Gabriella is in an abusive relationship. Troy is the best friend; the best friend who cleans up the pieces, even if he has to discover some, first. TxG
***
Sometimes there's just those days when obviously, something is gonna go wrong. Maybe you'd come home and you'd find out you were locked out, or maybe you'd get into a fight with someone. Maybe you'd go and take a shower, only to find out that the water's cold, and there's really no point. Hell, maybe your dog died. Either way, we all have those bad days where you know it's gonna happen. Right from the beginning, you called it. And at the end of the day, you can't help but think, "I knew it."
Sometimes, you underestimate these bad feelings. You think when you get home, the day will end up good. You think that when you go home, your mom will be there to open the door for you. You think that you, indeed, don't even have a dog—so what's the worry?
Rule number one? Never underestimate anything.
***
Troy shrugged the jacket over his shoulders as he walked home briskly, in the crisp air. It was fall, and the bare trees made his neighborhood look empty as he slowly shuffled down the street. He took a deep breath, letting it out quietly as if he made it any louder, he would destroy the peace of the simple street.
Stuffing his hands into his coat's pockets, his eyes drifted to where the park was—the park he spent growing up at; the park where he became best friends with the girl that meant everything to him, the park that he first got a girlfriend, the park where he broke up with his girlfriend.
It had been there for him whenever he needed it. It was there when he first walked, first fell, first talked, first kiss.
But as he looked at it now, it seemed to betray him. The dark shadows from the clouds seemed to ominously loom over the already dark play park, making it seem more dreary then it should have. The swings creaked slowly as the wind shook them, almost as if you could hear a child's laughter being heard as it was being pushed.
But despite the depressing weather, and despite the darkness, and despite the memories flooding back at him, Troy couldn't help but stare.
Stare at the helpless little girl—even if not so little—and wonder what she was doing here. The snow jacket she wore seemed to stick off her thin body, and her bright face seemed to contrast with the dark lighting. He squinted to get a better look at her, and his breath was almost taken away by her beauty.
Her broken beauty.
He could tell something was wrong.
Approaching her from behind quietly, he wondered if he should tap her on the back or just say something out loud; he should have been fearing what she thought of him, or what to say, or how to say what he needed to say, but instead, all he thought of, was that she might think he's a creepy pedophile on the way home from work.
He opted for just saying her name out loud, but hesitated, just in case. Could he really leave her like this? Could he just forget that he ever saw her, broken where they always seemed to be patched back up together?
She chuckled.
"I know you're here, Troy."
Taken surprised, Troy took a step back as if it would make him disappear.
"It's not like you stopped breathing. I could hear you." She said, picking at the grass beneath her.
"I'm sorry." His statement came out more like a question, and he began to wonder what else he could say to make her feel better.
She shrugged her shoulders like she didn't care, and finally turned around to look at him.
He was almost taken aback by her beauty. It had only been two years since he had last seen her, but it seemed like it had been centuries; the memories made it too painful, and for the past few months, it had almost been like she'd been erased from his mind.
Her face was pale, but tan in some ways. Her lips bright. Her heart was put into a messy bun, some pieces framing her face as she talked.
"Well, it's nice seeing you again. Even if you haven't said anything yet," she said with a coy smile.
"Yeah," he breathed.
She eyed him, from his feet, up to his eyes and stopped, looking dead on at the scar on the side of his face, right below his ear that she had caused.
He shifted his eyes to the swings behind her. His stomach seemed to burst. He didn't want to be in this situation right now; he couldn't be. It had taken too long to get over the fear and the pain. The darkness, and the cold.
"So what brings you out here, again?" he said unsurely.
"I'm back. For good. I've—I've had business to attend."
She looked away.
He didn't notice.
"Well, that's good… It's been too long." He laughed awkwardly. "Too long, Gabriella…"
"As with you, Bolton."
She got up, wiping off her jeans, so she could be face to face with him.
"Where are you going?" he asked quietly.
"Home."
"Where is that?"
"Where it's always been."
He licked his lips.
"I haven't seen your parents in forever, Troy… that sounds weird, doesn't it?" she laughed, as if she couldn't feel the tension. "I almost forgot that I don't have parents, anymore! It's crazy, huh? It's been four years…" She let out a breath as she whirled around to face him. "Come on."
She took his hand and dragged him to the sidewalk, continuing his walk home.
"So, we still live in the same place, right? My room's still there?"
"Yeah."
He hadn't spoken much, but it was due to all the confusion that was currently bubbling inside of him. Why was Gabriella back? She was everything to him, and she just left; just like that. What was he supposed to do? He had stayed in his room for days after she left, angry that he hadn't had the chance to even say goodbye; angry that he hadn't talked to her for weeks before she left. His parents didn't have a clue to why she was leaving, but that didn't make them any less sad. But Troy? He was especially hurt. She didn't even say a word as to why she was leaving. A word as to why she was abandoning her life for a new one.
Like he had said. It had taken him two years to get over her, and suddenly she was back. No one had ever touched anything in her room after she was gone; no one had entered, afraid they would break the wall that kept them up. Because she was what kept them up.
The big house seemed to stand out from the rest of the neighborhood, but that didn't seem to faze neither Troy nor Gabriella. He stood up at the door, grabbing the key from the hidden spot, and opening the door to the dusty, empty house. Like always.
Gabriella didn't seem to notice the emptiness.
"Home."
She smiled brightly and turned on all the lights.
He had to admit; it had been a Gabriella thing to do that. He had never done that, and now that the house was properly lit, it didn't seem so lonely anymore.
Dragging him over to the couch, she sat down across from him, propping her legs up on his lap.
"So, what's going on, Troy? I missed you."
He looked straight into the fireplace, avoiding eye contact with his best friend that he had known for more then a decade. Laughing humorously, he uttered a few words that he knew would hurt him; it would hurt both of them. It would take down that tension he had, and the obliviousness that she.
"You can drop the act, Gabriella. It's only you and me, here. Everything changed after you left, Gab. Everything."
***
Chapter End Notes
Why, hello lovely readers! I'm excited for this story. I know that I just started, "We Couldn't Change It If We Tried," but this one was too good to pass up. And to make sure I finish this story, I'm definitely writing as much as I can; after school, between school, during lunch, on the weekends. You get the point.
So here's the beginning to "Hold Your Heavy Heart Up High"! Anyone excited? I know this story doesn't seem interesting (or maybe it does, if it is, I'm unaware), but there will be a lot of twists in the future. Hold on tight, because it's gonna be a long ride. I already have an outline of this entire story, and I'm excited to share it with you.
Please drop me a few reviews saying that you like it, or that it's good. I'll update when I'm sure that I have input! Love you all. Thanks for the support!
xcomfortable