Title: Promise Me
Author: Nicole, (xBeautiful)
Pairing: Troyella, Troy/Gabriella
Summary: Gabriella is left all alone when her mother suffers a heart attack. Little does she know that someone is living just two doors down. Someone that could save her.
Author's Note: Hey guys. I've been re-writing this chapter for awhile. I guess this is okay. I know I have another story going right now, and school is starting soon, so don't expect very frequent updates. This is a re-written version of my first story, Storm, that was posted and deleted a couple weeks ago.
I hope you enjoy this first chapter.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Oh, how I wish I did.
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August 19th, 2008
It's all so clear.
The second worst day of my life.
The day my mother almost stopped breathing.
July 2nd, 2008, 2:43 AM
Thunder clouded her window, bellowing and howling as she sat up abruptly, clutching her sheets. She shut her eyes tightly, hearing the ringing of the thunder and lightning, and prayed that it would go away. Soon, if not now.
Showing no signs of mercy, rain continued to drop, fat, wet bits of ice cold liquid. She curled into a little ball, scooting over to the corner furthest away from her french balcony doors on her queen-sized four poster bed. Suddenly it seemed like this bed was not as small as it looked when it was purchased and her favorite navy blue duvet cover seemed almost as cold as the storm itself.
'Don't fret, Gabriella,' the girl told herself aloud, 'you're sixteen and still afraid of storms?' She laughed weakly, trying to reassure her shaking body and rapidly beating heart. 'Besides, you always liked big beds. Why should this one be any different?'
It didn't work.
Rubbing her eyes, she yawned, covering her mouth with one hand. She was tired, she knew, exhausted from all the un-packing they had done today, but she could not fall asleep. She wouldn't.
She dragged the wrinkled blankets even closer to her small body, if that was even possible, almost creating a fort-like space. Just like a snowball fort, she thought, though it would not be protecting her from packed snow. It would shield her from the storm outside.
At least, she hoped.
It didn't work.
Something fell to the ground with a soft thud and she sucked in a nervous breath. Don't worry; it was probably just a comb or something.
Her shivering grew uncontrollable.
'Gabriella,' she told herself sternly, 'you asked mother to have this bedroom. You asked for the room with the balcony. Granted, it was the largest one, but mother gave it to you because she loves you. It's a privilege.'
How she wished Shadow were here.
She sighed heavily.
Pushing away the bedclothes one by one, she moved over to one side of the sizable bed and swung her legs over so that her nail-polish clad toes just barely touched the ground.
Biting her lip, she hesitated before carefully planting her feet firmly on the cool surface.
The linoleum floor was cold against her feet.
Stretching her arms, she treaded soundlessly over to the big doors protecting her from the wind. She drew the soft lavender curtains, peering out gingerly.
The oak tree had snapped.
Sighing, she let the soft material slip from her hands and they fell back into place. Would the roof come off? After all, if a great big oak tree broke in half because of some wind, anything could happen, couldn't it?
Absolutely.
'Oh, don't be silly, Gabriella,' she told herself. 'Mami's company chose this house for us. It's good and strong and sturdy.' She turned around.
Careful not to trip on the few brown boxes still encircling her bedroom, she crept down the stairs. Some warm water will do me good.
She turned on the bright lights. Looking around, she slowly advanced toward the water dispenser sitting alone in the corner.
Taking a small sip, she stepped cautiously back up the wide wooden stairs before squinting at the pale white doors of her mother's bedroom.
'Mami?' she whispered, knocking lightly.
Hearing nothing, she grasped the large brass doorknob, anxiously twisting it open. 'Mami?'
She tried again, slightly louder this time.
Tiptoeing to the grand mahogany bed, she pulled the covers away from her mother's face.
It was pale. Ghostly pale. Deathly pale. Strangely pale.
She gasped. Stumbling backwards, the soft quilts slipped away from her grasp. Her brain was now going a hundred miles, a millions miles a minute, but preoccupied with just one thing.
Maria wasn't breathing.
