Just as they got to the door, Lucile opened the door and smiled at all three of them. Gabriella felt a wave of fear shoot down her back as Lucile had tears in her eyes and looked from Troy to Alex. She knew.
"Gabriella," Maria called from behind her. "This was in the tabloids," she said with a worried look, "It could be worst, but I had to explain."
Gabriella mouth tightened as she looked at the picture of Troy and Alex playing basketball in the back yard. Her heart came to a slow dulling beat as she looked at headline. Basketball Star Troy Bolton Hides Secert Love Child.
The jig was up, the cat was out of the bag, the band aid she'd been keeping over her fears for so long had been finally ripped off. Reaching out a hand she held onto the door frame. It was everything she had in her not to fall against him as he stood behind her. Troy hands quickly took the paper from her fingers placing his hand on the small of her back for balance.
"Relax," he murmured in her ear.
That was easy for him to say, opening up the paper to images of himself was a common occurrence. The sight of Alex standing there in the black and white print had her inside hollowed and her knees weak. But nothing had prepared her for the feeling when he moved away. A cold rushed seized through her and she looked over to see he stepped away with his phone dialing numbers and then bringing the phone up to his ear.
She wanted him back at her side, she wanted to walk over to him and stand with him. Her hand automatically sought out Alex, finding her by her side as her attention shifted to Lucille and her mother's worried expressions. Alarm bells were going off in Gabriella's head this is exactly what she was afraid of, exactly what Sharpay had warned her about. She had to prepare herself for the worse, she had to brace herself for their questions.
After a deep breath, Lucile bent down and wrapped her hands around Alex who wrapped her arms around her in return. "It's alright, you can call me Grandma B," she said through her tears as she held Alex closer.
Gabriella closed her eyes in relief. She knew that the worst wasn't over but it was comforting to know she could avoid it a little while longer. When her eyes opened she looked over at Jack who was standing with Troy. There was confusion on his face along with worry and happiness in his eyes. There was no way she was going to avoid not having an explanation for long.
When the conversations began to get a bit more grown up, Alex was told by her grandmother to go outside to the back until the adults were done talking. Alex left the room even though a part of her didn't want to. She was tired of always leaving the room, sick of being left out of the decision that seemed to always include her.
Alex landed on the grass with a soft thump as she looked around the backyard. As always she was lost about why a picture of her and Troy together would be bad. She didn't know why people were angry at her mom or why Grandpa started yelling the way he had. They were yelling now and all she could hear were the faint sounds of mumbled voices. Little Guy came over to her side falling into the grass beside her. Reaching into her bag she pulled out her notebook and pencil.
My father is plays basketball for an entire city of people. He says that his picture is on a bus and on a bottle of shaving cream. We talked a lot about his job in the car, we talked about his new house he just brought, all the repairs he's been doing to it. Mom didn't seem interested in anything he was saying, she mostly kept quite through the whole ride.
I have a dad. Finally a face to the name and name to the face. Someone of my very own to call dad. This man who I had never seen before turned out to be someone so important to me. I just knew there was something about him, I just knew it. The whole time he was right back here, right next to grandma and grandpa. He has blue eyes and sandy brown hair just like me and he likes the same things as me. I'm not freak, I'm Alexandra Marie Bolton. Or Montez I'm not sure.
Troy is the coolest grown up I've ever met and now I get to call him dad. The bottom line is that I can't just let my dad get away. Not when I just found him. Grownups are so stubborn I know mom likes him I just have to get my dad to admit that he likes her too.
The thing is my mom only thinks she wants to marry Doug but he's a Butthead. She can't see that she wants to be with Troy because she's too busy trying to be with Doug. There may be a way for Troy to keep his promise. I may be eight years old, but I'm not stupid. When two people don't like each other they avoid each other. Why can't it be like on TV where they just see each other and know? As their daughter I'm going to have handle this myself and bring them together for their own good.
I just need to get them together somehow or make mom realize that she has to live back here where she seems happier. I just know that she wants to be closer to her friends, and I know she misses grandma and grandpa. Just imagine how amazing it would be if we could live with Troy in his new house. Then I could get a chance to know Troy. My dad is a basketball player in the NBA. And let's not forget that he owes me an interview? Wow.
