A/N

Hey you guys! This is just a short story...three or four chapters while I'm stuck with my others. Just to keep my creative juices flowing! So this is 'Gabriella Montez Hates Dogs'. I'm not gonna say anything else, you've read the summary so...just give it a chance and let me know what you think! Gracias! xx

"How could you do that? That was so disrespectful! I can't believe it, how dare you!" Gabriella shouted, storming out of the bedroom at high speed wrapped in the bed sheet.

Troy stumbled after her, pulling his boxers on.

"How could you be so inconsiderate? Do you have no respect at all?" she continued to yell, making her way through the house and towards the kitchen.

"Babe, I'm sorry. It just...came out" he protested, following her.

"It just came out? How could it just come out Troy?"

"I don't know! It just did!"

"You're supposed to think about these things, plan to the utmost detail. That's how it's supposed to be!" she snapped, grabbing a water bottle.

"I thought it was what you wanted!" he said back, moving closer.

"That's not the point! You're not supposed to just because you think it's what I want! You're supposed to want it too!"

"But it is what you want...isn't it?" he questioned, standing directly in front of her.

"Yes...no...I don't know!" she cried, gesturing her arms and throwing water everywhere.

"You've been dropping hints for weeks! I'm not stupid!" he told her.

"Well you obviously are if you think that's how I want to be treated!" she retorted, pushing past him.

"Gabs...baby! Come on!" he pleaded, rushing after her.

"No Troy! I've had it! This isn't how it's meant to happen!" she shouted, locking the bedroom door behind her.

"Honey...let me in. Please Gabs...let me explain" he asked, banging on the door.

The door flung open to reveal a hurriedly dressed Gabriella, anger flashing in her eyes. She stomped past him and down the stairs, yelling behind her,

"I think it's pretty obvious you can't explain. Don't wait up for me, I might not be home"

"Gabi, it was just a crazy little thought I said out loud. It didn't mean anything!" he insisted.

"Oh so now you didn't mean it? This just gets better and better Troy!" she cried, grabbing her heels.

"That's not what I meant!"

"My boyfriend asks me to marry him half way through having sex and then after says he didn't mean to say it out loud and it didn't mean anything! I feel so privileged!" she screamed, flinging her car keys in her bag and opening the door.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this! Gabriella! Where are you going? Gabs!" he shouted, standing in the doorway.

"I don't know. Sharpay's, Taylor's...anywhere. Away from you!" she barked, starting the car and backing out of the drive.

"GABRIELLA!" Troy yelled after her, chasing the car down the street.

It was no use, she was driving too fast, plus he was dressed only in his boxers.

Sheepishly making his way back up the drive way and out of sight of the neighbours, he shut the door behind him.

Was he ready for marriage? That was the question. He didn't know. He didn't know anything...judging by the way the girl he loved most in the world had blew up in his face. Why did I have to blurt it out in the middle of sex? I'm so stupid!

Troy sighed and walked back up to the bedroom, pulling some clothes on.

"I need some help" he muttered, grabbing the phone.

"What's he actually done?" Sharpay asked, as she put the tray of carefully selected biscuits on the coffee table.

"Yeah, I mean, I thought he was the perfect guy? He seemed it anyway" Taylor commented, grabbing one.

Sharpay tutted at Taylor's impulsiveness and handed her a plate.

"He proposed to me..." she began.

The two other girls squealed but before they could make their way over to hug her, she added,

"During sex!"

"Woah" Sharpay said immediately, backing up.

"He did what?!" Taylor exclaimed.

"Proposed! During sex! And when I told him that's not how it's supposed to be he said he didn't mean to say it and it didn't mean anything!" Gabriella continued.

"Oh my god! What was he thinking?" Sharpay said, spreading a napkin out on her cream trousers.

"He wasn't! Clearly!" Gabriella told them, taking her drink.

"You are quite hard to please though" Taylor commented, taking another biscuit, much to the annoyance of Sharpay. They were her favorite.

"Meaning what exactly?" Gabriella demanded.

"Meaning maybe he was so stressed about asking you that it popped out..." Taylor trailed off.

"I think what Tay means" Sharpay cut in, before Gabriella could snap a response, "is that perhaps Troy was so worried about everything being perfect for you...that he said it at the wrong time, like he said, he didn't mean it...not he didn't mean it at all but just at that time..."

