Disclaimer: I don't own HSM or any songs I mention!
Author: Alleycat
Story: Everybody Knows
Growing up is hard. It's a lot harder when you're in love with your best friend and everyone knows it-except her.
Dedication to: GHJaSam4Ever, I couldn't give you exactly what you wanted but I hope you notice that it's a BIG step in the right direction!
Wow this is usually where I stop or start to end my other stories and I still have a long way to go lol.
Things are about to start happening. I totally did not mean for them to this early but it happened and I couldn't stop it lol.
Chapter 11
I'm thinking nasty thoughts but I'm no sinner
Mmm baby you smell like dinner.
Gimme Gimme what you got.
Keep it juicy keep it hot.
Can't you see I'm boiling over?
Come on babe don't make me wait,
put that meat up on the plate.
Sweet and sour pork or chicken,
all night long I'll keep a lickin'.
You got me b-b-b-b-begging for your tasty treats,
from your appetizing head to your gourmet feet.
Yeah, I'm the perfect guest for your dining room.
~ Jinx Titanic, "You Smell like Dinner"
"Has your mom said anything yet?" Troy whispered in the house phone.
His cell phone, and all other electronic devices, had been taken away for two weeks. He was also grounded but that did not bother him because as soon as the house was asleep, he would visit Ella. They were suspended on a Friday and didn't have to go back until Thursday. It was like an extra long weekend.
"She handed me a credit card and told me she was proud of me," Gabriella whispered back, giggling. "I think she would be happy if I tried out for Jersey Shore."
"You know you don't have to whisper," He told her.
"It's a habit," She said by way of apology. "Tay lor and I are going shopping soon."
"You're so lucky," He said with a quiet groan. He did not want to get caught. "You should buy me something."
"Like what?"
"Like," He started to respond when he felt a presence behind him.
"Troy Alexander Bolton get off that phone right now!" Lucille shouted and grabbed the phone from his ear. She laughed when he jumped. "Hi Gabriella," She greeted, knowing there was only one person her son would break the rules for.
"Hi Mama Bolton," Gabriella responded meekly.
"Troy is grounded from the phone right now though I'm sure you knew." Lucille said sternly, glaring at her son. "Aren't you in some kind of trouble?" She asked as she walked away from her son.
He followed, begging his mom for the phone back.
"Go," She barked, pointing up the stairs.
He trudged up them pitifully while muttering to himself.
"Sorry about that," Lucille told Gabriella. "Please tell me she did not give you her credit card."
Gabriella laughed at her reaction and continued the story.
Troy sat on his balcony for hours, waiting for her to return. He was so bored that he had finished all of his homework already and it was only Sunday. How was he going to last until Thursday when Ella was off having the time of her life?
His mother stressed the fact that this was not a vacation.
She told him earlier, after she had rudely stolen the phone, that he was to wake up as normal on Monday because he was going to work. He didn't know what she meant but he was starting to regret ever hitting Eric.
Then he would remember what he said and then Troy would want to punch him in the face all over again.
He perked up when he noticed her bedroom light come on. She knew him too well because not even a second later she opened her balcony door.
"Hey," He called over and laughed when she jumped.
"Why are you sitting in the dark?" She asked once she caught her breath. She squinted but could not make anything out. She huffed when he just laughed again and went inside to turn on the lights. "You're brooding aren't you?"
His jaw dropped as she came back outside. "You cut your hair?"
"I needed a trim," She defended and when she was shopping earlier it made sense.
She asked her hair stylist what she should get and he recommended side swept bangs. She always had some type of bang but these were across her forehead thus scary. He, along with Taylor, convinced her to make the change.
The most convincing part was when Taylor reminded her how many times Troy touched her side bangs.
"You look breathtaking," He whispered, hating the way he sounded like an idiot. He wasn't as smart as her and couldn't think of a more appropriate word. Breathtaking fell short.
