She didn't mean for this to happen. Well she did, but not in this way. She wanted to go far in life. She wanted to pursue her music career, she wanted Troy to be happy. Now it was just the matter of which one to chose. Make Troy happy first or go on tour that had been coming sooner or later, they all knew it.
"Hey, how are you doing?" Taylor's soft voice floats through the phone as Gabriella sighed. She sits down at the end of the bed; giving up on trying to close her suit case.
Gabriella ran a hand through her hair as she knew what Taylor was referring too. Gabriella had spent the whole day at Taylor's house as Troy had been gone for most of the day due to practice and then he went out with the guys.
"I'm just…confused." Gabriella nearly whispered as if ashamed to admit it. But why should she? How was she expected to pick between Troy and singing? And something other than her tour must have been bothering him because it just didn't seem right that he wouldn't talk to her. She was leaving in a day, wouldn't he want to at least say something else to her other than 'you should go'?!
"You're gonna do great Gabi. We all know you will." Taylor encouraged as she was pushing Gabriella yesterday to just deal with the tour first and if something else was wrong with Troy then deal with it after.
But it wasn't that she thought that she would suck at the tour. She knew that she could sing, she knew that she would do good, it was just knowing something else was wrong with Troy that worried her and made her think twice about the situation. What if something bad happened? She would be across the country and he would be over here dealing with it by himself.
"…Yeah." Gabriella finally answered to let Taylor know that she heard her.
"You're gonna worry about him the whole time." Taylor stated instead of questioned as Gabriella sighed. It was true, she was. She loves him and she was leaving him for about three months, but she would see him in 11 days at his championships, and then she would be back in town for the wedding a couple of days after.
"I can't help it Tay. Something else was just wrong with our whole conversation yesterday morning. I think whatever that problem is affected his reaction to me telling him about the tour." Gabriella spoke slowly as she thought about it more. "You'll watch him Tay won't you? You'll make sure he's okay while I'm gone?" Gabriella asked.
"Of course Gabi. Someone's gonna have to keep him in line when you're gone and that's just my job being your best friend." Taylor laughed a little to lighten the mood and a small smile came over Gabriella's face as it was at least a little reassuring that her best friend would be there for Troy if he needed it.
Just then Gabriella's head perked up as she heard the front door close. "Tay, I have to go." There was footsteps on the stairs as Gabriella recognized them belonging to Troy.
"Okay, just remember to stop by tomorrow before you leave. I want to see you one last time."
"Yeah, bye Tay." Gabriella said quickly as she just made out Taylor's last words.
"And remember Gabi, you're gonna do great." Gabriella clicked the phone off not meaning to be rude, but she needed to talk to Troy about their last conversation.
Their bedroom door knob turned as Gabriella's breath caught in her throat. This could possible be one of the last times Troy and her were gonna have together before her tour and right now it was like he was giving her the silent treatment.
Troy walked into the room with an unreadable expression on his face. Gabriella held in a sigh as she watched him not even give her a second glance. She stood up from the bed and watched him pick up his wallet from his dresser that he left behind.
"Are you going out?" Gabriella asked as he dumped the duffel bag that was on his back to the ground as he didn't even bother to look at her. Gabriella's voice was weak, it was hesitant, it was worried.
Troy nodded his head with a small, 'uh-huh'. Gabriella felt her eyes narrow a bit as Troy grabbed his car keys that he set down as he came into the room and turned to leave their room again.
"Stop!" Gabriella demanded as she surprised herself that she could get her voice so demanding right not. Troy's body tensed up as he stood frozen with his back towards her and she sighed. "So this is it? You're just gonna give up like this?" Gabriella's voice cracked as she blinked back tears.
"What else is there to say?" His voice was low as he tried to control the emotions running through him. Gabriella watched as he slowly turned around and his eyes were a deep blue that she had never seen before on him.
Gabriella shook her head as her shoulders shrugged desperately racking her brain for something to say. "I don't know. Just…I don't know."
"Well then…" His voice was tight and strict as Gabriella cringed a little. "I guess I have nothing to say."
He started for the door as Gabriella ran and caught him by the arm a little bit more forcefully than what she intended. Troy turned around as Gabriella softened her grip on him and their eyes locked.
Her heart was beating fast as she had to reach through to him. He had to know that she still loves him even though she was going on tour. He was the one that told her to go anyway, so he should at least be talking to her!
