Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!!!!
January 1st, 2028 8:00 am Albuquerque
I tossed and turned the majority of the night before looking over at the clock which read 8 am. I pushed myself off of the bed and walked over to my suitcase. Laying on the very top was the photo of Troy, Gabriella, and I all sitting on a front porch. Troy and Gabriella were both smiling.
"Why did you have to die?" I asked quietly as a gentle tear fell down my cheek.
"Why did you have to leave me with an adoptive family? Why couldn't we be a family together?" I asked still staring at the photo.
Those two people were my parents and I was going to try my hardest to find out who they are. My mind was quickly changed as I heard the ringing of my cell phone.
"Hello?" I asked picking up the ringing device. I didn't even look at the caller ID as I put it to my ear.
"Tess is that you?" Meghan, one of my best friends, asked as I walked around my hotel room.
"Yeah it's me. What's up?" I asked her going over to look out of the window of the hotel.
"Nothing much here but better question is what's up with you?" Meghan asked me as I sighed a little.
"A lot is up. Do you have time or do I need to do the shortened version?" I asked her.
"Oh I've got all the time in the world chica. Start at the beginning." She ordered gently as I jumped on the bed and settled in.
An hour and a half later, I finished telling her of my journey and what I had found out so far. She was speechless and didn't know what to tell me.
"So you're in Albuquerque, New Mexico, meeting a family you never even knew existed. I would have come with you if you asked." Meghan told me.
"I know you or any of the other girls would have in a heartbeat but I had to do this on my own. I have to find out my past on my own. But the next time I come out here, I will defiantly bring you with me. It's amazing out here." I told her shaking my head.
"You promise?" She asked as I laughed.
"Cross my heart hope to die, stick a needle in my eye. I promise you Meghan Elisabeth." I said using her full name.
"Good. I've always wanted to go to New Mexico. Are you finding all the answers you're looking for?" Meghan asked me.
"I don't even know what the questions I'm looking for are. I'm getting formally introduced to Troy and Gabriella's friends and Troy's family. I'm just scared and wished I had someone by my side." I admitted to her.
"You just say the word and I'll be there in an instant." Meghan offered as I seriously considered taking her offer.
"I'll . . . be fine. I wanted to do this on my own and I have to. I'm just scared about what I'll find out about my parents." I hesitated a moment before smiling.
"Just remember you have a bunch of people here in Illinois that love you for who you are. If you don't like what you find out, come home and shuffle through it. We'll be here for you." Meghan told me.
"Thank you Meghan for everything. I'll be back on the 12th so we'll do a total girls day then." I told her.
"I've got it all set up with the other girls. Just let us know and we'll be there in an instant." Meghan told me.
"I love you to death but I've got to go ponder my family situation over a little bit. I'll talk to you later, Meghan." I said saying my final goodbyes.
Meghan was one of those people who could put a smile instantly on your face from the first word she spoke. She had been through everything with me. We were looking at the same colleges and still had to make the big decision on our own.
I pushed myself off the bed before forcing myself to go get changed. I dressed in sweatpants and a hoodie before tying my shoes. I decided a good old fashion run is what I needed to sort through my thoughts.
I started running through the streets of Albuquerque. I imagined my father running the same streets on his daily run. I listened to my feet pound the pavement as I continued to run. As I ran, I didn't realize it but I started to cry from all the emotions I had experienced the last few days. I ran right into a park before collapsing on a park bench. I brought my knees to my chest as I buried my head and cried.
I cried for not getting to know my parents; I would have to learn about them through their friends and family. I cried because I felt like I was deserting my family back in Illinois. I cried because of the huge college decision I would have to make in the upcoming months. And finally I cried because I had no idea how to intertwine my new life with my old one. How was I going to handle my Albuquerque life with the one I had made for myself in Illinois? Only time would tell.
I quickly wiped the tears from my cheeks as I slowly stood up and continued on my run. Normally my runs were thoughtless; though nothing had gone normal since my adoptive parents revealed their secret.
I sighed before heading back to the hotel. I took a quick shower before going to sit on the bed in the room. I crumbled up a piece of paper and aimed for the trash can.
"If this goes in, I go tonight. If it doesn't, then I stay here." I told myself as I set up the shot. I released and watched the paper ball sail through the air. I sighed as I watched it go in.
"I guess I'm going tonight." I said prepping myself for what would come later that night.
6:30 pm
"Come on Tess you can do this." I said as my feet would not move from the hotel room I was currently standing in. I looked down at my outfit and smiled a little. I had on faded jeans, an East Evanston hoodie, my adoptive parents had gotten me when I entered high school, and my slip on tennis shoes. I had curled my hair a little and left it fall gently on my shoulders.
I tried to prep myself again but it ended up useless. I heard my cell phone ring as I sighed again.
