Throughout the next week, the juniors had subconsciously become closer to each other, feeling more comfortable in showing little forms of affection. They were around each other a little more often and they sat a little closer. Early Saturday morning, Gabriella and the Boltons found themselves sat on a plane to Denver. As the plane took off, she felt Lilliana grip her hand. She smiled reassuringly, rubbing her thumb over the back of the girl's hand. Lilliana smiled in return before turning back to her previous conversation with Jacob beside her. She glanced across the aisle and locked eyes with Troy who was sat beside his parents, the boy winked at her with a smile, making her blush.
As she settled back into her seat, her mind drifted to her and Troy's behaviour throughout the week. There was no denying that the admission of both their feelings had changed their relationship, especially at school. Gabriella found herself more uncomfortable with the attention she received from the male population of East High and especially of Ryan's behaviour. She also noticed Troy's protectiveness of her had increased drastically and his attempt to remain nonchalant about other guys around her, his attempts not as subtle as he'd like. She recognised how touchy-feely they'd become and yet no one had questioned their friendship excluding Sharpay at the field day. Gabriella had found herself wanting to be in Troy's presence and when she was close, he'd have an arm draped over her shoulder or their legs touching under the table in the cafeteria.
She blushed at the thought before shaking her head. 'No Gabriella, we can't, it can't happen.'
The plane landed in Denver at 8am after experiencing some delays, they called a cab and were driven to Gabriella and Lilliana's childhood home. When they got out of the car, Lilliana took one look at the house before tugging on Gabriella's hand, making the teenager look down at her. The girl held her arms out to be picked up and Gabriella smiled sympathetically, complying with the request. Once planted on her hip, the junior whispered. "They're not here Livie, you have nothing to worry about."
They walked into the house and looked around, Lilliana exhaling. "It still looks the same."
"See, I told you it'd be ok."
"Gabriella, put her down." Everyone's eyes directed to Jack. "She's six, she can't be carried everywhere."
Gabriella refrained from rolling her eyes and placed her sister onto her feet. "Alright, you go have a look in your room and grab some of the bags from your closet, put anything you want to keep in them and we can grab any photos from the living room when we leave, sound like a plan?"
Lilliana nodded and turned to her twin brother. "Jakie, do you want to help me?" The boy nodded and the six-year-olds walked off to Lilliana's old room.
"We'll go help the twins." Jack said, following the twins with his wife.
Gabriella gestured for Troy to follow her and they went into her old room. The memories hit her as soon as she entered and she bit her lip. All the yelling, all the fighting, the long nights of holding her sister, reassuring her that everything was ok.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Troy. "Your room's nice, it's you." She looked at him curiously. "I don't know, it just fits you, it seems like the room I'd imagine you have."
"Thanks, I think."
First, she grabbed her favourite novels from the bookshelf - David and Vivien didn't buy them much that wasn't a necessity so she only had a few. She then grabbed the two photo albums she'd made and smiled at them.
"Brie, is this you and Lil?"
She looked up and noticed him staring at a photo frame. Walking over to him, she smiled as she looked at the photo inside. A twelve-year-old Gabriella had a two-year-old Lilliana on her back, the little girl with a wide grin on her face as she gripped her sister tightly, hugging her around her neck. "Yeah, it was a couple months after Liv came, our m- Vivien hadn't been too bad and she'd liked taking photos of us when we were young."
"It's adorable, I remember her like that."
She saw the sad smile and grabbed his hand, sitting him on her bed and placing the photo albums in front of him. "I loved taking photos when I was little, Vivien would take photos of us and I'd take photos of Liv, seeing how she grew up through the years." He smiled in thanks and started flipping through the books as Gabriella continued packing before he called her over again. "This is my favourite."
She smiled as she looked at the old photo, she was fourteen with her four-year-old sister planted on her hip, hugging her tightly, both girls grinning at the camera. "Yeah, that's my favourite too." She became overwhelmed at her feelings and gave in. "Troy, can I talk to you?" He nodded and pulled her to sit beside him. "I thought I could do this but I can't. Being back here has brought back so many memories and it's made me realise that I can't keep being around you and fighting my feelings, just pretending that they aren't there."
He looked at her cautiously. "What are you saying Brie?"
"I'm saying that all my life I'd been a good girl and doing everything right, the way everyone wanted me to and yet my whole life was turned upside down because of a lie. Being back here reminded me of all that and I don't want it to be like that anymore. Even if we can't be together at home, I want to be with you Troy. I know it's not great to have to hide a relationship but it's surely gotta be easier than this. I'd rather be able to be with you in private how I want to be even if we have to hide it in front of other people than to have to hide my feelings altogether and pretend that we're nothing more than friends."
"Really?" She nodded and he shocked her by lifting her up under her arms and spinning her, making her giggle. When he placed her back down, he leaned in to kiss her but felt her hand push back against his chest.
"Are you sure you'll be alright with that though, being my boyfriend but no one knowing?"
"As long as you're mine and we can be together when we're alone, I have no problem 'cause you'll be my girl."
She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him the silent permission to connect their lips in their first kiss. His arms around her waist pulled her flush against his body and they pulled away before leaning their foreheads together.
