A/N: Okay, I know for a fact that you guys will like this chapter :) Don't own HSM x
Chapter 4 – Bad to worse
(A/N: This is HSMandChelseaFCfan)
It was obvious that everyone else in the Montez household was awake; commotions could be heard downstairs in the kitchen and the thuds of the ball bouncing from outside. Last night, Gabriella had pulled off her act of not revealing her true feelings in front of Dean Russo; all the acting tips Sharpay had given her – well, enforced upon her, more like - finally paid off. Rather than disputing anything that was said, she just gave a fake smile and kept quiet, letting her father and five brothers do the talking. Eddie, who was probably most protective of her, had noticed how she was especially quiet. When questioned by him, she had simply said that she had stayed up too late reading and was tired.
Gabriella's eyes darted to the U of A prospectus on her desk along with a load of other forms filled with information on the basketball programme they ran; not that she needed anymore as she practically knew it inside out from her dad and brothers.
Walking over to Daisy's basket, she stroked the dog's head before clapping her hand on her leg to signal for her to follow her. "Come on, Daisy, we can't hide away up here all day."
Daisy barked at her owner and Gabriella smiled as the two walked down the stairs and into the kitchen where Maria was cleaning the island counter. "Morning, Gabby."
Gabriella smiled as she kissed her mom on the cheek and sat down, Daisy running out the back door upon hearing the sound of the ball. That was another thing she loved about Daisy; she'd go and interrupt her brothers' basketball games as she wanted to play with them with the ball, causing her brothers strife most of the time. "Morning, Mom."
"You're up late." Maria noted as she raised her eyebrows at her daughter. "You okay, mi hija?"
Gabriella shrugged at her mom's comment as her father appeared from outside. "I couldn't sleep. Had a lot on my mind."
"Excited about the prospects of being at U of A after meeting Dean Russo?" Greg asked, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.
Gabriella rolled her eyes while Greg's back was turned and her mom gave her a sympathetic look. "Sure, Dad."
Before Greg could say anymore, Carl, Landon and Zeke – the rest of her brothers had returned home the previous night – walked in from outside and Gabriella stood up. "Your dog just cost us the game." Landon grumbled, ruffling his sister's hair.
Gabriella smirked at Landon who was panting, sweat covering him. She pushed his hand away and poked her tongue out. "Daisy would do no such thing. She just wants to play that's all. Maybe she would leave you alone if you played with her more often."
Daisy let out a bark as she squeezed through all the males' legs and sat innocently at Gabriella's feet. "Sure, she looks all innocent now." Carl mumbled.
Gabriella just grinned at all of the males while her mom shook her head whilst grinning, knowing Gabriella knew full well what Daisy was like. "Well at least she doesn't smell as bad as you guys. You are stinking the house out. Please go and shower up." Maria shooed them out of the kitchen and turned to Gabriella once she heard Greg's office door close too. "Why do I get the feeling that you're feeling bad for lying about what you want?"
Shaking her head, Gabriella sat back down and sighed. "That's the problem. I don't feel guilty at all for lying to them. I just keep thinking the longer they don't know, the less time I'll have to be around them if they hate me."
Pushing her daughter's locks of hair back, she placed a kiss on the top of her head. "I'm sorry about your father. I really have tried talking about what you want but he just shrugs me off and tells me I should stop trying to influence you in following a path that you shouldn't go down."
"Can we just forget about it? I'm so sick and tired of thinking about all this and only this." Gabriella exclaimed, looking pleadingly at her mother.
Nodding, Maria saw the frustration on her daughter's face and in her voice. "Why don't you go and get dressed and I'll sort you out some breakfast and Daisy's and then you can take her out for a long walk so you can clear your head?" Maria stroked Gabriella's hair and smiled slightly.
Thinking about it for a few seconds, Gabriella agreed. "Yeah I might just do that. I might call Shar after if that's ok? You're working later aren't you?"
"Yeah but I'm only doing half of my shift today since I covered for someone else last week." Maria told her as Gabriella nodded and jumped up from her seat – surprising Daisy slightly with the sudden action – and she then disappeared out of the room and back upstairs as she went to go and get dressed.
* * *
(A/N: This is me :D)
Troy tapped his pen rhythmically against his desk as he read and re-read the acceptance letter from U of A. Stupid Redhawks. Jack was acting like it was the only college in the world. Well, it wasn't. He had cancelled USC from his list as the arts department wasn't as great as the others. So now he was down to four.
