Ok guys I have three words for you – LONGEST. CHAPTER. EVER! I couldn't cut it, I was toying with the idea of ditching some parts but then the awesome Caro talked me out of it hehe – thanks so much for your help with this one Caro! This one goes out to you and your lonely mattress!
Thanks so much for all the reviews! I also have to say, I'm going away on holidays for ten days on the 2nd so I probably won't get to post again till I get back, coz I'm working all day today then packing all day tomorrow then have a new years eve party then new years day we're getting ready for the airport and flying out at 6am the following morning! Sooo I'll probably have a new part up around January 12th or 13th. Hope you all have a wonderful new years
I won't hold you up any longer – here is the LONGEST. CHAPTER. EVER!!! (It's seriously like double or MORE of my other chapters...).
Charli xox
Chapter 21
Maria burst into tears, reaching for the tiny, pale hand and kissing it over and over.
Troy rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. "Never, ever scare me like that AGAIN!" he told her again and again, showering her face with kisses. Tears slipped from Gabriella's closed eyes at the emotion in his voice and on her mother's face.
"I love you," she whispered. It took all her strength, but she needed to say it.
"I love you too, baby. So, so much," he was really fighting back the tears now.
She was far from out of the woods, Dr Zamitt had told them. She had a huge road ahead of her, but for now all signs pointed to a full recovery. Scans the following day showed that – as far as they could see – there had been no lasting damage caused by her dangerously high fever, and her blood cultures came back showing a much lower level of bacteria in her blood than had been present on admission.
Three days later Gabriella's fever was gone. Dr Zamitt told them that once the fever was absent for 48 hours, they could move back to the oncology ward. Maria and Gabriella crossed their fingers and wished like crazy.
Her fever stayed away.
Although every day was still a painful battle, being back on the oncology ward practically felt like home to Gabriella. She was back with the nurses she knew and two of her new friends – Aaliyah and Savannah - were both on the ward as well. Savannah was in isolation as she was undergoing conditioning treatment in preparation for a Bone Marrow Transplant. Aaliyah was in for high-dose chemo and pretty much confined to her bed, but she wrote a note to Gabriella which was passed on by Alison, one of the night nurses.
Dear Gabi,
I'm practically chained to this bed at the moment, but as soon as I am off chemo, your bedside will be my first stop. I heard about you being in ICU and I have been praying for you and keeping you in my thoughts. A lot of my friends at home have been praying for you too, I posted a prayer request on my website where my mom posts updates about me for my family and friends, and everyone sends their best wishes.
I hope you feel better really soon and can make it home by Christmas! See you as soon as my chemo is done!
Love Aaliyah xox
Maria pinned the note to the corkboard above Gabriella's bed. Whenever Gabriella was feeling down, Maria would read her the letter and remind her of how many people were thinking of her.
With each day that passed, Gabriella gradually grew a little stronger. By the time a week had evolved she was able to sit up for short periods of time and could manage to talk a little more, although trying to talk too much left her out of breath and exhausted.
Dr Zamitt started her working with Aryanna – her physiotherapist – again, to rebuild the strength she had lost in her legs and other muscles. Step by frustrating step, Gabriella inched ever closer towards recovery.
The road to recovery, however, was a tough one for Gabriella. There were many days where she felt so down and discouraged that all she wanted to do was curl up and cry. It broke Troy's heart to see her so upset – he was known for being the one you could rely on to be able to make her smile when she was sad, and he found it extremely hard to watch her suffering and not be able to make it all better.
He was pondering this whilst visiting her one afternoon after school. Her mom was outside getting some air, so it was just the two of them. She was tired, exhausted from physio, and not in a particularly sociable mood. As she shifted grumpily in the bed Troy's ring glinted on her finger. He smiled to himself as he remembered the moment she noticed she was wearing it.
Flashback
When Gabriella had first woken, it had not been for a long period of time. She had drifted in and out of slumber the entire day, and when she had been awake, she had been extremely groggy and disoriented.
The morning that followed she awoke with a much clearer head since she had slept off most of the sedatives she had been pumped with over the days prior. The first thing she noticed was that Troy was still there – he was asleep, his head resting next to her hand on the bed, his body seated in the hard plastic chair. With some difficulty, she lifted her hand – which was resting next to his head – and ran it through his hair. As her hand fell back against the cool sheet, she frowned and spread her fingers before raising them slightly off the bed. Realising what was sparkling on her ring finger, Gabriella's fatigued features were a picture of shock and gratitude.
