I know I still need to update Coming Back to You, but I wanted to start this! I've had the idea, the basics of it at least, for over a year, so I'm excited to finally write it. I'm going to update a little differently, though. Because I'm notorious for not updating frequently, I'm going to try this! Lol.
So I am posting this first chapter, and I will see if you guys like the general idea and the story. If enough people say they like it, I will continue it! But, instead of writing each chapter and then posting it, I will write the entire story over Thanksgiving break, and then post one chapter a week, or two, or three. Depends! I think you guys will be happier with me in the long run. :)
PS: If you can think of a better summary, please let me know! I really don't like the one I have right now!
Story: The Road Not Taken
Chapter: You Didn't Lose Her
Rating: T (swear words)
Summary: Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is? Troyella.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.
The alarm sounded as the clock struck 7:30 a.m. Troy Bolton rolled to his left and hit the snooze button before it could wake him even more from the deep sleep that had encompassed him moments before.
Carefully rolling back to his right, Troy looked at the petite woman lying next to him. Her brown curls were scattered across the pillow in which her face was pressed into. Cautiously, trying not to wake her, Troy caressed her face, taking in her beauty.
Today was their third anniversary. Three years ago today, he had been married to the beautiful woman lying beside him. Now, at 25, Troy not only had an incredible wife, but a spunky two-year-old as well.
The brunette stirred and turned to her left, looking at her husband with sleepy eyes - a small smile was evident on her face.
"Good morning, sweetheart." Troy greeted his wife with a large grin.
"Good morning to you too – and happy anniversary, Troy." She said, giggling as her husband put an arm around her waist and pulled her close to him, gently kissing her on the lips.
"I love you so much Gabi." Troy said as he leaned down to kiss his wife once more. As she wrapped her arms around him, he started to deepen the kiss when he heard the shuffling of feet on the carpet.
Reluctantly, Gabriella pulled back from the kiss, laughing when she saw the depressed look on her husband's face.
The parents turned to look at their two-year-old son, who had not climbed his way onto their bed – staring at them with his big brown eyes. The moment Troy and Gabriella first saw him on the day he was born, they knew he was going to be a heartbreaker some day.
The only thing their son seemed to get from his mother was his brown eyes. Other than that, he looked like a mini version of his father.
The past two years had been amazing for the Bolton family. Troy and Caleb, their son, had formed a special bond. However, Gabriella distinctly remembered how badly Troy had wanted a girl. Nonetheless, Troy loved his son with every fiber of his being.
"What's wrong hotshot?" Gabriella asked, pulling her toddler into her lap. Troy wrapped an arm around her and leaned closer to his family.
"I'm hungry." He mumbled, continuing to stare up at his parents.
"What do you want to eat, buddy?" Troy asked, smiling at the indecision that crossed the young boy's face.
"C-real!" Caleb exclaimed with a smile on his face. Both Troy and Gabriella laughed at the way their son pronounced the word.
"Looks like its time to get up then." Gabriella yawned, watching as her son darted out of the room.
Troy groaned, trying to make her stay. She giggled at his attempt to hold her down.
"We can't just spend the day in bed. Parents have to look after their kids, Troy. We can't slack off or Caleb's going to grow up to be a neglected child." Gabriella said in a serious voice, looking into her husband's light blue eyes. Every time he stared at her, even after knowing him for nine years, it still made her heart flip. He looked at her with an evident emotion every time – Gabriella soon found out on the day that he proposed that it was love.
"Gabi – I think your memory is failing you. Did we, or did we not spend an entire day in bed when we were in Hawaii on our honeymoon?" Troy asked with amusement in his voice.
Gabriella grabbed her pillow and smacked him. He stared at her in shock, but with a smile on his face.
"Stop it, Troy. Come on." she got out of the bed and walked towards the bathroom.
The blue-eyed man sighed, and put his head back to the pillow, thinking about what he had prepared for today.
Even though Gabriella had asked Troy not to go crazy over their anniversary, like he had the past two years, he didn't listen to her. Later in the day, when Caleb was dropped off at his mom's house, Troy was going to take her on a walk through the park, where they would eat lunch and have a picnic under their favorite weeping willow tree. Afterwards, Troy would take her back home, and they could watch their wedding video and high school documentaries that they had put together. That night, Troy was planning on taking her to an amazing restaurant that she had wanted to go to for some time now - Il Gusto Di Italia. Today was going to be perfect.
Troy continued to go over the plans in his head when the alarm sounded again. He jumped in surprise.
