Save the Last Dance
Chapter One: Dream Forrest
Gabriella was sleeping soundly when she heard her door creek open. Suddenly she felt someone walking towards her bed and then the person jumped. "Ahh!!!!" Gabriella screamed and kicked the person in the stomach.
"Oww!" the person shouted, then the light clicked open. "What's the matter Gabi??" Ramon, Gabriella's father asked her.
"Oh! I'm sorry Mr. Roswell!" Gabriella apologized. "I thought you were some robber that entered and tried to rape me.
"I apologize, I thought it was me and my wife's room. And call me Robert." Robert told her.
"Robert! How could you not know where our room is?" Robert's husband shrieked.
"Sorry, Nicole. I didn't notice." Robert told his wife. "I'm really sorry Ramon, Gabriella. I apologize."
"No it's alright Robert." Gabriella smiled. "Let's just all go back to sleep."
"Now, Gabi. Lock the door. How many times do I have to remind you that?" Ramon told her daughter. "It's not safe to keep your doors unlocked. Be sure to keep your doors locked also your balcony Gabi. What if I'm not here anymore? Who will protect you?"
"I'm sorry daddy, I forgot." Gabriella answered. "I'm going to lock it now. Goodnight guys."
Everyone bid off goodnight, Gabriella locked both of her bedroom and balcony doors and she headed back to her bed and drifted off to sleep.
Gabriella and her father, Ramon owned the small vacation inn called "Dream Forrest." It is located in the mountains of Albuquerque. People often visit their place because of the cool and refreshing scenery of the green tall trees during spring and the falling red and yellow leaves during autumn season, just like Robert and Nicole which, after their wedding decided to stay in the Montez's small lodge before leaving the next day for their honeymoon. Gabriella and her father managed and owned the place and she loved every part of it since she grew up in that house. For her, it's the most precious thing in the world. Gabriella's mother died when she gave birth so her father decided to give everything her daughter wanted. Ramon loved and cherished her daughter as it is the most precious gift that his wife left her before she left the world.
"Are all your stuffs down here?" Gabriella asked the newlyweds Robert and Nicole.
"They're all here." Robert smiled, "Gabriella, thank you for accommodating us and I'm really sorry about last night."
"Yeah, I apologize for what my husband did. Thank you Gabriella, I really liked this place it's so relaxing, I'll definitely recommend this to our friends if ever they need vacation." Nicole said.
Gabriella laughed. "No worries Robert. Thanks Nicole, and thank you for choosing to stay here. My dad and I really appreciate if you really do spread the word among your friends. And congratulations again to both of you, I hope you'll have lots of babies in the future and come and take your vacation here again next time okay?"
"Hey guys, we need to leave. You don't want the plane to leave you off right?" Ramon told the couple.
"Right Ramon." Robert laughed. "Honey, we better leave. Thanks again, Gabriella."
"Right, congratulations!" Gabriella waved at the couple as they ride their van. Her dad drove the couple to the airport for their honeymoon.
Gabriella went back to the house and decided to go up to the now vacant room. She decided to get all the linens and sheets and clean up the used room. Then she noticed on the bedside table two passports.
"Oh no! They forgot their passports!" Gabriella told herself, she called her father's mobile phone but unfortunately her father didn't answer his phone, then she tried calling both Robert and Nicole they didn't answer as well. She then left and locked the house and thankfully she found a taxi immediately.
"To the airport please." Gabriella told the driver.
"I can't believe you left our passports!" Nicole told her husband. "You are so careless!"
"I'm sorry honey!" Robert told his wife. "I thought I placed it in my bag but it's not here!" He was still checking their luggage just in case he placed the passport in there. "I definitely left it in the lodge, I'm sorry honey."
"We'll miss the flight!" Nicole cried out. "I should've placed it on my bag if I'd known you'll be this careless!"
Gabriella arrived the airport with a mere 15-minute cab ride. She immediately rushed in the airport and started to look for the couple. Thankfully she immediately found them near the check-in counter in front of her. "Robert! Nicole!" Gabriella shouted.
"Gabriella!" Nicole shouted back. She looked at Gabriella's right hand and saw two passports she was holding. "Oh my gosh! You brought our passports!"
"Yeah, I was supposed to clean you room when I saw this on your bedside table. Thankfully it wasn't traffic, I got here fast." Gabriella replied and smiled.
Robert closed their luggage and stood up and sighed with relief, "Thanks Gabriella, we owe you big time!"
"It's no problem guys! It's called service." Gabriella smiled at them. "I think you should check-in now since your plane leaves in half an hour. And I gotta go too, my dad will freak out when he noticed that I'm not at home cleaning the room. Bon Voyage!"
"Thanks Gabriella, again!" Nicole smiled.
"No problem!" Gabriella replied and waved at them as they went to the check-in counter, she walked backwards and suddenly some guy bumped her who was running away from two black guys in coats and shades, she fell down and cried "Ow!"