Troy screwed the piece of paper up and threw it blindly into his trashcan. He looked over and rolled his eyes as he saw that it had gone in without even touching the rim. It was all so predictable. He could make every object he had go to the desired location without even looking. He was always known as the playmaker, the jock and the basketball guy.
Was it too much to ask to just be…a guy?
He pulled the prospectus for the University of California in Berkley towards him and opened it to the contents page. He flipped to page twenty-two: the arts. There was drama, music, choreography… Everything he loved about the theatre rolled into one programme! He had considered studying education, too, and becoming a sports and drama teacher. But, he feared that he would turn into whacky Ms Darbus and he wasn't going to turn into his father and hold a grudge against someone just because of what school they go to.
Troy jumped when he heard growling from the other side of his bedroom. He swivelled around in his desk chair to see Blitzen throwing one of his dog toys – a black and white teddy bear – up in the air and then growling at it as it hit the floor. He began getting into position as if he was going to pounce, his teeth bared.
Troy rolled his eyes and put his pen down. "Shall we go and ask Mom if we can go to the park for a bit?"
Blitzen barked at his toy and then began shaking it from side to side.
Troy got to his feet and pulled his denim jacket on. He whistled for Blitzen to follow him and the German shepherd dropped his duty of killing the bear and trotted off to his owner, his tail wagging furiously. Blitzen jumped onto his hind legs and placed his two front paws on Troy's torso. He began licking Troy's neck and cheek.
Troy laughed and pushed him down. "I love you, too, Buddy. Let's go and see if mom will let us out for a little longer today."
As Troy followed Blitzen into the lounge he saw Lucille curled up on the couch, reading a book. "Mom? Where's Dad?"
Lucille looked up from her book and smiled broadly at her only child. "Oh, he went to the mall, or something. He went to get another basketball."
Troy sank down next to her and groaned. "Another one?"
Lucille nodded sympathetically. "Yeah."
Troy shrugged slightly. "Oh well. Is it okay if I take Blitzen to the park for an hour or so?"
Lucille raised her eyebrows and then turned to Blitzen who was sat back on his haunches, looking at her innocently. "An hour?"
Troy rested his head on her shoulder. "Mom, I need to get out. That stupid U of A letter is taunting me!" He straightened up and looked her in the eyes. "Besides, Blitzen's going nuts. He needs to burn some energy off."
Lucille sighed. "An hour?"
"Not a minute more." Troy smiled innocently.
"No basketball?"
"No basketball." He confirmed.
"Fine." Lucille agreed. She touched his cheek and smiled slightly. "You know, you're so brave."
Troy sighed. "Not brave enough."
* * *
(A/N: This is HSMandChelseaFCfan)
Gabriella was grateful she had decided to wear flats today as Daisy seemed to be even more energetic than usual and she was struggling to keep up. The idea this morning of going for a long walk with Daisy to get some peace and quiet sounded like pure bliss, but now she was thinking that today was turning into a really futile day. So far, she'd broken her nail, lost her purse in the house – she was certain that one of the males in the house was behind that disappearance since a certain someone, Carl, was forever taking her money, ripped her favourite pair of jeans, and to make things worse, she was harassed by some dumb Wildcats who made it clear they were supporters of Troy Bolton and her brother and his teammates should be worried about what was coming to them in a few weeks. Plus, according to Sharpay, she was now cursed for seven years after dropping her mirror and watching it smash to pieces. It was obvious it was just going to be one of those days where nothing good would happen; not that it had been better recently in her life anyway.
"My life seriously sucks." Gabriella muttered.
Hearing her owner mumble, Daisy turned around, slowing in the process. Gabriella rolled her eyes as she stroked the dog's head. "Woof." Daisy whined softly at her owner's obvious unhappiness.
Gabriella couldn't help the small smile that crept onto her face; Daisy always had a way of putting a smile back on her face which is why she loved her so much. If it wasn't for Daisy she was sure she would've gone insane. "Come on, let's go down by the lake."
Leading the three year old German shepherd towards the lake, Gabriella untied the leash, knowing Daisy never wandered far from her when she was set free and was not the kind of dog that made people feel threatened.
As they approached the lake, Gabriella pulled her 'Romeo and Juliet' book from her bag, preparing to find a spot for them to rest for a while and for her to finish reading. Placing her bag down, she stood back up straight, but before she knew what was happening, a large bark came from Daisy, who flew past Gabriella, knocking her and causing her to lose her balance, falling right into the lake.
