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: Porkayla for making me laugh

Here is the continuation of the last chapter and then their first date. It's shorter than usual but i wanted to get it out as soon as possible.

I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 14

Hands down this is the best date I can ever remember,
Always remember, the sound of the stereo,
The dim of the soft lights,
The scent of your hair that you twirled in your fingers
And the time on the clock when we realized it's so late
And this walk that we shared together.
The streets were wet and the gate was locked so I jumped it,
And let you in.
And you stood at your door with your hands on my waist
And you kissed me like you meant it.

~ Dashboard Confessional "Hands Down"

"So," He started, smiling so widely that his cheeks hurt.

"So," Gabriella responded, her face glowing.

"Is this for real?" He asked with a chuckle.

She nodded and intertwined their fingers.

He pecked her lips so quick that she got caught off guard. "We should probably talk about this, you know to make sure we're on the same page."

"That's a good idea," She agreed and pecked him back. She was so happy she was having trouble staying with the conversation. She pecked him again.

He sighed once he realized it was up to him. "So this is like serious right?" He asked feeling like an idiot. "I mean this is a big deal. We've been best friends forever and I hope you know that I would never jeopardize it unless I was serious. I mean I might not know much but I do know how I feel about you-"

She put a finger to his lips to stop off his mumbling. "I'm in love with you Troy Alexander Bolton."

His face twisted like he was in pain. "I was always kinda hoping you were."

"Troy," She admonished and slapped his arm.

"Fine," He groaned, acting like she injured him. "I'm in love with you too, always have been."

This time he kissed her and it was as magical as the first one. It was a rush of adrenaline and feelings and it was almost more than he could handle. Even so, he never wanted to stop and when she opened her mouth he knew he would rather die than separate. He gripped her like she would disappear and she matched his fervor.

"So what happens now?" She asked after they had separated her cheeks pink.

Troy thought for a moment. "We go on our first date."

"Scary," She taunted. "You think you can handle that?"

"Ella I am so going to date the shit out of you," He returned, smiling.

Her nose scrunched up. "That sounds painful."

"You asked for it," Troy reminded her.

"Any ideas yet?" Lucille asked as she walked by.

She watched him for struggle for the past hour and was beginning to feel bad. He obviously needed help and who was better than a woman who knew the both of them?

Plus she had to make up for the fact she started sobbing hysterically when the two of them told her the news. She wasn't sure what was going to happen when they sat her and Jack down but it was not that.

With hands clasped, they admitted they were together.

She literally launched herself at the pair and cried. Jack had to pry her off of them

"Give her a minute," Jack said apologetically at Gabriella.

Ten minutes later she was starting to sniffle. "I'm just so happy," She explained, grasping at Jack who looked uncomfortable.

Gabriella started giggling and then before everyone knew it, everyone was laughing. The tension was gone and Troy explained how they admitted their feelings. Lucille was so enraptured that she demanded they act it out.

"Absolutely not," Troy stated firmly and began to lead Gabriella upstairs.

She pouted.

"Aren't you going to tell them to leave the door open," Jack asked, wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders.

Lucille shook her head. "I want to be a young grandmother."

Jack laughed. "I hope you're kidding."

She smiled secretly.

"Do you need my help?" She asked when he didn't respond.

"I have to do this myself or I'll start our relationship wrong," He said and slammed his fists on the desk.

She pulled up another chair and sat down. "First of all, you are putting too much pressure on yourself. Next, you need to think about Gabriella. What would she want to do? No website will tell you that. "

He glared. "You think if I knew that I would be sitting here?"

"Think about what she thinks is fun and then go from there," She advised him and got up. She patted him on the shoulder and walked away.

"Ella, Ella, Ella," He chanted, trying to get some ideas flowing.

"You look beautiful," Troy told her after she opened the door and handed her .

She was wearing a long dress with a steep neckline. The bottom was blue, the neckline red/orange, and blue as it moved out. She was wearing a thick turquoise necklace and navy heels.

"So," She began nonchalantly. "Where are we going?"

He shook his head and opened the car door. "It's surprise."

She leaned up to kiss him and before he could deepen the kiss she slipped in the car. He growled and she laughed as he just shut the door and walked to the driver seat.

"What is this place?" She asked and peered out the window at the building. The sign was too old to read and she was extremely curious.

"Can you be patient?" He wondered.

"I thought you were dating me because of my nagging skills," She teased and took the offered hand.

He pouted. "How did you know?"

"Remember, I'm the smart one in the relationship," She patted his cheek before skipping toward the building. She stopped once she entered the store and took a deep breath, letting the smell envelop her.

"Welcome to Second Hand Treasures," A young man with tattoos asked from the cash register. "Can I help you find any books?"

She shook her head and turned to smile at Troy when she heard the bell ring indicating that the door had opened.

"A second-hand book store?" She asked gleefully, clasping her hands under her chin.

He nodded.

