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The next day, Troy arrives at Gabriella's house a little earlier than expected. He had spent the entire morning with the guys on the varsity team running drills, laps, and playing some games. Every guy on the team was putting 110% behind these impromptu practices and it made him proud to be their captain again. His dad hadn't even shown up knowing that the guys were so motivated that they were drilling themselves hard enough for everyone.
Mrs. Montez opens the door after she hears the doorbell ring and smiles at Troy who is dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and a blue and green plaid button up. "Well hello Troy. I don't think Gabriella is ready but come on in," she invites, stepping back to let her daughter's boyfriend in the house.
"Thanks Mrs. Montez. How are you today?" he asks, taking a seat on the couch in the living room.
"I'm well, thanks for asking. Going to the carnival tonight?"
Troy nods his head. "Yes, we are joining Chad and Taylor there. It's kind of fun having another couple to do double date stuff with now."
She nods her head in understanding. "I'm sure it is. Gabriella has mentioned you guys have started up practicing early for basketball season. How is that going?"
"Well, everyone seems to be in good form still. Is Gabriella upset that I have been practicing so much?" he asks, realizing this could be his chance to find out.
"To be honest, she hasn't said she was but I can tell she has been feeling a bit neglected. Gabriella understands your passion for the game and the team, she has her own passions in life, but I think she misses you when you are apart. That's normal in any relationship though, basketball star or not."
"I understand, thanks Mrs. Montez." Troy is about to ask something further when he spots Gabriella coming down the stairs in a pair of jean shorts and a cute yellow halter top. "Well hello gorgeous."
Troy stands up to wrap Gabriella in a big hug and kisses her lightly, keeping in mind that her mom is watching. She giggles in response and replies with her own hello. He grabs her hand and walks her to the door after she grabs her purse and hugs her mother goodbye.
"Remember Gabriella, curfew!" Mrs. Montez reminds from the door as she watches her daughter get into Troy's car.
Once at the fairgrounds, Troy gets out of the car and runs over to the other side to open the door for his girlfriend. Gabriella takes his extended hand and gets out, kissing him on the cheek lightly while he shuts the door and locks the car. "Such the gentleman," she murmurs, grabbing his hand in hers again as they head towards the entrance to the carnival.
As the two get closer to the carnival, the air becomes heavily scented with the smells of sweet things like cotton candy and the heavy odor of grease from all the fried food. "You know, these smells are making me hungry!" Troy exclaims, taking in a deep breath and exhaling with a smile.
Gabriella laughs as she shakes her head. "You are always hungry Troy, always!"
"Hey, is it my fault I'm a growing boy who works out often, which speeds up my metabolism even more? I would have thought you would enjoy having such an athletic, muscular…"
"Big headed, egotistical, oh and did I mention hot, boyfriend?" Gabriella finishes with a laugh. "Man, you really make teasing you way too easy now. Don't get me wrong, I love the feeling you give me when your arms wrap around me, but do you have to talk about it yourself?"
"Hi Troy!" a group of cheerleaders call over as they pass him by, looking him over with appreciative looks. "Looking good tonight!"
Troy gets a silly and goofy smile on his face as he returns their greeting with a wave earning him a smack from Gabriella. "Excuse me, girlfriend right here!"
"What? I was just being nice!" he defends. "Besides, I think in your little teasing you called me hot which is more than enough for me. Don't tell me you are getting jealous of the cheerleaders all of a sudden."
"Me, jealous, of those cheerleaders? Are you kidding?"
"Who is Gabriella jealous of?" Chad asks, approaching the couple with Taylor hand in hand.
"Oh nothing. Troy has it in his head that I'm jealous of the cheerleaders. Taylor, can you please explain to him that we both, you and me, are not jealous of the cheerleaders and are in fact, far from it?"
Taylor chuckles. "Well Troy, I would have to agree with Gabriella here. I hate to burst your bubble but we are not jealous of the cheerleaders for a few reasons. First, our individual IQs and GPAs are greater than the whole team put together. Second, we like the way we are, all natural without the highlights and heavy makeup. Third, they can stare all they want but Gabriella and I are the ones that have you and Chad as our boyfriends. Good enough list for you?"
