Time Changes Everything

Deadly Fights

Gabriella was sitting up on a counter in the kitchen, watching as everyone was sitting there bored, talking. It was around 4:30 PM and the lunch time was over, so now they were waiting for dinner shift to start. Gabriella herself was done for the day but she had to wait until Troy was done at 8 so he could take her home since she drove with him this morning after they ate breakfast together. Not that she minded though, because at the moment she was talking with Taylor, and Cassie. She knew that Troy was on a quick break right now, but while she was working, she saw him walk over in his suit to take a nap on the side of the pool, so she didn't want to bother him. "Earth to Brie!" Gabriella suddenly sees a dark hand in her face and she shakes her head to sees the two of them were staring at her.

"Sorry... I just zoned out." She says and smiles.

"Someone's tired. I wonder why." Taylor says sarcastically and Gabriella rolls her eyes.

"Hey... don't lecture me about it. You and Chad go at it like dogs, I swear." She says and Taylor opens her mouth to rebut, but Gabriella stops her. "So Cas... John was talking about taking you out to dinner tonight."

Troy's cousin nods her head and Gabriella watches as her face turns slightly red. "Yea... he's taking me to some expensive place. I don't know, I'm supposed to dress up, though." Cassie explains and Gabriella sees a small smile play on her lips.

"At least John does stuff for you; Chad doesn't do anything romantic anymore," Taylor says with a sigh. "It gets on my nerves sometimes."

Gabriella giggles and nods her head. "That's because Chad had the romantic brain the size of a peanut." All three girls laugh and Gabriella suddenly hears a door open. She looks up to see that across the kitchen, Bradin had just walked in, wearing a West High basketball shirt and jeans. She sighs as he scans the kitchen and then his eyes lock on hers.

"Oh shit... We're gonna go." Cassie says and grabs Taylor's arm. Both of them knew that Gabriella hadn't told Bradin about her and Troy yet, and neither one of them wanted to be around when it happened. "We'll see ya."

Gabriella gives him a desperate look as they suddenly run out of the kitchen into the coffee room. She sighs as she watches as Bradin walks over to where she was standing. She didn't have to tell him yet did she? It wasn't that she didn't want him to know, she was just extremely concerned about Troy. She knew Bradin would flip when he found out, and she'd rather have him not take it out on her boyfriend. "Hey Brie."

"Err... hey, Bradin." She says nervously and tries to give him a smile. "How's your day going so far?"

Bradin shrugs his muscular shoulder. "Alright. I gotta seat people soon." He says and then smiles down at her. She knew that smile. It was that he had something on his mind. "Listen, I was thinking..."

"That's a first." Gabriella teases, trying to make the mood lighter, but it wasn't working. She was still petrified he'd find out.

"Thanks." He says sarcastically and laughs. "No really... I was thinking. Since we haven't done anything in... God like forever... I was thinking maybe we could go out to dinner tonight. I'm done at 7:30, so we can get something? What do you think?"

Gabriella bites her bottom lip. She had to tell him, and now would be the perfect opportunity to. She had to. And he wouldn't do anything to kill Troy, would he? Of course not. They were almost eighteen years old; he should know better than that. "Well... umm... I can't."

Bradin groans. He looks down at her angrily and sighs. "Do you have a problem with me or something? Cuz whenever I ask if you wanna hang out, you always turn me down."

Gabriella continues to bite down on her lower lip. "No, Bradin. There's nothing wrong with you." She says in a small voice.

"Then what IS it?" He asks forcefully. "Huh? I thought this summer we'd get closer, and you're just pushing me, further, away."