Chapter 5:
With Gabriella and Nikki
After driving home, Gabriella put Nikki into the master bedroom (Gabriella's room) because she had fallen asleep. After shutting the door quietly, she made her way downstairs to make some coffee. Then the doorbell went off, but multiple times. Gabriella laughed, only Sharpay rang it more than once.
When she answered the door, she was bombarded with a hug from Sharpay.
"OMG GABRIELLA ELIZABETH MONTEZ!" Sharpay screamed.
Gabriella laughed. "Yes Shar?"
Zeke stepped up. "Hey El," he said and gave her a quick hug.
"Hey Z," Gabriella replied, returning the hug. "Come on in but be quiet because Nikki is sleeping."
Sharpay looked confused. "You have a daughter? Since when?"
Gabriella tried to laugh. "No, Nikki Bolton. I kinda took her because Troy, right in front of his daughter, said that basketball was his entire life and all that was important was him, basketball, and the house that I am selling to him."
Sharpay nodded while Zeke looked sad. There was a silence until Zeke said, "That sounds like the new Troy."
Gabriella nodded sadly before walking them to one of the guest rooms. "Here's your bedroom, make yourselves at home. The bathroom is the first door, the double doors mark the closet. I've changed your sheets, they are all clean, and put fresh pillows in."
Sharpay laughed. "Sounds like you Gab. Thanks so much for letting us stay," she said, hugging Gabriella again. Then, the doorbell went off.
"Were you expecting someone Gab?" Sharpay asked.
"No, but make yourselves comfortable. I'll be back after I get rid of whoever it is," Gabriella replied and went to answer the doorbell.
She opened the door to see Troy.
"Hey Gabriella," Troy said.
"Hi and bye," Gabriella replied and tried to shut the door, but Troy held it open.
"Can we talk?" Troy asked.
"What's there to say? You explained yourself very nicely at the park when Nikki and I went there to play."
"I wanted to apologize," Troy said, not seeing that Zeke and Sharpay had come down the stairs.
"For what Bolton?" Sharpay asked, scaring Troy.
Troy looked startled and then went to hug Sharpay, but Sharpay stepped back. "Never in my life Bolton. You ruined my best friend's life during college. How can I forgive you for that?"
Troy hung his head then turned to Zeke.
"Zeke, my man," Troy tried, but Zeke didn't return the friendly hello.
"Don't you dare call me my old high school nickname. I don't even know who you are anymore. You never called once during college? What? Were the East High gang not to good for you? Were we worse than your new college friends?" Zeke replied.
"Look, this is between me, Gabriella, and Chad. No one else," Troy said and Zeke, Sharpay, and Gabriella all laughed.
"Between me, you and Chad? Puh-lease, it's between everybody in the entire old gang including you. They are all my friends and unfortunately your old friends. Why didn't you ever call them? The only person you called was Chad and me once or twice, to break up with me. Why? Were they not as cool as they were before?" Gabriella challenged.
Troy sighed. "You wanna know the real reason I never called, or I stopped calling besides Chad?"
"Spill Bolton," Sharpay snapped. "We don't have all day."
"I ended up going to Berkeley with Lindsey Marx (varsity head cheerleader), who convinced me that you all just used me for popularity," Troy started. "She told me that Gabriella had only gone out with me for popularity and to make friends at East High. At first I told her I knew that none of that was true, and then she started to try to show me evidence and I started to believe her. She told me that Gabriella had cheated on me many times because I wasn't good enough for her."
Gabriella had just frozen and tears were streaming down her face. Zeke looked at Sharpay, and Sharpay nodded at him. Zeke took Gabriella into a hug while Sharpay confronted Troy.
"Really Troy, really? We spent forever trying to calm Gab down after you broke up with her. I hate to tell you this, but Chad even hates you a little bit because you broke the heart of his little sister," Sharpay said.
Gabriella who had pushed Sharpay out of the way and her mocha brown eyes were filled with tear said, "Troy, if I had used you, I wouldn't have cared that I went to the early program at Stanford. I wouldn't have forgiven you after I heard what you said to your team. I wouldn't have done the musical with you. And I wouldn't have fought for you before Sharpay and I were best friends at Lava Springs. If I had used you, think about our past or history."
Troy sighed. "Look Gabriella, I really want to fix what I have done."
Gabriella laughed. "Yeah sure of course Troy. As if you didn't already do anything to me." She said sarcastically.
"Don't get all sarcastic on me Gabriella," Troy said.
Gabriella looked down, tears streaming down her face. She turned to Zeke and Sharpay. "Can you guys just go get Nikki's stuff that we bought out of my car then bring her the strawberry drink in my fridge please? I need to talk to Bolton alone," Gabriella asked and Sharpay smiled and nodded.
"Of course Gab," Sharpay said and she and Zeke walked out. Gabriella pulled Troy into the study and shut the door. She looked up at Troy and Troy's heart broke when she looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. Gabriella looked down again until she felt Troy put two fingers under her chin and pick it up so that she was looking him in the eye.
"I'm sorry Gabriella," Troy said.
Gabriella just looked down again and again Troy picked her chin up.
