DISCLAIMER: I do not own 'High School Musical' or any related characters.
A/N: Okay, so I'm going away for a week which means that I won't be updating. So, this'll be my last update unless I can get my hands on a computer during the week. Which I doubt and for those who guessed, the movie Troy and Gabriella were watching in the last chapter was indeed 'A Walk To Remember'.
Convincing You To Fall
CHAPTER 5
LONG TIME COMING
"Operation FCP is in motion, over." Twelve-year old Troy's voice came through ten-year old Gabriella's walkie-talkie as she watched his mother walk to her mother's car and get in.
"What's FCP stand for?" Gabriella suddenly hissed into the walkie-talkie and Troy rolled his eyes as he watched her father and his settle down in front of the television and turn on a basketball game.
"Find Christmas Presents, stupid. And you've got to say over, over." Troy snapped back and then groaned in frustration when Gabriella emerged from behind the pot plant she was hiding behind to glare at him.
"I'm not stupid. You're the one that's forgotten where your mom hides them. Over." Gabriella said into her walkie-talkie and Troy narrowed his eyes at her.
"You're standing about a meter away from me Brie. I think I can here you without the walkie-talkie. Over." Troy said and Gabriella put a hand on her hip and raised the walkie-talkie to her mouth again.
"Well then why are we still using these things? Over." She asked and Troy shrugged. Gabriella pursed her lips and then let it go.
"Alright. Let's stop using them then. Do you remember where we found the presents last time?" Troy asked discarding the walkie-talkie in his hand carelessly. Gabriella shrugged, placing her walkie-talkie down with greater care, and then frowned.
"Do you want to search the bedroom?" She asked and Troy shrugged and nodded.
Antonio Montez glanced up briefly from the television screen he had been concentrating on, in time to see two figures, clad in black, sneak up the stairs. He stifled a chuckle and then nudged Anthony Bolton, who sat beside him, and nodded to the disappearing figures of their children. They both knew that the two were heading towards Anthony and Rachel's bedroom, in search of Troy's Christmas presents. Anthony rolled his eyes and both got up and followed their children upstairs.
"Troy! Why would your mom hide them under the drawers? That's stupid." Gabriella snapped at the boy who was kneeling on the floor and looking under the drawers.
"Better than in the bathroom." He shot back standing up, frowning Gabriella looked around the room and then her eyes fell on the cupboard.
"Ooooh, the wardrobe!" She exclaimed and Troy turned to look at his parents wardrobe and made a movement to go towards the wardrobe.
"Don't you even think about it Troy Alexander." Troy and Gabriella both froze when they heard Anthony's voice.
"The same goes for you Gabriella Elizabeth." Gabriella made a face when she heard her father's voice only a matter of seconds after Anthony's. Slowly, both turned to face their fathers, who had their eyebrows raised in barely controlled amusement.
"What were you two doing?" Anthony demanded and Troy slinked over to stand next to Gabriella, an arm slipping around her shoulders protectively.
"We were playing a game." He replied and Gabriella's arm slipped around his waist as she nodded.
"Were you really Gabriella?" Antonio addressed his daughter, his dark eyes, exactly like his daughters, disbelieving.
"Yes Dad. We were playing a spy game." Gabriella replied and watched as the two men exchanged a glance.
"Really? And how did you end up in your mother's and my room Troy?" Anthony asked and Troy met his father's gaze calmly.
"Because the evil guys hiding in your room and we were looking for him." Troy replied and Antonio suddenly realized that they weren't going to get anything out of the two children.
"Do you guys often stick together like glue?" He asked and Gabriella and Troy exchanged a quick look before Troy replied.
"Duh Dad. That's what best friends do." Troy replied and Gabriella nodded vigorously.
Gabriella's eyes flew open and she shot up like a bullet. For a moment, she held a hand to her head as the room swam in front of her and then managed to gain a slightly tighter grip on reality as she glanced at her alarm clock. It was ten o'clock and Gabriella panicked for a moment and then realized that it was the weekend. Flopping back down onto her pillow Gabriella closed her eyes as the dream flashed through her mind again. Opening her eyes, she rolled over onto her stomach and sighed. She'd agreed to go to prom with Troy yesterday. The look in his eyes and on his face after she'd agreed to go with him was something she was positive she wasn't going to forget anytime soon. But, did he really ask her because he wanted to take her as a date? Or did he only ask because he wanted to take a friend that could keep him entertained? Reaching for her phone that sat next to her alarm clock, Gabriella picked it up and scrolled through the contacts until she found Sharpay's number. Hitting call, she held the phone to her ear and waited impatiently.
"Hello?" Sharpay answered the phone sounding groggy and Gabriella let out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding.