Chad and Troy exchange an amused look and nod. "Crystal," Troy responds, wrapping an arm around Gabriella's waist. "It was just a joke, geez."
"Right," Gabriella drawls. "Enough of the chit chat, let's go hit the rides!"
"Where to first my lady?" he asks, leading the group over to the ticket booth to buy tickets for the evening.
"Ferris wheel? Ooh, they have that little roller coaster too over there I see!"
Chad turns his head in the direction she motions to and laughs. "Seriously Gabriella? The dragon one meant for kids?"
"Hey, I think that's pretty good," she responds. "Do you have any better ideas then Chad?"
"Duh! There are much bigger and more exciting rides. There's the one that you go around and around in a circle super fast and then backwards and then there's the one like the ferris wheel but the carts go upside down and spin during the revolutions and then there is…"
"Enough Chad, Gabriella looks like she may lose her cookies already just thinking of all that," Taylor interrupts. "Why don't we start slow? There's the haunted house walk through over there."
Grateful for the save, even though she hated haunted houses, Gabriella nods her head and leads the group over. "So it's a walk through and not a ride huh?"
"Scared of walking through the big old haunted house set up are you Gabriella?" Chad teases. "Afraid something is going to pop out of the corner and capture you?"
Taylor smacks her boyfriend on the arm. "Stop teasing her! So what if she's nervous about this place and doesn't like those big rides? They aren't for everyone you know."
"Naw, Gabriella will be just fine. I'll be there with her," Troy says, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. "Together, nothing can harm us, right sweetie?"
Gabriella turns her head to look at him. "Right, nothing in the world, even Chad!"
Chad rolls his eyes at the couple. "Man, you guys are so giggly, it makes me sick sometimes. Let's get going if we're going to do this!"
The two couples make their way towards the entrance and wait for their turn to enter. They decide to go in together so the girls could keep tabs on each other. Chad leads the way, Taylor following behind him while holding hands with Gabriella, leaving Troy to bring up the rear of the group. The girls shriek a few times in the beginning as workers popped out of coffins and creaky doors, causing Chad to laugh at them. In the middle of the walk through, Troy gets a devious idea and ducks behind a corner in a dark room before anyone could see him.
Sensing a presence missing behind her, Gabriella turns around and realizes Troy is not there at her back anymore. Before she could get worried though she sees a spot of white disappearing behind a corner. She tugs on Taylor's hand and pulls her towards another corner of the new room, putting her hand on Taylor's mouth to keep her quiet.
"I think Troy is trying to spook us," she whispers as quietly as possible to Taylor. "Care to turn it around?"
Taylor nods her head and crouches down closer to Gabriella in the corner.
"Hey, where did everyone go? This isn't funny," they hear Chad calling out. "Troy, Taylor, Gabriella, where are you?" His voice gets louder as he comes closer and then softer as he walks by the girls.
"BOO!" Troy screams, causing Chad to let out a startled cry. Troy starts laughing hysterically and lets out a grunt when Chad lands a hard slap on his shoulder.
"NOT FUNNY!" Chad yells. "You could have given me a heart attack."
"Nah, that would have been way too easy to get rid of you Danforth. Where are the girls?"
There is silence as the two boys start looking around the room, inspecting all the corners and doors. No sign of Gabriella or Taylor. They move to the next room where another worker jumps out at them, causing both to jump back.
"Hey man, have you seen two girls come this way?" Chad asks.
"No," the worker deadpans.
"Gee, thanks for the help bud." Chad and Troy head on out to the exit and reach the outside with no success on finding the girls. "I wonder where they went."
"BOO!...NOT FUNNY! You could have given me a heart attack!"
The two guys turn around as they hear a familiar scene right behind them. "Oh no, you did not get that!" Chad exclaims, looking at an innocent looking Gabriella with her cell phone in her hand.
"Ah, the wonders of modern technology. Not only did I get that part but I got both of you screaming at the one worker!" she exclaims.
