July 4, 2013
Troy was watching Gabriella hold his son and talk to his mom. It was independence day and his mom flew in just to see Grayson. She was going to have alone time with him while Troy, Gabriella, Taylor, Chad, and Zeke and Sharpay went to watch fireworks and probably get drunk. Troy was manning the barbeque filled with sizzling hotdogs and burgers.
Gabriella laughed, handing the baby over to Lucille. She picked up her beer and took a long drink before she caught Troy staring at her. She walked over and Troy turned to pretend like he was doing something useful instead of standing there.
"Almost done?" She asked, lifting the lid he just closed.
"Almost."
"I want mine extra well done, okay?" She said, looking at the meat. "I want that one." She pointed to the one in the corner.
Troy chuckled, knowing he would forget which one she picked. "Yes, ma'am."
"Need another beer? Mines almost empty too."
"That'd be great." He said with a small smile. "Get the cheese from the kitchen as well."
Gabriella nodded and walked away with the beer in her hand. He watched her hips sway slightly as she walked across the lawn. Man, she was beautiful. Sure some of her baby weight still lingered but it seemed to stay in all the right places, adding more pronounced curves to her body. He licked his dry lips and turned back to his task.
Sharpay and Taylor were sitting on the hammock Chad and Troy set up when they first moved in. They'd just watched Troy thoroughly check out Gabriella. They looked at each other knowingly before they each took a sip of the beer they were drinking.
"I give it three years." Sharpay said.
"Hm?" Taylor asked, looking over at the blond.
"Around Grayson's third birthday or a couple months before they're going to get together."
Taylor laughed. "What makes you say that?"
"I just have a feeling. Something is going to happen then Gabi is going to be like 'I love him' and Troy will be like 'I never stopped loving you' and bam, Troyella wedding."
Taylor tossed her head back, laughing even harder. "The funniest part about that is that is probably how it's going to go down."
"Duh." She said with a soft smirk. "What is your bet?"
"What bet?" Chad asked, stopping his motion as he was walking by.
"I give them three years before they get together." Sharpay said.
"Who?"
Sharpay rolled her eyes. "You know who."
"Oh." Chad pulled up a chair, sitting backwards on it. He watched Troy grill for a second. "My guess is one and a half. Gray is going to push them together. I just know it."
"I say five years." Taylor said, lifting the glass bottle to her lips.
"Really, that long?"
"Gabriella is really stubborn."
"That's true." Chad said.
"What's true?" Zeke asked, leaning down to kiss Sharpay's head.
"Gabi is stubborn. We're betting on how long we think before they get together." Sharpay explained.
Zeke chuckled. "Didn't we already do this?"
"Yeah, but things are different now." Taylor said.
Chad nodded in agreement. "Grayson is going to push them closer."
"I don't think they're going to get together." Zeke stated, turning out like the rest of them.
"What?" Sharpay asked. "My guess is three years, Tay's is five. Chad's is one and a half."
"Come on guys, If they were meant to be together, they would be together already."
"Gabriella is really stubborn." Taylor reiterated.
"Yup." The other three of them said at once.
Lucille walked up with Grayson in her arms. She eyed the two couples suspiciously. "What are y'all conspiring over here?"
"When Troy and Gabi are going to get together."
"I give them two years." Lucy said with a shrug. "Or she's going to get pregnant again."
The four looked over at her a little shocked. "What?"
"Look at them." Lucy said, tilting her head over.
Gabriella walked up to Troy with a beer and a plate of cheese. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and he smiled. He said something to make her giggle. He opened the grill cover and she leaned over, pointing to something on the grill. He put his hand high on her waist protectively. It slid down to her hip when she stood normally.
"See." Lucy said with a shrug.
Gabriella handed her beer to Troy to open. He popped the top off and she took a drink. His eyes glanced over to their friends who were talking amongst themselves with his mother. "What do you think they're talking about?"
"Us." She answered automatically.
He glanced over at her skeptically. "Us?"
"Of course they're talking about us. They have nothing better to talk about." She said with a laugh. "I want Cheddar." She said before she walked over to Lucy and the rest of their friends. She kissed their sons head. Gray reached out for her and She took him, kissing his cheek. She escaped inside with Gray.
