a/n - I don't own HSM at all, only the story! Enjoy the chapter and tell what you think about it! ;0)

Chapter 2;

Growing up

; 5 years later

Marina was preparing the kids lunch and Gabriella was eating her cereal in silence. The girl had a book with her, and she was reading it and giggling at the funniest parts while eating. Gabriella was such a great student and had really good grades at school. She learned reading at age 3, with Marina's help and since that, couldn't stay away from books. Every weekend they would go to a library and get her a book, Gabriella would read it by herself and then tell her family the story Sunday night. It was her special moment and she just loved it.

Troy walked in the kitchen, his backpack on one shoulder and his basketball on his arm.

"Mom, can I go to Chad's house after school today, please?" Troy asked her, getting his bowl of cereal and sitting next to Gabriella on the table.

"Did you finish your science project?" the mom asked him and he nodded, "Yes, dad helped me last night"

"Okay, then you can go to Chad's. I'll get both of you at school and drive you to his house."

Troy smiled, "Thanks mommy" he drank his orange juice, "What you're reading Ella?" he asked, trying to look at the cover of the book.

"The little Prince" she told him, finishing her cereal, "It's a very good story, Booboo"

"Don't call me that, Ella" he shook his head, "It's embarrassing"

Marina laughed and Ella looked at Troy, pouting, "But you're my Booboo, you always let me call you this"

Troy stood up, "I'm grown up now Ella, I don't like being your Booboo anymore"

Gabriella looked at him, "Why not?" she now looked at her mom, "Mama, Troy doesn't want me to call him Booboo anymore"

Marina faced her daughter, "If he doesn't want it, don't call him that, sweetie"

"But mama" she whined.

Troy shook his head, "You're always crying, you're such a baby Ella"

Gabriella pushed him, "No, I'm not"

"Yes you are" Troy told her, playing with his basketball.

"Kids, no arguing, or you're gonna get grounded" Marina warned them.

Troy stuck out his tongue and Gabriella cried even more, she snapped his basketball out of his hand and the ball rolled down the kitchen.

"My ball, Ella"

Gabriella wiped her tears away, "You're idiot Troy and I don't want you to be my Booboo anymore"

He shrugged his shoulders and got his ball back, "I really don't mind"

Gabriella ran upstairs to her room, shutting the door hard.

Marina shook her head, "You didn't need to be so mean at her, Troy"

He looked down, regretting, "I didn't want to, I just don't like being called Booboo"

"You could explain her why you don't like it; you know that Gabriella is crazy about you"

Troy sat down, "I'm sorry mommy"

"Its okay sweetie, why don't you go there and tell her you're sorry? You guys need to be at school in 30 minutes"

Troy nodded and walked upstairs slowly. He knocked on Gabriella's door and didn't get a reply so he decided to come in.

Gabriella was on her bed, holding her bunny, "I don't wanna be your friend anymore"

Troy walked in and sat on the edge of her bed, "I'm sorry Ella"

The little girl shook her head, "You're mean"

Troy grabbed Gabriella's hand and kissed it. "I'm sorry Ella, I won't be mean again"

She looked up, "You promise?"

He nodded and wiped her tears away, "But I don't like being called Booboo anymore, okay?"

Gabriella sighed, "Okay"

"So, we're still friends?" he asked her, worried.

Gabriella smiled back, gave him a kiss on the cheek and nodded, "Yes"

Troy jumped off the bed, relieved "Let's go to school"

They went downstairs and got their things on the kitchen, Gabriella her book and Troy his ball and went to school. When it was 2PM, Marina arrived at the school to pick up the three kids.

Chad and Troy talked about basketball all the way to Chad's house and Gabby looked really bored all the time. The boys asked if Troy could sleep over and Marina agreed.

"Can I go too, Troy?" Gabby asked when Troy was leaving the car.

He looked at Chad and then at her again, "Sorry Ella, just boys"

She looked disappointed, "Why?"

"Because we're gonna play basketball and videogames" he told her, patiently.

Ella smiled, "I play videogame too"

"But you're a girl, you don't play basketball" Chad told her.

"I'll ask mom if a girl can play too" she told them, excited.

"No Ella, you can't stay" Troy told her and shut the car's door abruptly.

Marina got in the car again after kissing Troy goodbye and started the engine.

"Mama, why Troy doesn't like me anymore?"

Marina looked back, staring at her upset daughter, "Troy loves you, honey"

Gabriella shook her head, "No he doesn't. He just wants to play basketball; he doesn't play with me anymore"

Marina caressed Gabriella's leg from the front seat, "It's just a phase baby, he'll play with you again soon"

"You think?"

Marina nodded, "I have an idea! What about an ice cream?"

Gabriella grinned, "Yesssssssssssss"

That night, Gabriella looked really sad during dinner.

"What's up Gabsy? You're not hungry?"

Gabriella rubbed her eyes, whining "I want Troy"

"Come on, Gab, he'll be home tomorrow afternoon" Jack told her and kissed her forehead.

"You know what?" Marina told her, "Why don't we call Troy to see if everything's okay?"

Gabby smiled, "I want it, mama"

Gabriella finished dinner quickly and sat on Jack's lap on the couch. Marina sat beside them, dialing the Danforth's number.

