Hey, yall! Just a real quick note to first of all say thanks for reading! I've gotten some great feedback and I really do appreciate it! I've got some other stuff going on in my personal life (nothing bad, just a lot) and I just wanted to let yall know that I'm taking some time from this story. Not time from writing it- because I'm not stopping till it's complete, I can promise you that- but just time from posting. I need to take some time to catch up on some stuff, and THEN I'll be back to posting. I can't promise when that will be, though. I just didn't want anyone to be wondering about where I am.

Keep a look on adcgordon's "Scenarios: Hawaii" facebook page (Scenarios: Hawaii by adcgordon) and I'll make sure to announce when I'm about to post my next chapter. (I'll give a few day's notice for you to go and refresh your memory of the first several chapters.) Hang in there, my people! I'll be back!

Enjoy! And as always, remember that I don't own anything related to this story other then the storyline and original characters.

Chapter 5

The rest of the weekend passed unceremoniously with the promised tour of Gabriella's latest city of residence. Saturday and Sunday found the two girls being the stereotypical tourists- visiting the places that all first time visitors will with their cameras not far out of reach. On Monday, classes resumed for Gabriella. She told Taylor about University Avenue- Palo Alto's main drag which consisted of retailers such as a Borders, a movie theater, an Apple store, several clothing retailers, and many, many more hot spots- and plans were made for Taylor to be dropped off for some solo retail therapy while Gabriella endured three hours of classes before the two friends reconvened at Starbucks and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon together.

"What are the plans for the night?" Taylor asked her as the two sat at one of the black patio tables outside in front of Starbucks in the bright California sunshine holding their mocha caramel lattes later that afternoon.

"Well, I found out today that my LSAT prep study group wants to meet this evening. I tried to get out of it-"

"Bite your tongue. That's important," Taylor interrupted as she lifted her cup to her lips.

"But Tay-" Gabriella tried to argue back.

"No!" Taylor held a finger in her friend's face to keep her quiet. "Listen, I've been going through my own LSAT preparatory class. Who knows? Maybe Yale teaches us something that Stanford doesn't teach you California Sun-heads and I might have something to contribute to tonight's study session. I'll just come with you. If I can't contribute, maybe I'll learn something myself that I can take back to the East Coast yuppies who think they know everything anyway."

"Well, okay. But I don't want you to think that I'm making you come study during your Spring Break." Seeing the look that Taylor was giving her, Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Who am I kidding? You, not work during a vacation? Yeah, right!"

"You'd be the same way and you know it, so don't give me that!"

The girls participated in a mock stare down before Gabriella relented. "Yeah, you're right. Okay. So if you want to come along, obviously you're more than welcome. But for right now, it's time for a change of subject. What did you do today while I was in class?"

Taylor proceeded to tell Gabriella about her adventures along University Avenue when she was interrupted by Gabriella's phone ringing. Taylor knew instantly who it when the sounds of Bruno Mars filled the air around them; she didn't even have to ask.

"Give me that! Boy needs to know that he should be paying attention to the reason why he's in Georgia, not calling you every hour!" Before Gabriella could stop her, Taylor had grabbed her phone and hit the green accept button.

"Hey, Lover Boy."

"Why are you answering my girlfriend's phone?" Troy asked suspiciously, yet unable to hide the humor from his voice.

"Probably because Girlfriend doesn't want to talk to you right now," Taylor joked back, throwing a wink in Gabriella's direction showing her that she was joking.

"Give me that!" Gabriella said, reaching for her phone and walking a few feet to an empty chair two tables away for some privacy. "Hey, you! I didn't think you'd be able to call today. Aren't you guys practicing?"

"Well, we are. But we've got a quick break and I wanted to give you a call to let you know I was thinking about you."

"Aw!" Gabriella gushed into the phone. "I miss you," she told him.

"I miss you, too, Babe. What are the plans for tonight?"

"Well, my LSAT prep group was going to meet tomorrow but it got changed to tonight, so Taylor's coming with me. She thinks she's learning more at Yale and can contribute something, so she wants to prove a point."

"Sounds like Taylor," he joked. "So, your study group, huh? Is Davis going to be there?" Troy worked to keep the irritation from his voice at the thought of his girlfriend's study partner.

"Um, yeah. He's in the study group, Troy."

"I just can't help but think that if that man had a woman-"

"Excuse me?" Gabriella interrupted. "'Had a woman'? What's that supposed to mean?" It was rare that she and Troy argued, and she was hoping that this wouldn't turn into one... especially with Taylor so near.

"Babe, calm down. It just means that if he had a girlfriend, he'd leave you alone."

"You've heard me talk about Davis for two years now, and now all of a sudden your jealous because you know what he looks like? Do you think I'm that shallow, Troy, that I would dump you for another guy because he's good looking?"