"I love you," She told him and kissed his lips quickly before darting down the aisle.

Troy just chuckled and followed her. She stopped in the fiction section and ran her hand down the spines. Even though it was weird, the way her hands moved was tantalizing and he imagined the same hand on his chest.

He was lost in his fantasies until announced that she was ready. He paid for her purchases, even though she tried to argue, but there was no way he would allow that on their first date especially when the cashier was eyeing her appreciatively. He slung an arm around her and smiled tightly at the man who was attempting to start a conversation about the complexities of Dostoevsky.

"What's next?" Gabriella asked, bouncing in her seat. If this was the first stop, she couldn't wait for what else he had planned.

He turned on the car and gaped at the clock, surprised they spent an hour and a half in there. "Are you hungry?"

"Definitely," She admitted with a giggle and squealed when he pulled up to her favorite pizza place.

It was the same that Troy always went with his friends. He always tried to order enough that he could take her home some if he couldn't convince his friends to allow her to join. They didn't always seem to appreciate her presence like he did.

"You are setting the bar really high," She warned him and took his arm.

"Well it's your turn to plan our next date," He teased and opened the door. He groaned internally when he saw that it was the creepy waitress who always tried to date him. He resolved to not show his discomfort and smiled and asked for a table for two.

She leered at him while taking their drink order and then their meal.

"This salad is so yummy," Gabriella gushed and pointed with her fork. "Next time you and the team come here, I want this too."

"Agreed," He replied, trying to ignoring the glaring waitress. His annoyance peaked when she 'accidently' spilled water over Gabriella.

"Seriously?" He snapped and stood up to a gasping Gabriella. He snapped for her to go get a towel. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," She said but he could see that her shoulders were shaking.

He started to freak out. Some jealous waitress had wrecked his whole perfect night. He would have her fired or at least get in trouble

"I'm so sorry." He wrapped his arms around her wet shoulders. "Please don't cry."

She pulled away from him. "I'm laughing blue eyes and you have no reason to be upset."

The waitress returned and Gabriella took the towel and started to wring out her hair which got the brunt of the water. She used the towel on her dress and though it wasn't too bad she shivered.

"Let me go get something to warm you up." He ran out to his car and returned with a white Wildcat hoodie. "Sorry I don't have anything nicer."

"What," She mock gasped. "You don't think this looks good together."

She put on the sweatshirt and posed. She threw the towel at him when he snapped a picture of her.

"You look cute," He defended and put his phone away. "Plus I love you in my clothes."

"I accept donations," She quipped. "Like that fuzzy hoodie you wear in winter, I could definitely rock that."

"Sorry." He mock sighed. "I don't like you that much."

"I know who is paying for dinner now," She remarked casually.

All conversation halted once the pizza came out brought by a different waitress. She was nice and maybe a little too appreciative but harmless. Troy went a lot slower than normal on the way home because he didn't want the night to end.

He didn't realize that Gabriella had different plans. As soon as he put the car in park, she kissed him. They had made out for a couple of minutes when they noticed a flash and jumped apart.

Both of their moms were outside the car with identical smiles. Lucille had a camera in her hands and Troy cursed the warm weather because the windows were down.

"Don't mind us," Lucille said and gestured for them to continue.

"Quite a show," Isabela agreed, laughing.

Gabriella groaned and hid her face. Troy wrapped a comforting around her and glared at the giggling women.

"Can't we have some privacy?" He asked.

"Nope," Lucille said and snapped another picture.

"Let's just go inside," Gabriella decided, knowing that the two of them would never win.

He agreed and growled at the mother's when they tried to follow them as he walked her to the door. They cooed back but relented and stayed by the car.

"Can I see you later?" He asked.

"Definitely," She whispered and kissed him quickly before running into the house.

He stared after her until he saw the flash and Lucille remarked how romantic the facial expression he was wearing looked. He resisted the urge to flip her off and stalked toward the house. He barely greeted his father and ran up to the room, hopeful that they would continue what they had started.

He quickly changed into basketball shorts and wife beater. He let out a curse when he noticed how dirty his room was. Before he wouldn't put much thought in it but now he couldn't stand the idea of his girlfriend seeing it.

Girlfriend.

It had been a day shy of a week and he still got happy the word. He wanted to walk down the halls of school proclaiming his feelings. Chad convinced him not to by saying that basically everyone already knew.

He found that out himself by their comments.

If he had a nickel for every time someone said they thought they were already dating or surprised that it took so long. When they asked him why now, he would always respond with the truth:

"I was waiting for her," He said and rolled his eyes the aww's emanating from the girls. They could be so predictable.

They guys were predictable too; they would act like they were about to vomit.

If Gabriella was there she would giggle and respond with something clever. It was never the same response which was just one reason, of many, that he loved her.

I'm thinking one more actual chapter and an epilogue.

Let me know what you thought :) maybe you can convince me to do two more chapters and epilogue.

Thanks!