"That makes sense" Taylor said, nodding.

"Guys! That's not the point! You of all people should know! If you're husbands proposed during sex...you wouldn't say yes would you!"

Neither girl answered, instead suddenly found their biscuit or the floor extremely interesting.

"I can't believe this. Sharpay! Zeke flew you all the way to Paris, booked you in for a wonderful day at an exclusive spa, paid for you to have a personal shopper to buy you a beyond expensive designer gown, took you to the best seats at the opera, got them to cordon off the top of the Eiffel Tower for an hour, offered you a rock the size of your fist and proposed at midnight when it lit up! You seriously think that compares?!"

Sharpay shook her head and gazed at her engagement ring.

"Mine wasn't that special..." Taylor muttered.

"No...granted it wasn't as classy, but it was just as amazing! It was Chad for crying out loud! Even he managed to be romantic. He took you to the park, strung fairy lights all over the trees, lit candles everywhere, sprinkled rose petals all over the grass and got down on one knee! That's what I want! I want all that! Not some crappy after thought!" she told her.

"You're right, and you should have all that!" Sharpay encouraged.

The door opened and Zeke stepped in, smiling at them all.

"Hi honey" Sharpay said, getting up and walking over to him.

"Hi baby, hi girls." He said, grinning at them both.

Taylor smiled in response but Gabriella just sank back into the cushions.

"Shar...can I speak to you for a sec?" Zeke asked hesitantly.

"Zeke! Now really isn't a good time...we're having a girly chat...I'll speak to you later" she dismissed.

"Sharpay! Now!" Zeke demanded.

Gabriella's eyes shot open at that and she shared a confused look with Taylor. Sharpay seemed to share their confusion as she followed him out.

"What was that all about?" Taylor whispered.

"I don't know...do you think something's wrong?"

Taylor shrugged as Sharpay walked back in, followed by Zeke.

"Right girls, lovely to see you both, as always but I'm off."

"Bye" they chorused as he kissed Sharpay on the cheek.

They waited until they heard the front door shut and the two girls turned on their best friend.

"What happened?"

"Nothing, everything's fine" Sharpay assured them both.

A short burst of silence ensued and she couldn't take it any longer.

"Troy's going to propose" she blurted out.

"He already has...kind of" Gabriella answered, inspecting her nails.

"No! He's called all the guys round to help give him an idea...that's where Zeke's gone. Only I wasn't supposed to tell you. He wants to do it properly, no messing around" the blonde stated.

"Are you for real?" Taylor questioned, a big grin on her face.

"What exactly...did Zeke say?" Gabriella questioned slowly.

"He said Troy had rang Chad saying he was in a crisis and really needed help so Chad rounded them up and they're all off to yours"

"There was nothing in there that means he's going to propose! Again! He's probably just looking for a way out of trouble."

"Oh" Sharpay said dejectedly, sitting back.

"Unless..." Taylor began.

"Unless what?" Gabriella asked, looking at her.

"Unless Zeke told you that deliberately Shar, because he knew you'd spill the beans. Maybe Troy is going to propose..."

"Even if he did I wouldn't accept" Gabriella told them.

"Why?"

"Are you crazy?"

Gabriella looked at each of them in turn before saying,

"You guys! I'm not crazy! This whole thing has put everything into perspective for me. Maybe I don't want to marry at the moment. Maybe I don't want marriage at all. Maybe...maybe I don't want him..." she trailed off.

Sharpay leapt up off her seat and pulled Gabriella up onto her feet.

"Now you really are crazy! Gabriella Montez! For months you have been moaning to us about how Troy won't propose, how you'll be a spinster all your life and your children will be illegitimate. You love Troy...with all you heart! I know because I used to love him too! You know that, he knows that...hell, everyone knows that...but you got him. You got him, he loves you, he wants to start a life with you, he wants kids with you, he wants to grow old with you. If a man doesn't care that he's gonna see you get saggy boobs and wrinkles and frown lines then you damn well make sure you keep a hold of him...you got that?!" she shouted.

"Uh...yeah...Sharpay?"

"What?!" she snapped.

"You can let go of my arm now...thanks...please?"

"Say you love Troy"

"I love Troy"

"That was pathetic...say it again"

"I love Troy"

"For fucks sake say it with meaning! Say it with passion! Say it with such a force that the whole world knows he's yours!"

