Chapter 8

"It's a little bit funny, this feeling inside. I'm not one of those who can easily hide," Gabriella sang softly as she stirred fruit into a bowl of yogurt. She was unaware of the presence in the doorway as she continued, "I've not got much money, but boy if I did. I'd buy a big house where be both could live."

Another singing voice interrupted, "And you could tell everybody my daughter's in love," Elena Montez offered her daughter a grin.

"Those aren't the words; and you scared me to death."She scooped a spoonful of her snack into her mouth before staring pointedly at her mother.

"You look very much alive to me, Gabriella. How was your date last night?" Elena sat down beside Gabriella, brushing a few curls out of her pretty daughter's face. "You practically floated up to your room last night. I didn't have a chance to pry."

"Mom," Gabriella began very diplomatically. Something, Elena Montez noticed, Gabriella got from her father. "It isn't really that big a deal. We just went to dinner."

"Well, it is a shame that I find my only daughter's first date to be more important than she does."

"Mom, really," Gabriella looked at her with doe-eyes that told Elena more than she needed to know, "we didn't do anything special. We just ate and talked. It was nice to just be with him, though. He kissed me, and he asked me if I was happy. I don't think anyone has ever asked me that." She looked up at her mother almost bashfully. "I really like him."

Elena looked into Gabriella's eyes, and the emotion she saw there scared her. It was an emotion that could quite possibly lead to heartache. She patted Gabriella's hand, "I'm glad you've found someone who makes you happy, mi hija. But I want you to take it slow. Get to know each other. I have no doubt in my mind that you mean just as much to Troy as he means to you, but, honey, you don't even know his middle name yet. You don't know if he has allergies, or anything. Get to know each other."

With that, she kissed Gabriella on the forehead and left the room.

Gabriella was left sitting with her own thoughts. Thoughts that told her Troy's middle name was Jack, and he was allergic to hornets. She'd learned this all in the same day.

It was a rare thing that Gabriella Montez be invited to a birthday party. It was even more rare that she would attend. However, being nine years old meant that you were fairly powerless when it came to the will of adults; and as it was, Gabriella's mother insisted she attend. Silently, she cursed herself for forgetting to throw that invitation away before handing her mother her backpack.

So here she was, amongst a sea of children who disliked her. Her mother had handed her a gift for the birthday boy and kissed her cheek before promising to return in a couple of hours. As of ten seconds ago she was content to stand in the foyer of the Bolton house, but that was before a woman with a shock of red hair had escorted her to the backyard, telling her that all of her friends would be waiting. Gabriella had fought the urge to roll her eyes. What friends.

"Troy Jack Bolton," Gabriella looked up at the woman with red hair. She was standing with her hand on her hip and a stern look on her face. "Stay away from that tree house. Your father has not gotten rid of the hornet's nest yet."

"Okay, Mama," a newly ten-year-old Troy yelled back.

Troy's mother directed her attention back to the little girl. She smoothed her hand down the back of Gabriella's curly hair, much the way Gabriella's own mother did, before speaking again, "Go play, sweetie. I'll put Troy's gift with the others."

Gabriella nodded like the obedient child she was before walking forward.

"Awhh!" She heard Sharpay Evans yell, "Who invited her? Gabriella doesn't have any friends."

Gabriella bit back the tears before responding, "I would rather have no friends than pretentious or fraudulent friends."

"Oh god. Here she goes with all of those nerdy words."

"Just because you lack the intellect to comprehend specific words does not make them nerdy."

"Gabriella, please," Sharpay placed a dramatic hand to her forehead, "you are giving me a headache. Can you just go read the instruction manuals to all of Troy's new toys or something? We would rather not have you here."

Gabriella huffed and stormed over to Troy's play set...on the other side of the yard. "Well, I'd rather not be her too," she mumbled to herself.

Gabriella had just calculated how high she could swing and still jump without seriously injuring herself when she her lots of chatter all at once. She slowed her swing and looked around before identifying the direction of the commotion. Every single child was gathered around the base of Troy Bolton's tree house.

Despite her current dislike for everyone in attendance, she ran over too, only to be met by a frightening site. In the middle of the children lay the birthday boy. He was wheezing and his eyes were swollen. Without thinking, Gabriella pushed everyone out of the way.

"What happened?" She knelt beside him, touching her small hand to his cheek.

Chad spoke, "We came over to get the basketball. I think a hornet stung him."

Gabriella felt her heart stop seconds before her body and brain began working in overtime. She ran into the house, "Mrs. Bolton! Mrs. Bolton!" She yelled louder than she ever had in her life. "Call 9-1-1! Please! Mrs. Bolton!" She looked around frantically for Troy's mother. As if on cue she appeared, looking frightened out of her mind.

Before she could speak, words came spilling out of Gabriella's mouth, "He was stung by a hornet. He's in anaphylactic shock. Call 9-1-1!"

The rest of the party was a blur of parents and sirens and waiting. It wasn't until Gabriella was crying in her father's arms that she realized how badly this party could have ended.

Later that night, as Antonio and Elena both kissed and reassured their scared daughter, they got a phone call from Mrs. Bolton. She doted upon Gabriella's bravery and intelligence before bursting into tears of how grateful she was.

