"Troy...what are you doing?" Gabriella asked her boyfriend of three months, as she watched him pace his bedroom.
"Uh..n-nothing. I'm j-just uh...keeping occupied," Troy responded.
He had had a lot on his mind as of late, which was due to a past girlfriend, Anabell Reese. She had told him the devastating news that she had just recently found out she was HIV positive. She had suggested Troy get tested a few weeks prior. He had took that opportunity and got himself tested but he had no idea how to bring the subject up.
That was two weeks ago that she informed him, and Gabriella knew something was going on in his mind but didn't press the matter. She knew that eventually Troy would tell her what was wrong in time. But she was also sure, if he didn't tell her what was going on, she would make him suffer in pain by pulling his ear off to and make him tell her.
Violence was never the answer though…well in most cases.
"Troy will you please be honest with me? You are not a good liar, just so you know..." Gabriella told her nervous boyfriend.
"Gabi, I may not be a good liar, but you are a terrible liar. Let's not forget who stayed home ill for a week saying she had the flu and couldn't even fake a cough." Troy said in an annoyed and mocking tone.
That is what ticked her off.
"Troy Alexander Bolton, you little dink. Oh yeah, I went there and you will tell me right now what is wrong."
"...Make me. " He sputtered out.
"I will. If you don't tell me then I will never, ever watch that Lord of The Rings movie with you ever again!"
"You said you loved that movie!"
"And you said I was a terrible liar, I guess I am better than you thought. Now please tell me what has been wrong the past couple of weeks."
"D-don't get mad. P-please."
"What did you do? Spill spaghetti on the shirt I bought you?"
"No...well I did lose that pen you gave me a month ago."
"That was my favorite pen, you prick."
"Be nice, or I won't tell you..." he said as he glared at her.
"Sorry babe. Go ahead." She rattled on anxiously awaiting the news.
Troy paused, he knew this matter could ruin and break his relationship with her. He loved her more than anything and anyone, but he had to tell her the truth.
"Baby…the truth is..." he stammered.
"Troy...please?"
"The truth is...Anabell has Aids and she told me I should get tested."
Gabriella's dark orbs grew the size of moons. Her orbs got more round as she stared at Troy intently. She knew Troy had been with her and done things with her, but the thought of him possibly getting this disease had never crossed her mind.
"I got tested..."
The moment of truth had come. Gabriella stared down at her feet as she tried to process this information. This couldn't be happening to her. Not her boyfriend, not her life, not the person who was more healthy and safe than anyone she knew. Not her Troy .
"I don't have it." He scrambled to put out there in the open hoping to ease the tension of the news that she had just given her.
"Thank God! Oh my…what. Troy ," she ran over to him and pressed her lips to his as tears ran down her cheek.
"I know," he whispered in her ear, softly. "Don't get mad but I think you should get tested. I mean, we have been safe but...yyou know, I want to make sure you are safe, there are other ways to get it than just sex. I don't want to worry about losing you from this."
"I will, for you I will. I will do anything for you." Gabriella replied quickly as she leaped off his lap.
-
The following day, Troy and Gabriella went to the clinic downtown. Troy tapping his hand on the steering wheel as the tension in the air was growing.
"Don't be scared, it will be quick." Troy said.
"Don't be scared? Troy this is serious! I am getting tested, they are going to stick a swab in my mouth for spit! It's gross!" Gabriella winced.
"You are getting tested for HIV and you are worried about the spit test? Of all things that could happen, you are worried about spit, unbelievable. You're something else, babe." He said as he chuckled lightly and ran his hands across her cheek.
"I'm not sure if that's an insult but if it isn't, then thank you babe. If it is, I hate you." she shifted in her seat uncomfortably folding her hands into her chest giving him a fake glare.
"You would be confused whether it's an insult or not," Troy said sarcastically, he knew if he kept the subject of matter off her mind she would worry less.
They arrived to the clinic and were called into the office almost immediately without wait, they both knew getting tested at the clinic was not a popular thing and the wait would be rather short.
"Hello Gabriella, I'm Ms. Snow and I'll be taking your sample today. The wait will only be a few minutes. Nice to see you again Troy . I'm glad you had her come and get tested." the young doctor greeted.
"Yeah." Gabriella mumbled, nervously tapping her foot on the floor.
Ms. Snow took the sample and quickly took the bottle and exited the room.
"Ew!" Gabriella said, "I just put my saliva on a cotton stick thing! So gross," Gabriella said, purposely keeping her mind away from the test itself.
"Baby, it's okay. Don't worry, its just saliva. We put saliva into each others mouths all the time, you don't complain then," Troy said slyly.
"Yeah but that is enjoyable, this, not so much."
"True."
With that said, Ms. Snow entered the room with the test results in hand, making Gabriella and Troy look at her worriedly.
"Well Gabriella, it looks as though...you are okay. No HIV, that should be a load off your mind now," the doctor said happily "but in any case, please always use protection and always be cautious."
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love you Ms. Snow, ugh this is great news!" Gabriella said, elated.
The doctor laughed at her enthusiasm, "you're welcome and have a great day. See you both later, or not-however you look at it!" she exited the room.
The young couple grabbed each other and embraced all the relief that had left their shoulders.
Troy kissed her forehead, "I would never let anything hurt you like that."
"Troy this is something you can't protect me from, well in that sense. But in sense of being together, we can help each other. Thank you for telling me, thank you for coming here with me and having me get tested."
"You're welcome. I love you so much," he whispered into her ear.
"Love you, too," she whispered back.