A Chance At Happiness
Chapter Eight
Sharpay stormed out of the English classroom with her cheeks glowing with an angry red tinge, her books wrapped tightly round her chest with her knuckles turning white. Gabriella, on the other hand, practically skipped out of the classroom with bright eyes and an excited smile across her features. She spotted Taylor at her locker and hurried over.
"Boo-yah!" She said.
"What?" Taylor laughed.
"You will never guess what I just did." Gabriella replied.
"You just shit yourself in class."
"What? No." Gabriella giggled. "No, I just told Sharpay Evans to 'shut up'." Taylor blankly stared. "Oh, come on, it's a big deal; this is me we are talking about after all. I've never stuck up for myself ever but that has all changed because today I did and it felt freakin' awesome!" Taylor laughed again.
"Congratulations, Herman." Taylor kindly replied. "I know she bloody well deserved it."
"I don't know what came over me. One minute I was ignoring her and the next I was kicking her ego to the ground!" Gabriella exclaimed and Taylor noticed the new found courage that twinkled in Gabriella's eyes.
"Hang on, if this is Sharpay we're talking about then what did she do? Didn't she throw a hissy fit or something?"
"No, that was the weird thing because-"
"I think the weird thing was you finally standing up for yourself." Taylor interrupted.
"Okay then, the weirder thing," Gabriella rolled her eyes, "was she just did nothing."
"Nothing? Miss-I'm-Such-A-Drama-Queen-And-I'll-Scream-Even-When-A-Nail-Breaks did nothing?"
"No. Nothing at all. She just sat there and stared at me." Gabriella explained.
"And what did you do then?"
"Told her to get to work because I wasn't doing it all by myself." Taylor's brow furrowed. "We were put into pairs. Anyway, after I said that, she actually did start doing the work. Can you believe it?" Gabriella ecstatically grinned.
"Well," Taylor linked arms with Gabriella after shutting her locker and they walked to their next class, "I am extremely proud of you, Gabs. I told you you could do it! And now you have and you've shown the Barbie's that they can shove their snide remarks right up their-"
"Miss. McKessie?" The pair turned to see Ms. Darbus, the eccentric drama teacher that was also their tutor. "I do hope you were not going to be shouting your profanities around the school? Remember, you can be dramatic," Ms. Darbus rolled her 'r's as she said it, "without using that language."
"No, Ms. Darbus, I would never dream of using that language." Taylor innocently replied.
"I am very glad to hear it. Now, you girls hurry along and get to class before you're late."
As Gabriella and Taylor hastily walked to their next lesson, they passed Sharpay (fortunately for Gabriella, they passed unnoticed) but that would be because Sharpay was much too busy complaining about what had just happened in English to Kelsi – although Kelsi didn't appear to be listening. Sharpay never quite understood that Kelsi was actually friends with Gabriella and so when these rants occurred, Kelsi didn't pay much attention (if any at all).
When the school day finished, Sharpay was still droning on about Gabriella. Kelsi had completely zoned out by this point and, as soon as she entered the house, took refuge in her bedroom; she warned Troy to do the same on her way but he only laughed it off. However, the moment he stepped into the living room and heard Gabriella's name, he really wished he had taken Kelsi's advice.
"That little bitch." Heather replied and Sharpay seemed satisfied with that answer.
"I'm surprised she hasn't done it before." Ryan added; Sharpay (as expected) was not as satisfied with that answer. "But, then again, she's too nice and just lets you get away with it." Now Sharpay really wasn't satisfied with that answer. "Actually, I quite like the fact she told you where to shove it. It's...sexy."
"Oh shut up, Ryan!" Sharpay nastily scowled. Her brother was supposed to be on her side. "Just because you want to fuck Montez doesn't mean you need to lick her arse!" Ryan rolled his eyes. He had expected an answer such as this. "Jesus Christ, you need to get better taste in women." Troy furrowed his brow; had he really just heard what he thought he heard? "Oh, Troy, listen to this..." And she relayed her story to her cousin in hope that he would agree with her.
Troy pondered and a smile spread across his face. Gabriella stood up for herself. He said in his mind. Maybe she agreed with me after all. "I think it was a perfectly rational thing to do." Sharpay's jaw dropped. "And, what's this thing with you," he pointed at Ryan, "and Gabriella?"
"Oh, please let's not talk about this!" Heather complained. "He's got a stupid crush on that stupid girl." Troy looked at Ryan who shrugged; he didn't even attempt to argue with her statement, although the 'stupid' comments were ignored by both Ryan and Troy.
"Actually, I needed to ask you for some advice." Ryan said, aiming his question at Troy. "Gabriella knows I like her." (Ryan continued to ignore Sharpay's comment of "everyone does".) "But how do I get her to like me? I'm stumped as to what I can do!"
"Er..." Shit.
