Lifetime Piling Up

Chapter 12: Isn't that weird?

Troy's arm was slung around Gabriella's shoulders as they strolled around Lava Springs later that night. The cool night air hung around them.

"So did I give you a good date?" He kissed the side of her head.

"I have to give it to you Bolton, you did pretty good job."

He grinned. "I knew it. You're falling for me all over again."

"And if you don't watch your mouth, you might be wrong.

"You love my mouth."

"Not what comes out of it."

"Then let's change that." He stopped them in the middle of the path. Troy drew her in close and kissed her softly.

Gabriella smiled with a sigh, "We shouldn't be doing this."

Troy blinked a few times as he stared down at her. "Excuse me?"

"We should keep it a secret." She tried to explain. "We should keep us a secret."

"So there's an us again?"

"There will be once you ask me to be your girlfriend."

He chuckled, "Gabriella Montez, will you do me the honor of being my girlfriend. Again."

Gabriella smiled as she stared into his clear blue eyes.

"Crap!" she ducked behind a nearby building, leaving Troy standing by himself in the middle of the walkway.

He stood there, confused. "I know you are full of surprises, but I really wasn't expecting that as an answer." Troy turned to look at her, but she had disappeared.

Luke bumped into his shoulder as he passed by without saying a word.

Troy shook his head. "You still on this, man?"

Luke stopped and turned around. "Still on what, Bolton?"

"This. Freezing me out."

"I'm talking to you aren't I? That's not freezing you out."

"Fine," Troy admitted. "Are you still mad at me?"

"Now why would I have any reason to be mad at you?" Luke had a smirk spread across his face.

Troy rolled his eyes, "Whatever. It's not worth it."

As he turned to walk away, Luke called out after him. "My sister is damn well worth it!"

He stopped. "Don't you think I know that?" he said angrily.

"Could have fooled me."

"Look, I didn't mean-"

"To be an ass? Sorry, but not meaning it doesn't change anything." Luke told him. "If you would have realized what a great girl she is, then we wouldn't be here."

Troy crossed his arms and stared at his friend.

"No one can find Gabriella anywhere. And she shouldn't be alone."

He blinked a few times. "What?"

"Gabriella shouldn't be alone. Not right now. Not for a while, at least."

"She's made it very clear that she's a big girl. She doesn't need you or me to-"

"I don't care what she thinks right now!" Luke said defensively.

Troy's expression changed, "Luke, what's going on." His voice dropped.

"Like you care." He turned to walk away, but Troy grabbed his arm. "Let go."

"What's going on?" He asked again, gripping his arm tightly.

He looked around nervously before leaning in to talk to Troy.

Gabriella craned her neck out from behind the building, but it was no use. Their voices were too soft for her to hear. She watched Troy's face go from sarcastic to serious in a matter of seconds. Luke pulled him along, in search for her she assumed. He looked back at her hiding stop before turning the corner.

"Well, damn." She whispered to herself. Gabriella slumped to the ground, keeping herself hidden behind the building.

Gabriella stretched her arms as she let out a yawn the next morning. Her bed was more comfortable than she remembered. Sunlight dripped into the room through the blinds on the window. She rolled onto her side and saw Taylor getting herself ready for the day.

"How's it going in the Rec Center this summer?" she asked sleepily. "Tons of fun?"

"Annoying children, the parents that made them that way….pretty standard." She told her with a smirk. "So what are your plans for your day off."

Her thoughts went directly to Troy. She hadn't spoken to him since he left with Luke the night before. "I think I'll just wander around. Check out some of the new guests. People watch..."

"Why don't you come to work with me?" Taylor suggested. "It could be a lot of fun. You know, something different?"

"With the annoying kids and the parents that made them that way?" she quoted her friend. "Thanks, but no thanks. I can find better things to fill my time."

"Why not hang out with your brothers?" she suggested, slipping on her regulation shoes.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "I see enough of them when I'm actually working. Not really who I want to see on my day off."

"What about Chad? You guys haven't really hung out all summer. I know he is kind of bummed about that."

She shrugged. "I miss him I guess, but he's working a double shift today."

"Troy?"

"Uh, no." she changed the direction of the conversation as quickly as she could. "Why are you pushing me to hang out with everyone?"

Taylor shrugged. "No reason. Just thought you wouldn't want to spend the day alone."

"If I am ever truely alone it will be a God-made miracle."

She let out a heavy sigh. "I'll see you later. Go back to sleep."

"Bye…" Gabriella waited until Taylor was out the door before crawling out of bed and into the shower.

By the time she was ready for the day, an hour had passed. She opened the front door, and saw Chad standing in her way.

"Hi…" she said. "I thought you had a double today."

