Against All Odds
Just What I Needed
"Okay. So we got Pizza Rolls, some Hot Pockets, or I could just order a pizza. What do you think?" Gabriella called out while rummaging though her refrigerator.
"You choose." Troy said sitting on a stool behind the island in the kitchen. "They all sound good to me."
"Let's go for the pizza. I've been in a pizza mood lately."
"I was hoping you'd say that." He smiled at her.
Gabriella pulled her head out of the fridge and stared at him. "Troy! You should have said something!"
"It's your house! Plus, I thought I'd be a gentlemen and let the lady choose."
Gabriella smirked. "Well, thank you. I'm going to go order this. Is pepperoni ok?"
"Sounds great."
"Okay. I'll be right back."
Troy stood up and looked at all the pictures that hung on the walls. He stopped when he saw one that was vaguely familiar. It was a simple picture of Gabriella, she was standing in front of a fire place. But her smile was amazing. He then realized that it was the same outfit she had worn on New Year's Eve. In fact, he noticed she was standing in the lobby of the lodge they had both stayed at. He smiled as he remembered that night.
"Okay Troy! It should be here in like forty minutes." Gabriella's voice interrupted his thoughts and he pulled away from the photo.
"Good, cause I'm starved."
"Yeah, me too. So you want to go watch a movie?"
Troy suddenly got nervous. He realized that he was with Gabriella in her house, alone. What did this mean? Were they more than friends?
"Troy?" Gabriella asked forcing Troy out of his thoughts.
'No, she definitely doesn't see me in that way.'
"Yeah, that sounds good."
They walked into the living room, and both sat down on either end of the couch. Gabriella picked up the remote and flipped through the movie channels.
"See anything that looks good?" She asked, her eyes glued to the screen.
Troy hadn't really been paying attention to the guide on the TV, and was more content on watching the girl next to him.
"Yeah, some things." He said dreamily.
She looked over at him only to meet his gaze. She turned bright red, and looked down. There was an awkward silence, and Gabriella immediately eradicated it by speaking up.
"How about Elizabethtown? I've heard it's good. It might be a chick flick though." She laughed
Troy hadn't looked up, afraid of being caught staring again. "Yeah, that's fine."
They both leaned back into the couch as she clicked onto the channel.
An hour or so later, they were completely ignoring the movie. Bpth had scooted closer on the couch, and were engulfed in deep conversation, every now and then grabbing a slice of pizza.
Gabriella swallowed the mouthful of pizza she had been chewing and looked at the boy across from her. "So the other day you wanted to know about my life before I came to East High. Tell me about your life before we met."
Troy thought for a moment.
"It was empty."
"Empty?" She asked, being slightly startled by the response. There was no way Troy's life was any emptier than hers. He was popular, and was always surrounded by people.
"Yeah, looking back at it now, it's like I always knew something was missing, ya know? Now that you're here in my life – it's like my life is pretty much complete."
Gabriella heart beat harder at the admission. He always could say the right words to make her get butterflies in her stomach.
"Well, I know all about your friends, but tell me about your girlfriends in the past."
Troy laughed, and felt his cheeks grow warm.
"Oh, this has to be good!" Gabriella squealed at his reaction.
"Okay. I've dated a few people for like, a matter of days that really weren't important at all. There was Amy, this girl I dated in tenth grade for like a week. I dated some girl named Beth in eighth for a few weeks. And in seventh grade I dated Sharpay." He said the last part with a hushed voice.
"Did you just say Sharpay?" Gabriella exclaimed.
"Ok it was for like two weeks Gabby!" Troy's cheeks reddened even more.
Gabriella burst into fits of laughter. Troy glared at her outburst.
"Ok, ok, I'll stop." She tried to control her laughter. As embarrassed as Troy was, he loved seeing her laugh like this.
"There has to be more than that." Gabriella said as her laughter finally calmed down.
"No, that's pretty much it."
Gabriella rolled her head to the side and stared at him. "Come on, you're Troy Bolton!"
"And you're Gabriella Montez. What's your point?"
"Well, to use Taylor's words. You're 'just the hottie super-bum.'" She said the last part with a ditsy voice.
"Super-bum?"
"Yeah I didn't know what it meant either." They both laughed.
Troy looked over and saw Gabriella yawn.
"Hey, you tired?"
