AHHH! I'M SO SORRY THAT I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN FOREVER!!!!! I was on vacation for like two weeks, then I had to work this chapter out, it's been written for a while but I didn't like it and was constantly changing things…It is extra long though so hopefully that makes up for it's lateness.
Gabriella was confused, and a little angry as well. Troy had grabbed her arm at the end of the party last night saying that he hadn't gotten to congratulate her or even spend that much time with her lately. At first she had brushed him off saying it was no big deal but when he proposed to take her somewhere, to use his exact words "like on a date", she had relented. That was of course before she knew where they were going.
When normal people took some one else out "like on a date", they went to movies or to dinner or did both. Sometimes they went ice skating or dancing. Or they just hung out in a park watching stars. Troy Bolton on the other hand took his "dates" to the zoo.
And he brought his girlfriend along.
"A zoo? You're taking me- uhm…us, to a zoo?" Gabriella corrected herself upon seeing Kirsti's bright blonde head bouncing over to the two.
"Well yeah I thought you might want to you know do some research, like on how wild animals act differently from I dunno, not wild ones." Troy shrugged, he had honestly thought it was a good idea.
"The behavioral differences between wild and captive animals." Gabriella mused, "That would make a great extra credit paper for English next year! You know sometimes I think you know me better that I do."
As Gabriella headed off to the line Kirsti attached herself to Troy's arm. There was no way she was going to let that loser forget who Troy was going out with today.
As soon as they had entered the gates Kirsti listed her likes and more commonly dislikes of the zoo. Among others she complained that the zoo smelled, was crowded, didn't have her favorite animal, was too expensive, it was too hot out, she wasn't wearing sunscreen, her feet hurt, she hadn't slept well last night and was tired, and she was bored. All before they had seen their first animal.
Because the elephants were the closest to the entrance they decided to head in that direction and circle around eventually reaching the front again. The elephant enclosure wasn't far and on the short walk over Troy acquired a map. Looking over it he concluded that there were too many exhibits to view in one day. Since Kirsti had a 'delicate sense of smell' the zebras had to be dropped and because she was 'sensitive to temperature changes' the whole arctic section had to be dropped.
Even after Troy and Gabriella tried to explain to her that the temperature in the enclosures were only lowered inside. Which meant that it was still very warm outside. And that Kirsti's sensitive skin or whatever else was affected by cool air would be perfectly fine. But the blonde didn't agree and Troy had to side with Kirsti so polar bears and penguins were to be excluded from this particular research paper of Gabriella's. I've never really liked polar bears anyway, Gabriella tried to reason with herself even while another part of her was screaming, this is all Kirsti's fault! Of her the two sides in her internal conflict the angry side must have won because she never would have tripped Kirsti accidentally-on-purpose otherwise. Most likely.
"Ugh! Look what you did you clumsy-" Kirsti began to yell shrilly before realizing the scene she was making. Changing tactics the blonde sidled over to Troy willing herself to tear up.
"This was a new shirt, I wore just for you today and now it's ruined!" She whimpered pathetically. The girl was a good actress though, her boyfriend put an arm around her falling for the trick immediately.
"It's all right," he soothed "It's just a little bit of dirt, we'll stop at the next bathroom we see and Gabriella will help to clean you off." He shot an accusatory look in the brunette's direction when he said her name. Time to do a little acting of my own, she thought.
"I'm so so sorry! I can't believe I'm that clumsy, don't worry though, I'll help you get cleaned up! And I'm pretty sure that dirt doesn't stain…" Of course dirt didn't stain, the problem was when water was added to the dirt. Any amateur scientist knew that, although now that Gabriella thought of it, Kirsti probably failed science. Especially if it had to do with the chemicals used in hair dye, that she could use a lesson in, her roots were showing again.
When they finally reached the elephant exhibit, twenty minutes after they had started out for it, Kirsti had forgiven Gabriella; but not before making sure that Gabriella was hip-checked into one of the posts outside of the bathroom.
There were three elephants, the brunette immediately began taking notes. The largest was obviously the male while the two others were female, of the two one was very light in color while the other was darker and obviously the males favorite. Every time the bull elephant tried to get close to the darker female the lighter one got in the way. The only time the two elephants that were 'in love', as Kirsti ironically mentioned, got to see each other was when the lighter one (who Gabriella was mentally referring to as Kirsti) went to drink from the watering hole across the enclosure.