"I do." He said, following her as she brushed past him. "But I thought I would walk with you a little bit before I clocked in."

"How nice for you."

Chad struggled to keep up with her pace. "So how are things going?"

"Fine." She told him. "Got a lot of sleep last night."

"That's great!" he was too enthusiastic, even for Chad. "You know most teenagers don't get enough sleep. They are the age group that need the most sleep, actually, but they get the least. Isn't that weird?"

She shot him a look out of the side of her eye. "Fascinating, really."

"So how are things with you and Troy?"

"Same as always." She, again, turned the conversation away from Troy, "Look, not that I don't love talking to you in any normal circumstance but you have to be at work in less than five minutes."

"I can be a little late."

Gabriella finally stopped walking. "No. Go to work."

"But do you really want to be alone on such a nice day like this?"

"Kind of." She shooed him away with her hands.

After she finally got rid of Chad, she continued her way down the path.

"Hey sis." Trevor's arm slung over his sister's shoulders, making her do a full turn in the middle of the path so that she was now facing the other way.

"Hey bro." She had no choice but to walk along with him.

"So today is your day off?"

"No I'm going to lifeguard in jeans and a t-shirt."

He laughed a little too loudly. "Man, I forgot how funny you could be. And smart and really pretty too. Have I ever told you how pretty you are, little sister?"

"Yeah, I'm a real gem." She looked at him carefully. His face was normal, but his eyes were darting around.

"It's really Troy's loss you know. You are such a catch."

"Thanks, I guess."

His arm kept a grip around her shoulders. "You know I have some time before my shift starts, you feel like grabbing something to eat?"

"It depends on if you are cooking, because you know I am allergic to your cooking."

Trevor laughed too loud again. "There's that amazing sense of humor again. You really should do stand up or something at the talent show."

"Um, I would rather not." She finally shrugged off his arm. "I have to go."

"Where?"

"Away from you." She turned on her heel and quickly left his side before he could retaliate or follow her.

As soon as she was far enough away, Gabriella went back to people watching, choosing to ignore what whatever had gotten into her friend and brother."

"Gabi!"

She inwardly groaned and kept walking.

"Hey Gabi!"

Nothing was going to make her turn around.

"Hey, wait up!"

He finally caught up to her.

"You sure can walk fast." Kevin told her, panting from his sprint to her side.

She didn't slow down. "Hey Kevin. What's up? Want to bother me on my day off like everyone else?"

"I'm just on break..."

"You work in the kitchen." She reminded him. "That's on the other side of the grounds."

"I know, it was kind of a run to get over here. But exercise is good for the heart and soul. Kind of like soup, you know? Chicken noodle soup is probably my favorite, with tomato as a close second. But there is always broccoli cheese to think about too."

She ignored him. "Why are you all the way over here?"

"I, uh, wanted to ask you something." He sputtered out.

Gabriella looked over at him, prompting him to ask his question. "Well…?"

He grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Well, you see, I'm a guy."

"Yes, I do know that."

"And well, as a guy, I, um, you see I have needs."

She raised an eyebrow, confused by where this conversation was going.

"And one of those needs is sexual intercourse, with a woman."

Gabriella shook her head. "Kevin, seriously get to the point. Are you thinking about having sex?"

"Well, yes I am and, uh, I was wondering-"

"If you should?" she finished for him. "No. Now are we done?"

"I was actually wondering when you lost your virginity."

She finally stopped trying to get away and studied him. "I was about your age, actually." She said quietly. This wasn't like Kevin to ask. It wasn't like anyone of her brothers to ask. They all knew this was as sore of a subject that could come up.

"Oh, ok. Thanks for the information." He looked pained throughout the entire conversation.

Gabriella took a step closer, "What's all this about?" she asked seriously. "This isn't like you. And you know not to talk to me about that. I have been trying to push that particular memory out of my head for the past two years. And I know that you don't know about it but you know that much."

He sighed, the pain leaving his face and being replaced with nervousness. The same kind of nervousness that was on Taylor's, Chad's, and Trevor's faces. "I had to keep you occupied and I panicked. I know that that's the worst subject to bring up but that's the only thing that popped into my head."

"Why did you have to keep me occupied?"

Before Kevin could give an answer, someone else did.

"Oh, Gabriella… Long time no see."

She spun around at the sound of his voice. She was frozen to her spot out of terror and anger.

"Now, you or your pretty little boyfriend aren't going to hit me this time, are you?" David had a smirk glued to his face, his eyes looking her up and down.

Sorry it's been so long :( But seriously, everything I write sucks. It's so horrible. Like a part of me is missing or something. I think I'm working too much, thirty hours a week is starting to wear me down.

Or I just need some lovin, lol.