omg...so i've been working on this forever, and i was almost ready to stop writing it but i finished it. it's like 25 pages long...haha, but it's filled with so much detail. i like the way it turned out, and i really hope you like it! well, here it is: Tailor Made. Title made by my BFF Megan aka Say Ok Grl. Thanks so much, Megan! This is for you! ily! lol thanks. and please review!
Ok, so we've all played the game MASH before, right? You know, when M means Mansion, A means Apartment, S means Shack, and H means House. In case you forgot, let me refresh your memory. In MASH, you choose 5 boys (or girls depending on if you are a boy or a girl playing) names, 5 cars, 5 numbers, 5 locations (like cities or countries), and 5 jobs. Everyone plays it differently, but these are the basic rules. Kids usually play in Elementary School or Junior High, and sometimes even in High School, to see if they are going to end up marrying their crush. When I was a Senior in High School, my friend, Taylor, came up to me, and decided we were gonna play, just for old times sake. So, we played, and she told me to keep the paper it was written on because she wanted to see if everything would turn out like it said. This is my MASH story.
My name is Gabriella Montez, maybe you've heard of me? Wildcats? East High? Einsteinette? "Freaking Math Girl"? Yeah, you most likely know who I am. So, my name is Gabriella, but most people call me Gabby. The MASH game I played 10 years ago in senior year was just for a laugh, who would have guessed that it would actually determine my future? Let's go back to that day, so you can know what happened. Because of all that needs to be told in my story, I will probably skip periods of time that could vary from a few months to a few years, but don't worry, you will get all the details you need to figure out how this MASH game turned out.
Ahhh…senior year; 18 years old. Troy Bolton and I were currently dating happily. It was a beautiful day in early June, and I was sitting outside at a picnic table eating lunch in faded blue jeans and a pink baby doll top that tied in the back. I was barely done with my lunch, when Taylor came and sat down at my table, holding a notebook and pencil.
"Hey Tay! What's up?" I ask. Taylor has been my best friend since I moved here last year.
"Wanna play a game?" She asks. I look at her, confused.
"Umm…sure?" I say uncertainly.
"Good!" she moved over and sat next to me, notebook open on the table, and pencil in hand. In her big, cursive handwriting, she wrote MASH at the top of her paper. "Here's how you play. You pick 5 of each: guys, jobs, cars, locations, and numbers. Then I count and you tell me when to stop, and then I use that number to eliminate everything on the list until there is one in each category. Got it?"
"Yeah…I think I got it, but what does MASH mean?" I ask referring to what she wrote at the top of the paper.
"Oh, you break it apart. Like, M stands for Mansion, A stands for Apartment, S stands for Shack, and H means House." she explains while numbering her paper in groups of 5. "Ok, give me the names of 5 guys first."
"Hmmm…Zack Nelson, Andy Beck, Josh Miller, Ryan Parks, and…" I threw out random names of guys who were in my classes, and she wrote them down.
"One more." she replied when she had finished writing the names down.
"Troy Bolton." I whispered. Taylor gave me a look indicating she didn't hear me, and to speak louder. "Troy Bolton!" I looked around to make sure that nobody heard me. As much as I liked Troy, I enjoyed keeping our relationship as quiet as possible. I like having him to myself. What girl doesn't like having their boyfriend to themselves?
"Ohhhh! Ok!" she scribbled the name down happily. "Now, name 5 locations, like cities or countries."
"New York City, Paris, Los Angles, Hawaii, and Albuquerque." Some of the places I listed are places I could only dream of going to. I've been to New York City only once, and it would be amazing to live there.
"Ok, 5 cars." she directed as she continued to write. I couldn't help, but laugh at how silly this was.
"Convertible, Mustang, Porsche, Mercedes-Bendz, and a…a…an Escalade." I actually wanted some of these cars, but not all of them. I mostly wanted the convertible or the Porsche.
"Good, now name some numbers. They could be random or numbers that you like." Taylor instructed fast.
"2, 4, 8, 1, and 3." I said. This was seriously getting to be ridicules. "Are we done yet, Tay? I have to…."
"No! We aren't done!" she cut me off. "You still have to choose 5 jobs, and then we have to calculate the results!"
"Ok, ok. 5 jobs…writer, teacher, actress, scientist, and doctor." I listed the jobs quickly, and Taylor wrote them down.
"Tell me when to stop." she said as she started to make little tallies on her paper.
"Stop." I say, and watched as she started to count down the list and cross off things. She counted and crossed until there was only one thing remaining in each of the 5 categories, and one letter remaining at the top. "Wow. You got a pretty good life."
"It's only pretend. It's not like my life is actually going to turn out like this!" I looked at the way the results had turned out. I smiled, thinking that if my life turned out this way, then I'd have an amazing life.
"Keep it. I want to see if it really does work out that way!" she grabbed her notebook and pencil, and got up to walk away. "Bye Gabby!"
I sat there, paper in hand, thinking about my life. My life on here turned out, not just good or amazing, but absolutely incredible. I began to imagine my life actually turning out like this…I'd have everything that I'd ever dreamed about. The bell rang loudly, pulling me out of my day dream. I grabbed the MASH and walked to my locker to grab my binders for my afternoon classes. Waiting at my locker, was Troy Bolton. I sighed softly because I knew he was all mine, and I still couldn't believe it.
"Hey Gabby." he greeted when I reached my locker, and he kissed me softly. I smiled, thinking that I was the luckiest girl in the school, and I'm sure that the girls who were watching this scene right now were thinking the same thing.
"Hey Troy." I said, and opened my locker to get my binders. I tried to hide the MASH game before he saw it, but I had no such luck.
"What's that?" he asked, referring to the paper with the MASH game written on it.
"It's nothing. Just a silly game." I answered; shrugging it like it was no big deal, but on the inside, I was begging that he wouldn't see it.
"Let me see!" Troy replied back, trying to grab the paper.
"No!" I giggled as he began to tickle me. "Troy! Troy stop!"
"Fine." he said, and he stopped tickling me. "But, I'll find out what it is sooner or later."
"No you won't." I answered with a smile. "I've got to get to class. Bye Troy!" he kissed my cheek, and we walked our separate ways down the hall.