Troy woke at the movement beside his head, smiled as he saw what Gabriella was looking at. Her eyes met his and she moistened her lips with her tongue, attempting to speak.
"Troy...what's th..."
Troy placed a finger against her lips to silence her. "The key to my heart," he replied simply. "It belongs to you."
End of Flashback
Troy covered her hand with his own. "Hey," he whispered softly. "Are you comfortable enough? Do you need anything?"
"I'm fine."
"Ok."
Silence.
"Are you sure you don't wa..."
"Troy..."
"Ok...Not even a gl..."
"Troy!" she pulled her hand from under his and rubbed her eyes tiredly.
"Sorry..." he said softly. "I just want to make you happy and I don't know how...I feel like I'm letting you down."
Gabriella's expression softened a little. "You're not letting me down, Troy. I just have...issues with myself. I'm tired and crabby, I know. But it's really hard for me right now..."
"I know it is, Bella. Just tell me what I can do to help you, and I'll do it."
"There's nothing you can do to fix it, Troy, unless you can wave a magic wand and take all this away. I'm so sick of depending on everyone else...I just want my life back," she rolled over so her back was to Troy. "I'm going to sleep now before my bad mood hurts your feelings."
Troy's shoulders slumped as he stood up, leaned over her and kissed her on the cheek. "I love you," he told her, before tucking the sheets around her and moving towards the door. He took one last backward glance before closing the door behind him. "I will find a way to make you smile again, Montez, I don't care what it takes."
A silent tear rolled down Gabriella's face as the door closed. "I love you too, Troy..."
HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM
Troy sat cross-legged in the middle of his bed, his laptop in front of him and hundreds of CD's scattered around him.
He was definitely a man on a mission – a mission to make his favourite girl smile like she used to.
And he had the perfect plan.
Over the almost-12-months they had been dating, music had been a big part of their relationship. It was what had bought them together and was a passion they now both shared. Many of the defining moments in their relationship were marked by certain songs that had particular meanings to them. Troy had lost count of the number of times a song would come on the radio or one of their iPods and they would grin at each other, saying 'remember the time when...'
So here he was. He had spent the last two hours here, trying to pick out eighteen or so of the songs that had the most significance for the two of them, as well as some that described his feelings for her, and the infinite support he was determined to give her.
So far he had three definite, ten 'maybe's', and forty-three 'possibly's'.
It was going to be a long night.
HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM
The following afternoon, Troy could hardly wait to get to the hospital. He had barely survived school – he had stayed up most of the night finishing Gabriella's surprise, and had only just managed to keep his eyes open all day. Tucked away in his school bag as he practically ran up the corridor towards Gabriella's room was a small silver disc, one that he hoped would bring some sunshine back into a life that had recently been filled with so much suffering.
The first thing Troy noticed when he opened the door was that the curtains were pulled over the windows, causing the room to be quite dark. He could vaguely make out Gabriella's shape, curled up under a pile of blankets. Maria looked up from the book she was reading and smiled wearily at him before marking her page, placing the book on the cabinet next to Gabriella's bed and walking over to him, gently guiding him out of the room and closing the door behind them.
"Bad day?" he asked and Maria sighed.
"Possibly one of her worst so far. She's just so miserable and down on herself. She had a really tough time with Aryanna this morning – she's still a little clumsy on her feet an it's making her just not want to walk - and to make matters worse, Dr Zamitt came in not long after and told her her counts are high enough now to have her third round of chemo and she can't go home until after that. She's been a complete cranky-pants ever since. I've tried being gentle, I've tried being firm but she so closed up right now...I don't know how to get through to her anymore."
"I've got something I wanted to give her that will hopefully cheer her up," Troy replied. "Can I try talking to her?"
"Go right ahead. Just don't take it too much to heart if she doesn't want to talk, ok?"
Troy nodded. "I won't push her...I just...I have to try."
Maria nodded and flopped down into one of the chairs in the corridor as Troy opened the door and entered the dimly lit room.
"Hey Gabi," he said gently in the direction of the pile of blankets. He could tell she had her back to the door. Her lack of reply didn't trouble him as he made his way over to his bed. "Your mom told me you haven't had the greatest day."
"Mmm..." came the agreement from the pile of blankets.
"Well, I'm...I'm here if you want to talk about it..." he probed.
"Actually, I would really just like to be on my own right now," she replied.
