Disclaimer: I own nothing
Not in This Life
Gabi looked around at her old friends that thought she had been dead for five years. She sighed, "I'm sorry guys. I just couldn't handle it. I had to get out."
"That doesn't excuse you." Taylor spat
"I'm sure it doesn't Taylor. Because I'm sure that you can look at the situation in its whole light and make the best possible decision. Even if you were only 18 years old and right smack dab in the middle of the situation, being beaten by your own mother. I'm sure that you are just that fucking amazing Taylor." Gabi stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Everyone sat in shocked silence, "That could've gone better." Jason commented.
"Ya think genius?" Sharpay hissed
"Leave him alone, Shar, he's just trying to easy the tension." Kelsi defended her fiancée
"That's not possible." Ryan sighed
Gabi began walking, she didn't know where she was going, but she was going there.
Lately I've been walking all alone
Through the wind and through the rain
Been walking through the streets
Finding sweet relief in knowing that it won't be long
The fall came quickly, Gabi hadn't spoken to her old friends since that fateful day in the classroom, Lindsay had gotten the job as head chef at Lava Springs. She and Ryan had become increasingly close, they often had dinner or lunch, although he didn't know that she lived with Gabi, he'd never been over to the apartment. Even though she figured she'd really lost her friends, she knew that life was good.
Lately it's occurred to me
That I've had enough of that
And I've been satisfied by simple things
Like breathing in and breathing out
Gabi walked into her classroom the first day of school. She smiled, this just felt so right. She was teaching science, and she was so excited, she knew this was good, it was where she was supposed to be, no matter how she got there. She knew that it was a mistake, running like that. "I should've gone for help. And I shouldn't have lashed out at my friends. That wasn't necessary." She thought, oh well, what's done is done, and all I can do is not make the same mistake twice.
Never again, not in this life
Will I be taken twice
Never again, not on your life
Will I make the same mistake
I can't make it twice
She sat in her classroom after two successful classes, chemistry and biology, smiling, taking in all the energy that the students had to offer. There was a knock at her door. "Come in." She called out. Her mother walked in. Gabi's jaw dropped, what was she doing here?
"Hello Gabriella." He mom said
"Mother." Gabriella greeted her mom, in a cold voice. "Don't burn this bridge Gabi." She told herself "How are you?"
"Good, better. We thought you were dead."
"I ran away mom, I couldn't stand another night. Would you have been able to handle it?" Gabi hissed as the bell rang, "I have a class, you need to go." Isabella Montez nodded and left.
Lately it's occurred to me
Exactly what went wrong
I realized I compromised, I sacrificed
Far too much for far too long
Gabi sighed, thankfully the end of the day was rapidly approaching. The door to her classroom opened once again, "Great" she thought, "No be positive Gabi it might be good." She turned to look, it was Ryan.
"Hey Gem." Ryan said quietly
"Hey Ry" Gabi smiled, she shook her head and ran over to him, he engulfed her in a hug.
"Give it time, they'll all come around. It's you, it'll happen." He whispered in her ear.
"It just hurts. I know what I did was impulsive and irrational, but I didn't know how to handle the situation. It was too much." She explained
"Have you seen her?" he asked softly
"A little while ago, she came by. I was nice enough, but kicked her out when my class was starting." Gabi smiled sadly, "I'm not going to burn any bridges with anyone, I've already made that mistake with you guys."
"Not with me." Ryan smiled, he gave her a brotherly kiss on the forehead.
Never again, not in this life
Will I be taken twice
Never again, not on your life
Will I make that same mistake
I can't make it twice
"Gab?" Gabi looked to the door to see Lindsay coming in.
"Hey Linds, this is my friend Ryan Evans, come to think of it, isn't he your boss?" Gabi smiled
"Hey Lindsay." Ryan gave her a hug
"Hey Ryan!" Lindsay replied, gladly retuning the hug. Gabi giggled to herself, they were cute, this was actually all working out.
Starting out from here today
Swear I'm gonna change my ways
Once mistaken in this life
But never twice
"Well, classes are done, are they not?" Ryan asked
"Yup." Gabi smiled
"And you have the night off." Ryan commented. Lindsay nodded. "How about I take two pretty ladies out for dinner, my treat?"
"Sure!" they chorused
"Great, I guess you two will want to change" he smiled knowingly at Gabi. They nodded their heads and he followed them back to their small, but comfortable apartment.
Once they were ready they piled in Ryan's car and headed out for his favorite new restaurant. They were seated at his usual table and ordered a bottle of wine. They were quietly talking, munching on bread when the owner came out to greet Ryan, "Hey Ryan. I see you brought a friend with you and Lindsay. Brie?" Zeke said "You know Lindsay?"
"She's my best friend. I met her at the diner I worked at in L.A. had a similar situation to me, and was able to sympathize instead of judge." She kicked herself mentally for saying that, "burning bridges Gabi. Don't." She mentally ordered herself
"I thought we were your best friends." It was a soft, but sweet voice that I had missed
"You were Kels, but things change." She replied
"Not some things." It was Troy
"Oh, like what?" I challenged, "Be nice." She reminded herself, by now she had stood up and the whole restaurant was watching the scene.
"Not love." Troy said quietly, tears were building up in both of their eyes.
"You still love me?" She asked hopefully
"With all my heart." He took a step closer. Her breath hitched in her throat as he leaned down. She met him halfway in a kiss that they had both been longing for, for five whole years. His arms snaked around her waist as hers found his neck, and began to tangle in his hair, in an effort to pull him closer to her. He gently began to probe at her mouth with his tongue, she smiled as she opened her mouth. Their tongues clashed as they both moaned into the kiss. They began re-exploring each others mouths, gently going to every corner and crevice. Finally their tongues met again in a lover's dance, known only to them. Finally they pulled back when oxygen became necessary. As they steadied their ragged breathing, they kept their foreheads pressed together, nuzzling their noses.
"I knew you weren't dead El. Deep down in my heart I knew it, that's why I waited." He whispered huskily
"I waited, hoping I would see you again Wildcat." She breathed
"It was you. The last day we saw you, that night, I heard crying outside, but I stupidly ignored it, it was you wasn't it?" he asked, tears began to stream down her cheeks as she remembered the night that she left, she nodded and he wiped her tears with the pads of his thumbs.
"Never again, am I going to let someone hurt you." He told her
"And never again am I going to leave you." She responded
Never again, not in this life
Will I be taken twice
Never again, not on your life
Will I make that same mistake
Never again, not on your life
Will I make the same mistake
Can't make it twice
The whole restaurant applauded, as the couple blushed and their friends gathered all around them, congratulating them and welcoming Gabriella home.
Starting out from here today…
Song: Not in this life by Natalie Merchant
AN: Okay that's it, it was a threeshot! Review please!
Mollie XOXO