Troy was busy counting in his head which was tilted up and his eyes fixated on the tiles of the ceiling. Troy's mouth was slightly ajar as he held back a yawn. He wasn't exactly tired, but more like tired of thinking. It was Thursday after school and he had just got done talking to Zeke on the phone about how he finally managed to ask Sharpay out and how Troy only had so much time to ask Gabriella before someone else.
Troy knew he had three weeks, he just didn't know that two other guys had already asked Gabriella and she turned them down. Troy could hear other people around, mostly girls seeing as he was in the girls section of the mall while sitting on the bench outside the changing stalls. There were dresses surrounding him, just mocking him as if reminding him that time was running out.
Why was this so hard? Troy managed to score lots of dates to dances in the past, but there was just something about Gabriella that Troy didn't know if he would ever figure out that just made him feel so nervous and anxious. Troy heard a door open and seeing as there was only one person using the stalls Troy knew that it was her that made the noise.
"Bored?" Her amused voice asked with a laugh as she stepped out carrying two pairs of folded jeans in her arms and a couple of shirts.
Troy stood up with a smirk. "Not anymore." He answered coolly. "Are you done?"
"Yeah. Thanks for coming, you know you didn't have too, it's just Tay bailed for decathlon meeting and…" Gabriella stopped talking as Troy stopped walking and just took in the dresses around him, should he ask her now? It was worth a shot, but what if she said no? "Troy?" Gabriella asked.
Troy seemed to snap out of his thinking as he looked up from the red dress that he seemed to be staring at and up at Gabriella. He smiled as he thought about Gabriella and him dancing together again, their bodies moving together, his hands sliding down up her waist through her ebony curls, as her hands ran over his chest.
"Troy?" Gabriella asked again.
Troy shook his head again realizing he spaced out for the second time. If he couldn't even make conversation with her right now, how were they going to go on their second date tomorrow?
"Um…" That was all Troy could think to say.
"Are you okay? Do you need something to drink, or sugar? Because we can stop to get something if you want." Gabriella said as she walked over to Troy. "Do you feel faint?"
"You want to go to homecoming?" Troy mumbled quietly as he was sure Gabriella would say no for some reason. Gabriella's face looked at him curiously as her brown orbs stared at him intently, looking him over as if wondering if he was being serious. All thoughts of Troy fainting on her with a low blood sugar were gone seeing as she didn't know if he actually did get low blood sugars. She took one last step closer to him so that she was right in front of him and a small smile was playing at her lips as the corners of her mouth curved upwards slightly now.
"It took you two years to ask. How could I turn it down?" Gabriella said slyly as her two hands rested on either side of his waist.
A smile broke out onto Troy's face as he let out a sound of relief. She had heard and understood him, and actually said yes. Troy was happy now, this could possible be the best dance that he was going to go to, and it was only Homecoming which was a little simple dance compared to the winter ball which was their Sadie Hawkins dance, and then of course there would be junior prom that year in the spring.
"It took you two years to answer." Troy huskily said as his two hands rested themselves on Gabriella's waist and to people walking by that didn't know that the two were only going on their second date, this picture would make them look like an official boyfriend and girlfriend enjoying time together in a mall for the hundredth time.
"How could I answer if you never asked." Gabriella countered back as she brought up one of her hands and absentmindedly played with the collar to Troy's polo shirt.
"Oh no Montez, do not try to do that puppy dog eye thing you do. It may work on Chad, and Zeke, and Jake, and…too many people, but not me." Troy said. "You could've asked me to the dance too you know." Troy pointed out.
Gabriella puckered out her lower lip as her hand played with the second button on Troy's shirt since his first one was already undone to show off some of his upper chest. Gabriella let out a 'humph.'
"Oh come on, don't give me that face, you know that you could've asked me and hey, I asked you this year. And now you're going with me this year, and we're going to have a damn good time." Troy said in a cocky voice as Gabriella rolled her eyes at him in a joking way.
"I'm starting to rethink my answer now Mr. Cockiness." Gabriella teased. When Troy opened his mouth to speak and retort, Gabriella leaned up and pressed her lips to his. Gabriella pulled back with a smile on her face. "But I'll take what I can get."
Troy rolled his eyes dramatically as Gabriella let out a small laugh. Troy laced their hands together and started pulling her along. "And now you're stuck with me Montez. Let's go check out."
