A/N: I would've written this sooner but my dad got me sony vegas so I've been using that all weekend and I made a Troyella vid to 'love story' by Taylor Swift :P Zac Efron was on 'Ant and Dec's Saturday night takeaway' last night :P HSMandChelseaFCfan will probably be busy until Easter so you're stuck with me :P Don't own HSM x
Chapter 9 – Your Escape
"Mom!" Troy hissed, poking his head into the kitchen. "Is Dad around?"
"No…" Lucille replied unsurely as she continued to wipe the island counter down. "He went for a morning jog. Why?"
Troy breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped into the kitchen and held his cell phone to his ear. "Okay, I'm back. It's cool, my dad's gone out."
"I wish mine would." Gabriella complained. "You know, it's difficult being one of two women in the house!"
"I'm sure it is, but I don't really know…with me being a guy and all." He joked.
Lucille raised her eyebrows. "Who's on the phone?"
Troy sucked in a breath and grinned innocently. "No one?"
"Troy, just tell her." Gabriella said softly. "You said she knows about me."
Troy sighed. "It's Gabriella."
Lucille smirked. "Did she like 'Romeo and Juliet'?"
"Yes." Troy replied. "Anyway, you're in your room?"
"Stuck in my room. My brothers and sisters-in-law and my nieces and nephews are all here. I need to get out." She muttered. "It's not pretty. I've been thrown up on twice by my pregnant sister-in-law, peed on by my six month old nephew and pooped on by my two year old niece. That's why I called you."
"Hey, now," Troy said softly as he held the phone between his shoulder and ear and began taking food from the fridge and packing it into a wicker hamper, "you want to go to the park? Have that play-date for Blitzen and Daisy?"
"What about us? I'll just be moaning about my brothers." She mumbled.
"That doesn't matter." He dismissed. "Moan all you want. Wait, that came out wrong. You know what I mean. As long as you're with me and not feeling like you're trapped, meet me by the lake, okay? Where I saved you."
Gabriella giggled. "That does sound nice."
"Then, come on. You don't want me to be lonely, do you? Besides, I know a part of the park where no one goes and no one will find us." Troy rolled his eyes as Lucille began smirking at him.
"What about your friends?" She asked timidly.
"What did I just say?" He asked softly. "No one goes there. Just meet me by the lake, okay?"
"Okay." She replied unsurely. "But, Troy?"
"Yeah?" He asked as he picked up a container of pasta salad from the fridge and set it in the hamper.
"Give me some time to have a shower and change my clothes. I stink." She exclaimed. "I look and smell horrible."
He smiled to himself as he closed the hamper. "What did I say last night? You're beautiful and I'd bet you still look beautiful now. But, I'm sure your shower will make you feel better."
"I'm sure it will." She agreed.
"So, how about we meet up in an hour?" Troy proposed.
"Sure. I'll see you then." She said softly before she hung up.
Troy stuffed his cell phone in the pocket of his beige shorts and rolled his eyes at Lucille. "Mom, don't give me that look."
She chuckled as she walked over to him. "You care about her?"
"Yeah." He breathed. "More than anything."
"So…Where are you going with her today?" She asked.
"No way. I'm not telling you." He exclaimed.
"Oh, come on, Troy. I'm not going to tell your father…if that's what you're worried about." Lucille whispered.
"Mom, I don't care. I'm keeping everything a secret because of her. I know what they'd do and I…care about her too much to let that happen. She's special and so unique. She's so innocent…not the like the girls at East. But, to be honest, I wouldn't care if Dad found out. It's just that she doesn't want her dad and brothers to find out." Troy explained.
Lucille smiled and rested her hand on his shoulder. "Honey, I'm proud of you."
Troy shrugged and sighed. "If only Dad would say the same."
"He is proud of you." Lucille exclaimed. "You just need to tell him why you want to pursue theatre and why Gabriella is so important to you."
Troy smiled uncontrollably at her name. "That could take a long time." He admitted.
Lucille smiled and kissed his cheek. "I just don't want you to be hurt at the end of this."
"This isn't about me anymore, Mom." Troy exclaimed. He shrugged sheepishly. "This is about giving Gabriella the escape she both needs and wants. She surrounded by guys going on about basketball everyday."
Lucille raised her eyebrows. "If she's looking to escape that, you're her perfect match." She said sarcastically.
"I don't talk about basketball that much!" He exclaimed indignantly and then whistled towards the hallway. "Blitzen!"