One thing is for sure I'm not leaving until I know everything there is to know about my dad. My very own dad. I have a dad. Troy is my dad. He is the coolest dad anyone could ask for.
Looking up from the page she let out a sigh and leaned over to scratch Little Guy behind the ear to reward his loyalty. Alex glanced up at the tree house in the next yard, it as old almost abandoned looking in the tree. She'd always wondered about it, always wondered what it was like up there. Pausing to think before she wrote again.
In the movies something scary has to happen right before the two people realize that they love each other. Like in Cinderella where she gets locked in the tower by her evil step mom right before the prince finds her. Or in Beauty and The Beast where the beast has to die to become human. In Tarzan, Jane has to leave after they were attacked but she realizes after all that she loves him and chooses to stay.
Where on earth am I going to find bad guys and monkeys?
Alex tapped her notebook as she pointedly looked around the yard in dismay. Not being able to help it she looked back up at the tree house and a small smile pulls at her lips. "I don't have monkeys or bad guys but I do have a tree house with high branches."
Back inside a new person made an appearance into the group.
"What the hell were you thinking?" his hands shot up as the older man looked between Troy and Gabriella with bewilderment. "Do you have any idea how much this shit is going to hit the fan?" Rick was Troy's agent. It took him exactly 30 minutes to show up on the doorstep accompanied by Troy's publicist Rachel who was taping away at her phone. Murmuring about interviews and news coverage every now and then.
"NBC just tweeted the picture, Headlines reads Sordid Affair with Prostitute Uncovers Love Child." Rachel let out a huff as she continued to scroll.
"Excuse me," Luis step into the center of the room, "you are in my house and you better respect everyone in it or so help me on the cross of Jesus himself I will.."
"Louis," Maria said cutting him off and holding his arm back.
Jack shook his head, "No, I agree with Louis this is our Granddaughter you're talking about and my son you're talking to," Jack said pointing a finger at Rick.
"Look the press is going to run a million way until I make a statement? How long are we going to stay quiet?" Troy said taking the battery out of his cellphone. Gabriella's phone rang for a fourth time and Troy let out a sigh as he held out his hand, "Their only going to keep calling, and it won't be long until the front yard is full of them."
Gabriella stared off into the distance as she held Doug's ring between her finger tips pulling at the chain every so often to feel the tension on her neck. Her phone buzzing was the only sound that could he heard as every slowly began to stare at her. The buzzing noise was like a loud bang in the silence, each one louder and more menacing.
"Gabs?" Troy said finally.
Her attention snapped and she dropped the ring for her fingers glancing up at Troy with a lost expression.
"You're phone? Can you turn it off?"
"I can't," she said quietly. "Doug hasn't called."
Troy let out a sigh as he turned back to Rick and Rachel, "there has to be something we can do," Troy said looking back at his agent who was standing there re-reading the article in the tabloid for what seemed like the fifth time.
Rick let out a huff as he shook his head. "A kid pops up out of nowhere after 8 years and starts calls you daddy? The press is going to love this." Closing the tabloid he tossed it onto the table as it if it were a used Kleenex. With a sigh he looked over at Gabriella, "Miss, I mean no disrespect to or your girl but are you sure that my client is indeed the father?"
Gabriella facial expression changed from being in shock to being outraged and then scrunching up in confusion. "I'm positive he is the father," she said reaching for the picture that was on the table from that day at the mall where the three of them stood there against a matted blue background smiling at the camera. "She has his blue eyes, his hair, his smile," her voice lowered and her head hung in shame, "I'm surprised I was able to keep it from you for this long. I'm incredibly so sorry for all the damage and pain that I caused."
Lucile who be reusing the same balled up tissue for the last half hour, stepped forward from the wall she'd been leaning on. "Sweetie, you don't have anything to be sorry about," Lucile said with a small grin. "I'm a grandmother and I could not be happier that you're the mother of my Granddaughter, I always knew you and Troy were perfect together. I just always knew there was something there."