The words were like a knife in his heart, but he tried to keep Maria's words in mind. "How about your Mom and I go and grab a coffee, and then I'll come back and see you in a little bit?"
"Troy, can you please just go home...I really need to be by myself today. Just go...please?"
Troy's heart shattered a little more. Reaching for his bag, he pulled out the disc and his old Discman. Wrapping the earphones around both items, he placed them down on her bedside table. "I made something for you. It's on the table if you feel up to listening to it later," he leaned down and quickly kissed the only part of her he could see – the very top of her smooth bald head. "I love you," he told her, before hurrying from the room.
HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM
The ringing of a phone woke Gabriella later that evening. She was vaguely aware of her mother leaving the room to take the call as she shifted her position under the blankets. The CD and Discman beside her caught her eye, and she reached her hand out for them as curiosity got the better of her. Looking at the front cover of the CD, Gabriella choked back a sob as she read the title.
Troy and Gabriella: Our Story
-The Greatest Hits of the Past Year!-
Opening the case, Gabriella unfolded a small piece of paper that fell out.
To my Bella,
I hope you like the newest edition to your CD Collection – the greatest hits in the relationship of Troy Bolton and Gabi Montez! We met because of a song and since that moment music has been a big part of both of our lives.
This CD is a reminder of songs that have certain meanings to us, or mark memorable moments during our time together, as well as some songs that explain how crazy I am about you, and finally, songs that hopefully will let you know that I'll always be there for you no matter what.
So Gabriella Montez, I dare you to take up the challenge – press that play button and be taken on a trip down memory lane. Hopefully, by the end of the 18 songs, I will be able to find the one thing that has been missing from my life for the past couple of weeks. Do you know what that is? I'll give you a hint...it starts with 'your' and ends in 'beautiful smile'...
I love you, Gabriella.
Never forget that.
Troy xxx
Gabriella didn't even bother to wipe the tears that were already falling as she re-folded the note and pressed 'play' on the Discman. Almost immediately, Troy's voice filled her ears.
"Ok, track number one...let's see if you can guess what it is? The first time we met one thing I noticed about you was how amazing your eyes are. I can tell everything you are thinking and feeling through your eyes. You're my beautiful brown-eyed girl..."
The song began to play and Gabriella let the music wash over her, tears continuing to roll down her face.
Hey where did we go?
Days when the rains came
Down in the hollow,
Playin' a new game,
Laughing and a running hey, hey
Skipping and a jumping
In the misty morning fog with
Our hearts a thumpin' and you
My brown eyed girl,
You my brown eyed girl...
... Do you remember when we used to sing,
Sha la lalalalalalalalala te da
Sha la lalalalalalalalala te da
After a few minutes the song finished and Troy's voice once again filled the earphones.
"So, my brown-eyed girl...remember a few weeks later – fate had brought us together once more and I FINALLY plucked up the courage to ask you to be my girlfriend. This next song pretty much sums up how I felt that day and every day since. But what you DON'T know is, that first afternoon you agreed to go out with me...I TOTALLY busted out to this track in my bedroom...I was 'Walkin' on Sunshine'... "
Gabriella let out a small giggle at the thought of Troy jumping around his room singing, possibly into a hairbrush...
I'm walking on sunshine, woooah!
I'm walking on sunshine, woooah!
I'm walking on sunshine, woooah!
And don't it feel good!!
Hey, alright now and don't it feel good!!
Hey yeah!
"Then there was that afternoon we were watching old home movies at yours, and you singing 'Joy to the World' at church came on...and then I changed the words...I still think my version was better... "Chad Danforth was a bullfrog...he was a good friend of mine..." and "Jooooy to the world, Gaaaaabi is my girl! Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea, jooooy to you and me!!!" Ok...ok, I'll shut up... "
...If I were the king of the world
Tell you what I'd do
I'd throw away the cars and the bars and the war and
Make sweet love to you
Sing it now...Joy to the world
All the boys and girls
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me...
"Then there was the time we pulled out your Mom's record collection and had a crazy little dance party in your lounge room – just the two of us, going wild. Good ol' Tina came along for the ride, if I remember correctly... "
When I was a little girl I had a rag doll
The only doll I've ever owned
Now I love you just the way I loved that rag doll
But only now my love has grown
And it gets stronger in every way
And it gets deeper let me say
And it gets higher day by day
Do I love you my oh my
River deep, mountain high
If I lost you would I cry
Oh how I love you baby, baby, baby, baby...