"Please…" Her voice was begging. "Just stop." Her eyes shined as the afternoon sun drove itself into their room. Troy ripped his arm away from her as for a second Gabriella swore she saw hurt and concern flash through his eyes.
"I have to go." Troy said coldly, but his feet didn't move as he just stood there with his eyes locked on her.
"There's something you're not telling me." Gabriella blurted out as his eyes went wide and then returned to their normal size and that was all it took to let Gabriella know that what she said was right, and if Gabriella didn't know any better then she would've said that panic over took Troy. Something had been different with him ever since a couple of weeks ago and he went someplace with Chad. "And it's not fair that you're shutting me out."
Troy gave a sarcastic laugh, "I'm shutting you out?!" There was sarcasm laced throughout his voice. "If any one is shutting someone out it's you. You didn't tell me about the tour until two days before you actually had to go."
"And I'm sorry for that. I don't know why but I panicked. I wanted to avoid this." She motioned between the two of them as her eyes were wider, glossed over, pleading with Troy to just talk to her.
"…" Troy sighed as he was struggling to say something.
"You can still talk to me, you know that right?" Gabriella asked softly as her right hand bravely reached up, cupped his face and to her surprise Troy leaned into her touch.
Troy breathed out a deep breath, "Brie…" Gabriella's heart fluttered at just hearing him say his nickname for her. He slowly raised his hand and took her right wrist in his hand along with her left and lowered them, softly caressing them with his thumbs. "…You have to pack. I have to go."
Gabriella's heart broke at hearing those words. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Everything was so messed up and she had no idea what to do, her heart was torn in two and she didn't want to chose which one because no matter what someone would be hurt by her decision.
"Troy…" Her voice was barely audible as she grabbed onto his arm again. She was laying her heart out for him and she wasn't even sure if that was the right move. "I love you." Her voice shook as everything just got too quiet. She couldn't make out what was on Troy's mind as his eyes looked back and forth from the dresser to her and she didn't know what was so special about his dresser that he kept looking at it, but either way it broke her heart.
She took a step forward as Troy didn't back down and only inches were between them now.
Her bottom lip quivered in anticipation while waiting to see what Troy's next move would be. "God Brie…" He whispered as his sadness that he was feeling came out with those two words.
Gabriella gasped slightly as Troy's body heat mixed with her own. Her back collided with the wall. Troy's hands settled on her hips and she still felt the electrical shock run through her. His lips came down on hers and she savored the feeling of being pressed up against something with Troy moving around her.
His tongue pried her mouth open in a demanding way and she swore he was trying to take her breath away, but she wasn't complaining. Gabriella felt her knees buckle and if Troy wasn't holding her up she would've fallen.
Her back pressed into the wall even more as the room seemed to be heating up drastically by the second. His hands traveled up her body, going to her cheeks and back of the head. He turned his head to kiss down her neck while she tried to control her breathing.
Suddenly as if an alarm went off in her head, she tenses up. This isn't how they were supposed to work through their problems. Pretty soon with the way things were going their clothes would be shed and having sex now was just going to add to their problems.
"Troy…" She manages to get out.
Troy just rips into her skin, and Gabriella knew she was going to have a mark that she was going to have to cover up when she was on tour.
"…Stop." She softly demands and she feels Troy's body tense up next to her and he straightens up as if he was realizing what was happening too.
"Why Brie?" He asks as Gabriella didn't know what he meant by that. He must have been able to read her face as he ran a hand through his hair and continued. "Why did you have to ruin it?"
Gabriella's eyes went wide. "Ruin what? We have to talk Troy." She heard her voice go up a little in the tone and she took a deep breath to control herself. As much as she wanted him they couldn't just cover up their problems.
Troy took a step back, "I have to go."
"But Troy we have to talk." She hears herself say as she knew Troy didn't care right now.
"I can't do this Gabriella." She winced at her full name. "I was going to--" He cut himself off. "And now it's ruined and…" He trailed off again as Gabriella had no idea what he was talking about.
"What are you talking about Troy?" She desperately asks.
"And I thought I was ready. And I thought you were ready too. But now this, and…god I waited too long." He groaned.
"Troy you better start explaining because we don't have that much time to play mind games." Gabriella said softly as Troy's eyes snap up to hers.