Gabriella head shot up and her smile faltered, "I'm getting married to my boyfriend Doug some time next fall," she said slowly not sure what people were expecting to happen, "Doug already brought a house and we're moving in with him when I go back."
"Wait what?" Troy stepped forward as if he misheard what she'd said.
"You're not staying here?" Lucile asked her voice breaking a little.
Gabriella looked at Troy with exhaustion before looking at Lucile again, "Troy and I are not getting married just because of Alex. I think we both have our own lives and forcing them together isn't what this situation needs."
"Whoa," Troy said holding out both his hands, "I don't want my daughter living with some stranger." Troy said holding his hand up to silence Rick who was about to say something.
"Troy you were a stranger to her 12 hours ago," Gabriella said standing up from her spot on the couch.
"And whose fault was that Gabriella?" Troy said raising his voice and taking a step closer to her.
"Relax," Maria said looking between the two. "We have to do what's best for Alex," she said looking at Rick, "Surly you are very well paid and you have lots of experience, just find a way to deal with it and make it as painless as possible."
Rick let out a small laugh as he brought a hand up to rub his forehead. "The people are going to want to know where this kid came from, they're going to follow her around snapping pictures and doing anything they can until they figure out what and who she is to Troy."
"CBS is doing a live report right now," Rachel chimed as she pointed at her phone.
Rick looked over at Gabriella as he tossed his hands up in the air. "I can't even begin to prepare you for the shit storm heading your way," he said, "They're going to blame you. They're going to say Troy is an asshole. They're going to say that Alex is just a material thing for you and all your trying to do is get money out of him," Rick motioned to Troy.
"Okay," Troy said standing up straighter, "we get it, but what can we do to avoid it," Troy said looking at Rick and then Rachel.
"You can't," Rachel said taking her eyes off of her blackberry. "This is all one big mess the only way around it, is to just give an interview to a real publisher and tell them everything."
Rick motioned to Rachel with grim expression, "there you go," he said looking back at Troy. "Get the story straight between all of you and make it work. After you that, all we have to do is sell it."
"Then let's do that," Troy said silently and then looked at his parents "We all just have to stick together and get on the same page." Looking around the room he raised his brow in inquiry, when everyone nodded in agreement, Troy turned back to Rick. "We can do this."
Rick nodded as he looked at Rachel, "We'll do our best to keep this contained and make sure there aren't any more slips. I'll have a man watching the house and keeping it reporter free," Rick shuddered as he grabbing his suit case. "I hate reporters."
"The irony," Gabriella said as her phone rang again this time the ringtone was different and she jerked as she quickly scooped up the phone. "I have to take this," she said it up holding it to her ear and walking out of the room followed by the sound of her murmuring something about missing someone.
Luis and Jack saw Rick and Rachel to the door and they continued to talk a bit to themselves, the mothers went into the Kitchen to talk about possible parties or things to do to make Alex feel more part of a family while Troy followed Gabriella and stood in the doorway as she talked on the phone.
"Yeah, I told her about her father," she said looking out the window unaware of the listening ears at the doorway. "No," she said with a pause, "I'm not saying that, it's just that right now, I owe it to them to let Troy and Alex have chance to get to know each other. Doug, this is her father."
Not one for invading others privacy Troy felt uneasy about listening into her conversation but he couldn't bring himself to move. He felt a protective instinct something inside him that made him stand in the doorway watching her. Her backside to him as she listened to the voice on the other line nodding her head and every so often as she looked out the window.
"I can wait to see you too," she said taking a deep sigh as she placed a hand on her hip and kept the other on the phone to her ear. She didn't mean it, he known her long enough to know what that hand on the hip meant. Troy frowned as he forced himself to stop listening.
"Doug, I don't want to talk about it." She said a little more irritated, "of course I want us to be like a real family but I'm not going to spring the adoption on him out of thin air." She said angered.
Troy felt his entire stance jerk, as let the words she said sink in. He'd just found his daughter and she was already plotting him out of her life. Preparing for another man to take his place and be a father to the daughter he never had the chance to be a father too first.
