A Curious Soul Wanders the Earth

A/N - Okay, so I'll continued to put chapter up, but I won't like it. No one is reviewing my story and so I think it's a dud, a horrible piece. I might take it off. ): Now I'm sad.

June 2nd, 1968
Richmond, Virginia
The Bolton Boarding House

Troy Bolton

As soon as I woke up I performed my daily routine. Get up, wash up and brush my teeth, and then throw on some clothes. I had never done anything extra or fancy, except on special occasions. And I counted today as a special occasion. Today Hattie and I were taking Gabriella Montez shopping. And I wanted to look best for her. I scrubbed and washed my hair four times and combed through it thoroughly more times than Hattie could count. Hattie then came in and rubbed shaving cream on my stubby face. She had giggled and said I looked a bit like Santa Claus. After shaving carefully I pulled on a white button-up shirt and some fancy black pants. Hattie had said I looked like a prince.

After double checking me over, Hattie and I finally descended down the steps. Sweet sizzling bacon filled my nostrils and eggs crackled and popped. I walked into the kitchen and my eyes widened when I saw Gabriella Montez stood at the stove hurriedly flipping bacon and eggs. Jenna was leaned against the counter, her eyebrow quirked. When she spotted Hattie and me, she shrugged her thin shoulders. "She had insisted upon it, Mr. Bolton. But she is a very good cook, I can tell you that."

Gabriella turned at our chatter. I could've sworn I saw her eye light up, but Ii would not have known if it were for me or Hattie. She has grown a special bonding with Hattie, but I would wish that her eyes sparkled for me. "Good morning, Gabriella," I said smoothly. Gabriella fixed her mocha eyes on me and her smiled widened. "Good morning, Troy. I, uh, decided that I can show my gratitude by cooking a meal for the family. I cooked everyday back in Cincinnati. I hope you don't mind…"

"What a kind lady!" Hattie exclaims, grinning widely. "Oh, what kind manners and thankfulness. Oh, friend, you're dandy. You're one of the kindest, greatest friends I've ever landed upon."

Gabriella smiled. "Thank you, Hattie. I could say that about you and more."

"It looks delicious, Gabriella," I said to her. "Thank you." Gabriella just shrugged and turned back around. I couldn't help but let my eyes drop and lift to examine her. She wore a pretty floral dress with adorable heels. I assumed she had borrowed it from Bernice since Bernice owned floral dresses, dress shirts and tunics galore. "Do you need any help?" Jenna quipped. Gabriella nodded and instructed what she would need help with. I leaned against the marble counter watching her. I felt a tug at my pants and glanced down. Hattie looked up at me carefully. Then she whispered, "Are you, sir, in love with Miss Gabriella Montez? It sure does look like it, it does."

I look quickly up at Gabriella to make sure she hadn't heard. She hadn't, she was too busy chatting and cooking with Jenna. My eyes swoop down to Hattie and I shake my head vigorously. "Don't be foolish, Hattie," I hissed. "I've known her for twenty-four hours."

"Well, then. Do you fancy Miss Gabriella Montez?" Hattie is on the balls of her toes, her hands planted against the hard counter tops. She stares up at me steadily with beady eyes. Once again I stare at Gabriella, but she is still busy. My eyes lower to Hattie again. "She's a nice woman," I say. "Now go sit and get ready for breakfast. In other words: Leave me alone, we are done this conversation. Hattie grins and runs off. Mom walks into the kitchen right after that. She is neatly wrapped in a gown and her hair is in a nice up 'do. Jenna and Gabriella turn at her arrival. "Mrs. Bolton, you look lovely," she compliments sincerely. Mom glances down and grins. "Why, thank you, Gabriella. You're looking divine yourself. I've got a ball gathering today. And you can call me June, remember? I feel old known as Mrs. Bolton."

I give her a pointed look. "Mom, you are old," I insist. Mom scoffs and Gabriella and Jenna giggles. Then suddenly there was a screech and a sound like glass being broken wavered in the distance. We all fled from the kitchen. Nana stood at the dining room table with glasses smashed and thrashed at her feet. Hattie stood on the table, her dress wet and stained. "Harriet Gwendolyn Bolton!" Nana screeches angrily. "You come down from there this instant! I can't believe you knocked over all of those glasses!" Hattie doesn't oblige. She dances around on the table instead, giddily laughing. "Hattie, get down now before you hurt yourself," dad ordered as he swooped into the kitchen. The Kenly family and Bernice and Mrs. Ivory were right behind him. "Oh, goodness Lord," Mrs. Ivory chirps. "What happened in here, Louise?"