"Yeah, I haven't been sleeping well the last few days. I'm not really sure why."
"Well here." Troy scooted over and put a pillow on his lap. "Lay down."
"Troy, I am not going to sleep with you here. It's rude."
"Gabi, I don't care. I'll watch TV. Just lay down." He practically ordered her. She smiled at him and laid down on the pillow on his lap.
Troy looked down as Gabriella closed her eyes. He thought it might be weird to be here while she slept, but looking down at her, falling asleep, he felt more comfortable than he had been in a long time. He felt her body twitching as she fell through the layers of sleep.
"Hey Troy." She said warily.
"Yeah?"
"Will you sing to me?"
Troy looked away for a moment slightly embarassed. "Uh, okay."
He thought for a moment trying to decide on a song. After he had decided, he cleared his throat and began to sing softly.
I worry, I weigh three times my body
I worry, I throw my fear around
But this morning, there's a calm I can't explain
The rock candy's melted, only diamonds now remain
Ooh, ooh
By the time I recognize this moment
This moment will be gone
But I will bend the light, pretend that it somehow lingered on
Well all I got's
Ooh, ooh
And I will wait to find
If this will last forever
And I will wait to find
If this will last forever
And I will pay no mind
When I won't and it won't cause it can't
It just can't
It's not supposed to
Is there a second in time that I looked around
Did I sail through or drop my anchor down
Is anything enough to kiss the ground
And say I'm here now and she's here now
Ooh
So much wasted in the afternoon
So much sacred in the month of June
How bout you?
And I will wait to find
If this will last forever
And I will wait to find
That it won't and it won't it won't
And I will pay no mind
Worried 'bout no rainy weather
And I will waste no time
Remaining in our life together
As Troy finished the song, he looked down at Gabriella. She was completely asleep now. He turned on the TV, but after several minutes, he was also fast asleep.
Troy was awoken by quick movements. He looked down and saw that Gabriella had begun to wake up. After tossing and turning several times, she sat up. She looked at him and smiled.
"How long was I asleep?"
"Uh, I'm not really sure." He admitted, and Gabriella showed a look of confusion. "I fell asleep too."
"You've both been out for almost two hours." They heard a voice behind them. They turned around and saw Gabriella's mother, Isabella, standing in the doorway. "Or at least since I've been home. You both looked too cute, so I didn't want to wake you."
Gabriella smiled at Troy, and then at her mom. "What time is it Mom?"
"Almost 6:30."
"Oh wow!" Gabriella exclaimed.
"Would you like to stay for dinner Troy?" Isabella asked him.
"Uh-" He looked at Gabriella, who was looking at him with pleading eyes.
"Sure. Let me just call my parents and let them know."
"Okay. Gabi? Would you like to help me set the table?" Gabriella nodded and made her way into the kitchen as she got out the plates and silverware. Troy came back into the kitchen.
"They said it's okay." He told both Gabriella and her mother.
"Well, I'm glad you'll be joining us." Isabella said.
Troy walked over to Gabriella. "Here, let me help you." He said taking the plates into his hands. They both took the plates and silverware into the dining room. Troy set three plates down, and three bowls. Gabriella followed him with the silverware and cups.
"I'm so glad you're staying." She said.
Troy genuined smiled. "Yeah, me too."
Throughout dinner, Troy couldn't help but think of how different this was from dinners at home. Sure, his family had sit-down dinners, but never ones that didn't consist of talk about basketball and scholarships. He liked how comfortable this felt.
"So Troy, tell me about your family." Isabella asked him.
"Well, my mom's not really around a lot. Her business has her on the road a lot, so I don't see much of her." Troy admitted.
"And what about your father?"
"Well, let's just say he really likes basketball, and me playing it." He said flatly. Isabella picked up immediately on what he was trying to tell her.
"Do you have any siblings?" She asked, not wanting to linger on the subject.
"Nope. It's just me. It gets kind of lonely around the house sometimes, and it makes me wish that maybe I had had a brother or sister. Chad's got like four siblings, and he complains all the time. I guess he really doesn't realize the flip side of it."
"Chad?" Isabella asked.
"Oh that's one of our friends from school, Mom. He's on the basketball team as well." Gabriella explained to her mother. "I agree with you though, Troy. It can get pretty lonely around here. I always wanted a little sister or brother."
