West Vs East
Chapter 21
Sitting down on the bleachers with a tired sigh Gabriella watched as the rest of the gym class strolled into the gym, all clad in red shorts and white polo shirts; the required kit. Man was she tired she could literally lie down on the bleachers and go to sleep, she'd be happy on the floor she was that tired.
Snapping her eyes open at the sound of a whistle she saw the substitute teacher walk over to them with a clip board in his hands, no doubt about to do roll call.
"Okay class, my names Mr Yates and I'll be your teacher for today, Mr Bolton's in a meeting and couldn't make it in. So after I've done calling your names we will be doing hockey." The teacher said and the girls groaned. Mr Yates had a baldhead and was about 6ft, he was clad in a black tracksuit, the whistle round his neck.
Gabriella sat with her eyes shut and her head in her hands, snapping open when he called her name.
"Miss Montez?"
"Here sir." She answered and he looked up to look who spoke and frowned. She hugged the letterman jacket closer to her as she saw the look on his face.
"Is there a reason you're not dressed for gym?" He asked sternly, nodding she put her hand in the pocket of the jacket to get the note. Walking over she handed it to him about to go and sit back down but Mr Yates spoke.
"You're excused because you don't feel well?" He asked in a voice that said this excuse was ridiculous.
"Yeah why?" Gabriella asked frowning.
"What? PMSing?" he asked sarcastically eyebrows rose. Gabriella's frown deepened as she looked around at her classmates as if saying you seeing this? And they just shrugged, turning back to this teacher she answered.
"Not that it's any of your business but no it's not."
"Then get changed, this isn't a valid excuse." He demanded flicking the note at her.
"No." Gabriella immediately retaliated. "You can't tell me what do, and in case you didn't notice the notes signed by Mr Bolton himself."
"And? Just because you're the basketball captain's girl hence he wrote the letter doesn't mean you get special treatment. Go and get changed."
"How do you know Troy wrote it?"
"Because Mr Bolton isn't in today, so you couldn't have seen him." Mr Yates smirked and Gabriella looked at him for a second then burst out laughing, causing him to frown and the girls behind her to giggle at her behaviour.
"You don't know shit. Mr Bolton wrote it. I fucking live with the guy, I see him everyday along with his wife Diane and Troy oh and his little sister Zoë but she's decided to go back to her grandparents for a week again."
"You can't skip lesson's just 'coz you're tight with the teacher, don't make me send you to Mr Matsui."
"Fucking do it, like he can do shit." Responded a fuming Gabriella. Who the hell did this guy this he was? No one tells her to do anything!
"Don't speak to a teacher like that,"
"What are you gunna' do?"
"Listen just because you're the captains girlfriend doesn't mean you can sweet talk me like you do the rest of your teachers at this school. Now get changed!" Mr Yates demanded moving forward into her face. Gabriella shook her head laughing in disbelief and walked to the bleachers to collect her bag. She needed to leave before she said something she would regret or something.
"Later," she called out and made her way out of the gym the doors letting them bang shut as she made her way down the corridor. She laughed to herself as she replayed what she'd just said to him in her head. She'd never spoken to a teacher like that before but she didn't care, who the hell was he anyway? Talking to her like that.
Gabriella made her way to the cafeteria knowing Troy was on his lunch now. Opening the doors she spotted him straight away laughing with Chad and the rest of the gang. Shocked that Taylor and Shar had got there so quick as their lunch break had only just started as where Troy's and the guys had nearly finished. (There's 3 lunches. 12:30, 1 and 1:30 her was at 1:30, the girls at 1 and the guys at 12:30.)
Taking her seat next to Troy, she smiled at her friend's confused faces.
"Hey Babe, aren't you supposed to be in gym now?" asked Troy kissing her cheek and she nodded taking a sip of his water.
"Yeah, but the prick wouldn't take the letter as my excuse so I walked out." Gabriella giggled as she watched all their jaws drop.
"No seriously? How come you're here?" Sharpay asked.
"Honestly that's the reason. He just kept mouthing off saying just coz you're the captains girl doesn't mean you can skip lessons and all this shit. Then he started saying Mr Bolton couldn't have signed this because he wasn't in today and then I ended up spilling that I lived with the guy so yeah, wasn't letting him speak to me like that so I just walked out and came here." Gabriella explained with a nod.
"Who are you and what have you done with Gabriella?" Taylor asked quickly. She laughed before getting on Troy's knee facing him, straddling him, her head on his shoulder.
"Yeah well. That's what you get when you mess with an extremely tired 5 month pregnant Gabriella." She responded with a yawn not realizing what she said, closing her eyes, seriously contemplating whether or not to go to sleep on Troy's shoulder. Troy's head snapped up from kissing her neck, looking at his friend's faces as he heard her say this. Their jaws were literally near the table, open from shock.
"Baby do you have any idea what you just said?" Troy asked in a whisper in her ear after few minutes silent.
"Mmmm that's what you get when you mess with- oh nooooo," She gasped dragging out the word, lifting her head up realizing her mistake to meet the faces of her friends their expressions having not changed. "Yeah so I'm gunna go to the lib-" she started to say but was interrupted by a squeal. Sharpay!
