September 9, 2013
Grayson's first four months had flown by. He'd grown a lot since he was born. He'd reached all his milestones without complications. Gabriella's hormones were back to normal and she finally felt like herself again, since she found out she was pregnant. She was becoming content with Troy and their situation. She loved being a mother to her son.
She was occupied with Grayson and schoolwork and work. She was too preoccupied to worry about Troy and what he was doing. Their little fling between them was definitely over and she was completely happy with just being friends. Troy moved on and she was happy.
Troy started dating a pretty girl named Lara. He introduced her to Gabriella a couple weeks ago before he was going to introduce her to his son. Gabriella actually liked Lara. She was smart and nice. They laughed at all the same jokes. Most importantly, she made Troy happy and that's all she wanted.
Lara still hadn't met Grayson. Troy wasn't planning on bringing her around him anytime soon since their relationship status was new. Even though they'd been seeing each other for a while. He didn't want to bring too many people into Grayson's life, even at stages in his life he wouldn't necessarily remember.
Troy was standing in the mall with Gabriella, waiting for her to try on all the clothes she picked out. She mostly got her body back. She insisted she needed to lose a couple more pounds but Troy insisted she looked fine. He rolled Grayson back and forth in his stroller. He was wide awake.
"What about this?" Gabriella asked, stepping out of the fitting room in a tight blue dress.
Troy raised his eyebrows. "Where are you going to wear that?"
She shrugged. "A date, a night out. I don't know. What do you think? Do I look fat?"
"Gabsy, come on."
She rolled her eyes. "Fine. Does it look like I had a baby four months ago?"
"Definitely not." He said.
"Great." She smiled as she turned to walk back in the fitting room.
"Your mama is crazy." He told his son. Grayson just smiled up at him. He reached up, hitting the toys that were connected to his car seat. Troy made a clicking noise with his tongue causing Gray to kick his legs happily.
"Okay, what about this?" Gabriella asked, stepping out in a casual skirt and shirt outfit. "Does this say twenty five or twenty five year old mom?"
"Why did I agree to come with you?"
"Because you wanted to spend time with your son and he is still breast feeding and you didn't tell me in advance so you get me too." She said. "Yay or nay?"
"Gabi, you look great. You have clothes, I don't see why you need more?"
"Because I'm a woman. I gave birth to a thing and I think I deserve some damn clothes." She said with a small laugh.
Troy chuckled. "Grayson is not a thing."
"I know, you know what I mean. You must not like it very much. I don't know how I feel about the skirt. It's kind of long for my taste." She licked her lips. "I'm almost done, I promise."
"I was joking, Gabs. Take as long as you need."
"After I feed him in a couple of minute you can drop me off at my nail place." She said with a small smile.
"I'm not going to wait for you."
"That's why I said drop me off. Then you'll have a good amount of time alone with your son."
"Deal. Let's go."
Gabriella rolled her eyes playfully and walked back into the fitting room. She put on her normal clothes and picked through the pile of clothes she brought in with her. She chose a couple of things before walking out. She handed the no pile to the worker and walked away with her blue dress and a pair of jeans that Troy liked with the shirt that made her boobs look good.
She walked back to Troy and Grayson. She reached down and rubbed his tummy. Gray's face seemed to light up when he saw her. "Hi Grayson." She said softly. "Ready to go?"
"I'll push him." Troy said, handing her purse to her.
"Thanks." She put her purse on her shoulder. "Let me buy these and we can get out of here." She purchased her items and walked with Troy and Gray down the mall. "What are you doing Friday?"
"Not sure." He murmured. "Might go out with Lara, why?"
She licked her lips. "My professor needs me to catch up on some work. I can take Gray but it'll just take me longer if I have to play with him too. You know? I can ask Taylor of you're busy?"
"No, I can take him. It's all good. I was going to take him to the park Thursday before I have to leave for my night class."
"Sweet. I can catch up on my online class."
"Sweet." They bumped fists. "I could take him Fridays since it is my day off, until basketball starts. You won't have to worry as much about work and stuff, you can have all day Friday."
"That'd be good actually."
"Who said co parenting wasn't easy?" Troy joked. Gabriella laughed, shaking her head.
