A/N: Okay so I'm on break from school so I'm going to try update a few times a week while I'm off, just to get the story rolling! Another huge thanks to Michaela for all of her reminders to stop distracting myself and just hurry up and write :). Keep those reviews coming everyone!!

"Come on Gabriella, the shuttle is here to pick us up!" Joseph called up the stairs as he stood at the bottom, surrounded by the rest of the Montez family and their piles of luggage.

Gabriella wandered slowly down the stairs, her cell phone in hand as she text Troy and a backpack slung over one shoulder.

"Who are you talking to, dear?" Maria asked, and Gabriella shrugged her shoulders.

"Taylor," Gabriella lied with another shrug of her shoulders, but inside she wanted to smile so much.

Since the day they spent together while their parents were finalising the details, Troy and Gabriella had grown closer and closer through texting and the internet, and Gabriella was sure that she was crushing on the blue eyed boy. But under no circumstances did she want her parents to believe that she was starting to look forward to the trip, so she hadn't told them about her new found friendship.

"Got everything, Gabi?" Joseph asked. "Because we can't exactly just pop home if you decide you've forgotten something."

"Got everything, Dad," Gabriella said quietly, her eyes fixed to the cell phone screen.

"I've got everything!" Will chimed in happily, practically bouncing around the small space. "Let's go!"

"Gabi, can you carry Charlie for me please?" Maria asked, handing the sleeping toddler off to Gabriella. "I'll help your Dad with the luggage."

Gabriella took her little sister, arranging her comfortably in the hold of her arms as she followed her parents and brother out of the house.

It didn't take long to load the luggage and the Montez family into the shuttle, and they were on their way to the airport.

Gabriella blocked out the sound of her family with her iPod, putting on her true sulking teenager front, but letting a small smile leak out every time her phone vibrated with another text from Troy.

We just arrived how far r u?

Gabriella looked out the window to see if she could recognise anything that would give an indication as to their location from the airport and saw that they had actually reached the airport as well.

Just arrived too. Let the "fun" begin.

Gabriella quickly typed out her message before slipping her phone into her pocket and turning her iPod volume downso that she could hear the requests from her parents as to what they wanted her to carry.

"Do you want to look after Charlie, or carry luggage?" Maria asked her daughter and Gabriella replied without hesitation.

"Charlie!" She said quickly, scooping the toddler into her arms and placing a gentle kiss upon the dark curls that were so much like her own.

"What's that?" Charlie cooed, pointing up to the sky where a plane had just taken off.

"That's a plane," Gabriella replied softly, settling Charlie onto her hip. "We're going on one pretty soon."

"We're going on a plane, we're going on a plane," Will sung, running in a circle around Gabriella, making Charlie giggle and Gabriella wonder how he was going to cope being cooped up in a small motor home for three months.

--

Troy couldn't believe it, he already had a splitting headache, and they hadn't even left Albuquerque. His brothers had been screaming through the house all day, singing about their upcoming trip, yelling out that they didn't know what to pack in their suitcases, and asking Troy never-ending questions about who he was texting.

As Troy's phone beeped indicating Gabriella had sent him a text, the twins started up again.

"Who's texting you?"

"Is it a girl?"

"Troy's got a girlfriend!"

"Troy's in love!"

Doing his very best to ignore his brother's comments, Troy flipped open his phone, revealing the new text from Gabriella saying that she had just arrived at the airport. Immediately Troy's eyes glanced upwards, hoping to catch sight of the curly haired girl he couldn't wait to see, even though he knew that she was most likely not in sight yet.

"I wonder where Joseph and Maria are," Jack queried and Troy almost answered that they would be in sight in a few minutes, but he bit his tongue, not wanting his parents to raise questions about him and Gabriella texting each other.

"I'm sure they'll be here soon," Lucille answered, looking over at her oldest son who suddenly looked a little flushed and nervous. "Are you okay, Troy?"

"Hmm what?" Troy stuttered, his eyes shifting from looking around for Gabriella to looking at his Mom.

"Are you okay? You look a little flushed," Lucille commented. "Do you need some water?"

"I'm fine," Troy replied nonchalantly. "You know I'm not that big on flying, Mom."

"Do you want to swap seats with your Father? It's not fair on Gabriella to have to put up with you if you're going to be getting sick," Lucille rambled on.

"No, no, no, Mom. I'll be fine, you can sit with Dad," Troy spluttered, wanting nothing less than to give up his seat next to Gabriella for the long haul flight to New Zealand.