"Fine." Gabriella fell onto the bed with a soft thump causing Troy to hide further behind the wall so he couldn't be seen. "We won't be back for the book signing, I'm sorry."
Troy wasn't, there was a small smidge of relief at the idea that she wasn't going anywhere at least not in the immediate future.
"I know this is important to you. I promise I'll make it up to you," she said sharply as she brought her fingers up to her bottom lip, "Alex needs this."
By her body language he could tell the other person hung up and her phone lit up as call ended flashed on her screen.
"Love you to" she said to the phone as she threw it behind her onto the bed. With a loud groan she brought her hands up to her face and threw herself back onto the bed kicking her feet in a moment of frustration.
Troy pulled back and began walking away before she could see him. Anger boiled inside him about the idea that someone could be that clueless about her over the phone. Whoever Doug was, he was not someone he wanted his daughter around. The idea of this man adopting his daughter made his fist clench. Leaning against the wall he took a deep breath, he needed to fix this. He couldn't let this happen. The next thing he heard was a muffled sob and he realized it was Gabriella who was now sitting on the floor with her knees against her chest as she cried silently.
There was absolutely nothing he could do without admitting that he listened in on her conversation, unable to confront her right now he walked away, leaving her to her tears. All he could think about was Alex and how she needed a father not some imitation bringing her up. Especial an imitation that made her mother cry.
"Troy," Maria said looking at him as he came into the doorway of the kitchen.
Troy looked up at his mother and Maria sitting at the table and staring at him concerned. "Wild huh?" he said looking at both women.
"You never told me, you and Gabriella, were together," Lucile said as she looked at her son with a small smile.
"Yeah well we weren't," he said off shoulder as he came to lean on the table. "In fact she had just broken up with Jason and I was still dating Sarah when it happened," he said not really sure how much to reveal.
"Prom night?" Lucile said looking at her son and leaning back in her chair, "I remember that night you, Chad and Jason got into that fight," she added looking back at Maria then at Troy. "Is that why?"
"No," Troy said standing up straight and looking at both women, "The thing is, Jason was pressuring Gabriella and we didn't know it but things must have gotten a little too fresh too fast." Troy said with a grim look on his face.
"What do you mean?" Maria asked concerned for her daughter.
Troy took a deep breath and let out a sigh, making a fist he tapped it lightly on the table before looking out into the backyard and watching Alex pat the Montez's Basset Hound on the head. "He hit her," he said quietly, "and he's lucky Chad got to him first."
Maria looked up in silent anger as she bit her lip and continued to fold her dish rag which didn't need folding at all. She just needed to keep her hands busy.
"Bastard," Lucile said quietly as she brought her praying hands up to her lips. "She must have been terrified."
Troy placed a hand over Maria's as she quietly looked off into the distance. "Gabriella is a stronger woman than any of us give her credit for," he murmured quietly. "That night I didn't know why I felt the way I did, I just really wanted to protect her and be with her and I didn't mean to take advantage or step out of line," Troy paused as shook his head not really able to explain his actions back then. "Later that night I couldn't bring myself to leave her side so we skipped out on the rest of the dance and came back home. We were just so, I mean for years we just never and then …" Troy shrugged his shoulders. "I kissed her and one thing led to the other."
"It's okay," Maria said calmly. There was a pause as she took a deep breath, "I'm not a violent woman but I hope you kicked him in the balls so hard his grandfather flinched," she said with anger as slapped the dish rag on the table.
"What happened after that?" Lucile asked trying to understand what would make Gabriella run away for 8 years and not look back. "Why would she hide something like this from all of us?" she asked looking at him sadly.
"Because I'm an idiot," he said looking at the sink then back at his mom, "that night changed things between us and Sarah was still in the equation because I didn't know what to do." Troy looked down at the table. "There were rumors going around and I didn't people to know about what happened, I didn't want people to say things like that about her," he said a little annoyed with himself.
"Bottom line is she freaked and I freaked and we just ended up avoided each other." Troy ran his fingers through his hair, "and somehow, she got it stuck in her head that I used her, and wouldn't want to be with her."
The three of them sat there in silence for a moment as the sounds of the television from the next room drifted into the kicthen.