Gabriella put Gray down for the night, walking out to Lucy who was staying in her room while she stayed in Troy's for the night. "So he's out, he should be up in three hours, maybe more. If he sleeps a little longer that's fine. Just make sure when he wakes up to eat more than normal. I'm sure he'll let you know. Just make sure he's clean and what not. He shouldn't be too fussy."
"Great, you guys have fun, alright?" Lucy said, smiling from the couch.
"We will. Sharpay hired a driver to drive us around and pick us up so we'll be safe. Call me if anything happens. I'll have it close." Gabriella said, looking over at Troy who was looking at his teeth in the mirror. "Ready?"
"Yep." Troy said licking his teeth. "You ready?"
"Yep."
"Bye Ma. Look after my little guy." Troy said, leaning over, kissing her cheek. "Let's go, they're waiting."
"Bye Lucy!"
Troy dragged her out to the car and they got in. "Finally." Sharpay said from the back.
"Hey, I was putting my son down. You'll understand when you're a mom." Gabi said, sitting in the middle of Chad and Troy. "Let's roll."
"I'm so excited to see the fireworks." Sharpay said. "Right Zekey? We brought a blanket to cuddle."
Chad, Troy, and Gabriella rolled their eyes in the back seat. "Hopefully it won't be too cold tonight." Taylor said from the front seat.
"Hopefully." Chad agreed. He nudged Gabriella's shoulder. She looked to her right and saw a small box in his hand. Gabriella's face lit up, she covered her mouth. "It's going to be a good night."
"Amen, Brother." Troy said, with a small smile. He put his arm across the seat behind Gabriella.
"Is it bad that I miss Grayson already?" Gabriella asked as her hands slid back in her lap.
"We haven't even left the neighborhood." Taylor said with a small laugh.
Troy squeezed Gabriella's shoulder. "I can't wait to take him to watch the fireworks." Troy said with a small smile.
"That'll be fun." She said, leaning against him. "I can't wait to have a cocktail. It's been like eleven months too long."
"I'm going to get you drunk." Sharpay said with a small smirk. "It's my mission for the night."
Zeke laughed. "Good thing Lucy is here to watch the baby tonight and tomorrow."
The driver took them across the bay to San Francisco. They were watching the fireworks that were shooting off behind AT&T park. After being dropped off in front of a bar, each person filed out of the SUV. They waved to the driver before turning to find a table at the bar. They'd been eating all day and were set on drinks.. The girls found a table while the guys got their drinks.
"So how's school going, Tay?" Gabriella asked, picking a piece of lint off her jacket before sliding it off her arms.
"Great, actually. I have really great classes this semester." She said, turning to Sharpay. "How long do you have left?"
Sharpay shook her head. "Not very long. I'm going to be finished by… January, I believe. I would be finished earlier but it was hard to work and stuff at the same time and I wanted summer off with you guys." She shrugged. "I'm ready to be done, though. I start my internship in October."
"Where are you going to do that at?" Gabi asked the blonde.
"Not too sure, There's a lot of places to choose from. I want something upscale but those are always hardest to get."
Taylor laughed. "Nothing is hard for Sharpay Evans." She said, flipping her hair back dramatically like Sharpay did back in high school.
They laughed. "Shut up." Sharpay said, eyeing the boys who were walking back.
"Beer for my girl." Chad said, handing Taylor her drink. He kissed her cheek gently.
"Here you go, Gab." Troy said, handing me a mixed drink. "Jack and coke. Nothing else really looked like something you'd like."
"Thanks." She said with a small smile, taking a sip. She glanced over at Sharpay and Zeke who were locked at the lips. She sighed, she missed Gray.
Troy sat next to her and took a drink of his beer. "Can you not? That's disgusting."
"You're just mad that you have nobody to kiss under the fireworks." Sharpay said after she pulled away.
Troy rolled his eyes. "I sure am." Gabriella said. "I look decent right? I'll try to find myself a pair of lips."
Sharpay laughed. "More power to you, girl."
She smirked, shrugging. She took a long sip of her drink and looked over at Chad and Taylor who were watching, amused. "What?" She asked, taking another drink.