"So I'm so sorry for having to bail yesterday, but in all fairness now you and Troy are going to homecoming together and it's all because of me." Taylor said in a meek voice as Gabriella nudged her friend and let out a laugh.
"You keep telling yourself that Tay." Gabriella joked as they walked down the hallways in the morning, coming from their lockers.
"So how is everything going wit Troy?" Taylor asked with an innocent face.
"Well it's…" Gabriella looked up and a soft smile took over her face as she thought about Troy and the way his hair fell gently over his forehead and into his eyes with one swift movement, the way his lips seemed to form a perfect smile, and his eyes. God his eyes, Gabriella could just get lost in them for the longest of time. "…it's going good." Gabriella said.
"Just good?" Taylor raised her eye brows at how Gabriella's look contradicted what she had just said. "Gabs, I might be naïve at sometimes, but not now. I think it's going more than good."
Gabriella looked at Taylor. "Believe what you want Tay."
"You two are going to the dance though, right? So it has to be going good." Taylor thought out loud as if she was second guessing herself. "You guys look so cute together. And hot, you can't forget that."
Gabriella laughed at how her friend sounded. This was typical Taylor and Gabriella couldn't have been more thankful that when she started high school as a new student, she was immediately paired up with Taylor to guide her around and it did help that their schedules were practically the same.
"Brent alert at 9 o'clock." Taylor said grabbing onto Gabriella's arm and nodding over to where Brent was walking over to them, more like striding over to them with a cocky smirk on his face. "Doesn't he ever give up?"
Gabriella shrugged knowing Brent only started giving an interest in her a couple of days ago, she knew that she was just the flavor of the week for him and once he got it through his thick head that she wasn't interested then he would move on and go to the next girl that walked past him.
"Hey Montez, do you have a moment?" Brent asked as Gabriella and Taylor both shared the same tentative look. "Only a moment, I promise I won't bite." Brent chuckled as Gabriella sighed.
"Yeah, I'll meet you in homeroom Tay." Gabriella said as Taylor let go of her arm and nodded her head as Gabriella saw her retreating back walk down the hallway and then a blur of afro caught her vision as she figured Taylor and Chad would just walk together.
"Yeah Brent, what's up?" Gabriella asked with a mustered up smile. She knew that she was nice, she couldn't just blow him off could she? Especially since he hasn't given her that much of a reason to be a total bitch too.
"Well…" Brent leaned up against the random locker that they were standing by and smirked at her, trying to work his charm other girls fell for. "The dance is coming up and I was wondering if you wanted to be my date."
Gabriella took in his perfect pearl teeth as she tried to be as caring as possible. "Um…" Gabriella was never good with bad news as she looked around awkwardly, hoping someone that she knew would just come up and be the decoy so she didn't have to let him down like this, one on one. "Well, yesterday I kind of…said yes to someone else."
Brent's smile faltered as he tried to play it off that he didn't really care. "Oh really. No sweat, that's cool." Brent stood fully up. "Who's the lucky guy?" Gabriella wanted to wince at how his voice sounded now, full of jealousy, pain, and anger. Gabriella could tell he was trying his hardest to make it sound like he didn't care, but it just wasn't working.
"Um…Troy." Gabriella said and couldn't help the small smile that took over her face just saying his name. Why wouldn't she smile, she had been waiting two years for this to happen, and now it finally was and it so far has been great, better than great in fact.
"Troy…" Brent breathed out as he racked his brain trying to make a list of all the Troy's he knew of that Gabriella would possible say yes to, but only found one name fitting that category. "…as in Bolton?" Brent almost spat out, making Gabriella shuffle her feet one step.
Gabriella felt two hands slip around her from behind and she swore she saw Brent's eyes flash a black color before turning back to his original color. Gabriella felt the cold contact of someone's metal ring rub slightly over her stomach before their hands rested on her flat stomach firmly. Gabriella looked up and came face to face with a guy's shoulder.
She looked up even more and a smile took over her face as brown met blue. Gabriella knew now that Troy would take care of everything with this little encounter with Brent. "You called Brent?" Troy asked cockily as Gabriella let her back fit in perfect to his chest while Troy pressed a kiss to her shoulder before letting his chin sit on the spot where his lips made contact and his piercing blue eyes looked up to meet Brent's showing him that he wasn't going to leave.