The afternoon classes past by quickly, and soon I was driving home in my mom's old car that she gave to me when I got my license. I let myself into the quiet house. It was always nice coming home knowing that I'd have a few hours to myself before my mom got home from the Albuquerque General Hospital where she worked as an assistant nurse. Sitting down on my bed, I pulled my cell phone and the MASH game out of my flowered tote.
Studying the paper again, looking at every category's outcome, I began to day dream again. In the midst thinking about the possibilities, my cell phone began to play the song "No Air" by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown, which could only mean that Troy was calling. The lyrics were amazing, and every time I heard them I thought of Troy. Smiling, I answered the phone.
"Hey Troy! It's only been about 30 minutes since the last time I talked to you." I say teasingly, "You miss me that much already?" I hear his sweet laugh from the other line. The laugh which is truly music itself.
"You're hysterical." he answers, still laughing, "Actually; I called to see if you wanted to do something tonight."
"I'd love to, Troy." the smile on my face grew bigger as I answered, "What's the occasion, though?"
"There has to be an occasion for a man to ask his girlfriend out on a date?" Troy asked as he laughed his sweet laugh once more.
"No. It's just; you usually don't randomly call and ask me out on a date on Friday night. I'm used to you asking me out on Saturdays." I giggle in response to his laughter.
"Well, tonight is special. After all, we graduate on Sunday." he reminded me, "I wanted one last date with you before we were high school graduates."
"Okay then, Troy." I had nearly forgotten the fact we graduate on Sunday, "Pick me up at seven?"
"I'll be there." he said, "Bye Gabs."
"Bye Troy." I hung up the phone with a smile that spread across my face from ear to ear.
The night went by amazingly, and the weekend passed in the blink of an eye. Before I realized what was happening, I had graduated from East High, with Troy by my side.
Now that you're all caught up with that wonderful day in my senior year, let's go a little farther into the future, and you can figure out how the MASH game turned out.
I sit cross-legged in the middle of the floor in my dorm at USC, with notebooks and text books surrounding me. As I scribble something down, there's a knock at the door. Unable to get up do to my current position, I yell:
"Come on in! The door's open." and with that, my boyfriend, Troy, comes walking into the room. He laughs when he sees me, and I can't help, but laugh along with him; that laugh is contagious. "What do you need, Troy?"
"Nothing, just wanted to see you." he answers as he steps into my circle of books to kiss me on the lips.
"Thanks. But Troy, I have a ton of work to do…could you maybe stop by later?" I answer sadly. Now that we were in college, it was so hard to spend time together. With Troy and his basketball, and me with, well, my school stuff, our free time was limited. When we were freshman and sophomores in college, it was a little easier, but we're seniors once again, which made life oh so very difficult.
"Sure thing, Gabs." he answered and got up to leave," Don't work yourself too hard."
I watched him leave the room, and sighed when he was gone. I went back to studying; we had finals coming up in about 3 weeks, and I had so much to study. After studying for another hour, I was interrupted again, but this time, by my cell phone ringing. Looking at the caller I.D., I immediately answered.
"Hey!" I said excitedly to the girl on the other line.
"Hey yourself! What's been going on, Gabby?" my good friend Taylor asks, "I haven't talked to you in like forever."
"Nothing much is really going on. Troy and I are still dating." I informed her, "What about you?"
"Same. Chad and I are still dating; the long distance relationship is a little difficult, but we're managing." she says, I can almost see her talking. God; it had been so long since the last time they were all together. "What are you majoring in again? I forgot."
"I decided in like my sophomore year to major in Education. You know, so I can be a teacher." I respond to Taylor.
"Oh right! You'll be good at that!" she said with a laugh, "Well, I actually have to go. Call me soon!"
"Okay Tay! Bye!" I respond, ready to hang up.
"Bye!" she says, and with a click, she is gone. At the age of 22, I was ready to graduate again. This time, so I could start my career, my future.
I was excited, nervous, and sad when the day finally came for Troy and I to graduate. From where I sat on Troy's bed, I began to look around his dorm room, at different pictures that I wasn't even aware he had taken. One was of us after one of Troy's many basketball games; we were down in center court, and he had his arms wrapped around me. Another was of us at the park, with our friends and family, on the 4th of July. I was sitting on a swing, with Troy behind me, the sun setting in the back round. The last one that caught my eye was a picture of the two of us sitting on the edge of the stage in the auditorium at East High; in the picture, my chocolate brown eyes were filled with stars as I looked at Troy with a lovesick grin on my face. I could feel tears beginning to form in the corners of my eyes; I squeezed them shut, attempting to make the tears disappear, but that just caused them to fall down my cheeks.
"What's wrong, Gabby?" Troy asked as he came over and put his arms around me. He wiped my tears away, and I tried to smile at him.
"I'm going to miss this place so much." I say through my tears. He pulls me in closer to him.
"I know, Gabby, but we are going to make so many new memories back in Albuquerque. Everything's going to be fine." he said in a comforting tone. "Come on, you have to get ready. We graduate in 3 hours, and after that, I want to take you somewhere, just the two of us." I sniffle once, and then look up at him and those big blue eyes; my god, those eyes make my heart melt.
"Okay, Troy." I kissed him and then got up to leave his dorm. "I'll see you later. Come by my room before graduation…like in 3 hours. I want to walk down with you." he responds with a nod and a smile.
Hours later, once we had finally graduated, Troy and I began walking around the places we had spent the last 4 years together at. The different halls and parks, and when we came to one park in particular, Madigan Garden, he stopped. This park is where we spent most of our time; we came here for dates, walks, and just to hang out and talk. With the stars sparkling above us, he looked at me and said:
"Gabriella Arianna Montez, the minute I met you, I fell in love. We've been through so much together, good and bad, but no matter what we've gone through, we've stuck together. You're the reason that I wake up every morning, without you, I'm nothing. I can't imagine a single day without you. I love you more than anything in the world, Gabriella. Will you marry me?" this had brought tears to my eyes once more.
"Yes! Yes, Troy!" I answered without hesitation through my many tears. He leaned in and kissed me passionately when I answered. This is the moment I had been waiting so long for.
