So I've decided to start up with a new plot bunny. I'm hoping this will be as successful as 'A Pinkie Promise' was. It's something different than what I've written before. As you have noticed, the rating for this story is a bit higher, though not by much. So I will warn you now that there will be some slightly more mature situations in this story. This is a short story, so don't expect more than 10 chapters… maybe less than that.
Title: Before Happily Ever After
Summary: 'There never had to be a 'happily ever after', but there's always something before it' Troy and Gabriella Bolton married at 18, and started a family at 20. Like every couple, they wanted their fairy tale ending, like every fairy tale, it won't be easy TXG
Before Happily Ever After
Chapter 1: Our Story
And they lived happily ever after…the traditional ending, to the traditional fairy tale. It was easy to believe in it when I was five. Cinderella found her Prince; Snow White woke up from a kiss from her true love; even Rapunzel found her Prince after being locked away in a tower for years. It was something that was just there…that had to be reached. In the story books, and bed time stories, happily ever after was the ending we all wanted to hear. At the end of the day, none of us really remembered what happened, except the characters 'lived happily ever after'. But then…it takes time to reach a happily ever after. Cinderella had to suffer through years of torment under her evil step-mother and sisters; Snow White had a jealous witch of a mother and nearly died; and Rapunzel had to go through the years of loneliness before she let down her golden hair. There never had to be a 'happily ever after'…but there was always something before it.
The closest I've come to my happily ever after was finding Gabriella Montez—whoops, I mean Gabriella Bolton, my wife, mother to my child, and my best friend. We met in high school, while I was basketball driven and she was academically driven. At school we were from two different worlds…and outside in the real world…we were still from two different worlds. It was a classic case of status and class.
Gabriella's real father had died in a car crash when she was still young and her mother had re-married a few years later. Gabriella moved to Albuquerque with her mother to live with her new family…who just so happened to be the owner of one of the richest companies in town. Greg Santos, CEO of Santos Industry, was Gabriella's step-father. With no child of his own, and Gabriella as his new step-daughter, Gabriella became known as the heiress to the company…and a few years later, her step-father had legalized it. And even if Greg and Gabriella's mother-Isabella-had a child of their own, Gabriella would still own a rather large part of the company—as long as she remained in the family.
While my family was not living in poverty, we weren't nearly half as rich as Gabriella's family. My parents, Diane and Jack Bolton had eloped when they were still teenagers and my dad had to drop out of College to find work to support our family. We lived in a modest-albeit shabby-little house with two rooms, and small kitchen and one TV for the family. My dad worked night shifts as a security guard at Santos Industry (Ironic isn't it?) and my mom worked two part time jobs as a waitress and a part time secretary at a near by clinic. I started to go job hunting as soon as I reached thirteen, and even though I was only allowed to work certain hours, I worked hard to help bring money for my family, even if it did only cover a quarter of our food expenses.
Needless to say, Greg Santos was not impressed when we began dating. How would it look to the press if they found out his daughter, the heiress to the company, was dating the son of a lowly security guard? Front cover on the Global Enquirer, here we come!
But despite her parent's disapproval, Gabriella and I carried our relationship all throughout high school. Sometimes, at night, she would sneak out of her window and climb down the vines that grew on her side of the house and find me waiting for her at the entrance. Sometimes we would lie in the park on my jacket, and just look up at the stars and fall asleep, not to be awoken until dawn, the suns ray prickling at our faces. Sometimes, if we were really daring, Gabriella and I would go back to my house. The first couple of times I was embarrassed and ashamed to show her my house, I mean…my room must've been the size of her bathroom, or even her closet! But Gabriella, being the angel that she was, said nothing, only smiled, took her shoes off and slipped in my single sized bed, and waited for me to join her. The bed was small, and quite evidently not designed to hold two people, but that was excuse enough for me to draw her up against me as tight as I could.
High school ended in a flash, with me getting a full scholarship to university, and Gabriella's step-father paying for hers. We were all ready to set off together. The night of our prom, I brought her under the crystal ball (Cliché, I know, so sue me), and knelt on one knee, and asked the brunette angel to be my wife. I couldn't remember being happier when she nodded, and I slipped the simple silver band on her slender fingers. I remember feeling a drop in my stomach as I looked at the plain silver ring. It had taken me almost three months of my salary and saved up money to buy it, and as if she read my mind, she drew me close for the last dance and whispered,
"It's perfect," I think we must've kissed too long, because my best friend, Chad, had to pry me away because we were turning blue.