"How do you feel about her now?" Lucile said looking at Maria with hope in her eyes.
"She's the mother of my child, how can I not love her," he said shoving his hands into pockets, "Sure when I found out I was pissed, but I've lost eight years, I don't think I'll sleep at night if I miss another day," He added.
Just then a piercing scream echoed through the house coming from the backyard and Troy felt his skin crawl as he instantly dashed off towards the backyard coming to an abrupt stop. Scanning the yard he expected the worst his heart sank into his stomach and he couldn't spot Alex. She had just been there petting the dog and writing in that little pink book. Frustration tore through him as he forced himself to not panic and just find her. That was when he seen Little Guy barking in the direction of his parent's house.
"Help!" Alex yelled as she hung from a tree branch from the old tree house. Troy made his way quickly to the next yard jumping over the fence yelling towards Alex to hold on tightly.
"That's easy for you to say," she called down squeezing her eyes closed as she gripped the branch tighter. Her little face was red and her knuckle white.
Gabriella let out a scream as she seen Alex dangling from a tree branch. After the initial shock she was rushing the tree house behind Troy. Both Luis and Jack who had finally came outside to see what the problem was stopped in the door way to see the commotion.
Troy looked up at Alex and held out his arms, "Let go of the branch Alex, I got you," he said looking up at her.
"Are you sure?" she said looking down and then letting out another scream, "are you crazy you're like a billion miles away?"
Finally coming over the fence Gabriella came up behind him placing a hand on his shoulder, "You're going to have to go get her, I don't think she'd ever climbed a tree before," she said a little worried as she looked up at her daughter.
"What kind of kid doesn't know how to climb a tree?" Troy said in a hushed tone as he stared at her with concern.
"We live in an apartment complex," she glared.
Troy let out a breath as he nodded and mad his way over to the tree and began to climb.
In that time Jack and Luis were able to come stand beside Gabriella in case she fell before Troy could reach her. Maria and Lucile held their hands over their mouths as they stood on the back patio from the other yard.
Half way up the tree Alex let out another cry and Troy felt his heart beat faster as he climbed the tree with more endurance. Coming to the branch beside her, he held the branch with one arm and swung forward grabbing Alex just as she let go of the branch she was gripping on too.
"Alex!" Gabriella yelled as her hands covered her mouth.
Pulling her close to him Troy found his balance and swung them both onto the ledge of the tree house. Worried he might have hurt her he placed Alex on her feet in the tree house and proceeded to examined her quickly for any damage.
"Are you okay, did you get hurt, any blood?" he said in one breath as he turned her around and then back again and looked at her arms.
"No," she said as he examined her arm, "I'm fine," she said hugging him as he wrapped his arms around her.
"Is she alright?" Gabriella called up to them.
"She's fine," Troy responded and pulled Alex away from him as he laughed for a moment at the entire situation. "We're going to have to teach you how to climb trees," he said playfully tapping her nose with his pointer finger.
When his nerves settled he carefully helped her down the tree and the moment her feet hit the floor Gabriella had already scooped her up and held her tightly.
"Thank you," Gabriella said to Troy as she held her daughter close.
Troy smiled as he watched both of them tenderly, "anything," he said placing a hand on Alex's head and rubbing gently.
"You two need to figure this out," Jack said quietly reminding both of them that there were others present.
"I agree," Louis said as Troy looked back at them both and nodded in agreement.
"You're a family now, that little girl is the link you have, you can't just avoid each other," Jack said mostly to his son.
"I know dad," Troy said with a smile. "I'm more than willing to take my share of responsibility," he said looking at Gabriella. "I am more than willing to take care of you."
"I'm getting married, try your best to remember that," Gabriella said in a low voice, "I'm not saying that you can't be there, because you can. That's your right as her father," she said pausing as she handed over Alex to him. "You just don't have me to take care of," she said folding her arms over her chest.
"I don't want you to marry Doug," Alex said as she buried her face in Troy's neck, "I want Troy."
"Doug loves us," Gabriella said with a frown as she looked at Alex, "He wants us to be happy."
