A/N: Finally she updated! I bet you were just about to say that. Haha. I'm trying my best okay! I just had writer's block for this chapter but I thought about it and I think this may work. So I hope it works for you guys. Thanks for the reviews again! They're amazing!
lol925: Haha, yes, the suspense never ends! Maybe it'll end in this chapter! Then again, maybe not! Hm... haha, read on to find out!
ILuvLucasGrabeel: Yay! You didn't miss the last chapter! I hope you don't miss this one either because there's a lot of suspense and drama in store!
TheFabMax: Yes, there were lots of drama! But if you thought that was a lot, wait 'til you read this next installment! Full of suspense!
megan: Thanks! Sorry for the confusion! Okay, Gabriella doesn't want Ryan to find his girls because he's just going to take them back with him to New York. Gabriella doesn't want them in New York because she knows Leslie will eventually find them and hurt them. And plus, if Gabriella gave Ryan back his girls, he might just take them and move far away from her, and we don't want that do we? If that happens, I won't have a story to write! LOL, hope I cleard that up for you!
Vanessa Turner: Read to find out what happens next!
Tigerlily Brown: I agree with you... WOW.
Ledagirl321: Thanks so much! I hope you keep reading!
Yeah, thanks for all the reviews guys! I love you! Let me stop babbling now so you can read on. Hope you like it!
This Is War
Chapter 21: We Meet Again
"I'm looking for a Mrs. Montez, do you know where she lives?" Leslie asked yet another person as she was going door-to-door, asking people if they knew where the Montezes live. She has been to countless houses and so far, nobody knows where the Montezes reside.
As the person shook their head, Leslie walked down the path with her head bent down, her face crestfallen and it looked like she had a long day. She walked up another path and rang the doorbell.
"Hi, I'm looking for a Mrs. Montez. Might you know where she lives?" Leslie asked with a hopeful smile on her face.
"Uh… Mrs. Montez… oh yes! Socorro! If you go down the block, turn to your right, and walk two blocks more, you're gonna see a big white house on your right. That's her house." The lady said. Leslie stared at her in awe. "Are you okay, hun?" The lady asked. Leslie snapped out of her daze and smiled brightly. "Thank you ma'am! I owe you big time!" Leslie said as she followed the woman's instructions and went down the block.
"Anytime!" The lady shouted. "Kids today…" She muttered.
Leslie ran all the way to the Montezes residence, following all the woman's instructions precisely and accurately. She finally arrived at her destination and rang the doorbell.
Lucinda answered the door and found a woman with a suitcase on the front step.
"Can I help you?" Lucinda asked.
"Um… I was wondering, is this the Montez residence?" Leslie asked.
"Yes. Yes it is. You've come to the right place. But Mrs. Montez isn't here right now. May I take a message and tell her that you stopped by?"
"Actually, I was wondering if Gabriella Montez was here."
"Well, Ms. Montez isn't here right now."
"Do you know where she is?"
"No, she didn't say where she was going." Lucinda said, keeping her promise to Gabriella that she wouldn't tell anybody where she was.
"But she does live here right?"
"She lives in New York now, she's just visiting her sick mother. Her mother is in the hospital because of diabetes." Lucinda informed Leslie. Leslie thought for a while and soon, her brain hatched an idea.
"Thank you for your help." Leslie said as she smiled at the girl and turned around as Lucinda closed the door. Leslie ran to the end of their driveway and reached for her cell phone. She started dialing like crazy.
"Hello? Yes I need a taxicab to 1620 Palm Street immediately please. Thank you." Leslie said into the phone and hung up.
"All right mom, open up now." Gabriella said as she brought the spoon up to her mother's mouth, feeding her lunch. Socorro opened her mouth and ate with great gusto, despite the fact that hospital food isn't the most delicious thing to eat.
"Thanks honey, for coming here and helping me out. But you know, I can eat by myself."
"No problem. And, yes, I know you can fend for yourself but I like helping out." Gabriella said as she wiped her mother's mouth with a napkin.
"Where are the girls?"
"Oh, they're at Mr. and Mrs. Bolton's."
"Why?"
"Because we're staying there for a while."
"Why?" Socorro asked again.
"Because I really don't want Ryan or Sharpay to find us and I know that they know where I live so I'm in hiding with the girls at the Bolton's."
"I don't even want to know the rest of the story." Socorro said, shaking her head. "I haven't talked to the Boltons in a while."
"Oh, I forgot to tell you. They said that they hope you feel better and said for you to rest up."
"Tell them then that I said thank you for their concern and for looking after you three." Socorro said. There was a brief silence as Gabriella kept feeding her mother.
"You know, I still can't understand…" Socorro said with a full mouth.