* * *
(A/N: This is me again)
Troy flung the Frisbee into the wide open space and watched as Blitzen bounded clumsily away. His cell phone began ringing and he dug his phone out of his jeans pocket. He looked at the caller ID and smiled as he flipped it open. "Hey, Kels. What's up?"
"Troy?" She asked quietly.
"Kels, what's wrong?" He asked worriedly.
"Can I ask you a question?" She whispered.
Blitzen came bouncing back with the Frisbee and Troy sighed. "Sure you can. You can ask me anything."
"Well, you know how you're like my big brother?" She whispered.
Troy sighed as she pried the Frisbee from Blitzen's teeth and flung it away again. "Yeah, sure."
"Well, you see, don't get mad at anyone, okay?"
"Just spit it out, Kelsi." Troy exclaimed as he craned his neck to see Blitzen.
Kelsi sighed. "Troy, I like Jason."
"Really?" Troy asked seriously, knowing how much it would hurt her feelings if he used sarcasm and admitted he already knew.
"Yeah." She whispered.
"Well, he's a good guy." Troy admitted.
"He's one of your best friends." She said in confusion.
"Yes. And if he hurts you he won't be. Far from it. Kels, I know Jase. He's a good guy. I trust you, okay? I'm glad you told me, though." Troy smiled at the thought of his Kelsi admitting her first – and hopefully last – crush.
"Thank you, Troy. So, you approve?" She asked carefully.
"Hell yeah! Like I said, he's a great guy and he's lucky to have you as a friend." Troy said softly.
Kelsi giggled. "Thank you, Troy. You're an amazing friend, yourself."
Troy fell silent when he saw Blitzen halt his run and drop the Frisbee. He barked into the open space and then ran off. "Kels, I'll talk to you later, okay?" Without waiting for a response, he hung up and shoved his cell phone into his pocket again. He dashed off after Blitzen, leaving the Frisbee on the ground after figuring that he could by a new one. He followed the sound of Blitzen's barks and frowned when he heard another bark which was slightly higher in pitch.
He skidded to a halt when he saw Blitzen had stopped next to another German shepherd – a girl judging by the pink collar around its neck – and she was pacing back and fore, whining and whimpering. Troy turned his head the grass close by and noticed a leash which matched the collar and girl's bag. He turned back to the pacing dog and Blitzen who was whimpering alongside her.
"Blitzen, what's wrong?" He asked, kneeling down in front of the dog.
The female dog faced the water fearfully and slowly dipped her paw in before yelping and scurrying back a few paces. She turned her head towards Troy and then back to the water, whimpering again.
Troy shuffled across the concrete floor and stroked her head. "It's okay." He said soothingly. "I'm not going to hurt you." He gripped the tag on the collar between his thumb and forefinger. "Daisy?" She cocked her head to the side and stepped forward to lick his cheek. "What's wrong?"
She turned to the water again and whined when she saw the water. She twisted her head to face Troy once again and looked at him almost pleadingly.
Then he heard it.
Gasping and gurgling and splashing water. He looked to the lake to see a hand disappearing under the surface again. Troy quickly, without thinking and acting purely on instinct, shrugged his jacket off and dived into the awaiting water.
Troy didn't have to swim far to find the person who was in trouble. He quickly grabbed the person – a girl, judging from the feel of the body against his – around the waist and began swimming towards the surface once again. He pushed the body onto the hard ground and then pulled himself out of the water and he knelt next to the limp body.
He paused for a moment which seemed to last an eternity. She was abso-fucking-lutely gorgeous. Her long black, curly hair was splayed out above her head, matted slightly because of the water. Her eyes were closed but Troy quickly decided that that didn't matter. Her tanned skin was sparkling in the sunlight and it was obvious from her Latina features that she was not from American decent. Her forehead was unbelievably smooth and Troy moved his eyes to her high cheekbones. Some crows' feet were at the corners of her eyes, and Troy figured that she must smile a lot. Troy raked his eyes to her mouth which was parted slightly.
Troy was brought from his thoughts by Daisy nudging his neck. "Okay, okay. One second." He placed his cheek near her lips and his eyes widened when he didn't feel any breaths. He straightened back up and quickly, without hesitation, tilted her head back. He pinched her nose with one hand and her chin with the other. He leaned down and placed his mouth over hers.
