Chapter 11: I Have ….

It was now Thursday and another brutal day in rehearsals. Much to Gabriella's disappointment Troy had yet to bother her, the only times they spoke were when going over their lines together. Gabriella wanted to know what was wrong but forced herself not to ask him thinking that it would be out of her nature to care for him.

It was Friday after school and Gabriella was at her locker retrieving the necessary books she would need over the weekend. She felt someone tap her shoulder and turned around to find Troy standing there looking anywhere but at her. Gabriella's heart beat quickened as she thought that maybe now she would be able to find out why he had been ignoring her. Yeah, she had told him to leave him alone but did he really take it to heart?

"Can we meet up at my house tomorrow?" Troy asked quickly.

"What?"

"For the private rehearsals tomorrow, I was wondering instead of going to your house I was wondering if we can just do it at mine."

Gabriella's sank. This is merely business. "Is there a specific reason why we can't do it at my house?"

"My parents are going to this thing tomorrow with my aunt and uncle and they left me babysitting my cousin for the day."

"Oh, okay so I'll be at your house at noon then."

"Okay." Without another word Troy walked briskly away from the confused brunette. Maybe I can find out what's what tomorrow.

Gabriella rung the doorbell at Troy's house at 12:05 pm. She waited for a minute before Troy answered the door bearing a little girl who seemed no older than two.

"Hey, come on in."

"Thanks, um how are we going to do this?"

"What do you mean?" Gabriella gestured to the little girl. "Oh, she's going to take her nap in a bit so we can start then. By the way Tiffany this is Gabriella, Gabriella Tiffany."

"Hi, how are you?" Gabriella said as she stuck her hand out to the infant. Tiffany grabbed Gabriella's much larger hand in both of her own and started swinging them back and forth.

"Gabiela! Gabiela!" Tiffany chanted, excited to make a new friend.

"You're so cute! How about Gabi, okay? Can you say Gabi?"

"Gabi!" The child squeal as she lunged herself at the brunette.

"Wow, she must really like you. She's usually quiet around strangers."

"What can I say; I have a way with kids."

"Troyyyyyyy hungy, Tiffany hungy!"

"Okay, let's get you some lunch squirt." Troy lifted the laughing infant and brought her into the kitchen with Gabriella following behind. "Do you want anything?"

"No thank you. I'm fine," Gabriella replied taking a seat at the table next to Tiffany. After being fed Tiffany began to get sleepy so Troy put her in bed for her nap. Coming back into the kitchen Troy found Gabriella still sitting at the table, waiting patiently.

"So , we should get started before she wakes up," Troy said awkwardly whilst rubbing the back of his neck. They started going over their lines and everything was going well, they had loosened up around each other both forgetting the awkwardness of earlier. By three o'clock Tiffany had woken up, and demanded that Gabriella play with her, so they took a break to play with the child. In the middle of a game of dollies Tiffany said that she wanted to play house.

"I have a better idea," Gabriella said then directed her question to Troy, "do you have cookie supplies?"

"Cookie supplies?"

"Yeah, like pre-made cookie dough or we could always start from scratch."

"Um, we don't have pre-made cookie dough my mom always likes making them from scratch so we should have all of the necessary ingredients."

"Tiffany, would you like to help me and Troy make some cookies?" Tiffany shook her head vigorously and followed the two teens into the kitchen where Troy was getting out all of the necessities. "Okay, we'll be making double chocolate chip cookies. First, we need to make the dough. Tiffany, I will give the ingredients and you put them in the bowl okay?"

By the time the dough was done and the chocolate was mixing in the counter was already a mess. Gabriella got the cookie sheet and spread out the dough. Giving one of the cookie cutters to Tiffany Gabriella handed Troy another one. When they had put the two sheets into the oven to bake Tiffany was already tired, ready for another nap.

"Why don't you take a nap and I'll wake you up when the cookies are ready." Reluctant to leave Tiffany made her way back upstairs to bed. "And while we are waiting for the cookies we can get back to rehearsals." Retrieving her script Gabriella remembered her previous mission. "Troy?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you stop bugging me? I mean one day you're determined to get me to talk to you and the next you completely ignore me."

Shrugging Troy gave a reply that Gabriella wasn't expecting, "You said to leave alone so I did. I decided that if you wanted to talk that you would do it when you're ready. I know what I did before wasn't subtle so I thought a strategy change was needed."

"So you actually took my words into consideration?"

"Yeah, I mean I really like you but if you don't want what I want then I have to deal with it. I can't force you into something you don't want."

"Thanks for understanding Troy."

"But can we at least be friends? We don't have to be anything more unless you want to. For now can we at least be friends?"

Smiling at the thought Gabriella replied, "I would love to be your friend Troy." Then, Troy began to laugh. "What?"

"Do you realize how the school's going to react when everyone finds out that we're actually being civilized to one another, much less being friends?"

Laughing Gabriella agree, "Yeah, well they're just going to have to get used to it aren't they Basketball Boy?"

"Yes they will Brie, yes they will."

It took Gabriella to register what Troy had just said, "What did you call me?"

"Um, Brie. If you don't like it I won't call you that. I just thought that it would be a nice nickname. You know something other than Gabi. But like I said I can stop if you want me to."

"No, it's fine. It's just that no one's ever called me that before. It's always been Gabi."

"Then Brie will be my own little nickname for you. No one else can call you that."

"Why? Possessive over a nickname?" Gabriella asked teasingly.

"Yes, this way I can feel special."

"Like being captain of the varsity basketball team doesn't make you feel special enough."

"Ouch, that hurts Brie. There are more important things than basketball, even I know that."

"Your life doesn't revolve around basketball? I am shocked Bolton."

"I love the game and everything, maybe even go pro one day but I want to be remembered for other things. You know things other than being able to make a few baskets. I have a confession: I'm glad I'm in the musical. It's never happened before: captain of the basketball team being in the lead role of a school play. Maybe I can leave my mark in the theatre. That and I get to spend time with you."

That night Gabriella went to bed with a smile on her face. She and Troy Bolton were friends.