"Hello?" I asked not bothering to check the ID on the ringing device.
"Hi sweetie. Are you busy?" Mom asked me sighing.
"I'm getting ready to go meet everyone. It's not going too well." I told her smiling softly.
"Don't be nervous. You be yourself and they'll love you because of that." Mom told me.
"Thanks. My feet refuse to move." I told her giggling a little.
"You need to force yourself to go. This would be good for you, Tess." Mom told me gently.
"I know it will be. I'm just scared a little." I said looking at the clock.
"Why don't you talk to me while you walk to where you're meeting them?" Mom suggested as I found myself walking out of the room.
"I think that will work mom. So how is Illinois?" I asked her as she laughed.
"We just got dumped with snow. Your dad and I are going to the Davis' New Years' party tonight. Everyone says hello." Mom told me.
"Did you tell anyone where I am?" I asked her walking out of the lobby of the hotel and down the street.
"The only one that called was Meghan. She asked if you were around and I told her that you were in New Mexico. I told her that you had to explain everything." Mom told me.
"Thank you. If anyone else calls looking for me, just tell them to call my cell phone. I'll explain it to anyone." I told him.
"I will. Are you at the place yet?" Mom asked me as I saw the sign for the East Towne Bar swinging gently in the wind.
"I'm about a block away from it. I can see the sign from here." I told her quietly.
"Tess Alexis you're going to be fine. You're brave and curious and you will capture these people with your heart." Mom whispered gently.
"Thank you mom. I just hope these people accept me and there aren't too many tears tonight." I told her.
"There will be tears just like the day we came to pick you up. All those people are really nice. Don't worry about them being mean; they were really nice and understanding." Mom told me.
"Thanks mom. I'm here. I guess I should go in." I told her looking at the brown door.
"All right. Good luck and call me if you need anything." Mom said as I nodded.
"I will mom. Have fun tonight and I'll talk to you later. Tell dad I say hi." I told her before hanging up.
I took a deep breathe and prepped myself before putting my hand on the handle. Before I knew it, my hand had come back and swung open the door.
"We're closed tonight." A voiced called as I hurried in.
"I was actually invited tonight." I said standing on the landing looking at all the people standing around.
All the faces were of confusion and worry. I saw Jack and Jordan standing off to the side and smiled at them a little.
"What did you need?" Jason asked coming up to my side and looking at me.
"I believe I am your best friends' daughter." I said looking at Jason before looking at the crowd.
"All of my best friends are here all ready." Jason said taking a defensive side.
"Not all of them. I'm Tess Alexis Bolton-DeVries." I said looking at Jason before going to stand next to Jack and Jordan.
"No you can't be her." Another man said shaking his head at me.
"I am her. I've got letters from Troy and Gabriella to prove it." I told them looking around the room.
"Tess you've got to excuse us. Our friend, son, and brother has been dead for 17 years. We never thought we would see you again, Tess." Carly, Troy's mom, said coming over to my side.
"You don't think this has been hard on me either? I'm a normal 18 year old girl, who's got friends, family, and basketball all going for her. I'm wanted to play by 5 colleges. I thought the biggest decision I would ever have to make is what college I wanted to attend and play NCAA basketball for. Not this finding out who my birth parents were." I said looking at the crowd of my parents' friends and family.
"How do we know you're Troy and Gabriella Bolton's daughter?" another guy asked me as I smirked a little.
"Um . . . aside from how I have Gabriella's skin and hair color and Troy's grin or eyes, I'm named after the two of them. Tess was Gabriella's middle name and Alexis was the female form of Alexander which was Troy's middle name. Some people have told me that my voice is identical to that of Gabriella's. And finally, Troy and Gabriella wrote me a letter to be given to me on my 18th birthday. Included in the letter was a list of contacts, that Troy made promise to stay in the area in case I ever came back. Troy wanted me to know who he was since he was never given the chance to tell me himself." I said looking at the family.
"She's defiantly Troy and Gabriella's daughter." Abbie said coming up to my side.
It took a few minutes for people to get used to the idea that their best friends' daughter was standing directly in front of them.
"Let me introduce you to everyone." Jack said leading me over to a group of people.
"These were Troy and Gabriella's friends. Chad and Taylor Danforth, Ryan and Kristin Evans, Sharpay and Zeke Baylor, and Kelsi and Jason Cross. They could share stories with you about your parents." Jack said shaking his head.
"Thank Jack." I told him before he headed over to the other side of the room.
"So did you know this restaurant had direct connections to your father and mother when you first walked in here?" the man Jack had introduced as Chad asked me.
"Not a first I didn't. But when I was talking to Zeke and saw the picture behind the bar, then I did. I was afraid to come back in here." I told them shaking my head.