"Hello? Oh, hey Janet. Yes, is he behaving? (laughs) Good, can I talk to him?" Marina gave Gabriella a sympathetic smile, "He's coming"

Gabby clapped her hands and grinned. Jack laughed, "You're such a fan"

Marina laughed too, "She's Troy number 1 fan"

"Oh, hey baby. How's everything? Mm, we miss you. Yes, oh, Gabriella wants to talk to you too, okay, have a nice night and we'll see you tomorrow, Dad is saying hi too"

"He said hi back" Nina told Jack and he smiled, "Talk to him Gabby" she handed the phone to Gabriella.

"Hi Troy"

"Hey Ella"

(Silence)

"I'm finishing the Little Prince tonight" she finally spoke again.

"Cool Ella"

Marina Looked at Jack and they both laughed.

"Chad is calling me Ella"

"Okay, bye-bye Troy"

"Bye"

Gabriella hung up the phone and gave it back to Marina.

"That was it? You were missing him so much and you only said two things? Jack joked and Gabriella shrugged her shoulders.

"No problem, what about I finish reading your book for you tonight?" Jack asked her,

Gabriella smiled, "I'd like that, daddy"

"Okay, give mama a goodnight kiss then" Marina asked and Gabriella gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Going up" Jack stood up with Gabriella in his arms. He tickled her side a little bit and earned sweet giggles from the girl.

When Troy came home from school the other day with Jack, Gabriella wasn't home. He looked everywhere for her, he was missing his little sister too much and wanted to tell her about the great news. Marina and Ella arrived almost in time for dinner and again, Troy had no opportunity to talk to Gabriella because Jack sat down to do homework with them. After that, dinner was ready and the children ate in silence while Marina and Jack talked about the day they had.

"Kids, go brush your teeth and then straight to bed, alright?" Jack told them.

"Okay dad" they both replied;

Troy and Gabriella met on the bathroom and started brushing their teeth.

"I have great news for you Ella" he told her, brushing now his tongue.

She looked at him, "Which one?"

"Troy, Gabby, time to sleep, come on"

Jack took them do their own rooms, kissed them goodnight and left. Few minutes later Marina came over too and gave them a goodnight kiss as well. Troy waited till he heard his parents door shut and went really quietly to Gabriella's room.

He opened the door, "Ella, you're awake?"

The girl lifted her head up, "Troy?"

Troy closed the door and went to the girl's bed, lying down beside her; Gabriella smiled and covered up his body too.

"I missed you yesterday Ella" he told her, stroking her hair.

Gabriella grinned, "I missed you too Booboo, oops, sorry" she looked down.

Troy caressed her arm, "You can call me Booboo when we're alone"

"Can I?" she asked,

He nodded, "I have news Ella"

She looked at him, curiosity in her eyes, "Tell me"

"You remember Chad said you can't play with us because you're a girl?"

She nodded, sadly, "Yes, and girls don't play basketball"

Troy smiled, "Chad's sister is a cheerleader, Ella. She can play with boys because of it"

"What she does?"

Troy shrugged his shoulders, "I think she dances and kisses boys that play basketball"

"I don't wanna kiss anyone" Gabriella told him, with a EWW face.

Troy played with a lock of her hair, "You don't need to kiss anyone, only me if you want"

Gabriella nodded, agreeing "Okay"

"And if you are a cheerleader, we can play together always"

Gabriella smirked, "I want it"

"Tomorrow you tell mommy this then"

"I will" she closed her eyes, yawning "I love you Booboo"

Gabriella hugged Troy and he hugged her back, "Me too Ella" he closed his eyes too and let sleep control his body.

; Next day

"Mama, Papa" Gabriella screamed all the way downstairs and into the kitchen. The girl jumped on Jack Bolton's lap.

"Calm down, Gabsy" he told her, "What's the problem?"

She controlled her breath again, "I wanna be a cheerleader"

"Since when?" Marina asked and Gabriella thought about a second, "Since a few days ago" she smiled looking at her dad, pouting, "Can I be a cheerleader, papa?"

Jack smiled, "I don't know, you're too little Gabsy"

Gabriella crossed her arms in front of her body, "Troy will be a basketball player and I can't be a cheerleader"

Marina looked at her husband, "I guess she has a point there."

Jack Bolton nodded, "Okay, let's just put her in a dance class or something like this and she can be a cheerleader in a few years"

"But I want it now, daddy, just like Troy"

"Troy isn't a basketball player yet Gabby, he just plays because he likes it" Marina told her, stroking the girls hair.

"Ohh" she said. "Okay" and smiled.

Troy walked into the kitchen and sat on a chair, still sleepy. Gabriella quickly ran to him and said as a secret, "I'm going to be a cheerleader for you Booboo"

Troy smiled, "Did they agree?"

She nodded, and ran out of the kitchen. Troy followed her leaving Marina and Jack alone.

Marina looked to where the kids were a sec ago, "I get now why she wants to be a cheerleader"

"Why Nina?" Jack looked up,

"To stay closer to Troy" she replied.

Jack lifted his eyebrows, "You Think?" she nodded and smiled, I'm sure"

"I had no idea they would be such good friends when they first met"

"Neither do I"