Bittersweet Love

FOUR—A Bold Move

…

"I need to be bolder, need to jump in the cold water, need to grow older with a girl like you…"
Joshua Radin 'I'd Rather Be With You'

…

Gabriella rolled her eyes in annoyance, hating that she had to wait for him. She turned on her heel, refusing to watch more of this…'spectacle' and murmured a quick, "I'll be outside," and walked way. On the way out, her phone rang in her pocket. She cocked an eyebrow wondering who could be calling her.

Pulling out her iPhone, she looked at the screen and froze when she saw the name.

Troy.

"He…hello?" a soft and melodious voice came from the other line and his breath hitched in his throat.

It was as if time had stopped. Troy held his beloved Blackberry to his ear, clutching it tightly in his palm as Gabriella's voice came from the other line. He couldn't believe he had been bold enough to do something he'd wanted to do since the first time they exchanged a text message.

Troy opened his mouth to speak but then snapped it shut, unsure of what to say. He wanted to say something but he choked.

"T…Troy? Is that you?" she asked.

And then he hung up.

Gabriella looked down at her phone in awe, unable to believe that Troy had called. It had to be a prank! Her brain went into overdrive and she quickly opened the text message menu and texted Troy.

'Did you just call me????? -Gabriella xo'

And as the text message made its way over to Troy, Gabriella sat at the steps of the school, trying to process what had just happened. A few seconds later, her phone began to vibrate in her hand.

'Uh… yeah, I did. I'm sorry I hung up. I kinda chickened out. –Troy'

Gabriella couldn't help but smile to herself. And she subconsciously began to type.

'You're too cute.'

And before she could stop herself she had pushed the send button. When she realized what she had said, she nearly dropped her phone.

"Crap," she muttered. But before she could text him back to explain herself, he had texted back.

'You're pretty cute yourself, Gabi. ;)'

And she felt a blush and a smile creep onto her features. Even though he couldn't even see her he could still find ways to make her blush. At the same time, she felt a small rush of confidence wash over her. Taking advantage of the moment, she went to her phone book and hovered over his name. Taking a deep breath, she pushed it and then went to select his number to call him back but then the screen faded to black.

"No! No! Don't die!" she pleaded her phone but no avail. Her precious iPhone had failed her and died. "Great! Fucking great!" she groaned. "I hate you." She pouted as she looked down at the phone in her hand. "Okay, I don't hate you but couldn't you die later?"

And her charger was at home. The one day she decided to leave it at home, her phone dies. Now she was positive that Troy was going to think she was weird. And who knew how long Gabriel was going to be inside with Missy. She groaned angrily without noticing that Gabriel and Missy had stepped out of the building.

"What's wrong with you?" Gabriel asked his sister as he stepped out of the building with Missy by his side.

Ignoring his question, Gabriella asked, "Can we get the hell out of here?"

"Whoa, no need for the attitude," Missy said with a roll of her eyes. She turned to Gabriel before speaking, "Gosh, baby, your… sister…" she looked Gabriella up and down, "is a bitch."

"Oh, I'm the bitch now," Gabriella muttered.

"What'd you just say to me?" Missy asked.

"Nothing," the shorter brunette said with a fake smile on her face.

Troy was now pacing slowly around his room. It had been nearly an hour since he had gotten that last text from Gabriella. He had texted her back and she hadn't answered, then he tried calling her again but the call went straight to voicemail. He had also signed onto AIM waiting for her to magically appear and stop the feeling of impending doom in his stomach.

Even though she didn't seem weirded out by his call, she could have been covering up and actually been totally freaked out. Of course if it had been a cover up then she was a pretty amazing actress. When she'd called him cute, she'd caused him to blush furiously as well as smile excitedly.

Just as he turned away from his computer he heard the sound of a creaky door opening which was the signal from his AIM that someone had signed on. When he saw who it was, a smile took over his features and relief washed over him.

Gabianne18 has just signed on.

Troy plopped down on the chair in front of his desk and nearly fell over, taking his laptop down with him. He hovered the mouse over Gabriella's screen name and waited a few seconds, just so that he wouldn't seem eager.

Hoops14: Hey :)

Gabianne18: I'm so, so sorry for not responding! My phone died and I only just got home because my brother decided to drop his girlfriend off and then took forever to come back to the car.

Troy just chuckled at how freaked out she sounded. He had to reassure her that it was okay.

Hoops14: Gabi, don't worry!

Gabianne18: Still, I'm sorry, lol.

Hoops14: You don't have to be sorry. Things come up ;)

Gabianne18: Okay :P

Hoops14: So, about this afternoon… I chickened out. I don't know why, lol.

Gabianne18: I would've chickened out too. I was freaking out when you called. I was actually about to call you back but then, like I said, my phone died.

Hoops14: Brb.

Gabianne18: 'kay :D

Troy looked over at his phone which was to the right of his laptop. He grabbed it in his hand and hovered over Gabriella's name as he thought. Was he really ready to call her back? He sighed and closed his eyes. This might be his only chance. He was feeling slightly bold.

So he did it. He called.

Gabriella stood up from her place in front of her laptop and slipped off her shoes. She was about to change into comfier clothing, which she had failed to do in her rush to get back in contact with Troy, but then her phone rang.