"And who's fault is that?" His tone was harsh, but Gabriella expected that now. He was obviously upset over something else too.
"Yours if you don't start talking." She shot back with a little more attitude than intended.
His eyes narrow and he almost sees red, "Maybe this wasn't supposed to happen between us? Maybe things are better off if you just go. We weren't supposed to be together." He states as Gabriella's eyes go wide and she feels tears well up at the base of her eyes but she blinks them back.
"How can you say that?!" She hissed.
"I honestly don't know." He shrugs as he starts for the door. "I have to clear my head." He states as if Gabriella still needed to know where he was going.
Gabriella looks at the spot he was once standing in as she sees him near the door and opens it. "Troy we have to talk!" She yells as he shakes his head. 'I need to know what's wrong with you." She pleads.
"Why don't you look in my upper left hand drawer and then tell me what's wrong." He hisses as he was probably tired of her saying they needed to talk.
He walks all the way to the stairs before Gabriella moves closer to his dresser. Did she dare look like he said too. She all of a sudden closes her eyes as she rests her hand on top of the dresser to steady herself. She felt sick to her stomach as she kept replaying what Troy said, maybe they weren't meant for each other, that was crazy!
She gets to the bathroom quickly as she flips the toilet seat up waiting for the breakfast she ate to come up her throat and into the clear water. If this is what heart ache felt like, she better get used to it.
He gets into stance. He feels the little bumps on his rough fingers. The court was silent as he takes a deep breath, but even that doesn't calm him. Sweat dripped down his neck as he closes his eyes briefly.
He couldn't believe this was it. He waited too long to ask her to marry him. He probably just ruined it and now she would probably freak out even more at seeing the ring in his dresser and leave for sure.
He sighed as he opened his eyes and looked at the basket in front of him. He lifts his elbow and springs the ball forward in what should've been perfect formation, but something about his shot was wrong because the ball hit the rim and bounced back to him as he let out a low growl.
He pounded the ball down in a hard dribble before getting behind the free throw line again and shooting the ball for the hundredth time only to have it miss again. He let out another frustrated groan while running his hand through his hair.
He could've just asked her to marry him the previous day in the bedroom, but at least he had some sanity left in him as although to him it didn't look like an ultimatum, it really was. He didn't want her to chose between marrying him and going on tour, but in reality he was basically giving her a choice of staying with him in a relationship or going on tour.
He had to keep his mind busy or else his mind would make him think and remember the brunette who stole his heart. But no matter if he went for a run, hit the weight room, or even shot simple baskets; everything reminded him of Gabriella and it made him hurt even more.
The way she used to visit him while him and the guys were lifting weights. The way she would wait for him to get home from a run and take a shower with him. The way she would come to his basketball games. The way she would cheer for him as if he was the greatest person there.
He let out a vicious yell while spinning around and chucking the ball into the seats around him. He was breathing heavily. He had his teeth gritted as he stared transfixed on where the ball that was just seconds ago in his hands now bounced lazily in the stands, slowly coming to a stop. How can one person have this much affect over him?
"What the hell are you doing?" Troy keeps his narrowed eyes on the ball that wasn't helping him right now as he hears his best friend's voice echo around the empty court. "Gabi is leaving today and you're HERE!?" He exclaims and Troy narrows his eyes even more.
Chad didn't have the right to criticize him where he was and where he wasn't. "Don't start Chad." Even though Troy was furious right now, his voice was weak. It was lifeless as if he knew he lost, but he didn't yet. Or at least that's what his rational side was trying to tell him, but he wasn't listening.
Chad scoffed as Troy could feel his friend's presence next to him now and he tensed up, knowing Chad was trying to convince him to go home. "You're really going to throw your relationship away just because of a little tour?" He asked as Troy shut his eyes wishing he wouldn't talk about it.
"Yes." He snapped. "I am and if you have a problem with it then don't talk to me right now."
"You're fucking stupid, you know that right?" His best friend said as Troy knew when he snapped that wasn't gonna be enough to make Chad leave him alone. They had known each other since pre-k, and Chad knew Troy was stubborn, there was no way that he would leave him now.
"Seriously Chad, don't start." Troy threatened as he turned and looked at his best friend who was in a simple pair of dark blue jeans and a t-shirt. "I'm not in the mood."