-
-
The next day, we went to her family and I asked her step-father for permission to marry her (even though she already accepted). Things turned out worse than I thought… I'd be lying if I said I didn't think Greg Santos would not be mad…but I didn't think he would be that mad. While Gabriella's mother just stood there, looking shell shocked at her 18 year old daughter, Greg Santos was red in the face when he shot up, and I had half a mind to call an ambulance at the vein that popped out of the side of his head.
"I will not allow my daughter to marry you!" he had roared,
"I love Gabriella sir, more than anything else in the world,"
"And judging by your family that would not amount to much," Greg Santos spat,
"Greg!" Gabriella cried out in rage, "I don't care if Troy doesn't have as much money as we do," Her step-father ignored her,
"Who do you think you are? Why on earth would you think you're good enough to marry her? I tolerated you while you dated her, I believed it was only a high school thing, and after you graduated, I expected you two to end this ridiculous relationship of yours,"
"Sir—"
"She is to inherit my company. How do you expect to support her? You can't even make enough to support yourself," Greg snarled, "Are you going to put her to work? How the hell are you going to make her happy?"
"I am happy!" Gabriella cried, "I'm happiest when I'm with him! Mom please!" Isabella Montez-Santos wanted to talk, she opened and closed her mouth but nothing came out. She still couldn't get over the fact that her 18 year old daughter was getting married.
"Sir, I don't have a lot of money, and I have two part time jobs to keep myself in school," Troy admitted bravely, "But I love her. I love her more than I've ever loved anything, and I'd die before Gabriella could be unhappy. I may not have a thousand dollars to take out at the snap of my fingers, but I swear on my life that I'll do whatever it takes to make sure she's happy."
"Sweetheart," Isabella finally spoke, "I know what it's like…to think you're in love…you think you're in love and that you can do anything, but I don't want you to regret it. Once you've done it you can't undo it, it's just an infatuation, and I know what it's like…"
"No you don't!" Gabriella interrupted angrily, "It's not an infatuation mom! I know I love Troy, and I'm not going to regret it!"
"Darling you're still young—"
"I'm 18, and a legal adult!" Gabriella countered, "If I want to marry Troy I will, and you can't stop me. We came here to ask for your blessings, but whether you give it or not, I'm going to be Troy's wife…I just really want you to be here on the most important day of my life."
"I will not allow it," Greg shouted, Gabriella pulled Troy on his hand, making a move to leave, "Gabriella if you take one step out that door, I will disown you!" Gabriella froze for a split second and Isabella gasped,
"Greg," Isabella whispered. Gabriella took Troy by the hand, and led him up the stairs of the large house and into her room. Greg and Isabella remained in the living room and only began to calm down, when Gabriella's room door swung opened once more, and a solemn looking Troy came out. He connected eyes with Gabriella mom and step-dad, and for a second, he looked as though he were apologizing. He turned, and helped carry two suitcases out of the room, followed by Gabriella.
"Gabby…honey what-what are you doing? Where are you going?" Isabella stuttered, shooting to her feet. Gabriella ignored her mom, walking down the stairs with Troy and facing her parents face to face.
"I'm leaving," Gabriella said simply, "I'm leaving, and going with Troy. When we have a wedding date set, I will get someone to send you the invitation, and you can choose whether or not you would like to come. But if you only intend to break Troy and I up, then I would rather you not come at all."
"Gabriella," Troy gently tugged at her arm, "Are you sure?" Gabriella spared him a warm glance, before turning icy cold and returning to her step father and her crying mother. As neither said anything, Gabriella only nodded, and took one of her suitcases from Troy and began to roll it out. Troy followed suit a few seconds later,
"Don't think I am not serious," Greg suddenly snapped, "I will disown you if you step out of the door. Don't think I will lift a single finger to help you once you hit rock bottom," Gabriella paused,
"Good bye Greg…M-Isabella," Gabriella said without turning around. Troy and Gabriella left after hearing Isabella Montez-Santos break down and sobbing hysterically to her husband as her only daughter left.