Brent let out a low huff as he rolled his eyes as he found it sickening that Troy and Gabriella were almost cuddling in front of him. "Nothing Bolton. Just a nice friendly talk, that's all." Brent then started to walk past them. "See you two around."
Once Brent was out of sight as he mixed into the hoards of students dispersing everywhere, Gabriella turned around in Troy's arms. "Hey there Troy Boy. You nearly gave me a heart attack." Gabriella said as she pecked Troy on the cheek.
"That wouldn't be good, would it." Troy joked. "So what was that really about?" Troy's voice was laced with concern seeing as the one girl that he absolutely cared about and was the first girl that he actually showed an open interest in was already getting hit on by unwanted guys.
Gabriella shrugged as she found that Troy wouldn't give her hand back as they were laced together. Gabriella smiled as they both started walking towards their homeroom. "Nothing much, just asked me to the dance." Troy's jaw clenched as his hand involuntarily tightened around Gabriella's a little, but not too much where it was hurting her. Gabriella saw this, "Of course I said no, I told him I was going with you."
Troy felt his lips curve upwards just hearing Gabriella's reassuring voice. His head turned a little to see that they both had stopped walking and were now outside and off to the side a little by their homeroom. "Of course you said you were going with an extremely hot, sexy, irresistible guy." Troy cockily leaned in as Gabriella was leaning against the wall with Troy's hands on either side of her waist.
Gabriella smirked as Troy's face was centimeters from hers and she could almost taste the icy cool breath. "Something along the lines of that."
Troy pecked Gabriella on the lips. "Good because I just happen to know that the hot guy wants to go with the extremely beautiful, sexy, gorgeous, smart girl."
Gabriella rolled her eyes as she saw the time on the clock that was hanging on the wall in front of them that said they only had less than a minute to enter Darbus' room. "Troy Boy, has anyone ever told you you're full of yourself?" Troy's face showed a little shock as Gabriella let out a small laugh and stepped around Troy while patting his shoulder, but then leaned up and said huskily in his ear, "But that's a good thing."
Jake was at the end of the hallway with Haley who was on the pom squad. They both had Darbus as a homeroom teacher as their footsteps were in sink and they both were engaged in a conversation about Jake's football game two nights ago. Haley stopped in her tracks once she noticed that Jake wasn't by her side anymore.
"Jake?" Haley questioned as she turned around and before she could say anything Jake was in front of her as he slowly backed her up against the wall and attached his lips to hers. "We have to get to class." Haley reminded him as Jake smiled down at her.
"Okay." Jake agreed knowing that he would be doing something more with her later that weekend.
"Are Troy and Gabriella together?" Haley asked curiously as she stayed with her back against the wall for a moment longer.
Jake found this random as he gave her a curious look. "Not officially, but I guess they're dating. Why?"
Haley sighed as she pushed herself off the wall. Jake followed her gaze and saw that Gabriella was in the position Haley was in a moment ago with Troy dangerously close. Jake looked away feeling a little weird looking at one of his best friends practically making out with some guy.
"No reason, just Gabriella better be careful."
Jake gave Haley a double take. Did he just hear her right? Gabriella better be careful? Of what, Troy Bolton?! "What?"
Haley heard the concern, confusion, and a little anger in his voice with just that one word question as she knew that Gabriella and Jake were best friends, heck everyone knew that they were best friends ever since she started East High along with Taylor becoming close to Gabriella too.
"It's just…I dated Troy too last year and in the first week that we started dating he slept with two other girls." Haley said quietly as Jake self consciously looked over his shoulder to see Gabriella lean up and say something into Troy's ear before she walked into homeroom. He saw the smirk that took over Troy's face and found all of a sudden he wanted to knock him out. Jake never really had a problem with Troy in the past, and sometimes they even hung out in a group of people, but now…things just seemed different.
Troy was dating his best friend, and at first it didn't really bother Jake, but with this new information everything seemed different, and not in a good way, but Jake sighed. Maybe it was a mistake or a mix up? He couldn't just go up to Troy and punch him, especially if Haley was somehow wrong and then Gabriella would be pissed at him. He just knew that Gabriella would blow a gasket if he fought with Troy so soon into their relationship.
Jake put his arm around Haley's shoulder. "Let's just get to class." Jake said soothingly. "The sooner we get there, the sooner we're out and you're all mine." Haley laughed as she just continued walking with Jake at her side.