So you now know two out of the five answers for the MASH game. I'm guessing you already knew I'd marry Troy though. Ok, let's go a tad farther into the future, 5 months after Troy and I got married.
With his arm around my waist, Troy and I look at a house, but not just any house; this house was our house. It was a simple house; white with a blue trim, a porch that wrapped around the entire house, and a white picket fence. The house had five bedrooms and huge a Backyard. As I looked at the house, I imagined Troy and I sitting on the porch, with, at least, three or four kids running around the yard. Our parents thought we were insane when we bought a five bedroom house. Troy and I had talked about having a big family, and a big house was the first step to that.
"I still can't believe we got the house." I said to him with a smile on my face that shined brighter than the August sun above us. I looked over at our cars parked in the driveway, mine a red convertible and his, a black ford truck.
"Well, believe it." he said simply. I look up into his bright blue eyes, and smile. These are the same eyes I have been looking into since junior year; the same eyes that have stayed the same, while everything around us changed.
"Can you believe that we are still together after all these years?" we walked onto the porch, hand-in-hand. "Just yesterday, it felt like we were seniors in high school, and now we are college graduates…married college graduates. Junior year seems so far away now."
"We've been together for 5 years, Gabby, and yes, I can believe it." he led me over to a small swing, painted white. "Gabby, when I met you, I knew you were the one. There is absolutely no one that I'd rather live my life with then you."
"I love you, Troy." I wrapped my arms around him. He was truly the only one for me.
"I love you too, Gabriella." he kissed the top of my head. I yawned. "Let's go inside."
He picked me up, and carried me into our house. Our House, I still couldn't believe it.
As more months passed, Troy and I continued to live our lives as a married couple, and got jobs. Both of us as teachers at East High; I taught an English class and Troy was the basketball coach…big shocker there, I know.
I sit on the beige love seat in our living room at the age of 23. I was feeling under the weather today, so Troy made me stay home from school. I had gone to the doctor, and he told me what was wrong. It was no surprise to me though; I had already known. The question was…how am I going to tell Troy?
At 3:30, I heard Troy's truck pull into the driveway, and his key turning in the front door. I took a deep breath and looked up from my spot on the sofa to him standing in the doorway of the living room.
"You feeling any better, baby?" he walked over and sat down next to me on the sofa. He kissed my forehead, checking for a fever.
"A little. I went to the doctor's this afternoon." I started slowly. I couldn't see what he was thinking, but I'm guessing he was expecting what I was about to tell him.
"And…? What did they say?" he asked me quickly. He was so concerned…like a simple little cold was going to kill me. I took his hands in mine and took another deep breath.
"Troy…I'm pregnant." I said each word clearly and at a loud enough volume for him to hear.
"You're pregnant?" he asked. I nodded my head slowly. He wasn't confused about it; he was just confirming that what he heard was true. And then he did something that I wasn't expecting, he hugged me. He hugged my like if he was to let go, I would float away.
"You're happy about this?" I asked, confused. I didn't expect him to react this way. We weren't trying; I was preparing for him to be angry.
"Of course I'm happy, Gabby." he looked at me, now confused. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"It's just that, we weren't trying. I thought…I didn't expect…" I stumbled at the end of the sentence, unable to get the words out. I looked down as the tears began to form in my eyes. He cupped his two hands around my face, forcing me to look up.
"Gabby. You should know that I'd be happy. You're having a baby. We're going to be parents. This is the one thing we've been talking about for years." He kissed me gently, reassuring me that everything was fine.
"I love you." I whispered as I snuggled in closer to him.
"I love you too." we sat on the couch, snuggled close together, for what seemed like hours. I ended up falling asleep in his arms, and he carried me up the stairs to our bedroom. That night, I dreamt about our future together; Troy, me, and this wonderful baby.
The nine months of my pregnancy past fairly quickly, and on August 28, 2014, I was taken to the hospital to give birth.
I sat in bed at the hospital, exhausted. It was nearly 4 in the morning now, and I had been up since the morning before. A light tap on the door brought a smile to my face. I looked at Troy, and he knew exactly who it was from the smile on my face. He walked over, and opened the door, revealing the nurse…and our beautiful baby girl. The nurse walked over to me, and placed her in my awaiting arms.
"Hey there. Hi little one." I whispered happily to my baby, who was only half awake. I looked up at Troy, and he walked over.
"What are we going to name her?" he asked, reminding me that we had never discussed names for the baby.
"Well, I like Ashleigh." I told him, he made a face that said 'umm...Maybe.'
"That's too common." he said simply.
"I know, but I want to spell it differently." I started, "I want to spell it A-S-H-L-E-I-G-H, instead of A-S-H-L-E-Y."
"Oh…well in that case, I love it." he kissed the top of my head, and then started talking again, "What about a middle name?"
"I have a few ideas, but I'm not sure. Do you have any ideas?" I rocked our baby gently in my arms.
"Hmmm…how about Colleen? Ashleigh Colleen." he said hopefully. The name was perfect.
"Ashleigh Colleen Bolton…" I began to say as I looked at Troy, and then I looked down at the baby, "Ashleigh Colleen, welcome to the world." And as I said her name, I would have sworn on my life, she smiled. It was just one of many picture-perfect moments, and luckily, Troy's and my mom captured every single one.
Two days later, on a Saturday, we were finally allowed to go home. Troy had already taken home the gifts and clothes the grandparents and other close family members bought, so today, we just had Ashleigh. After loading her car seat into the car, we began to drive home.
Once in the driveway, I opened the car doors quietly and got Ashleigh out of the car as carefully as possible. She had fallen asleep on the way home, and I didn't want to wake her. Troy had unlocked that house already, and he was standing in the doorway holding the door for us. The two of us together, carried Ashleigh upstairs and into the nursery. We hadn't known the sex of the baby when we were decorating, so we went with my favorite, Disney characters; like characters from Peter Pan, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, and my personal favorite, Beauty and the Beast. The room, in my opinion, was perfect, and would be great when we had another baby. Laying her gently in the crib, I rubbed her cheek softly with my thumb. We backed out of the room slowly; leaving the door open to be sure we would hear her if she cried or fussed.