Gabriella laughed from the bathroom door, where she leaned against the frame while brushing her teeth. Troy rolled his eyes at her and turned off the alarm, getting out of bed to start preparing for the day.
"Caleb! Stop it. You aren't going to get cereal anymore if you keep throwing it at the wall." Gabriella scolded her toddler while wiping up milk splashes.
"Hey little man, how about you and me go play some basketball out back when you're done eating?" Troy asked his son as he walked into the kitchen, completely dressed and ready for his big day.
"YAY!" Caleb shouted, looking at his mom for permission.
"You have to eat your breakfast first." Gabriella said, smiling at her toddler but trading glances with her husband, who seemed to be much too interested in the way she had done her hair today.
"DONE!" Caleb shouted, and both boys exited the room. Gabriella stared at her son's half eaten breakfast and sighed. Troy could be such a bad influence.
But it's cute – they have such a great bond she thought as she started to clean up the kitchen.
The phone suddenly rang, and she jumped slightly, but quickly regained composure and picked up the telephone.
"Hello?"
"Gabriella, it's Steven. I'm going to need you to come into work today for just a couple of hours. I know you're taking off for your anniversary, but we really need you. Apparently one of our client's private information was lost, and we have no idea where it is or who might have gotten a hold of it." The man said, and Gabriella sighed, wondering why things like this always happened at the wrong time.
Gabriella was a public relations director at a major accounting firm in Albuquerque. She had landed to job right out of college because of her impressive resume, and Troy couldn't have been more proud of her. He had followed his dream as well by becoming a professional basketball player, starting as guard for the Albuquerque Red Hawks (A/n: I know it's over used, but it works with the story, and I also know that there is no such team in the NBA).
"Yeah. Give me twenty minutes to get there. I'll have to tell the boys as well." Gabriella said in a dull tone, obviously not wanting to go into work on her anniversary. Troy was going to be really upset. They had both planned on just spending the day together.
"Thanks Gabriella. See you soon." Steven, her boss, said and hung up the phone.
Gabriella crossed the kitchen and stopped at the back door, where from the windows she could see her Caleb running away from Troy while carrying the ball and not dribbling it. She laughed as Troy tried to chase after him.
When Troy and Gabriella had gotten married, he had expressed to her his wishes of a family, and how excited he was to have a child. What he didn't know is that Gabriella hadn't wanted one at first. A child would mean that she wouldn't get to see as much of Troy as she was used to. With basketball completely taking him away from her for a good portion of the year, a child would make it even more difficult to spend time with her husband. However, when she mentioned this to Troy, he made a solemn promise that in no way would he not find time for his wife. Therefore, when Gabriella found out she was pregnant eight weeks later, she was happy about it.
Quickly opening the door, she motioned for Troy to come over to her. He smiled at his son who was trying to put the basketball into the hoop and quickly ran over to her after he lifted the toddler up so he could make a basket.
Troy leaned down and gently kissed Gabriella on the lips. "What's up?"
"Troy," she sighed, looking at the ground. She really didn't want to see his face when she told him about the work emergency.
"What's wrong, honey?" he asked in a worried tone. Was she okay? Did something happen to Caleb?
"A file with one of the firm's client's information on it was lost sometime between the time I left last night and this morning. I've been called in to do damage control." She said, feeling him stiffen slightly.
"What? Gabi, they know that you're taking the day off, why would they call you in like that?" he sighed, knowing the answer. She was the best, and she was needed.
"I'm sorry, Troy. It will only be for a couple of hours, then I'll come back home as fast as I can so we can spend the rest of the day together." She said quietly, taking her hand in his. She could see how disappointed he was, and it hurt her as well.
"It's fine. I'll miss you." He said, quickly leaning down to kiss her. "Be safe. Call me if you need anything."
"Will do, Wildcat." She smiled at him and went back inside.
Troy watched as his wife left the driveway and took off down the street. He couldn't help but feel a little upset. The entire day had been planned out, and it had been all about them – celebrating what they had.
"Daddy? Can you life me up?" Caleb trotted over to his father and raised his head to Troy. He couldn't help but smile at how adorable his son was. Being a dad was great, but what made it even better was the fact that Gabriella was the mother of his child. He had the ultimate family, and he couldn't be happier.
"Sure, buddy." He said, and laughed as the two-year-old jumped into his arms and put the basketball into the hoop.
Gabriella focused on the road as she thought about how the firm could have possibly lost the information of a client. This was going to require major damage control. If her and her team weren't careful, they could lose the trust of not only that client, but many others as well, putting the success of the business at risk.
