A Chance At Happiness
Chapter Eight
Gabriella smiled as her head rested on Troy's shoulder. Troy had parked the car in a little clearing, a little way out of town, and Gabriella had been confused to say the least because it wasn't...anything but then Troy had grabbed her hand and taken her up a little sandy hill. Whilst Troy had sorted out the small checked blanket and brought out the food from his large rucksack Gabriella looked out to see Albuquerque below her. The view was incredible with the houses like little toys and cars like ants. It wasn't what Gabriella had expected (although she didn't know what she had expected) but she loved it all the same. It was peaceful, secluded, there was no chance of getting disturbed and, of course, terribly romantic...which was probably why Troy hadn't mentioned the date specifically to his friends.
"Chad would never let me live this down." Troy explained.
"Well, I think it's perfect." Gabriella admitted and she kissed him sweetly on the cheek.
Troy switched on a small portable radio he had brought along and whilst the music quietly played in the background, they talked about as much as they possibly could. "I want to know you better." Troy had said. "I want to know everything about you." Gabriella wasn't used to someone being this interested in her and so, at first, she didn't know what to say but slowly she began to tell Troy about herself; about what she wanted to do with her life and what was happening already.
"What about you? How come you became a mechanic and didn't go to university?"
"Well, I just became one by accident." Troy replied.
"How does that happen accidentally?" Gabriella snorted.
"I was going to go to university for basketball but I was going to take a gap year first. I wanted to travel a little bit beforehand. Unfortunately, that never happened." Troy explained and he failed to hide the disappointment in his voice. "My dad didn't want me to take a year off, he wanted me to go straight to university so my little rebellion was to not go at all. Bit stupid really but I just hated how he wanted me to do something that I didn't really want to do!"
"What do you mean? Did you not want to do basketball?" Gabriella questioned.
"No, not really." Troy admitted nonchalantly. "I've always wanted to be a photographer but my dad said it was a waste of time. He said I wouldn't get a real job and refused to help me."
"That's...harsh."
"Yeah, we've had some pretty big rows over it." Troy said. "But that's why I've just stayed working as a mechanic. At the end of the day, I'm getting money into my bank account every month and I'm working with my best friend."
"But it's not what you want."
"It's alright. Not as bad as you might think."
Gabriella believed he was more bothered by it than he let on but she didn't have time to think about it any longer as Troy kissed her sweetly on the lips. The rest of the evening was filled with more cuddling, even more kissing and Gabriella had never laughed so much as she had done then. Any worries she had previously had about her parents or Sharpay or Heather had disappeared. All she could think about was the lovely young man sitting beside her. Gabriella had never been happier.
Afterwards, Gabriella remained on cloud nine for the next few days. It was something that was noticed by many. Martha and Kelsi had commented and questioned as to why there was the sudden change but she didn't admit to them the real reason. The only person she relayed the whole evening to was Taylor who had been the best audience, gasping and squealing at exactly the right moment. Unfortunately, they were not the only people that had noticed a difference in Gabriella's persona.
"Who does she think she is?" Sharpay growled. Her eyes were narrowed as she watched her brother talking to Gabriella from across the school hallway.
"Are we really talking about this again?" Kelsi whined. She had heard enough bitching and back-stabbing from her sister and cousin to last multiple lifetimes. Although she had stuck up for Gabriella over and over again, they wouldn't listen and would continue anyway. All Kelsi could do was to roll her eyes and ignore them.
"Yes." Heather bluntly replied. Her grip around her folder tightened. "However, I think the more important question here is why does Ryan find her so interesting? I thought you were going to fix this, Sharpay?"
"I tried but the doofus doesn't listen as always." Sharpay spat. Her eyes narrowed further. "He is such a little shit."
"I'm bored now." Kelsi sang. Neither Heather nor Sharpay listened.
"What if they start dating?" Heather questioned and Kelsi could hear a hint of disgust in her sister's tone and her face wrinkled as if she had smelt something bad. "What if Ryan starts bringing her to family occasions? What if she actually becomes one of the family?"
"They're seventeen," Kelsi cut in monotonously, "hardly likely that they are going to get married."
Heather shrugged knowing her sister was right but she didn't admit that out loud. She and Sharpay were known for being melodramatic. "I still don't like it." Heather said.