--
Realizing now what she had to do; the girl flew to her room, regardless of the carefully wrapped boxes she had knocked over in attempt to open her bedroom door. She snatched the cordless phone off her bedside table, dialing quickly, furiously.
'911, how may I help you?' a bored and tired voice answered.
'Yes, my mo….mother is not breathing and she looks very pale.' Gabriella forced out, choking back the tears that were threatening to erupt.
'Okay, does she have a pulse?' the now somewhat sympathetic voice questioned.
'Ummmm….. yes, but it's very faint.' Gabriella replied, placing her fingers lightly on her mother's wrist.
'Right, can you tell us your address?'
'614 Birch Street.' Gabriella hung up the phone, feeling much worse than before, and slumped to a heap on the floor beside Maria's bed.
'Oh, mami, please don't do this to me,' she pleaded sobbing, holding her mother's cold, frigid hand limply in her own. 'I'm only sixteen, I can't lose you too.'
July 2nd, 2008, 2:51 AM
The sound of the ambulance shook her out of her daze. She glanced at her watch, lifting her hand up to her face. 2:52. How impressive. 4 miutes 42 seconds. She stood up, shaking her head, having temporarily forgotten her mother.
She refused to watch her mother be carried away.
'Would you like to ride in the ambulance with your mother?' She looked up at the man clad in red and white.
'No, it's okay. I'd rather stay here.' She spoke softly, shaking her head and watched as he nodded in understanding and walked away.
It was silent as they drove away, and the house was still.
'Oh, this is just great.' She said sarcastically, wiping away a tear. 'Now I'm alone in a hge old house with a bunch of unopened boxes for company.' Starting towards the front door that was left ajar, she sighed.
'Dear, are you all right?' A woman's voice said from behind her. 'You don't look so well.' Gabriella whipped around to see a tall woman in a red bathrobe. Had she seen her somewhere? She looked eerily familiar.
'I don't know.' She answered truthfully, though she did not know why she was talking to this woman in the first place. 'I don't know.'
'Okay.' The woman smiled softly. 'I understand, Gabriella.' At this the young girl's head shot up.
'How do you know my name?' The woman chuckled.
'I'm your neighbor. I've been to visit the other day, do you remember? Though I don't think you saw me.' She patted Gabriella's shoulder. 'I'm Lucille. Lucille Bolton. I live in that house over there, the one with the dark roof.' She pointed to a house two houses down, and although it was quite dark, Gabriella could just barely make out the silhouette of a cheerful yellow house about the same size as her own.
'Oh. I'm Gabriella.' As soon as it came out, she felt silly. Lucille already knew, and Gabriella flushed. Somehow she didn't feel comfortable telling her her second name.
Lucille smiled. 'Yes, I know. Gabriella Montez.'
Oh, she already knew.
Shivering, Gabriella let her eyes wander as she wrung her hands nervously.
'Oh dear, it's getting late, why don't you come over tonight?' Lucille suggested. 'You could sleep in our guest bedroom, if you wish.' Though Gabriella was taken aback by how forward she was being, she didn't let it show.
'Alright.' She agreed, shrugging. Lucille didn't look harmful.
The older woman wrapped an arm around Gabriella's shoulders. 'Okay, then. Come with me. We'll get you you some hot cocoa, and I'll show you where the guest bedroom is, alright?'
July 3rd, 2008, 9:54 AM
Where am I?
She stood up, yawning and stretched. Sleepily glancing around the brightly lit room, she remembered last night's events and groaned.
But she knew she had to get up.
She looked around for a bathroom, peering down the lone hallway.
Seeing one, she sauntered towards it, scrutinizing her surroundings. A closet, an indoor swimming pool, photographs on a table, an indoor basketball court...
And she was about to open the door when it was vacated and a boy about the same age as herself pulled it open from the inside, not seeing her at first.
She bumped into him.
'Hey.'
Killer. Blue. Eyes.
--
So, I sorta left you with a cliffy there, lol. I'm evil, yes I know. Did anybody else think it was funny that the ambulance dude was wearing Wildcat colors?
People who have read my story before may recognize some parts.
Lol.
Review!
Love, Nicole