We're going to go ahead a year now. Now, it's not like my baby's life isn't important, 'cause believe me, it is. Her first year was when she said her first word (which, in case you were wondering, was Mama), and learned how to walk (she took her first steps when she was 10 months old). So now Ashleigh is one and a half years old, and Troy and I are 24 years old.
I walk into Ashleigh's room on Saturday morning to find her lying in her bed, singing. I tip-toe across the room, and peer over her crib.
"Hi mama!" she giggled, and looked up at me with those bright blue eyes.
"Hi sweetie." I smiled as I picked her up out of her crib, and took her over to change her diaper. When I was done, I began to sing and dance with her in my arms. Ashleigh laughed and had a smile on her face identical to that of her father's.
"What are you two doing in here?" I turned around to see Troy standing in the doorway.
"Daddy!" Ashleigh yelled and squirmed out of my arms to get to her father. I laughed.
"Hey pumpkin." he picked her up, and kissed her forehead. Another picture-perfect moment, like the many others that were framed and placed all over the house, but I didn't catch this one on camera, I left the picture-taking to the grandmothers.
"Come on, let's go down and get some breakfast." I said, and the three of us walked down into the kitchen; Troy placing Ashleigh in her highchair. "What would you like for breakfast Miss Ashleigh?"
"Pantakes!" she shouted in her little voice.
"Pancakes it is then." I answer as I begin getting out the ingredients from the cabinets and refrigerator. After making about half a dozen pancakes, I sit down at the already set table, and place pancakes on everyone's plates. Now that everyone was happy and eating, I had an announcement to make. "Ok, I have something to tell you two."
"What is it, sweetheart?" Troy asked, putting down his fork.
"What is, Mama?" Ashleigh asked, following the example of her father, and stopped eating.
"Well, Ashleigh. Mama is going to have a baby." I explained in a way that a toddler would understand.
"You're pregnant?" Troy asked, and I nodded my head happily. One of his boyish smiles spread across his face, and he kissed me.
"Baby?" Ashleigh said, obviously confused, "Like baby sister?"
"Or baby brother." Troy corrected.
"Mama, I want baby sister pwease." Ashleigh said politely, and batted her Bolton blue eyes at me.
"I'll see what I can do, sweetie." I answered, took her into the playroom to play for a little while, and returned to Troy. "I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow at ten. Want to come with me?"
"I wouldn't miss it for the world." he leaned in and kissed me again. "Call my mom later, and see if she'll baby sit."
"Okay. I will." I answered, and hugged him tight. "I'm so excited."
The Next Morning
"Now, you be good for Grandma, okay?" I kneeled down to get to the same height as Ashleigh.
"Okay Mama." her dark curls bounced as she nodded her head.
"Good." I kissed her cheek, "I love you."
"Love you too Mama!" she said, and then ran off to play. Turning to Troy's mom, I say:
"Thanks again, Danna. This is such a big help." I say with a huge smile on my face. This smile hadn't left my face since I told Troy I was pregnant yesterday.
"It's no problem at all, Gabby." she answered sincerely. "But you need to tell me everything when you get back."
"Okay, I will." I say as Troy comes and wraps his arms around me.
"Time to go, baby. We don't want to be late." Troy said, and I looked at my watch.
"Okay." we walked out the front door, got into the car, and drove down the street. We drove in silence for a few minutes, and then Troy said:
"You okay, Gabby? You're awfully quiet." his voice was filled with concern. He took my hand in his, and held it tight.
"I'm fine. Just a little nervous, I guess." I answer with a weak smile.
"Everything is going to be fine, Gabby." I reassured me for the 20th time. After parking, we walked into the doctor's office. The receptionist told us to take a seat, and the doctor would be with us in a minute.
"Gabriella Bolton?" I heard my name called a few minutes later. Looking up, I could see it was the doctor. Troy and I walked over to where she was standing, and she smiled. "You must be Gabriella. And you are?" she shook my hand, and then turned to Troy.
"I'm Gabriella's husband Troy." he informed her, and then the two of them shook hands as well.
"Well, it's very nice to meet both of you." she said, "I'm Dr. Schultz. Let's go back, and get you checked out, Gabriella." she lead us back to an exam room. The room was cold and dark; the only light came from a small lamp above the examine table and a machine next to it.
"Why don't you climb up on here, Gabriella?" Dr. Schultz said. Following my instructions, I let go of Troy's hand, and climbed onto the table. "Now, lift up your shirt just a bit so we can do an ultrasound." I did as I was told and lifted up my shirt. Then, Dr. Schultz squeezed some cold jelly onto my stomach, and started moving the wand-like object around my stomach.
"How many weeks along am I?" I asked curiously. Troy was standing next to me, holding my hand.
"Umm…let me see." she continued to move the wand around with one hand, and began pushing buttons on the machine with the other. "Says here you're about 3 months pregnant…so, about 12 weeks."
"When do you think she'll be due?" Troy asked. He said he was excited, but you could tell he was nervous; you could see it in his eyes.
"Sometime around November 18th." she answered, continuing to press buttons while trying to get a good picture of the baby with the wand. Then, suddenly, she stopped. "Ahh."
"What?" I said, suddenly alert. I had nearly jumped when she said that. "Is the baby okay?"
"Yes, Gabriella. The babies are fine." Dr. Schultz answered with a smile.
"Thank goodness…." Troy started, "Wait. You said babies? As in, more than one?"
"Yes, more than one." she laughed, "Congratulations. You're having twins." I looked from the doctor to Troy back to the doctor. Had she really just said what I thought she said?
"Twins?" I asked with a small smile. She nodded her head. Twins…two babies, I was ecstatic, but the first thing that popped into my head was telling Ashleigh.
"Well, unless you have any questions, we're done. Let my just print out the pictures of your ultrasound." Dr. Schultz said as she printed the pictures out, and handed them to Troy. "Be sure to make an appointment for a month from now so we can check the babies' progress."
"Okay, Dr. Schultz." I said quickly, and then added, "Thank you." she then left the room leaving Troy and I alone. I sat on the table looking at the pictures of the twins.