"Mom, don't talk with a full mouth." Gabriella warned. Socorro chewed the rest of the food and Gabriella wiped her mouth.
"Sorry dear. But, I still can't understand though."
"Understand what?"
"Why you let him go." Socorro said. Gabriella just looked at her.
"You two were perfect for each other and you blew it. Just because you assumed that he did what you thought he did. That was stupid Gabriella. I thought you'd know better." Socorro said. Gabriella just stared at her blankly.
"Why did you let him go?" Socorro asked. Gabriella just shook her head.
"I don't know. I honestly don't know. I guess I just changed. I guess he just changed."
"That's not a good reason Gabby. You surely haven't changed at all and I know that he hasn't changed either."
"How would you know?"
"Because he was here yesterday." Socorro said as a nurse came in to check the fluids and check her blood pressure.
"He was here yesterday?" Gabriella asked. "But how would you know, you were asleep."
"My eyes may have been closed but my ears never shut off." Socorro replied and turned to the nurse. "Excuse me miss, did anybody come here yesterday besides Gabriella and the twins?"
"Um… yes. Yesterday, a man and a woman came in, both blonde. They were actually asking for you Ms. Montez." The nurse replied turning to Gabriella. "Then when I told them you went home, the man came over to Mrs. Montez here and said hi and said his name was Ryan, or something along those lines."
Socorro turned to face Gabriella and gave her a look that said 'See?'
"Yes, and then he said that he hopes that I feel better and that he knows you're taking care of me. Such a nice young man." Socorro said, complimenting Ryan's politeness.
"Yeah, and then the woman, she looked like the man by the way, came over and took Mrs. Montez's hand and kissed it. Then they left." The nurse said.
"Ah, but that's not the end of the story." Socorro said, turning to Gabriella. "Ryan whispered something to me before they left. Sharpay or the nurse here couldn't hear it, but I did. He said, 'I love your daughter Mrs. Montez. She doesn't listen to me, but she might listen to you. So please, by any chance could you tell her that I still love her?' I told you he hasn't changed. He still loves you Gabby. Why is it so hard for you to give him one more chance?" Socorro said. She knew she had Gabriella where she wanted her. She knew she had Gabriella thinking. And she was right.
As Gabriella fed her mom the last spoonful of her food, she put the plate on her bedside table and walked right out of the room.
The nurse turned to Socorro and sarcastically said, "That's a very considerate girl you got there. Didn't even say goodbye."
"It's okay. I know she'll do the right thing."
"Ryan will you stop with the pacing?" Sharpay said as she put her magazine down and looked at her brother who was pacing through the whole living room.
"I'm sorry, but I can't help it. I'm a concerned father trying to find his kids and at the same time, trying to rebuild a lost relationship. You try to be me someday!" Ryan defended. Sharpay put a disgusted face on.
"No, thank you." Sharpay said as she continued reading her magazine.
"But where could she be hiding? She's not at her house, and she's not at the hospital. Where is she then?" Ryan asked frantically, sweating from all places possible.
Ryan's mother, Summer, came into the living room after hearing Ryan scream. "Ryan, dear, why don't you just sit down for a while and just call up the people that would know where she is. Maybe an old friend or something."
Ryan just stared at his mom for a while. "Mom, you're awesome, you know that right?" Ryan said as he came and hugged his mother and sat down by the phone and started dialing insanely.
After Gabriella left, Socorro rested for a few minutes. The bedside phone started to ring and she picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Mrs. Montez? Is that you?" Socorro heard Ryan Evan's voice on the other line say.
"Yes Ryan. How are you?"
"Very good, thank you. Glad to be able to hear your voice again. How are you feeling? You've been resting I suppose."
"I feel amazing, thank you. And yes I've been resting. Oh, Ryan, before I forget, I told Gabriella what you told me to tell her."
"Which is what exactly?"
"You already forgot? Shame. I told her that you still love her. Remember yesterday when you came, you told me that she won't listen to you, so you told me to tell her?"
"You heard that?"
"Hey, my eyesight may be going and my eyes may have been closed but my hearing is still in perfect condition."
"Well, thank you for telling her. Did she say anything after you said that?"
"No she didn't. She should be going to your house right now and telling you the truth. If she's not, she's at the Bolton's. Do you know she's staying there with your twins?" Socorro informed him, purposely ignoring Gabriella's warning to not tell anybody where she's staying.
"She's at the Bolton's?"
"Yes honey. She's staying with them because she doesn't want you to find her or your daughters. Oh, I've said too much. Gabriella will probably get mad at me for this. Thanks for calling Ryan dear. I'll talk to you later."