She grinned. "You think so?"
"I know so," He replied.
She giggled and he was struck with how feminine she looked. He suddenly wanted to touch her so bad he felt crazed. Before he knew it, he was landing on her balcony.
"That was fast," She commented with wide eyes.
Troy smiled and reached to touch her new bangs. "You just had to show me up didn't you?" He teased.
She stuck out her tongue but yelped when he threw her over his shoulder and carried her inside. He dropped her on her bed and froze when he saw the sheer amount of bags on her floor.
"Did you buy the whole mall?"
"No," Gabriella huffed, sitting up and combing her bangs back in place."And any more comments like that, I won't give you your presents."
He immediately looked contrite. He loved it when she bought him clothes because he knew she approved.
Before he could pull the look that earned him the nickname blue eyes, she grabbed a black bag. "I bought you two shirts that I think would look good on you."
He beamed as he took out the bag. She bought him two short sleeve shirts. The shirts looked form fitting and had a v neck.
She didn't have time to react when he pulled off his shirt and started to pull the black one on. She basically collapsed on her bed at the sight of his toned chest and defined abs.
Sure, she had seen it before but not recently. And not since she discovered her new feelings. It was completely different.
She felt her whole body heat up. She couldn't help but remember that morning and imagined how it would be if he was shirtless.
"How do I look?" Tory asked, posing ridiculously in her mirror but still managing to look attractive.
"Amazing," She told him wistfully.
His head turned sharply toward her at her tone. She was sitting docile on her bed, looking at him like something that was for dinner.
"El-luh," He purred as he approached her small figure on the bed, knowing this was the moment he had waited his whole life for. That look was all the encouragement he needed. She crawled backwards, looking fearful but entranced.
Her back hit her iron headboard.
"Ella," He repeated as he hovered over her.
"Troy," She whispered back and leaned forward, closing her eyes.
He grinned in anticipation and went to close the gap when there was a knock at her door.
"Gabriella?" Her mother called.
He sat back in frustration.
"Y-yes?" She called back, looking flustered.
He sent a devastating half smile to her.
"Do you still have my card?" She asked impatiently. "I need a new outfit for George's party this weekend and I found the perfect thing online!"
She jumped up and darted to her purse in the middle of the bags. Troy's eyes followed her movements.
Sure, he was mad they got interrupted. But everything had changed now and he would be damned if they ever went back the way they were.
She wants me, he thought giddily.
It was only a matter of time now.
"Cereal again?" He whined, looking offended at the box she handed him.
"You want breakfast, you make it yourself." Lucille shot back. "You get in trouble you lose the pomp and frills."
"You tell him Mama Bolton," Gabriella cheered as she walked in.
Troy's jaw dropped at her appearance but grinned as he thought of last night. She had her hair up and her new bangs styled. While her hair looked great, her clothes consisted of something else: yoga pants and his old Wildcats shirt. "Y tu?" He asked.
They both looked shocked.
"You know Shakespeare?" Lucille wondered.
"I thought it was Spanish," He admitted with a laugh.
Gabriella sighed loudly. "What am I going to do with you?" She asked playfully.
"I can think of a few things," He said with a wink, once his mom walked out of the room.
She gaped at him, her cheeks red.
"Here," Lucille announced once she walked back in the room. She handed Troy a mop and Gabriella a sponge. "Get started. You have this whole house to do before you go back."
"You can't be serious."
"Deadly," She responded. "Gabriella bargained for music and you're lucky I allowed that."
With that, Lucille walked out of the kitchen. He turned to Gabriella confused. "Why are you here?"
"I felt like I should be punished," She replied. "So I asked Mama Bolton to share your punishment."
"You're crazy," He told her, shaking his head. "But I'm glad you and the music are here."
She ignored his attempts at conversation while they worked choosing instead to turn up the music. He quit after a while. He spent his time cleaning and watching her butt in those pants and trying not to preen at the sight of his last name on her back.
