October 12, 2012
School started again for everybody. Gabriella was determined to get the best grades this semester so she could take the spring semester off. She was almost out of her first trimester. Everybody knew, her parents, his parents, practically everybody back in Albuquerque. They were all excited, and very confused about the situation these young people were in.
Gabriella had to tell her boss. Her professor was extremely sad she'd be gone for a semester but said there would be a job waiting for her when she came back. Troy had told his basketball coach who was very upset but applauded him for stepping up when most young men wouldn't.
Troy liked to think he was most excited for his child. It was starting to consume his every thought. Instead of going out like he normally would he would stay in and research baby furniture with Gabriella. They spent a large amount of time checking reviews and safety warnings. He only wanted the best for his baby.
"Gab, Gabsy?" Troy called as he walked in the house from practice.
"She's in her room." Taylor said, from the couch.
He grinned. "Thanks Tay." He walked across the room to Gabriella's. He knocked on the door.
"Come in." Gabriella's sweet voice said from the other side.
Troy opened the door and he saw Gabi sitting on the bed with her school work spread out. His eyes flicked over to the man that was sitting at her desk. His eager smile faded away. "Hey." He said slowly, not really knowing what else to say.
"Hey Troy." Gabi said, looking up at him with a smile. Her glasses on her face, which has been happening a lot these days as she kept forgetting to put her contacts in. "What's up?"
Troy's eyes flicked over to the man who turned back to his work. Troy shook his head. "Nothing, never mind. I didn't know you had company."
"It's okay." Gabi said softly. "This is just my friend, Brandon."
"Hi." Troy said shortly. "I'll talk to you later." He let out a defeated sigh. He closed the door behind him and walked over to his room. He sighed again. Why did he feel jealous? He had no reason to be jealous. He needed to work off some steam. Troy didn't know where the burst of energy came from but he needed to do something.
He pulled on his running shoes and left his room. "Where are you going?" Taylor asked, watching him walk toward the door.
"Running. I'll be back in an hour."
"Okay." Taylor said with a shrug. He stepped out the door and took off running.
Gabriella's frown didn't leave her face since Troy left the room. He seemed to be in such a good mood. She hoped she wasn't the reason for the sudden change. She looked down at her notes. She completely forgot what place she was at. It didn't help that her legs fell asleep and her back hurt.
"So who was that?" Brandon asked.
"That was my friend Troy." She said, finding her place.
"You're just friends?" Brandon asked, curiously.
'Yep, since we were kids. We all have been. Me, Troy, Taylor, Sharpay, Zeke, Chad, Ryan and Kelsi." She explained, licking her bottom lip. "We moved out here together. Well except for Ry and Kels, they got accepted into Julliard."
"Wow." Brandon sounded surprised. "So are you doing anything for dinner tonight?"
Gabriella sat up, moving her legs. "Um, I'll probably cook dinner."
"Do you want to have dinner with me?"
Gabriella made a face, thankfully her back was to him. "I don't know…" She said slowly.
Brandon cleared his throat. "It can be like date…Or not like a date." He said after her silent response.
"I don't know Brandon. I'm not really in the best place for dating right now." She shared honestly.
"I thought you didn't have a boyfriend."
"I don't, I'm just- I'm not dating right now. I'm sorry." Gabriella said with a small frown.
"Hey, don't worry. I'm sorry for being awkward." Brandon said, turning around. "Are you finished with Professor Lopez's homework?"
Gabriella nodded her head. "Yeah, I finished my homework when I was at the library. I'm just catching up pre reading."
Brandon frowned. "You pre-read?"
"Yeah, I'm at least three weeks ahead. I read the chapters in between…" Gabriella blushed.
He frowned. "You're making me feel inferior."
"I'm sorry." Gabriella said quickly.
"Don't. I have to head out, I'll see you Monday." Brandon said as he started packing his stuff.
Gabriella attempted to stand up but just fell back onto the bed. "I would walk you out but my legs are asleep."
Brandon laughed. "Don't worry about it Gabriella. I'll talk to you later." He threw his backpack over his shoulder.
She got the feeling back in her legs and stood up. She walked over to the refrigerator. "Do we have anything to eat?" She asked, looking through the fridge.