"I still don't understand why you like her." Sharpay mumbled with angry folded arms.
"Because she's fucking stunning, she's smart and she's funny; she's sweet and, unlike you, she thinks of others." Ryan shot back.
"I think of others!" Sharpay argued.
"Let me rephrase that then, she thinks of others much more than she thinks of herself."
"You are a traitor, Ryan Evans!" Sharpay exclaimed. "I'm embarrassed to call you my brother."
"Stop being melodramatic."
"Me? Melodramatic? That's you, Ryan. You're the melodramatic one." Sharpay childishly argued. "We're twins; you're my brother! You are supposed to be on my side, Ryan, and there you are flouncing around like a prat trying to get Montez' attention. You have betrayed me!"
"Of course I have, Sharpay." Ryan dully replied.
"Shar, ease off, will you?" Troy suggested but that had been a huge mistake.
"And you," she pointed her manicured finger at her cousin, "you are walking on a very fine line, mister."
"Look, Troy," Ryan interrupted his sister, "when the Ice Queen has stopped frosting, tell me what I can do, yeah? In regards to Gabriella." Troy weakly smiled and slowly (and feebly) nodded his head.
Gabriella was sitting at her desk with her books in front of her. Her parents had made sure she had immediately settled down to work the moment she had gotten in (although they weren't there, they had made sure Louisa passed the message over instead). Gabriella flicked another page of her Biology book and was gladly interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing.
Gabriella hastily grabbed it. Despite her parents wishes, Louisa had left Gabriella's phone with Gabriella; their deal was that Gabriella just wouldn't use it and if anyone called she would just ignore them but when she saw that it was Troy calling her, then she couldn't help herself and pressed the green button.
"Hi." Gabriella said enthusiastically.
"Hey." Troy replied. "How are you?"
"Great! Well, I'm having to study at the moment but it's not that bad." Gabriella explained, although she faltered hearing he had a slight tone in his voice that wasn't usually there and she'd never heard it before. "And what about yourself? Did you have a good day?"
"Yeah, it was okay." Troy quickly replied. "I just called to ask you if we could meet up."
"Now?"
"Well, if you're studying it can wait but I'd like to see you this evening."
Gabriella smile faltered. "I don't know if I can do this evening. My parents have decided that my grades aren't good enough and-"
"I'll come to yours then." Troy interrupted.
"But my parents wouldn't let you in!"
"I'll figure something out. I'll see you later."
"Bye." But Troy had already hung up.
Gabriella's brow furrowed with confusion. That wasn't like him to hang up so suddenly and he was usually happier when they spoke. Had she done something wrong? Gabriella decided to brush it off, he was probably just busy and needed to get on with some work. Besides, she could ask him about it when he came over but how he was going to come over, Gabriella had no clue. As she had told Troy, her parents wouldn't let him in; they would go crazy if they knew about him!
But Gabriella got her answer a few hours later when she heard a small knock on her French doors. Gabriella slowly opened them, she assumed it was Troy but she couldn't help herself from being wary. When she saw his face she smiled and opened the doors wide to let him in.
"Did you climb up to my balcony?" She asked him, almost with disbelief.
"Yes." Troy simply answered. "It wasn't as hard as I thought it'd be." He looked behind her, "wow, you really were studying, weren't you?" He looked at the mountains of papers and books that covered her desk and her bed.
"Yeah, like I was saying before, my parents don't think I'm working hard enough so this," she gestured to her books, "this is what happens." Troy knew that Gabriella worked hard enough already but decided not to press on the subject matter of her parents again. "So, what did you want to talk about? You seemed pretty desperate on the phone."
"Right, yeah," Troy said, "er...I found out something today and I needed to talk to you about it."
"Which was..."
"Ryan likes you." Gabriella's smile was wiped off her face. "And you know this. He told me all about it that he kissed you but you don't like him back and he starts asking me for advice on how to get you for him but...why didn't you tell me?"
"I...I didn't think about it." Gabriella truthfully replied. "I wouldn't have thought you needed to know anyway."
"Ryan is my cousin!" Troy exclaimed. "Of course I needed to know! Do you know how shit this makes me feel that he fancies you and Christ, he's even kissed you! But then we're going behind his back and seeing each other!"
"You make it sound like I'm cheating on him!" Gabriella argued. "I don't fancy Ryan, I never have!"
"That's not the point!" Troy told her. "You knew that he liked you and you didn't tell me."
"So you're saying that you'd never have taken me out if you knew your cousin fancied me." Gabriella replied and Troy didn't say anything. "Right, well, maybe we should just stop seeing each other then since you're so angry about this." Gabriella crossed her arms and went over to her bed. "So, you might as well leave since that's been cleared up."