Isabella laughed. "When she was little, she saw one of those commercials to donate money to help the children. She thought it meant you could buy one. She asked me for weeks if I would buy her a little sister."
Troy laughed as Gabriella blushed. "Aww, Gabi. That's really cute."
She looked up and smirked at him. "Oh don't you worry. I'll be sure to have dinner at your house so I can hear all the embarrassing stories about you." She warned.
They finished dinner, and all three stood up to clean the table. Proceeding into the kitchen, Gabriella washed the dishes as Troy dried them for her.
"What was that song you sang to me earlier?" She asked him.
"It's called Clarity by John Mayer."
"Wow. Troy Bolton listens to John Mayer?"
"Okay, secret obsession." He said holding up his arms as if he were making a serious confession.
She laughed. "That's okay, Troy. I won't tell anyone. I like a lot of his stuff too."
"Yeah, I really like that song." Troy said. "I relate to it a lot."
"How so?"
"'I don't know. It just seems to me that there is so much more to life than worrying about the smaller details. Everything works itself out in some way or form."
Gabriella nodded her head and stared at him with admiration. "It really was a beautiful song."
"Well, thanks. But you can't give me any credit." Troy lauhged.
Troy noticed they had finished the dishes and looked down at Gabriella who was gazing out the window.
"What's going on up in your head, Gabi?"
"It's such a beautiful night. I'm still taken back at how beautiful the nights are here. I mean geez, it's January! It shouldn't be this nice outside." She laughed.
"How bout we take a walk?" He suggested.
"That sounds great."
Gabriella dried her hands off, and Troy followed as she went and told her mother they were going out, promising she wouldn't be out too late. Gabriella gabbed a jacket, and led Troy outside.
"Hey Gabi?" Troy said softly as they strolled down the sidewalk.
"Yeah?"
"Look, I know this may be a rough spot, and you don't have to talk about if you don't want to, but uh, what happened to your dad?"
Gabriella looked off into the distance. Troy could see tears forming in her eyes.
"Hey, never mind. I'm sorry." He said quickly, wanting to avoid her being in any pain.
"No." She said quietly. "It's about time I talked about it. Me and Mom have been avoiding it for years."
Troy put his arm around her and pulled her close, as if to give her the strength she needed to get through this. Gabriella turned so that her body was facing his, and his arms wrapped themselves around her back.
"He was killed by a drunk driver when I was seven years old. They told us he died instantly."
"I'm so sorry, Gabby." He said as he kissed the top of her head. The tears had really begun to fall freely now from her eyes.
"Alcohol makes people stupid." She muttered, making Troy remember the night of the party.
"Do you want me to take you home now Gabby?" He asked her quietly.
"No. I like being here with you." She dug her head into his chest, and sat there for several minutes crying softly. Troy kept his arms around her, rubbing her back every so often, hoping to make her feel better. Eventually, she spoke up.
"Thank you, Troy."
"For what?"
"For being here with me."
"Gabriella, you never have to thank me for that." He said sweetly, making her smile.
"There's that famous Gabriella Montez smile." He said causing her to laugh.
"Let's take you home, Gabby. It's getting late. If I want your mom to allow me to come over again, I better get you home."
They arrived at Gabriella's house about twenty minutes later.
"Thanks again, Troy." She said as they stood on her front porch.
"I told you, you don't have to thank me. But you are welcome." He smiled at her. "So, I'll see you tomorrow?"
Gabriella smiled. "Yep, first thing tomorrow at school."
"Okay. Bye." He pulled her into a hug, and lingered there as he took in the moment, smelling her hair, and remembering how it felt for her to be in his arms.
"Bye Troy." She smiled as she pulled away, and turned the knob on her door. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Gabriella." He turned and walked away. Gabriella stepped into her house, finding her mother sitting on the couch.
"Hi Mom." She said happily.
"Welcome back." She noticed her daughter's smile. "Troy's a really nice boy Gabriella."
"Mom, we're just friends." Gabriella blurted out, ducking her face from the embarassment.
Her mother gave her a look, and smiled. "I didn't say you were more. I just said he's nice."
Gabriella's cheeks brightened as she realized her mother had trapped her. "Well, I'm going to bed Mom. I'll see you in the morning. I love you, goodnight."
"Night Gabriella. See you in the morning." She could hear her daughter's footsteps on the stairs, and laughed to herself.
Her daughter had it bad.