She looked at the two guys chasing the guy who bumped her. "Geez, he can say sorry on the way! He must be some punk that's why those big bulky guys were after him, or maybe he did something wrong. Whatever. I better go home, and I'm talking to myself!" Gabriella told herself. She stood up and left the airport.
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Troy was running from his father's bodyguards as fast as he could. He couldn't believe that his dad lied to him that he's sick and dying but then what he saw in the newspaper while he was still on the plane going back to Albuquerque that his dad is alive and kicking out some new business ventures for his company. When the plane landed, he immediately noticed two of his father's trusted bodyguards waiting for him. "That old man really wanted me guarded." He told himself. He tried to be unnoticed but to his luck the bodyguards immediately noticed him and followed him. That's when he started to run. He noticed the girl walking backwards waving to her friends but it was too late to warn her since he's only a few feet away so he collapsed with the girl but decided to continue to run since his father's guards are only a few meters away from him.
Troy Bolton came from a rich family. His father was the CEO and President of the famous chain hotels around the world. Troy didn't want to takeover his father's business. All he wanted was a simple life photography and basketball are his dreams. He went to LA just to pursue it but then his mom called him and told him to come back immediately because his dad is so sick and is dying any moment now. He told himself to read more newspapers the next time and to watch more news on TV so he won't be tricked like this. With a dead end, he noticed that it's now time to give up to his own game. The bodyguards were behind him and he smiled at them.
"Hey guys!" Troy smiled. "Long time no see!"
"Sir, we need to go now." One of them told him.
"Alright! I surrender, you guys win." Troy put up both of his hands and admitted his surrender.
The bodyguards took his luggage and escorted him to the limousine.
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"Gabriella Montez! Where have you been?" Ramon asked her daughter the moment she stepped inside their house.
"Daddy, Robert and Nicole left their passports on the bedside table and I went to the airpot to give it to them." Gabriella told her dad.
"You could have called me, so that we can go back and get it here." Ramon answered back.
"Well, dad. I called your phone, and you didn't answer it. Then I called both of their phones and they didn't answer as well. So I took the liberty to take a taxi and go to the airport and give it to them." Gabriella smiled at her dad.
"You didn't.." Ramon looked at his phone and noticed that he had one missed call from his daughter. "Oh, sorry. I didn't hear it."
"That's okay daddy. Anyway, I'm going to clean the room and you need to rest. You have a doctor's appointment tomorrow alright?" Gabriella beamed at her dad. "No you don't need to help me since you need more rest than I do. You're old already. Oh and by the way did you take the meds?"
"Fine, fine. Yes I did take the medicine. Can I put the sheets in the washing machine?" Ramon asked her daughter.
Gabriella glared at her father then her father sighed. "Okay. You win."
"That's a good father. Listening to her daughter." Gabriella smiled.
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"Mom! I can't believe you lied to me about dad's health!" Troy told his mother. "I'm going back to LA the first thing in the morning."
"You're not going back!" Lucille told her son. "Your father wants you here and you're going to finish your studies here!"
"In Albuquerque?" Troy shouted at her mom. "I've been studying in UCLA and you want me to study here in UofA can't you see the difference mom?"
"You're going to study business administration here." Jack told his son as soon as he entered the living room. "I've been tolerating you for the longest time, even though I'm against with your photography and basketball. You're going to take over the company."
"No dad! I don't want to!" Troy whined. "I don't want to handle your business, all I want is to take pictures and play ball."
"Playing ball and taking pictures will get you nowhere. This is my decision or else I'll cut all your credit cards and you're all on your own." Jack gave his son his ultimatum.
"Okay fine! I give up!" Troy shouted at them and left the room. He went back to his bedroom and slammed the door shut. He sighed and jumped on his bed.
He couldn't believe that his dad did this to him. He was never a father to him. He always criticizes all the things he did since he was a young boy. He never praise him whenever he gets good grades and now Troy is even furious that his life was being controlled by his father. The father figure he wanted to get from his father he gets it from his uncle, his father's best friend David. He was there when he needs some advices from different things in life including girls of course, but nevertheless his Uncle David knows everything he feels and he's like his second dad. His Uncle David is one the Vice-president in his fathers company. He goes by to their mansion from time to time whenever Troy's father called a meeting. David never get married and he didn't know why, all he knows that he is his dad's best friend since they were in diapers.
Troy decided to call his Uncle so he took his mobile and dialed his number. After a few rings, his Uncle answered.
"Hey, boy. How are you?" David asked Troy.
"I'm fine. I'm back in Albuquerque." Troy informed his uncle.
"So I've heard. So your father decided to take drastic measures and tied you down huh?" David joked.
Troy shrugged, "Yeah he really did. Well, actually, mom did. She told me dad is in his deathbed! So I rushed here and then while on the plane I read in the newspaper that dad just had his new business venture opening! They set me up and even enrolled me in UofA!"
"Troy, listen to your father. You'll inherit the company someday. That's why he wants you to study business." David explained.
"I don't want to inherit the company." Troy told his uncle. "You can have it."
