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The next morning, Gabriella woke to a rapping on her windows. She painfully opened her eyes and turned her head to the right to see a sweaty Troy standing out on her balcony. Gabriella checked her clock on her dresser and saw that it was only 9:00. 'What in the world is he doing up this early and already sweaty?'
As soon as she opens the doors, Troy comes rushing inside, sweeping her up in a huge hug, kissing her on the lips briefly and smiling at her. "Good morning sunshine!"
Gabriella scrunches up her nose at his not so pleasant scent as he puts her down. "Troy, what have you been doing? You smell like you just got done with a major practice!"
"I knew you were a smartie!" he jokes, smiling bigger at her. "The guys and I met at 6:30 for an intense run and then played a couple of scrimmages. Gotta keep our heads in the game and all since we are now behind West High."
"Figures, only basketball could get you up and out of your bed so early the week before school starts!" Gabriella responds. "So, besides taking a shower soon, what do you have planned for today?"
He chuckles over the shower comment. "Now if that wasn't a direct instruction to shower, I don't know what it was. Well, after I shower, I was thinking we could go spend some time with the gang down at the water. Zeke, Jason, and Chad talked me into thinking it was a good idea, to spend a day down there, having fun and cooling off. We are, of course, going to go running while we are there but the girls should be there to keep you occupied too."
"Here we go again," she says. "All right, I'll go join the other basketball groupies so we can keep each other company while you boys sweat it out. Oh, speaking of, you up for carnival time with Chad and Taylor tomorrow evening?"
Troy nods his head. "Sure thing. And you aren't just a basketball groupie, those are called cheerleaders Gabriella. You, my sweet, are my girlfriend and will always be important in my life."
Gabriella smiles at this. "You really have become a sweet talker. All right, you win. We'll go to the water, I'll swoon as your girlfriend as you go workout with your buddies, and we will hit the carnival tomorrow. Pick me up in an hour?"
"You bet," he responds, giving her another quick kiss before disappearing over the balcony railing.
'One day, he may decide the front door is a better avenue…one day,' she thinks, chuckling to herself. 'Now, what to wear…'
The gang all congregated down at their usual spot near the water, a spot that was pretty empty of people because it was farther down the road than the usual hang out spots for people to enjoy the outdoors and the water. The girls, which consisted of Gabriella, Taylor, and Kelsi, spread out their blankets and towels on the ground and pull out the chairs the guys had left folded nearby before going off for their run.
"Now, remind me of something. Why are we the ones that always get suckered into setting up and cleaning up everything?" Taylor asks. "I mean, the guys can do this too!"
Kelsi laughs at Taylor. "You know, they can, but none of them want to. Unless it involves sports, they really don't exert themselves much do they?"
"No, they don't," Gabriella replies, shaking her head. "Although, Troy has been putting his mind to work as to how to get himself out of jams more often. That does take some type of effort I think."
"What, the jams or getting himself out?" Taylor asks with a quirk of her eyebrow.
"Both!"
The three girls, once everything is set, take off their tops and shorts to lie down on the blankets to sunbathe. Seeing an opportunity, Gabriella pulls out her notebook and a pen and starts working on her current fan fiction. 'Now, Hunter and Sarah just had their first date, what's next?'
At the same time, Taylor pulls out a book to read and Kelsi pulls out her own notebook to work on a song for the fall musicale she was already working on. After twenty minutes pass, Taylor reminds the other two to flip onto their backs to get even tans, forcing the two writing to give up for the time being, allowing for them to talk.
"So Gabriella, are we on for tomorrow?" Taylor asks, closing her eyes and enjoying the sun.
"Yup," Gabriella responds. "Troy said that was fine. I asked after he came over early this morning after practice. Do you know they already started?"
"I had a feeling. Chad was taking a nap and looked to have been in deep sleep when I went over for lunch. These guys, if they keep this up, could burn out and fast," Taylor states. "I mean, I understand basketball is important to them and that the championship and titles are key to their success factor, but when are they going to realize that there are other things at hand?"
"Like us? I was thinking about that to be honest. Troy seems to always get a bit distracted in our relationship when basketball season is going on. He doesn't ignore me but I can tell, even when we're together, that I don't have 100."
Kelsi decides to chime in here and says, "Well at least you have your guys. Mine still doesn't quite know that I'm more than friendly interested."
"He still doesn't get it? Man Kelsi, I don't know what else you can do but ask Jason out."
"Which we all know is not going to happen. I guess I just have to have more patience."
Gabriella leans over and pats her hand. "Don't worry, it will happen. True love always wins out right?"
Taylor giggles at that. "You are such a hopeless romantic Gabriella Montez! Heaven help Troy if he doesn't live up to your expectations!"
As predicted, Troy, Zeke, Jason, and Chad came back to where the girls were still lying out, absolutely ravenous. A few moments before Taylor, Gabriella, and Kelsi had laid out the food, anticipating their hunger but had to roll their eyes as the guys continued to consume everything that was in front of them.
"Slow down Chad! You are going to get heartburn!" Taylor exclaims, taking a bite from her sandwich while keeping an eye on her boyfriend, who had eaten four pieces of fried chicken in less than a minute.
When everyone was done, the girls did their supposed duty and cleaned up everything, putting it back in the baskets. Everyone started feeling the effects of food coma symptoms and decide to take a few moments to relax before doing any activities.