Troy unlocked the SUV and opened up the back. Gabriella put her bag of clothes into the back. She lifted Grayson's car seat out of the stroller and stuck him in backseat. She secured him in and closed the door. She slid in the passenger seat and watched Troy slide in the front.
October 18, 2013
It was Troy's first basketball game of the season. Gabriella took the day off of work so that she could take Gray to watch his daddy play. Everybody was coming to support Troy. After they were going out to dinner before they headed back home. Gabriella dressed Gray up in a Cal onsie with matching pants.
She grabbed her purse and diaper bag. "Are we ready?"
"Yeah, we're meeting Mr. and Mrs. Baylor there." Taylor said, teasingly. "Chad is getting his wallet."
"God, I still can't believe they're married." Gabriella murmured.
Sharpay and Zeke got married on September 29th. It was only a few weeks ago. They went to some tropical island for their honeymoon courtesy of Shar's parents. It was a beautiful wedding. Gabriella was extremely happy that she fit, and looked good, in her brides maids gown. She was also thankful for the short trip back home to Albuquerque. She missed her parents and wanted Gray to spend time with his grandparents.
She set her bags on the couch and plucked Gray from his swing. She turned it off and put him in the car seat. She hooked him in with a kiss on his forehead. He gurgled then blew raspberries with his lips. She giggled at him and picked him up.
"I'll take the little man." Chad said, taking Gray's car seat from Gabriella's hands.
"Thanks Chad." She said with a relieved smile. She picked up her bags again. "Okay, do we have everything?"
"Yep. Got the baby, got the diapers, got the titties… we're good."
Taylor and Gabriella laughed. "You're such a man." Taylor said, shaking her head as she walked out of the door.
"What?"
Gabriella shook her head, laughing. "Just go Chad."
Gabriella closed the door after them, turning it to make sure it was locked. Chad secured Grayson in and Taylor sat in back with him. Chad slid into the passenger seat as Gabriella drove. "I think Lara is coming." Chad mentioned.
"Really? We should save her a seat." Gabriella said, glancing over at Chad.
Chad chuckled. "I'm glad we got our old Gabi back."
Gabriella laughed. "What? Why do you say that?"
"Should we talk about Julie?"
"What about Julie?"
"You went berserk when you thought they were going out when you were pregnant."
"I did not!" Gabi defended.
"You didn't go berserk, but you did freak out a bit." Taylor said.
Gabriella scoffed. "Whatever. I was pregnant. My hormones were all over the place. You can't use that against me."
"I know, I was just saying. It's nice having you guys as friends rather than how it was before."
"I like Lara, you know."
"We do too." Taylor said.
"It was just funny." Chad added.
Gabriella sighed and focused back on driving. Once they paid the small fee to park and found a spot at Troy's school, they piled out of the SUV. Chad took Grayson out while Gabriella got the bags from the back. She brought the baby sling so Gray didn't have to be in his seat the whole time.
Taylor pulled out the tickets as they got to the door. They stepped through successfully, meeting up with Mr. and Mrs. Baylor who were waiting for them at the first concession stand. "Oh wow, Shar you're almost as brown as Zeke is." Chad said teasing the newlyweds.
"Shut up Chad." Sharpay said, rolling her eyes before giving him a big hug. "We missed you guys! I missed Grayson the most. Let me see Auntie Pay's little boy." She took Grayson out of his carseat and smothered him with kisses.
"Uh oh." Gabriella said with a small smirk after she pulled away from Zeke's hug. "Looks like somebody has baby fever. Mr. and Mrs. Baylor are going to have a Baby Baylor pretty soon if she doesn't steal mine."
"I'm thinking about it." Sharpay said, cuddling the baby. Grayson gurgled, grabbing her nose gently. "He loves me."
"He loves me more." Gabriella said, reaching over for her boy. "Come to mommy."
Gray's face lit up, reaching over for his mother. Sharpay handed him over. "I want one."
"No babies yet, Mrs. Baylor." Zeke scolded his wife. "Maybe in a year or two." He added in a soft whisper.
Sharpay smiled goofily at him then turning to kiss his lips. Chad made a loud fake cough. "Okay, enough. We saw enough of that at your wedding. Let's watch some B-ball!"
"He's so romantic." Taylor said dryly. Gabriella giggled, kissing her sons face. They found their seats in the special section for players families. Troy scored a lot of tickets, asking his teammates who he knew would have extras.