"Well obviously not everyone is happy," Troy said hugging Alex closer, "Seriously, where do you find these guys?"
"Excuse me?" Gabriella said taken aback. "That's none of your business!"
"Don't yell at him!" Alex said raising her little voice.
Troy held Alex close and kissed her forehead as she held onto him quietly. "It's okay, no one's yelling," Troy said quietly as he turned towards his father, "Dad can you take her inside?" he asked handing Alex over. Jack nodded and reach out his hands only to be met with resistance.
"Grandpa?" Alex hesitated looking at Luis unsure what to do.
"That's alright," he said coming in and taking her from Troy, "Everything is going to be fine."
Troy watched quietly as Jack and Luis walked out of the yard taking Alex out of earshot. Once they walk inside and everyone was gone Troy looked at Gabriella.
"Enough with the bullshit. You want me to sigh adoption papers," he said taking a step forward, "you didn't come here to unite me and Alex, you came here because your new husband wants an instant family and you're all but too eager to give him my daughter."
"It's not like that," Gabriella said in annoyance, "we just figured that with everything going on in your life you wouldn't want to deal with a kid." Gabriella tossed her hands up in the air, "Damn it Troy, I had no idea you would want to be there for her, let alone have anything to do with me."
Troy tossed his hands up as well unable to contain himself, "You've known me for 18 years and you didn't think I would care for my own child," he said in a low voice as he came close to her.
"People change Troy," she said shrugging her shoulders.
"Then you're going to have to take me to court. Because I'm not sighing anything that takes her or you away from me without a fight," he said as he step around her to head back inside.
"I'm not yours," she said shouted at his back. Troy stopped in his tracks turning to face her and Gabriella tucked her hair behind her ears before crossing her arms over her chest. "We share a little girl we both love very much, but for the last time I've moved on."
"No, you haven't," he said taking four steps to get to her, "You still feel the same way for me as I feel for you, we messed up the first time, I'm not going to stand by and let it happen again. No matter how stubborn you are."
Rolling her eyes and letting out a small grunt she looked at him annoyed. "I loved you once upon a time Troy. I was there ready and waiting in the shadows for 6 years. I'm tired of it, this was a two way street and for the last 8 years you could have sought me out at any time, but you didn't," she said in a louder voice. "You can't possibly be so stupid to think that I'm still pining away for you like an idiot. Why didn't you fight for me then? Why couldn't you be this way when I needed you to be?"
"Do you remember our first kiss?" Troy took a step closer and she took a step back pushing him away with her hands.
"Don't," she nearly panicked as she held her hands out in front of her.
Disregarding her request he took another step forward and she pushed at him again but he didn't budge he just stood there in front of her. "Do you remember the way I kissed you last night?"
Gabriella used both her hands to push him away to swat at his taking steps back all the way until she felt the tree at her back. Troy reached out his hands and wrapped them around her waist slowly pulling her towards him and pressing his pelvis against hers. The push in her arms got weaker, her resolve was crumbling with his proximity. He pulled her to him wrapping his right arm around her back to hold them closer to each other.
"I missed you so much," she whispered quietly as she let out angered breath. He nodded and continued to hold her. Silently they held each other for a moment and when Troy loosened his grip he pulled away a little and she let out a sigh. Looking down at her he leaned towards her lips and kissed her. Their lips gentle and soft against each other. When her lips parted he took the invitation, enjoying her offering for all it was worth. Every sound and shift happening between them was intensified.
She could never imagine wanting someone so bad, never imagine that she could feel so much of some through the simplest of touches. Being against Troy solid body sent a welcomed and much desired ripple of warm fuzzy feelings fluttering through her. The intensity of his kiss wasn't a statement it was a demand, it was an action. When he pulled away the violent cold slapped her in the face and she almost fell forward if she hadn't been able to brace herself on the tree behind her.
"Balls in your court Gabby?" Troy said taking a step back, "I'm more than willing to pick this right back up, but I'm not going to keep forcing you to do this. You know where I live and you have number."
Gabriella was taken aback as she looked at him with a loss for words, all she could do was watch him walk away. Her entire being stuck against that tree to afraid to make a sound.