The lights were out. The air was cool. The theatre wasn't that busy for a Friday night, but that could also be due to the fact that Gabriella and Troy both decided on the movie that has been at the theatre for three weeks now and their town wasn't that big so most of the people had seen it already. They had been there for about forty-five minutes now and so far Troy had only known the main characters name.
Troy was so busy racking his mind for the next date that he could take Gabriella on. So far he knew that she liked dancing, she liked Club Neon, but they had already been to a house party, so maybe that wasn't such a good idea. They were at the movies right now, so it's not like he wanted to do that again anytime soon, he wanted something that seemed like Gabriella would love it. He knew that she didn't really care for fancy restaurants, and he was more than okay with that, he hated getting dressed up in uncomfortable clothing and ordering things that weren't even in English, and he was more than happy that Gabriella wasn't into that stuff like other girls. But in a way, this dating thing almost seemed harder now.
Troy looked to his left to see Gabriella sitting there in a comfortable position as she one of her feet flat against the chair in front of them seeing as they were in the back row of the movie theatre. Her curls framed her face in a natural way as the shirt she was wearing surprised him that night, instead of wearing her usual graphic T that seemed to always scream out a message to him, she was wearing a nice blouse that showed off cleavage so when she did bend over Troy got a nice view of which he wasn't complaining about.
"The movie is the other way Troy Boy." Gabriella smiled as she whispered this without taking her eyes off of the movie screen.
Something inside of Troy's brain seemed to click as he shook his head slightly realizing he was staring for longer than he intended on. "It's hard not to stare when you have this gorgeous girl sitting next to you." Troy's charm kicked in as Gabriella turned her head now and kinked one eye brow up at him.
Gabriella turned her body slightly in the seat as her eyes glanced over the theatre they were in which was the smallest of the four theatres due to the fact that the movie was there the longest and no one else was watching except for an older couple that was five rows a head of them. Gabriella looked at Troy and smiled silently thanking her mom that she chose that night to go out with Eric again which was becoming a regular thing, and if Gabriella wasn't mistaken she was almost missing dancing 24/7, but if that meant spending time with Troy and her friends, then she could live especially since they still had their morning practices.
"You know…" Gabriella said slowly deciding she could some fun with this. "When you say things like that…they really…really turns me on." Gabriella bit her lip from laughing as she saw Troy's semi shocked face which soon turned into a smile as Gabriella lifted herself slightly over the arm of the chair that was separating herself and Troy to kiss from his earlobe down his jaw line, to the corner of his mouth.
Gabriella sat back in her seat with a satisfied look on her face as her eyes looked at the screen as if they never left and she seemed interested in the movie. Troy looked at her with a disbelieving look on his face. Did that really just happen? Did he just get teased by her? Troy opened his mouth to say something, but Gabriella beat him to it with her eyes still glued to the screen. "Watch the movie Troy Boy."
Troy sat back obediently and looked at the screen realizing he had no idea what the hell was going on, including on and off the screen. But Troy listened to Gabriella nonetheless like the good guy he was and before he knew it, the hour and a half movie was over.
"Did you like the movie?" Gabriella asked Troy as they were walking out of the movie theatre and Gabriella shivered slightly with the cold air hitting her skin.
Troy immediately took off his jacket and put it on Gabriella. Gabriella looked at Troy who just shrugged. "You looked cold."
"And now you do too." Gabriella laughed slightly but she kept the jacket nonetheless. "so what did you think?"
"Oh um…" Troy tried to think of an acceptable answer. "I…"
"didn't watch the movie because you were too busy watching the hot girl sitting next to you." Gabriella filled in as Troy smiled and laughed.
"Yeah, and now who's the cocky one."
"Hey, I'm just trying to keep up with you." Gabriella shot back with a laugh as Troy made a move to envelope his arms around her, but she jumped out of the way. "Can't catch me." Gabriella teased as her dancing legs kicked in so she moved quickly with ease.
"Want to bet?" Troy shot back as Gabriella looked at him to see that he was serious and she took off running down the sidewalk towards Troy's car in the parking lot. "I'm catching up Montez!" Troy called as he laughed at the sight of Gabriella at his car trying to open the door, but found that it was locked. Troy took this change to come up behind her and pick her up by the waist and swing her around with her squealing the whole time. "I win." Troy said cheekily and before Gabriella could say anything he brought his lips down to hers and silenced her for a second before walking over to his side of the car and unlocking the doors to bring her home.