Blitzen bounded into the hallway and skidded to a stop at Troy's feet. He got up on his hind legs, pressing his front paws onto Troy's abdomen, and began licking Troy's neck.
Troy laughed and pushed him down. "Blitzen, we're going to see Daisy and Gabriella. So, I need you to be on your best behaviour." He bent down and attached the leash to Blitzen's collar. He straightened up and smiled at Lucille. "You going to wish me luck?"
"Oh, Baby…My baby boy…" Lucille said softly as she touched his hand.
"Mom…" He grumbled.
She laughed and pulled his head down so she could kiss his forehead. "Just have fun, okay?"
Troy rolled his eyes and picked the hamper up. "Yes, Mom. I don't know when I'll be home so if you don't hear from me, don't do me any dinner, okay?"
Lucille nodded. "Okay, Honey. Have fun."
Troy tugged on Blitzen's leash and sighed. "Come on. We're going to see Daisy."
Blitzen's ears pricked at the name. He galloped out of the room, pulling Troy with him.
"Bye, Mom!" Troy yelled out.
* * *
Gabriella glanced at the clock and smiled slightly. She had a little less than twenty minutes to get to the park. Troy had been right. She felt so much better after her shower and, if she was honest, she couldn't wait to see him again. She had dressed herself in a pale orange blouse and the denim skirt she had worn when they first met. She had left her hair in its natural curls after debating whether to straighten it or not.
She grabbed her dirty clothes and towels and then picked her purse up. She made her way downstairs to the utility room. She threw her laundry into the washing machine and set it off so everything would be clean by the time she got home. As soon as she was back upstairs, she entered the kitchen where Maria was attempting to cook enough food for everyone in the house.
"Hi, Mom." Gabriella grinned.
"Hola, mi hija. What's up?" Maria asked whilst curiously eyeing her daughter.
"Um, can I go, please? I'm not having fun and I had to change my clothes, like, three times. Sharpay would have a heart attack." She joked. "Please?"
"Yeah, that's fine. So, where are you and Mr. Hero meeting?" Maria asked.
Gabriella rolled her eyes. "The park. We said that we should have a play-date for Daisy and Blitzen."
"And you?" Maria asked, looking at her daughter.
Gabriella sighed. "It's nothing."
"Aren't you afraid of getting hurt?" Maria whispered.
Gabriella shook her head. "No. I mean, Albuquerque is only a small town so it's more than likely that people will find out someday, but I'm with Troy now and that's all that matter. In six weeks, I'm going to Stanford so, everyone will already have a reason to hate me." She mumbled.
"They won't hate you." Maria said softly.
Gabriella shook her head slightly and looked at the island counter. "Mom, I've fallen in love with a Wildcat. And not only Wildcat, a Bolton." She lifted her head and sighed. "That's kind of suicide on my part."
Maria placed down the knife she was using and wiped her hands on her apron. She took Gabriella's face in her hands and smiled softly. "Stop thinking about your father and brothers. Just be happy but beware of what your brothers would do to Troy if they find out." She kissed Gabriella's forehead.
Gabriella breathed out deeply and nodded. "I will. Where's Daisy?"
"In the lounge." Maria replied.
Gabriella groaned. "When will this day stop getting worse?" She turned to the hallway and lifted her forefinger and thumb to her mouth. She whistled towards the hallway. "Daisy!"
A few moments later, Daisy trotted in with, what looked like, one of Gabriella's nieces' dolls. She had obviously taken it to spite Danny off. And, as predicted, Danny followed her and snatched the doll from Daisy's mouth. "Give it back!"
Daisy whined and stood protectively in front of Gabriella. Gabriella sighed. "Dan, she probably just got excited because of how many people are here."
"Well, get her a proper toy, not my baby's dolly!" Danny exclaimed.
Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Whatev." She bent down and attached the leash to Daisy's collar before she straightened up and grabbed her bag. "I'll see you later, Mom."
"When will you be back?" Maria enquired.
"I'm not sure. I'll call you if I'm not back for dinner, okay?" Gabriella asked.
"Where are you going?" Danny asked curiously.
"Somewhere quiet and where I don't have to change my clothes every five seconds." Gabriella exclaimed before she tugged on Daisy's leash and pushed past her brothers. She left the house without another word and began making her way to the park.
Her cell phone started ringing and she paused her walk to rummage threw her purse for it. "Hello?"
"Hey, Gabs." Sharpay said tentatively.
"Oh, hey Shar. What's up?" Gabriella asked quietly and then resumed her walk.