"You have a baby." Taylor said slowly.
"I know. It's not like I'm going to take somebody home or marry them. It's just a little fun. There's nothing wrong with me having a little fun. Troy got to have fun with girls while I was pregnant. There's no reason I can't."
"Don't drag me into this." Troy said, unfazed by her rant.
"I'm just saying. End of discussion." She said, finishing off her drink. "I am going to get another one." She said, sliding off of her seat.
"Don't have too many." Chad reminded Gabriella as she sauntered off to the bar.
"Gabi just wants trouble." Troy said, shaking his head.
Sharpay laughed a little. "Can you blame her? She was just as unprepared for Grayson as you were. She isn't living out her twenties, she's a mom."
"I'm a dad."
"It's different and you know it."
"I'm not doing anything wrong." Troy said, frowning.
Sharpay shrugged. "Neither is she."
"Can you guys stop? You're bumming me out. We're supposed to pretend we're young and carefree and we don't have children, remember?" Chad said, patting Troy's back. "Cheers, Brother."
"Cheers." Troy said with a small smile.
They walked to the corner across the street of AT&T park. They crossed the crosswalk and walked until they found clear view of the Bay behind the park. The first pop hit their ears and they each automatically looked to the sky. The lights seared through the sky with a sharp squeal. The lines jagged until they exploded high in the air. The colors rained down seemingly above their heads.
Fireworks were always magical no matter what age. Gabriella focused on the sky and Troy watched the colors explode over again. Sharpay was leaned back against her fiance while Zeke's arms were wrapped around her tiny frame snugly. Taylor's attention was on the water and Chad's attention was on her face. He watched how the colors reflected off of her flawless skin.
Chad leaned over pressing his lips against her cheek before he wrapped his arms around her. He was internally buzzing in excitement. He felt like the ring in his pocket was burning a hole. He couldn't wait to ask her. He couldn't wait to start planning their future. He grasped Taylor a little tighter, kissing the curve of her neck.
Taylor's eyes moved up to the sky when the finale approached. The music coming from the stadium was faint and she could barely make out the words to a familiar Journey song. She felt Chad's arms slide from her waists and she stood up a little straighter. Suddenly, the music ends, the lights stop, and everything turns dark. The darkness only lasted a moment before the lights turn back on. She saw the smoke from the fireworks start drifting away. She turned over to look at Chad.
Her hands immediately covered her mouth when she saw Chad kneeling on the ground. "Oh my god." She said softly.
"Taylor McKessie, I love you more than words can form. I know I'm not going to change the world like you are, but I want to be by your side through every minute. I want to be your rock because you're mine. Will you marry me?"
Gabriella squealed to the right of them. Taylor looked over at her best friend. She saw Gabriella with her hands clasped over her mouth as well, tears brimming her eyes. She looked at Troy who was just smiling. She looked back at Chad who looked a little worried. She let out a breath. "Of course."
"What?" Chad said, blinking.
"Yes, Chad, Yes." Taylor said, swallowing the lump in her throat. Chad slid the ring on her finger before kissing her hand. He stood up, wrapping his arms around her. They kissed as Gabriella cheered loudly for them. Gradually Troy, Zeke and Sharpay did the same.
"Now that we're engaged, Let's party!" Chad said, causing the group of friends to cheer again.
The driver had picked them up and took them to a club across the city. They'd split apart when they stepped inside the building. Chad and Taylor went off to find a private booth to just bask in their new engagement. Sharpay and Zeke went straight to the dance floor getting lost in the crowd of people. Gabriella headed towards the bar to scope out the guys. Troy was left in the dust a couple steps from the front. His attention caught on a pretty girl who was making eyes at him and sitting with a friend at a near by table.
Gabriella made it to the bar, took a seat, and had a drink in her hand before the first guy approached her. "Hello." The man said with a Spanish accent. Gabriella took a sip of her drink before she turned to get a good look a him. He was tan and handsome. He was shorter than Gabriella had hoped. A small smile graced the mans lips. He went on a small rant in Spanish explaining how beautiful she was.
Gabriella giggled. "Thank you. What's your name?"
