Thanks so much for your reviews. I can't wait to read it every day. You guys totally inspire me. I was thinking of switching the story from Troy's point of view to Gabriella's for a while. It will make it easier for me to tell the next part.
As usual here comes the disclaimer… I don't own High School Musical or any of its characters. I only own my own ideas and characters.
Two months had passed since Maria Montez's death. Troy, truth to be told, had almost forgotten all about. Only the slight hint of sadness around his mother's eyes sometimes reminded him. But mostly he wasn't paying attention to anything at all these days. He was looking forward to his summer basketball camp. He tuned out his parents and spent hours outside with Chad, Zeke Baylor and Jason Cross playing and sharpening up their basketball skills.
As an obvious result he completely missed the announcement that one person would be added to the Bolton household the day he gets back from camp…
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One month later at the end of basketball camp, Troy laughed out loud, pure joy in his laugh as he messed around with his best friends in the world.
"You guys wanna play one last game of basketball?" Chad asked his friends twirling the basketball he always carried around on his forefinger. Troy looked at all of his friends, a crooked grin bringing out the dimples in his handsome face.
"Well, why on earth not?" he yelled and stole the ball from Chad and pounded to the basketball court, followed closely by his friends who were laughing loudly and basically having the time of their lives.
"Whoa, whoa!" Troy threw up a hand, "You guys hear that?"
"Hear what?" they stopped puzzled straining their ears to hear what Troy was hearing. They were still standing listening intently as Troy suddenly burst into a sprint gaining a fifteen metre head start before they clicked and ran after him again.
Troy laughed, the wind rushing through his hair and exhilarating him with the thrill of the chase. He whipped around, grinning roguishly at his three friends who staggered to a stop in front of him, broad smiles on their faces.
"How about Chad and I beating you guys one last time before my dad come to get us?" he teased. The spirit of competition flared in the eyes of the guys as they agreed to the challenge. Quickly they took up their positions and started a rousing game of basketball. Rapidly they were joined by other guys who were waiting for their parents to arrive. Pretty soon they had four full teams taking five minute turns to play, some players leaving in the middle of the game to go home.
"Yo!" Jack Bolton called out from the side-lines to Troy and his friends, "Let's go, boys!" with whoops and hurried goodbyes to their fellow campers the four basketball players jogged of from the court, grabbed their bags and piled into the Bolton van.
"You boys up for some hamburgers?" Jack asked back at the chattering teens,
"Always, dad," Troy grinned cheekily at his father, "You should know by now that we are always hungry…"
The miles flew past as they drove the 150 miles from camp home. At the first MacDonald they came to, Jack stopped and pulled out his wallet. With a wink he handed Troy a couple of dollars and ordered the boys to go get each person a burger and a soda. With wild whoops of joy, the four teens sprang from the car and ran to the McDonalds. Jack sat back, a smile on his handsome face and sighed happily as the fresh breeze stole through the car. The summer sun beat down gently warming up the surrounding air to a mild 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Soon the boys got what they wanted and munching on their burgers they strode back to the car. Troy slipped into the passenger seat and handed his father the change and the burger and coke that they had gotten him.
"Thanks," Jack said, taking a sip of the ice-cold soda. They sat peacefully in the car for ten minutes, eating their food and drinking their sodas. Once Jack was done, he wiped his mouth, cleared his throat and moved smoothly away from the curb. The silence didn't last long and soon Troy, Chad, Zeke, and Jason were chattering about the camp and the games that they had played. In strategic places Jack asked them questions, trying to see how well they had played, what they had learned etc.
First they came to Zeke's house and with loud goodbyes and helping hands he was quickly unloaded. Sadly Zeke waved goodbye before heading into his house to unpack. Jason was next and then Chad until it was only Troy and his dad left in the car.
