A/N: Hey guys! I am so tired of having to say this…but I am truly sorry for not updating in over a month. It always feels that way, and I feel guilty for taking 6 months to write an 11 chapter story.
Yes, I said 11 chapters…which means I have decided this is going to be the LAST chapter of this story. I decided not to bore you guys by droning on and on…hehe. Yeah, actually, originally I was going to split this chapter into two parts. But I decided that it'll fit into one. :-)
And also, there will be no epilogue. Actually this is sort of an epilogue, because it takes place three months later…but of course we still have some loose strings to tie up. Sp here we go! And also before I forget, I want to thank EVERYONE from the bottom of my heart, for all the GREAT reviews! They mean a lot to me! Thanks!
PLEASE R&R!!!!
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Chapter 11: No Longer Scared Of Love
Three months later…
Gabriella set a few dishes in the sink, at the back of the restaurant, and wiped her hands on the towel. Smiling to herself, she taped up a new order, and then slipped her notepad back into her pocket. She looked up and noticed her mother standing in the doorway of the kitchen, talking in a heated discussion to the owner. Gabriella rolled her eyes and giggled, as she made her way past them, and out the doors.
She heard a large chatter in a very big corner booth of the place, and she raised her eyebrows in surprise, knowing that it was only nine o'clock on a Saturday morning. Casting her eyes at the table, her smile now went all the way up her cheeks.
Heading towards them, they heard their laughter die down as she approached. "Well, well, well…who do we have here?" Gabriella smirked, and sat down in the empty seat next to Chad, while rubbing his afro head of hair.
Before Chad could protest, the whole group laughed, and Gabriella glanced at each one of them. Looking across from her, she noticed Troy sitting quietly in the booth, his eyes boring into hers as she stared, and he gave a wink at her. Looking down and blushing profusely, Gabriella looked back up to see Taylor smirking at her with a knowing glance.
Gabriella rolled her eyes and her face turned back to normal color, "So anyways guys, what shall all of you be having today?" She stood back up and straightened her work skirt, as she took out her notepad again, and waited for them to tell her their orders.
"I think you know what we all will be having" Zeke Baylor insisted, and gave Gabriella a smile as she laughed. Everyone else agreed, and Gabriella just looked at them with raised eyebrows.
"Are you kidding me? You guys have come here every morning for the past five days, and you all want the same thing again?" Gabriella asked them shocked, and a whole chorus of yes's went through the table.
"Now, now Gabriella" Troy started in a playful tone, "Are you trying to talk us out of eating what we want to? Besides…make sure you know I want extra strawberries on my pancakes" Troy finished, and everyone roared with laughter. He gave Gabriella a smirk, and she just grinned giddily.
"Yeah, yeah I got it…sir doof-a-lot" Gabriella muttered, as she started to write down what she was used to by now. Troy just playfully kicked her foot, and she glared at him.
"Okay guys, enough flirting…it's about to make me sick" Sharpay Evans groaned, and Zeke patted her on the back affectionately. Both Troy and Gabriella turned crimson, and Gabriella made no note to look up from her piece of paper.
After jotting down all the orders, Gabriella clicked her pen closed. "Alright guys, I will be right back. Chad, don't set the curtains on fire" Gabriella said half-serious, and half-jokingly, and Chad just glared at her.
As she retreated, the gang started back up talking again, besides Troy who was too busy staring after Gabriella. Taylor side and put a hand on his shoulder. "Troy…it's been three months. Don't you think Gabriella has had enough time to get used to you?" She asked him, and Troy just shrugged.
"I don't want to push her into anything…I don't want her to get scared of me again" Troy admitted shyly, and Taylor just smiled.
"Trust me. She won't…if I know Gabriella like I think I do, she's ready by now" Taylor encouraged him, and Troy just smiled back. Everyone was now listening to their conversation, and Troy just looked around at all his friends who were nodding their heads.
"Well maybe it's a good thing I'm planning something today, isn't it?" Troy smirked.
--
Smiling to herself, Gabriella headed back into the kitchen as she set some glasses under the drink machine, and pressed 'start' on different ones, as the drinks started coming out of them. While waiting for the drinks, Gabriella glanced back at the kitchen door where her mother and manager stood, still talking, and she just kept grinning widely.
When the drinks finished, she took a few and put them on her tray, and stood up, ready to walk out the door again. This time when she passed, she heard her manage talking to her mother,
"So Lisa, I was wondering if you would maybe like to have dinner with me some time?"
She watched as her mother nodded a yes, and Gabriella beamed, biting her lip ecstatically as she walked backwards out of the door. Gabriella was even happier than she was as she approached the table the last time, and everyone gave her an odd look.
"Uh Gabriella…are you okay?" Kelsi asked her softly, and Troy glanced up and met Gabriella's shining eyes. He gave her a smile…and she just nodded her head towards the door, where Lisa Montez and the manager were walking out of, Lisa's arm linked to his.