"So you admit he's good looking?" Troy asked. Gabriella's frustrated groan told him that wasn't the right thing to say at that time. "No, but maybe because he's good looking and shares more interests with you and is smart like you and isn't a lunkhead basketball player..."

Gabriella leaned her head back and banged it against the back of the chair, letting out another groan at the repetitive topic of conversation. "Oh, my gosh! Not this again! Troy, we are not going there right now!"

"Well, I'm just sayin..."

"Well don't, Lunkhead. Okay? Just don't."

"It's just that I can't help thinking and wondering what if you find someone who you have more in common with-" he tried to continue their seemingly never ending topic, but was cut off by Gabriella.

"Troy, I think we'd better hang up while you're still standing upright. We wouldn't want that hole that you're digging to get too deep, otherwise you won't be able to get out."

"Oh, geez," Troy said, leaning his head back against the wall that he was leaning on. "Gabriella, I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"You did, Troy. You're jealous that there's a guy who pays attention to me and you can't stand that you're not here to come to my study groups and be possessive like I know you would at least try to do." She heard the coach's voice calling the team back into the gym from the other end of the phone, followed by Troy's frustrated sigh.

"Can I make this right later?"

"You can try to."

"I love you, Babe."

Gabriella swallowed. "I love you, too. But we're talking about this later!"

"I know. I'll try to give you a call tomorrow. We have a game, so I don't know what time I'll be able-"

"That's fine. I'll talk to you later." Gabriella hung up before he could respond, released a deep breath, and rolled her eyes before standing up and making her way back to the table that she and Taylor had occupied a few moments earlier.

"What was that all about?" Taylor asked her.

"He's jealous."

"Mmmm-mmmmm," Taylor said with a pointed look at Gabriella.

"What?" Gabriella asked, confused.

"He's afraid that someone's going to try and worm his way in and push Troy to the side, isn't he?" Gabriella narrowed her eyes at Taylor's statement and scoffed.

"Taylor... just... that's not... ugh! Just shut up!" she growled. Gabriella stood up and threw her cup in the outside trash can and turned back to face her friend. "Are you ready? Let's go find something to eat before we have to come back to this side of town."

Taylor stood and followed Gabriella back to the car, working the whole way to hide her smirk that was fighting to make itself known on her face.

"I am so finding you a man while you're here..." Gabriella grumbled as she put the key in the ignition and started the car. In her frustration at her best friend, she threw it into reverse a little harsher than intended. Taking a deep breath and releasing it to calm herself, she backed it from the parking space and drove in the direction of the apartment.

TGFTGFTGFTGFTGFTGFTGFTGF

Later that evening found the girls sitting at a table in the back corner of Stanford's law library surrounded by the other four members of Gabriella's study group and their books. About halfway through the study session, the group decided to take a much needed break. Taylor and Gabriella stood to stretch their legs and walked to the bathroom.

"Oh, my gosh!" Taylor gushed, tugging on Gabriella's arm once they were in the privacy of the second floor bathroom.

"What?" Gabriella asked.

"I didn't notice Friday night how good looking he is!"

Gabriella furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she worked to process who Taylor was talking about. There was only one person from the study group who was there the other night, she thought to herself. Finally, it dawned on her who Taylor was talking about and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Are you talking about... Davis?" Gabriella asked, as she pointed her thumb in the direction of the bathroom door, signifying the table where the rest of the group was sitting.

"Yeah!" Taylor told her.

"Uh-huh," Gabriella said with her mouth hanging open in disbelief. "And where was all this the other night?" she asked, using her finger to gesture at the air between them.

"I don't know!" Taylor said. "Does it matter?"

"Well, kinda! Taylor, if you had mentioned this the other night, I could have said or done something and could have avoided all this misunderstanding with Troy that happened today!"

"I'm sorry!" Taylor exclaimed, taking Gabriella's hands in her own, her way of begging for forgiveness. "I can't do anything to act on it, though," she said, shrugging her shoulders in defeat.

"Why not?" Gabriella asked.

"Well, because I'm leaving in a few days," Taylor told her friend in her best 'Well, duh!' tone. "Those long distance relationship types... they kinda don't work out that well. I speak from experience, remember?"

Gabriella chewed on her lip while she weighed the options of what her friend was telling her. Suddenly, her face lit up as an idea dawned on her.

"Well, Tay, you know... just one date, right? What harm will it cause for you to have one date while you're here?"

"Well-"

"And plus there's Facebook, Twitter, email, phone calls... Staying in touch would be easy," Gabriella continued, ignoring Taylor's attempt to interrupt her.