"Off to home," Jack smiled at his son, "Mom can't wait to see you…"
Troy grinned mischievously, "I missed mom too… especially her baking!" Together they laughed heartily
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I sat carefully on Alex's bed, trying desperately for his sake to be brave. He himself was so cheerful and hopeful about his situation. Every day he patiently worked with his physio to exercise his body and his legs. He never complained about the pan and most of the time when I visited him, once I could get out of bed, he would encourage me and instil me with the hope that everything would work out alright.
The only time I had ever seen him cry was when he realised that mom was dead. I had been so happy when Alex woke up from his coma two weeks after the accident that I had completely forgotten that he didn't know that mom had died. So when he asked me how she was, his clear hazel brown eyes shining, I couldn't help bursting into tears. Alex didn't say anything. He just opened his arms and accepted me into a hug, tears flowing down his cheeks.
After that cry with Alex, neither of us cried again. It felt like we were in a different world to everyone else. Everyone was making summer vacation plans, hurried whispers about late night dates, making out with their boyfriends. How this one hooked up with that guy and aren't they just perfect together. Meals with their family that they wished they didn't have to attend. One of them complained about their mom who was always checking up on her and as I heard that anger flamed in my chest.
These stupid people didn't even know what they had. They complained and took their parents for granted when I would do anything just to have my mom be able to give me one last hug.
I sighed and hugged my knees to my chest. I had mostly recovered from my injuries. I mean my scars were still red and ugly, so I wore a long tee and jeans, making sure that none of them could show. The scar on my forehead I couldn't do much about, except bush my fringe over it and hope no one noticed.
"Hey," Alex smiled gently at me tugging my arms gently, "I'm sure living at the Boltons' won't be so bad. I mean Lucille seams nice enough. She says her husband and her son are very nice too…"
"Yeah," I groaned and lowered my head, "I know… but I go and move in with them, today, while leaving you behind…"
Alex's face fell slightly, "I know. But the doc says I should be able to get out of here soon. I'm basically recovered…"
"How the hell can you say that?" I yelled at him, losing patience with his inherent cheerfulness, "You may never walk again, Alex! You can't play basketball or do anything that normal people do! How the hell can you be so happy?"
Alex sat quietly letting me rant and rave until I stopped my voice hoarse from yelling at him. No nurses had come to look in at us. They were used to me being so vocal around my brother. Everywhere else I was very quiet and withdrawn but with Alex I never hid.
"I can do everything that you can do, Gabs," he said quietly, "I'll just do it from a chair. I can still play basketball. I'll finish school and go to college. I can still become whatever I want to become. I don't need to banish my dreams just because I can't walk. Yes, I'll miss the freedom, and the ability… but at least I'm still alive," his lower lip wobbled for a moment before he clenched his teeth and any traces of tears disappeared out of his hard eyes, "So stop feeling so sorry for me and start celebrating that fact that you still have a baby bro…"
"I'm sorry," I hung my head in shame. Maybe all these years I hadn't raised my brother. Maybe he had raised me.
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Troy smiled broadly as he ran into his mother's arms, smothering her with love after having been away from her for a month.
"Gosh," she laughed happily, "It would seem like you haven't seen me in years!"
Troy laughed freely and pulled his bags out of the trunk, "I'll just get these into my room and unpack. I'll be straight down."
"Ok…" Lucille started, still wanting to remind him that Gabriella Montez had arrived but he was in the house and up the stairs before she could continue, "Oh well," she thought to herself, "He'll find out soon enough…"
Troy took the stairs two at a time and burst into his room. With a jerk he stopped staring at a raven haired girl in a long tee and jeans staring at a photo of him and his basketball squad.
"Holy cow!" he exclaimed causing her to spin around in fright. Her chocolate brown eyes widened as she looked him up and down. Flustered Troy dropped his bags onto his bed and stuck his hands in to his shorts pockets, "I'm sorry for swearing. I wasn't exactly expecting a girl in my room…"
"It's ok," she had a really soft voice, Troy had to lean forward to catch her words.
