Chapter 4

Troy had noticed the way Gabriella ignored him all week. He also noticed the sad look in her eyes. He didn't blame her for ignoring him or for looking so sad. It was entirely his fault. He had seriously messed up, and he didn't know how to fix it. All week, he had tried various approaches (feeble attempts to win just a smile). So far, he was getting nothing from her. She offered neither positive nor negative feedback. Every time he approached her she simply bit her inferior lip, contemplating his presence before walking away. He had punched a locker after one of these meetings. It wasn't that he was even slightly upset with Gabriella for not offering him something, some sort of acknowledgement. It was that he knew he was to blame. He hated himself for hurting her.

Gabriella had seen right through him. He had finally gained her trust, and then he threw it back into her face. He kept picturing her seconds before the kiss, so beautiful and so happy. He could hear her delighted giggles and see her curling hair as she twisted in her dress. Then, he saw her seconds after the kiss, lip quivering and eyes blurring with hot tears. He had hurt the one person in the world that he wanted to make happy. And to add insult to injury, stupidly he had suggested he marry her. He didn't even know her. She didn't know him. What were the chances that they would actually get married? Still, he had said it to make her happy. All he wanted to do was see her happy. There wasn't even a reason for why he wanted to see her happy. Perhaps it was selfish. When she was happy it made him happy. She exuded a light so breathtakingly beautiful when she smiled that sometimes he literally had to stop to catch his breath. That feeling was exhilarating, and she caused it simply by smiling. In some twisted way, in the depths of his mind, he had thought that maybe kissing her would make her happy. In the far regions of his brain he had wished and prayed that he could make that smile appear. He thought a kiss would do the trick. It seemed to make other girls happy, but then again, he had learned not to compare Gabriella to other girls.

Xxx

Troy had kissed numerous girls, none ever as important as Gabriella. Still, the outcome in every other instance had been particularly pleasant. Girls usually laughed and attached themselves to his lips, eager to accept his embrace. Troy had never made a girl cry, as far as he knew. Tears of joy were a possibility, but nothing else. The closest he had ever seen a girl to unhappy tears was freshman year. He remembered seeing the hurt in his ninth grade girlfriend's eyes when he told her, after a week of dating, that he thought they should part ways. She was a pretty blonde that Chad had encouraged him to date. At the time, he thought it was a great idea. Being fifteen, all thoughts were processed with the downstairs brain, located snugly between his legs. She was a leggy, and it was April, so more days than not she wore miniskirts. Naturally, the thought of dating a pretty girl sat well with Troy. It only took him a week to realize that it wasn't going to work, no matter how leggy and blonde she was. Her name was Heather, and she only spoke of celebrity gossip. Furthermore, she didn't want to do anything but sit in Troy's lap. He hadn't minded the first couple of days, but it soon became old when she plopped herself down right in the middle of an intense conversation about the Lakers. He dealt with her a few more days before the final blow.

Only looking back, did Troy realize what had led to his ultimate decision to end it with his hot girlfriend. On the day he broke up with her, he had attributed his decision to superficial conversation and unwanted displays of affection. He had explained to her that she deserved someone that was more suited to what she wanted out of a relationship. Her eyes had filled with tears and she sniffed pitifully, asking him what he meant. Kindly, Troy had kissed her cheek and told her that he was breaking up with her because one of his teammates really liked her; and he didn't feel right having her as his girlfriend when a close friend was so keen to her. The explanation seemed to pacify her, and Troy went on to supply her with a name. It was a lie, but maybe not entirely untrue. Jake really did like Heather…at least eventually.

In all truth, Troy's decision came down to the fact that he was getting tired of Heather, but that wasn't what prompted him to end the relationship. He probably would have dealt with her a bit longer if not for a certain pretty brunette. He knew that now. Imagining Gabriella's flushed cheeks atop the roof, he knew that she was the reason he had ended things. Just one glance at her in the hallway, books clutched in her arms and he knew Heather wasn't the girl for him. He had ended it with Heather because of the shy wave Gabriella had offered him one day when he was jogging past her house. She had been sitting on her front porch arranging flowers into bouquets with her mother. She had looked up just in time to see Troy trotting along the sidewalk. She gave a small smile whilst waving, only to drop her head back down to the flowers seconds later. Troy had waved back, but she didn't notice.

Xxx

Troy felt like kicking himself. He was in love with her. Despite his best efforts at attributing the infatuation to intrigue, he knew that was not the case. He had loved Gabriella since eighth grade. He was just too stupid to admit it. He didn't know why he loved her, or even how it had happened. All he knew was that he did. It was an accumulation of every single instance that forced the revelation. Taken in spurts, Troy could easily call his feelings lust and curiosity, but when pieced together, it created the most intricate puzzle of love he'd ever seen. It was like all thoughts, all instances of Gabriella came rushing back to him. Moments in grade school when he was too young to know what real love was. Moments like when he would pick out the best Batman Valentine card first, before scribbling Gabriella's name on it. Moments of picking her every time he was 'it' during the quiet game or handing her the best tambourine when it was his turn to hand out the instruments in music class. He remembered traveling to the park with his mother, instantly taken by the little girl in a yellow sundress.

