Floor 6
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So...I'm getting super busy with classes as well as working to get my original work published (essays and poetry), which means updates will sadly be less frequent. I just got my first acceptance letter, so yay:) And I'm working on a Neighbors fanfiction about Teddy (Zac) and Pete (Dave). However, I will try my hardest to get a chapter up at least monthly.
And just something to share with you all: Zac, Dave, and McLovin replied to my Twitter question via live chat on March 8! It was honestly the best day of my life. Zac smiled whenever they mentioned my name and him and Dave seemed to think it was cute I had ZefronsAngel as a username:)
...
Knock, knock.
Taking a deep breath, Gabriella ran a comb through her hair one final time and rushed to open the door. After hours of hard work, she had gotten the apartment ready for the dinner date, complete with a small table and two chairs that had been borrowed from the couple in the neighboring room. "Hey, babe."
"Well hello to you, too, gorgeous," smiled Dave. He was dressed in a button down shirt and a pair of nice jeans. His hair was slicked back and parted on the side, neatly framing his features. In his hand, he carried a tall bouquet of roses.
"Come on in." She held the door as he stepped into the small room, a knot tightening in her stomach at the thought of what impressions were going through his head.
"These are for you," he said once they were shut inside the apartment. Planting a kiss on her cheek, he handed her the bouquet.
"They're beautiful!" She pecked his lips. "Thank you so much. Let me go grab a glass of water for them." Clutching the flowers in her fist, she rushed toward the kitchen, where she filled a cup with water and placed them in it. When she returned to set them on the table, she saw Dave looking about the living room.
"Your roommate is gone?"
She nodded. "Yup. I asked if I could have the apartment to myself for the night, so..."
"For the whole night?"
"Yeah."
"Well, Brad gave me a few condoms if we need them."
"Oh, no, Dave. Nothing like that. Please. I...I'm not ready." She fingered her necklace and shied away from his gaze. It had taken her two weeks to get over Troy catching a glimpse of her when she was topless. How much more awkward and embarrassing would it be to have her boyfriend, whom she strived to please, see and touch her? She had seen more of the fraternity brothers' girlfriends than she could ever have imagined - enough to know that her body could be considered awkward compared to theirs. Not to mention, her father would kill her if he found out she was giving herself to guys outside of marriage.
"That's okay. We can keep it clean tonight." He shrugged.
She chewed her lip, not knowing what to say next.
"We can watch a movie or something after we eat. Or just chill. It's all up to you. I mean, it's your house."
"Okay. Well, I'm gonna go get the stuff out of the oven. You can sit down a while if you want." She turned to walk back into the kitchen.
"What are we having?"
"You'll see." After grabbing a pair of pot holders, she pulled a pan of tilapia from the oven, then reached in again to retrieve the garlic bread she'd prepared. Once the food had cooled a bit, she carried to the table, at which her boyfriend had settled into a seat.
"Tilapia. My favorite," he remarked as he looked over the meal.
She giggled and touched the charm about her neck. "Well, dig in."
Dave filled his plate and began to eat. "This is good, Bella." He paused. "Wait, can I call you that?"
Fidgeting, she hesitated. Bella had been the name of her bully throughout junior high and high school. She'd always called Gabriella a prude for being single, and christened her with the horrible nicknames of "Goody Gabi" and "pancakes," the latter being a pun regarding her small chest. She really didn't think she'd be able to bear being called after such a person; the mere sound of the name made her cringe.
"No," she replied evenly. "I...I don't like it." She paused. She could tell him to call her Brie, but that'd slowly become Troy's nickname for her. Her family used it occasionally, but Troy had taken it up as his trademark. It would be weird if someone else called her that on a daily basis. "Uh...I prefer Gabi."
"Let me try that again: This is good, Gabi."
"Of course it is. I made it." Smirking, she took some food for herself and dug in. Tilapia wasn't too appealing to her, but she'd suffer through it for the evening.
Dave chuckled and nodded in agreement. "You are a cooking genius."
"Thank you, babe."
The meal went on with a few words of conversation here and there. It felt strange being alone with him. Yes, he'd taken her on dates that were just the two of them, but they had been out in public. The only times they'd truly been alone together had been during car rides, all of which only lasted fifteen minutes tops.
"So...what are we doing now?" Leaning back in his chair, Dave scanned the room.
"Let me get this crap cleared off the table." Gabriella stood up and started to clear the dishes, which had been borrowed from Kelsi due to the fact that she and Troy only had paper plates. Once she finished, she wiped down the plastic tablecloth and plopped onto the couch.