"Hey Shar. It's me." She said and Sharpay's eyes flew open as when she heard Gabriella's small voice, pushing Zeke's arm off her. Sharpay sat up.
"Gabs! What's wrong?" She asked and Gabriella rolled onto her back and stared up at the canopy attached to her bed.
"Um, Shar, Troy asked me to prom yesterday." Gabriella said and winced when she heard Sharpay's squeal of absolute delight.
"He did? Oh my God! He actually asked you!" Sharpay asked and then leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Zeke's forehead when her boyfriend shifted and his hand groped for her.
"Yeah, he asked me Shar. But……" Gabriella trailed off and Sharpay, her fingers interlaced with Zeke's, frowned at Gabriella's tone.
"But what sweetie?" She asked and Gabriella closed her eyes.
"But I don't know if he asked me as a date or as his friend because he didn't want to take one of the other girls at school." She replied and Sharpay made a mental note to slap Troy the next time she saw him as she realized how unsure Gabriella was about the whole thing.
"Well, what did he look like when he asked you? What was his position?" Sharpay asked and Gabriella sighed.
"Um, he was on top of me, holding my waist and he looked really serious, kind of nervous too, now that I think about it and his voice was really calm when he asked me." Gabriella replied and Sharpay nearly laughed out loud, knowing now that it was definitely a date. Troy never joked around when asking a girl out and he was always very serious when he did.
"Oh Gabriella. I have this strange feeling that Troy asked you to prom as much more then a friend. Much more." Sharpay said and Gabriella sighed as Sharpay spoke. Somewhere, deep inside her, she knew that Sharpay was right. But that didn't stop the doubts flashing through her head as she tried to examine the situation rationally.
"Look Shar. I want to believe you, I really do……but it's Troy. I mean, he could ask any girl in school and have them drop their dates for him, because it's him. Why would he ask me? Unless he didn't want go with any of the girls who practically begged him too because he-" Sharpay cut Gabriella off before she could talk herself out of why Troy had asked her to prom.
"Is hopelessly in love with you and has decided that it's about time for him to act on what he feels before its too late." Sharpay stated matter-of-factly and Gabriella wished Sharpay hadn't sounded so sure and practical when she'd said that. It made not believing it that much harder.
"He doesn't." Gabriella said faintly and Sharpay sighed.
"Gabriella, stop talking yourself out of feeling for Troy. Sweetie, you're in love with him, if you weren't you wouldn't have agreed to go to prom with Troy and you definitely wouldn't be doubting the reasons he asked you." Sharpay said gently and Gabriella squeezed her eyes shut.
"Shar……what if it's not what I think? What if he really doesn't feel the way I feel? What if I'm imagining it and you are too?" Gabriella asked and Sharpay opened her mouth to reply when she realized that it wasn't her place to tell Gabriella the depth of Troy's feelings or the reasons he'd never told her.
"What if it's exactly what you think? Gabriella, stop doubting it and go with the flow. If Troy didn't want to take you to prom as more then a friend, he wouldn't have put off asking you until now." Sharpay said gently and Gabriella took in a deep breath and smiled.
"Maybe your right." She said and Sharpay smiled, feeling a sense of accomplishment and suddenly thought of something.
"Hey, you need a dress!" She exclaimed and then grinned apologetically at Zeke, who cracked one eye open to glare at his girlfriend.
"Yeah I do." Gabriella agreed and wondered why Sharpay kept getting louder and then quieter.
"Well then, I'll pick you up in an hour." Sharpay said and hung up before Gabriella could protest. Groaning, Gabriella hit end call and got out of bed. Walking down to the kitchen Gabriella found her mother standing in the kitchen humming to herself as she wiped the bench down.
"Hey Mom." Gabriella asked and Samantha looked up and smiled brightly at her daughter.
"Good morning Gabi." She asked and Gabriella shrugged and walked in and sat herself down at the bench. For a moment, she watched her mother continue to wipe down the bench and then decided to speak.
"Mom? I need to borrow your credit card." She said and Samantha looked up sharply as Gabriella spoke. Carefully, she placed the cloth back into the sink and studied her daughter.
"Why?" Samantha asked evenly and Gabriella shifted uncomfortably.
"Because Troy asked me to prom yesterday and I need a dress." Gabriella replied and Samantha stared at her daughter incredulously. Unable to believe what had just come out of Gabriella's mouth.
"Troy asked you to prom?" She asked and Gabriella nodded.
"Yep and Sharpay's taking me dress shopping in an hour and……why are you grinning like that?" Gabriella suddenly snapped at her mother and Samantha shrugged.
"Nothing, it's just that your father and I always thought that you and Troy had something going on. I mean the amount of time you spend together is astonishing." Samantha said, reaching for her handbag. Gabriella stared at her mother in disbelief as Samantha pulled out her credit card.