Taylor takes this opportunity to sneak up on the guys and push both of their shoulders with moderate strength. "Gotcha!"
Both Troy's and Chad's hearts speed up with the surprise and look at Taylor in disbelief. "Taylor, enough with surprises! My heart can only take so much babe," Chad says, giving Taylor his puppy dog face.
"Aww, what's the matter? Chad and Troy aren't the big and brave men they tried to appear to be before the haunted house?"
"Hey, neither of us claimed to be fearless," Troy says, approaching Gabriella, who is still holding her phone in her hand. "Although, if we erase that little footage, no one will know our moment of weakness!"
He lunges for the phone but Gabriella manages to sidestep him just in time and slips it into the front pocket of her shorts. "Not so fast Wildcat Superstar! Besides, I already sent it to myself and Taylor. Even if you got to this copy of the video you would not be getting rid of it that easy," she teases. "Anyway, I think it's cute the way you tried to scare me and Taylor but ended up getting it in the end. Sweet justice to me!"
"Oh, you saw that huh?" he asks sheepishly.
"Yup, so busted! Don't try to play all innocent with me buster."
"Well, after all those scares, I think I need to go on some real thrill rides. Who's with me?" Chad asks.
"I'm in," Taylor chimes in.
"Me too. Gabriella?" Troy answers but looks to his girlfriend.
"Sure, why not. Just not that crazy spinning loop thing!" Gabriella responds.
The four run off to the nearest ride, which is the small but fast moving with sudden drop roller coaster and then to a few other thrill rides after that. After the fourth thrill ride in a row, Gabriella feels a bit light headed and sits quickly on a bench.
Troy notices and comes over to her. "You okay sweetie?" he asks, rubbing her back as she leans forward. "Are you motion sick?"
"Could be," she replies. "Definitely very light headed. I think I am going to sit the next few out. Why don't you go ahead with Taylor and Chad?"
He shakes his head. "No way, I am not leaving you behind like that. Let me tell them to go ahead and I can get us some food, maybe a pretzel and ginger ale for you?"
Gabriella gives him a small smile. "You always know what to do to take care of me. Thanks Troy."
"I'm here for you Gabriella, always." He leans down to kiss her softly on the lips before running off to inform Taylor and Chad about the deviation in their plans and getting some food for the both of them.
After munching on the food, the two get up and walk hand in hand through the arcade alley. There were various games there, including skee ball, balloon popping, magnetic fishing, and strength testing. Troy's face lights up as he sees the long-range basketball game. He approaches the booth and gives the worker his money for his three shots. One shot in won a small basketball whereas all three won a huge stuffed animal.
Gabriella stands on the side in amusement as Troy dribbles the basketball a few times before jumping up and shooting the ball towards the backboard. Swish! In goes the basketball without even hitting the backboard. She shakes her head in amazement as he goes through the process two more times with the same success. "Incredible," she mutters to herself with a smile. "Even with a tall basketball hoop he still gets it in."
Troy talks to the worker who then comes back with a large stuffed elephant who is laying on its stomach with a cute trunk pointing upwards and a smile. He walks over to her and gives the elephant to her with a kiss. "For my fair lady," he presents with a smile. "See, all those practices with the boys have paid off already!"
Gabriella laughs and happily takes the elephant from Troy's hands. "He is so cute! I'm going to name him Lucky."
"Lucky?" Troy questions.
"Yes, Lucky! Lucky because I was lucky to find the most wonderful guy in the world just as I thought my future would be gloomy and lonely at a new school." Gabriella leans in and kisses Troy on the left cheek, then the right cheek, and finally on the mouth. "Thank you."
"Ah, you are very welcome," he replies, leaning down and kissing her again.
"Although, I have to say, I was a bit cheesy there huh?" she asks, pulling away.
Troy holds up his right hand and positions his thumb and index finger a little bit apart. "Truthfully, yes, a bit, but only by about this much."
Gabriella laughs and playfully smacks him on the arm. "What in the world am I ever going to do without you Bolton?"
"Hopefully you will never have to find out," he murmurs back before leaning down for another kiss.