The ostrich exhibit and the alligator enclosure went much the same way, no incidents there. Kirsti threw a fit before entering the reptile and bug house (though Gabriella had to agree with her about the bugs, snakes and lizards behind glass really didn't scare her) but upon Troy's insistence that he would stay right next to her they entered the semi-dark room.
"If you don't mind I'll be over here by the snakes while you two look at the spiders." Gabriella did her best to sound interested in the reptiles but Troy saw through her as usual.
"You're not afraid of spiders, are you?" His voice lilted in a teasing manner, though his eyes were squinted in confusion.
" I'm not afraid of spiders." The brunette attempted to defend herself, "I just don't like the ones that can only be killed with a clown's shoe."
Kirsti, by the time their short conversation had taken place, had wandered over to the arachnids believing that Troy was right behind her. After glancing at one she turned to say something to him only to find a five year old in his place. So she did what she felt anyone would have done in her place. She screamed bloody murder.
Troy bolted off in the direction of Kirsti's scream, already thinking the worst. Upon finding her hyperventilating yet more or less alright he held her tightly.
"Oh, I was so scared baby. I thought I had lost you!" The blonde cried while her boyfriend murmured condolences in her ear.
"Maybe you should take a break. Getting, um, 'lost' must have been really stressful. And your throat must hurt from that scream." Truthfully Gabriella just wanted to get out of the bug section and sit down. Kirsti thankfully agreed, it was apparent that she didn't care in the least that Gabriella had heard her whole conversation.
The snack shop that they found was right next to the flamingos. Adding to the din the pink birds were making was Kirsti's voice complaining about the length of the line. While it was true that it seemed to stretch on forever Gabriella thought she was making much too big a deal about it. Eventually the blonde stepped into the line and the other two sat down.
"You know, flamingos are only pink because of the shrimp that they eat. With out the shrimp-" Troy attempted to impress his friend but was cut off by her instead.
"They turn brown, I know. I was the one who told you that." She laughed thinking about how nice it was with out Kirsti. Their conversations flowed much more easily and it felt as though a rainstorm had passed, the sun was shining again.
"Well did you know that some rabbits turn white in the winter time to blend in with the snow?" Troy smiled thinking that he had outsmarted his genius friend.
"I believe I used the word camouflage when I told you that." She smiled as well.
"Wanna know a secret?" He leaned closer to her.
"I don't know…What if I accidentally tell someone?" Gabriella teased but her heart raced as he leaned even closer.
"I was making that last fact up." Making a sound of false outrage she lightly smacked Troy's shoulder. She didn't realize how close they still were until she felt his breath lightly puffing on her cheek, turning her head to apologize their eyes met and held each other. When his eyes closed she whipped her head back, even if she did want to kiss him (and if she had had any doubts before they were long gone now) it wouldn't be until he and Kirsti were broken up for good.
"Sorry! Sorry…" They stammered out simultaneously. Blushing against her will Gabriella looked for a distraction, and found one.
"Let's go check out the bird house. Kirsti won't mind right?" It sounded feeble to her but Troy didn't seem to mind. He didn't even seem to mind that he had almost kissed his ex-girlfriend.
" No, not at all. She hates birds. Let's go! Now!" Then again if his rushing off (and he was already on the path that led to the large glass enclosure) was any indication…
Inside the bird house though their almost kiss was quickly forgotten, their attention changed in favor of the parrot that was sitting on Gabriella's arm and the canary on Troy's head. The small blue bird repeatedly attempted to pull on Troy's hair, much to his companion's amusement.
For the next few minutes they walked along the brick pathway joking, pointing out brightly colored birds, and in Gabriella's case scribbling notes about how differently these birds who were willing to land on her shoulder were from wild ones that flew away if she got too close.
"Where were you guys? I've been standing out here for like, ten minutes." Gabriella had to restrain herself from pointing out to Kirsti that they had only been gone for about five. Again troy and Kirsti partook in a whispered argument, and again Gabriella tried to solve it.
"Guy's let's just keep moving, there's a lot more to see and we only have an hour left before I have to get home." Another round of singing was taking place later that night and from the looks of it her song was really going to hit home.
"Well the closet exhibit is the butterfly house…" Troy looked at the map forlornly it seemed that he was thinking along the same lines as Kirsti.
"Another house? Can't we like go see the monkey's or something?"
"The butterfly house does have sixty-one different species of tropical flora though…" Truthfully Gabriella had been looking forward to seeing so many new plants, she was sure that some of them would have to have relations to some native North American plants.