"I just wanted to apologise for yesterday. It was out of line and I'm sorry." Sharpay said softly.
"Don't worry about it." Gabriella dismissed. "Everything's building up on me and I kind of took it out on you. I'm sorry, too."
"Friends?"
"Forever." Gabriella giggled as she entered the park.
"Thanks, Gabs. You're a super friend." Sharpay whispered.
"Can I ask one question?" Gabriella asked and waved towards Troy who was stood where he promised he would be. She approached and held up a finger to tell him she'd only be a minute.
"Sure you can." Sharpay replied.
Gabriella looked down as Blitzen affectionately licked Daisy's neck. She looked back up at Troy and they shared a smile. "Why don't you just grab him and kiss him…really. He's in love with you."
"It's not that simple." Sharpay exclaimed.
Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Well, I've got to go. But, as your best friend, I promise you that he loves you."
"I'll see you later." Sharpay muttered before she hung up.
Gabriella slid her phone closed and dropped it into her bag. "Hey, sorry about that."
"No worries." Troy dismissed before he kissed her cheek. "Shall we go?"
Gabriella nodded. "Sure. What's that?" She pointed to the picnic basket.
Troy shrugged. "I thought, maybe we could have a little picnic while we're here. Is that okay?"
Gabriella smiled brightly. "Yeah. I'd love to."
"Great." Troy said brightly. "Come on, then." He started leading her towards the other side of the lake and through a couple of trees which hid a small field of grass with flowers bordering it. "What do you think?"
"Wow. This place is amazing." She murmured. "No one comes here?"
Troy shook his head as they walked towards the middle of the field. He set the picnic basket down and let Blitzen off the leash. "Just me…and now you. Well, put it this way: no one's come here when I've been here."
Gabriella dropped her bag next to the basket and released Daisy from her leash. "Go on, Baby, go and play." She watched Daisy and Blitzen chase each other and she turned to Troy. "Thank you for this. I just couldn't stand to be in that house."
"Hey, it's fine. Don't think anything of it, okay?" He asked.
She nodded and smiled slightly. "Where are your friends today?"
"Double date." He said simply.
"Ah." She realised as she turned back to Daisy and Blitzen.
"Brie…" Troy whispered.
Gabriella turned to him and he brushed his thumb over her cheek. "What?" She mumbled.
His eyes flickered to her lips and he unconsciously rested one hand on her waist and the other on her neck. "I want to kiss you."
"I might be bad at it." She muttered.
"That's not possible. Have you had boyfriends before?" He asked quietly.
She nodded timidly as the hand on her waist slid around to rest on her lower back. "A couple."
"They're the luckiest guys in the world." He murmured before he closed his eyes and pressed his lips lightly to hers. Her hands trailed up his chest before gripping his shoulders. He pulled back slightly and laughed breathlessly. "Never say you're bad at kissing. Far from it."
Gabriella giggled and opened her eyes. "Thank you." She whispered. "You're not so bad, yourself."
Troy smiled and rested his forehead on hers. "You're so beautiful."
She blushed deeply and looked away. "I find it hard to believe that you of all people would say that."
He brushed his thumb over her cheek and kissed her forehead. He held her tightly against his chest and buried his nose into her hair. "Hmmmm…"
"What?" She asked.
He pulled back and inhaled deeply. "Don't worry. You don't smell like pee, poo or puke. Try saying that five times fast. You smell like chocolate and flowers…and dog."
"You smell like dog, too." She exclaimed. She inhaled the air near his chest and sighed contentedly. "And cologne. But, nice cologne. My brothers sometimes use too much and I don't like it."
He chuckled and let go of her. He opened up the hamper and took out a folded blanket. He laid it out and gestured to it. "Come on, let's sit down." He sat down and smiled when she sat next to him. "So, what's the deal with today? Is it a reunion or something?"
"No." She said softly, staring at the blanket. "My brothers and their wives and kids came around to celebrate Carl and I both getting into U of A on full basketball scholarships. My dad found out about me. I had only told my mom and Shar. And everyone was celebrating. Then, I got peed on, pooped on and vomited on and I couldn't take it anymore."
Troy rested his hand on her knee and sighed. "What college do you want to go to?"
"Um," She swallowed nervously, "I'm going to Stanford."
"Really? That's so cool." Troy exclaimed.
"Yeah, I'm already in." She said softly, smiling at him.
"What are you majoring in?" He asked with interest.
"I'm studying medicine." She explained.
"You want to be a doctor?" Troy enquired, lying down and looking up at her.