"Who's Troy?" he asked as he joined her, taking notice of the name on the stray paper lying on the coffee table.
Fuck. "It's my roommate's boyfriend. He was here doing homework with her and I guess he left it lying here."
"Oh."
"So, want me to put a movie in?"
"Sure. Got any action movies? Dark Knight Rises or Avatar would be great."
"I think I have Dark Knight Rises." She made her way over to the TV and shuffled through the cardboard box underneath it that held the small library of DVDs she and Troy possessed. Upon finding the requested one, she pulled it out and set it up to play. "Want any dessert while we watch this?"
"Later. I'm stuffed for now."
"Sounds good." Kicking off her shoes, she climbed back onto the couch and cuddled into her boyfriend's side. A smile crept across her face as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and chastely kissed her neck.
"You know, it's awesome you're into action movies. It's rare to find a girl like that."
She forced a smile. She wasn't actually the one who liked them - Troy did. "I can be a bit of a tomboy sometimes."
"But you still look like a girl. And you smell like one, too." He buried his nose in her hair.
"I guess I'll take that as a compliment." Chewing her lip, she adjusted her dress. "By the way, do you mind if I get into some pajamas? I wanna feel comfy."
"No problem. Go ahead."
She made her way over to her dresser, where she selected a silky nightdress along with a pair of matching leggings. A hoodie and fuzzy pajama pants would've been her first choice, but since Dave was over, she felt she should make an effort to not look like a bum.
"Damn, that's hot." The remark met her as she walked out of the bathroom.
Smiling at her boyfriend's approving words, she curled back up on the couch, where she laid her head in his lap and allowed him to caress her curls.
"You want me to stay the night or go home after the movie?" he asked after a long bridge of silence.
"It's up to you." She yawned. "I'm getting sleepy myself, so I'll probably crash sooner or later. It's your choice if you wanna stay with me or leave."
"Maybe I'll stay." He played with the strap of her bra, which had shifted out from under the sleeveless nightdress.
"Babe, please don't touch that."
"Sorry. I just find it kind of sexy that I can see your lingerie." He placed a hand on her thigh. "If you don't mind me asking, what's your bra size? I was thinking maybe you were a C cup or maybe even a D."
Her cheeks turned red. How the hell could that be his guess? She was practically flat. "Well, if you really must know...I'm smaller than that. That's all I'm gonna tell you, though."
"Kiss me, babe."
Sitting up, Gabriella straddled his waist and leaned in, allowing him to capture her lips in a tight lock. As his tongue tangled with hers, she ran her hands through his hair, letting out a satisfied moan at the feeling of his teeth gently biting her lower lip.
"You are perfect." His hands traveled up her nightdress. "Could I have a peek?"
Suddenly, she backed away. "No. I'm not comfortable with it." Her arms folded across her chest.
"Gabi. Listen here, beautiful. I really want to be with you, but I'm a guy. A frat guy. I thrive on making out, grinding, and groping. Not to mention that I'm required to get laid before Christmas break." He sighed.
"What do you mean by 'required?'" She raised her eyebrows.
"I mean, Brad will kick me out if I don't do it."
Looking down, she chewed on her lip. "I...I'm sorry. But I can't give my body to you just like that. Not until we've at least been together for a year...preferably more."
"Hey, it's okay. It's cool." He pulled her close to him. "I can lie. Maybe just jerk off in a condom and say I did it with a girl. I mean, he's not gonna ask me to film myself doing it or anything."
"I'm sorry again, babe," she offered, not fully convinced that he didn't mind her prude morals.
"Don't be. I care about you more than them. In fact, I'm kind of nervous about this whole sex thing. But I just thought I'd bring it up in case you wanted to try it or something."
"Not now."
"I know. And I respect that answer. To be honest, I don't know I'm ready, either. I actually did do it in my senior year of high school, but it was the girl's first time as well, so it was awkward and not good at all." He shook his head.
"Well, I'm a virgin."
"But when the time comes for us to do it, it won't be awkward. Cause you're gonna tell me when you're ready. That girl and I just did it for the heck of doing it."
"Like a one night stand thing?"
"Yeah, sort of. Well, it was actually partially a dare, but...long story short, it was awful."
"Oh." She nodded slowly. "Well, I'm gonna go up and lay in my bed. You can come if you want."