Her lips were like silk underneath his. He had to remember that he was supposed to be saving her life and not getting hormonal. He breathed deeply once, twice before he pulled back. He looked down at her and she began coughing up water.
Troy was pushed out of the way by an excited Daisy who began licking her owner's face. "Gee, thanks Daisy." He muttered as he watched in amusement as Daisy happily welcomed her owner back. He turned his head to the side to see Blitzen lying faithfully at the girl's feet. "You were worried, weren't you? You knew."
Blitzen lifted his head and licked Troy's hand a few times.
"Oh, Daisy, Baby, one second." A voice groaned tiredly.
Troy looked up to see the girl slowly sitting up. She shook her head slightly, sending water droplets everywhere. He glanced at the rest of her body and then averted his gaze to Blitzen. She was wearing a mid-thigh denim skirt. That wasn't the problem. The problem was the white floral tank top which was hugging her perfect torso. It had gone see through with the moisture and he could see the perfect pale blue bra she was wearing and he could already feel the heat rising in his cheeks. He ran a hand through his damp and dishevelled hair. Keep your eyes on Blitzen.
"I love you, too, Baby." The girl said softly, stroking Daisy's head.
"Oh, God." Troy muttered. Why was she so damn perfect? With the perfect hair, the perfect skin, the perfect lips and just when he thought she couldn't get anymore perfect…she spoke. His head only then registered that she had spoken before but he had been distracted by her outfit.
The girl turned to face Troy and her eyes widened. "You." She gasped. "I have to go." She declared.
"Wait!" Troy exclaimed, moving to sit next to her. "Here, you must be cold." He reached over for his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
"Thanks." She mumbled.
"Your dog's pretty smart." He commented, reaching over to stroke Daisy's ears.
She smiled proudly at Daisy and planted a kiss on the dog's back. "Yeah, she is." She turned back to Troy and then finally noticed how the both of them were soaking wet. "Did…Did you save me?"
Troy shrugged modestly, his hand still moving through Daisy's fur. "Yeah, I did. But, if it wasn't for Daisy, here, then Blitzen wouldn't have dashed to the rescue and caused me to wonder what had gotten into his head now."
"Blitzen?" She asked, cocking her head to the side.
Troy chuckled and whistled slightly before Blitzen trotted over to Daisy's side and licked Gabriella's cheek affectionately. "This is my dog, Blitzen. He seems to like Daisy a lot." They watched the two dogs for a moment before Troy realised something. "So, what's your name?"
The girl turned to him and sighed, looking at her lap. "Gabriella."
Gabriella.
Troy held his hand out. "Troy."
Gabriella sighed again as she shook his hand, apparently not feeling the sparks which Troy felt. "Believe me, I know who you are."
Troy furrowed his brow but his confusion was soon replaced with worry when she raised her hand to cup the back of her head. "Hey, you okay?"
She nodded, closing her eyes. "I'm fine. I'll get my mom to look at it later on."
"No, you need to see a doctor!" Troy exclaimed.
"My mom is a doctor." She murmured, her hand still clutching her head.
"Then, let me take you to her." Troy said softly, lifting her head. "Just let her check you out. Please?"
Gabriella cringed visibly at the thought of bumping into her bothers or anyone from East or West. "Why do you care so much?"
"Should I not?" He asked carefully.
Gabriella sighed and then winced. Sighing didn't help. "Well, you can if you want. I think it might be a good idea if I go and see my mom. She's at work so you'll have to drive me to the hospital."
Troy nodded, smiling. "I think I can cope with that."
"Sorry about your clothes." She muttered.
Troy chuckled. "I have plenty of shirts and jeans. Besides, they're only wet. By the way, I would do the buttons up on my jacket." He whispered.
Gabriella glanced down and her eyes widened. She quickly pushed her arms through the sleeves and began buttoning up Troy's denim jacket. "I had to pick white." She muttered.
Troy chuckled softly at the beautiful blush which graced her cheeks. "Hey, it's okay. It happened to Kelsi and Taylor last year when me and my friends soaked them with water guns."
"Kelsi and Taylor?" She asked slowly as she lifted her head.
"Two of my best friends." He smiled slightly and then got to his feet. He offered his hand to her and shrugged. "Please let me take you to the hospital?"
Gabriella hesitated but placed her tiny hand into his large one. She had a feeling that he crappy day had just gotten worse.