Thanks for the reviews and suggestions. I have some ideas that am playing with but don't worry Christian wont be in the way for much longer, that's all I'm saying. Love Tink.
Gabriella thought about Troy's behavior on the way to the diner, she couldn't believe that he had been so sullen. The kiss had really messed things up between them, he seemed so angry with her and it hurt. She and Troy had never fallen out before and she hated the way it made her feel.
"Are you sure you're okay Gabriella?" Christian asked her, noticing how quiet she was.
"Yeah, just mad at Troy" she confessed with a sigh.
"Maybe Sharpay was right; he doesn't like you having any other guy friends"
"Well that's his problem, I like having you as a friend"
Christian smiled at her "Me too"
She beamed at him, determined to put Troy out of her mind and carry on with their date.
After dinner he drove her home.
"I'll walk you in" he said as they climbed out of the car and walked up the drive.
They stood on her porch talking for a while, making plans to meet up again tomorrow.
Gabriella played with a curl in her hair, suddenly nervous, would he kiss her?
"Gab I just want you to know, I really like you" he said, capturing her hand in his and pulling her towards him.
"I like you too" she confessed with a shy grin, staring up into his chocolate brown eyes, her pulse racing.
Christian smiled at her and lowered his mouth to hers, touching their lips together.
Gabriella waited to feel a tingle or a zing of electricity, like she'd felt with Troy, as Christian moved his lips against hers. But it didn't come, it was nice but there was no heat, no wildness. His mouth was soft and firm as he kissed her over and over but there was no spark. Determined to feel something, she slid her arms around his neck and kissed him back for all she was worth.
Eventually lack of oxygen forced him to end their kiss and he stared down at her with a tender smile.
"So I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Yeah"
He lent down and kissed her once more, before saying goodnight and striding down the path. She watched him go, touching her lips, willing herself to feel something like she felt with Troy, she darted a look at his house seeing it all in darkness, wondering if he was even home.
Troy heard the car pull up across the street and went to his window, looking out he saw Gabriella and Christian walking up the drive. He watched them as they stood and talked for a few minutes, Gabriella was clearly nervous, he could tell by the way she played with her hair. His heart thudded dully in his chest, as he saw Christian lean towards Gabriella and kiss her. He wanted to bang on the windows and tell him to stop, to get away from her. She wasn't Christians to kiss, she was his! She belonged with him, so why was she wrapping her arms around Christian's neck?
Anger coursed through him and he pressed his palms against the glass, watching as Christian kissed her once more and then left her on the drive. He saw her touch her fingers to her lips then look up at his window, he knew she couldn't see him, the room was in darkness. Troy wanted to talk to her, to get her to see she was making a mistake, he couldn't forget their kiss, he didn't want to forget their kiss, he wanted her, wanted to be with her.
After changing for bed Gabriella wrote in her journal and mulled over the night. Troy acting like a jerk had really spoilt her date and she was furious with him, she didn't know why he'd acted that way and she didn't want to know, things were already too complicated between them. Christian was wonderful but Gabriella admitted to herself that when he kissed her, it was nice but there was no fan fare, nothing like what had happened with Troy. Perhaps what had happened with Troy had been a one off, because it was her first kiss, perhaps it was because they had known each other so long, but whatever the reason Gabriella didn't believe it would happen again. She'd spent enough time waiting for him and was determined to forget him and be happy spending time with Christian.
For the second time in as many nights, Troy found himself climbing up the tree in Gabriella's yard, to reach her balcony. This time he was determined to talk to her make her see, that they should explore the kiss and what had happened between them since. As his feet hit the balcony he saw the light flick on in her room and she appeared at the door, wearing her robe and slippers.
"What are you doing Troy?" she hissed at him, clearly not pleased to find him on her terrace.
"Look Gab, we need to talk about this, we can't just ignore it, things are weird" he said coming to her side and grabbing her arms lightly.
"There's nothing to talk about Troy, we agreed it was a mistake"
"No, you said it was a mistake, I didn't" he pointed out, his anger growing.