"Uggh!" Gabriella groaned, putting her head on the steering wheel when she stopped at a stoplight. "How could this have happened? On my anniversary!" She felt absolutely terrible for her husband. Troy deserved better than this. They barely got enough time together as it was because of his hectic basketball schedule, and now, on the one day that really meant something to both of them, work had to interfere.
The light turned green and she inched the car forward. In the next few seconds, so many things happened that Gabriella found it hard to keep track of it all.
The car on the opposite side of the intersection slammed on their breaks and a pedestrian started screaming something that Gabriella couldn't make out. It was then that she turned her head at the last second to see a car speeding towards her. Before she could comprehend what was happening, it collided with her car.
"Alright little man, let's get you some lunch before you go over to Grandma's house, okay?" Troy asked his son as the two had washed their hands after the basketball game.
"MAC AND CHEESE! MAC AND CHEESE!" Caleb yelled, skipping around the house.
Troy laughed. "Okay, Macaroni and Cheese it is. Settle down Caleb, it will be done in about fifteen minutes."
The boy looked at his father and put on a big grin, speedily moving to a kitchen chair to watch Troy cook.
Pain shot through her entire body as Gabriella tried to open her eyes. She had no idea where she was or what happened, but all she wanted to do was see her family. The brunette accepted the fact that she was going to die, and just wanted to tell Caleb and Troy how much she loved them.
Oh, Caleb. Growing up without a mother…she thought.
Screams echoed from around her, and Gabriella tried to think about something else to take her mind off the unbearable pain.
"Hey, Gabriella?" the petite girl turned around to see who was calling her name. It was the boy in her Chemistry class, Troy Bolton, the most popular basketball jock in the school. She had to admit, standing there in just jeans and his basketball track jacket, he looked hot.
Truth was, Gabriella did have a tiny crush on him, but she wouldn't admit it to anyone. They had worked together on several experiments and he had been really nice to her. She thought it was great that even though he was a popular, Troy didn't make fun of her for being good at science.
"Yeah?" She asked hesitantly. What would a guy like him want from a girl like her?
"Um… well… you see… I really like playing basketball, and, well, my dad would hate it if I couldn't play anymore, so… uhh… I was wondering… if… well… maybe you could… um… tutor me in Chemistry?"
Gabriella looked at Troy's face, which was filled with sincerity. She could tell that it had taken a lot of courage for a guy like him to ask an unpopular girl for help. His blue eyes pierced into hers and she let out a sigh.
"Sure, Troy. I'd be happy to." She smiled. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. The hours could count towards community service if she played her cards right.
"Oh, Gabriella, thank you so much! You do not know how much I need this right now! So, how about you come to my house after school, say, around 5:45, and we can get started?" Troy asked as relief filled his once insecure face.
"Sounds great. I'll see you then. It will be a fun-filled couple hours of science!" she joked, and her smile grew as she saw the way his eyes lit up when he grinned.
"Thank you, again, Gabriella. I really appreciate this."
"No problem. See you later!" she said, and walked towards her next class.
The ironic thing, was, that Gabriella never did teach anything useful about Chemistry to Troy that night. She had gone to his house and sat down in his bedroom to begin her tutoring, when he walked over to her, pulled her up to a standing position, and kissed her. Just kissed her.
That couple of hours had been some of the best moments of her life. It was the time when Troy finally revealed to her how much he cared about her, and wanted her to be his girlfriend.
"Miss, miss! Excuse me, if you are alive please make some kind of noise to indicate so!" Gabriella broke away from her memory and listened to the calm but authoritative voice. She could hardly look up, but could briefly tell it was a paramedic.
"Yes." She croaked, and then the world began to fade to black as she let herself get the rest she deserved.
"Daddy, that was yummy! I want more!" Caleb exclaimed, thrusting the plastic Winnie the Pooh spoon back into his bowl.
"Caleb, what do we say?" Troy asked, trying to hide the amusement on his face as he watched his son contemplate the answer.
"THANK YOU!" he shouted with a big grin on his face, and Troy laughed.
"Close. We say please." He explained to his toddler.
"May I pwease have some more Mac and Cheese?" Troy watched his son's big brown eyes grow large.
"Yes. Here, let me have your bowl and I'll fill it up for you." Troy reached across the kitchen table to grab the dish, and began to make his way to the kitchen. The phone suddenly rang, and Troy put the dish down as he answered the call.
"Hello?"
"Hello. Is this Troy Bolton speaking?" a gruff voice said on the other line. Troy frowned. Was it one of his physical trainers? He didn't have a session today.