Troy grimaced and blushed a bright red, and rubbed his neck with one hand before extending it to her, "I'm Troy Bolton… and you are?"
She took his hand very softly and he was surprised at how fragile she felt, like a china doll, "I'm Gabriella Montez…"
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I hadn't expected Troy to come bursting into his room like that. Lucille had shown me to the guest bedroom and then sympathetically left me up here to unpack. I couldn't bring myself to do it however and instead softly pushed Troy's door open and entered the most basketball orientated room that I had ever seen in my life. It was neat enough. Here and there I could see clothes that had been haphazardly thrown around and his table was a mess of papers and school books and scribbles but it was not nearly enough for me to be distracted by his theme. Carefully I leaned in to a picture that must be of him and his basketball squad. As I looked at all the young men grinning at the camera, flushed with obvious victory I wondered which guy he was. Obviously he was white and maybe he had Lucille's blue eyes? I wasn't sure…
"Holy cow!" I jerked around in fright as I heard a male voice exclaim behind me and I looked straight into… the bluest eyes of any one I had ever seen before. They are quite impossible to explain.. Imagine the bluest thing you have ever seen, such a startling blue that you need to blink a few times to completely click how blue they are and you will have the colour of Troy's eyes. His light brown hair was standing in all directions as of a hand had come and ruffled his hair. He was officially the hottest guy that I had ever met in my life. He wore shorts and a loose t-shirt so I had no idea if he was flabby or not, but from the looks of his basketball photo at the very least he was in shape. Unlike me.
He seemed very flustered and when I realised that I had been staring at him, I glanced down. I have never been so glad of the fact that I have olive skin… Blushes aren't seen very easily as a result. He dropped his bags on his bed and shoved his hands into his pockets.
"I'm sorry for swearing," he said simply, "I wasn't exactly expecting a girl in my room…"
"It's ok," I said so quietly I wasn't sure he heard me. I wanted to slap my head. He would think I could barely speak. But hitting my head wouldn't be a good idea. My scars were still very sensitive. I looked down at my feet again. I was so very shy in his presence. I looked up as I saw a strong hand enter my field of vision.
"I'm Troy Bolton…" he confirmed my thoughts, "And you are?"
I took his hand softly, "I'm Gabriella Montez."
"Oh!" he breathed his eyes widening, "I see… what on earth are you doing here though?"
This time it was my turn to be confused, "Your mom's my guardian… I'm supposed to live with you guys until I graduate."
Troy's eyes narrowed slightly, "My mom never said anything about this…" he murmured quietly.
"Actually, honey, I did," Lucille commented quietly from the doorway, "I guess you were so jazzed about camp that you didn't listen to the conversations…"
"Yeah," Troy said thoughtfully looking up at me, "Well, it very nice to meet you Gabriella. Um… if you don't mind I'd like to unpack and get out of these clothes into something uh… slightly less sweaty."
"Oh, gosh sure!" I blushed and thanked my lucky stars once more that I had olive skin. So many embarrassing moments spared from me. As quickly as I could I dashed out of the room into what is I suppose my room now.
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Troy smiled an amused smile at Gabriella. With a rueful shake of his head he closed the door and quickly stripped down. He pulled a clean pair of boxers from his drawer and just as he was about to put them on he hesitated. A shower would be really good. Quickly he scrounged around in his bag and pulled out a dirty towel. Troy's lip curled up in disgust but duly wrapped it around his waist and collected his boxers before heading to the bathroom down the hall from him. As he passed the guest bedroom he just peeked inside and saw the new girl carefully unpacking her clothes in a drawer. Not a thing was out of place.
"So," Troy thought to himself, as he continued on, "She has a neatness problem…" his lips curled up into a mischievous smile, "This is going to be fun…"
Read and Review please! Any ideas for how the story can go from here? I know what I want to do, but some of the detail filling in I need some ideas on. So help?!