A/N High School Musical Settings and Characters all belong to Kenny Ortega and Disney. Any original characters and this story are copyright © 2011-2018 to Hopelessromanticgurl, all rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.
A/N Camp Rock Settings and Characters all belong to Matthew Diamond and the Disney. Any original characters and this story are copyright © 2011-2018 to Hopelessromanticgurl, all rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.
The next morning she woke up to smell of pancakes. She went into the kitchen and saw Mitchie at the table eating. Steve was making more pancakes.
"Good morning. I'm making pancakes. Would you like some?" Steve asked.
"Yes please." Gabriella said softly. So far so good.
She went and sat down with Mitchie.
Steve set down a plate full of pancakes. Gabriella added some syrup and started to eat slowly.
"What would you girls like to do today?"
"I'm good with just staying inside today." Mitchie said. "But if you guys want to go out somewhere that's fine with me too."
"Gabriella?" Steve asked as he sat down.
Gabriella shrugged. "I'm good with anything."
"We if there isn't a place you girls need to go or anywhere you want to go lets just stay inside." Steve said. He grabbed the syrup and poured some on his pancakes. As he went to set it down it stuck to his hand. "What the..."
Mitchie and Gabriella broke out into giggles.
"It's stuck to my hand." Steve said. He finally got his hand free and then scratched his nose smearing syrup all over his nose.
The girls giggled harder.
"What is so funny?" Steve asked. "Do I have something on my face?" He started wiping at his face smearing more syrup all over his face.
Mitchie and Gabriella couldn't stop laughing.
"Daddy you have syrup all over your face." Mitchie giggled.
Steve chuckled. "Oh. Sorry." He used his napkin and wiped his face clean.
"You're so silly, Daddy." Mitchie giggled.
"Thank you." Steve smiled.
Gabriella smiled. Steve was actually a pretty funny guy.
After they ate and helped clean up Gabriella went to take a shower and get dressed. As she came out she heard Mitchie laughing. She smiled and followed the sound into the living room. She gasped at the sight. Mitchie was on the ground while Steve hovered over her tickling her.
Gabriella suddenly felt scared again. Even if he was just tickling her she didn't want him hovering over her like that. She wasn't even sure she was ready for him to touch her in anyway that wasn't a requested hug.
"Gabriella."
Gabriella shook the thought from her head. She realized Steve had stopped and both he and Mitchie were looking at her.
"Come play. It's fun." Mitchie said.
Gabriella shook her head and turned around running away.
She made it to her room and closed the door panting trying to calm her racing heart. There was a knock at the door making her jump.
"Gabriella it's me. Are you ok? Do you want me to call Troy?" Steve asked.
"No." Gabriella answered.
"Can I come in?"
Gabriella opened the door.
"Are you ok?" Steve asked.
Gabriella nodded.
"What happen?"
"Please don't touch me." Gabriella whimpered.
Steve sighed softly. "I would never touch you unless I asked first. Did it scare you to see me tickling Mitchie?"
Gabriella nodded. "I'm not ready to play like that."
"That's 100% ok. I only do it because Mitchie asks me to. If you don't want me to do that with you I won't."
"Really?"
"I promise. I understand everyone has their limits and I'm slowly learning yours. I know my wife and 1 of my daughters. It's going to take time before I learn yours."
Gabriella nodded. "Thank you."
"Thank you for being open and honest with me. Can I give you a hug?"
Gabriella nodded. Steve gave her a gentle hug. Then pulled away. "I'll let you be, when you're ready come back out to the living room. I promise you won't have to do anything you don't want to."
"Thank you." Gabriella nodded and Steve walked away. Gabriella let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in.
After taking a few calming breaths she went back out. Steve and Mitchie had gone back to tickling. They looked at her as she entered. She put her hands up in defense. "I just want to watch if that's ok?"
"Sure, you're welcome to join whenever you feel comfortable." Steve said.
Gabriella nodded.
Mitchie screamed in giggled as her father resumed tickling her. He lifted up one of her arms and tickled her armpit making Mitchie scream in giggles again. Then Gabriella watched carefully. It wasn't that she enjoyed watching Mitchie be tickled tortured, but she was watching to see how Steve was with her. Did he pin her down and not let her up until she cried and begged for mercy? Did he hurt her and say she was just too weak? Did he continue to torture her even after she begged for him to stop? Did he look her in the eyes and yell insults into her face?
Suddenly Steve stopped. Mitchie sat up and smiled widely. "Your turn Daddy." Mitchie wiggled her fingers in his face.
Gabriella was surprised. She had never known that you could attack back. They take turns tickling each other? After Mitchie got her revenge and tickled him he turned the tables and tickled her again.
"Stop, daddy!" She giggled.
Just like that he stopped.
"You stopped." Gabriella said out loud.
"Of course. It's a family rule stop means stop." Steve said.
"No questions asked, just stop directly after its spoken not a second longer." Mitchie said.
"But..."
Steve shook his head. "No buts."
"Is it just a rule for tickling?" Gabriella asked.
