March rolled in and the two were going strong, stronger than ever. They spent some nights at the bar, and others back at either of their houses. But tonight, it was a bar night. He held her hand as they walked into the bar. She smiled walking to their seats greeting Sharpay and Chad.
"Hey guys!" Troy announced looking at them all. Gabriella backed herself into him feeling his hands wrap around her waist protectively. Something Pat would never do.
"How was work?!" Gabriella asked Chad.
"Rough." Chad grimaced. "We're not doing well so we need to pick up our game." He said.
"Yeah you guys are close to having the worst record in the league." Gabriella said popping a peanut in her mouth. Troy chuckled kissing her hair. Troy bent over and rested his head on her shoulder.
"One more hour and we can go back and watch movies?" He asked her kissing her cheek.
"Well I sure hope so." She said taking a sip of her beer.
"Good." He said kissing her neck.
She woke up the next morning with two strong arms around her waist. She sighed forgetting to remind him to leave after they had sex. He said he was going to close his eyes for ten minutes and now he just ended up sleeping over. She sighed yawning, trying to grab some blankets that he was hogging. He pulled them back from her. She opened her eyes groaning.
"Troy Alexander." She said sternly turning around to face him. He snuggled his face into her neck. "Give me the blankets." She said hitting him.
"No." He mumbled, taking all of them and snuggling into it. She hit him again trying to take the sheets back. He stuck his tounge out when she unsuccessfully tried getting them back. He opened his eyes and looked at her lie there defeated. He leant over and pulled her into him, wrapping them both in the blankets.
"Morning babe." He said kissing her. She kissed him back, snuggling closer into him.
"You suck." She said pulling back.
"I know I do." He winked resting his head on her chest. She sighed.
"How am I going to live with you?" She asked herself. He chuckled.
"You'll adjust." He said pausing. "Gabriella." He said smiling at her.
"Hmm?" She asked.
"Let's move in together." He said sitting up. She remained lying down.
"We've been going out for three months. You don't think its too fast?" She asked him. He lent down and kissed her.
"Nothing's too fast being with you." He said kissing her. So a month later, things began to change for the two. Gabriella and Troy decided to move in together, getting pretty serious. She didn't care one bit. They were close and she didn't care about time in her book. Anyways, things were getting busier at Angelo's and she was perfectly fine with that. Gabriella stirred the mixture in the bowl. She smirked dipping a finger into the bowl scooping out her batter. Troy ran in kissing her cheek.
"Hey baby." She said smiling at him.
"Hello there gorgeous." He said with a big smile. "So I just booked us a flight to New York." He wrapped his arms around her waist and resting his head on her shoulder.
"And why is this?" She asked him. He shrugged.
"I want you to meet my parents!" He exclaimed cheerfully. She smiled kissing his cheek as best as she could reach.
"I do too." She stirred the mixture studying its contents. She was so focused on the batter and trying to figure out a new batter for the bakery. She also had a rough day going home and spending time with her parents. Her mom was out of it and Gabriella didn't wanna deal with it. She wondered how his family aspect was hoping it wasn't the same bullshit she had to deal with.
"How was your moms today?" He asked taking the spoon from her hands and stirring the mixture. She groaned rolling her eyes.
"I'd rather not talk about the idiocy that happened over there today." She said with an almost growl. Troy raised an eyebrow at her.
"And what happened?" He wondered.
Gabriella walked out of the mall looking for her mom. She panicked a little searching for her. She walked slowly seeing her mom walk back and forth in a parking lot. Gabriella stood there staring at her mom scratch her head and walk down aisle to aisle. She felt her heart sink seeing her mom pass her car twice.
"She forgot I was coming when I left her calls and then she snapped at me. I took her her to the mall and she decided to go ape shit and forget where she parked her car." Gabriella huffed. Troy kissed her on the cheek.
"It's alright. She's just a little old." He said Gabriella smiled kissing him softly.
April was the best time for her to run in her opinion. Chicago weather was ridiculous but some days it was cold enough for her to stay in so she didn't have to run everyday. Then on the nice days like today, she ran briskly in the park to run over on lake shore drive. She started her run, trying to keep up with her mental pace. She felt winded so she slowed down feeling her body not catch up with her. She sighed stopping and walking off to the grass to avoid people running into her. She panted, feeling distraught and winded. She frowned thinking she was tired after 10 minutes. She knew she was out of shape but she wasn't this out of shape.
