nothing. For me, we're just friends and I don't plan to change that anytime soon. Besides he should move on from me anyway. It wouldn't be fair that he couldn't be one of my main focuses; he should have a girlfriend who has time for the relationship. I definitely don't have relationship time on my hands right now."

Taylor followed Gabriella by shrugging, and Sharpay waved her hand in dismissal. However, her dramatic hand gesture knocked Gabriella's drink off the table and all into her lap. "Crap! Sorry!"

The young mother shook her head. "It's fine." She glanced at the napkin dispenser and grabbed one napkin before realizing it was the last. "I'm just gonna go to the bathroom, be right back." Standing up with the paper napkin she walked as she tried to dab her pants dry, not paying attention to direction because she'd been to the bathroom in Dolly a million times.

What she didn't account for was someone else stepping in or being in her route to the restroom and she was knocked out of her reality for a second as she collided with another body, steading herself on a nearby chair before she could fall and looking up to apologize for her clumsiness.

The familiar blue eyes that met her own were a complete shock to her. "Troy?"

He sent her an awkward smile, scratching the back of his head in similar fashion. "Gabriella, hey…"