"We hadn't actually said it then, but we knew how we felt. One of my favourite things about you is your smile, Gabi. I swear it lights up my day. And I've come to realise something in the time we've been together...I can't smile without you... "
You came along just like a song
And brightened my day
Who would have believed that you were part of a dream
Now it all seems light years away...
You know I can't smile without you
I can't smile without you
I can't laugh and I can't sing
I'm finding it hard to do anything
You see I feel sad when you're sad
I feel glad when you're glad
If you only knew what I'm going through
I just can't smile without you...
Gabriella was openly sobbing by this point, but she didn't care. Tears ran down her cheeks and wet the pillow beneath her as she heard Troy's voice once again.
"Speaking of smiles, I KNOW you'll get one out of this next track. Just think – you...me...junior prom after party...way too much sugar...not enough sleep...pretty sure sexy never left..."
I'm bringin' sexy back (YEAH)
Them other boys they don't know how to act (YEAH)
I think it's special... what's behind your back (YEAH)
So turn around and I'll pick up the slack (TAKE IT TO THE BRIDGE!)
Gabriella started to laugh through her tears as the song continued. All she could see in her minds' eye was her and Troy, in Chad's rumpus room, JT blaring from the speakers. They were in their own world, hyped up on adrenalin and way too much sugar. Troy was singing at the top of his lungs, and Gabriella was dancing around facing him, yelling out the back up lyrics. She remembered telling him that the carefully timed 'YEAH!' was the most important part of the song. And the dance routine...the dance routine they had made up on the spot was something worth seeing. A strange hybrid of the Funky Chicken, the Nutbush and the Macarena...Gabriella just hoped no one had it on video...
"Betcha got a good laugh out of that one, didn't ya? Haha...well junior prom signalled the end of junior year and the start of OUR summer. Remember that one week it rained CONSTANTLY and you were so bored that I dragged you out the front door and we danced and danced around my yard. I thought you were going to murder me at first but then I realised your screams were happy ones as we spun around and around and around..."
Oh my love it's you that I dream of
Oh my love since that day
Somewhere in my heart I'm always
Dancing with you in the summer rain
Doesn't matter what I do now
Doesn't matter what I say
Somewhere in my heart I'm always
Dancing with you in the summer rain
"Even rain soaked, you still looked gorgeous. In fact, I don't recall a time when you have ever looked less than breath-takingly beautiful to me. I would happily bet that you are 'the most beautiful girl in the world'...Actually...I seem to remember one afternoon during the summer...me down on one knee, doing my best Prince impersonation while you laughed hysterically on your bed..."
Could you be the most beautiful girl in the world?
It's plain to see you're the reason that God made a girl
When the day turns into the last day of all time
I can say I hope you are in these arms of mine...
"Then there was the time we went to see Hairspray together. And you spent the entire movie whacking my arm every time Link Larkin came on the screen, whispering loudly that he looked exactly like me. Personally I still don't see it, Gabs...but anyway, I bought you the soundtrack and on several occasions I have busted you crazy dancing around to this track in particular...bet you were imagining shimmying around the stage with Linky-Boy, weren't ya Gabsi...huh? HUH?"
Gabriella laughed once again at her boyfriend's commentary as the song began.
Cause you can't stop the beat!
Ever since this old world began
A woman found out if she shook it
She could shake up a man
And so I'm gonna shake and shimmy it
The best that I can today!
Cause you can't stop
The motion of the ocean
Or the sun in the sky
You can wonder if you wanna
But I never ask why,
And if you try to hold me down
I'm gonna spit in your eye and say...
That you can't stop the beat!
"The next song has a double meaning. I love to tease you by calling you Gabriella-ella-ella-eh-eh-eh...but you should also know that you can always stand under my umbrella...ella-ella-eh-eh-eh..."
When the sun shines
We'll shine together
Told you I'll be here forever
Said I'll always be your friend
Took an oath I'mma stick it out 'till the end
Now that it's raining more than ever
Know that we still have each other
You can stand under my Umbrella
You can stand under my Umbrella (ella ella eh eheh)
Under my umbrella (ella ella eh eheh)...
"Ok, so that brings an end to the 'remember when...' songs. I want you to listen to the next six songs, and know that no matter what you're going through, no matter how tough things get, and how hopeless things seem...there are always people right by your side who love you more than you'll ever know and who will stick by you forever. I should know – coz I'm the one who'll be leading the pack..."