"Brie, look at me," Troy said softly and Gabriella looked up at him. "I love you and I don't want to hurt you anymore."
Gabriella just looked at him and Troy could see the hurt and pain in her eyes. "Troy, I know you don't want to hurt me and I know that you still love me. I can see it whenever I am around you, you become the old you again. I know. So here's my advice to you. Find someone who will love you for the new you because by the looks of it, you aren't going to change back ever.." she said but she was cut off by Troy connecting his lips to hers. Gabriella was startled for a minute and then slowly responded to the kiss. It turned into a make-out session until breathing became an issue.
Gabriella looked Troy in the eyes, blue to brown. "I guess I kind of still love you too, but I'm afraid of getting hurt," she admitted.
Troy smiled. "I won't hurt you ever again. I promise. But, let's not tell anyone anything yet, okay?"
Gabriella nodded and they walked out of the office to find Sharpay, Zeke, and Nikki all watching tv in the den. Nikki was the first to look up, but not at her father, but at Gabriella, who smiled at her.
"Hey Niks," Troy said and walked over to her.
Sharpay, who had been holding her, quickly moved her away and handed her to Gabriella.
"What? My own daughter doesn't even want me," Troy said and moved towards Gabriella.
"Give her some time Troy. She's scared of you right now, but still loves you, okay?" Gabriella said.
Sharpay and Zeke were looking at the interaction between the two. It was in a much softer, nicer way.
"Something happened between them while talking," Sharpay whispered.
Zeke looked at her. "You think?" he whispered back sarcastically.
Meanwhile, Troy and Gabriella had gotten Nikki to at least talk to her dad.
"Hey Niks," Troy said, bending down to her level.
Nikki looked up at Gabriella, who smiled and nodded. "Hi Daddy."
Troy smiled softly. "Niks, I'm really sorry for what I said earlier. Daddy didn't mean it. I was trying to beat Chad."
Gabriella just started laughing. "Trying to beat Chad? That's the lamest excuse I have ever heard in my entire life."
Troy gave her a look and instantly Gabriella closed her mouth. He turned back to Nikki whose blue eyes were wide.
"Nicole Amanda Bolton? You there?" Troy asked his daughter.
"Yeah Daddy, I'm right here. Standing in front of you. But I don't want to come home with you," Nikki replied. (A/N: lets just say she's a very intelligent 4 year old.)
Troy looked heartbroken when Nikki told him that she didn't want to come home with him. "Alright Niks, if its okay with Gabriella then you can stay here."
Nikki looked up at Gabriella who nodded.
"I'll see you in the morning sweetheart? Okay?" Troy asked.
Nikki giggled. "Okay Daddy," she said and to the surprise of everyone, went to hug her dad.
Troy hugged back, then sent a smile to Gabriella, who smiled in return. Then, Troy stood up.
"Alright, I gotta go. Have fun at your reunion tonight," he said to everyone, which surprised.
"I'll walk you to the door," Gabriella said and the two of them walked to the door. Sharpay and Zeke snuck around the corner to watch the two.
With Troy and Gabriella
Troy leaned over to give Gabriella a passionate kiss, which she responded to immediately. They stayed like that for about a minute until Gabriella broke the kiss.
"Bye Troy," she said.
Troy smiled. "Bye Brie."
He walked out the door and Gabriella walked back toward the den, but was stopped by Sharpay and Zeke.
"What?" Gabriella asked them.
Sharpay smirked. "You don't think we didn't see that?"
Gabriella looked genuinely confused. "See what?"
"What happened between you and Troy," Sharpay answered.
Gabriella blushed and looked at her feet. "Umm, uhhh, nothing."
Zeke took that as his cue to leave.
"Missy? EXPLAIN," Sharpay said.
"Uhh, we made up?" Gabriella said.
"GABRIELLA ELIZABETH MONTEZ," Sharpay raised her voice and waved her hands dramatically.
"Alright, fine. I give in. We had a little make-up session in the study when we were private talking. Then he kissed me and I kinda responded," Gabriella spilled.
Instead of becoming angry liked Gabriella had expected, Sharpay smiled. "Finally Gab. I was so mad at him, but truthfully, you were a mess without him. I know you missed him deep down and I know you still loved him and always loved him."
Gabriella laughed. "Wow Shar, I didn't realize you could be so deep. And maybe, just maybe, I should talk to you about my problems more often."
Sharpay laughed. "Come on Gab. Let's go get ready for the reunion. What are you wearing?"
"Skinny jeans with a white halter top and my Gucci© black high heels. Nothing major," Gabriella replied. "You?"
"My sparkly pink halter with white jeans and pink custom Gucci high heels! What did you expect?" Sharpay asked and Gabriella laughed. "What are you dressing Nikki in because I am assuming she is coming."
Gabriella shrugged. "I only have the clothes we bought at the Juicy store. Maybe she'll just where the pink sweat-suit with the white tank she's already wearing and her new boots, I guess."
"Wow Gab, you're good. Come along dearie, let's get ready," Sharpay said and the two of them linked arms and walked toward the rooms, picking up Nikki on the way.
HIT THE BUTTON!! Reviews! Promise the next chapter will be up soon! Sorry, I've been so busy.