"Come on, Gabby. We've got to get home." Troy took my hand and led me out to the car. It wasn't until we were in the car driving home when Troy said, "Can you believe it? Twins."
"I truly can't. It's amazing." I said, the smile on my face becoming impossible to hide. "How are we going to tell Ashleigh?"
"We'll tell her the same way you told her when you thought you were only having one." he explained calmly, "She's going to be excited, just wait and see." We drove the rest of the way home in silence. When I opened the front door of the house, Ashleigh was right there waiting from me.
"You home!" she ran over and wrapped her arms around my legs. Once I was holding her in my arms, she said: "You see baby? Is she okay?"
"Come sit on the couch with me. Your daddy and I have some news." I answered as Troy's mom walked out the door. I mouthed 'Thanks'. Troy came and sat down next to us.
"Baby okay?" Ashleigh asked again. She looked back and forth from Troy to me.
"Yes, sweetie. The baby is fine." Troy answered her question, and a smile appeared on her face.
"But…it isn't just one baby, Ashleigh." I started slowly, "It's two babies."
"Two babies?" her blue eyes grew wide.
"Yes, two babies." Troy said, "Mommy's having twins." Ashleigh sat there, thinking; the look on her face looked as if she was trying to decide if she wanted two babies or not.
"Okay!" she answered happily; her blue eyes shining as she answered. She got up off the couch, and ran to her room to play. I laughed.
"That went better than I thought." I said with a giggle.
"She's excited," Troy stated, "and so am I." he leaned in and kissed me.
6 months later; November 9, 2016 at 5:13 PM I gave brith to twin baby girls.
Holding both babies in my arms, Ashleigh crawled onto the bed to see her new siblings.
"Baby sisters?" she asked after a few seconds of looking at them. Her big blue Bolton eyes asked so many questions.
"Yes, sweetie." I smiled, "Baby sisters." a smile spread across her entire face.
"What names?" Ashleigh happily asked. I looked at Troy; again, we hadn't really discussed names.
"I don't know." I told her, "Do you have any ideas?" she looked at me like I had just told her they were painting the White House pink.
"Me?" Ashleigh questioned quietly.
"Yes, Ashleigh, you." I told her, and gently kissed her cheek. She sat on the edge of the bed, thinking. Troy and I laughed to ourselves at the face she was making.
"I like Bella." she said with a smile. I looked at Troy, to see what his reaction was.
"How about Isabella, and we call her Bella?" Troy asked, directing the question towards me, rather than our 2 year old daughter.
"Perfect, but that's only one name. We need 4 names: two first names and two middle." I informed my husband. "I like Isabella Anne."
"I love that. Which one is going to be Isabella?" he asked, looking at the two sleeping, pink babies I was holding. One already had some dark hair coming in, and the other had lighter brown, almost blonde, hair.
"This one. She looks like an Isabella." I nodded to the baby on my left arm, the one with the dark hair. "Now what about this one?"
"Hmm…I like Laura." Troy said, his blue eyes sparkling just like his eldest daughter's.
"Laura…" I started, "Laura June. I like that." As if on cue, the doctor walked in to see if we had named the babies.
"So, Gabriella and Troy Bolton, and Ashleigh," the doctor began by addressing each of us. He delivered Ashleigh, as well as the twins. "Have we chosen names for these two little Boltons?" he said with a smile.
"Yes, we have." I looked from Ashleigh to Troy to the doctor. "Ashleigh, sweetie, do you want to tell Dr. Armstrong one of your sisters names?" Her smile grew even bigger when I asked her this. She walked over to Dr. Armstrong, pointer to the baby with dark hair, and said:
"That baby is Isabella Anne." she said loudly; then she leaned in and whispered to him, "She's my baby sister." he looked at her and smiled.
"Well, she's one lucky baby." Dr. Armstrong replied. At this news, Ashleigh began to jump up and down with excitement. "What about the other one?" he directed the question towards us.
"This one is Laura." Troy said the first name, allowing me to say the middle.
"Laura June." I smiled. Dr. Armstrong wrote down the names, and left, leaving the Bolton family alone. I looked around at my family; little Ashleigh, two years old, giggling uncontrollably as her father chases her around the room; Troy, almost 25, acting like a two year old as he plays with his daughter, and Laura & Isabella, the newest edition to the family, no longer sleeping, but instead, looking up at me with their grayish eyes. Noticing the babies had woken up, Troy and Ashleigh came to sit on the bed to see them, and without even noticing, another picture had been taken. Yet another moment saved, another memory captured forever.
Ahh…here we go again; into the future about three years. Troy and I are 28, Ashleigh is five, and Laura & Isabella are three.
I sit on the back porch, watching my three daughters play in the backyard on this scorching hot day in July. The neighbors said you could hear their giggles throughout the entire neighborhood; I wouldn't be surprised if you could, they never stop giggling. At twelve-thirty, I hear the front door slam. I turn around, trying to see him through the windows in the backdoor. Thirty seconds later, Troy came out onto the back porch, kissed me, and then sat down on one of the chairs we had sitting on the porch.
"How has your day been, Gabby?" he smiled as he watched his daughters run around in the yard. They went from one thing to another; from the swing set to the baby pool back to the swing set, it never ended.
"It's good. We've been out here most of the day." I laughed, watching Laura jump up and down in the ankle-high baby pool water, her braided light brown hair bouncing. "Did the mail come?"
"Yeah. There was something in there for you." he said, turning his attention back to me. "I didn't recognize the address."
"Can you watch the girls while I go see what it is?" I say, getting up to leave.
"Yeah, sure." he got up off the porch and walked over to where the girls were playing. Troy's definition of "watching the girls" is "playing with the girls". I laugh at my husband, and then walk into the air conditioned house to get the mail. Sitting on the kitchen table was a letter, with big cursive writing on the front.