"Umm…and it has something better than that." Kirsti chimed heading the direction of yet another large glass house.
"What?" The brunette couldn't imagine what Kirsti would consider better than the plants, it obviously wasn't the butterflies if her bug house performance meant anything. As they walked inside the blonde spread her arms wide and smiled.
"Air-conditioning!"
"Aren't you two forgetting the most important thing? The butterflies." Troy indicated to the iridescently winged insects flying above them.
The time in the glass house was to be short-lived however. Upon checking her watch Gabriella realized that she was quickly running out of time to get ready for the competition. She made a hasty excuse and the three piled into Troy's car, the drive home was more or less silent until Gabriella's cell phone rang.
"Hello?" She picked up the phone wishing that she had checked the caller I.D.
"Hey Gabriella! It's Sharpay. I was just looking over the song you chose for to day and I think it's brilliant!"
"You do?" Gabriella had thought it was alright but there was a line that she wasn't too sure about.
"That line is…it's just pure genius. How could I have forgotten that you have to confuse him every once in a while? I told you that you were a natural at this. Bye!"
"Sharpay?" She tried to get a hold of her some-what friend but it was too late, Sharpay had already hung up the phone.
"Boy meets girl
You were my dream, my world
But I, was blind
You cheated on me from behind"
Except for the cheating line the song was holding true. Of course it was that very same line about cheating that was meant to confuse Troy. As Sharpay had told her earlier, 'You don't want him to catch on too easily."
"So on my own
I feel so all alone
Though I know it's true
I'm still in love with you"
She had said it. Even if Troy didn't know that the song was about him she had said it. Those six words still rang through the audience as Gabriella took a deep breath, though not so deep that the audience could hear it, and began the chorus.
I need a miracle,
I wanna be your girl,
Give me a chance to see,
That you are made for me,
I need a miracle,
Please let me be your girl,
One day you'll see,
It can happen to me
I need a miracle,
I wanna be your girl,
Give me a chance to see,
That you are made for me,
I need a miracle,
Please let me be your girl,
One day you'll see,
It can happen to me
It can happen to me
The chorus had been pretty commonplace and now with nothing to do during an insanely long instrumental break she looked at Troy, his hand in Kirsti's, and she cupped the microphone in both hands and whispered into it,
"Miracle"
The strange echoing sound filled the auditorium, whispering in the corners of the room. Troy looked up at her and looking straight at him she sung the next stanza.
"Day, and night
I'm always by your side
Cause I know for sure
My love is real my feelings pure
So take, a try
No need to ask me why
Cause I know it's true
I'm still in love with you"
Again she said it, Gabriella marveled at how easy and yet at the same time so hard it was to say those words. Instead of pondering it further she skipped to mindlessly singing the chorus again. Mindlessly, she was really just following Sharpay's orders for most of the competition. When was the last time she had made her own decision about singing, about Troy?
"I need a miracle,
I wanna be your girl,
Give me a chance to see,
That you are made for me,
I need a miracle,
Please let me be your girl,
One day you'll see,
It can happen to me
I need a miracle,
I wanna be your girl,
Give me a chance to see,
That you are made for me,
I need a miracle,
Please let me be your girl,
One day you'll see,
It can happen to me
It can happen to me"
Since the whispered miracle had gone so well last time she decided that it would be a memorable way to end the song.
"Miracle
Miracle"
The song had gone really well, if the thunderous applause and appreciative comments from the judges meant anything. Gabriella was felling pretty confident when her path was blocked by Troy. He was frowning but his first words were congratulatory, if not enthusiastic.
"Good job."
"Thanks, is that all?" She already confused by his brisk manner, and somewhat stung that he wasn't attempting to make conversation.
"Yes, well no. It's just that…I never cheated on you Gabriella."
At fist she was at a loss for words, Troy had not only figured it out but he had confronted her. Gabriella could admit everything or she could lie, but wouldn't lying have the opposite affect that she wanted? Where was Sharpay? But for the first time since auditioning for American Idol knock-off the brunette made her own choice.
"Is that all?" She laughed, "Troy Bolton are you really so conceited that you think I was singing about you?"
Walking away from him she smiled. Not because she was happy about lying to him, or even because she had taken matters into her own hands. No Gabriella was smiling because she was getting to Troy.
I do not own Miracle by Cascada. Nor do I own American Idol. Please review even though it's been a month, or possibly more. I love hearing from you guys and before I forget, I'm so sorry that the last chapter was so confusing. I promise that it will make perfect sense later.