Troy finally understood, and he grabbed her hand when she was near him, and gave it a squeeze. Gabriella looked at their hands and bit her lip again, pulling away from him, as she went back. "Enjoy guys" She called out from behind her, and went to waitress for some other people.
He watched her back, as she laughed with some of her customers, and she tugged a piece of fly away hair behind her ears as she wrote down another order.
This was the day, and he knew it.
--
Gabriella was walking towards her mother, and heard her flirting with the boss again. This time she restrained herself from rolling her eyes as she walked past them. "Finally, Mr. T" Gabriella called to her boss, and he just laughed at her.
"Thanks Gabriella…hey, you are doing great with the customers this morning" He called back sincerely, and she nodded a thanks at him, with her back to the kitchen doorway again.
"It's not that hard really…especially when most of them are my friends" Gabriella shrugged, and pointed to the group at the back table.
Mrs. Montez looked back there, and saw Troy talking casually at the front of the booth with the group, but occasionally glancing towards Gabriella's way. She smirked, and turned to her daughter, "Well honey, once you come home I want you to tell me all about your day. I have a feeling I won't be the only one getting a date today."
With a quick wink to Gabriella, Lisa turned and kissed her manage on the cheek, before walking out of the front doors. Gabriella stood there staring after her mother in shock, but then she just smile to herself.
"Good luck, Gabriella" Her manager grinned, as he retreated behind the kitchen doors.
--
Bye guys!" Gabriella exclaimed, and a whole round of hugs, byes, and promises to meet up later went around the room, and one by one the gang headed out of the front doors. Troy was the last person to be hug, and he just grinned at her, waiting until everyone was out of the restaurant before he did anything.
As Taylor left, Troy grasped Gabriella's hand and pulled her to him, squeezing her tight to him. Troy kept a hold of her hand as she noticed, burying his face into her hair. Kissing the top of her head lightly, he pulled back from the hug. "I'll be seeing you later Gabriella" He grinned softly, before slowly releasing her hand and walking out the doors.
Gabriella watched him go, but look curiously down at her hand, where a now crumbled up piece of paper lay. Opening it up quickly, she scanned the note, and just smiled.
--
Gabriella rounded the corner of houses, and stopped at the front of one of the lawns, noticing a guy sitting on a bench swing, staring off into the distance. Smiling to herself, she made her way up to sidewalk, and onto the porch, plopping down in the spot next to him.
Startled, Troy looked over and saw Gabriella sitting there. "Hey there, stranger" He said to her, taking this opportunity to lay his hand on the back of the swing, very close to wrapping around Gabriella's arms.
Gabriella giggled, and rolled her eyes. "Well you left me a note in my hand telling me to come here…so here I am" She said perkily, folding her hands together in her lap.
"Well…" Troy droned out, and Gabriella hit him on the chest. Troy chuckled, "Alright, so I asked you to meet me because well…we haven't had too much time to spend together lately…and I wanted to tell you something."
Gabriella was now looking at him curiously, her heart speeding up. "What?"
Troy looked up to the sky and then back down to meet Gabriella's eyes again. "I just wanted to say that, the way you've handled things these past few months, that I'm…very proud of you" He told her straight up, never taking his eyes off her. "I mean, I know it hasn't been the easiest time for you and I hope…"
Gabriella placed two fingers upon Troy's lips and gave him a watery smile. "I get it Troy. Thank you…I'm very proud of myself actually" She started, her eyes now boring into his again, "Moving to Albuquerque was the best thing that ever happened to me though…my mother is finally happy with someone…someone that is like a father figure to me. And then all my friends who have always supported me…and of course you."
Gabriella nudged him, and he just looked down smiling, scratching the back of his neck. "I mean it Troy…I'm blessed to have what I have."
Troy looked into her eyes with all the love he could muster, and gently unfolded her hands and took them into his. "Gabriella…I'm really blessed to have you, too" He whispered softly, and she saw herself cracking a smile.
She reached up to touch Troy's cheek, and kept her hand placed there, as Troy wrapped an arm around her petite frame. Both succumbing what was a moment away, they closed their eyes instinctively, leaving forward and meeting each other's lips.
They kissed like there was no tomorrow…and no more pain of the past. And that was because they both knew that the past didn't matter anymore…and no one should ever have to concentrate on anything but what was happening right at that moment.
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And the end!!! Wow, thank you guys so much for the support in this story…it was very much appreciated! I hope the ending wasn't too clichéd…I tried to make it different from other endings of my story.
Like I said, that was the LAST chapter, and there will be no epilogue. Just because I think it's not needed for this. :-)
Anyways, I am well into my new story, and I already have a few chapters written! So it should not be too long until I get the trailer posted for that. I am actually going to write all of the story before I post it…so I won't disappoint you guys anymore.
In the meantime, I hope you have enjoyed this story, and there might be some future one-shots coming up! Thanks again guys!
PLEASE REVIEW:-)