A/N: Okay, thanks to Amanda Bridget who went through and reviewed every single chapter! You are ace! Sorry it has been so long since the last chapter I'm not sure what to do with the length of this story, whether to leave it at about 15 chapters or carry it on. I enjoy writing it but do people enjoy reading it? Please Review Izzy xx
Troy and Gabriella were sat in the park watching all the small children running around. Gabriella looked over at Troy and saw he was lost in thought. Lost in thoughts of Mia, she thought.
"Hey, Wildcat!" Gabriella shouted.
Troy jumped and came back to earth with a jolt.
"Sorry, zoned out for a minute. I was just thinking-"
"Oooh, did it hurt?" Asked Gabriella in mock concern.
"Very funny" Scoffed Troy, " As I was saying, I was just thinking about how nice it would be to be a child again. They all appear to be care free, so happy and not a care in the world. I don't think I'd like to go back too far, maybe around twelve or thirteen. How about you?"
Gabriella 's inside gave a lurch. She would certainly not like to go back to being twelve, that's for sure.
"I don't know. I quite like the age I am now." said Gabriella lying back on the grass.
Troy stood up and leaned over her. "Whether or not you like being the age you are now, for today we are going to let go and be young again. We are going to run, jump and have fun. We will squeal like ten year olds, laugh like twelve year olds and even cry like two year olds if we feel like it. How's that?"
Gabriella smiled; this was one of the many things she really loved about her best friend. He always knew the right thing to do to cheer her up.
"Sounds good to me" Gabriella smiled, accepting the hand Troy held out for her.
Troy pulled Gabriella up off the ground and she immediately pulled him back down, laughing.
"Oh that's not funny" Troy said, scrambling to his feet and chasing after Gabriella who had run off across the field. Gabriella ran past the kiddies play park, past the kiosk selling ice-cream and came to a holt by the edge of the kiddies paddling pool.
"Bad place to stop, missy" Said Troy running towards her arms outstretched.
"Oh yeah?" Gabriella asked stepping to the side just as Troy reached her. This caused Troy to fly past her, right into the pool of cold water.
Gabriella stood on the side of the pool watching her best friend struggle with the prospect of getting up. Every time he managed to clamber to his feet he would slip and fall back down again.
"I'm going to get you so wet, Montez" Said Troy when he'd finally managed to climb out of the pool.
"Oh yeah?" Asked Gabriella again, "You have to catch me first." And with that she began to run again.
Troy looked around for something to get Gabriella wet with. Then he spotted an old couple out for a walk. He had an idea.
"Excuse me?" He asked the old lady, who was carrying a water bottle. "I'm really thirsty and I was wondering if I could have a bit of water?"
The old lady, who had a bottle of water in each hand and at least three more visible in her wicker basket, looked at Troy as if he was mad.
"Okay" She said, uncertainly.
"Thank you, you're a life saver" Troy said, wringing her hand and giving the old couple the famous Bolton grin. That smile could melt even a heart of ice.
The couple watched the handsome boy jogging off down the field.
"Oh look, how sweet. That must be his girlfriend" Said the old lady to her husband. "He's giving her some water to- oh my lord. No he's not. He has just poured the whole bottle of water over that poor girl's head"
The old man laughed and took his wife by the arm. "Come on Ethel, they're probably just messing about."
"Of course Ernest" Said Ethel, smiling up at her husband.
Meanwhile Gabriella was spluttering with indignation as her best friend stood with his arms crossed in a gesture of triumph.
"How the hell did you sneak up so quietly?" Asked Gabriella. "I just bent down to tie my sneaker and you poured the bottle of water over me, just like that."
"It's one of my many talents" Said Troy slipping his arms around Gabriella's waist. "You know you love me" He beamed at her and Gabriella felt her heart melt. She just smiled.
"Okay, truce?" Gabriella asked and Troy nodded. "Do you want to get an ice cream? All that running tired me out and made me hot"
You don't need running to make you hot, thought Troy. Then he mentally shook himself. What was he thinking? This was his best friend he was thinking about. What about Mia? He liked Mia, a lot!
"What flavour?" Gabriella asked as they approached the kiosk.
Troy noticed that she was breathing heavier than normal and there was a slight wheeze on her chest.
"Gabriella do you have your inhaler? You're wheezing" Troy said.
"Yes – hang – on" Gabriella said, her breathing now even heavier and the wheeze even more prominent. Gabriella pulled her inhaler out and took it. Her breathing eased and she smiled again, "Now where were we? Oh yeah, ice cream. What flavour Troy?"
"Guess" Said Troy, grinning at Gabriella.
"Strawberry with peanut butter sauce?" Gabriella asked.
"Got it in one, your good Brie!" Troy said.
"I know" Said Gabriella to Troy, then noticing they were at the front of the queue she turned to the ice cream man (what are they called?) "Two large strawberry ice creams with peanut butter sauce please"
Gabriella vaguely recognised the boy behind the counter from her English class. He smiled flirtatiously at her, winking slightly. Gabriella smiled back, he was cute and Troy was with Mia.
"That's 4 please" He asked (I am English and so don't really know about dollars so sorry if that's a bit wrong!)
Gabriella handed over the money and took her ice creams and receipt, looking down she noticed something scrawled on the back of the receipt. It was the boys name and number, Dale.
"What's on that receipt?" Troy asked.
