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Free Period


Gabriela raised an eyebrow, not getting what he meant. Troy chuckled standing up and pulling his bag. He then grabbed her hand and led her out of the classroom. The hallway was busy, crowded with all the students hurrying to their next classes. Troy went against the flow gripping Gabriela's hand firmly and headed to the gym.

As they entered the gym, they saw Jack Bolton walking to the center pulling a cart full of basketball balls. He looked up when he heard the door bang shut. He immediately smiled when he saw who just got in.

"Gabriela how are you? I haven't seen you in a while," Jack Bolton said as he embraced Gabriela.

"I'm fine uncle, still alive."

Jack laughed heartily. "So what brings you here?"

"Actually, it was your son who brought me here and I don't know why."

Jack looked at Troy. "Care to explain?"

"Well, dad, um, you love Gabi right? You always say that. You see...uh...Ms Darbus partnered us up in our project. So...um...uh..."

"Spit it out Troy."

"Can I miss out on practice just this once? I promise I'll make up for it later in the afternoon," Troy pleaded.

Jack frowned. He looked from Troy to Gabi then back to Troy. Gabriela had both shock and confusion etched on her face. Troy, meanwhile, was hopeful. Jack finally sighed.

"You got yourself an additional hundred suicides and a hundred push ups for later. Don't be late."

"Yes!" Troy cheered as he hugged his father. "I promise dad. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

"Okay, okay, I get it. Now go before I change my mind," Jack pointed to the exit doors.

"Thanks again dad," Troy grinned as he tugged on Gabriela hand.

Gabriela turned around to wave goodbye to Jack before following Troy out. Jack shook his head in amusement of his son's actions. With the two teens out of the gym, he resumed to his previous work.

"Alex, just where are we going?" Gabriela asked as Troy headed in an empty hallway away from the usual routes of the students.

"A little more patience Anne. We'll get there soon enough."

Gabriela rolled her eyes and let Troy lead her to wherever it was they were going. After a minute or two of walking along the endless hallway, Troy looked around to see if anyone other than them was in sight. When he saw no one else, his hand reached for the knob of the door to his right and he quickly opened it to dash inside. Gabriela was confused with his actions but didn't bother with them. Troy led her up a flight of stairs. As a breeze of fresh air passed by her, Gabriela looked at her surroundings and gasped.

"Oh my gosh! Troy, this place is beautiful," Gabriela gushed as she leaned on the railings. "How did you find this place?"

Troy shrugged settling on the bench across of her. Gabriela took a deep breath and started walking around. Lining up the whole place were potted plants placed on top long tables. She stopped by one and set her gaze on the orchids. A smile appeared in her face as she looked closer to examine the flowers.

"Here," Gabriela looked up hearing Troy's voice.

He held out to her a bunch of orchids in variety of colors. She smiled as she straightened up.

"Thanks Troy," Gabriela said taking the flowers from him.

Troy went back to sit in the bench and motioned for Gabriela to sit too. She happily obliged dropping herself carelessly beside him and clutching safely the flowers in her hands.

"So why did you bring me up here and give me these?"

Troy smiled lightly. "I just thought you'd like the place -"

"I love this place!" Gabriela interjected.

"As I was saying," Troy chuckled. "I thought I'd share this place with you. With regards to the flowers, well, you were so intent with looking at them. I figured you'd want them."

"Thanks Troy," Gabriela softly said.

"You're welcome but you already said that."

"Doesn't hurt to say it again."

"You're definitely right on that one."

"So what are we going to do about our project?"

"We already talked about it in class, remember?" Troy replied.

"I know but was that really final?"

Troy shrugged again and Gabriela sighed. Feeling that she wasn't going to get anything from Troy about it, Gabriela focused her attention on the flowers in her hands. The bunch was in a variety of colors but she could clearly pick out the violets and pinks. Some were relatively big in size while others resembled the size of a bud.

With Gabriela wrapped up with the flowers, Troy took this time to watch her. He took in her appearance and wondered how the school managed to overlook her simple beauty and focus on her deviation from the norm. He figured it was because they only saw what they wanted to see. They only gave one look on the appearance and label them forever. Much like what they did to him. Once they saw him in East High basketball jerseys, he was immediately praised, hounded by everyone most especially the cheerleaders and pushed into the typical jock clique.