"Troy, Troy. It's your fathers." David told Troy.
"Yeah, but I don't want it." Troy told him. "Anyway, I got to go. My mom's calling me."
"Okay, I'll see you soon." David told Troy. Both of them hang up.
Troy tossed his mobile phone and left his room. "Why are you shouting mom?" He asked.
"Someone's here for you." Lucille told her son. "She's in the living room. I got to go and meet my friends at the party."
"Who?" Troy asked.
"Troy!" A brown-haired girl ran and hugged Troy.
"Jessie?" Troy said.
"Yes. Oh my gosh, I missed you, Troy!" Jessie hugged her again and then cried, "You didn't call me when you're in LA and you didn't even tell me that your coming back. Thank goodness Aunt Lucille told me you're back!"
"I'm busy Jess." Troy smiled. "But I'm here now right?"
"Yes. And do you still remember your promise Troy?" Jessie asked him.
"What promise?" Troy asked.
Jessie slapped Troy's arms. "Ow! What was that for?"
"You promised that when you come back here for good. We'll get married!" Jessie furrowed her eyebrows from frustration.
Troy laughed, "I'm just joking Jess. You're my best friend and I remember my promise. You're my girl remember?"
Jessie laughed and hugged Troy tightly.
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"Dad! Come on! We'll be late for your check-up!" Gabriella shouted.
"I'm here! I'm here!" Ramon shouted back. "I'm ready."
"Good daddy!" Gabriella laughed, "now let's go."
Gabriella went to the driver's seat while his dad went on the passenger's side. Gabriella started the engine and drove in to downtown where his dad needs to get his heart checked-up. Gabriella has been used to this since last year when her dad had his first heart attack. Gabriella had stopped her schooling since they couldn't afford expensive medical bills. But this didn't bother Gabriella since she wanted her dad to be okay then she'll continue her studies in the future. She loves her dad so much more than her education, it's not that she's not good in fact, she excels in her studies but money problems and taking care of her father forced her to stop for the meantime. At first, her dad didn't allow her but she reasoned out that her dad couldn't do the thing he used to do like clean the whole house so her father slowly agreed.
They arrived at the hospital an hour later and both of them are waiting outside the doctor's office. Her dad went in and she told her dad that she's going to visit her best friends in school, which is only a block away from the hospital. Her dad agreed and went in the doctor's office while she left the hospital.
"Gabi!" Taylor shouted. Taylor along with Sharpay, Kelsi and Chad are her best friends. At first they also didn't agree with her decision to stop schooling but in the end understood her situation.
"Tay! Shar!" Gabriella ran to her friends and hugged them one by one. Along with her four best friends, she is also friends with Sharpay's twin Ryan who's Kelsi's boyfriend, Zeke who's Sharpay's boyfriend, Jason and Martha.
"How are you guys?" Gabriella asked them.
"How is my Gabster?" Chad asked Gabriella.
"I'm good, Chadster." Gabriella giggled.
"Dad's doctor's appointment?" Kelsi asked.
Gabriella nodded. "But I'll be only here for an hour. Then I need to go back to the hospital."
"Well, let's have lunch first then." Sharpay told them. "Oh Zekey-poo baked some cookies today."
"Wow, missed your cookies Zeke!" Gabriella told her friend.
"You can bring home if you want some, I made a lot yesterday anyway. You know how Chad, Jason and Ryan eat it all." Zeke told Gabriella.
"Hey!" Chad, Jason and Ryan shouted at the same time.
Gabriella laughed and all of them decided to go and eat lunch. After an hour, Gabriella went back at the hospital just in time that her dad came out from the office.
"So how did it go?" Gabriella asked her father.
"I'm doing pretty good." Ramon smiled. "Now, let's go home."
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Troy was relieved that he already finished his last class for the day. "My life sucks, the courses are so boring that I wanted to puke." Troy told himself. He went in his car and drove off the school.
He wanted to go off somewhere for a while so he decided to roam around downtown, all of a sudden a guy walked in front of him, with a sigh of relief he stopped the car before he could harm the guy. He immediately went out and check the guy is okay.
"Hey you okay?" Troy asked and then all of a sudden the guy stood up and took the knife off his jacket and placed it on Troy's face.
"What are you doing?" Troy asked.
"Give me your money!" The guy told him.
Troy being stubborn decided to fight the guy back. But the guy was too strong and he stabbed Troy in the stomach and pushed him hard and Troy's head hit the pavement hard, which made him unconscious immediately. The guy who stabbed him panic-stricken took Troy's wallet and also took his car and sped off. While speeding off in the highway the guy didn't realize the truck was about to crossed and then it hit the car, the car swerved and fell on the cliff, the gas from the leaked out and the car burst into flames and exploded.
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Gabriella was just drove off from the hospital, she was about to cross the green light when she noticed a guy on the side walk unconscious and his stomach and head bleeding. She was shocked and looked at her dad.
"Dad! We've got to help him!" Gabriella told Ramon.