"Thank you very much Mrs. Montez. I'd love to talk to you soon." Ryan said politely before he hung up the phone. He turned to his sister and snatched the magazine away from her eyes.
"Hey!" Sharpay protested.
"I know where Gabriella and the girls are!" He shouted. Sharpay stared at him for a while trying to see if it was a joke. But when she saw nothing but seriousness in his eyes, she grabbed his arm and dragged him to his car.
Socorro saw that her room door was opening again and in came a blonde girl that she didn't recognize.
"Can I help you?" Socorro asked the girl.
"Oh, Mrs. Montez. I'm Leslie Davis."
Socorro immediately recognized the name as Gabriella had warned her months ago about this girl. "Oh, Leslie… I've heard so much about you from Gabriella." Socorro said, trying to put on a cheery smile.
"Yeah, I bet. Um… I was actually wondering where Gabriella was. Do you know where she might be?" Leslie asked in a disturbingly sugary voice.
"No, actually I don't. She refused to tell me where she was going. Sorry." Socorro said oh-so innocently.
"Oh, okay. Thank you anyways Mrs. Montez. It was nice meeting you." Leslie said before turning to leave.
"It was nice meeting you too dear." Socorro said as Leslie left.
A few minutes later, in the taxicab, Leslie took her phone out and started dialing Troy's number.
"Hello?" She heard him say.
"Hey sweetie! It's me. I was just wondering, what your parents' address is. I might pay them a visit today. You know I've never really met your parents before so now may be a good time."
"Oh, it's 651 Spruce Way. Oh, have you met with Gabriella yet? You said you were going to pay her a visit." Troy asked with nervousness clear in his voice.
"No, not yet. But I will soon. So what have you been up to lately?"
"Oh, nothing. Just hanging around with the guys. Chilling. Keeping our apartment clean." Troy said, not wanting to tell Leslie about their plan to go to Albuquerque. "You?"
"Well, nothing. I've been trying to find where Gabriella was but everywhere I look, she's not there."
Oh, thank goodness. Troy thought and then sighed of relief.
"Anything else?"
"Nah. I've pretty much told you everything. I guess I'll see you soon?"
"Yeah. And thanks for the address and I promise I'll be back as soon as I can. Okay? Bye." Leslie said as she closed her phone.
"Ryan and Sharpay Evans?" Mrs. Bolton exclaimed as she opened the front door to see who rang the doorbell. "What on earth are you two doing here?" Mrs. Bolton said, half amused, half amazed.
"Hi Mrs. Bolton. We were just wondering if Gabriella's staying with you." Sharpay asked.
"She sure is. Well, she's not here right now but she'll be back soon from the hospital. If you guys just want to come on in and wait for her, you're more than welcome to."
"If it's really okay with you…" Ryan said.
"Oh, nonsense, it's no problem at all, come inside and make yourselves feel at home while I make some lemonade."
Ryan and Sharpay went in the Bolton residence and sat on their couch. As soon as they sat down, two twin girls came down from the stairs to the living room and came face to face with Ryan and Sharpay.
"Rachelle? Roxanne?" Ryan said as he took one good look at the twins standing in front of him.
"Dad?" The twin girls both said simultaneously. Ryan stood up from the couch and ran towards the two girls.
"Oh, my gosh. I've missed you girls so much!" Ryan said as he enveloped them in a tight hug and kissed the top of their heads. "Are you girls all right?"
"We're fine dad. We've missed you too." Roxanne said. Sharpay then came and hugged them after Ryan was finished squeezing them to death.
"You guys should've seen your dad. He was a disaster when he found out you were missing." Sharpay teased as she hugged them both.
After the short reunion, Rachelle and Roxanne sat on either side of Ryan just as someone rang the doorbell.
"I'll get it!" Mrs. Bolton shouted from the kitchen. She rushed to the front door and opened it.
"Sorry Mrs. Bolton. I forgot my keys." Gabriella said as she entered the house.
"That's quite all right. We have company today Gabby."
"Really? Who?" Gabriella said as she walked into the living room and saw for her own eyes.
"Here you go, keep the change buddy boy." Leslie said as she got out of her taxicab in front of the Boltons' residence. She had never met Troy's parents before and she always thought about what they would be like.
As she turned around, she saw someone getting in. That means somebody's home. Leslie thought. She pulled her bags with her and walked up to the front steps and rang the doorbell.
DUN, DUN, DUN! Ooooh, what'll happen next? You'll have to wait and read for yourself! Sorry to keep you hanging like that, but that's just the way the cookie crumbles!! Haha! My turn to be evil! Muahahahaha... coughs Still need to work on that evil laugh. Darn, I can never get that down!
R&R! Please and Thank you!