"Nor do I." Sharpay added.
"Well, I think it's perfectly alright." Kelsi argued.
"Of course you would." Sharpay said.
"What does that mean?" Kelsi replied, knowing it certainly wasn't a compliment, but Sharpay didn't answer. Kelsi had learnt not to be too offended by Sharpay's comments. Instead, Kelsi looked at her timetable whilst Heather and Sharpay continued to watch Gabriella and Ryan converse. It was only until the bell rang did they move. Heather said her goodbyes and quickly exited the hallway for her next lesson (she had been threatened with a months worth of detention if she was late again) and Kelsi hastily followed suit but Sharpay did not. Instead, she continued to keep her narrowed eyes on Gabriella and Ryan. She did not want Gabriella wheedling her way into her family either through Ryan or Kelsi. Sharpay wanted to know what her game was. The blonde only moved when Gabriella ran off to English and Sharpay realised that she (like Heather) would be in trouble if she didn't follow quickly.
Sitting beside Gabriella (because they were still partners in the project not because Sharpay wanted to; she was to make that very clear thank you very much), Sharpay noticed an odd grin on Gabriella's face. At first, she thought it was because Gabriella had just finished talking to Ryan. Perhaps she really did like him after all. However, that thought completely disappeared when Sharpay realised Gabriella was on her phone. It wasn't the fact that she had a phone that was surprising, it was the fact that Gabriella wasn't listening to the lesson (something in which she always did!). Instead, she was texting and that was the second unusual thing. Sharpay knew that Ryan had gym whilst she had English and phones were always left in the changing room lockers so it wasn't Ryan that Gabriella was texting...so who was it?
Well, Sharpay quickly concluded that whoever it was that was texting Gabriella was someone special. She had been on enough dates herself to know that when a girl was looking all gooey-eyed and giddy at a phone message that the person sending and receiving her messages was the object of the said girl's fancy. And if it wasn't Ryan, because it definitely wasn't, then Gabriella had someone else.
Ryan had been minding his own business, slowly getting his books out of his locker, when he jumped with fright as his locker door was slammed shut. Looking to his right, he saw his sister with an I-told-you-so smirk. In all his seventeen years, Ryan had gotten used to these impromptu meetings in the hallway and, more recently, these quick moments of chatter had always consisted of Gabriella. By the look on his sister's face, Ryan believed this to be no different.
"What?" Ryan gruffly said.
"That is not a very nice way to greet your dear sister." Sharpay replied. "Especially when I've come to help you."
"What do you mean? Help with what?" Ryan asked, slightly exasperated.
"With your little dorky problem."
"If you're talking about Gabriella then-"
"Of course I'm talking about Gabriella." Sharpay rudely interrupted.
"Well, save your breath, dear sister, because I don't want to talk about her with you. All you'll do is make some bitchy comment and I just don't want to hear it anymore."
Ryan turned and attempted to walk away but Sharpay rapidly grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "Look, I know you like her, Ryan but the thing is-"
"Sharpay," Ryan cut her off, "please, please, please, get it through your head that I don't listen to a bad word you say about her. Yes, I really like her. Yes, I would like her to be my girlfriend. I know she's shy and that you don't like her but if you gave her a chance then you'd see she's a really nice girl." Sharpay opened her mouth but Ryan continued without giving her a chance to speak. "No, I don't want to hear it. She's just started to warm up to me and perhaps she might even fancy me back if you weren't constantly nit-picking at her." He then added, rather arrogantly, "after all, now I've got this far, how hard can it be?"
"Very hard." Sharpay hastily replied in order not to be cut off again, "considering she likes someone else."
Ryan didn't look very convinced. "That's pretty low, Sharpay. Even by your standards. If you think that's going to stop me from-"
"No, Ryan, this isn't some joke or ploy to get you to stop chasing her. Really it isn't. If anything, it's to stop you from getting hurt. It's not that I don't know how much you like her, it's that I don't know why. There's a big difference but either way I don't want you to be embarrassed or disappointed." Sharpay added sincerely, "I really believe she likes someone else."
"How do you know this?"
"I've seen the way she acts in class. Firstly, she's not listening to a word those teachers say, that's strange enough for a person like Montez. Then, she's texting every four seconds, she's skipping around and she started drawing little hearts on her paper. She likes someone else."
