Hey everyone!!!! Thanks so much to everyone for their great reviews!!!
I would like to make some dedications which if I remember to I am going to start doing for the rest of the story.
Okay the following people helped me with college info which was extremely helpful-
isaczac
HSMLUVER218
mione3882
emmi82
anoddapple
Pandora147
sweetemi45
Thanks so much for your help guys!!!!
Frangipani and iLOVETOPARTY told me the name of the game Gabriella and lizzie were playing which is something I really didn't know.
Hsm-hm-jb-luvbycaty made me smile!!
And last but definitely not least to my friend Belinda!!! She is the only friend who has read this story and it means a lot to me that she takes the time to read it!!!
Well on with the story…
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Part of the Family
September 11, the day that changed her life, the day that took away the most important person in her life. September 20th- the day of said person's funeral, the final goodbye. March 2nd- The day the she found out that the other most important person in her life was dieing with no cure. November 14th- funeral of the second most important person in her life. November 15th- the day she realized she was completely alone.
Gabriella Montez had many days that she would dread each year but none were more horrific, more annoying, more dreaded then today.
New Years Eve.
Since the age of 5 Gabriella Montez hated New Years Eve. The day was always betrayed as a great celebration, a day where you leave the past behind to go onto bigger and better things. But as she realized growing up, that a New Year meant a new chance for something bad to happen, a new year to lose someone close to her.
At the ripe age of 16 and three quarters (she was skipped ahead several times in primary school), Gabriella had lost more loved ones then most do by the time there fifteen. At the age of 6 she had her first experience of death- her pet goldfish, flushing him down the toilet would always be one of the worst experiences, she considered, in her life because that's the day she realized that she had failed to take care of someone she cared about which led to their death. So from that day forth Gabriella Montez swore to take care of everyone around her- if they were happy and healthy so was she.
2 years later when her Nan died Gabriella realized that life was unfair and she cried about that fact for weeks before deciding self pity wasn't helping her grieving father or her stressed mum. That day Gabriella Montez grew up.
So on the day her father died she didn't shed a tear- she prayed for hope that maybe her father had missed his meeting or it had been cut short. She helped her mother get her faith back when it felt like the world had just collapsed around them.
On the day of her fathers funeral she was the shoulder for her mum to cry on, because she knew that day that even though she was only 10 she would have to be the strong one the one that thanked everyone for coming, the one who stood up in front of her parent's family and friends behind her fathers casket, to tell them to live everyday as if it was their last, to remember Antonio Montez as a great man, a great husband and especially a great father. Gabriella was determined to not shed a tear in front of anybody but only to do that privately where no one would tell her it was all going to be okay because in all honesty she had lost her faith.
At the age of twelve when Gabriella started year 8, she kept a smile on her face even though at home her mom had gone into serious depression after finding out she had cancer. When the teacher would ask her if she was okay she would always smile and say "never better". At the age of thirteen Gabriella had perfected the fake smile so much so people thought it was her real smile.
On the day of her mum's doctor's appointment when they would find out if the cancer had returned or not, Gabriella slapped on her best fake smile and gathered her faith back knowing that soon it may be the only thing she had left. When they found out her mother's cancer was back and further advanced Gabriella immediately had the strong demeanor she had shown off at her father's funeral, she asked what the course of action was, she stayed up late studying the cancer itself as well as catching up on homework she had missed, she went out and got herself a part time job to help pay the bills even though, due to her mothers work was not necessary. When her mother fought her long 2 year battle with the disease Gabriella was there to hold her hair back when she threw up or to comfort her when she felt like giving up- telling her she had so much to live for.
On the day of her mother's death, she personally thanked all the doctors and nurses for doing everything they could to help her mother. That day she decided she wanted to go to medical school and help others just as they had for her.
On the day of spreading her mothers ashes, Gabriella didn't cry, she smiled. She may have been losing her mother physically but she knew that her mother would be joining her father and would be there keeping her safe. Her mother was finally free.
Gabriella Montez was strong, emotionally, physically and mentally. She had learnt that being there for someone when they needed you most was the greatest thing any person could do for another. Gabriella had survived spending several birthdays as if it was any other day, no happy birthday what-so-ever. She had survived the anniversaries of her parent's wedding, birthdays and deaths with a smile on her face.
But New Years was something she really disliked. But for the first time in ten years it wasn't because she would have to leave behind the horrible things in her life or prepare for what she always considered the worst to come. It was because she knew that no year could live up to 2007's standard.
The year when she became independent, the year she started a new school and made 3 new best friends who were as close as sisters. The year when 4 boys walked into her life and instantly became her big brothers, the year when she was finally able to express her emotions into her music. The year she got a new family, a place of belonging, a place where she felt like if something did happen to her that someone would care- the world would stop.
The year when she met him.
The guy she can somehow feel completely secure with, a guy who made her realize just what love is, what it felt like to actually be floating on cloud nine with. The guy that was there for her when it got just a little to much at the early mornings of Christmas, the guy that went to her house at 7 o'clock in the morning to serve her breakfast in bed for her 16th birthday as well as throw her a surprise party to which he described as the party to make up for all the ones lost. The guy that took care of her when she really needed it. The only person that she had given herself fully to both emotionally and physically.