Gabriella lay next to him and twisted her head to face him. "Yeah. A paediatrician."
"Like your mom?" Troy whispered, slipping his hand into hers.
"Yeah." She whispered. "Since I was six years old, I've wanted to be like my mom."
Troy smiled at her. "You'll be a great doctor."
Gabriella sighed and moved so that her head was resting on his chest. "I'm glad someone thinks so. My dad doesn't even know I want to go to Stanford, much less be doctor."
Troy wrapped his arms around her and ran his fingers through her hair. "Same with me. My dad sees the theatre as a hobby. But, it's just something I want to do."
"I like being with you." She admitted softly.
Troy chuckled. "I like being with you, too. I like you being close to me and you're breathing."
Gabriella giggled and sighed as she returned to her previous position, lying on her back. She closed her eyes and squeezed Troy's hand. "You are my hero, Troy Bolton."
Troy sat up and turned to her. He released her hand and placed each of his hands either side of her head. "Open your eyes." He whispered.
Gabriella's eyes fluttered open and she smiled up at him. "What?"
"I'm not going anywhere." He promised. "Please remember that. You will always have me close."
She nodded and reached up to cup his cheek. "Thank you."
Troy leaned down and was just about to press his lips to hers when something collided with his side and he was pushed away. Blitzen began licking Troy's face and the young jock coughed and spluttered. He pushed the German shepherd off and sat up. "Blitzen!"
Gabriella sat up and held a hand to her mouth in an attempt to muffle her giggles. "You okay, Troy?" She asked kind of shakily.
Troy glared playfully at her. "That wasn't funny. Where's Daisy?"
Blitzen immediately galloped away towards Daisy who was lying down a few metres away. Troy wiped his face and rolled his eyes. "How did you get Daisy to be so calm?"
Gabriella shuffled closer to Troy and rested a hand on his thigh. "I have five older brothers. Along with that, I have three sisters-in-law, one future sister-in-law and lots of nieces and nephews. She likes to annoy them instead of me."
Troy chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Blitzen just doesn't leave me alone. But, I like it like that. He's my best friend."
Gabriella smiled. "You love him, don't you?"
Troy nodded. "Don't tell anyone but, he's like my baby. He needs so much love and protection. I mean, he's four years old but he's still like a baby."
Gabriella kissed his cheek and he looked at her in confusion. "You're so caring. To be honest, I didn't expect you to be so caring anybody, much less."
"Ouch. Prejudice much?" He asked teasingly.
"It's just from what Carl and Landon said. I guess I really shouldn't trust their judgement." She whispered.
Troy kissed her temple and sighed. "When you left, did your mom say anything?"
"She doesn't want me to be hurt." Gabriella admitted.
Troy smiled. "That's what my mom said."
"It might seem a little selfish but, my brothers and my dad won't take what I want into account. And I want to be with you." She whispered.
Troy kissed her softly on the lips and pulled her onto his lap. "We'll be fine." He promised once they pulled back. "I mean, if all else fails, we can always elope."
"That's our last resort." Gabriella warned.
Troy kissed her nose and smiled at her giggle. "So, are you feeling better now?"
Gabriella nodded against his neck. "Yeah…" She whispered. "Why did you have to be a Wildcat? It wouldn't even be as bad if you were from Sun High. My dad doesn't care about them. I've dated one. But, you had to be a Wildcat, didn't you?"
"To be fair, I didn't really get a choice in the matter." Troy said softly.
She giggled and kissed the skin just under his chin. "True." She lifted her head and smiled at him. "So, how are Jason and Kelsi doing?"
"Like I said, they're on a double date with Chad and Taylor. They just went out for lunch, nothing fancy." He whispered. "I'm jealous of them, though."
"How so?" She whispered, brushing his hair with her fingers.
"They can do what they like. They can kiss in public. They can hold hands in public. They can talk in public. Something we can't do." Troy mumbled.
"I know." Gabriella whispered as she rested her head on his shoulder. She intertwined their fingers together and placed a light kiss to his neck. "You're not having second thoughts, are you?" She mumbled.
"No!" He exclaimed indignantly. He pulled Gabriella to straighten up and face him. "I will never have second thoughts, okay?"
She nodded and smiled slightly. "Okay."
"And we'll get through this. I mean, we've got college coming. Our parents can't tell us what to do forever, can they?" Troy asked.
Gabriella giggled and leaned across to kiss him. "I guess not." She mumbled.
Troy pulled back and smiled. "I will always be your escape."