"Really 5 months? Oh my god let me see." She said clapping, giggling at her friends reaction albeit late she turned in Troy's lap so her back was resting against his chest, kissing his cheek with a smile as he stopped her hands from unzipping the jacket, silently telling her he wanted to do it.
"Aaawww it's so cute," squealed Shar again as she leaned over the table gently putting her hands on Gabriella's 5 month pregnant stomach. "Aaawww it's kicking."
"Braden." Troy interrupted her with a gin stopping her excited rant. Sharpay looked at him with a frown of confusion and Gabriella elaborated.
"He, the baby's a he. We've called him Braden Matthew."
"Aaawww that's so adorable." Taylor joined in resting her hand next to Shar's. Gabriella smiled appreciatively leaning more into Troy as he kissed her cheek.
"Wow, wasn't expecting that!" Zeke said with a shake of his head and clapped Troy on the back. Chad nodding his agreement, also hitting Troy's back.
"Congrats guys," They said together.
"So how did you keep this a secret?" Taylor asked.
"Troy's hoodies," Gabriella said laughing as did her friends.
"I think the question is, why?" Zeke said softly and Gabriella sighed before answering looking down playing with Troy's fingers that were resting on her stomach.
"Rejection. I couldn't handle that again and I guess I just didn't want you guys to do the same as my mom did."
"This is why she kicked you out?" Chad asked shocked and she nodded with a small smile.
"Yeah, I'm gunna talk to her again soon. See if I can change her mind but yeah."
"Wow oh wow I just can't believe it. It's her loss Brie but I think she'll come round." Taylor said with a reassuring smile and Gabriella shrugged.
"Like you said Tay it's her loss, and I'm perfectly happy at Troy's. I'll give her one more chance and if she says she doesn't want anything do with him again then whatever init."
"Oh my god you know what this means?" Sharpay asked with a grin and the guys groaned instantly knowing what she was about to say. "Shopping!" She squealed with a laugh, Gabriella and Taylor joining in.
"I need a bed before I go anywhere," Gabriella said proving her point as a yawn over came her.
"You want me to take you home?" Troy asked and she stood nodding grabbing her bag. "See you later guys, I'll ring you when I'm on my way." He added to the group and the last part of the sentence to Zeke and he nodded back.
"On your way were?" Gabriella asked through another yawn as Troy started his car.
"What?" Troy asked playing confused.
"You said to Zeke you'd ring him when you're on your way, way were?" She asked again,
"Oh we were gunna play some basketball later," Troy lied and she nodded resting her head on the window. He reached over and laced her fingers with his, rubbing his thumb over hers. He hated lying to her but it was a surprise and he didn't want to ruin it. "You okay boo?" He asked.
"Yeah just really tired." She whispered back and he nodded.
The rest of the short ride home was spent in a comfortable silence as he pulled up not 10 minutes later, getting out he went over to her side and opened the door and found her fast asleep. Smiling softly he planted a kiss on her forehead and picked her up bridal style and carried her to his room. Making his way down stairs he went to the kitchen and found Aidy in there.
"Oh hey you're back early." He said. Aidy had gone back to college not long after the fire and court case obviously. So he didn't know about the pregnancy either.
"Yeah, just for the weekend though." Troy nodded in understanding; he was about to speak back when Jack walked in.
"Hey what are you two doing here?"
"Well I've just come back for the weekend," Jack nodded and turned to Troy.
"Urm I wrote Gabriella note for Gym but the sub didn't buy it and mouthed off at her so she walked out and I said I'd take her home. She fell asleep in the car."
"You did sign it by me didn't you and not yourself by accident." Jack said and Aidy's mouth dropped in shock.
"Dad, I'm not stupid," Troy said with a laugh. "But yeah he was saying things to her like just because you're the captains girlfriend and all doesn't mean you can skip classes. Then said you couldn't have signed it because you weren't in today or something and she ended up saying that she lived here. Anyway from what I heard he seems like a prick."
"Well I'm back in tomorrow so I'll have a word with him."
"Thanks dad." Troy said and Jack just smiled putting some things he'd picked up on his way home away in the cupboards.
"What?" Aidy said still in shock. "You let him forge notes for his girlfriend?"
"It was only this once, I forgot to do it since I was rushing round getting things ready for my meeting earlier."
"Shouldn't her mom do that?" Aidy asked confused.
"She lives here now." Troy stated.
"Wow things sure have changed around here." Muttered Aidy. Troy frowned and moved forward defensively.
"What do you mean by that?" Asked Troy in a low voice.
"Whoa dude back up. I'm just saying."
"Yeah well don't say anything at all. We don't need added stress right now." Stated Troy. "You still haven't apologised to her for the things you said to her a few months ago."
"Is everything okay Troy?" Jack asked and his youngest son turned to him.
"Yeah why?"
"Gabriella's okay and that right, it's just you're really defensive right now. Braden's okay right?"
"What yeah he's great," Troy said with a grin at the mention of his baby boy. Jack chuckled seeing that look. "That's why Gabriella's so tired right now actually, he kept her awake all night."
Aidy stopped his mug mid way to his mouth as this came out of Troy's mouth. Braden? Kept her up all night? Oh god, they're pregnant. He didn't want to ask but he knew he had to.
"Who's Braden?"