Troy instantly gravitates towards Gabriella's side and wraps his arms around her waist. "Thanks for the late afternoon lunch. You girls always take such good care of us," he whispers into her ear. "I have to be one of the luckiest guys in New Mexico, if not the whole world."
Gabriella pulls back and smiles. "Well I'm glad you recognize it! I'm hoping you and the other three are done with your workouts for the day. You keep pushing it this way and you'll be down half a team before school starts. After all, the body can only take so much exercise and exertion."
He cocks his eyebrow at this. "Really? I guess my body is past the point of exhaustion. Too bad, I really wanted to kiss you just now but I guess it can't handle the 'exertion' as you called it."
"Fine, have it your way Mr. Bolton. I guess I'll just have to go and kiss some random cute guy down there," she replies, turning around and walking towards a group of teenage guys. She didn't get more than 10 feet before she felt a pair of muscular arms wrap around her waist tightly again.
"No you don't missy," Troy growls, kissing her neck. "I'd be way too jealous to share you with other guys, especially your kisses, your sweet kisses."
Gabriella giggles and turns around, wrapping her arms around his neck. She raises herself onto her tiptoes to better kiss him on his lips, deepening it as his tongue begged for entrance. They must have remained in that spot, making out, longer than they thought since Gabriella could now hear the gang playing in the water. She pulls away and looks at Troy with that special gleam in her eyes reserved just for him.
"Guess that's our cue to go join the gang so they don't think we are ignoring them again," she says, smiling bigger as she sees Troy's blue eyes full of such deep caring emotions that she could not help but feel that she was the luckiest girl ever.
She missed the change of emotions in his eyes though as he thought of a mischievous act. Before Gabriella could react, Troy scoops her off her feet and into his arms as he starts running towards the water.
"TROY!" she screams during the run. "TROY STOP! I DON'T WANT TO GET MY HAIR…" Gabriella's sentence is interrupted as she is dropped into the water and comes up to the surface sputtering.
"What were you saying sweetie?" Troy asks innocently before getting a well-deserved smack on his arm. "Oww!"
"That was the least you deserve for that stunt Bolton!" Gabriella screams at him. "I really didn't want to get my hair wet. Now it's going to be all curly!"
Troy pulls her closer to him in the shoulder deep water and sweetly kisses her. "But I love the curls just as much as I love the straight hair. However, there is one thing that I love more…you," he says, looking deeply into her brown eyes.
"Really?" she asks, returning his gaze.
He nods his head. "I finally figured out the name for this wonderful feeling you create inside me whenever you are around. It's love, something I know that I don't necessarily deserve but I am lucky to have with you. I love you Gabriella Montez, with all my heart."
Gabriella smiles the biggest smile ever and throws her arms around his neck to give him a huge kiss. "I love you too Troy Bolton, with all my soul."
The two remained in each other's arms, in the water, until they were both doused by a huge wave of water. Troy looked in the direction of where the water came from and spotted Chad, Taylor, and Zeke. "You are so dead!" he yells, letting go of Gabriella to pursue the two boys while Gabriella went after Taylor.
"That's it Taylor, you are so going to get it!" she screams, swimming after her best friend who is busy trying to swim away. Luckily, Gabriella's summer of lifeguarding was on her side and she caught up with Taylor in no time to dunk her into the water. Taylor came back up screaming as the two friends started splashing each other, hearing the boys yelling not too far away, also in a water fight.
Back on the shore, Kelsi and Jason are watching the teens and laugh themselves. "Looks like all is back to normal after a summer of drama," Kelsi remarks. "They all look so happy."
Jason smiles down at the petite girl next to him. "Want to join them?"
Before Kelsi could answer, Jason grabbed her hand and ran toward the water with her, lifting her up at the edge and letting her down gently into the waist deep part of the water when he got there. Next thing Kelsi knows, she is getting doused by water as a result of being near Troy, Chad, and Zeke who are still playing and again by the girls who were getting closer. She starts laughing and joins in on the fun, nailing Jason right in the face.
"That's it Kelsi, no mercy for you!" he exclaims, going after her. The air is full of laughter and screams as the group starts going after each other indiscriminately. Soon the sun sets, leaving the area in complete darkness, a signal that they all had to say goodbye to another fun summer day and go home.
On the steps of the Montez home, Gabriella unlocks the door to her house but pulls back to look at Troy one last time. "Today was special Troy, and lots of fun to boot. Thank you for such a wonderful time," she says, nuzzling her head into his neck, her favorite spot.
He wraps his arms around his girlfriend's waist and breathes in her sweet scent as he kisses the top of her head. "I did too. I really meant what I said today in the water. I love you Gabriella."
"I love you too," she confesses, pulling away from him slightly so she can gaze into his eyes. "As much as I love this moment too, I have better get inside. My mom will start wondering."
"Oh, yeah," he says. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow afternoon for the carnival? I'll pick you up around 4, that okay?"
Gabriella nods her head. "Good night, sweet Troy."
"Good night sweetheart," he responds, kissing her one last time before watching her enter her house and close the door. "I can't believe you are actually mine."
Troy sighs and walks back to his car and drives home. 'Man, am I whipped!' he thinks to himself with a smile on his face. 'But I couldn't think of a better girl to be whipped by!'