"Marion but you can call me Mario." He lifted her hand, placing a gentle kiss on the back of it. "And what is your name, beautiful?"
"Gabriella." She said with a small smile.
"Ah, Gabriella. Beautiful name for a beautiful face. Please, dance with me." Mario said with her hand still in his grasp.
"I'd love to." Gabriella said, pausing to finish her drink before letting him lead her to the dance floor. Gabriella stopped near the middle of the dance floor. She let the beat of the music overtake her body. She danced freely with Mario next to her. She sang along to the parts of the song she knew.
They danced separately for the first three songs. Mario was inching closer and closer before he was behind her with his hands on her waist. Gabriella reached around to put her hand on the back of his neck with is chest pressed against her back. She rolled her hips against him moving with the rhythm of the music blaring out of speakers.
She felt his nose against the back of her neck. He pressed his lips where his nose just touched. He left a trail of hot kisses against her neck. She closed her eyes briefly, reveling in the feeling of being intimately close to a man again. He nibbled on the shell of her ear, causing her to giggle slightly and cover her ear with her shoulder.
His lips moved back down to her neck and she opened her eyes, looking forward. Her eyes caught with Troy's as he glanced in her direction. He had a blonde bent over in front of him. After the brief awkward second of eye contact was over, Gabriella turned around to face the man she was dancing with. "Come with me." She said in his ear, loud enough for him to hear over the music.
Gabriella led Mario as far away from the spot they were dancing as possible. They found a with a couple people making out against it. It was covered with the darkness of the club just to the right of the DJ set. She leaned herself up against the wall and pulled him close to her. He leaned in, touching her lips with a firm, bruising kiss.
Troy was bored of dancing and drinking and the whole club scene. His dance partner already left with her friend. She left her number with him but he knew he wouldn't call her. He didn't even ask for her name. He went in search of his friends. He found Taylor and Chad in the booth they settled in when they first got here. Taylor looked tired and Chad looked bored. He noticed Zeke and Sharpay sitting with them too.
"There you are." Taylor said when she saw Troy walk up. "Where's Gabi?"
Troy shrugged her shoulder. "Last I saw her, she was dancing with this little Mexican looking dude."
"Well go find her, We were ready to go an hour ago." Sharpay said tiredly.
"Why do I have to go find her?" Troy asked. They just met him with blank stares. "Fine."
Troy walked away from the table in search of Gabriella. She must be either plastered or really busy to not be ready to get back to Grayson. He rolled his eyes making his way through the still crowded dance floor. He could barely make out her long curly hair. She was facing the wall. It wasn't until he saw a hand reach down and grab her ass to notice she was with somebody. He felt awkward and slightly annoyed.
He walked over to her and tapped her shoulder. "Gabi, come on. We're ready to go."
Gabriella detached her lips from the man in front of her. "What?"
"We're ready to go, come on."
"Why?" She asked as the man moved in to kiss her neck.
"Because we're tired, Gabi, come on."
She sighed. "Fine." She turned back to the guy, giving him one last kiss. "I have to go, Call me." She told the man as she pulled away from him.
Troy took Gabriella's arm. While dragging her away he barely heard the guy say, "Wait, I don't have your number."
Gabriella pulled her arm away from Troy and hooked her arm with his. He lead them back to their friends who were waiting patiently. They didn't even ask questions when they got up to walk out of the club. They piled into the SUV that was waiting outside. Troy and Gabriella were in the back, Chad, Zeke, and Taylor were in the middle while Sharpay was up front.
"We need some single friends, Troy." She said, looking over at him. Troy's eyebrows rose. She definitely was drunk. "They're boring." She whispered loudly.
Troy couldn't help but laugh. "Close your eyes Gabriella."
So I know that i said i was on a hiatus BUTTTTTT I'm pretty sure i just finished this story. I also, want to make a sequel. (Though i often say and never do) But this one i'll actually do. I promise. AND I want to bump the rating up to M. so if you want that, then let me know. If you don't i'll continue it with a T rating. Send me a PM or review letting me know. ALSO this random chapter is to make up for the lack of uploading on Monday. There will be the NEW story out on Monday. (It's really going to happen this time, promise.) lol. Don'tforgettoreview.