"You need to speed it up," Gabriella griped, catching him staring again. At first she thought it was flattering but now she felt self-conscious. What could he be looking at?
"What did you say?" He asked with a playful growl.
She ignored him and continued wiping the cabinets. She had to climb on the counter because she was too short to reach the top. She was so busy in her work that she didn't notice him pick up the bucket until he dumped it on her head.
"Troy!" She shrieked, completely drenched.
His eyes were glued to her shirt and how the fabric clung to her chest. He was brought back to reality when she started speaking.
"You have a 3 second head start before I kill you," She warned him but as soon he turned to ran she started after him.
In a surprising (but extremely arousing) move, she tackled him and they slid on the newly mopped kitchen floor.
She had the advantage and was able to pin his wrists. Really, he just liked the sight of a dripping Gabriella straddling him.
She shook her head and sprayed him with water. He yelped.
She leaned close and whispered dangerously, "Heat not a furnace for your foe so hot that it doth singe yourself."
He gulped at this part. He was sure that he would start panting if she didn't kiss him right now. It was a curious reversal; last night he had the dominance and now he was at her mercy.
She licked her lips as she realized the postion and its implications. Their lips were mere millimeters away when he heard his mom coming down the hall. She rolled off of him before he could close the distance.
Gabriella shook her head, trying to clear the thoughts. She was getting tired of her hormones getting the best of her.
They were now affecting their relationship; they needed to be stopped.
"What is going on here?" Lucille demanded, hiding her amusement.
Troy jumped up and tried to hide his reaction to Gabriella as best he could.
"I should've known," She said with a sigh. "You'll work on separate rooms."
Gabriella nodded and got up.
Troy was not having that and pulled her to him. "You can't do this. Let us work together. Please?" He begged.
Lucille would not budge.
"Listen to your Mom," Gabriella said patiently as she tried unwrapping Troy's arms.
"No," He pouted and tightened his grip.
Lucille rolled her eyes at his behavior. He was acting like a 5 year old. She wondered how he even separated from her to go to classes, practice, or even sleep. She realized that though he might be joking, this was not normal.
Her son had an extreme case of separation anxiety.
"How about if you two can finish two rooms separately then I'll think about letting you two join forces again," She offered and laughed at Troy's happy reaction.
"Take the easier room," He whispered to Gabriella, knowing it would take her longer. He kissed on the cheek before pushing her to the dining room while he took the living room.
He was working so hard that his arms started to burn and he began to sweat. He was actually happy for the slight chill to his clothing. He finished it in no time and called Warden Bolton over (as he liked to refer to her).
"It looks amazing," She said honestly. She planned on being particularly harsh but it passed her inspection with flying colors.
Troy went in to the dining room and groaned. "How are you not farther?" He complained.
Gabriella glared at him and continued wiping the chairs off. He immediately stopped but became impatient because he wanted to help her. She was starting to look exhausted and he felt bad about his comment.
He wanted to do it for her.
"Hey Mom," He said slowly. "Is it against the rule to tag team?"
She shook her head, sure that she needed to put her foot down once. "The rules have already been established."
"And," He said loudly. "You said we have to finish two rooms separately not that we each had to do one."
"Huh, you're right," She responded, impressed. "Good for you."
She didn't think her son had it in him.
"Ella," He called triumphantly. "Come slap my hand!" He held it out like he was in a relay race.
She gave him a weird look and continued before Lucille nodded for her to listen. He cheered when she tapped his hand and he went in with a vengeance.
"You'd tell me if he was doing drugs, right?" Lucille asked as they watched Troy work with an amazing speed.
"Maybe he has cabin fever," She offered, just as lost.
Lucille had to agree when Troy finished and ran to Gabriella to pick her up and twirl her.
"You do know that we only did three rooms," She reasoned, confused at his exuberance. "We're not even half done."