"Let me know if you change your mind, dear," Lucille said, opening her mouth to speak again but being interrupted by Jack.

"Here's Joseph and Maria!"

Troy's head quickly spun around, his eyes seeking out the teenage girl he was longing to see, a smile settling upon his lips as he spotted her, dressed casually in fitting grey sweatpants, a white beater under a red beater and a grey zip up hoody hanging loosely from her shoulders.

Smiling politely at the older Montez family members, Troy made his way closer to Gabriella, reaching down to ruffle Charlie's hair as he shot Gabriella a grin.

"Hey you," he said softly, trying not to draw their families attention.

"Hey," Gabriella replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

"My brothers are already driving me crazy," Troy said with a light laugh. "We should accidentally get lost in LA and miss the vacation."

Gabriella giggled, shifting Charlie in her arms as she looked up at Troy through her dark lashes.

"The trip seems less and less horrific the more I get to know you," she confessed, feeling her cheeks tinge red as she spoke.

"The feeling's mutual," Troy said sincerely, letting his hand drop down to gently push some of Gabriella's curls from her face.

"Troy? Gabriella? Let's go, it's time to check in our luggage," Jack called out, interrupting the teen's private moment.

Troy bent his head down to Gabriella's ear, letting his warm breath tickle her as he spoke.

"Let the chaos begin."

---

Troy rolled his eyes at the man in the seat next to Gabriella. He was an older man of about 35 and he was completely obsessed with Troy's travelling buddy.

"Do you need anything from the cart?" Jim, the older man asked Gabriella, flashing his off-white smile in her direction.

"No thank you," Gabriella replied politely, looking at Troy for help when Jim patted her arm lightly and then left his hand resting there.

They'd only been on the flight two hours and Jim was driving both Troy and Gabriella insane, not to mention grossing them out at his constantly flirting with Gabriella.

"Baby, are you tired?" Troy asked, suddenly getting an idea, and he widened his eyes at Gabriella as if to tell her to play along.

Gabriella let out a fake yawn, stretching her arms a little above her head, making her tops pull up, revealing a perfectly flat, tanned stomach which made Troy's heart race.

"I am actually," Gabriella replied, winking at Troy. "Can I cuddle you? The plane seats aren't that comfy."

"Sure, come here," Troy replied softly, lifting up the arm rest between their seats. "Lie your seat back so you don't get a sore neck."

Gabriella did as Troy instructed, pushing her chair back until it was even with Troy's own.

Eagerly, Troy slipped his arm around Gabriella's shoulders, bringing her body to rest against his own, her head sliding comfortably in the nook of her neck and her arm slipping across Troy's stomach, pressing their bodies together deliciously.

"Comfy?" Troy whispered in Gabriella's ear, and Gabriella knew he had long forgotten about Jim.

Nodding softly Gabriella let out a real yawn this time, feeling herself become tired as she cuddled into Troy's warm body.

Bringing his free hand up Troy once again pushed the curl's from Gabriella's face as her eyes fluttered closed in relaxation.

"Sleep tight, Brie," he whispered.

--

Hours later Troy was woken from his own sleep by the sudden coldness against his side as the warm body that was cuddled into him moved away.

He fumbled around trying to bring the warmth back to him, only be met by the sound of musical giggles.

"Wake up sleepy head," Gabriella giggled. "They're serving breakfast now."

Troy slowly opened his eyes, his lashes fluttering against his cheeks as he pushed away the last of the sleep from his brain.

The way his sleepy blue eyes immediately fixed on her made Gabriella smile bashfully as she thought back over the time since they had met at their airport, and how often since then Troy had gone out of his way to touch her, or pay her a compliment or even just to shoot her a dazzling smile.

Troy perked up at the mention of food but he still reached his hand back out, lacing Gabriella's fingers with his own as he met her eyes.

"You're the comfiest blanket I've ever had," he said flirted.

"Well you happen to be the most comfortable pillow I've ever had," Gabriella flirted back, scooting over slightly in her chair til her knee brushed against Troy's.

The pair smiled at each other, forgetting about the hundreds of other people on the plane as they got lost in their own world, the chatter melting into the background, nothing else mattering in that second except their ever-nearing lips.

Troy felt a lump in his throat as he watched Gabriella's eyes flutter closed, and he quickly swallowed nervously before closing his own eyes. He could feel Gabriella's breath against his face, his free hand reaching out to cup her cheek just before their lips met.

"Troy! What are you having for breakfast?" Came the loud comment from the seats behind the pair where their younger brothers were sitting.

And the moment was over before it had really began.