"It was a mistake, look what's happened already, you barely said two words to me all night and you were acting like a jerk" she snapped at him.
He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck "I know and I'm sorry, but I don't like the thought of you with that guy"
"Christian? What's he ever done to you?"
"Nothing, it's not just him, it would be any guy" he admitted.
Gabriella couldn't help the thrill his words gave her "Well tough, you don't get to pick and chose who I date. We are best friends Troy but right now I'm so mad at you I can't be around you."
"What? Why not? Because we kissed?"
She shook her head "No, that didn't mean anything, it was a mistake" she wasn't sure who she was trying to convince.
"It didn't mean anything?" he asked, taking a step closer to her, his eyes glittering.
She nodded "It won't happen again"
"Won't happen again" he repeated, coming closer still.
"I like Christian, I want Christian" her voice was shaking and weak.
"You like Christian" his voice was smooth, silky and so low it gave Gabriella goose bumps. She'd never seen this side of Troy, the dangerously seductive side.
Her heart beat so franticly in her chest, it was a wonder he couldn't hear it. Her mouth went dry and she swallowed taking a step back, as he advanced on her.
"Troy, don't do this" she murmured, reading the intention on his face as it came closer to her own.
"Don't do what?" he breathed against her mouth and her lips began to tingle in anticipation of his kiss.
"This isn't right, we can't do this"
"Yes we can, it's easy" he practically purred.
She shook her head, torn. Her heart wanted him to touch her so much, wanted him to kiss her but her head knew it wasn't right. It could never work between them, Troy meant too much to her to lose him for good when things went wrong.
"Troy, I don't want this" she gasped as his lips touched hers for the briefest of seconds before pulling away. Gabriella felt as though a live wire had connected with her skin, she felt the shock waves though her entire body, not just where he had touched her.
He looked at her and saw the tears pooling in her eyes "Hey Brie, what is it?"
"We can't do this Troy, you mean too much to me to screw it all up for a couple of kisses… Think about it, if something more happened and then it all went wrong, I'd lose you and I can't do that, you're too special to me"
"You're special to me too, that's why we have to try and see where this can take us, I can't believe I never thought about this before Gab but now I have . . .Well I can't get you out of my head" he confessed quietly and Gabriella felt as though her heart were breaking in two.
For so long she had waited to hear those words from Troy and now he'd said them she just knew she couldn't act on them. The more she thought about them being together, the more she knew it wouldn't work, for all they were best friends they were just too different. She couldn't face the prospect of loosing him when things inevitably went wrong. He meant too much to her.
"I can't Troy, I just can't. . . I wanna be your friend but that's it" Gabriella said as tears fell unnoticed from her eyes.
"You don't mean that Gabi, you felt it too, I know you did" he argued, willing her to see how good they could be together.
"Troy, we can't be together, I didn't feel anything"
"Oh yeah? Well how about now?"
His mouth swooped down and captured her own, moving against hers time and time again, driving all arguments from her mind. His tongue mated with hers, sending shivers through her body as she leant into him, needing to be closer. He wrapped his arms around her as she felt her legs buckle and she clung to his jacket, allowing herself to kiss him back with all of her pent up feelings, all of her love, all of her anger and frustration.
Troy jerked his mouth away from hers and rested his head against her forehead, his breathing harsh and choppy.
"Tell me again that you don't want me and I'll leave you alone, once and for all"
Gabriella hated what she had to do, but there was no other way
"I don't want you, I want to be with Christian" she said quietly, unable to meet his gaze and see the hurt in his beautiful blue eyes.
"Don't do this" he said echoing her earlier words, as he chased a tear along her cheek with his thumb, his eyes so dark.
"I have to Troy; I want to be with Christian"
Although it killed her to say it, it was for both their goods.
Troy looked down at Gabriella who was crying silent tears and he couldn't believe he had overlooked her for so long, had she always been right there beside him? It felt like it, and now she didn't want him. Pressing a tender kiss to her forehead he stepped away from her.
"See you around Gabi" he said and turning his back to her he walked away.