Ms. Gabriella Bolton
724 Lindsay Drive
Albuquerque, New Mexico 15430
I tear open the back, and slowly pull out the letter. I skimmed right to the bottom before reading the letter, in order to find out who it was from. I smile at the name of the person who sent it, and then go back to read the rest of the letter. The letter said:
Dear Troy and Gabriella,
Hope all is well at the Bolton house. It has been ten years since we last saw each other, and I miss the two of you greatly. I know we haven't kept in touch all these years, but we promised each other to be "Wildcats" forever. That is why, on the ten year anniversary of our graduation from East High, we are going to get back together to celebrate the old times. By we, I mean you two, Sharpay, Ryan, Kelsi, Jason, Zeke, Chad, and I. We will be getting together on July 24, 2019 at a local Albuquerque resturaunt located on 2371 Autumn Lane at 7:00 PM. It's the only resturaunt on that road, so it won't be hard to find. Children are welcome; actually, we are insisting you bring your children because we need to meet them. See you soon!
Sincerely,
Chad and Taylor Danforth
A ten year aniversery; I sighed at the thought. I walk back out onto the porch; letter in hand, to see what Troy and the girls were doing. When Isabella saw me, she ran and wrapped her arms around my legs; her chocolate brown eyes shining as she looked up at me and smiled a smile almost identical to mine. I picked her up, and walked into the yard to join the rest of the family.
"What's that?" Troy asked, spotting the letter in my hand. I handed it to him to read; as he read it, his boyish smile appeared on his face. "A ten year anniversary; wow. Can we go?"
"Yes, of course we can go." I laughed. The girls looked at us, confused.
"Where are you going, Mama?" Ashleigh asked her blue eyes big.
"A party, we're all going." I said to her; a smile spread across her face at the word party.
"Party!" Isabella and Laura exclaimed in unison. I laugh; they were just like their father, party animals.
"Yes, a party. Now, if you three want to go, you better be good this week. The party is next Saturday, and if you are bad at all this week, you won't go." I explained to the girls, who usually do something in the week to get into trouble. "Do you understand?" they nodded their heads together.
Next Saturday. July 24, 2019.
"This outfit good, Mama?" I hear a small voice ask me. I turn around to see Laura standing in the doorway in her pink ballet tutu. I giggle, and walk over to help her.
"Sweetie, how about we go into your room to find something else?" I take her hand, and walk down the hall to her room; it was painted pink and designed like a ballet studio. Laura was our little dancer. I open her closet and pull out a pink sundress. "What about this?"
"That good." she answers quietly. As I help her get dressed, she asks, "Mama, who gonna be at party?" I look into her blue eyes; they were filled with a combination of fear and happiness. Laura was extremely shy, even though she tried not to show it.
"Some old friends of your daddy and I. They are very nice." I explained to her; she looked down at her feet.
"I don't wanna go to the party." she whispered. I picked her up, and sat down on her bed.
"Why not?" I tucked a piece of her curly, light brown hair behind her ear. She looked as if she was going to cry.
"I afraid." her bottom lip began to tremble. One by one, tears began to fall down her pink cheeks.
"Aww…shhh." I tried to calm her down, "Laura, it's okay. You can sit with me the entire time. You don't have to talk to Mama's friends. I won't make you." the tears slowly stopped, and soon she was okay again.
"Okay, Mama." Laura said as she got up of my lap, and twirled around her in dress.
"You go and play while I finish getting your sisters ready." I say; she runs out of the room to the play room, and I walk across the hall to Isabella's room. Her room was beach-themed; painted with different shades of blues and greens. Isabella was our tomboy; she loved being outside and playing sports, especially basketball. "Bella baby, what are you wearing for the party?"
"This." she said, and spun around, showing off her outfit; a pair of blue jean shorts and a green striped shirt, and her hair dark hair in a pony tail.
"Very nice. How about you go play with Laura, and we'll leave soon." I tell her, and she runs past me and down the stairs, her dark hair swinging behind her.
"Mama!" I hear Ashleigh call from down the hall. I walk into her room, to find her surrounded by clothes. "I don't know what to wear."
"How about the skirt grandma got you?" I suggested. I pulled the skirt out of a drawer, along with a pink shirt. She smiled, and pulled the outfit on.
"How do I look?" she asked, spinning around. She was such a little diva; planning on being an actress when she grew up. Her room designed like a Hollywood studio.
"You look fabulous, Ashleigh." I giggle, "Now come along; we're going to be late. Go get you're sisters from the playroom, and be ready by the front door." with that, she runs past me to get the twins. I walk down the hall to get Troy from our bedroom. "Troy, come on."
"I'm coming." he appeared from behind the dresser wearing blue jeans and an old Wildcats shirt. I laugh; "What?"
"Nothing. It's just; you look like you did in high school." I laugh again; he comes over and wraps his arms around me, just like high school. "Now come on, we're going to be late."
After finally getting everyone in the car, we were able to get to the restaurant just in time. Pulling up in the parking lot, I didn't recognize anything, any people or the restaurant itself; had it always been here? With Laura in my arms, Bella in Troy's, and Ashleigh walking beside me holding my hand, we walked into the restaurant.
"Bolton!" I hear a voice call from behind us; we turn around to find Chad and Taylor plus two little ones. Taylor comes over, and immediately gives me a hug; Laura hides her face in my shoulder.
"My gosh, Gabby. It's been so long. Who's this little one?" she asks excitedly; just like the Taylor I remembered from high school.
"This is Laura. She's three years old, and a little shy." I whispered the last part to Taylor, hoping she would understand if Laura didn't talk much; she nodded, understanding perfectly. "I'll show you a picture of her later, if she doesn't let you see her face; considering she's hiding it right now."
"Now who's this?" she asked, referring to Ashleigh; who stood next to me, smiling. "She has a smile just like her father's."
"And eyes like her father's. That's Ashleigh. She's five." Ashleigh hugged Taylor once they were introduced; she had always been outgoing like her father, too.
"Isn't she just a cutie?" Taylor says; I giggle, and we walk over to Troy, who is talking to Chad, holding Bella. "And who is this?" I take Bella from her father, and hold both Laura and Bella together; being a mother of twins, you learn how to do this.
"And this is Isabella, Bella for short. Actually, Ashleigh named her." I informed Taylor as I finished introducing the last of my children. Taylor smiled, turned around, and motioned to the two little kids hiding behind Chad's legs to come over.