"For goodness sakes, Mrs. Ivory," Nana says, craning her neck to see the older women. Hattie jumps from the table, making more glasses fall and shatter. "I am here, Grammie," Hattie says, stepping next to Mrs. Ivory. "Breakfast is almost ready, fair Maiden Jeannette Ivory. Would you like to travel a dangerous voyage across the Great Plains to get our bellies full and mouths slightly dirty?" Hattie lends a small hand out. Mrs. Ivory's lips tugs into a toothy grin. I laugh and so does everyone else. All except for Nana who is fuming and looking around at the disastrous mess. "I will clean it up," Gabriella volunteers, holding her side from laughing.

"Oh, good. Fair Maiden Gabriella Maria Montez has volunteered to clean up after the dragon has attacked. Should we give curtsies and give our young lady a hand?" Hattie clenches her little hand into a fist and holds her arm to her stomach and then she bows. I do this too and so do Bernice and the Kenly family (all except Baby Hannah) and mom and dad and Papa and Mrs. Ivory. "Dear, Louise, when did you get so humorous?" Mrs. Ivory says, standing back up. She sits down right away because her skinny body begins to shake. "I guess I will finish our breakfast then," Jenna says. "Good luck to you, Fair Maiden Gabriella. Let the odds be ever in your favor." Jenna saunters away and Gabriella and I start to help clean up. Hattie prances around the big table like a galloping horse and makes gruff sounds, almost like sneezing. "But then the dragon comes back and Fair Maiden Gabriella and Prince Troy must take cover! Hurry, under the table!" The grownups and Baby Hannah stand off to the side. Nana had a disproving look on her face as Gabriella and I furiously crawl under the table. Hattie stands on her toes to make herself as big a possible. She lets out long, loud roars. "The brave knight will come to the beautiful Maidens rescue," I speak up, coming from under the table. I scoop up Hattie and she giggles. "I have defeated the dragon into a heap of giggles. Now, it's time to clean up so we can get ready for breakfast." Gabriella comes from under the table, giggling. Claps and cheers came from the sidelines and we bowed. "Bravo," mom says, chuckling herself. "Very good."

"Can we all just sit and eat and enjoy this fine morning?" Nana says, exasperated. I grin at her and continue to clean.

Gabriella garbs the broom and sweeps at the glass on the floor. "Watch your little feet, Hattie," she warns. "I once got glass stuck in my foot. It wasn't pleasant at all."

"Did it hurt, Princess Gabriella?" Hattie looks at her bare feet and shuffles on a chair.

"Oh, yes. It hurt a lot. I was eleven and I had to get taken to the hospital."

"That's horrible, it is," Hattie said, shaking her head full of curs. "Shame, oh, shame, what a shame."

"Gabriella, can you read this over?" Bernice asked, holding out two sheets of paper. Gabriella nods and grabs them. They're written neatly from a typewriter. It was titled "The Lost Diamond". "A black woman reported a missing diamond from her house," Bernice explained. "The police denied her because there wasn't a lot of evidence and they think she did something to it instead. They shut her case down and left her with a missing jewel." Gabriella nodded and read carefully over the article. It took about five minutes before she put it down. "It's wonderful. A lot of details, a lot of description and emotion. And a fine case of segregation and inequality."

"What would you know about segregation?" Nana asks, leaning over the table and steadying her beady eyes on Gabriella. Gabriella pulls her hair to the side and shrugs. "When I was in for the Cincinnati Enquirer there were a lot of cases on segregation and black harassment."

Nana narrows her eyes and lean back. "What else do you do?" Mrs. Kenly asks, cradling Hannah in her arms. Gabriella smiles. "I dance. I love to dance. And I sing and play guitar and piano. When I'd need money I'd sing on the streets or dance."

"Oh, you sing?" Hattie squeals. "Oh, joy! Oh, boy, oh boy! That is amazing, it is. It's wonderful. I like to sing, I do. Will you sing to me, Gabriella?"

"Not now at the table," Nana scolds. "Singing is for church. Now shush, Hattie." Jenna enters out of the kitchen few moments later. Hot sizzling bacon, croissants, eggs and toast lay deliciously on plates. She served us each equal sizes and when she came to Gabriella, she grinned. "I love your recipe for the bread, Gabriella. Do tell, how do you make it?"