"Yes it is. May I ask who is calling?"
"My name is Andrew Weber from the Albuquerque General Hospital. Are you familiar with a woman by the name of Gabriella Bolton?" Troy's heart started beating frantically while he glanced at his son, still waiting for his food.
"Yes. She's my wife. Why? Is something wrong?" Troy began to pace around the kitchen. Why was the hospital calling about Gabriella? What happened? Was she okay? Where was she?
"I'm sorry sir, but your wife was involved in a car accident about ten minutes ago, and she was brought in to the hospital for examination. She is in surgery as we speak." Dr. Weber said in a soft tone.
"Oh…she's in surgery?" Troy said in a calm voice. His heart would not stop beating fast. Gabriella was in a car accident. A car accident. His Gabriella. His wife. The mother of his child.
"Yes sir."
"How bad is it?" Troy choked out as he tried to get his momentary shock together. He started to race through the house, looking for his keys. Gabriella was in the hospital, and he had to be with her. Trying to hold it together for his son, Troy walked back into the kitchen, still listening to the description of what had happened.
"… so clearly, it wasn't her fault. We have got her all fixed up, only a few broken bones, but the thing we are worried about is the trauma to her head. She lost a lot of blood, and we won't know the effects until after the surgery, but we hope that it won't be too much damage."
"Oh my God." Troy accidentally said into the phone. "Do you think she is going to survive this? Will she be able to walk, or talk again? How long is her recovery session going to be?" Troy spit out. How the hell did his life get flipped upside down by one phone call?
He quickly moved to the couch and sat down as he felt his head spin. Caleb slid out of his chair and went over from the table to stand in front of him, his curious eyes studying his obviously devastated father.
Troy looked back at his son, the brown eyes more piercing now then ever. Gabriella. It was the only thing going through his head. He didn't know half of what was going on; it was all so blurry. She was in surgery because she was in a car accident. Oh my God. This can not be happening Troy thought. She was just going to the office. It's our anniversary…
"Mr. Bolton, she is getting the best care in the state currently. Coming in, we had no idea whether she was going to make it, but now she is in a stable state and we are positive she will be able to go home in about two weeks at the most. However, if we find significant head trauma, we may have to keep her for a little while longer." Dr. Weber explained.
"Okay. Well, thanks for calling, Doctor. I'll be down there very soon." Troy ended the conversation and hung up, directing his attention back to his son.
"Caleb? We're going to go see mommy. She had an accident and we're going to go visit her. Get your shoes on and bring a toy or two, okay? We might be there a while." Troy told his toddler, and watched as he nodded vigorously and ran up the stairs.
The blue-eyed man sat on the couch, staring at the floor. He let out a quick sob, and then pulled it together as he heard footsteps rushing down the stairs.
"READY!" Caleb yelled, still not quite sure what was going on with his mom.
"Alright, buddy. Let's go see mommy."
Gabriella slowly opened her eyes, immediately being greeted by a very painful feeling all over her body, especially her head. From what she could see, she was in a hospital.
How the hell did I get here? She thought.
Looking around, she could identify medical equipment all around her. She was definitely in a hospital, or maybe –
"Gabriella, I see you have woken up. That is a very good sign. We weren't sure if the trauma to your head would have been significant enough to send you into a coma." A man walked into the room with a clipboard and pen in his hands.
With great difficulty, Gabriella sat herself up on the hospital bed. "What? I'm sorry but, how did I get here? What happened?" She asked.
She was sure she wasn't supposed to see, but she could have sworn that the Doctor's eyebrows rose for a split second, surprised at her comment.
"You were in a car accident." He explained, studying her intently.
"Really? Wow. Well, thank you for saving my life." she let out a small smile.
"Mrs. Bolton, could you tell me - " the doctor was cut off.
"Mrs. Bolton? What? My name is Gabriella Montez. Are you sure you have the right Gabriella?" she said softly, now wondering what was going on.
The doctor's mouth dropped, and then quickly closed as he began to vigorously write on his clipboard.
"I'll be right back, Ms… uh… Montez?"
Gabriella nodded her head.
"Please don't worry." he commented and quickly left the room.
Mrs. Bolton? She thought. Never heard the name in my life…
Troy sat in the waiting room, trying to clear his head so he could comprehend what was happening, and that everything was going to be okay.
"Gabriella, wait!" Troy called, running to catch the brunette's hand. He tugged on it and she whipped around to face him, her eyes red and puffy from crying.