"Chad!" She called out; she mouthed something to him I didn't quite catch, and he pushed the two over towards Taylor. She picked up the smaller one, and took the hand on the other. Turning back to me, she said: "Okay, this is Holly. She's four years old, and the one holding my hand, that's Nathaniel, Nate for short. He's five."
"Holly looks just like you, Tay, and Nate, well; he is an exact replica of Chad." I laugh, and look around the lobby. "Where are we sitting anyway? Who all is coming?"
"Well, they should be sitting us soon. And everyone, plus their kids, is coming." just as she says this, a tall, blonde woman walks through the front doors, and I immediately recognize her.
"Sharpay!" I call; she looks over at me, and a huge smile appears on her face. She walks over, and following behind her, two little girls dress in matching pink dresses.
"Hey Gabby! Hey Tay!" she hugs us both; "Wow…it's been so long. Gabby, I'm guessing these three are yours?" she gestures to Laura, Bella, and Ashleigh.
"Yes, Ashleigh, my oldest, is five; the twins, Bella and Laura are three." I introduce them quickly; Laura still hiding her face in my shoulder.
"Ashleigh…I love that name. How did you spell it?" Sharpay asks with a smile.
"A-S-H-L-E-I-G-H; I like that spelling better than the normal way, it makes it unique." I say, and she nods in agreement.
"Well, she has her father's eyes and smile, but I'm sure you've heard that before." we laugh, and I nod.
"I hear that all the time. Bella looks like me, Laura looks exactly like her father, even though right now she's not letting you see, and Ashleigh is a mixture of us both." I say to the two of them, and they smile, just noticing, "And it's weird with the twins because Bella, who looks like me, is just like Troy; she's so outgoing and loves sports, but then Laura, who looks like Troy, couldn't be more like me. I mean, you see her now; she's so shy. But enough about my kids, who are the two standing behind you?"
Sharpay laughs before pushing the two girls forward, and saying: "The one on the left, with the dark hair, her name is Megan, and on the right, with the blonde hair, that's Clara." Clara tried to hide behind Sharpay, and Megan smiled at us, with a smile so identical to her mother's it was scary. "Megan is four and a half, and Clara is three."
Just as she finished introducing the two girls, Kelsi walked in with Jason and a little boy. She smiled when she saw us, and walked over with her son, as Jason went the other direction to where Troy and Chad were talking.
"Guys, it's been forever since the last time I saw you!" she squealed when she came over. "Gabby, look at you. How's everything going with Troy? And kids?"
"It's been great, Kelsi. Troy and I are incredibly happy together; just like in high school. We have three kids, and I don't think we're trying for anymore. The ones we have are so perfect. I wouldn't wish for anything else." I went on about my happy life; Sharpay, Kelsi, and Taylor just smiled.
"That's great, Gabby." Kelsi replied; she was still the quiet Kelsi we knew and loved in high school, and now she was slightly taller. "What are your kids' names?"
"Well, in my arms, I have the twins. Isabella, Bella, on the left; then Laura is on the right, they're three, and Ashleigh is five." I repeat my children's names and ages for the third time. Taylor and Sharpay then introduce their children, and then Kelsi.
"As of right now, I only have one little boy, but we're still trying. This is Alex; he's five." Kelsi said. Just as she finished, the hostess came out, and lead us to a back room where we would be eating. The hostess told us that our server would be back shortly and then left us to our catching up. I put Laura and Bella down because the room we were in had a door, and Bella ran off to play with Ashleigh and the other kids whose parents had also put them down. Laura and Clara were the only two that stayed behind. I put Laura in my lap, and let her sit there, being shy.
"So, Sharpay, I married Troy, Taylor married Chad, and Kelsi married Jason; who did you marry? And where's Ryan?" I questioned, looking around, making sure I hadn't missed Ryan if he had walked in.
"Ryan couldn't make it; he's in London, I think, right now. He's a choreographer, and he's choreographing a musical that will premiere in front of the queen or something." Sharpay answered with a shrug of her shoulders.
"That's too bad he couldn't make it, but be sure to tell him I said hello." I said in response; she nodded her head, assuring me she would. "What about your husband? Care to tell us about that?"
"Oh, yeah. Ok, so I married…." just as she began, I heard I door open from behind, followed by Sharpay yelling, "Zeke!" I looked back and forth from Taylor to Kelsi; each of us had the same confused look. Sharpay had run up to Zeke to give him a quick kiss she thought nobody had seen, and ran back over to us. "I married Zeke."
"I knew it!" I shouted, breaking the silence of the shocked group. "That's why Megan has dark hair! I couldn't figure out how your daughter ended up with such dark hair, when you are a complete blonde, but now it all makes sense!" Sharpay laughed, and said:
"Way to go, Einsteinette!" she laughed again, "Just kidding, Gabby. Yeah, we were shocked when we saw how dark Megan's hair got; everyone thought for sure that both girls would have my blonde hair." we continued to talk about what happened with us over the last ten years; from kids to college to where we lived now.
"So, Gabby, you stayed in Albuquerque all this time?" Kelsi asked; she and Jason had move to New York do to Jason's job.
"Yeah, Troy and I agreed that we wanted our kids to grow up here. It's such a great town, with so many memories." I explained to them; they had all moved to different cities, which is why we'd had a hard time keeping in touch.
"Chad and I were actually thinking of moving back; he misses the town, and the people in it." Taylor said, and a small smile appeared on my face, "And I wanted Holly and Nate to go to East High."
"So you're moving back?" I asked anxiously. I missed her; we were so close in high school, and we'd missed out on so much in each others' lives these passed ten years.
"Yeah, we're moving back. We already bought a house." she answered, and the smile on my face grew bigger.
"That's so great!" I squealed excitedly.
"Wow, Gabby. Excited much?" Sharpay said with a laugh, "Well, I guess this is a good time to announce that I'm moving back, too." my smile continued to grow bigger and bigger.
"And, so I am." Kelsi announced, "Jason's job is moving us back here." All of them were moving back; all my friends from high school, back in the same city, where we had all grown up, after all these years.
One Month later, August 28, 2019; Ashleigh's sixth birthday party.