Xxx

"My gift is my song, and this one's for you," Troy sang along to his iPod as he lay on his bed. "And you can tell everybody that this is your song. I hope you don't mind. I hope you don't mind that I put down in words, how wonderful life is while you're in the world." His song and thoughts were broken by his mother's voice from downstairs.

"Dinner time, boys."

Troy paused the song, and walked downstairs still humming. He sat at the table, not aware of the glances his parents were giving one another.

"Is our son humming love songs?" Jack Bolton asked his wife, sending her a grin.

"Why, yes. I think he is. I take it your date went well last night," Heather Bolton said, not leaving room for a question.

Troy shrugged, "Yeah, Ma, it went well. She's really sweet. I want you guys to meet her eventually. But not yet," he made sure to clarify.

"What's her name, son? Do we know her?" Jack asked, taking a mouthful of the shepherd's pie in front of him.

"Oh, Jack, that's disgusting. Chew your food before speaking, please. No wonder Troy doesn't want to invite her over yet. He wants to civilize you first."

"Yes, dear," Jack responded teasingly, "Well, Troy, who is this girl that has you singing love songs?"

He scratched the back of his neck, catching the wisps of his golden hair between his fingers as he did so, "Her name is Gabriella. She fell once in gym, Dad. You had me take her to the nurse."

Before Jack Bolton could respond, Heather began frantically waving her arms and slapping the table.

"And she said I was the uncivilized one," Jack whispered to his son as he jabbed a thumb in his wife's direction.

Heather gave them both a pointed stare before speaking, "You," she pointed to her husband, "can shush it; and you," she pointed to Troy, "need to invite this girl over. Oh, Troy, she's the little girl who saved your life."

Troy was beyond confused. The bewilderment of his face must have been effective enough cue for Heather Bolton to continue speaking, because before Troy could ask a single question she was speaking again.

"Honey, don't you remember when Troy had to go to the hospital for that hornet sting? He was ten-years-old. It was at his party."

"I do remember that."

"Well, the little girl who came running into the house to find me was Gabriella Montez. At first I had no idea what was going on. She was bawling her eyes out and yelling about 9-1-1. Then, she told me someone was in anaphylactic shock. She saved you, Troy."

Troy smirked and thoughts of the beautiful girl flooded his mind, "Just like Gabriella to know what anaphylactic shock was when she was nine." He said it more to himself than his parents, but they noted the smile on his face.

Xxx

"I got some interesting news this weekend," Gabriella turned from her locker to see a teddy bear talking to her. Curiously, said bear had the voice of one Troy Bolton. She reached out for the stuffed animal before grinning at the sweet boy behind it.

"Thank you," she snuggled the bear a bit before looking up at her blue-eyed boy. He had pressed Gabriella gently against her locker, leaning close to her. His forearm lay next to her head, giving him leverage enough to stand close without crushing her.

"You smell amazing," he sighed as Gabriella pulled him that much closer.

She blushed but didn't respond. Instead her fingers drew lazy patterns on his chest. Looking up at him, she finally asked, "what news would that be?"

"That you," he paused to rub his nose against hers, "saved my life on my tenth birthday."

"I wouldn't say I saved your life, Troy. I just told your mom what was happening."

"How did you know that's the day I was talking about?"

"I was thinking about it recently. I was just remembering yours was one of the rare birthday parties I was invited to and actually attended."

Y'know, I don't even remember that day," Troy confessed as he wrapped one of Gabriella's curls around his finger. "I just remember that Ma let me eat cake for lunch the day after she brought me home from the hospital."

He pressed a slow kiss to her cheek, "I do, however, know that you are beyond amazing." They laced their fingers together and without another word they began walking, both understanding exactly where they would end up.

Xxx

"I love it up here," Gabriella sighed, still happily clinging to Troy's hand. She marveled at how large his hand was and how small hers was, yet they seemed to fit perfectly.

"I have something for you."

"Troy, you already gave me the teddy bear. You're going to spoil me," then she became serious. She detached her hand from his in favor of caressing his cheek, "I don't want you to think you have to buy me gifts. Being here with you is gift enough."

Troy kissed her then. He couldn't help it. It was as if she always knew the right words, the right way to make him fall more and more in love with her.

"I know," he pulled away slowly, his voice husky, his eyes watching her. "This one is really special, though. Let's sit down." He led her by the hand to the same bench they always sat on in their secret place. He kissed her knuckles, "If I were to ask you to be my official girlfriend, would you say yes?"

"Of course I would say yes. To be honest, I thought we were kind of already there," she blushed and couldn't quite meet his eyes.

"We are," he assured, "but I just wanted to make sure we were both there. I didn't know if you, like, needed a formal announcement or something."

"Not a formal announcement...just a little PDA," she joked.

"Ha ha ha. Well, I think I can do you one better." He held up a necklace for her to admire.

"T as in Troy?"

"Well, I...yeah."

"It's beautiful," her kiss was enough reassurance for Troy. He happily obliged her willingness to shower him in affection, and then he helped her put the necklace on.

"It suits you," he mumbled, bringing her closer.

"I'll keep it forever, Troy."

"As long as you keep me forever too."