A/N: hello! This is a one-shot which I have been working on for about a week, undoubtly the only piece of mine on fanfiction that I actually spent so much time one. Special thanks to HisDelilah without whom this wouldn't be possible, all others who read this story and provided encouragement, but all of you should give a round of applause to HisDelilah!

So this is a slightly angsty one-shot which will have a 60 chance of a sequel. All I need is for you guys to tell me! (9 pages, 2967 words on Microsoft word 2007)

Disclaimer: I do not own the High School Musical Franchise, the characters or the song,' nobodies child'

Without further adieu… here it is!

Nobodies Child

He watched as she carefully walked down the hallway, the way she always did, her head bowed and her hands clinging to the strap of her sling bag. Her hair curtained her face from the world. She was dressed as she normally is the black skinny jeans, a red tee shirt and a black hoodie matched with her black converse shoes.

He knows where she's going and what she's going there for, he knows but he's never stopped her before.

Part of him asks him how heartless he can be, he knows what she's doing can eventually kill her but the other part knows the answer, the basketball hotshot can't mingle with the emo kid. It's unheard of!

It's cowardly, he knows, it's cowardly to value your reputation more than one's life. He's as bad, if not worst, then the rest. He doesn't know how he lives; the guilt's clawing away at his heart.

"Hey bitch! Watch where you're going!" yelled Adam Andrews as he purposefully knocked the broken beauty down. She fell down with a resounding thud, the next thing that was heard were rounds of laugher.

His head snapped up as he heard the laughter and the insults that were flung at the innocent girl. His heart told him to go there and do some thing, to say something, to save her, but his head told him to stay there and pretend like he never saw a thing, to let the fragile girl suffer.

Needless to say, his head won.

He watched out of the corner of his eye as she painfully got up, only to be pushed back down again. She closed her eyes tightly so as to stop the tears that were about to fall over. She lay their motionless as the student body first laughed and then walked away.

When there was finally not a person in sight, she opened her eyes and got up slowly, he watched as she winced and clutched her stomach, the red tee shirt and the black hoodie becoming slightly stained with dark maroon, with blood.

She looked up to the ceiling, it looked like she was asking god why, she looked back down at her bleeding stomach and quietly walked up the stairs and through the door she thought no one knew.

He'd never heard her voice before, she's never spoken, not even teacher's can get a word out of her, students dismissed her as dumb, and so did he.

He quietly stole away through the door she had a few minutes ago and quickly hid behind the tall wall of potted plants. He watched as she gingerly pulled out a first aid kit from below the rusty iron cast bench and takes some cotton, some antiseptic and gauze.

She lifted up her blood soaked shirt and what he saw surprised him, bruises, bruises covered her torso, some in the shape of a hand, rest in other shapes and cuts, cuts on top of the bruises. Some fresh, some old.

He watched as she slowly cleaned of the blood which came from a wound the blows to her stomach reopened. She applied the antiseptic without flinching and used the gauze to only make sure no more blood seeped through the ghastly wound.

She leaned against the wall and pulled something out of her wallet. It glimmered in the sun, it was a razor. The next thing she did made his jaw drop.

"I'm nobody's child,
I'm nobody's child.
Just like the flowers
I'm growing wild.
I got no mummy's kisses
I got no daddy's smile.
Nobody wants me,
I'm nobody's child."

Her voice was darkly angelic, the pain and sorrow engulfed the words and pulled them down like a menacingly evil devil. Her deadly melodic voice left him speechless, and for the first time that dark, broken beauty cried.

"No mummy's arms to hold me
or sue me when I cry,
'cos sometimes I feel so lonesome
I wish that I could die.
I'll walk the streets of heaven
where all blinds can see."

She held the sharp razor above her left wrist, arched her back, and silently cried to the heavens.

"I wish that I could die.
I'll walk the streets of heaven
where all blinds can see

And just like for the other kids
it will be a home for me."

Her crying ceased and instead a smirk came over her face as she dragged the razor over her pale skin," ooo" she moaned and did it once again, she dropped the now bloody razor on to the cement floor and pressed the skin around her newly inflicted wounds to make them bleed more.

Blood streaked across her wrist and fell in drops onto the floor; she smiled a crooked, dangerous smile before picking up the razor and attacking her wrist, successfully mangling it.

The razor dropped from her numb hands as she sang once more

"I wish that I could die.
I'll walk the streets of heaven
where all blinds can see

And just like for the other kids
it will be a home for me."

And with the last word, her head fell backwards and hit the cool cement wall, her eyes drifted shut and her mouth hung open, her body remained motionless.

"No," he whispered as he cautiously came out of his hiding place. "no," he whispered once again as tears filled his eyes," please wake up" he whispered as he cupped her cheek," p –please wake up!"

