A/N: THANK YOU FOR ALL THE FEEDBACK AND REVIEWS! You have no idea how happy they made me!

Disclaimer: Same as always!


May 26th, 2008 2:00 pm

I looked at Troy and then grabbed his outstretched hand. He gave me a reassuring squeeze as we walked up the front porch.

"You ready to go face everyone?" Troy asked me quietly as I took another sip of my shake.

"Yeah but first I have to tell you something." I said looking at him and smiling.

"What's that? You seem really excited about this." Troy said giving me a grin.

"Your theory worked. It seems if you buy women ice cream they smile more." I told him leaning over and kissing him.

"I'm glad it worked, especially for you. I hate not seeing you smile." Troy told me quietly.

"Ok now I'm ready to go in and face everyone." I said walking up the front steps and into the house that had quickly became my own.

I walked past the living room where a bunch of my relatives were. I then walked into the kitchen were I giggled at the sight. Dana and my mom's mom were in a deep conversation and Jack and one of my uncles were laughing about something. I gave Troy a look before going into the backyard.

When we got out to the backyard, I had to laugh at the sight. Troy and mine friends were in one area and my cousins were in another. I walked over to our friends laughing.

"What's so funny?" Sharpay asked me as I calmed myself down.

"Are you guys afraid of my cousins? Because it looks like you are." I told them.

"No we just don't like them. From everything you've told us, we just don't like them." Chad told me.

"Ugh you guys are weird." I said walking over to my cousins and seeing what they were doing.

"Hello my darling cousins." I told them putting on the fakest smile I've ever done.

"About time you get here Gabriella. Where have you been?" My oldest cousin, Mallory, asked me.

"Hm . . . I do have a life out here in Albuquerque." I said smiling sweetly.

"Wow that's got to be a first. You never use to have a life in anywhere else." My youngest cousin, Tom told me.

"How about you shut your mouth? Wow now I knew why I hated being around you guys." I said walking back over to my friends.

"Wait Gabriella, you never said where you were?" Matt, another cousin, asked me.

"I was out with my boyfriend. Happy now?" I asked before throwing a glance over my shoulder.

"Which one are you dating?" Gwen, another one of my annoying cousins, asked.

"The brown hair blue eye cutie." I told them walking over to Troy and giving him a kiss on his cheek.

"What was that all about?" Troy asked after I pulled back.

"My cousins were being annoying so I had to get away from them. Have you guys come up with an escape plan?" I asked them.

"Not really. There's no way to get out of here safely." Troy told me as I gave him a look.

"I'll be back. Meet me in the front." I told them walking into the backdoor of the house.

I walked into the kitchen and my grandma, my mom's mom, caught my eye. I walked over to her and gave her a hug.

"How are you doing Gabriella?" Amy, my maternal grandmother asked me.

"I'm doing ok, I think." I told her as she gave me a hug.

"You think? You're surrounded by friends and from what I can tell a great adoptive family." Amy told me.

"All right I'm doing better than I was a few days ago." I said to my grandmother.

"That's good. Did you know your mom asked me to come out here in a few weeks to spend some time with you guys?" Amy asked me.

"I didn't know that. Have you met my siblings yet?" I asked her smiling.

"No I haven't but I would like too." Amy told me as we walked through the hallway and up the stairs.

"Come with me and I'll introduce you to them." I told her walking into Sarah and Tina's room.

"This is Sarah Bolton and this is Tina Montez." I said to my grandmother looking at her face.

"Your mother adopted children?" Amy asked me in disbelief.

"Tina and Lucas have been with us since they've been born. They'll be two in June." I told her.

"Who's Lucas?" Amy asked me as we walked out of their room and into Lucas and Nathan's.

"Lucas is Tina's twin brother. This is Lucas and my boyfriend's brother, Nathan. Sarah and Nathan are twins." I told her.

"Wait how does your boyfriend fit into this equation?" Amy asked me laughing.

"Dana and Jack, the people you were talking to downstairs, are my boyfriend's parents. I'm living in the same house with him." I told her smiling.

"Where is this boyfriend? I would him to pass the grandmother's test." Amy asked me as I shook my head.

"Be nice grandmother. I have one other person for you to meet." I told her walking into mine and Hannah's room.

"Hannah this is my mom's mom, Amy. Grandmother, this is my boyfriend's younger sister, Hannah. She's also one of my adoptive sisters." I said to Amy smiling.

"It's very nice to meet you, Hannah. Are you keeping Gabriella in line?" Amy asked Hannah.

"I try but sometimes it's so exhausting." Hannah said to my grandmother laughing.

"Ain't that the truth? It was very nice to meet you, Hannah." Amy told her as we left the room.

"Now where grandmother?" I asked walking down the stairs and facing the living room.

"I want to meet this boyfriend of yours." Amy told me grinning.

"All right I guess I could introduce him to you." I told her walking out the front door and seeing all of my friends.

"About time you got here Gabi! Did you get lost?" Taylor asked me grinning.

"No I didn't get lost. I introduced my grandmother to the kids. Now she wants to meet my boyfriend." I told them grinning.

"So which one of you is my Gabi's boyfriend?" My grandmother asked my friends.

"Grandmother you are going to embarrass me. Hold on and I'll introduce him to you." I told her walking over to Troy and leaning close to him.