The guy that made her smile her first real smile in nearly six years.
So now as Gabriella Montez sits next to her boyfriend of nearly year, in he's fixed up Ute she is completely irritated by the fact that he had blindfolded her and told her not to question what he was planning as she would find out all in good time.
'All in good time' meant to Gabriella that something unexpected was going to happen and so far in her life unexpected events that had left her upset and angry have out weighed the events that made her happy.
But she has faith in her boyfriend that maybe just maybe she might actually change her mind about New Years Eve.
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Troy smiled as he looked over at his obviously frustrated girlfriend. He knew he could just tell her where they were going or at least take away the blindfold but while he would never tell her to her face, but frustrated and angry Gabriella always made him smile. This was taken the wrong way by Gabriella in the small number of fights they did have.
Suppressing a laugh as Gabriella let out another aggravated sign, Troy turned into the East High deserted parking lot. Smiling over at his girlfriend, Troy pulled to a stop right in front of the school.
"We're here." Troy announced, unbuckling his seatbelt as well as Gabriella's.
"About time." Gabriella replied over-dramatically. Troy didn't take his girlfriends lack of excitement personally. He knew why she was so unwilling to celebrate the New Year, truth be told he to believed no year could match the one that they had just experienced, together. But Troy set a New Years resolution- to get Gabriella to experience the best New Year she ever had.
New Year's resolutions were a big thing to Troy, he never made ones that were impossible or he knew he wouldn't be able to complete. Like when he was 14 and in an effort to get rid of the piling amount of pimples he had he decided not to eat chocolate. That lasted exactly 6 hours, the amount of time he was sleeping.
Or when he was 13 and he made a resolution to kiss Shelly McDermott, the girl he had being crushing on for several months. So on the first day back at school he walked over to her and gave her a massive kiss which she did respond to. Troy didn't realize she had gotten bracers over the holidays. So you could imagine the embarrassment he felt when they walked to the office connected at the lips.
Troy never looked at Shelley the same way.
While those three resolutions were unsuccessful even though they were quite easy to do, Troy was determined to actually fulfill this years. Because he knew unlike previous years that this was important this wasn't just something that in the long run would mean nothing, would be a joke, this meant returning a little bit of faith to the most special person in his life.
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Troy led Gabriella down to the oval, he was hoping, praying, that what he had planned would make her simply happy.
Excitement started taking over Gabriella's body, Troy held onto her waist leading her down what she was guessing was a hill. Feeling troy stop behind her Gabriella too stopped.
"Okay now I'm about to take the blindfold off but be honest if you like your surprise." Troy nervously untied Gabriella's blindfold. Gabriella couldn't suppress the smile that spread across her face. Ahead of her was a simple picnic in the middle of the East High oval.
"If you don't like it its fine, we can just go home I just thought that maybe a quiet night by ourselves would be the perfect way to bring in the New Year." Troy scratched the back of his neck, looking to the ground.
Gabriella giggled to herself, the fact that Troy still got nervous around her always confused her.
"It's perfect." Gabriella whispered, taking Troy's hand attracting his attention. Troy smiled sheepishly at her before giving her a kiss on the forehead and leading her over to the rug to sit down.
"Now not to kill the mood or anything but you do have food right? Because as you requested I didn't eat dinner so I'm kind of hungry." Gabriella said trying to peak inside of the picnic basket.
"Do you have no faith in me?" Troy questioned good-heartedly, reaching over to open up the picnic basket. He then pulled out 2 champagne glassed, apple cider, and a few different containers of food.
"Now on the menu tonight we have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches of course, salad sandwiches, chocolate, lollies, chips, and slightly warm Chinese noodles." Troy pulled out the respective the containers one by one making Gabriella smile at the effort he had put in.
"You really didn't have to do all this you know." Gabriella crawled over to Troy.
"Well I couldn't have you hating New Year's Eve could I?" Troy chuckled as Gabriella gave him a quick peck. "Let's eat shall we?"
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After finishing off most of the food and cider, Gabriella and Troy laid down together looking at the clear sky. Gabriella's head comfortably resting on Troy's shoulder, with his arm wrapped protectively around her waist, both in a state of bliss.
"So what do you think of New Year's now?" Troy asked placing a kiss on Gabriella's forehead.
"Well I think as long has in the next 2 minutes nothing goes wrong, then I can live with it. Although I will only agree to enjoy New Year's on one condition." Gabriella pushed herself up so she was hovering above Troy.
"And what would that be?" Troy smiled up at Gabriella wrapping both his arms around her waist.
"That you promise that you're going to be there celebrate to each and every one of them." Gabriella whispered leaning down to kiss him.
"I promise." Troy closed the gap between them pulling her close.
Pulling away to look at the fire works exploding in the distance, Troy whispered "happy new year Brie."
Gabriella looked away from the fireworks to hug Troy. "Happy New Year Wildcat."
Real smile number 1569.
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Liked the start didn't like the end.
REVIEW!!!
Nikki.