"Troy, please. Don't make this harder than it already is!" she said.
"But Gabriella, I never wanted to break up. I still love you! The reason you… just…" Looking into her eyes, Troy was at a lost of words. He missed her so much. It had been three weeks since the break-up, and he couldn't stand it. Always being depressed, not caring about school or basketball, seeing her in the hallways, it all made life suck every since they split. He needed her. He loved her, and he wanted her back.
The reasons that they had broken up were so stupid. She thought she was helping his basketball career. By not having to worry about a girlfriend, he could focus more on the sport and championships. She was wrong. It was backwards. He couldn't concentrate on basketball because he was too busy missing her. He craved her gentle touch, and how she felt in his arms. And now, when he finally pulled her aside after school and said something to her, she wouldn't hear of it.
"Troy, it's better for us if we aren't together. I mean, who are we kidding? It's not just because it helps you focus on basketball, but because, no one else wants us to be together. It just isn't working." The brunette said, looking down at the ground.
"Gabriella, please hear me out. It doesn't matter about what other people think, and breaking up actually made my basketball worse, but, I need you to answer a serious question." Troy lifted her chin so that she stared at him in the eyes. "Do you still love me?"
Blushing, Gabriella quickly glanced at the floor, and back up at Troy's blue eyes.
"Yes."
Troy let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. His eyes traced her face for any sign of regret, and when he couldn't find any, Troy grabbed Gabriella's hand and put it around his neck, wrapped his own around her waist, and leaned down to kiss her.
The kiss was full of longing and love. Troy immediately felt Gabriella's other hand entwine around his neck as she fell into him. He loved the feeling of her lips on his, and had missed it so much.
When they pulled away, she slowly opened her eyes and stared at him.
"Troy…" her hand lifted up to trace his face. "I've missed you so much." A tear ran down her cheek. Troy quickly wiped it away.
"I've missed you too." He said, wrapping his arms around her, burying his face in her curls, and holding her close. At that time, he vowed to himself never to let her go again.
"Honey?" Troy looked up from his spot on the ground, coming out of his daydream. His mother was standing above him with a worried look and his dad was at her side. Troy had called the on the way to the hospital and told them about Gabriella.
"Hey. Thanks for coming guys." Troy said in a monotone voice. He noticed that his mother glanced at his father, and then to Caleb. Jack Bolton immediately walked over the where the toddler was playing with the blocks provided by the hospital.
"Troy, can we go to the cafeteria and talk, please honey. I know you need to talk. Dad will keep Caleb busy." Lucille Bolton said, and Troy got up and began to walk with her.
Mrs. Bolton waited until they were out of the room to begin the conversation.
"Honey… I am so sorry. Is she going to be okay?" Lucille really did care about Gabriella. She believed that her daughter-in-law made Troy a better man, and was the perfect match for him. She had become almost a second daughter.
"Mom…" Troy choked out. He was going to break down.
"Honey, it's okay. Talk to me." The mother said, wrapping her arms around her son. She also loved Gabriella because Troy cared about her so much. She was the only thing that could make him break down and get this upset.
Troy couldn't keep it in anymore. The tiny sob slipped out and the tears began to roll down his face. Mrs. Bolton just held him and let him cry.
"Mom… I was so scared when I got the phone call. I thought she had died. God, and now… she had surgery? My God, she probably had no idea what was going on, or she was probably unconscious, and I wasn't ever here for her." He told his mother, a couple of tears still rolling down his face.
"I know honey, I know." She rubbed his back soothingly. Remembering the one other time that she was in this position – the first time him and Gabriella had broken up.
"I just want to see her, and tell her how much I love her." He said. The tears had stopped and Troy pulled it together. "I don't know what I would've done if I had lost her."
"Troy, you didn't lose her. Don't think about it. She's going to be alright. Everything is fine. She just has some recovering to do, that's all." Lucille told her son, and he nodded, walking back to the waiting room with her.
Troy watched his son and his dad play together on the floor. Caleb looked so happy, and probably had no idea what happened to his mom.
Lucille sat down and pulled out a magazine from her purse. Offering him a small smile, she started to read. He let out a sigh and sat down across from her.
And now we wait he thought.
I swear, that is the worst chapter I have ever written. It was WAY too rushed. I hate where I ended it too, but it was getting too long. I'm pretty sure there are some grammatical mistakes in there too. Lol. So, review and tell me if you like the idea and want me to continue?!? Let me know!
PS: Coming Back To You will be updated over my Thanksgiving Break. Sorry about the wait guys...
- Wounded Sparrow