Even though it was just the movies where Troy and her stole kisses from each other ever now and then, ate sticky popcorn that Gabriella liked, drank warm soda since the ice machine was broken, and watched a corny drama/action movie Gabriella loved that date. She had a great time with Troy even though they didn't talk as much as the party last week, but it was just the way that the two could be together without conversation that astounded Gabriella, she had never felt this way for anyone and it almost scared her.
"Nice house." Troy said as they were outside Gabriella's house in Troy's car still.
Gabriella looked out her window self consciously and then back at Troy. "Thanks." Gabriella saw that it was only 10, and Eric's car was in their driveway, Gabriella wouldn't have had Troy take her home that early if she knew that Eric was going to be there with her mother. It wasn't that Gabriella didn't like Eric, it was just that it would be kind of weird to know that he was in her house with her mother when she would be upstairs the whole time now.
"I had a good time tonight Troy Boy." Gabriella said as she looked down at their hands that were interlaced together. Neither one of them were planning on letting go first seeing as the car was turned off as they both stared at each other, their eyes just clicking.
"Me too." Troy now knew where he wanted to take Gabriella. It seemed like a perfect spot seeing as most kids did this and it was turning fall quickly so this was one of the last weekends that they could do this. "What do you say about next weekend, how about we go to Tyson Beach on Saturday. Most kids go there and there's bomb fires and the views great." Troy said.
Gabriella smiled, she remembered Taylor telling her about her first date with Chad there. Gabriella nodded her head, "I would like that. I think I should probably head in, I have an early dance practice."
"When don't you have an early practice?" Troy joked as he leaned over a little. "But if you must go."
"Thank you Troy." Gabriella said as their lips connected as neither one of them pulled back. Their lips tangled together as Troy's tongue ran across Gabriella's bottom lip. Their mouths opened as their tongues met in a blissful dance and Gabriella couldn't help but wrap her arms around Troy's neck and pull him closer. Gabriella let out a little laugh as their mouth disconnected with Troy letting out a grunt as he tried to hoist his body over so that he was on Gabriella's side of the car.
Troy half laid on Gabriella so that his weight wasn't all on her as Gabriella propped the seat back as if reading Troy's thoughts so that they were practically laying in his car. Their lips connected again as Gabriella let her hands run up an down Troy's back as she let his tongue enter her mouth. His warm tongue slid across all of the crevices of Gabriella's mouth.
Troy kissed a trail down Gabriella's jaw line to her neck as Gabriella let her hands roam Troy and slide underneath his shirt to feel his rock hard abs. She smiled as she felt Troy shiver beneath her as she found herself slightly panting. Gabriella knew that nothing was going to happen past making out, especially in the a car, but right now Gabriella wasn't complaining.
Gabriella put her hand on the back of Troy's head and directed his lips from her neck up to her lips again as their tongues dueled it out in a heated match and Gabriella swore that the windows were getting steamy as she felt Troy against her thigh. Gabriella lightly nipped at Troy's bottom lip as Troy held back a moan as his hands slowly slid up her shirt to massage her flat stomach that had growing abs on it.
"God Troy…" Gabriella moaned in his ear and all of a sudden it was like they were two deer caught in headlights as they heard a car start up and two headlights flick on as Eric's car left the driveway.
Troy and Gabriella froze in their spots with Gabriella's hair slightly messed up along with Troy's, and their shirts disheveled with Troy and his bulge in the pants. "What was that?" Troy asked stupidly as he shut his eyes briefly realizing how stupid that sounded.
"I should…probably…" Gabriella trailed off wiping the fog from the windows to see that Eric's car was traveling down the street and her front porch light was still on indicating that her mom was still in the house, probably watching to see if Gabriella was getting out of Troy's car soon.
"You should probably go." Troy offered as he looked down at her sliding a curl behind her head.
Gabriella nodded thanking God that Troy was so understanding. "Yeah…but…you're going to have to get off of me first." Gabriella said with a smile as Troy blushed a little before trying to gracefully as possible to get off of Gabriella and onto the drivers side of the car.
"Bye Troy Boy." Gabriella said as she opened the door and stole one last kiss from him.
"I'll call you later Gabi." Troy said before she shut the door with a smile. They both smiled as they knew that this was the start of a very good relationship, and they both couldn't wait until the next time they would see each other.