Chapter nine of Going for the Gold

1. It had been an ordinary day in August when Troy and Gabriella received some news from Elena. In the next week she was going to start training with another ice dance pair around the same age. Molly and Jordan were an up and coming team and were making waves within the skating world. They had placed in all their recent competitions and were searching for a coach to take them to the next level. <br />“So what do you think of this?” Troy asked as he and Gabriella laced up their skates. <br />“Um, I guess it’s good, I mean it kinda sucks that we have to share Elena, but maybe it’ll help that they’re training here, you know. It might push us more. It’s not as great to come in first every time, unless you know that you’re the best that you’ve come ahead of some amazing teams.” Gabriella explained. <br />“When you put it that way, I guess it’ll be okay.” Troy said.<br />“So how about you Mr. Soon to be twenty –one. Any big plans?” she inquired.<br />“I don’t know, between training and competition I can’t really do anything crazy like a trip to Vegas.” Troy said. <br />“I get what you mean, as much as I love skating it kinda takes over your life.” Gabriella sighed. “But I wouldn’t change it for the world.<br />“Yeah,” he spoke softly as he took her hand. Gabriella felt flutters in her stomach for the first time and it was something totally brand new. <br />Gabriella came out of her bedroom towelling off her hair. She sat in her favourite pink sweats and an oversized black t-shirt. She turned on the television to watch some shows for the evening. It was kind of cool living in her own place. The nineteen year old had found herself an apartment in Salt Lake City and decided to live by herself. With Troy moved out, Gabriella felt no reason to stay in her billet house anymore. <br />She lay on her couch, the television flickering in the dark, she felt herself dozing off. Her impending sleep was rudely interrupted by the blaring noise of cell phone. <br />“Hello?” she asked groggily.<br />“Gabriella!” a male voiced shouted.<br />Gabriella wiped her eyes and sat up, reaching over to turn on the lamp on the end table. “Troy, what do you want it’s…three in the morning?” she asked, slightly annoyed. <br />“Heyyyyyyyy, what’s up,” he slurred on the other end. <br />“Troy… are you drunk?” she asked.<br />“Nooooo…” he giggled. That’s right he giggled, Gabriella didn’t even think that was possible. <br />“Troy, where are you?” she worriedly asked.<br />“Um, there’s brown walls and green carpet and a really long hallway, and a big white door.” He explained. <br />“Troy are you outside the apartment?” she asked. <br />“….I do not know.” He answered.<br />Gabriella walked to her front door, she looked through the peephole and didn’t see anything. Curiosity getting the better off her, she opened the door, sending Troy falling backwards into the apartment rather than leaning on the door that was giving him support.<br />“Troy!” he raised her voice. She tried to pull him inside the apartment trying the best that she could. “Troy get in here before you wake up the neighbours!” she whispered.<br />Troy drunkenly stumbled into the apartment and flopped on the couch. She made her way to the bathroom, getting an aspirin out of the medicine cabinet. Getting a glass of water from the kitchen, she set the pill and the glass on the end table. <br />“Here, take that it’ll help the headache that is bound to come.” Troy sat up, taking the glass and swallowed the aspirin and closed his eyes and sighed. <br />“Psst, Gabriella I have a secret to tell you,” he mock whispered. <br />“Troy, not now, can’t it wait until the morning you need to sleep.” She sighed. <br />“No, it can’t I need to get it off my chest.” He argued. Sighing she said next to Troy and he pulled her close and pushed back the hair that cascaded over her ear. “I love you,” he whispered. <br />“Yes, Troy I love you too,” she said trying to get him to lie down on the couch. <br />“No! You don’t get it I love you, I have for a while. And when you went out with Todd, it killed me, Gabriella it killed me. Do you know how much I wanted to be in his shoes, all this time, how did you not know! This entire time I’ve wanted to be with you, not just whatever we are but to have an actual relationship with you. Do you know how hard it is to skate with you every day and holding you close and not being able to do anything about it. You know what, whatever, just forget everything I said, okay, just forget about it.” <br />He stood up and headed towards the door but Gabriella got up and grabbed his arm, pulling him back towards the couch. <br />“Troy, don’t be stupid, you’re still drunk, I don’t want anything to happen to you. Just…sleep it off on the couch.” She reasoned. <br />Troy lay down on the couch and closed his eyes and rolled onto his side facing the inside of the couch. Gabriella turned off the lamp on the table and made her way to the hallway to her bedroom. <br />“Goodnight Troy,” she whispered receiving nothing but soft snores.<br />