They got settled in their seats, Gabriella played with Grayson on her lap as Taylor and Chad talked to Zeke and Sharpay. "Say, Let's go Daddy." She chanted to her son. She held his hands, making them into cheerleader motions. Grayson smiled widely and she kissed his cheek. Grayson was so happy. He always had a smile on his face. She hoped he would always stay that way.
Gabriella looked up, watching the players warm up on the court. She knew Troy wouldn't be out there. He liked to be the first one out on the court. He liked to warm up good, alone, then rest and go out for the last five minutes or so before the game started. It was a routine he had since he was a kid.
"Let me see my boy." Taylor said, from next to her.
Gabriella passed him over. "I'm going to get a drink. Anybody want anything?"
"Me!" Chad said.
She rolled her eyes. "Of course you do."
"I take a diet coke, Gabs." Shar said.
"Zeke?"
Zeke smiled, shaking his head. "I brought cookies." He said with a small grin.
"Save me one!" She said as she walked away. She stood in line and waited. When she got to the front, she ordered Sharpay's soda, Chad some nachos and a drink, she threw in a candy bar for Taylor and bought herself a drink and some popcorn.
"Let me guess, this is all for Chad?" A voice said from next to her. "Let me help you."
Gabriella smiled at the woman next to her. "Thanks Lara. Chad wishes I bought this all for him." Lara grabbed the drinks while Gabriella got her change and stuck it in her pocket. She picked up the nachos and the popcorn and walked with Lara.
"This is my first basketball game. I'm kind of excited."
"Basketball is fun to watch in moderation. I live with Troy and Chad. When they don't force me to watch it, then it's pretty good. It's Grayson's first basketball game too."
Lara smiled. "Grayson is here?"
"Mhm, I saved you a seat and you can sit with us." Gabriella said, moving down toward their section. "Troy isn't out yet so you're not missing much right now." She explained as they walked down the steps.
"How come?"
"He's superstitious. It works for him though. He is the first to get changed, leave the locker room, and warm up. Then he rests his body until five minutes before the game starts, or whatever, he comes back out and warms up some more."
Lara shook her head. "I don't understand sports. I really don't. They're fun to watch sometimes but I've never played one not even like dance or anything. I was a nerd."
"Same here. I just watch sports because they make me. Hey guys, I found Lara." Gabriella said as they approached. "Chad, I got you some nachos. Shar, your diet." Gabriella plucked the bottle from Lara's arms. "Chad I got you a Coke. This one is for me. Thanks Lara." She handed Taylor her Twix, along with the popcorn and soda. She put her purse and Gray's bag in his car seat.
Lara took a seat next to Gabriella. Gabi reached over to take Grayson from Sharpay. "Oh my, look at him." Lara said with a small smile. "Little heartbreaker."
"Lara, this is Grayson Alexander Bolton, or Gray. Gray, this is Lara."
"He looks like you more than he looks like Troy."
"He has Troy's smile. They have the same smile. It's adorable." Gabriella said, smiling down at her son. "You want to hold him? We're going to be passing him around all night, you're bound to get a hold, anyways."
"Sure." She said with a soft smile. Gabriella placed the baby in her arms. She took her popcorn back from Taylor who was eating it as well.
Sharpay and Zeke watched from the end of the row. "Is that the same Gabi?"
"Surprisingly, yes." Chad said in between bites. "It's weird but it's normal, ya know?"
"Totally." Sharpay said, taking a sip of her soda.
Troy walked out onto the court with his warm up suit on. He shook out his legs before he ran to the opposite side of the court and back. He walked to the bench and took off his suit slowly. His eyes wandered into the crowd. He always found his friends because of Chad's bushy hair. He smirked slightly seeing Sharpay and Zeke, waving next to him. He waved back before looking down the line. Taylor was looking towards Sharpay and Zeke. Next to her was Gabi who was eating popcorn, she smiled when she saw him. She pointed next to her.
Much to Troy's surprise, Lara stood up next to her. She was holding Grayson. He smiled slightly. He was surprised by this. He waved to Lara and smiled wider when he got a good look at his son. He was dressed in his Cal suit. He couldn't wait to give his son a kiss. He waved again before warming up.
The Golden Bears won their first game of the season by mere points. It was a close game which made it more exciting. They were going to a little restaurant down the street after the game. Lara was going to wait for Troy and they were going to meet them there.