He looked down at her mangled wrists and let out a choked sob. He pulled his phone out of his pocket.

"911, how may we help you?" asked the telephone operator.

"a – a girl, s-she cut h-herself t-too m-m-much, she's she's unconscious"

"Okay, I need you to wrap her wrists with something to stop them from bleeding okay?"

"Ye – yes Ma'm" said Troy as he ran to the first aid kit and took out some bandages.

"Where are you?"

"East High School"

"Where?"

"I'll b – bring her down, to the entrance."

"Are you sure?"

"Y-yes ma'm"

"The ambulance is on their way."

Troy nodded mutely before dropping the phone. He carefully wrapped her wrists and lifted her.

He tore through the now empty hallways as tears flew down his cheeks, how could he let this happen to her?

He pushed open the big red doors and ran to the stretcher; he softly put her down before the paramedics pushed him out of the way and fussed of her.

"Are you coming with us son?" asked one of them as they loaded her into the ambulance.

He nodded before climbing in with her.

-

-

"We need a doctor! Stat!" yelled one paramedic as he carried the stretcher in to the E.R

Doctor's and nurses rushed to Gabriella and after examining her wrists, and the bruises on her body, whisked her away to surgery.

"Where are her parents, boy?" asked the nurse.

"They're one's that did this to her, they won't be coming. "Said the boy, his head bent.

"Relatives?" she asked, he shook his head.

"So you're trying to tell me you're the only one here for her?" asked the nurse suspiciously.

"Yes,"

"Whats your name, boy?"

"Troy Bolton, Ma'm," he answered.

"Her name?"

He looked over to her pristine face through the glass," Gabriella Montez."

-

-

"Gabriella Montez?" asked the doctor as he stepped out of the surgery room.

Troy stood up immediately, walking towards the doctor quickly.

"She's okay, we lost her once or twice, but she's okay, she's still out cold, but you can see her." Smiled the doctor.

Troy let out a breath he didn't know he was holding," she's okay?" he asked.

"She's okay," confirmed the doctor," follow the nurse to her room"

Troy smiled, for the first time that day and followed the nurse to her room.

-

-

"I'm so sorry," he whispered through his tears as he stroked her cheek," so so sorry."

He hadn't left for the past 3 day's; there was no way in hell he was leaving her now. He felt so guilty, so guilt for leaving her in the dark when he could steer her away from it, this was all his fault, and he was going to make up for it.

He sighed as he stared out the window, she had been through so much and he could've helped her, but instead he took the cowardly way out and did nothing.

"Where am I?" sounded a soft hoarse voice that snapped troy back to reality.

Troy's face split into a grin when he saw the frail girl in the bed opening her eyes.

"Your awake" he said as he bounded to her bedside.

She tried to make out the shadowed figure as her eyes adjusted to the light. She gasped involuntarily when she realized who it was.

"Troy Bolton? What are you doing here?" she asked her voice still sore and soft.

"I found you unconscious and I brought you to the hospital." He said.

"Why?" she asked, her voice slightly stronger," I rather die then live in this hell hole."

Troy looked at her, his face serious," I know," he said," I've seen."

Gabriella looked to him," yea right Bolton, your one of them too."

"I never actually made fun of you, or pushed you or hit you." He defended.

"You still didn't help me," she retorted," no one helped me, every single day, I go to school, get pushed around and then I go home and get the beatings of my lif –"she stopped when she realized she said too much.

"I know about that too," he said.

"What?" she asked clearly confused.

"I know about your parents and what they do to you, don't you think I would've already figured it out. In middle school your dad died, and then your mom got re married, to the town drunkie. I know he hit's you, and from the looks of it, your mom doesn't care." Said Troy softly.

"She joins in," she said, her eyes downcast, but then she looked right back up at him," why do you care anyways? No one care's about me, I'd be better of dead."

"I – I don't know, but the thing is I do."

"Miss Montez! Glad to see your awake!" said the doctor as he walked in.

He started to check the various monitors joined by tubes and wires to Gabriella, "you're lucky to be alive, Miss Montez, if it wasn't for this young man, you'd be dead by now." He continued, Gabriella shot troy a dirty look," your boyfriend's been extremely adamant about leaving the hospital; he hasn't even left for the last 3 days! He really does care about you."

Troy looked down, embarrassed by what the doctor had just told Gabriella and the use of the word boyfriend to describe him while Gabriella looked at troy incrediously, why would he waste his time in the hospital, for her?"

"Miss Montez, you know that cutting yourself is serious and is a form of suicide, which is illegal. I'm afraid we're gonna have to put you in therapy."