Troy did turn to leave, his hand even reaching out for the door handle but he couldn't. He looked behind him to see Gabriella had returned to her desk and was looking blankly at the books. Did he want to leave it like this? Did he want to end it at all? Did he want to end it all with about two minutes of conversation? The answer was no but his cousin's face kept popping up in his mind. Could he do that? She had a fair point, she didn't like him, she never liked him and she had told him this. Was it fair that he should blame her?
"Please, Gabriella, don't be mad."
"I'm not." Troy closed his eyes painfully when he heard her voice crack.
Troy moved to her chair and bent down, putting a hand over hers. "Please don't cry, Sweetheart."
"I'm not crying." Gabriella turned her head; it was true, she wasn't crying but she might do if he didn't leave soon.
"I really really like you." Gabriella looked at him. "That's why I was mad. I feel like I'm a bad cousin for liking you so much. But you're right, it's not like you've ever gone out with him or anything. I just...I don't want to end this. I want to keep seeing you and taking you out and making you blush," Gabriella let a small smile grace her features. "And I want to keep making you smile."
"Then why are you so angry at me, I haven't done anything wrong!"
"I know. I know. I'm sorry."
"Maybe I should've told you but I just didn't think about it. I've never thought about Ryan when I'm with you."
"Do you like me then?"
"Yes, of course I do."
"But we can't tell anyone...at least not yet. You okay with that?"
"Of course I am. What do you think I am? Stupid? If my parents found out they'd go crazy and Sharpay and Heather would probably beat me to a pulp."
"I don't know about that." Troy grinned. "I heard you told Sharpay where to stick it today."
"Not exactly that, I just told her to 'shut up'."
"Good enough for me. I told you you could do it."
"Stop looking so smug."
Troy laughed before leaning in and giving her a soft kiss on the lips. "I guess that was our first fight."
"I guess so."
"I don't like it."
"Me neither."
"Lets not do that again."
"No way."
Smiling, they leant in for a second time and met halfway, sealing their deal with a kiss.
Since the "incident", Sharpay had been in a horrendous mood and everyone knew about it.
"You know, if you don't close your mouth then you'll start catching flies."
Ryan rolled his eyes at the comment but it didn't stop him from watching Gabriella pass. She had let her hair flow down her back in her natural waves and her smile was bright and wide as she loudly gave a melodic laugh that caused Ryan to smile himself. He wished that laugh had been for him but Gabriella had made it clear that she wasn't interested like that...perhaps with a little time he could persuade her otherwise. He wasn't a bad guy and he genuinely found her beautiful inside and out so he wasn't prepared to give up just yet.
"Ryan, please stop drooling." Heather added. Her lip curled upwards in a disgusted snarl.
Either Gabriella heard or she just had that instinct of someone looking which caused her to look in their direction. She acknowledged Ryan who sent a smile her way but her eyes quickly settled on Sharpay. If looks could kill, Gabriella would be six feet under by now. Unlike Sharpay's menacing glare, Gabriella simply stared. Perhaps Sharpay was shocked that Gabriella hadn't looked away immediately or perhaps she really did move when the bell went, either way, Sharpay turned her head and broke the tense eye contact between her and Gabriella.
"Look at you!" Taylor exclaimed with a giggle.
"I'm sick of Sharpay bossing me around." Gabriella added. "I'm not her bitch anymore."
"It's a miracle!"
"What is?"
"You're finally coming out of your shell, Herman."
"Shut up!" Gabriella giggled, playfully nudging Taylor.
"I mean it! You've...blossomed."
"Urgh, don't say that." Gabriella wrinkled her nose. "I hate that word. It's like I'm a pre-teen and you're my mum telling me about boobs and contraception and periods...I've just creeped myself out." She shuddered
"Ha!" Taylor laughed. "Okay, so you haven't blossomed that much. You still can't say the words 'boobs', 'contraception' and 'periods' without disgusting yourself. You do realise it's a natural process, right?"
"Contraception isn't."
"Touché." Taylor responded but quickly continued with a sly look gracing her features. "Talking about contraception..." Gabriella's eyes widened and a blush immediately hit her cheeks. "You and Troy done the dirty deed yet?"
"Taylor!"
"What? Now that is a natural process. All the animals are doing it...literally." She shamelessly laughed at her own joke.
"For your information," Gabriella briskly walked on, "which isn't any of your business by the way," Taylor laughed again, "no, we have not."
"Well chop chop or you'll drive the poor boy crazy."
"It hasn't been brought up."
"Really?"
"Troy's a gentleman."
"No. He's a boy." Taylor corrected. "They're all the same deep down. They've all got penises."
"Look, we've never even gone passed the stage of kissing yet so what your thinking about isn't on the agenda." Gabriella replied, slowly getting redder and redder in the face.
"Dear God woman, you can't even say the word sex!" Taylor exclaimed and Gabriella immediately shushed her, looking around at the same time to see if anyone had heard. "You are such a prude, Herman."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Gabriella rolled her eyes.