After we left, Gabriella insisted on going to the bank. We dropped off her belongings at my house before we took the cab to the nearest bank. Once we were in there, Gabriella spent an hour talking to her accountant and asking for a separated bank account from her family. As an adult, she had the right to do that, and her share of her money was transferred to a new account. Let's just say Gabriella had enough money to support us for at least a year.
That night, Gabriella and I stayed in bed together, and I hugged her tight. She was being strong, I knew she was. I could tell by her facial expressions. Her eyes were squeezed tight, and she bit the bottom of her lip. Her hands were clenched in a fist with whitening knuckles,
"Brie," I whispered in her ear, using one of the many nicknames I made for her throughout our four years, "You can stop being so strong now…it's me…just me," Gabriella looked up with her now opened eyes, and I saw her brown eyes swimming with tears and that hurt me to no end. It took a second for her to break down, and crumbled against me as she wept against my chest. I felt her shuddering against me as she heaved, the day's pressure, losing her family, her mother, everything coming back in one wash. For an hour, all I could do was comfort her as she ran out of tears. And even after her tears, she still sniffled and hiccupped while holding onto me like I was her life line…and I could live forever knowing I was. Afterwards, I kissed her, told her I loved her, and told her to sleep.
We set our wedding date to be in the middle of August at the backyard of my best friend's house. It was a small ceremony, and only our closest friends came. We said our vows and I do's under a bright sun and clear blue skies, and kissed in the middle of a gentle breeze. That day, Gabriella Montez became Gabriella Bolton, and became my wife. And even though she tried not to show it, and hid it from our friends with a pasted smile, I knew how she really felt.
Greg and Isabella Santos did not show up for the most important day of their daughter's life. Chad Danforth (my best friend and boyfriend to one of Gabriella's best friend Taylor McKessie) gave her away instead of her step-father. That made me angry.
Unlike other couples, we did not have our honeymoon at some foreign country or on a cruise (I had wanted one, for Gabriella, but she insisted we saved money), so we stayed at Chad's place (a two story house he shared with Taylor). We spent our wedding night in their guest rooms. After that night, we learned to close the doors properly, and Chad learned not to barge in the day after a couple had gotten married.
That summer ended quickly, and Gabriella and I took up a shared residence at the university we had both decided to attend. It was fortunate that Greg Santos had decided to pay Gabriella's full tuition before had had disowned her. That was one thing that we could cross off our list.
University started off with a bang… and an avalanche of work. Gabriella and I both had classes to attend in the morning and in the evening, although she had more since she had taken more subjects than I had. Some nights we would snuggle together. Other nights one of us, or sometimes both of us remained at our desks, studying our courses. We had to maintain a high average to keep our scholarship funds constant.
We spent two years of University like that…until one day Gabriella was not feeling well. I couldn't concentrate in class at all, and so when the bell rang for my final class, I ran out of the room as fast as I could to our room. As soon as I had gotten there, I found Gabriella sitting on the edge of her bed, looking lost. At once I had thought something bad had happened. My parents got hurt. Our friends were in trouble…Gabriella's parents wanted to take her back!
As it turns out, it wasn't any of those things I had guessed. Gabriella was pregnant. She was pregnant…as in a tiny human being inside her was growing…not just any tiny human being either…it was our tiny human being. Something we created out of our love…it was unique…special…it was ours. I remember laughing that night and Gabriella looked at me like I was crazy, and maybe I was. But I picked her up, and kissed her like no tomorrow, and twirled her around like a maniac. It only made me happier when she started laughing.
Remember that list I had mentioned earlier? About crossing one item off our list? As it turned out…that list was longer than I had thought it would be…
A/N: So this is my attempt at a new story. It's something different. Again, please keep in mind that this is a short story, so chapters won't be as long as my other stories.
It's roughly (very roughly) based on 'The Pursuit of Happiness' with Will Smith. The idea of a family in financial problems intrigued me, and I thought it would be an interesting to write about something like this. I don't have a set time period for this story, but imagine the enviroment to be something like during the great depression.
Oh and this chapter was told in Troy's Point of view , but I will be going back to a Normal POV after. I haven't yet finished this story yet, so updates might take a while. I'm on my final year of high school and I really need to get my butt in shape!