"Alright. Let's go, then." Dave stripped down to his boxers, then followed Gabriella up the stairs to the loft.
Yawning, she crawled over to Troy's bed and grabbed a pillow, then settled down under her own covers and hugged her bear. "Good night."
"No kiss?"
"Fine." She pretended to be angry as she rolled over and pecked his lips. "You happy now?"
"I'd be more happy if you came and slept on my chest, but..."
"I like having my space." She clutched her bear closer and pulled her phone from beneath the mattress to see she had gotten a text from Troy. Night, little sis:P
Good-night to you, too:P she replied with a smile. She had enjoyed getting to bond more with Dave, but at the same time, she wished her roommate was there instead. After the hectic preparations, an awkward conversation about intimacy, and accepting the fact she had to go to bed in a bra and chilly nightclothes, she decided that she would rather have an evening in with cozy pajamas and junk food. Not to mention, she liked having Troy there to chat with as she fell asleep, whether they were lying beside each other or in their own beds. She missed how he'd tease her, then she'd slap him. She missed how he'd sporadically wrap his arm around her for no reason at all. She missed their movie nights where they'd get comfy on one of the mattresses and eat ice cream and pizza whilst enjoying platonic cuddling.
Yes, having a guy friend was what she really enjoyed. No need to impress, no need to worry about sex and making out - all that she needed to do was be her true crazy self. Maybe she really wasn't ready for a boyfriend after all.
...
The next morning, Gabriella awoke to the sound of the door slowly opening. Automatically assuming it was Dave leaving, she rolled over to claim the rest of her pillows, only to run into the man in question.
"Brie?"
Oh shit, it's Troy.
"Brie, I-"
"Shhh." She held a finger to her lips as she descended the stairs.
"What the hell are you wearing?"
"My sexy nightclothes. I'm not always a lazy bum." Rolling her eyes, she crossed her arms over her chest. "What are you doing here? I thought you were staying for the rest of the night."
"It's nine o' clock. My boss said I don't have to come to work till twelve today, so I figured I'd come here for a while. I thought you'd be up getting yourself ready for your job."
"He's still here."
"What?"
"Dave. He's still here."
The pair froze as a creaking noise sounded from the loft.
"So should I leave?"
"Yes! Gosh dammit, Troy, he doesn't know about you yet. I kind of lied and-"
"Babe?" That was Dave.
Gabriella looked up to see her boyfriend lifting his head.
"You didn't...you didn't fuck her, did you?" Troy blurted out, evidentially being misled by the fact that Dave was in boxers.
"Who the fuck are you? Gabi, what's going on?" Dave rubbed his eyes.
"He didn't fuck me, Troy. And Dave...I...I..."
"Troy? You told me that was your roommate's boyfriend. What's going on here?" He joined Troy and Gabriella on the floor, quickly pulling on his clothes as he did so.
"I...I..."
"You lied." Dave's voice was cold. "Now who is this?"
"My...my brother," she stammered.
"What do you mean? You said your brother's name was Alex."
She bit her lip.
"You're living with this guy, aren't you?"
"Yes," she finally spoke. "His name is Troy Bolton, he's my roommate, and I lied to you because I didn't wanna sound like a whore." Tears threatened to fall from her eyes.
"I don't like this." Dave shook his head. "I trusted you, I treat you the best I possibly can, then you go and toss lies on me like it's no big deal."
"I'm sorry!" She felt Troy's hand touch her back.
"She's really a great girl," Troy interjected. "It's just that this is her first relationship and she's kind of getting used to how things work. If I were you, I would give her another chance."
"But I've been lied to. And how can I trust a girl who lives in this tiny place with another guy?"
"It's just to share rent. There was no one else available. I-"
"You could've stayed in a dorm, joined a sorority, lived by yourself, or, I don't know, just told me about this from the start? I'm very disappointed."
"Do you guys need to be alone? I can step out if you want." Troy rubbed the back of his neck.
"Yes, that would be great." Dave folded his arms over his chest. Once Troy exited the room, he said, "Gabi, I can't do this. I'm not gonna tolerate being walked over and lied to. If you can't even give me a simple piece of information, then how am I supposed to trust you?"
"I know, I made a mistake, and I'm sorry." Her gaze shifted to the floor.
"Sorry isn't good enough."
"Well, it's all I have to offer." She looked up at him. Pain was written across his features. His fingers were balled together into tight fists and his teeth were clenched.
"I can't. Gabriella, this is it. I'm breaking up with you."