"Why can't it be me that she likes? What if it's for me?"
"Ryan, I mean this in the kindest way," she looked at him honestly, "it's not."
Troy stretched his arms behind his back and yawned as he stepped out of the shower with only a towel around his waist. Feeling refreshed after washing the oil off his skin (but still tired), he turned as he heard the front door slam with such a force that the chandelier in the hallway shook. Peering over the banister, Troy saw Ryan chuck his bags to the side with an angry expression on his face. As Ryan stomped into the living room, the front door reopened; Heather and Sharpay stepped in. They held anxious glances to one another and looked to the living room door where Ryan was throwing the cushions around.
"Oi, Heather." Troy said in a half-whisper so Ryan would not hear him. "What's up with him?"
"You know that Montez girl?" Troy nodded. "He's just found out she doesn't like him. She likes someone else."
Heather and Sharpay decided they would leave Ryan to his own devices. If he wanted to throw cushions then both girls thought it was best to let him get his anger out on the inanimate object than on anyone else. They exited to the kitchen to gossip about Gabriella's "fancy man" (as Sharpay had called him) not realising that he was standing on their upstairs landing, rooted to the spot. Troy, on the other hand, couldn't help but feel guilty. The "fancy man". Him. He was the "other guy". Did it make him a bad person that his heart flipped knowing that she (Gabriella) liked him? It didn't soften the blow of guilt, however. After all, the sound of the cushions thumping against the living room door was enough to tell anybody that his cousin felt something for Gabriella and it was Troy that stood in the way.
If they had never met then Ryan would've been able to make his move and she would've been free to accept him...but would she have accepted him? Perhaps she would've refused either way? Troy began to wonder, "should I give her up?" But when he returned to his room and looked at the pictures on his phone, of him and Gabriella on their last date, he knew that it wasn't as easy as that. He didn't think he'd be able to let her go even if his cousin did fancy her. That, Troy assumed, was lust; just some school boy fancy. It would go away in a couple of weeks. His thing with Gabriella was completely different. It wasn't about getting her into bed. It wasn't about getting to know her. Troy's thing surely wasn't the same as Ryan's thing. He could feel it was different and he couldn't give that up.
"Hello." Gabriella quietly said. She cautiously entered the dining room where she found her mother at the table with lots of important papers surrounding her.
It took a few seconds and Christine didn't bother raising her head or even look at Gabriella when she replied, "hello Gabriella."
"How are you? Have you had a good day?"
This time, Christine did look up but she looked exasperated. "I'm sorry, but is there anything you specifically need to talk to me about? It's just I really need to get through this work and I'm already behind. Some people just can't do it properly so I'm just going to have to do it myself, you see."
"Oh, right, of course, yeah I do." Gabriella replied. She did not succeed at hiding her disappointment but Christine continued, unaware. "I just wanted to know if I could go to Taylor's this evening. I'd stay the night. After all, it's a Friday and I've finished all my homework."
"Well," Christine returned to her work and said, rather absentmindedly, "if you done your work then I suppose so."
"Thanks."
Gabriella began to walk out of the dining room only to turn at the doorway. She opened her mouth to say something but seeing that her mother was already heavily buried in her work again and would only grow weary of Gabriella's voice Gabriella thought twice and quietly walked from the room. She didn't know what she was going to say. Perhaps she was going to ask if they could have a chat one day? Just the two of them like mothers and daughters do. But who was she kidding? Her mother would never agree to that.
"I've just got too much work to do, Gabriella." She could imagine her mother saying.
Occasionally, Gabriella would envy Taylor whenever she went round to her house. More often than not, Taylor would be in a conversation with her mother and they'd almost always end up laughing about something or other. Gabriella had never had that. It was as if her parents were afraid of laughter and fun. They just weren't like other parents. They had their own way of life and they stuck to it. Gabriella didn't even know if they could put a toe off their comfortable road and (dare she say it) live a little!
"I'm surprised you came, Herman." Taylor said with a slight smirk, leading Gabriella into the living room. "So what time do you need to be at that study group of yours tomorrow? Because, it it's early then-"
"Well, I decided just now that I'm not going to my study group tomorrow." Gabriella triumphantly replied. "I've done enough studying to last me a lifetime so one week off won't hurt. I haven't got any exams coming up either so I'm not going." She said the last three words with her head held high. She felt rather proud of herself to tell you the truth.