"Yeah, and you think I was in the mood to get a phone call at 9 in the morning on the first day in weeks that we don't have morning practice from your girlfriend saying you were gone and she couldn't come and find you because she had to leave?" He asked all in one sentence, but Troy wouldn't let his mind get distracted on Chad's long sentence without taking a breath.
"Maybe she called you because she didn't want to see me either." Troy shot back. "Has anyone even considered that I'm not the one over reacting, but you're under reacting?" Troy knew it was stupid, but he didn't care. He would say whatever he liked.
"And once again, you're fucking stupid." Chad shot back.
"I have to practice. See you later man." Troy was about to go get the ball even though he really didn't want to right now, but it beat standing around and talking about Gabriella who was leaving soon on her tour.
"I never knew Troy Bolton was a chicken!" Troy's body froze with his back to his friend. Had he just heard his best friend call him a chicken? Troy let out a low breath as he could almost see his friend's victorious smile as he spun around.
"You're nuts." Troy simple replied as Chad kinked an eye brow at his answer. But Troy knew better, there was no way that he was a chicken. There was nothing to be afraid of. At least that's what he told himself.
"Am I?" Chad smirked as Troy looked at him like he was pretty much insane. "Because right now you're throwing away your pretty much set future." Chad narrowed his eyes as this has been the most serious he has been in a while and Troy deep down on a sane level knew that when Chad was serious, you should pretty much listen to him.
Troy didn't know what to say to this. He didn't have a lot of options as it was pretty much a given that Chad wasn't going away. Gabriella was going on tour. He had the championships to practice for which he found out the previous day from his coach that Gabriella was singing at. He had a ring at home. And he basically had no idea what to do, so he had really shitty options as he knew that he would have to find a way to deal with Gabriella being gone, and if that meant avoiding her until he knew that she was home for sure, then he would.
"What the hell are you doing? Why aren't you at home with Gabi?" Chad's voice floated through the air again. "Just ask her to marry you already and you'll have nothing to worry about." Chad made it sound so simple.
But if Troy did that then what if Gabriella didn't want to go on the tour anymore? He couldn't jeopardize that and he had no idea what he was going to do. He wanted to marry her, but on one hand he wanted Gabriella to stay with him which is selfish, but then on the other he wanted her to succeed since she deserved it.
"It's not that simple." Troy growled as he ran his hand through his hair.
"Then start explaining because I have all day. It's you that's losing time." Chad pointed out smartly as he folded his arms across his chest stubbornly and Troy narrowed his eyes on him, but started talking nonetheless.
"What if I ask her and she doesn't want to go on tour then?" He was dreading Chad's response, and his voice didn't even try hiding it.
"So what?" He shot back and Troy shut his eyes briefly wondering how Chad could miss the big picture that he would be the big cause for Gabriella canceling her big shows. "It's her choice and you're just giving her more options. Plus, just because she says yes doesn't mean she still can't go on tour. You can make it work."
"…I don't know man. I can't even think clearly on this, much less make a decision within minutes."
"You've already made the decision when you bought the ring. Don't back out of it now because you'll always regret it." Chad's voice was low, it penetrated Troy's wall that he built the last two days of rational things. He looked at his best friend. "You don't even have to propose to her, just go and say goodbye and you'll see her at our Championship game." He motivated.
Troy hesitated as Chad's voice echoed around in his brain. "…I can't." His words contradicted everything he knew.
"What the hell is stopping you?" Troy shook his head at his best friends words as Chad smiled widely at him, knowing what Troy was thinking. There was nothing stopping him, and Chad was right. He didn't have to propose, he just had to let Gabriella know that he was rooting for her. He had to let her know that he loves her and he was willing to wait for her. After all, other people have gone longer than three months. "Don't get a ticket for speeding."
Troy let a thank-you smile appear on his face as he sprinted towards the doors. He was going to meet her at their house and tell her just how much he loves her. Nothing was going to change that. If only he had his cell phone he could call and tell her he was coming to see her, that way she wouldn't be busy with saying good bye to their friends.
He reached his car as he unlocked it hurriedly. They could make it work. They had to.
Author's Note--Thanks for the previous reviews and review this time too. I love getting responses and for some reason I had an all too easy time writing this chapter so maybe it's not as good as I intended it to be. You tell me what you think in a review and I'll update soon.