"No, doctor, that won't be necessary, I don't want, neither do I need therapy. I really need to go home, my parents must be worried," said Gabriella as she thought, 'shit, Dave and Maria are gonna kill me for not going home, I'm going to get the worst beating of my life.'

"I really need to get home doctor. I need to go home," said Gabriella, as she started to remove the various wire's and tubes from her body and climbed out of bed, panic washed over her pale face.

"Oh but Miss Montez, you need to stay in recovery, your wrists need to be kept extremely clean."

"no," said Gabriella as she let out a sob," no, I need to go home." She started to walk to the door, her leg's wobbly from their immobility for 3 days," I have to go home!"

Troy caught her at the door, wrapping his arms tightly around her, she thrashed against him, hitting him and trying to get out of his iron grasp," no Gabriella, you can't leave, not now." Tears were escaping his own eyes once again; he'd already cried buckets for this girl.

"No, Troy, my parents, I – I need to go back now." She cried, desperate to walk out of the hospital as quick as possible.

"No, you don't" he said as he pulled her closer.

"Yes I do Troy! I need to go back!" she screamed desperate for a way out.

"Gabriella they can't hurt you anymore, the doctor's saw the scar's, the bruises, the cuts, their under arrest for child abuse, all you have to have to do is make an appeal to the court's and their in jail for life, Gabriella, for life, they can't hurt you anymore." Troy whispered," not while I'm around, I won't let them"

"They're – There're gone?" she asked, not believing it.

"their gone," he confirmed, "all you have to do is appeal, Gabriella, and I'll be right there with you," he whispered as he gently lifted her up and set her in the bed again," I'm not gonna let anyone, be it your parents or the school, hurt you anymore Gabriella, you've gone through enough trauma to last you a life time," he kissed her forehead," please do the therapy,"

"I – I don't have the money," she said, dumbfounded.

"My parents do, they've taken care of your entire bill's here, please Gabriella, take the therapy." He said, his eyes pleading.

"Why would your parents want to pay for my therapy and my bills?" asked Gabriella, such kindness was only in the movies for her.

"Gabriella, I care about you. I care about you a lot more then I should. The thing is, money's not an object, please take the therapy." He begged.

Gabriella nodded dumbly. Everything was happening so fast, it was a blur. Her parents were under arrest, all her bills were paid for and somebody actually cared for her.

She refused to believe that Troy was putting up an act, such kindness and carelessness with money certainly couldn't be for nothing.

For the first time in years, in that hospital room, with Troy Bolton and a Doctor present, Gabriella smiled, Gabriella smiled a real smile.

"I'll do the therapy." She confirmed.

Troy smiled for the first time in 3 days, 3 excruciatingly painful days, she was getting better, she was trying to get better. He had redeemed himself, she wasn't in pain anymore. Seeing that smile on her face made his heart flutter, that was the first time he saw her smile, and man, was that smile worth waiting for.

The doctor nodded, "you must be thirsty, I'll get the nurse to send in some food and some water for you. Make sure you don't spill anything on your bandages, risking infection is very dangerous at this point, the wounds, no matter how hard we tried to close them are still somewhat open, and can get infected easily." Said the doctor as he paged the nurse.

"Have a good rest Miss Montez." Said the doctor before walking out.

As soon as the doctor left, Gabriella turned around and faced Troy.

"Thank you…. My hero." She smiled.

"No problem my damsel in distress." Said troy. Gabriella's immediate reaction was to giggle, but she stopped almost as fast as it escaped her mouth, surprise etched onto her face.

"Its okay you know." Said troy," to smile and laugh I mean, I'm not going to let anything happen to you now. Nothing can touch you now, Gabriella."

Gabriella giggled once more, the sound was so foreign to her, she had heard others laugh, mostly at her, but she hadn't heard her own giggle since the day her father died. It felt almost as if… almost as if, she used to be hollow before, a hollow body with no emotions or no say, and now, suddenly someone was breathing life into her. It was the most glorious feeling ever.

Gabriella tugged at troy's hands and pulled him into a bone crushing hug," thank you so much Troy, I mean it. But don't leave me after this is over, I don't want to be nobodies' child anymore." She whispered into his ear.

Troy, who was first shocked at her actions, eased into the hug and wrapped his arms around her frail body, replied," never Gabriella, you will never be a nobodies child anymore, you belong to me now, your never going to be alone again ."

So that's it! What do you think?! I hope you guy's liked it! It was the result of a lot of blood, sweat and tears. Please review? Its my first time writing something like this and I would like some positive encouragement so that I can write the sequel.

By the way, the song is 'Nobodies Child' by the Beatles, one of the best bands in the world.

Thank you guys so much!

Xoxo Bhavana: DD