"Why don't you go to the store for me?" Lucille asked as he grabbed the list and his keys out of her hand. He needed to get out of the house before he got worse. He was freaking her out. "Make sure Gabriella stays-" She turned around to find them both gone and a second later the door shut. "here."
Troy wasn't as excited when they finished the whole house late on Tuesday. He collapsed on the couch and Gabriella followed. He made sure to work extra hard because his mom warned him if he started slacking again that they would be separated. With his vigor, they were able to finish the whole house in record time. Even Lucille was impressed with his work ethic.
Lucille was so impressed that she let him and Gabriella sleep in the next day. She went to wake him up by knocking on his door. Troy was really adamant about locking his door. It surprised her at first but then she deduced that whatever he didn't want her to walk in, she was better off not knowing about anyway.
"You let me sleep in," He noted gratefully when he came downstairs. "Thanks for that. Where's Ella?"
Lucille chuckled at his one track mind. "She should be coming over any second."
The doorbell rang and Troy jumped up to get it. "Why would she ring the doorbell?" He wondered.
"Go in the living room," Lucille instructed and headed towards the front door.
Troy was sitting in the living room, impatiently tapping his foot. He wanted to at least turn on the television but he knew it was off limits and did not want to incite his mother. His impatience melted away as he greeted Gabriella when she walked in. He was instantly cured of his boredom. Now he was content to wait as long as necessary.
"Come over here," He whined when she sat on the loveseat. He patted the couch cushion next to him. He really wanted to pat his lap but she was not ready for that…yet.
Gabriella giggled and plopped down next to him and when he wrapped his arm around her, she immediately snuggled into his side. "Do you know what's going on?" She asked, her voice muffled by his chest.
"Nope," He said popping the p. "I'm just happy to not be-"
He never finished the sentence as Lucille came in carrying two pizza boxes. He cheered and the two sat up excitedly.
"You both worked hard so I figure you deserve a lazy day," Lucille admitted as she set down the large pizzas. "Troy, your ban on electronic devices is lifted for today only."
He easily caught his cell phone and turned it on. It immediately began to make noise as it registered his missed calls, texts, and voicemails.
"I'll go get something for us to drink," Gabriella offered with a laugh and returned with three cups.
Lucille thanked her but said she would had a call from a client and that she would join them in about 20 minutes.
"So how does it feel to have a cell phone again," Gabriella asked when he was typing and stuffing his face for a few minutes.
He swallowed, "It's amazing."
"Anything exciting happening?" She wondered. Troy was the popular one so people would tell him. No one really called her cell except Troy, Taylor, and some science friends.
"Not really," He replied his eyes never leaving the screen. "I'm texting the team and telling them about the unfair ban so Chad will stop blowing up my phone."
"This was really nice of your mom," She reminded him as she took another bite. Troy had already eaten four pieces to her one. When he didn't respond, she nudged him with her knee.
He reluctantly agreed and tossed his phone on the table then grabbed another slice. Lucille came down as promised and they all decided on a movie. He gave Gabriella a pointed glance when she settled away from him.
She laughed before leaning on him.
Troy spent his last day of suspension with good food, great television, and his two favorite girls.
Two almost kisses! I love UST so much lol
Next chapter they return to school which is kinda exciting!
Ill continue the deal but slightly lower it to 27 and ill update immediately, otherwise it will be within the week like always! Im thinking Friday again but we'll see.
The people I update for:
ju-cy nurse, Guest, kristenkay0606, pumpkinking5, loveMISSINGlove, fairyfalls128, hisboo13, lalachica94, Porkayla, Confidential Brunette, Guest, dyeitrogue, minixoxmya, Guest, xoxojokubauskasx3, LoveIsnNeverUgly, shaneybummer, zanessafaithx, Hopeful extinction, GHJaSAm4Ever, I'm Wonderstruck, WeOwnTheNight, Guest, littlelulu867, and Eric N.