After a few seconds silence, Troy broke it hesitantly. "Brie, I have to tell you something if we're together. It was before you came and I stopped a bit before you and Lilly came but if we're together, I want to be honest with you from the start." She nodded nervously. "I've had a few one night stands at parties from girls throwing themselves at me." He gripped her hands in his. "They didn't mean anything to me, I was just doing it to shut them up and I haven't done it in over four months. I just needed to tell you so you know but none of them were serious, I never considered asking them to be my girlfriend. But I am completely serious about you and I want you to know that you are and will be my only girl."
Gabriella sighed. "Thank you for telling me." He looked at her hesitantly. "I'm not mad, I can't be mad at you for something you did before you knew me but I'm glad you told me." She bit her lip. "I just, I haven't had sex and I'm not comfortable with doing that yet."
He brushed the hair from her face behind her ears. "Don't worry Brie, I'm not gonna pressure you about it, we have all the time in the world. You don't have to feel uncomfortable about being a virgin, it's perfectly fine. When you're ready, we can do it and it can be whenever, it doesn't have to be soon ok?" She nodded and he kissed her forehead. "Good."
Gabriella went back to searching through her things when she found a purple care bear right as Lilliana came running into the room. "Look Bria, I found my Polly Pockets." The little girl grinned, showing her arms full of the little dolls.
Gabriella smiled. "That's great Baby, you loved those, we'd spend hours playing with your Polly Pockets."
Lilliana looked down at the purple bear in her sister's hands and dropped the dolls, sliding onto her knees beside her big sister. "You still have Harmony!" She sprinted back to her room before returning with a pink care bear. "Cheer bear." The two girls looked between the matching care bears they were given: Gabriella's purple Harmony Bear and Lilliana's pink Cheer Bear.
Gabriella took both the bears and placed them in a bag. "That way we have them both together huh?"
The girl grinned and hugged her sister. "I love you Bria."
Gabriella smiled sadly, lifting Lilliana into her arms. "I love you too Livie, everyday to the end of the universe." She felt the girl's grip around her neck tighten and she rubbed her back. "It's a lot of memories, I know it's hard to process."
"I miss Denver and my friends and going to the same school. I miss playing with you at lunch. I wish we could stay in Denver."
The teenager sighed, placing her sister onto her feet and kneeling to her level. "You don't miss Denver Liv, I know it feels like you do but it's not here that you miss. You just wish that you could take the good memories from here back to Albuquerque." Gabriella held her sister's hands. "I know everything's different now but it's better, you're back with your parents and your brothers and you don't have to be scared of Mama and Papa fighting anymore."
Lilliana nodded. "Mama and Papa fighting was scary."
"I know it was Baby, but everything's ok now." Lilliana nodded and their moment was interrupted by Jack clearing his throat, him and Lucille standing at the door. "Sorry, have you been waiting long?"
"Long enough Gabriella." He turned his attention to his daughter. "Lil, come help Mommy and Daddy finish your room." The little girl followed the instructions, hugging her sister once more before leaving the room.
Once they were finished, they had an hour and a half until they had to be at the airport. Jack addressed the family. "Alright everyone, pack the bags that you're bringing into the cab, everything else will be shipped to home and we'll head to the airport."
They got in the car and Gabriella spoke up. "Actually we have to make one more stop on the way to the airport." Everyone looked at her curiously as she told the driver the address. "It's a surprise."
When they got out of the car, they heard two voices yell "OLIVIA!"
Lilliana lit up, a grin on her face as she ran to hug her two friends. "TATUM! CLARA!"
"What are you doing here? I thought you were far away from Denver."
"We are but we had to get our stuff from our old house, Bria surprised me that we were seeing you."
The two girls looked up to see Gabriella and ran to hug her. "Gabriella!"
She smiled hugging them both. "Hi Tatum. Hi Clara." Lilliana came to stand beside her, holding her hand. "How are you girls."
Clara smiled sadly. "We miss you and Olivia, are you staying in Denver for a while?"
"We miss you both too." She sighed. "We're not staying in Denver Sweetheart, we're going to the airport after we leave here." Tatum quickly ran into the house leaving Gabriella and Lilliana looking at each other curiously. "I just wanted to make sure you girls got a chance to say a proper goodbye because we had to leave so quickly last time."
Tatum re-emerged with a card and two woven friendship bracelets with their names spelt in alphabet beads. "We made these for you at school during craft time to say goodbye." Both girls lifted their wrists to reveal similar bracelets. "So even if we're apart, we can be friends forever."
Gabriella smiled. "That's lovely girls, thank you. You'll always be friends, no matter how far away you are." She put her sister's bracelet on the girl's wrist and put her own on while the three little girls hugged.
"I miss you so much."
Tatum smiled. "We miss you too Olivia."
Gabriella and Olivia gave both girls a hug before standing beside the car. "Bye Tatum, bye Clara."
The girls waved sadly. "Bye Gabriella, bye Olivia."
Lilliana leant into Gabriella as they drove to the airport, the older girl kissing her forehead before wiping the tears that slid silently down her sister's cheeks. "I know it's hard to say goodbye Baby, but you'll still talk and you'll still be friends." She nodded. "I love you."
She nodded. "I love you everyday to the end of the universe Bria."
"Everyday to the end of the universe Liv."