"I thought you were making dinner tonight." Taylor said, peeling her eyes from the television.
"I am but this baby makes me eat like a teenage boy with munchies." Gabriella mumbled, putting a carrot stick in her mouth. "Where's our chips?"
"Troy threw them away, he replaced them with celery remember?"
"Fucking Troy." She grumbled. "You know what? I'm going to buy some chips and stash them in my room. He'll never find them there."
"You're pure evil Gabriella Montez." Taylor said, making them both giggle.
Gabriella walked back into her room and slipped her shoes on. Her purse was on her shoulder and keys in her hand. "Oh and FYI, my home cooked meal might be KFC because I'm dying for some spicy chicken."
Taylor laughed, waving her off. "Won't bother me any."
"I'll be back." She said, pushing her hair back. She walked to her car and drove down to the grocery store. She picked up a couple of things she was craving and four bags of potato chips. She set them all in her trunk and started down the street towards KFC. She took a double take at the man running down the street.
She drove a little further before she pulled over, rolling down her passenger window. "We're you looking for me?" Troy asked breathlessly as he walked up.
"No, I just went to the grocery store." Gabriella said, unlocking the door. "Get in, I'm getting chicken."
"Chicken?"
"For dinner. I want chicken." She said, yawning. He shrugged his shoulders, getting into the car. "When did you leave? I didn't even know you were gone."
"I just needed a jog. What did you get from the store?" Troy asked, changing the subject quickly.
Gabriella merged back onto the road. "Just some stuff. Pickles, olives, stuff for spaghetti…"
"Pickles? You hate pickles."
"I know but they just sound so good. I have terrible cravings Troy. I told Taylor I felt like a teenage boy with the munchies."
Troy chuckled. "Our baby is going to be addicted to salt and caffeine if I hadn't stepped in."
"There's nothing wrong with potato chips." Gabriella defended.
"You're pregnant, Gabsy, what you eat the baby eats." Troy said.
"I'm carrying this baby for nine months. I have to push it out of my vagina. If I want to eat chips then I'm going to eat chips Troy. If my three year old wants to eat hotdogs every meal for a week then I'll probably let it."
"Oh dear god. Our kid is going to be picky."
"No it's not! What does being picky have to do with anything?"
"Because you'll spoil it and it won't try anything new so it's going to be picky."
Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Oh shut up, Troy." She pulled into the KFC drive through and leaned back against the seat as they waited to order. "Our baby is going to be perfect… like me." Troy snorted and she swatted his arm, offended. "Rude."
"Sorry babe." He said with a small smirk. "It sure is going to be pretty."
"You know what I was thinking about?" Gabriella piped up suddenly.
"What?" Troy asked, chuckling quietly at her outburst.
Gabriella licked her lip, moving forward a bit. "What if our baby is a ginger?"
Troy burst out laughing. "What?"
"A ginger! Your mom's a ginger! It could be hereditary." Gabriella defended. "You could have been a ginger Troy."
Troy couldn't stop laughing, even as they pulled up to order. Gabriella ordered what she wanted and what he assumed was for Taylor and Chad. He ordered once his laughter died down. She pulled up to the first window, paying for the food. She waited behind the car in front of them for the actual food.
"Our kid is not going to be a ginger, Gabriella. It'll most likely have your hair, your eyes, and tan skin." Troy said, blinking his blue eyes.
She frowned. "I hope not. I want it to be different."
"You want it to come out black?" Troy asked. Gabriella burst out laughing. "I think people would be even more confused if that happened."
"No not like that. I just,- I don't know. I want it to look like you I guess. It'd be so cute."
"Because I'm so cute." Troy said with a smirk.
She pushed his head, shaking hers. "You're annoying, that's what you are."
"I am not annoying. People love being around me."
Gabriella snorted, pulling up to the second window. She reached over for the food, thanking the man who handed it over. She looked through the first bag before handing it over to Troy. She took the second, making sure everything was in there.
The person behind her honked their car horn. "I'm moving! Shut the fuck up! Fucking assholes." She stuck her middle finger out the window as she drove out of the parking lot.
"Gabi!" Troy said, wide eyed. He chuckled. "Did you just flip them off?"
"Yeah I did! They're being rude."
"I never noticed your road rage."