"I'm sorry, what did you just say?" Taylor looked at her friend with shock.
"You heard me. I'm not going to study tomorrow."
"But what would mummy and daddy say? Herman, they will freak when they find out."
"They...won't know." Gabriella slowly said. "I'm just going to go to the library right before I'm supposed to be picked up so they'll never ever know that I skipped it. Besides, Louisa is picking me up tomorrow so even better!"
"Herman, you sly thing...I love it!"
Gabriella laughed and shortly afterwards they were joined by Martha and Kelsi who were equally as surprised that Gabriella was skipping out on one of her extra activities. "Who are you and what have you done to Gabriella?" Martha had teased whilst Kelsi had smiled and said, "good, you needed a break." Once they had gotten over that news, they were suddenly on the topic of (as most girls do at this age) boys.
This was the first time that Taylor was telling other people about Chad. This meant that things were getting serious. Martha and Kelsi were every inch as supportive as Gabriella was and they were immediately telling Taylor that they wanted (nay needed) to meet him. "You will. You will." Taylor had laughed. "I want you to meet him too. You'll love him! He's so funny and cute and I just have the best time with him." This was the first time Gabriella had ever seen Taylor like a...well, like a stereotypical girl. She giggled for starters. Taylor never giggled and she had this look that was all dream-like and giddy.
But Gabriella could perfectly understand. She was experiencing the same with Troy. Just thinking about him could bring a smile to her face and, for the first time in a long time, Gabriella was genuinely and truly happy. In fact, Gabriella didn't think she had ever been this happy. There was something about being with Troy and being with Troy in secret especially that made her feel free! She was finally coming out of her shell and, without a doubt, that was down to a certain blue-eyed boy.
However, despite their secretive romance adding to the excitement, there was still a part of her that wished she could just admit to everyone exactly who she was dating. She wished they could walk around Albuquerque with their hands clasped together and she wished they could kiss and cuddle and do what normal couples do in public. But she couldn't; at least, not yet.
"What about Kelsi?" Martha smirked, looking to her right at the petite brunette that immediately went wide eyed as everyone stared at her.
"What about me?"
"Don't pretend you can't add to this conversation." Martha sang. "I've seen you talking with none other than a Mr. Jason Cross this week. In fact, I've seen you talking to him so many times this week that I don't know why I haven't brought this up before. So...what's going on there then?" Taylor, Gabriella and Martha all looked at Kelsi expectantly. The latter merely remained quiet whilst her cheeks turned pink.
"There's nothing going on." Kelsi weakly squeaked. The blush rose further up her face and then broke down into her neck.
"You lie!" Taylor excitedly shouted. "Seriously though, do you like him?"
"I-" Kelsi stuttered.
"You do!" Taylor and Martha simultaneously screamed.
"I don't! I swear I don't!" Kelsi exclaimed. She looked between them worriedly and shook her head vigorously as she tried to make her friends believe her. "I really, really, really don't."
"Come on, Kels," Gabriella softly commented. "You're among friends."
Kelsi sighed and buried her face into her hands. "Alright, fine...I do."
"That is so cute." Taylor pinched Kelsi's cheeks and laughed, "I mean, he's a bit of a bonehead-"
"Taylor!" Gabriella threw a pillow at her friend.
"-but," she emphasised strongly, "he does seem pretty sweet. Although, I don't know him that well."
"He is sweet." Kelsi admitted and quickly added, "and a bonehead."
"A lovable bonehead." Taylor said dramatically and they all laughed.
However, Kelsi clearly did not like all this attention as she said, "but enough about me. What about you?" Kelsi said looking at Gabriella with a raised eyebrow and folded arms.
Genuinely confused, Gabriella replied, "what?"
"Well, I heard from Heather that Ryan went into one of his the-world-is-going-to-end moods because he found out you liked someone other than him." Gabriella immediately froze and instead of blushing like Kelsi her face went pale. She couldn't very well say "oh, you're right. I don't like your cousin but it's your brother instead." Somehow, Gabriella didn't think that would go down so well. "So...who is it?" Kelsi urged when Gabriella didn't say anything but instead look rather like a deer caught in headlights.