The next six songs followed on from one another in succession, the lyrics blending together to knit a blanket of comfort and support for Gabriella, Troy's love for her shining through every single word.
1.
A million hearts are hurting cause they love you
Close your eyes and feel their arms around you now
Baby just like me I'm sure they're thinking of you
But know somehow this will all work out...
2.
I'll be there to comfort you
Build my world of dreams around you
I'm so glad I found you yeah
I'll be there with a love so strong
I'll be your strength
You know I'll keep holding on...
3.
Never before have I seen you look so blue
I can't find a cure and nothing comforts you
But the light at the end of the tunnel
Doesn't shine at the end of the day...
Every time you cry
Save up all your tears
I will be your rainbow when it disappears
Wash away the pain till you smile again
I will be the laughter in your eyes
Every time you cry...
4.
Sometimes in our lives we all have pain
We all have sorrow
But if we are wise we know that there's
Always tomorrow
Lean on me when you're not strong and
I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long till I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on...
5.
Oh, why you look so sad?
Tears are in your eyes
Come on and come to me now
Don't be ashamed to cry
Let me see you through,
cause I've seen the dark side too...
When the night falls on you
You don't know what to do
Nothing you confess
Could make me love you less
I'll stand by you...I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you...I'll stand by you...
6.
Pressing over me like a big blue sky
I know someone has me on their heart tonight
That's why I know it's gonna be alright
'Cause somebody's praying me through...
Somebody's praying me through...
Just when Gabriella thought that Troy couldn't get any sweeter, and that she had no more tears left to cry, Troy's voice once again played.
"Two more songs to go...This next song is everything you are to me right now, Gabriella. You are my star, my fighter, my strength...my hero."
And then a hero comes along
With the strength to carry on
And you cast your fears aside
And you know you can survive
So when you feel like hope is gone
Look inside you and be strong
And you'll finally see the truth...
That a hero lies in you...
"Alright El, here we go – the big finale. I know we're only young but I also know how I feel about you, and I love you so, so much. Sometimes it scares me a little, the depth of my feelings for you...but anyway, what I'm trying to say is...I don't know what the future holds for either of us, but when I see my future I see it with you. My endless love. It might sound totally cheesy and you better not ever let Chad hear this, but it's the truth – I love you, Ella. And I hope I've managed to put a smile back on that beautiful face of yours..."
My love,
There's only you in my life
The only thing that's bright
My first love,
You're every breath that I take
You're every step I make
And I...I want to share
All my love with you
No one else will do...
You'll always be...My endless love...
"Oh Troy," Gabriella cried as the song finished, pulling her Troy-Bear close to her heart and rocking back and forth. She was so caught up in her tears, she didn't notice someone come into the room until she felt a gentle hand rest on her shoulder.
"Hey Gabi...hey, hey what's wrong?"
"Mackenzie?" Gabriella asked softly, turning over and sitting herself up.
"Yeah, it's me," Mackenzie replied. "I just got back, for more treatment...we saw your Mom out in the hall talking to someone on the phone...Gabi, what's got you so upset?"
Gabriella allowed Mackenzie to pull her into a hug, new tears falling on her friends shoulder.
"Oh Kenz...I've done something really stupid..."
Sooo there you have the LONGEST. CHAPTER. EVER! Hehe. Hope you liked it. For those of you who are interested, I have typed out the track listing for Troy's CD if you want to look up full lyrics or download any of the songs :)
T&G's Greatest Hits!
1. Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
2. Walkin' on Sunshine – Katrina and the Waves
3. Joy to the World – Three Dog Night
4. River Deep, Mountain High – Tina Turner
5. I Can't Smile Without You – Barry Manilow
6. Sexy Back – Justin Timberlake
7. Summer Rain – Slinkee Minx (original by Belinda Carlisle)
8. The Most Beautiful Girl in the World – Prince
9. You Can't Stop the Beat – Hairspray
10. Umbrella – Rihanna
11. My Beautiful Friend – Guy Sebastian
12. I'll Be There – Human Nature (original by Mariah Carey)
13. Everytime You Cry – John Farnham
14. Lean on Me – Bill Withers
15. I'll Stand By You – The Pretenders
16. Somebody's Praying Me Through – Allen Asebury
17. Hero – Mariah Carey
18. Endless Love – Lionel Ritchie and Diana Ross
So there you have it! You can go make your own Troyella CD's haha. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, please review!!! Have a wonderful new years to all my readers and reviewers, and I'll see you when I get back from my holiday!
Charli xox