Gabriella sighed, shaking her head. "I do not have road rage." She said calmly.
Troy chuckled some more, shifting the bags on his lap. He decided not to press the subject. He didn't want her annoyed with him. "I've been thinking of names."
"Really now?" She asked, surprised.
"Yes. It would be a whole lot easier if we knew if it was a girl or a boy."
"Troy, you can't name a person if it hasn't been born yet." Gabriella stated. "You can think about names you like, but you shouldn't keep a set name."
"Why not?" Troy asked, frowning.
"Okay, say you found out it was a boy. You buy everything blue and red and green. You pick the name Fred. When you birth it, surprise, it's a girl. Then what? That poor little girl will be stuck with boy clothes and onsies that will say mommies little man. It has a vagina and we would not call it Frieda."
"That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!"
"I'm being realistic Troy! Or the other way around! You pick the name Kayla, you're not going to call it Kaylo if it's a boy."
"Gabriella." Troy said, shaking his head.
"Don't even get me started on it being a hermaphrodite." Troy looked at her with an obtuse expression. "It's a one in a million possibility."
"You've been reading too much into this Gabriella."
"No, Troy. I'm going to be prepared. If our kid has any deformities or conditions, I want to be prepared." She shared softly, pulling into their driveway.
Troy suddenly realized why she was acting the way she was. She was scared. More like terrified if you would ask her. She was scared of a lot of things, possibly more than the normal person. She couldn't help it though. It was her personality. Even though she had a carefree, fun loving side, she would always have a heavy mind.
He decided not to say anything. He just picked up the food and got out the car. He didn't know what to do to ease her mind. He shut her car door and walked inside. "Food's here." He called out. He set it in the kitchen. "I'm going to take a shower, I'll be right out."
Taylor nodded, walking over to the food. She took it out of the bags and she saw Gabriella walk in with groceries. She set it on the counter. "I got chips!" Gabi said, grinning devilishly. She was like a child who has something she was she couldn't have. Gabriella rushed to her room with four bags of potato chips in hand.
"Four, really?" Taylor asked, calling after her.
"They were on sale!" Gabriella defended, closing herself in her room.
"That girl." Taylor muttered to herself. She felt two arms snake around her waist and a kiss on her neck. "Are you ready to eat baby?" She asked Chad.
"Definitely.' He murmured into her neck.
She giggled, pushing him away. "You guys are gross." Gabriella said. "You're going to make me puke. At least you guys have real love. I get to cuddle with my baby bump."
"And Troy." Chad pointed out.
"And my baby daddy." Gabriella concluded. "Until he gets something new… Where's the spicy chicken?" Gabriella said, her mouth watering.
Troy walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. He couldn't be upset that that's all she thought of him. She knew him better than that. He has been actively dating for a while now. He decided to shake it off. He got dressed and walked out of his room.
"We made a plate for you." Gabriella said, patting the seat next to hers. "I almost ate your plate too. This kid is definitely yours."
Troy chuckled, sitting next to her. "Don't blame our kid on your eating habits."
"I don't usually eat this much! I would eat one piece of chicken, some mashed potatoes and whatever. This plate was full when I started." She suddenly winced, feeling the heartburn bubble in her chest. Maybe spicy chicken wasn't the best idea. "Tums." She mumbled, pushing her chair back.
"I'm never getting pregnant if I have to act like her."
"Yeah, she's only a couple months." Chad murmured.
"I can hear you, Assholes."
Troy chuckled. "She flipped off some person in the KFC drive through."
"Gabriella!"
"What?!" She yelled from the bathroom.
The table just laughed. "We love you so much." Taylor consoled.
"Yeah. You must love me a lot." She said sarcastically. Gabriella came back a minute later with a sad expression on her face. She sighed, taking a seat.
"What's wrong?" Chad asked hesitantly.
"I gained fifteen pounds in the last two months."
"Mostly in your boobs." Troy pointed out. Gabriella shot him a glare. "What? They're nice to look at."
She shut her eyes, the tears pricking her eyes. "I'm going to get fat." She suddenly burst our in tears.
"You're not going to get fat." Taylor said.
"Yeah, I won't let you. You can come work out with me at the gym." Troy said, kissing her cheek.