"You've got to know this is a big step for any of us, Tess. Most of us just came to grips about Troy's death and now to have you sitting in front of us; it's going to take a little time to get used to that idea." Ryan told me.
"Do you know what it's like to be lied to your whole entire life? I have great parents back in Illinois who have given me my ever want and need for the last 18 years. Four days ago, I'm sitting in my bedroom when my mom tells me she needs to tell me something. She hands me a purple envelope which held a secret that I never knew existed. Comes to find out, the two people I've always called my parents, aren't really my parents. They're my adoptive parents. So I'm here trying to search out who my real parents are. I know this is harder but think about how hard it is for me to wrap my mind around this." I said looking at them.
I took a good look around the restaurant before running out into the cool January air.
Jack's POV
"Do you think you could have gone easier on her?" I heard Sharpay asked Ryan.
"Excuse me if I'm a little hesitant when it comes to my dead friends' daughter standing in front of me." Ryan said looking at his sister.
"Guys what just happened?" I asked coming over to the table.
"Tess got upset and ran out." Taylor told me before I nodded.
"Guys she left everything she's ever known to come down here to find out who her parents were. We should be helping her not making her feel guilty. I'm going to find her." I said walking through the people and walking out of the restaurant.
I thought back to all the places I would search to find Troy. Tess has his mind so I might as well put myself in the mindset I was in when I had to find Troy. It boiled down to two places and I quickly made up my mind before going to see if I was right.
I heard someone crying as I entered the park and went over to her side. I pulled her closer to my side as she put her head on my shoulder.
"Why is change so hard to accept?" She asked picking her head up and looking at me.
"It just is. I'm sorry that they were defensive. They don't know what to do, Tess." I said trying to get her to understand.
"It was just a bad idea to come down here in the first place. I should just go back to Illinois and forget everything I discovered." Tess said as I looked at her.
"Tess as much as you want to, you're not going to be able to bury this. This is going to be with you the entire time." I told her quietly.
"I thought I would just come down here and find out who my parents were. Never did I think I would be accepted by anyone." Tess admitted to me.
"Never did I think I would see my son's daughter again; my granddaughter. We have a lot of time to make up for. We all know you have questions; we just ask you have patience while everyone gets time to pull their thoughts together." I told my granddaughter.
"I think I can do that. I just wish Troy, my father, was in that room telling me everything I need to know." Tess told him.
"I wish that too but sometimes our wishes don't come true." I told her.
"Is it true that I'm an exact replica of them?" Tess asked me as I pondered the question a little.
"Not an exact but I can see the similarities. You pointed out the main ones back in the restaurant. When you were talking to Chad, you gave him a look I saw too many times out of Troy." I told her.
"I feel like you all know this great big secret and I'm sitting on the outside. I feel like I'm never going to know what my parents were like." Tess told me shaking her head.
"I'm going to help you the entire way. We'll figure out your parents together, all right?" I asked her as she smiled.
"That sounds good." Tess told me as I hugged her close.
"Do you want to go back to the hotel or back to the party?" I asked her as she smiled.
"I think I'm going to go back to the hotel. This was a little overwhelming tonight." Tess told me.
"All right. Every morning, the guys go to the gym and play two on two. Why don't you go surprise them tomorrow morning?" I suggested as she grinned.
"And show off my mad skills?" Tess asked me laughing.
"That's exactly what I mean. They'll come around, Tess. Just give them time." I told her.
"Thank you for everything. I promise I'll live up to everything my parents never did." Tess promised.
"I have no doubt you will." I told her kissing her forehead before watching her walk off.
I sat there a few more minutes before pushing myself off the bench and headed back to the restaurant. I pushed opened the door as every eye fell on me.
"Where's Tess?" Carly asked me as I sighed a little.
"She went back to the hotel. She's a little overwhelmed." I said looking around the room.
"How dare she comes in here and gets frustrated at us?" Michele asked as I whipped around at her.
"She's confused Michele. Think about it. If you just found out you were adopted, wouldn't you want to know about your birth family? She's scared of what she is going to find out. All she wants to know is about Troy and Gabriella and what kind of live they had. She's so much like Troy, it's scary but we have to help her out. She just wants to get to know her family, her birth parents' family." I said looking around the room.
"We're going to get to know our granddaughter. She's sticking around Albuquerque until the 12th. If you want to get to know her, you should do so before then. She's returning to Illinois as the girl she was before she came here." Carly said looking at the kids she had come to known as adoptive children.
I looked at Carly before grabbing her hand and leading her outside and to our car. We were both occupied with our own thoughts as I drove home.
That didn't go exactly how you guys all thought it would. Anways, feedback would be most appreciated. If you have thoughts or ideas for this story, I would love to hear them!!! Thank you to everyone who has all ready submitted a feedback; it most appreciated!