Disclaimer I do not own High School Musical or any of its characters.
A/N: Thank you so much for all your reviews so far! This chapter is kind of a setting up chapter, but I think I managed to put some cute Troyella moments in. Enjoy…
Last Time…
"You guys know each other?" Sharpay interrupted unable to stand the confusion among the group.
"Well, since this morning." Troy said.
"Oh! How could I forget? She's the girl you caught before she fell down the stairs" Chad recalled. The entire table looked to Troy and Gabriella for confirmation. The two gave a small nod of the head to confirm. Jason, Chad, Zeke and Ryan smirked while Sharpay, Kelsi and Taylor just smiled. Troy gave a small, yet meaningful smile to Gabriella, who managed to smile back. This exchange did not go unnoticed by Taylor, who turned to Sharpay to whisper,
"Looks like Mr. None-of-the-girls-at-East-High-are-for-me has finally found one he likes"
Chapter Three – Life Is Never Black and White
Over the next two weeks Lily, Lucas and Gabriella managed to fall into a routine. On weekdays Gabriella would get up at 6 to take a shower and get herself ready for school. Then she would make lunches for all three of them. At 6:45 she would wake up Lucas and Lily. While Lucas and Lily got themselves dressed Gabriella would organize any sort of paperwork or anything that either the twins or she needed for school. At 7 the three of them would all sit down for breakfast which usually lasted 15 minutes. By 7:20 they needed to be out the door for their 20 minute walk to school. This left enough time for the twins to be a school 20 minutes early and Gabriella 15 minutes.
After school, Gabriella would meet Lucas and Lily at the front gates and the three would walk home together, except on Wednesdays. Lucas had joined a basketball club and Lily had joined an art club which coincidently both met afterschool for an hour on Wednesday. So on those days Gabriella would stay in the library for an hour after school and then walk over at 4 to get the twins.
Once the three arrived home, Gabriella had to go out to work most days, so the twins worked on their homework and entertained themselves. On Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays Gabriella worked as a waitress at the Albuquerque Diner from 4 until 7 while on Wednesdays she worked at Borders Books from 5 until 7. By the time she got home it was close to 7:30, they usually had dinner at 8. The three ended up sitting at the dinner table for quite some time, even after they had finished their dinner, just chatting about school and things. Between 9 and 9:30 Lucas and Lily headed to bed. Once they were asleep Gabriella started her pile of homework, which was usually quite large because she took so many advanced classes. On a very light homework night she would finish at 11, but most nights she was up past midnight.
The weekends were a whole different ball game. On Saturday Gabriella would be up early again to work at the diner from 7 until 11. The twins weren't up when Gabriella left for work, so they would spend some of the time she was out asleep and the other part watching Saturday morning cartoons. On Saturday afternoon the three went out to run errands, most of which consisted of food shopping. Saturday evening the three just spent time together, enjoying the peace and the presence of their loved ones.
On Sunday mornings Gabriella worked on her weekend homework, which again caused her to get up early. In the afternoon she worked at Borders Books from 1 until 5. When she got home the three had an early dinner and unless Gabriella had extra homework to finish they would play a game or rent a movie to watch together.
Although of nights when Gabriella wasn't up late working on homework she tried to go to bed early, she was beginning to feel the strain of it all.
--
Gabriella sat in the library after school one Wednesday, working on her calculus homework. Most people just assumed that since she loved science she would like math too, but truth be told, she hated math. She was very good at it but she hated it with a passion, it was much too black and white for her. She much preferred literature and writing. Her concentration was interrupted by Troy sitting down across from her.
"So this is where you go every day after school." He said. The pair had grown close, well as close as Gabriella would let him, over the past two weeks. They spent a lot of their time in school together, talking and laughing mostly.
"Just on Wednesdays" she answered, looking up at him.
"Why just Wednesdays?" Troy asked curiously.
"Because I'm busy other days." Gabriella explained looking down at her book. She could feel Troy's eyes burning a hole through her head so she looked back up at him,
"So, what are you doing here anyway? Don't you have practice?"
"Nope, it was cancelled today. I have no idea why but I'm glad of it. We've had practice until 5 every day since school started. I think we deserved a break." Troy explained.
"I think so too" Gabriella smiled. She looked back down at her book and continued to work on her calculus homework. He watched in awe as she furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to figure something out. Troy leaned over the table to see what she was doing. He didn't mean for his face to get as close to hers as it did, but he couldn't deny that he didn't enjoy the feeling. He stared intently at her, watching as she scribbled some numbers down. He'd never been this close to her and the desire to kiss her was stronger than it had ever been. Truth be told he was ok with doing so but he just wondered if she wanted to as much as he did.
"Math. Fun…" He said sarcastically, once he realized he had been staring for a while. Gabriella looked up and was a little taken back by how close his face was to hers. She'd be lying if she said that she didn't like the feeling of his hot breath on her face. She'd be lying if she said she hated gazing into his ocean deep eyes. She'd be lying is said she didn't enjoy him being this close. And yet she was too scared to act upon her feelings. She swallowed hard,
"Yeah, not my favorite" she admitted.
"Really?" Troy sounded surprised.
"Yeah. I hate math." Gabriella said bluntly. Troy moved back and took his seat, cocking his head to one side, looking completely dumbfounded.
"What?" Gabriella asked.