In middle school, it was moments such as sitting next to her in the orthodontist's office, and choosing blue rubber bands each time, because she said they looked nice with his eyes. It was holding her hand, however briefly, when it was her turn to get her braces tightened; or the instance of sneaking into the girls' bathroom in seventh grade. After hearing crying from the hallway, attributing the cries to a single stall, he had commenced in giving her his hoodie and walking her to the main office, because she had become a woman just before third class began. All of the simple moments added up so quickly. What seemed insignificant was becoming quite important. Handing Gabriella a carton of chocolate milk as they headed through the lunch line was so much more than he had thought.

The little moments added up until the eighth grade, and then it had hit him like a ton of bricks. Love (BAM!). Despite the forceful hit, he had still been too young and oblivious to recognize that his feelings had developed into a genuine love for the shy brunette who liked to read during their fifteen minute water break.

The memories only seemed to build within Troy's mind. High school was so full of simple instances that he could barely stand how blind he had been. It was bumping into her in the hallway when he was late for practice. She had fallen backwards, books scattering everywhere. Troy could still picture her from that moment. Her hair was a black torrent, and during the fall her dress had ridden up her legs, giving Troy an advantageous view of her soft skin. He had helped her pick up her books, fingers touching and her hair brushing him every time they came close.

He recalled sitting with her in his dad's office, attending to her busted lip. The air had been so charged he could barely breathe. Their knees had touched and he had slid his thumb slowly over her injured lip. How had he not attributed this moment to love?

Xxx

"Montez," Coach Bolton called. Just hearing her name called startled Troy. He was trying hard to pay attention to whatever it was that Chad was saying, but all class he had been captivated by the not-so-coordinated Gabriella Montez, and now was a prime moment to watch her without anyone thinking anything of it. Chad needed to shut up.

"You're up. Dribble from half court and shoot a lay-up." Troy's father continued. He watched Gabriella take the ball into her hands apprehensively. He was glad she caught it. She dribbled the ball for a few seconds, staring down at it the whole time. Troy's gut twisted. She shouldn't do that. If she looked down she wouldn't know where she was going. This, Troy was sure, was going to end badly. After only a few seconds of dribbling and walking, he watched as Gabriella's feet twisted around one another, her gaze shifting from her entwining feet to the basket in front of her. She landed with an audible huff.

"Dude," Chad nudged him, "I think she may actually be better than Jason."

Troy chuckled along with Chad – just to humor him – all the while mentally kicking himself. She might be hurt and he was laughing.

Soon enough he heard his father calling him over, and instructing him to escort Gabriella to the nurse's office. Troy did as told, his fingers itching to touch her as they walked together.

"You okay?" He finally asked. Her only answer was a curt nod. Troy felt badly. She must be embarrassed.

Once they reached the nurse's office a make shift 'Out to Lunch' sign hung from the door knob.

He examined the frown on Gabriella's face. She licked her lip once, and Troy had to bite his own to stop the smile from spreading. Damn, she was cute.

"Don't worry," he offered, "Dad has a first aid kit back in his office. C'mon."

Troy noticed her hesitate before she began following him back in the direction of the gym.

Troy tried to still his shaking fingers as he dug through the kit. For some reason her presence was enough to unnerve him. She was sitting so close that he was sure he could hear her heart beating, or maybe that was his.

Finding what he needed in the little kit he scooted his chair closer to hers. It wasn't until their knees brushed that Troy realized he probably was as close as he could get. He tilted her chin upward. The warmth of her skin was enough to stop his shaking. She felt good in his hand.

"I have to clean it," his words began to mumble, "It's gonna sting."

"Okay," she whispered before squeezing her eyes closed. He was disappointed when she did this. Her eyes were beautiful to look at.

She let out a hiss as the alcohol from the cotton ball made contact with her split lip, "I'm sorry," Troy whispered before blowing a slow stream of air over her mouth. She seemed more at ease, despite the charged atmosphere. She was staring intently at him now.

"Feel better?"

"Yeah." She rasped, and Troy thought that the sound was so sexy he might need a cold shower. One word from the girl and he wanted to touch her in all sorts of inappropriate ways. He let go of her chin, a smart idea as his mind began to wander to dirty places. He took his time removing the cap from the Neosporin. He needed this time to gather his bearings. She was gorgeous, but he still needed to keep himself composed.

He brought her face back into his grasp and with the thumb of his opposite hand he rubbed the medicated gel over her plump lip.

"Try not to lick it," he instructed, when, in fact, that was all he wanted to do.

He spent numerous nights just thinking of Gabriella. Oh, he was so stupid.

All of these insignificant moments culminated into a love story that he was determined would not end with a kiss that induced tears. He was going to fix it if it took the rest of his life, because he loved Gabriella Montez, and he was determined not to lose her.