Gabriella smiled. "Some secrets are meant to be kept secret, Jenna." Jenna rolls her eyes, but not in a rude manner, and stands back up. She smiles down at Gabriella once more before trotting off into the kitchen. "Does Jenna not eat with us?" Gabriella asks.

"She doesn't live here. She is not a boarder," Hattie explains. "So she does not eat with us."

"She's poor and filthy," Nana concludes. I frown. Jenna and I are friends. "Nana," I hiss. "She's not poor. Not everyone can have as much wealth as you."

"Not nice, Nana," Hattie scolds. "Not nice, not nice, not nice."

"Harriet," Nana says, glaring. "Hush up and eat. And Troy, I won't tolerate that kind of language towards me." I rolled my eyes and stuffed food angrily into my mouth. I could basically hear Nana's gears chugging off in her head and ready to explode into clouds of smoke and debris. But mine is too.

Gabriella must have sensed the tense air in the room so she let out a low, but loud burp. Hattie giggled and I laughed. Nana looked mortified as if someone had just been molested on National television. Hattie let out a burp of her own and then she and Gabriella belched for a moment until Nana stood and marched over to Gabriella. Everyone stopped eating and we all looked their way, anticipating. "June, David, I do not like this girl living here. Hattie cannot mature and turn into a right young lady if someone that is older than her is not being young lady." All heads turn to mom and dad. I could hear Gabriella's heart beating in her chest. She dropped her fork and it clinked against her plate. A beat of her heart. Clink, clink, clink…

"Mother, I…"

Mom trails off, her mouth open wide. I look to Gabriella. Her eyes have dropped and her face has reddened. "I'll leave as soon as I can," she whispers. Hattie looks absolutely mortified and if I had a mirror I would've seen my face with the same expression. Gabriella pushes out of her chair and starts for the door. I notice that she doesn't have any bags. And that's because she came from the streets and we're about to throw her back. Hattie tires to stand, but Nana holds her back. "This place needs order again," Nana hisses. The door closes loudly behind Gabriella and the house is still and quiet…

…Until Hattie lets out a wail. She flings her hands out, knocking over juice and her plate. Nana gasps and backs up. "No, no, no!" she screeches. "I. Want. Gab-ri-ella! Her face gets hot and red and she starts to claw at the table. Mom and dad fly up out of their seats and Jenna comes tumbling out of the kitchen. Hattie kicks the table's legs and tugs at the table cloth. Juice spills over and food swishes off of plates. "Hattie!" mom gasps. "Oh, Hattie, calm down! It'll be alright." But Hattie shakes her head. She gives the table cloth one last tug and it's off the table. Along with everyone's breakfast. Hattie stands and she kicks the air. Her eyes squeeze shut and we watch astounded until she collapses on the floor, crying her eyes out. "I want my friend back. My best friend. I want her back, I do, I do, I do. I want her back so much."

Mom crouches besides Hattie who is now crying. She doesn't' look angry. She just looks sad and broken. Mom looks up at Nana, then at Hattie and then at me. "Go get Gabriella, Troy. We need her here. Frankly, I loved her presence very much." My eyes widen. I don't wait for Nana's protest. I roll up my sleeves and dash out of the house. "Gabriella!" I yell, my hands cupped around my mouth to make a hollow sound. "Gabriella!"

"Troy?"

I turn. Gabriella comes from out under the shadows in front of the house. "I'm sorry," she apologizes. "I'll move. I'm just trying to figure out where I go from now." My heart breaks at the sight of tear stains on her cheeks. She had cried. Probably as much as Hattie. I shake my head and pulled her into a hug. "No, you don't have to figure anything out. Because you're staying here with us." Gabriella gasps.

"You mean at the boarding house? But Nana…"

"Who gives a damn?" I swore. "Nana is uptight and rude. She doesn't own us, we can do whatever. Plus, Hattie made quite a scene when you left."

"She really has grown attached to me, hasn't she?" she asks. I nod and her arms wound around m middle. I am too afraid to admit it, but I have grown attached to Gabriella as well. More than I'd like to admit.