"Wait, you and Dad are okay with Troy taking me to prom?" Gabriella asked incredulously and Samantha shrugged as she handed her daughter the card.
"Of course. It's been a long time coming. Now, you might want to go and have a shower." Samantha said and Gabriella just nodded and walked out of the kitchen. Had her mother and father really seen this coming? She wondered briefly and then shrugged it off; they were her parents and seemed to have a habit of knowing things before they actually happened.
HSM-HSM-HSM-HSM-HSM
Gabriella groaned as she and Sharpay walked out of the shop they'd spent the last half-hour in. They'd been at the mall for nearly three hours and so far all they'd come up with was a maybe on one dress that Gabriella had thought was much to short. It was getting to the point where she thought that they were never going to find anything. Glancing at Sharpay, Gabriella rolled her eyes as she saw how happy her friend was.
"Shar, if we don't find a dress in the next fifteen minutes can we please get some food? I'm starving!" Gabriella asked as she was pulled into another shop and Sharpay started going through the racks.
"Alright. Only because you've been complaining for the past half an hour or so." Sharpay said frowning and Gabriella raised her eyebrows at the older girl.
"Aren't you hungry?" She asked and Sharpay shrugged.
"Not really. Besides, how can I be hungry when one of my closest friends has to find the perfect dress for prom?" Sharpay asked and Gabriella rolled her eyes.
"Shar, its just prom." Gabriella said and Sharpay gasped in mock-horror.
"No, Gabriella, its not just prom. Prom is something that has been a long time coming for you and Troy; it's the first time you two are going out publicly as more then just friends!" Sharpay exclaimed and Gabriella felt her stomach twist at her words. Long time coming. That was the second time someone close to her had said those words and Gabriella began to feel like everyone had seen something that she hadn't.
"Okay, but can you please remember that I want to wear something that's floor length and not above my knees?" Gabriella asked and Sharpay frowned at her as her eyes examined Gabriella up and down. She had to admit, if they found a floor length gown for Gabriella she would look stunning, but at the same time they could find something flirty and fun for her which would flatter her just as much.
"Why do you want floor length anyway?" Sharpay asked as they walked out of the shop and began to weave in and out of different shoppers. Gabriella blushed slightly and then shrugged.
"I don't know. I guess it's because I've always found something romantic about floor length gowns, especially ones that have a dark color." She replied and Sharpay could see where Gabriella was coming from. There was something romantic about floor length gowns, as she studied Gabriella again. Sharpay suddenly realized how good her friend would look in a dark, floor length gown. The color had to dark enough to compliment her complexion and gorgeous tan skin, but light enough to not meld with her hair and overpower the dark, ebony color of her eyes.
"I can see where you're coming from. Hmmm, let me think……hey, isn't that Troy and Chad?" Sharpay's question had Gabriella's eyes snapping up to look in the direction she was gazing at.
"Uh-huh. What are they doing here?" Gabriella replied as the two boys approached them, Gabriella could see Troy's look of utter relief when he caught sight of the two girls and raised her eyebrows at him as they came closer.
"Hey Brie, hey Shar." Troy said when he was close enough to talk. Gabriella's eyebrows rose even higher when she heard the faint annoyance in his voice.
"Hey Troy. Hey Chad." Gabriella said and Chad turned his attention from the floor to Gabriella.
"Hey Gabs, hi Shar." Chad said and Gabriella gave Troy a look, when he grabbed her arm and pulled her away from Sharpay and Chad who had greeted each other and launched into an argument they'd started the previous day.
"Okay, why'd you do that?" Gabriella asked and Troy let go of her arm.
"Chad is driving me insane. He asked Vanessa Barker to prom and now he won't shut up about her." Troy said and Gabriella laughed and patted his cheek sympathetically.
"Oh Troy. Stop being a wimp, it can't be that bad." She said and Troy looked at her disbelievingly.
"Trust me on this Brie. It's that bad. He rang up last night after I got back from your house and managed to talk for two hours about her." Troy said and Gabriella stared at him.
"You mean Chad's actually been concentrating on only one girl for over twenty-four hours?" Gabriella asked and Troy nodded soberly as Gabriella's eyes grew wide.
"He definitely hasn't been drinking has he?" Gabriella asked again and Troy shook his head.
"Nope. But whatever this girl's doing to him, she's going to be lucky to have a date to prom if he keeps it up." Troy said and Gabriella laughed and wrapped her arms around him.
"Stop being dramatic. What are you two doing here anyway?" Gabriella asked, leaning her chin on his chest and looking up at him as his own arms wrapped around her tightly.
"Chad needed a tux, and I needed to get out of the house." Troy replied and Gabriella raised her eyebrows at him.