She sniffed, wiping her years. "We can walk." She reasoned. "Oh! We can do prenatal yoga!"
Troy made a face. "I don't know about that.."
"Come on, it'll be fun. Oh! We can sign up for Lamaze class, and CPR and first aid…. I need to get my card renewed. Oh and we all need to get our Pertussis vaccine before the baby comes." Gabriella rambled.
"Calm down, preggers. We have like eight months to go."
"More like six Chad." Gabriella said, giggling at Chad's facial expression. He looked confused yet terrified.
"Pertussis. Is that the commercial with the coughing babies?" Troy asked.
"Yes. My child is not getting whooping cough from any of you." She said. She leaned against Troy, closing her eyes. She frowned to herself slightly. She felt lonely all of a sudden. She was around people all the time but there was void that she felt she needed to feel. She hated being dependent on anything. That's why most of her relationships didn't work out very well. She always seemed to find the clingy ones and the jealous ones. She never seem to find the right one for her.
"What's up Gabs?" Chad asked.
She looked up, breaking out of her thought. "What, what?"
Chad laughed a little bit. "What were you thinking about? You looked upset."
Gabriella shrugged. "I just have the random urge to make out with somebody."
Troy tensed up next to her and Chad smirked. "Troy's right there, I'm sure he won't mind doing you service."
She frowned, sighing. "But I don't want it to have to be a service. I want someone who wants to kiss me, you know." She attempted to shrug it off, pushing herself off of Troy. "Pregnancy hormones, making me crazy horny."
Troy shifted uncomfortably, watching her walk into her room. He swallowed thickly before he noticed Chad staring at him. "Dude!"
"What?" Troy asked, confused.
"Go help her out!"
"Chad!" Taylor smacked him. "Butt out of it. Gabs will be in whole different mood before he even stepped into her room."
"She has a point." Troy said. "This is weird. I'm going to bed."
"You're life is going to be weird." Chad said as Troy got up.
Troy didn't really know how to feel at the moment., so he decided to shake it off. He walked into his room, stripping his clothes off. He walked out in his boxers to go brush his teeth. Gabi opened the door when he was about to knock.
"Oops, sorry." She said.
Troy has to keep from biting his lip. She was wearing very short, sort of see through nightie. Her swollen breasts looked even bigger, her curves accentuated. He licked his lips, clearing his throat. "Don't worry about it."
She gave him a sweet smile, unknowing of the effect she had on him. Troy slipped passed her closing the door behind him. He had to get a grip. It was bad enough he knocked her up. If he kept lusting after her through out her whole pregnancy and even after, he wasn't sure what would happen with their relationship. He brushed his teeth and knocked on Gabi's door.
After getting the okay to open the door, Troy took a step in her room. "What's up?" Gabi asked. Her long, tan legs distracted him for moment.
"Just coming to say goodnight."
"Alright." She said with a bright smile. "My mom said she bought the crib we liked. We can pick it up tomorrow"
"What? She didn't have to do that." Troy said, taking a seat on her bed.
"I know! She just called me and told me." She said, yawning. "You're going to have a blast putting it together."
"No problem. It will be my first daddy duty." He wore a proud smile.
"We should probably keep it in your room, there's more room." She thought aloud. "Unless you wanna bring girls over, then that's kind of a mood killer."
Troy chuckled, shaking his head. "No more girls over. I'm going to be a father. I have to start acting responsible." She looked at him skeptically. "Let's face it, when this baby comes nobody in this house is going to get any with a crying baby in the background."
Gabi laughed, shaking her head. "I guess the only good thing about it is that we don't have to buy it."
"True." He leaned over and kissed the material over her stomach. "Goodnight baby. Love you Gabsy." He pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead.
"Love you too. Goodnight Bolton." She said, smiling.
He pushed himself up and walked to her open door. He was about to close the door when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. "Are those potato chips?" He asked, pointing to the bags across the room.
"Goodnight Troy." Gabi said with a small giggle.
So i was thinking about giving you guys... or well some of you a sneak peak to one of my new stories i'm working on. i'm still thinking of the little contest. i might just pick some non-guest reviewers and send a couple paragraphs to them to see what they think. Would you guys like that? let me know. Don't forget to review.