She sat in the doctors office with Chad, awaiting the news. The doctor walked in, opening her folder and beginning to talk to them. He frowned placing an arm on her shoulder. She looked up at him, nodding in disbelief. When he left Chad hugged her immediately, holding onto her. Gabriella knew that this was it. She sighed as she gave Chad a weak smile, as they both stood up. Later that night, when Troy fell asleep in her arms, she took the moment to slip out and leave, leaving a note on his nightstand, gathering her things and tip toeing out of his room, leaving their apartment. Chad was sitting on the couch when he looked up at her.
"Night." She said softly, shutting the door. He sighed.
The next day, she finished cleaning up the last of the mess from the party. She decided now that she could have a few parties here to help pay some things that she's going to need. She washed down the counters, cleaned off the tables, and loaded the dishwasher. She was ready to go home, just needing the keys to get out of there. The door opened quickly, seeing Troy emerge. She turned away from him, pretending to be busy.
"Gabriella." He demanded. She walked over bending down to get the frosting of the cake. He walked over sitting at the counter staring at her. She kept busy not looking at him. "Why'd you just up and leave?" He asked her. She looked up at him, looking into his eyes. She looked back down, gathering frosting on a knife and beginning to cover the pastry. "You left me a note saying that I don't deserve someone like you and that you couldn't do this anymore... How would you know?" She shrugged and he slammed his fists down on the counter frustrated. She took some frosting and tasted it with her index finger, pulling it back. He looked at her red painted nails, complementing her skin complexion. "I'm in love with you..." He said softening up, observing her moves. "I just don't get it." He said dropping his head. She sighed.
"I have cancer." She said frosting the sides of the cake. He looked up at her. She was calm, casual.
"Cancer?" He repeated shocked. She nodded.
"The big C-word." She said sighing, looking at the cake. It wasn't her best work but it'll do.
"Why... Why didnt you tell me?" He asked. She finally looked at him.
"I didn't want to tell it to your face." She said starting her story. "How would you feel if you loved someone and they had cancer. Troy, I'm going to die from this, I don't know when, but I will. And it might be sooner than later." She said looking back down. "I want you to have the world, to live and be happy with someone else. Someone else who could give you children one day, someone who can grow old with you." He grabbed her hand, pausing her from her job. She looked up teary eyed at him.
"I don't care if you have cancer." He said strongly. "Ill be with you no matter what." He said. She smiled at him.
"I appreciate that you care, but I'd be happy if you were with someone else." He frowned.
"You don't know what I want?" He asked her. She paused and looked up at him. "Maybe that's what you want for me, but I want to be with you." He said getting off the seat and walking over to her. "I just want to hold you close, as long as I can. Every second with you will be more than I've ever wanted." He wrapped his arms around her waist. She gave in, placing her hands on his hips. He looked down into her eyes. "Just give this a chance. I want to be with you." She looked up at him, his forehead connecting with hers. She smiled leaning up to kiss him.
She was 12 when she first heard the words, "You have Leukemia." She was afraid, she knew that this wasn't just a muscle pain in her leg anymore or a bruise that just came out of no where, it was a big deal. She got endless blood tests, and many check ups. She was staged in the Intermediate-Risk for Chronic Lymphocyte Leukemia. She went through chemotherapy for a year and other various treatments until she was given a new set of words that she never heard before. "You're in remission." Then at that point she was given the little booklets reading, "You've survived leukemia, now what?" And that was truly when she began living again. That's when she became herself.
And now, twelve years later, those words she never heard this time, "The Leukemia is back." Words she never wanted to hear. This time she was diagnosed in the High Risk CLL. This was it she thought. This time the cancer was going to win. So when she slept in Troys arms that night after telling him, she couldn't even think of what to do with herself. She was going to die. She didn't know when, but she knew she was going to. She felt a tear slip down her face looking at him sleep. He didn't look easy. She frowned trying to close her eyes and sleep.
So yes, this is what was building up with the whole plot. From day one she's had cancer, I just had to hide it. I'm back and this story is almost over guys. Please don't hate me! Much love, xo Nicole.