"Why did you need to get out of the house?" She asked and one of Troy's arms left her body and his hand rubbed the back of his neck.
"Well, I accidentally told Dad that I'd asked you to prom and he told Mom and now they're both going on about how it was a-" Gabriella cut him off.
"Long time coming? Mom said the same thing when I told her Sharpay was taking me dress shopping and Sharpay said it to me as well." Gabriella replied as Troy's arm slid to encase her again.
"Chad's said it about a million times as well." Troy replied and both fell into a slightly uncomfortable silence as they both wondered what everyone else had seen that they hadn't.
"So, what color dress are you getting?" Troy asked and Gabriella looked up at him curiously.
"Huh?" She asked and Troy grinned down at her.
"Sharpay told me to ask you because she was going on about matching my tie to your dress." Troy replied and Gabriella giggled as she saw the slightly pained look on his face and figured that Sharpay had done a lot more then telling him to ask her what color dress she was wearing.
"I don't know yet. We've been shopping for three hours and still haven't found anything." Gabriella said and Troy laughed at the exasperated tone of her voice.
"Can you make an educated guess as to what color your dress is going to be?" Troy asked and Gabriella shrugged and buried her face in his chest for a moment. Breathing in his scent and closing her eyes.
"No. Just wear a black tie. Black goes with everything." She said her voice muffled. Troy shrugged and rested his chin on top of her head, liking the way she always seemed to fit so perfectly against him.
"Hey lovebirds, break it up." Chad's voice caused Gabriella to raise her head from where it had been resting comfortably and Troy turned his head to glare at his friend as Chad and Sharpay came to a stop next to the two.
"Break what up Chad? We're just hugging." Gabriella asked him sourly and Chad grinned at Gabriella teasingly.
"Oh please Gabi, you two were going to be doing a lot more then hugging if we hadn't walked over here in time." He said teasingly and Gabriella glared at him, refusing to leave Troy's arms as Sharpay gave her a look telling her they needed to go.
"Oh shut up Chad, I wonder what Vanessa would think if I told her that to this day, every time you see a door that says push, you pull it and constantly ask why the doors locked." Gabriella snapped at him and Sharpay snorted as Troy chuckled. Chad folded his arms sourly as he realized that he had nothing to use against Gabriella and she smiled at him sweetly as Troy leaned down to her ear.
"Do you practice stuff like that?" He whispered and Gabriella giggled slightly.
"No. I'm just really good at remembering the stupid things Chad's done in the past." She replied and Troy laughed as Sharpay yanked Gabriella out of his arms. Gabriella wrapped her arms around herself, already missing the feel of his arms around her. In the back of her mind, she wondered if she'd always missed his arms when they slipped from her and she'd only just become aware of it. Or if it was something new.
"Well, we have to go and get Gabriella a dress." Sharpay said and Troy looked at Gabriella, grinning when he saw her face twist in annoyance at Sharpay's words.
"Yep and we have to go and find a suit or tux." Chad said and Gabriella saw Troy wince and smiled softly at him.
"Um, guys, why don't you go and find a suit together and Brie and I'll go and get something to eat?" Troy asked and Sharpay rolled her eyes at Troy's suggestion.
"No." She said and Troy looked pleadingly at Gabriella.
"Yeah, maybe that'd be a good idea." She agreed and it was Chad's turn to roll his eyes.
"Guys we know best friends stick together, yada, yada. But we need to get this done." Chad said and Gabriella raised her eyebrows at Troy, who was looking at his friend strangely.
"Okay then. If that's how it's going to be then we won't argue." Troy said and both Chad and Sharpay nodded their heads in agreement.
"See you Brie." Troy said, feeling himself being dragged off.
"See you Troy." Gabriella replied, allowing Sharpay to yank her away from him.
"Oh for God's sake you two! It's not like another couple of day's is going to kill you!" Chad exclaimed and Troy looked at his friend.
"Dude, relax. We were saying goodbye to each other." Troy said and Chad rolled his eyes.
"Whatever." Chad muttered.
Gabriella giggled slightly as she watched Troy and Chad walk in the opposite direction of her and Sharpay. Turning her attention to the blonde, Gabriella almost stumbled when Sharpay stopped dead in front of a display window. Before she yelled at Sharpay, Gabriella turned to the window to see what Sharpay was looking at and her draw dropped open.
"Oh yes, it had to be long time coming if this was going to be around when Troy asked you." Sharpay muttered and pulled Gabriella into the store.
A/N: Alright, that's this chapter finished! The next chapter will be prom. I actually got a little depressed when I was writing this, because I've realized that I'm half way done. But as I said at the start, I've set myself a ten chapter maximum and well, I'm half way there with it! Oh well, I hope you all enjoyed it!