Gabriella sat in back on their way to the restaurant. Gabriella had to feed him while they waited for Troy and Lara. Sharpay and Zeke, piled into the SUV so they didn't have to stand in the cold and wait. Gray latched on to Gabriella while she draped a blanket over her shoulder.
"How was the honeymoon?" Taylor asked, turning around in the passenger seat.
"It was amazing." Sharpay said, the goofy grin appeared on her face again.
"Where'd you go again?" Gabi asked.
Sharpay let out a dreamy sigh. "The Virgin Islands. It's paradise."
"Before I had Gray, I wanted to honeymoon in Greece then take a train or something to Italy and fly back from there."
"Maybe that's where we should go!" Taylor said, looking over at her future husband,
Gabriella scoffed. "Thanks." She laughed. "You should go, then tell me every single detail so I can live vicariously through you."
"If you don't get married by the time Gray is five then me, you, and Tay will go to Greece. Girl Trip."
"Deal." Gabriella said with a wide smile.
"Oh, look who pulled up." Chad said.
Everybody turned their attention to the car next to the SUV. "What do you think their talking about?" Sharpay asked.
Gabriella looked down in the car and frowned. They did not look happy. "Trouble in paradise." Gabriella murmured. "What do you think their arguing about?"
"You." Everybody seemed to reply at the same time.
"What? Why me?" Gabriella asked with a frown. "I've been nothing but supportive."
"Gab-" Taylor was interrupted by the tapping on the window.
Chad rolled down the window. "Hey brother." He greeted nonchalantly.
"What the hell are you guys all doing in there?" He asked with a slight chuckle.
"It looks kind of fun, conspiring in a car." Lara said with a smile.
"We were just waiting for you guys. It was cold and Gray is eating." Sharpay said, nudging over to me.
"Speaking off, I think he is ready to switch." Gabriella peaked under the blanket. She put her top back on and switched him over to the other side. "You guys can go on in. I'll be there in a minute."
Sharpay laughed. "Good, my legs are cramping back here."
"I'll take the car seat." Zeke offered.
"Thanks." Gabriella thanked him with a smile. The friends filed out of the car. Chad rolled up the windows and handed Gabriella the keys. She tucked them into her purse. "I meet you inside." She said to Taylor who was lingering. "And find out what they were arguing about."
Taylor laughed. "Will do."
Taylor walked in and took a seat across from Chad. "How was the talk in the locker room?" Chad asked Troy.
"It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. We could have done better and should have but I'm sure Coach will ride us at practice." Troy explained. He rubbed his face.
"You alright man?"
Troy nodded. "Just tired."
"Is everything okay? We saw you guys talking intensely as you guys pulled up." Sharpay said, flipping her blonde hair back.
Troy nodded again. "Yeah, we were just talking."
"Everything is fine." Lara said with a small smile.
The waiter took their drink order and they talked amongst themselves. Gabriella walked in with a crying Grayson. She looked exhausted. She patted his back and whispered soothing words to him. She put her bags down on the chair that held his car seat. She took a seat and sighed. "He wants daddy." She handed him over to Troy.
"There is my big guy." He said, taking him from her. "What's the matter buddy?"
"He's tired and mad that I woke him up when he fell asleep eating." Gabriella explained. "Sorry for getting him to you all grumpy."
Troy smiled slightly. "It's okay, I missed him." He kissed his sons forehead who was down to a quiet whimper. Gabriella handed over his pacifier and Troy placed it in his mouth. Gray sucked quickly, laying his head down on his fathers shoulder.
"So, what did I miss?" Gabriella asked, sitting back.
"Nothing much." Taylor said with a small smirk that formed from watching them.
Thank y'all for reading and all the support i've been getting for my three stories. I'm trying to finish them all and work and go to school and plan out college and whatnot. I'm not stressing out too bad over it but i'm sure in a couple months i will. lol. I'm so happy you guys love these stories. I know i'm not the greatest writer in the world but i try and i'm super proud of them and they make me laugh like i'm laughing at my own jokes. It's sad really. anyhow. questions comments concerns feel free to pm me. if you want my twitter or any other form of contact where you can read my posts about how much i love food and can't sleep at night. PM and i'll send it to y'all. don'tforgettoreview!