She stared at it for a few seconds before taking a deep breath and picking it up and seeing Troy's name on the screen. She smiled slightly as this would, officially, be the first time they spoke on the phone.

"He… Hello?" she answered, trying to sound neither too nervous nor too excited.

"Gabriella?" Troy's voice came from the other side.

Gabriella felt her smile grow at the sound of his voice. She took a moment to contemplate his voice. It was deep, but not too deep, and even though he had only said one word, he sounded so charming. She loved the way he made her name sound.

"Yeah, Troy, it's me," she answered softly. She heard him breathe, which sounded like a sigh of relief.

"Wow," he started. "I can't believe I'm actually talking to you."

"Me neither," Gabriella concurred. For the next few moments it was silent. Gabriella couldn't think of anything to say to him and she was sure he couldn't either. "I can't think of anything to say," she finally spoke.

"Me neither," Troy responded with a chuckle. "It's funny because we usually have so much to say when we're texting or talking on AIM."

"I know," Gabriella giggled. "I think it's because it's the first time we're hearing each other's voices."

"Yeah…"

More silence. It was awkward but not too awkward and it was comfortable but not too comfortable.

They were both in slight disbelief, registering that the words on the computer screen and text messages belonged to a real person.

"So um… tell me about your day?" Troy requested hesitantly.

And that was all it took for the awkwardness to wash away.

After hanging up with Gabriella, Troy couldn't stop smiling. As he played the conversation over in his head, he remembered how it had started out sort of quiet, as if both were in a daze. Then after they got 'phone acquainted,' and the initial awkwardness disappeared, they fell into comfortable conversation. It had been just as relaxed as one of their text or AIM conversations.

He got up from his place in front of his desk and walked out into the kitchen. His mother was sitting on the breakfast counter with his younger sister Allie on her lap as the two worked on her homework together.

"Hey you," Lucille greeted her son with a smile. "How was your nap?"

"Great," Troy responded. It was true; he had taken a brief power nap after getting home from a grueling basketball practice. After he woke up was when he finally decided to call Gabriella.

"Hi Troy," Allie said with a grin.

"Hey Allie," Troy smiled, high-fiving his little sister before she got back to work and finished her last problem.

"I finished the last one, mommy. Can I go watch TV now? The Suite Life is on!"

Lucille chuckled before placing her down on her feet. "Yes, baby, you can go."

"Yay!" Allie cheered before running off to the living room, making both Lucille and Troy laugh.

"Do you feel better?" Lucille asked after a few moments.

"Yeah, my headache went away. He killed us at practice today," he said referring to his father. "And I think he went even harder on me because I cut free period workout earlier today."

"You cut practice?" Lucille's eyes went wide. "Troy, honey, I understand you're upset with him over Stanford, I'm upset too. Bust because you can't agree on schools doesn't mean you should miss practice to avoid or spite him. You love the sport just as much as he does, sweetie."

"I know," Troy shrugged. "It's just frustrating you know. I think that part of the reason he's acting this way is because he thinks I can't make it out there."

"Now, that's not true. What makes you think that?" she asked.

"Mom, didn't you see all the schools he made me apply to? He was thinking about basketball the whole time because he doubts me."

"Troy, don't say that. He's only upset because you didn't talk to him about it and because he wanted something different for you. But don't think that he doubts your intelligence. At the school, all your teachers tell him about your grades and how hard you work and he's blown away every time."

Troy just looked at his mother. He knew she was right but his dad was just so frustrating sometimes.

"Look," Lucille started again, "We'll give him some time and then we can talk to him again. And if he doesn't change his mind, you're going to Stanford anyway. I'll make sure of it." She winked.

"Thanks mom." He smiled.

"So, do you want dinner?" she asked getting up from her place at the island.

"No, I'm taking Sharpay out later so I'll eat then."

That evening, Troy found himself sitting at an Italian restaurant called Gino's. It wasn't all that fancy but it wasn't trashy either. Personally he'd be happiest going to grab a burger but Sharpay wouldn't be caught dead in a burger joint and insisted they went to a restaurant.

He was on a 'date' with Sharpay but the whole time; his mind hadn't really been with her. It had been far away on a cloud labeled 'Gabriella.'

"So, are you ready for my party?" Sharpay asked as she took a sip of her diet soda, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Huh?" Troy responded distractedly. "Oh, uh, yeah, yeah."

Sharpay cocked an eyebrow before looking at him. "Are you okay? You seem out of it tonight, baby."

"Yeah, I'm cool," he said a little too quickly. She continued to look at him, trying to read what was going through his mind. She knew something was up and she was determined to find out what it was.

"Troy is there something you're not telling me?" she asked after a few moments.

"What? What do you mean?" he asked.

"You've been acting so weird lately. Every time we're together you seem so out of it. Are you okay? Did I do something wrong?"

Troy just stayed quiet as he realized how concerned Sharpay was about him and their relationship. But he couldn't continue leading her on. He had to break it off with her. And it had to be sooner rather than later. He didn't belong here with Sharpay. His cell phone buzzed in his pocket and he glanced down to see a text message from Gabriella

"Nothing Shar. Everything's okay." He extended his left hand over the table and took hers in his own before smiling slightly.

But everything wasn't okay. And clutching his cell phone in his lap and glancing down at the screen, it was becoming more and more obvious why.