"Don't kill me yet. I promised she could meet you." I told him walking him over to my grandmother.

"Grandma, this is Troy Bolton, my boyfriend. Troy, this is Amy Davis, my mom's mom." I said to the two.

"Are you treating my Gabi the right way?" Amy asked Troy as I grinned.

"Ma'am I wouldn't be here if I didn't treat Gabi the right way." Troy said to my grandmother.

"Gabi will call me if you ever treat her the wrong way." Amy threatened Troy.

"Grandmother be nice." I said in a warning tone.

"Gabriella I am being nice here. I'm just making sure Troy knows what will happen if he treats you badly." Grandma told me.

"He knows grandmother. You don't have to threaten him one bit. He gets enough of it from his parents and our friends." I told her laughing.

"Good. Now you guys go and have some fun." Grandmother said handing me some money.

"Thanks grandmother. We'll hang out later on?" I asked her grinning.

"Sure dear. We'll hang later." My grandmother said as I walked over to my friends.

"Grandmother's funding this afternoon." I told them as we started to walk down the sidewalk.

We hung out that afternoon downtown Albuquerque just hanging out and chilling. We went and saw a movie and then went out to dinner, before going back to the Bolton household. Most of my family was gone so we said goodbye to our friends and Troy and I sat down on our famous swing.

"Today's been a world win adventure." I said laying my head on Troy's shoulder.

"It has been. How are you feeling?" Troy asked me playing with my rings on my fingers.

"I'm pretty good right now. It's sunk in that mom's gone and she won't be here anymore but I just have to remember that she's in my heart and that's where she'll stay." I told him sighing in contentment.

"She'll always be in your heart. You just have to remember that." Troy told me as someone pushed open the screen door.

"I thought I heard someone out here talking." Amy said to us as I smiled.

"Yeah we usually do this after one of our dates." I told my grandmother.

"I feel like I don't really know you, Gabi." Amy told me as I smiled at her.

"I'm an average 18 year old surrounded by her good friends and a great family. I'm going to start college at UNM in the fall and pursue a degree in physical therapy." I told her smiling.

"You are going to be an amazing woman someday." Amy told me as I smiled.

"Thank you for that." I said getting up and going over to give her a hug.

"So Grandmother Amy, I have a question to ask you." Troy asked my grandmother.

"What's that Troy?" Amy asked Troy as I grinned at him.

"I would like to ask your permission to ask your granddaughter to marry me sometime in the future." Troy asked my grandmother as I grinned at him.

"Aren't you guys too young to get married?" Amy asked the two of us.

"I'm going to ask her sometime but we won't get married until we're older." Troy told my grandmother as I grinned.

"Then yes you guys have my permission. Hey Gabi did your mom know about this?" Amy asked me.

"Oh yeah she knew. She knew that Troy is going to ask me sometime. I told him he had to wait until we were in college because I didn't want to be engaged in high school." I told my grandmother laughing.

"Well Troy you need to get on the ball and ask her all ready." Amy said as we both grinned.

"She's got to wait her turn. I'm not going to ask her yet because she's expecting it." Troy told my grandmother and I grinning.

The three of us spent the rest of the night outside talking and catching up on what was going on.

August 25, 2008 8:00 am

Today is the first day of college and to say it lightly, I'm pretty nervous. I dressed in a jean skirt, a nice shirt, with my orange coat thrown over the top of it. I looked myself over and then walked downstairs.

"Aww my two babies are going off to college." Dana told Troy and I as we walked into the kitchen.

"Mom we'll be back later on in the afternoon. We'll tell you all about our day." Troy said to his mother.

"I know. I just can't believe you're starting college. It seems like yesterday that you just started kindergarten and now you're off to college." Dana told us as she started to get tears in her eyes.

"Mom stop while you ahead." Troy told her as someone rang the doorbell.

"I wonder who that could be this early in the morning." Troy said as I looked at him.

"I don't know. Why don't you go open the door and find out?" I asked Troy.

"I think the door is going to be for the lady of the household." Troy said while looking at me.

"Go open the door, Gabi." Dana told me as I walked into the foyer.

I opened the door and saw a man holding a huge vase of pink and coral roses. I smiled as I leaned against the door frame.

"Is there a Gabriella Montez here?" The man asked as I grinned in response.

"I'm Gabriella Montez." I told him as he handed me the roses.

"There's a note in the middle of the roses. Enjoy." The man told me as I gently closed the door.

I placed the roses down on top of the piano and quickly found the note. I gently opened it and looked inside. I smiled as I read the words.

Gabriella,

We've been going out for 3 years now. I know we just celebrated our anniversary but I would like to take you out on a special date, just the two of us. Would you do me the honor and go out with me tomorrow night at 6 in the evening?

Your loving boyfriend,

Troy

I turned around and saw Troy grinning at me. I ran and quickly jumped into his waiting arms. I kissed him reply.

"Yes I will go out with you tomorrow night. What's the dress code?" I asked him.

"Your dress will be delivered to you tomorrow morning. You can have the girls get you ready if you would like. I'll come to your room to pick you up at 6 tomorrow night." Troy told me.

"I love you, I really do." I told him kissing him again.

"Now come on or we'll be late." Troy told me as we both walked out the door.


The next chapter is the chapter you'll been waiting for. The engagement will be in the next chapter! Feedback and reviews are appreciated, welcomed, and wanted!