"I FUCKING WELL LOVE TROY ALEXANDER BOLTON AND I ALWAYS HAVE AND ALWAYS WILL!" Gabriella screamed at the top of her voice.

Sharpay smiled,

"Then what are you waiting for...go tell him that"

Gabriella smiled and hugged her..."Thanks Shar, bye Tay...I got a man to catch!!" she said, running out.

"Wow...impressive" Taylor commented.

"Just doing my job" Sharpay replied.

Taylor leaned in to take another of the same biscuit and Sharpay smacked her hand away before cramming the last one in her own perfectly made up mouth.

"Don't push it" she mumbled.

Gabriella turned her key in the lock and slowly walked through the house.

"Troy?" she called.

"Baby?" Troy asked, nearly tripping over his own feet to get out of the door.

"Yeah, it's me"

"You're back? You've come back? You're not leaving?" he questioned.

The innocent look on his face and the child-like way he asked her made her want to cry, he was so cute, bless him, how could she not love him?

"Of course I am...you didn't think I was leaving you did you?" she questioned, dropping her bag.

"Kind of...I was really worried, I even tidied up the cellar! In case...you know...in case you did decide to give me another chance..." he mumbled.

Gabriella's heart lurched, she'd been asking him forever to clean out the cellar, it was full of a load of junk that they never got round to either using or throwing away.

"C'mere" she said, opening her arms.

Troy walked into them like a child walks into his mother's arms and Gabriella kissed his shoulder.

"It was never a case of leaving you...I just got caught up in the heat of things...I would never leave you baby"

"But...I...you said..."

"It doesn't matter what I said...I'm here, you're here...that's all that matters"

"I love you" he told her, kissing her nose.

"I love you too"

"I got you a surprise..." he said, pulling away.

Gabriella's heart leapt...this was it...he was going to do it...properly.

"Where is it?" she asked.

"Outside...shall we go?"

Gabriella grinned and nodded, taking his arm.

He led her out through the dining room and then the kitchen...before opening the patio doors and letting her walk through.

Gabriella screamed as a big dog lunged at her from the grass. She dived out of the way and fell to the floor.

Getting up she noticed Troy look at her oddly, while rubbing the dog's tummy.

"What...is that?" she asked shakily pointing a finger.

"It's your surprise!" Troy exclaimed.

"It's a...dog" Gabriella stated.

"Yeah! It's to complete our little family! Now we have a baby!" Troy told her, rubbing the fur.

"That is not a dog. It's a freaking horse!" she shouted, backing up as it growled at her.

"Don't shout...you'll scare him" Troy whispered, pulling on its collar.

"I swear to God that is not a dog...that isn't even a house pet!" she spat, glaring at the animal.

"It's a St Bernard! Isn't he cute! I called him Denny! Oh and don't worry...he's perfectly trainable"

"Great" she muttered.

"I'll take him inside...you must be hungry" Troy cooed at the dog.

Gabriella returned what she was sure was a nasty look from the animal and snatched out her phone from her pocket.

"Sharpay? Are you still with Taylor?"

"Yeah honey, shall I put you on speaker-phone?"

"Yes, but I gotta be quick"

"Ok, you're on"

"Troy hasn't proposed, he's not even close to proposing"

"He will"

"No Tay...he won't. He's bought us a freaking dog...it's to complete the family"

"A dog?"

"Yeah...and Shar...I don't mean like Boi...I mean a full on Shetland Pony sized thing"

"Aww..Boi...I remember him! I loved that dog!"

"Sharpay! Back to the matter in hand!" Gabriella snapped worriedly.

"Yes, yes. Um...oh yeah, don't worry babe...Troy is probably just sweetening you up. Getting on your good side before he actually does it."

"You sure?" she asked uncertainly.

"Defo...now we have to go. Should we pop round later?"

"No, I think Troy and I have some...making up to do...you know what I mean?" she said, giggling.

"Ooh err, ok then. But don't forget coffee's tomorrow! 1 o'clock!"

"I got it, bye Shar! Bye Tay!"

"Bye Gabs!"

Gabriella turned round smiling only to see the dog watching her from inside. Her smile dropped and she groaned.

Making her way back inside the house she muttered...

"I hate dogs"