The Best Day
A/N: Here's the second one-shot. I know it's short, but these are just fun to write when I'm not working on Where She Belongs.
Hopefully the next chapter of that will be posted soon. ;D Please review!
Two: Noelle Alyssa Says Her First Word
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"Can you say, 'Mama'?" Gabriella cooed to Noelle, who was sitting up in her highchair, waiting for her lunch to be fed to her. "Oh, come on, Ellie, say 'Mama.'"
Since food wasn't being placed in her mouth, Noelle started to kick in frustration. She was hungry! Couldn't her mother understand that?
Gabriella sighed and gave Noelle a spoonful of baby food. "Alright, but, we'll try it again later." Gabriella fed her another spoonful and smiled at her little girl.
Noelle had really been getting louder and louder every day. Gabriella was constantly jumping at Noelle's sudden shrieks and screams. Troy was lucky to be at work for most of the day, while Gabriella felt like her ears couldn't take any more of the deafening sounds that tiny baby made.
Troy, when he was home, had also been trying to get Noelle to say her first word – which he wanted to be 'daddy.' But every single time he tried, he had failed. The little baby just wouldn't speak, and babies around Noelle's age had already started to talk.
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"Hi, Troy," Gabriella said as she heard the front door open later around dinnertime. She was finishing a few dishes in the sink when she felt her husband's arms around her waist. He kissed her shoulder gently and smiled before heading over to say hello to Noelle, who was currently in her playpen.
"Hey there, Ellie, have you said 'daddy' yet?" Troy said playfully as he softly tickled her sides and she giggled, grinning up at her father and waving her hands up at him. "Alright," he said as he hoisted her up into his arms.
Gabriella started to set the table when Troy came back into the kitchen with Noelle in his arms. "No luck today, babe," Gabriella smiled. "And her first word will be 'mommy', not 'daddy'."
"Really?" Troy laughed. "Don't be so sure. I'm spending as much time with her as you are. Her first word will be 'daddy' and I will have it no other way."
"Would you like to bet, Troy Bolton?" Gabriella joked.
Troy walked to Gabriella, leaned down, and kissed her. "Actually, yes I would, Gabriella Bolton," he agreed.
Gabriella raised her eyebrows. "Are we seriously going to bet on what her first word is?" she said, checking the casserole currently in the oven and making sure it wasn't burnt.
"Oh, come on, Gabriella, for fun," Troy pleaded, pouting his lips and blinking his eyes playfully.
Gabriella smiled. She rolled her eyes and took Noelle into her arms from Troy. She grinned down at her baby and then back at Troy. "You're on, Bolton."
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It was Saturday, and Gabriella was out with Sharpay and Taylor for lunch while Troy was watching Noelle at home. She was wailing and screaming away, while Troy watched a basketball game – with earplugs blocking out the shrieks.
They were actually working fine, until Noelle crawled to her father's legs and started to hit his legs with her little balled fists. Troy removed the earplugs and picked her up, sitting her on his lap.
"So, would you like to try to speak today?" Troy asked her. Her blue eyes stared up at him wide-eyed. "Okay, I'll take that as a yes," Troy said. "Can you say 'daddy'?" Noelle stared curiously at her father. "Come on, Noelle. 'Daddy,'" Troy said. Noelle just gurgled and played with her father's hands.
"Okay, I understand. We'll do it again in a few minutes. But I will not give up until you say it," Troy said. "I'm not going to let Gabriella win this bet."
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"Oh my God, Gabriella," Sharpay giggled. "You and Troy are actually betting about what Noelle is going to say first?" She smiled. "That has got to be the funniest thing I've ever heard."
"Well, you know how Troy's competitive," Gabriella smiled. "It'll be fun to beat him at least once."
"Don't be so sure," Taylor grinned. "You don't know what her first word will be. It might be something you least expect."
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"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy! Why won't you say it?"
Gabriella shook her head and laughed to herself as she got home that evening. She walked into the living room and saw Troy playing with Noelle on the floor. While he was trying to get her to speak, she was nonchalantly playing with some of her toys, not caring one bit about her father. Troy threw his hands up in the air and surrendered.
"Having trouble?" Gabriella said as she walked into the living room and sat down beside Troy. He put his arm around her and kissed her forehead.
"Just a little bit," Troy chuckled as he watched with Gabriella as Noelle examined her different toys. It was amazing to watch her. She had already grown so much and learned so much – it felt like just yesterday Noelle had come home from the hospital with Gabriella as a newborn baby. "She'll never say anything," Troy said, exasperated.
Gabriella giggled and kissed his cheek. "Don't stress her out babe, she'll say her first word when she wants to."
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About a week had passed after Troy and Gabriella had begun the bet, and there was still no progress. Troy and Gabriella were taking Noelle to Jack and Lucille Bolton's house for Lucille's birthday that day, and when they arrived, Noelle was greeted by her grandparents. Maria, Gabriella's mother, was also there.
"She's just grown a lot in these past weeks," Lucille remarked, cradling Noelle in her arms.
"I know," Gabriella agreed. "Just think of it, in a few years she'll be in kindergarten."
"But she hasn't started to talk yet," Troy said. "Gabriella and I made a bet about what she'll say first, either 'mommy' or 'daddy'. We're still waiting."
"Well, you never know," Maria grinned, kissing the top of Noelle's head. "It might not be either."
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A few hours had passed, and Troy and Gabriella were still celebrating Lucille's birthday. Troy and Gabriella had secretly bought Lucille a cake, and after they had cut it and served it, Gabriella took out her camera for a picture of Noelle with Lucille.
"Ellie, can you give Nana a kiss?" Gabriella said as Troy set Noelle on Lucille's lap. Gabriella was about to take the picture when something stopped her.
"Nana!"
Gabriella looked at Troy first, who was staring, mouth wide-open, at Noelle. Then she looked toward her mother and Lucille and Jack, who were laughing at the little baby girl who was giggling and clapping her hands.
"Did she…did Noelle just…was her first word, 'Nana'?" Troy said.
Gabriella nodded. "Yeah. Noelle just said her first word…and it wasn't either 'mommy' or 'daddy'."
Jack chuckled and shook his head. "Guess neither of you won the bet."
Troy and Gabriella stared at each other and smiled. "I guess you're right," they said together.
A/N: Please review and read my other story! .x