"Come on, Gabriella!" Martha exclaimed; this time, Taylor kept silent.
"Yeah, you're among friends." Kelsi added, using Gabriella's own words against her.
"Oh, go on, Gabriella, tell them." Taylor said with a sigh. Gabriella tried to tell her "no" through some psychic force but even Gabriella knew her efforts were futile. "Fine, then I will."
"You know?" Martha said.
"Yeah, but only because I completely bugged her about it. It's some guy from out of school." Gabriella closed her eyes and wished a black hole would just gobble her up right there and then. Why would Taylor be doing this? "What was his name? Trevor?" Gabriella suddenly opened her eyes and looked at her friend. She wasn't really going to tell. She was stringing them along. Gabriella breathed a mental sigh of relief.
"Y-yeah...Trevor."
"Where did you meet?" Kelsi asked.
"The...supermarket."
"That's a weird place to meet someone." Martha thought out loud. "So, wait, you all have someone and I don't! Life is so unfair!" She dramatically exclaimed and buried her head into her pillow, pretending to cry. Whilst Kelsi and Taylor laughed and joined in by patting her back, Gabriella slipped out of the room. She then mentally thanked Martha for taking the attention off of Gabriella especially since her phone was ringing and it was Troy on the other line.
"Hi." She said in a whisper once she had shut the living room door behind her.
"Why are you whispering?"
"Just give me a minute to find somewhere to talk. I'm with the girls at the moment." Gabriella moved along the landing and finally decided the bathroom would be best. "Okay, I can talk." She said in her normal voice as she sat on the edge of the bath.
"Hi Sweetheart."
"Hi." Gabriella smiled. "You'll never believe what just happened." Gabriella relayed the previous events to him quickly and quietly. "It was so close and especially in front of your sister! I really thought Tay was just going to blurt it all out!"
"Jesus," Troy breathed out. "Things haven't been so smooth here either."
"Why? What happened?" Gabriella asked.
"Ryan came storming in after school. Heather said he found out that you don't like him. You like someone else and now they're trying to guess who that someone else is. You didn't say anything to them did you?"
"No!" Gabriella exclaimed. "Why would I? Troy, only Taylor knows that we're together. I wouldn't risk it. Besides, I don't even voluntarily talk to Heather or Sharpay, you know that. I certainly didn't tell Ryan because...because I didn't realise he still liked me to be honest. I was just starting to get along with him too."
"I know you didn't, Sweetheart but I had to double check."
"I understand but this is harder than I expected." She raised a hand to her hair. "I honestly thought they were going to get the truth out of me for a second but luckily Taylor can think quicker than I can. Now, I am dating someone called Trevor from the supermarket."
Troy heartily laughed. "Should I be worried about this Trevor?"
"It's not funny!" Although Gabriella herself was smiling. Troy had that effect on her. "What if I slip up and Taylor's not there to think for me? I just completely froze back there."
"You'll be fine." Troy reassured her. "We just need to be extra careful."
"Yeah. I know." Gabriella sighed. "Well, I better go otherwise they'll think the toilet has swallowed me up."
"Okay, see you later, Sweetheart."
"Bye, Troy."
Gabriella hung up and put her phone in her back pocket. Running her hand through her hair one more time, she let out a big puff of air and sat on the side of the bath for just a few seconds longer. Finally deciding she really should get back to the living room, she lazily opened the door to find Kelsi standing outside and, by the look of her shocked and, what Gabriella could only describe as, hurt expression, she had heard everything.
girlwiththebrowneyes:
Hello! So, yet again, I've been really late with this chapter but I've had my final A2 exams to compete with which determine whether or not I get into university (I DID! 4 A's! BOOM!) and then I had a summer job which wasn't a very pleasant one so I won't go into detail. Anyway, I finished that job for the summer and so then had time to write which I've missed a lot!
Anyway, here it is. I'm half and half about this story. I don't like the first bit but nothing better would come out of me! Thought I'd begin to really spice things up a bit though with Kelsi and Gabriella so hopefully you all like it. Fingers crossed. Thanks to everyone for being so patient. It means a lot.
Thank you to Jadiee, Bluebell140, kristenkay0606, pumpkinking5, dolphindreams16, cncgrad02 and LittleMissNEWYORK. Your reviews really do mean so much!
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.