"Anne?"

"Yes Alex?" Gabriela looked up and was startled to see Troy's face very near hers.

"Do you feel the hurt?"

Gabriela was completely oblivious to what Troy was talking about. "Huh?"

"Do you not get hurt when they tease you?"

Gabriela laid the flowers down on the bench as she thought for a while. "I do get hurt. Before, I would actually go hide in a bathroom stall and cry my eyes out. But then now it's getting old and I hear it every time so I have already built these massive walls around me. I just ignore them and not let them get on my nerves."

"Wow," Troy said in awe. "You are something."

"Not really. It's just a defensive mechanism; molded by time. It's not anything special."

"Right, I think it's better if I don't argue with you on that."

Gabriela gave Troy a cheeky grin as he rolled his eyes. Silence erupted as they sat still gazing at each other. Neither really caring if the other noticed and neither were noticing that the other was apparently doing the same. Seconds passed and Troy blinked. The moment he noticed what he was doing, he immediately broke the gaze and looked down to his hands blushing. Gabriela also reddened but tried to lighten the mood.

"I didn't know red suited you very much that you could wear it all over your face Alex."

"Ha ha," Troy dryly replied. "You're funny. My stomach hurts from laughing."

"Hey! I thought sarcasm was my thing?"

"No, it's not. You just popularized it."

Gabriela smiled at him amused. "Well, I'm glad somebody finally noticed it."

Troy playfully rolled his eyes at her and Gabriela gave him a slap in the arm.

"Oi! I show you my secret hideout, give you flowers, acknowledge your sarcasm and yet you abuse me? Where's the logic in that?"

"I never knew the wildcat superstar was über dramatic," Gabriela chuckled.

"Well, we have our moments," Troy said as he inched closer to her. "And as of this moment I feel like doing this."

Before Gabriela had a chance to ask what, Troy was already poking her side and tickling her. She gasped at the contact. Gabriela tried to wriggle away but Troy held on to her and continued his actions.

"Alex...stop...please," Gabriela managed to say in between breaths and giggles.

"Nah, I don't think so. I'm having way too much fun with this."

Gabriela groaned and grumbled while still trying to deflect Troy's hands away. Troy was chuckling at her but then seconds later decided to give her a rest. She immediately sucked on every breath of oxygen there was to relieve all those that left her body. She glared at Troy as he smirked in response.

"I don't think I need to justify what I did," Troy said seemingly knowing her train of thought.

Gabriela seemed surprised by it and only stared at him.

"Sometimes, I think you forget Anne. We grew up together. By now, I would know what it is you're trying to think of or at least have an idea what it is."

Gabriela blinked. "I actually have nothing to counter to that..."

Troy smirked at her as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"If I just didn't...," Gabriela trailed off.

"Just what, Gabriela?"

"Just never mind."

Troy groaned loudly. "Oh come on Anne. Tell me."

"I'm not going to tell you," Gabriela replied in a sing-song voice.

"You won't? Even if I - "

Gabriela interrupted him. "Tickle me? Oh no, I won't fall for that again."

"Who said anything about tickling you?" Troy replied in a husky whisper inching closer to Gabriela.

She slowly gulped. "Alex...you're scaring me..."

"That was the plan."

"What are you doing?"

He inched closer to her face and whispered in her ear, "Trying to get it out of you."

Screws and gears clicked in her mind as Gabriela figured out what Troy was doing. Ever so lightly, she let her mouth graze over his ear.

"I caught you in your little exploit. Game over."

"Damn," Troy muttered moving away from Gabriela. "You're good."

Gabriela laughed genially. "Well, just like you said. We grew up together. I have you figured out by now."

And as Troy started opening his mouth for a reply, the bell rang signaling the end of free period. The end of their little glorious time together.

Troy sighed. "Let's go back. The raucous hallway awaits us."

Gabriela nodded as she grabbed on to the hand he held out to her.