June 2nd, 1968
Richmond, Virginia
The Bolton Boarding House

Troy Bolton

After me and Gabriella walked back into the boarding house. I was reluctant. I knew Nana wasn't fond of her. I think she hated Gabriella, actually. We walked into the dining room and Gabriella gasped, like I expected. Plates were scatted everywhere, broken. Glasses were, too. Food was smeared onto the floor and the table cloth was dirty and disgusting. Hattie was clawing at the floorboards with forks, making hideous marks. "Hattie!" she gasp. "Don't do that! The dragon won't be pleased." Hattie looks up, her eyes wide. She jumps up and runs to Gabriella, her small, skinny arms wrapping around her middle. Gabriella smiles and hug her back.

"Gabriella! You're back, oh, you're back! Time to celebrate! Mommy, get my best dress. Troy, polish my shoes. Daddy, comb my hair! We must get ready and prepare for the ball tonight!" Hattie grabs Gabriella hands and spins them around. Gabriella giggles and hugs Hattie tightly. "Don't worry, Hattie. I'm going to stay."

"Oh, you better. I've made a mess, Gabriella. A big one. But I will clean it up!" Hattie turns, but Gabriella grabs her and spins her around. "No. I've got it. Go play or watch TV. Princesses do have to sometime relax."

"I'm a princess?" Hattie asks. "But I'm not as pretty as you!"

"Whoever told you that is blind. You're what beauty is, Hattie. Now go, take a rest." Hattie smiles and trots off along with the boarders, Jenna and mom and dad. That left us with Gabriella and me. Gabriella sighed and dropped to the floor to pick up the broken shards and squashed food. "Mom will have someone clean it, you know," I inform her. I grab her arm and help her up. We stand here for a moment. My hand on her arm, our eyes connected. I've noticed her eyes and they're beautiful, but something about them now makes me want to drop to my knees and be her servant forever. They were sultry, twinkly. "Does the prince wish to accompany me on a stroll outside?" she says, her voice soft and humble. I grab her hand and nod. "As long as the princess gives me a kiss." Gabriella's eyes flitter across my face. I see them stammer on my lips, but she doesn't kiss me there like I'd hoped. She instead leans up, her hand gripping my forearm, and presses her lips to my cheek. She leans back and grabs my hand. "Is the prince ready?"

"As I'll ever be, milady," I murmur. As we walk outside I wonder why she kissed me on my cheek. Is it because I've just met her yesterday? Or does she not like me that way? My hand becomes clammy, but I hope that Gabriella doesn't notice. "I wonder why your Nana doesn't like me," Gabriella quipped. "I didn't mean to upset her. I was only trying to lighten the dearth mood."

I chuckled. 'Well, you did. But Nana is very strict. She grew up with parents from the army who treated her more like a solider than a kid."

"Must've been horrible," Gabriella said. Though she seemed distracted. I wondered about her childhood. I remember her mentioning she traveled a lot with her father. "Where did you go?"

Gabriella looks at me. "Huh?"

'You traveled with your father a lot. Where'd you go?"

"Oh. A lot of places. New York, Washington. Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, California, Pennsylvania, Boston, Rhode Island, Maine and so many more. I've even lived in England."

I gape at her. "Wow. That's a lot of places. Was it horrible?"

"Well, yeah. I could never make friends because I moved every year. Then when we hit Ohio I told him it was enough and he left me in Cincinnati with…" Gabriella trails off, her lips twisting, unsure. "With a guy."

"Who?"

"His…friend." She says friend as if it were a disease and then shakes her head. "He was a horrible guy."

"How so?"

Gabriella looks off into the distance. Then she changes the subject. "I don't know a lot about you, Troy Bolton. Inform me. I'm a writer, I'm hungry for information and details."

I crack a smile. "Okay. I like the color blue. I love the show I Love Lucy. I love to play basketball. I want to travel the world someday. And I'm kind of popular in school. Well-known. And, well…there's not much to me. I'm plain old Troy Bolton."

Gabriella smiles. "Let's see…Troy Bolton. You're a spicy, cool jock who's not afraid to travel a world of danger and suspense. You're a popular, handsome guy with girls hanging around you and boys wanting to be you. And you're not afraid to admit you like to watch I Love Lucy. I think I like you, Troy Bolton. And boys I've met in the past…aren't as wonderful and genuine as you."

I glance at her sideways. "You have secrets, don't you, Gabriella? I bet there are more than you than being the daughter of Fred R. Montez and being polite and beautiful."

Gabriella nodded, reluctant. "That's the only answer I will respond to for now."