Chapter 9: Dinner and Giggles

Dinner that night was uneventful. We all talked about what had happened since high school but I could tell all the new people confused Lily.

"Lily?" I asked her quietly. "Are you ok?"

She just looked at me with a confused expression on her face. "Well," she started slowly. She looked down at her plate avoiding my eyes.

Everyone had gotten quite and they all had their eyes on Lily and me. She started again, "Well, I know who daddy and Uncle Chad and Grandma are, but I don't know the Ladies. But I wanna know them!" she said. She giggled.

I couldn't help but laugh too. "Well, Lily my name is Gabriella and I am a friend of your Daddy' and Uncle Chad's and your Grandma too!"

She looked at me with wide eyes, "You know all of them? How?"

I laughed again, she truly was a cute kid, "Well, your daddy and I used to date and Chad is my friend. Your Grandma was always like another mom too me."

I saw Mrs. Bolton smile, "Really Gabriella?"

"Of course!" I said with a smile, "You were there for me all the time and you understood me when we broke up." I saw Troy flinch. "Opps," I thought, "I probably shouldn't have brought that up."

Her smile fell a little, she too had seen Troy flinch, "Well, I never knew you thought that of me."

I smiled and I heard Lily say, "Are you Dabriella gonna be my new mommy?"

"Well at least she didn't call me lady," I thought. "Um, well Lily I don't know," I said trying to slow down my heart. It had started to beat really fast and I knew that I would love being married to Troy. But would he want to be married to me?

Everyone started to laugh. I eventually joined in hoping to avoid Troy's eyes but I could feel them on my face. I turned my head and saw that he was smiling. "I wonder if that is a good smile?" I asked myself.

I smiled back and saw that Troy's own smile had grown wider. I laughed at him.

"What?" he asked me.

"Nothing," I said giggling.

"Oh really?" He asked as he moved closer to me and leaned into kiss me when Chad and Lily yelled, "EWWW, you are gonna get cooties!!!"

He looked at Chad with daggers in his eyes. I turned and saw Chad smile innocently.

"What?" Chad asked Troy.

"Oh, nothing Chad, but you had better sleep with one eye open tonight," Troy said menacing.

"Oh, I'm scared now," Chad joked.

"You better be," Troy said in the best menacing voice again.

We all watched as the best friends stared at one another. I felt a giggle rise up into my throat. I knew I had to try and be serious but before I knew I was laughing at both Troy and Chad. Next Taylor joined in and before we knew it everyone, except Troy was laughing.

"Troy why aren't you laughing?" I asked as I continued to laugh.

"I don't think that it was very funny," He said seriously.

I still laughed and I watched as a smile played on his lips. He eyes become brighter than they already were. I knew he was trying to hold back his laugh but I continued to look at him while we were all laughing.

He finally started to laugh, "You know Gabi, I missed hearing you laugh."

I couldn't help but giggle even more, "Yeah, Taylor said the same thing."

"Oh that reminds Taylor and Chad what were you two doing before you came over?" Troy said smirking.

I busted up laughing again. I looked at Chad and he had a sheepish grin on his face as he looked into Taylor's eyes. I saw her look back and she too was smiling while her cheeks turned red.

"Oh, just the same thing you and Gabi were doing in the gym today," Chad said with a big grin.

I stopped laughing and felt my cheeks go red. I looked at Troy and he was now staring deathly at Chad again. "Some things never change between those two!" I thought.

Taylor gave me a look that said sorry. I nodded my head in return to tell it was no problem. All of a sudden I heard Troy and Chad laugh.

I said to Taylor, "Men!"

She laughed, "They will never change!"

We laughed and I felt Troy's on me. I turned to look at him and sure enough his eyes were looking for mine. I smiled shyly. HE returned the smile and mouthed, "I was good wasn't I?"

I looked at him shocked. He saw my shocked face and laughed. I knew he was just kidding then.

"He always does that!" I thought. "Maybe I can get him back?"

I turned to troy and put my hand on his knee and gave it a gentle squeeze. He looked at me curiously.

I whispered into his ear, "You were very good. I think we should finish what we started in the gym."

He looked at me surprised. I was never a very forward person but something about being back with Troy made me more courageous than I had been in a long time.

I looked into his deep blue eyes and winked. I started to laugh. "You should've seen the look on you face!" I whispered as I giggled.

He face dropped and he started to pout, "That wasn't nice Gabi."

He knew I couldn't resist his pouting, "I know but it was funny," I defended my actions.

He continued to pout. I couldn't resist it any longer. Who knows maybe we will get to finish what we had started. I gave in, "Ok, fine but we can we go back to my place?"

He nodded eagerly. I giggled at his eagerness, "Maybe he still loves me?" I questioned myself. "Oh my did I just ask myself that? Wait does that mean I still love him?" I continued to think these thought when I heard Troy speak up.

He said, "Gabi and I are going back to her place for a little bit. Mom can you watch Chad and Lily?"

I blushed as I heard him say that. I looked at Taylor who had this devious grin on her face. She knew what we were up to.

Mrs. Bolton smiled, "Sure I can watch them both. Why doesn't Taylor stay here while you guys are at their apartment?"

I felt my cheeks turn redder as I said, "That's totally up to Taylor."

She sat there for a minute with that devious grin on her face. Finally she said, "Sure I can hang out here for a while. Oh Troy!"

"Yeah," he asked curiously wondering what she wanted to say.

"Use protection!" Taylor squealed.

"Daddy what's pertection??" Lily asked curiously.

"I'll tell you when you are older sweetie," He replied blushing like crazy.

"Oh," she giggled. "Daddy you are turning red!"

"Yeah, I know Lil, its because my wonderful friends love to make fun of me!" Troy exclaimed.

Chad and Taylor were laughing hysterically and Mrs. Bolton was smiling.

"Come on Gabi lets go," Troy said annoyed.

"Ok," I said worriedly. "Are you sure you want to do this," I asked as we were walking towards the door to leave.

He smiled, "Of course I do." He leaned and kissed me.

He then took my hand in his and we walked out of the apartment to mine, excited about what we had both wanted to do since we had first seen one another.

I whispered to him, "Don't forget the protection."

He just laughed as he reached into his pocket and pulled out our protection. "I've got it covered."