"Nothing" Gabriella said, hastily stuffing the receipt out of sight. She knew that Troy wouldn't approve, he was like that. "Wanna come back to mine and watch movies?"
"Yeah, love to" Said Troy, linking his arm through hers like a small child.
Forty minutes later the two seventeen year olds were snuggled up on the couch watching 'The Wild Thornberry's Movie'. It got to the song 'Father and Daughter' and Gabriella found herself welling up.
"You okay?" Troy whispered.
"Yeah" Said Gabriella, wiping her eyes.
"Good" Said Troy, stroking her hair.
When the movie ended Troy went to sit up but then noticed Gabriella was sound asleep, her head on his lap. He didn't want to disturb her so he left her. After a while he found his eyelids were becoming heavy and his mid was becoming fuzzy…
He was in school. But it was empty. No. Gabriella was on stage and she was singing, alone.
Kiss me
Beneath the milky twilight
Kiss me
Troy is running, running fast up the aisle, he's climbing on stage, he's sweeping Gabriella up in his arms, he's moving closer, their nose's are touching, any minute now…
"Troy? Are you awake honey?" A voice that is vaguely familiar drifts into his subconscious. He opened one eye to find Maria Montez bending over him.
"Hey" he mumbled sleepily.
"Sorry I didn't mean to wake you but I thought I'd let you know that I've phoned your mother and it's okay for you to stay here tonight, seeing as it's past eleven and I know you and Gabriella will be responsible. Can you carry Gabriella up to her room?"
"Yes, of course" Troy was shocked. It had been just past five when the movie had ended, so that meant he had been asleep for almost six hours.
"The guest room is being redecorated and the spare bedding is in the attic. Are you okay to share with Gabriella? I know you are both responsible young adults" Maria smiled. "Anyway, Gabs told me you have a girlfriend."
"Yes Mrs Montez, of course" Troy smiled, for some reason at the mention of sharing a bed with Gabriella his stomach had made a funny jolt.
"Night night then" Said Maria, as Troy carried Gabriella up the stairs.
Troy carefully pulled back the covers and led Gabriella in bed. He then went to the second draw down, knowing he would find a collection of his own clothes badly hidden beneath Gabriella's pyjamas.
"Mmmm" Gabriella stirred and looked around. "Troy?"
"I'm here" Troy said, coming out of the en-suite in nothing but a pair of basketball shorts.
Gabriella went from incredibly sleepy to wide awake in 0.1 of a second. The sight of Troy shirtless was enough to insight any girl from slumber. Those perfectly toned abs and that gorgeous six pack, enough to drive any female wild.
"What's going on?" She asked.
"Your mom woke me about ten minutes ago and told me I was staying here, the guest room was being redecorated and the spare bedding was in the loft, so therefore I'm in with you tonight" Said Troy, climbing in to bed and snuggling down next to Gabriella.
"Okay" Said Gabriella, snuggling into the boy of her dreams. If only we were like this due to love, thought Gabriella.
"You tired?" Asked Troy
"Not anymore" Said Gabriella, thinking of the gorgeously toned body she was snuggling up to.
"Me neither" Said Troy. "Wanna talk?"
"Yeah, how's Mia?" Said Gabriella, asking the question that was bound to come up one way or another.
"Fine" Said Troy "We kissed for the first time yesterday, hang on, no Thursday" Troy said, looking at the clock and seeing it was 12.01.
"Oh, that's nice" Said Gabriella, it wasn't nice at all. It was bloody awful. She didn't want to know about the wicked witch of East High and her prince Charming kissing. She would rather stick hot needles in her eyes than listen to story's about those two kissing, thank you very much.
"Anyway, what about that boy at the park, you looked pretty cosy" Said Troy, nudging Gabriella in the side with his elbow.
"He's in my English class, Dale his name is" Gabriella said.
"Dale Winters?" Asked Troy
"Yeah, that's him"
"He plays water polo" Said Troy disgustedly.
"So?" Gabriella asked.
"Water polo, Gabriella" Said Troy, exasperatedly.
"He had nice eyes" Said Gabriella.
"Hopefully he has two" Said Troy.
"Very Funny" Said Gabriella poking him in the side. "I'm going to get changed, I'm uncomfortable"
A few minutes later Gabriella emerged wearing a pair of Troy's basketball shorts and one of his old basketball t-shirts.
"Nice clothes" Troy said, smirking.
"Thanks" Said Gabriella getting back into bed "They're really comfy" Gabriella tried and failed to conceal a big yawn. But it didn't fool Troy.
"Bed, little girly" Said Troy tucking the covers around his friend and giving her a kiss on the forehead. He turned over and was asleep in minutes.
About an hour later Troy awoke to find Gabriella sat bolt upright with a terrified look on her face. He was confused until he heard a giant thunder clap break through the silence of the night. Troy knew that one of Gabriella's fears was thunder.
"Come here Brie" He said, pulling her down and snuggling into her. He felt wetness on his chest and realised Gabriella was crying. "Shhh, baby, its okay" He soothed.
Gabriella snuggled further into Troy's chest and wished for the second time that night that Troy knew how she felt about him. She was in love, she wanted to shout it from the rooftops, exclaim it to the world. But she couldn't. The boy, with whom she was in love, didn't love her back. He never has and he never will.
A/N: Okay, 10 reviews and I'll update, so please review! Izzy x