"No, it's for everything, playful teasing, joking, anything or everything that happens that you don't like the word "stop" means stop no matter what." Steve said.
Gabriella nodded. "I like that rule."
"I do too." Mitchie said.
"Me three." Steve said.
The girls giggled. Slowly but surly Gabriella was getting comfortable and starting to trust Steve.
"Ready for a break, Kiddo?" Steve asked Mitchie.
"Yeah, can we do music?"
"Sure, I'll grab our guitars." Steve left the room.
"You guys do music?" Gabriella asked.
"Of course. Both my parents have great voices."
"That must be where you get yours."
Mitchie nodded. "It's a lot of fun. My dad and I just fool around and sing silly songs and make up silly lyrics. We do more laughing than singing."
"Sounds fun. I can't play the guitar."
"You don't have to. Like my dad said you can join in whenever you're comfortable. Otherwise you're welcome to watch as long as you want."
Gabriella nodded. "Can I sing if I know the song."
"Sure."
Gabriella smiled. Her father never supported her music or singing. He said it was a waste of time and she sung terribly. She was starting to see just how different Steve and Axel really were.
Steve returned and handed Mitchie's guitar to her.
They sat down on the couch. "What shall we sing first?"
"Why don't you pick a song for us to sing, Gabriella?" Mitchie suggested.
"Oh...um...I don't know." Gabriella shrugged shyly.
"What about a song from that chilly movie. With all the snow and the two sisters?" Steve said. "What's the name of it again...Frostbite!"
The girls laughed.
"Daddy it's called "Frozen."" Mitchie said.
"Oh right, right. Frozen. I knew that."
Gabriella giggled with Mitchie. Then she looked to Mitchie. "Hey Mitchie?"
"Yeah?"
Gabriella smirked. "Do you want to build a snowman!"
Mitchie burst into giggles and said "come on let's go and play."
"I never see you anymore, come out the door, it's like you've gone away!"
"We used to be best buddies! Now we're not. I wish you would tell me why!"
"Do you want to build a snowman? It doesn't have to be a snowman."
"Go away Anna."
"Ok bye."
The girls giggled but then Gabriella wipes a tear from her eye.
"Please tell me those are tears of laughter." Mitchie said.
Gabriella shook her head as more tears started to come. She sniffed softly.
"What's going on? Why are you crying?" Mitchie asked.
"I just remembered something about when I was with Axel." Gabriella answered. "When I was little and I used to ask him to play with me he'd say no and tell me to go away and say I was annoying."
Mitchie hugged her. "He doesn't deserve a daughter as good as you."
"You're away from him now. You will never be told to go away or lied to that you're annoying. Not in the house. Not by Mitchie, Connie or myself." Steve said.
Gabriella nodded. "Thank you." She wiped her eyes.
"Gabriella would you like me to teach you to play the guitar?" Steve asked.
Gabriella nodded. "I always wanted to learn. Axel never taught me and my mom didn't support my music dreams."
"I'd love to teach you." Steve said. He handed Gabriella his own guitar.
Gabriella took it but looked to him cluelessly.
Steve chuckled. "Use your right hand over the sound hole and you're left hand on top. He tried to show where to put her fingers but she wasn't getting it.
Steve sighed softly. "May I show you? I'd need to touch your fingers to do that. You can say stop whenever you want and I'll stop right away."
"No matter what?"
"No matter what."
Gabriella inhaled and exhaled a deep breath and nodded. "O-ok."
Steve gently took her fingers and moved them to the right places. His touch was soft and gentle almost like he was handling a newborn infant. Nothing like her fathers which was rough and hard and hurtful.
Gabriella got the hang of it pretty quickly. She was a fast learner and by the end of the afternoon she was able to play an entire song by herself.
"You're doing great! I'm very proud. You can keep practicing if you want but I've got to get dinner started."
"Oh...but..."
Steve smiled. "I'm enjoying spending time with you too. You're welcome to help me cook if you want to . Connie has worked hard all day it isn't fair to make her come home and then cook too."
Gabriella sighed. "You're so different. He'd never make dinner, even after Mommy worked hard all day."
Steve knelt down in front of her and took her hands in his. "I'm going to spend as long as it takes for you to see that I am not like Axel. I never have been like Axel and I never will be like Axel. I will never hurt you or the other two women in in my life."
Gabriella nodded.
"Now like I said you're welcome to come help me cook if you want or you can do whatever you want. The choice is yours."
"I like this...you teaching me and encouraging me. Axel never did that."
"I'll tell you what, how about every day after dinner you and I can take some time alone and I'll continue to teach you how to play. Sound good?"
"Does it have to be alone? I'm still not ready for..."
Steve shook his head. "Connie and or Mitchie are welcome to join us. But it's up to you. I just want you to feel comfortable."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." Steve let go of her hands and stood up walking off into the kitchen. It was then Gabriella noticed Mitchie had left them alone to bond. She couldn't help but feel grateful for that. Gabriella was surprised by how fast she was starting to trust Steve, but she couldn't help it.
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