"Gabs-" Taylor tried again, and again Gabriella ignored her and continued.

"We're both graduating soon. Arizona and New Mexico are neighbors. It wouldn't be totally long distance. I think you should give it a shot. You never know until you try, right?"

Gabriella watched as Taylor appeared to be considering her words. Taylor didn't have to say anything; the look on her face said it all. You're right, Gabs. One never knows until they try.

"So?" Gabriella continued after a moment of silence. "What do you say? Are you ready to have some fun while you're here?"

"You're right. As usual," Taylor conceded. "Just one date, right? What's it going to hurt?"

"Great!" Gabriella's excited grin was quickly spreading across her face and her brown eyes lit up. "Now just go give him your number while I use the bathroom! I'll be right back out there."

Gabriella turned and walked toward one of the stalls, but turned back around and grabbed one of Taylor's arms, stopping her in the process of exiting the ladies' room.

"Tay, wait!" Gabriella waited until she had Taylor's full attention before continuing.

"Yeah?" Taylor asked as she turned around to face her friend.

"If you don't do this, I'll do it for you before the night is up!" Gabriella threatened.

"Oh, don't worry, Missy. I'll do it," she said as she yanked her arm free. "That man out there will have a number before the end of the night," Taylor told her with a smirk and a wink before turning back around to fully exit the restroom.

TGFTGFTGFTGFTGFTGFTGFTGF

When Gabriella returned to the table, she noticed that Taylor and Davis were leaning over the table with their faces close to each other, talking in soft voices. She grinned to herself when she spied Taylor jotting something down across the top of Davis' notes.

That better be her number that she's writing down, she thought to herself as she took her seat. However, it was another hour and a half before she got her answer. The group called it quits for the night and Gabriella was finally able to question her friend about her secret conversation. It wasn't until the two were safe in her car with the doors closed when she saw her opportunity to dig for information.

"Well?" she asked, turning to face Taylor and using the Cheshire cat grin that made its appearance only occasionally.

"You can expect a call later tonight," Taylor told her with a smirk of her own.

"What?" Gabriella's grin quickly faded as her confusion took over. She found herself closing her eyes and taking several deep breaths before she continued. "Taylor, please tell me you mean that you gave him the land line number at the apartment... where you can be reached while you're here."

"Oh, come on, Gabriella. You said so yourself, this guy is hot. 'Just one date, Tay. You'll never know otherwise...'."

"First of all, I didn't say he was hot. You did. And second of all, don't you dare throw my words back in my face!" Gabriella was working hard to keep her anger at bay and not blow up at Taylor.

"Look, Gabriella," Taylor began with a sigh as she pushed a strand of hair from her face back behind her ear. "I get that you and Troy have this thing, this... whatever it is... going on, but seriously? It's been over 5 years and he hasn't put a ring on your finger yet! How much longer are you going to wait?"

"We're still in college, Taylor! And for your information, Troy and I have talked about marriage." Gabriella didn't know if she was more frustrated at Taylor for doing what she did, or at herself for feeling like she needed to defend her relationship with her best friend.

"Honey, 'talking' about marriage does not tell the other guys who have 20/20 eyesight that you're taken. I bet there are guys on this campus who are having babies in their pants when they see you just walk by. Have other guys ever even asked you out since you've been here?"

"Yes, actually I have had other offers," Gabriella admitted.

"And what do you tell them?" Taylor knew she was pushing Gabriella's buttons, but she had the feeling deep down that something needed to be done to make Gabriella realize what was on the verge of passing her by.

"I tell them that I have a boyfriend."

"Honey," Taylor started softly, "Just 'having a boyfriend' isn't enough anymore. Men know that a boyfriend only means so much. It takes a lot more than just a boyfriend to scare men away and cause them to leave you alone. They won't leave you alone until you have at least one ring on your finger."

Gabriella furiously shook her head in disagreement. "I can't talk to you about this. No matter what I say, you're going to blow it off and try to convince me that you're right. Well, this time, Taylor... you're not."

Gabriella turned her attention back out the front window, wiping at her unexpected tears with a vengeance. She was determined to not show her hurt and anger to Taylor- not here, not now. She needed very badly to talk to Troy, but knew that chances were slim that she would get the chance to do so that evening, especially with the time difference. If it was 9:00 in San Francisco, it was midnight in Athens, Georgia. Gabriella decided with a sigh that she'd have to wait until the following night.

Please, Davis, please... don't call until I can talk to Troy. I don't know what I would say to you if you call tonight. At least if you call tomorrow, I'll have the chance to talk to him and gain a little more insight, she thought to herself as she steered the car back in the direction of the apartment on the other side of town. Neither of the girls spoke the whole way back, leaving the car in an uncomfortable silence.