"I sometimes think you've been born in the wrong era...the Victorian times seem to be more suitable."
"Hi Gabriella." Gabriella jumped as a hand touched her shoulder. Turning around, she saw Ryan with a large, beaming smile on his face. "Oh, sorry there, didn't mean to scare you." Gabriella gave a feeble laugh. There was something about Ryan that was too...was happy the right word? Sometimes it came across as, well, creepy. Like he'd stepped out of a cheesy nineties movie.
"Hi, Ryan." Gabriella replied weakly.
"How are you? I haven't seen you in a while. I feel like we don't see enough of each other." Gabriella disputed that but decided it better not to say it out loud in fear of upsetting him; Gabriella had a feeling he was a sensitive soul...just like a cheesy nineties movie.
"I'm fine. Yourself?" Gabriella absentmindedly replied, a text distracting her.
"Great! Great. I was wondering-"
"I'm really sorry, Ryan but I -er- I've got to go. Can we talk later?" She asked hopefully.
"Sure. That's...I'll see you later." Gabriella felt the guilt in her stomach. It wasn't hard to hear the disappointment in Ryan's voice nor was it difficult to spot the disheartened expression so Gabriella gave him a reassuring (although friendly) smile which appeared to soften the blow.
"Bye, Ryan." Gabriella said as she sped off passed him and out of the school doors. She then half walked, half ran around to the next block to see Troy leaning against his truck. His arms were crossed giving a perfect view of his toned biceps and his stance just oozed coolness and confidence. "Hi." She smiled, albeit breathlessly.
"Hi, Sweetheart." He chuckled at her red cheeks. "Couldn't wait to see me, eh? I knew my irresistible charm would send girls so crazy they'd run to me one day." Gabriella playfully nudged his shoulder.
"Yeah, yeah, don't flatter yourself, Bolton."
"Ooh, last name basis are we, Montez?"
Gabriella laughed, "if you must know, I was just hurrying to make sure no one saw me." Troy continued to smile but nodded his head, clearly agreeing with her decision. "Especially since Ryan was talking to me." The smile slipped from Troy's face and he quickly ushered her to get into the truck; he was suddenly more aware that they weren't hidden from view.
Once they were chugging along in his beat-up truck, he asked nonchalantly, "my cousin? What did he want?"
"Oh, just asking me how I was."
"That it?"
"What do you want me to say? He grabbed me, pinned me against my locker and passionately kissed me?" Gabriella dramatically joked and Troy felt his cheeks redden with slight embarrassment. "Don't tell me you're jealous?" Troy didn't answer. "Y...you are!" Gabriella faltered slightly as she had not expected it to be true, paused and then sat back in her seat (looking rather smug) and said, "you know what...I'm ever so slightly glad that you are." She admitted.
"Why?" Troy laughed.
"No one has ever been jealous because I've spoken to a guy before."
"I'm glad I could be the first one, then." Troy grabbed her hand, interlocking it with his before bringing it to his lips and kissing the back of it. "Now, are you ready for our date?"
"You know, this can be considered kidnapping as you won't tell me where we're going." Gabriella replied accusingly.
"I'd consider it to be a surprise definitely not kidnapping. I owe it to you after our little spat."
"Meh...I still say kidnapping."
"Oi, Sweetheart, shut up and enjoy the ride."
Gabriella looked at Troy with an eyebrow raised and he looked back with a playful smirk and spark in his eyes. Gabriella had planned to retort but that look on his face made her blush and think that it really was better to just shut up and enjoy the ride.
girlwiththebrowneyes:
First of all...sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry! I can't believe it's been so long. But, I believe I have a worthy excuse! You see I'm coming to the end of my final year at school (SCARY!) and so that means the final exams (EVEN SCARIER!) so I've been studying, doing mock exams, studying, doing more timed essays and studying. In little over a month's time, my A-Levels will have been done and hopefully I'll be getting into university! BUT IT MEANS ACAH HAS BEEN PUT ON MY TO-DO LIST *gasp*.
In all seriousness, I really am sorry for the lateness of this chapter and I hope I'll find more time to get the next one out sooner. Plus, I've got lots of ideas buzzing around so you never know, a new story may be out as well. Thanks for your patience!
Anyhoo, thank you to: yogaluva, LittleMissNEWYORK, Fairyvixenmaiden (thanks for your support), pumpkinking5, Jadiee, minixoxmya, Bluebell140, dolphindreams16, marly monica and last but certainly not least, kristenkay0606.
All your reviews mean so much to me so keep them coming!
Hugs and Kisses,
Olivia
Disclaimer: I do not have any affiliation with the Disney/HSM franchise nor do I own any of the recognised characters; only the plot and my imagination.