"I just thought since you're so good at it-" Troy began
"I would love it? Naw, it's too black and white. And nothing in life is ever black and white. It's always so much more complicated." Gabriella explained. Troy watched as Gabriella's face softened and almost looked sad. There was a silence for a while as Gabriella seemed to be thinking about something. Her eyes showed a sadness that Troy was beginning to see more and more often. He hated seeing her so sad and needed to figure out why and stop it.
"Well you're lucky that you're at least good at it, because I hate it and I suck at it." Troy said changing the subject.
"I could help you" Gabriella said quickly without thinking.
"Really? Like tutor me afterschool?" Troy clarified.
"Sure" That wasn't actually what she had meant, but she couldn't turn Troy down. He had been so kind to her.
"Great. Can we start today? You can come over to my house." Troy offered. Gabriella began to panic, she hadn't planned this.
"Um, why don't we just stay here? I have to go work at 4" Gabriella explained. Troy looked slightly disappointed but still agreed.
--
Half an hour later when Gabriella and Troy were still sitting together in the library Gabriella glanced up at the clock. 4:15.
"Crap" Gabriella muttered standing up quickly to scramble together all her things.
"What's wrong?" Troy asked, looking up Gabriella.
"I have to go. I'm late. I'm late. I have to go. I'm sorry" she babbled frantically. Troy stood up and placed his hand on her upper arm in attempt to calm her from her frenzy.
"Hey" Troy said gently. "I can drive you. I'm sure your boss mind if you're a bit late"
"No" Gabriella said quickly. "I mean – I'm sorry, I just – they – I – I just have to go. I'm sorry"
Gabriella placed her bag over her shoulder and practically ran out of the library. Troy watched as she disappeared from his view. Why had she turned down his offer so quickly? Who were 'they'?
--
Gabriella arrived at East Elementary a few minutes later, completely out of breath – she had run the entire way, terrified that something had happened to Lucas and Lily. Thankfully she found both of them sitting on the brick half wall chatting happily.
"Sorry, I'm late." Gabriella panted. "I got caught up with Troy"
"It's ok Gabi, we were fine here" Lucas assured her, hopping down from the wall just as Lily had moments before him.
"Good. Come on let's go home" Gabriella held out her hands and each twin took one.
"So who is this Troy guy?" Lily asked curiously.
"He's just a friend of mine" Gabriella explained.
"Wait. Troy as in Troy Bolton?" Lucas questioned slowly
"Yeah. How'd you know that?"
"You know Troy Bolton?" Lucas asked excitedly. Gabriella nodded.
"No way! He is like the god of basketball and his dad runs the basketball after school thing." Lucas threw his arms up in excitement as he explained.
Gabriella laughed, ruffling Lucas' hair.
"Are you sure he's just a friend?" Lily asked skeptically. When Gabriella had said Troy's name Lily saw something in her older sister's eyes that she hadn't seen in long time.
"Just a friend" Gabriella said firmly. Lily trusted that Gabriella was telling the truth, but she wasn't sure of was whether or not Gabriella wanted to be more than friends with Troy. Was she holding back because of them?
--
Later that evening, Gabriella was putting new books on the shelves at Borders. She hummed quietly as she did, just to help pass the time. Even though it was only two hours she was away on Wednesday she was always thinking about her brother and sister, worrying about them. She hated the fact that she had to leave them so often, but she didn't have a choice, they needed the money.
Once she had finished putting a set of books on the shelf she bent slowly down to pick up the box that was filled with other books to be put away. It was then that a wave of sleepiness came over her and she let out a long sigh as she stood back up.
"That quite some sigh Brie" Troy observed. Gabriella jumped; she hadn't seen Troy come around the bookshelf.
"God Troy, you scared me" Gabriella exhaled. "What are you doing here?" she asked.
"My mom sent me to get a Jodi Picoult book for my sister's birthday." Troy explained holding up The Pact.
"That's good book, your sister will like it" Gabriella said.
"That's good. So you work here? I thought you said you worked at the diner." Troy asked.
"I work here as well" Gabriella answered.
"You work two jobs?" Troy asked.
"Yeah, the diner would only give me a part time job so I work here part time too." She explained.
"That's a lot isn't it?" Troy pointed out moving towards Gabriella.
"I guess but it's ok" Gabriella said softly.
"Why?" Troy asked, placing his hands on the box that was currently balanced on Gabriella's hip.
"Why do I work two jobs or why is it ok?" Gabriella asked looking up at him.
"Both" Troy said simply taking the box from Gabriella.
"It's complicated, but like I said before nothing in life is ever black and white" Gabriella whispered, looking down at the floor.
"But is it worth it if it's that complicated Brie?" Troy asked, lifting her chin up with his finger.
"It's more than worth it" she said. Unable to meet his strong gaze for much longer she turned her head away. In fear that he would ask more questions she once again changed the subject,
"I have to finish putting these books away" she said.
"What time do you finish here?" Troy asked.
"7" Gabriella answered. Troy looked down at his watch; it had just turned 7 now.
"It's 7 now. I'll go pay for this then I could drive you home" Troy offered.
Gabriella froze, how was she supposed to deny this offer?
A/N: Uh Oh, how's Gabriella going to get out of this one? Hopefully I'll get the next chapter up soon. My goal is to before school starts back up next week, but we'll see. Please review!