"I'll get it!" I hear Ashleigh yell from the front hall as the doorbell rings loudly, echoing through the house. I laugh when I hear Ashleigh burst into joyful giggles as Chad, Uncle Chad to her, picks her up and spins her around. "Uncle Chad put me down!"
"Chad put Ashleigh down. It's her birthday; you have to listen to her." Taylor instructs her husband. I wipe my hands on a dishtowel, and walk into the hall to meet them. "There you are Gabby."
"Hey Taylor, Chad." I greet them, giving Taylor a hug. "Hey there Holly and Nate."
"Hi Aunt Gabby!" Holly says excitedly.
"Hello Aunt Gabby." Nate responds, not quite as excited as his younger sister.
"Where's Aunt Gabby's hug you two?" Taylor asked, half jokingly. With that, Holly and Nate came and hugged me; I laugh. We'd only just met each other a month ago, and we were like one big family. Holly and the twins did everything together, and Nate and Ashleigh were the best of friends, since they were the same age; Nate turning six on August 15th.
"Thanks guys." I say, ending the hug. "You can go and play now; Holly, Laura and Bella are in the backyard, you can go on back. Ashleigh and Nate, why don't you go out with them?" Holly ran passed me, not giving the suggestion a second thought; while Nate and Ashleigh stood there, not wanting to go.
"We want to wait for Aunt Kelsi and Uncle Jason to come with Alex." Ashleigh finally said, putting her hands on her little hips.
"You go out and play with your cousins and little sisters, and I promised you that when Alex gets here, I will send him back." I reasoned with her; she tilted her head to one side, thinking.
"Okay." she answered, "Come on, Nate. Let's go!" she took his hand, and they ran into the kitchen and out the backdoor, her dark curls bouncing.
"It's hard to believe they only met a month ago." Taylor sighed, and Troy came down the stairs to see who had arrived.
"There you are; I was wondering when you were going to come down." I say to Troy; he stands next to me with his arm around my waist. He kisses me gently on the cheek. Just as he does this, Sharpay and Zeke walk through the front door, which had been left open, with Megan and Clara following close behind them.
"Hey Gabby!" Sharpay says, "Hey Troy and Taylor and Chad." I walk over to her and give her a hug.
"Hey Sharpay." I say, "Hey Zeke." he gives me a hug as I greet him and gladly take the gifts for Ashleigh out of his hands, and set them in the living room along with Chad and Taylor's gift and mine, Troy's and the twins gift for Ashleigh.
"Aunt Gabby…" Clara says as she tugs on my jeans, "Where is Laura and Bella?"
"They're in the backyard with Holly," I say to her, "Troy, can you Zeke and Chad take Clara and Megan outside, and watch the kids while we wait in here for Kelsi and Jason to get here?" Troy nods, and the three guys take Clara and Megan into the kitchen and out into the backyard. Sharpay, Taylor, and I head back into the kitchen, and talk until Jason and Kelsi finally arrive. After sending Jason and Alex outside, Sharpay and Kelsi go into the backyard, leaving Taylor and I alone in the kitchen.
"Gabby?" she asks after a few minutes of us sitting in silence, other than the non-stop laughter coming from outside.
"Yeah?" I pull Ashleigh's ice cream cake out of the freezer and place it on the counter top, and walk over to a cabinet to get dishes.
"Do you still have the MASH game? You know, the one we played in senior year?" I set the dishes down, and turn to her.
"Yeah, I do." I walk over and stand by her, "Why?"
"Oh, just wondering; like, I told you to keep it, 'cause I wanted to see if your life would turn out that way." she started saying, "Can I see it?"
"Yeah, sure, Tay." I start walking out of the kitchen, "Come on; it's upstairs." she gets up, and we both walk up the stairs, past all of the girls' rooms, and into my room. I open the doors to my walk-in closet, walk in, pick up a small white chest with Gabby painted on the top of it, and walk over to the bed to sit down. I motion for Taylor to come and sit next to me, and I slowly open the box. This box contained all of my memories from East High; pictures of Troy and I on dates or at dances, pictures of us with our friends at picnics, parties, or just when we felt like being random and took pictures; it had small trinkets that Troy had sent to me the summer he went away to Europe with his family, roses that I dried out from our first dates, and a silver necklace with a 'T' on it, the first piece of jewelry Troy had ever given me. Among all of these things, was the game of MASH I played with Taylor. "Here it is." I take it out and hand it to her.
"Umm…Gabby?" she says slowly after she read it over. She looks up at me, her eyes filled with amazement and surprise, "When is the last time you read this?"
"I don't know, the day you made me take it, maybe?" I said, confused. "Why?"
"Because, your life turned out exactly like this." she said after reading it over again for a third time.
"No way; that's impossible." I say simply, shaking my head.
"Yes way." she said, shoving the paper at me. "Take a look." I read it quickly, and shake my head, still not believing. This was impossible; it was just a game. It couldn't have come true.
"No…this is impossible. It was just a game, Tay." I say, pushing the game back at her. She held it in front of her and slowly began to read it off to me:
"Number one: you married Troy; two: you live in Albuquerque; three: you drive a convertible; four: you have three kids; five: you're a teacher, and lastly, you live in a house." she said, "Gabby, it came true, even if you don't want to believe it." I took the paper off of her.
"Let's go back downstairs. It's time for cake." I say and we get up to leave. She walks out the door, and I grab the paper off the bed before following her. I walked onto the back porch, still holding the paper.
Troy had carried the cake out, and now everyone stood around the table, Ashleigh at the head, singing happy birthday. I watched as my eldest daughter blow out her candles, making a wish I would never hear about because if she told me it would never come true. I watched from the porch as the kids ate their cake, giggling the whole time, and as Laura put icing on her daddy's nose. I looked from the picture perfect scene happening in my backyard to the game of MASH I still held in my hand; reading it over again, I think back to the fateful day I played this, the day my life was played out. Troy walks up next to me, and kisses me passionately, and at that moment, I decided that we were meant to be. I let the paper fall slowly to the ground, and push myself against him. He held me tight to his chest; I fit against him just like one of his shirts. Almost as ifwe were tailor made…