Better Dead then Sorry

"Troy. Wake up, lunch is ready."

Troy turned in his bed. It's Saturday, and his mother is waking him up in the afternoon. Not to mention, he was having a great dream; something about Gabriella, basketball, the airborne, and a telephone that was in the middle of a lake on a tiny floating table.

He doesn't quiet remember his dreams, but he remembers the key points in them.

"Coming mother." Troy said sarcastically as he pulled the blankets over his head.

Linda Bolton stood in her son's doorway and sighed with a smile. She walked forward and grabbed the bottom of Troy's blanket. She pulled it hard, and almost fell over. It's no doubt Troy's stronger than his mother, and even though she tried, Troy still had his blankets on him.

"Come on honey. I need to talk to you, and your lunch is getting cold."

Troy groaned. "It isn't 1947 mom. They have these things called microwaves now…I can heat it up later."

Linda rolled her eyes. "Troy. I'm serious."

Troy noticed her tone and let go of the blankets. His mother fell on her back and he walked over her. She laid on the ground for a few seconds before jumping up, her dark brown hair flying in her face for a moment. "I'm at the table." Troy yelled from downstairs. She smiled lightly before fixing Troy's bed, knowing that he won't do it.

"You came home late last night. I didn't get to ask you about your first day of school."

Troy took a bite of his eggs and he opened his mouth to speak, but his mother gave him a look, and he swallowed first. "It was fine. I signed up for basketball tryouts, and I got a partner for an English project that is due in a month or so."

"Who's your partner?" Linda asked, listening intently.

"She lives next door. Her name's Gabriella."

Linda nodded her head and said, "Why don't we go over and ask her and her parents to join us for dinner tonight? They are the neighbors after all."

Troy lit up a bit, and his mother noticed. "Okay. Is dad gonna come too?"

"Of course he is. He wouldn't miss lamb night."

"You wanna go ask them after I finish eating?" Troy asked, knowing his mother wanted to ask that at that moment.

She nodded her head and Troy quickly finished his breakfast. He ran back upstairs to get dressed. He put on some jeans and a loose black t-shirt, and checked his hair in the mirror. His mother was at the door waiting for him with a pie in her hand. "Troy. Hurry up." She yelled before Troy came running down the stairs.

"You're giving them a pie?"

"Yes. It's…nice." Linda said with a fake smile. Troy shrugged his shoulders before opening the door for his mom.

It was a very nice day. The sun was out, the birds were singing, and somewhere in the world there was a group of hippies dancing in a grassy field.

Troy knocked on the door, seeing that his mother had a pie in her hand. "Hello?" An attractive red haired woman said as she answered the door with a smile on her face.

"I'm Linda, and this is my son Troy. We're your new neighbors." Troy couldn't help but notice that his mother had a bit of hostility in her voice.

"Oh. I'm Cary, and my husband Jim is in the kitchen. Won't you come in?" Troy let his mother go first as she handed Cary the pie. She led them to the kitchen where Jim was reading the newspaper.

When Jim saw them, he put his newspaper down, stood up and said, "Hello."

"Jim dear, these are our new neighbors, Linda and her son Troy." Cary said, introducing them.

Jim nodded his head. "Welcome to the neighborhood."

Troy was confused that they didn't know who he was. Surely Gabriella told them about him and their project, and why she came home a little late. "I'm Gabriella's partner for the English project. I'm sorry if she came home late, it was my fault."

Jim looked at Troy for a moment. Gabriella lied. She said it was her fault that she came home late. It wasn't much of a lie, but it was still a lie. And he doesn't like it when she lies. "Oh…It's okay. We just like to give her a curfew because she likes to overwork and study past midnight, and we like her to rise and shine in the morning." Jim said, lying easily through his teeth. They've been lying about Gabriella for so long; they don't even hesitate to say the lies anymore. It's become a second nature to them.

"Is Gabriella your daughter?" Linda asked.

Cary smiled. "Yes."

Linda looked around the kitchen. "Where is she?"

"She's sleeping. She likes to sleep in on Saturday." Cary said with a tiny smile and giggle.

Again. Lies.

Gabriella was fixing their beds and taking their dirty clothes from yesterday to the laundry.

Linda looked at her for a moment before saying, "Well we would like to invite you two and your daughter Gabriella over for dinner tonight."

Jim and Cary gave each other a little look. They didn't do that many things with Gabriella socially, but she knew how to act when they did go to parties and dinners. "That would be very nice."

Linda smiled at them, but Troy could tell it was a fake smile. "Great. Well, here's your pie…and we will see you tonight." Troy barely even got to say goodbye. His mother basically dragged him out of their house, and quickly too.

Jim turned towards Cary; he knew what she was thinking. "I'll talk to her; tell her about tonight, and how to be. It's been awhile since we took her out of the house with us."

Cary nodded her head. "I'll give her a dress…There was something about that woman that I didn't like."

"I'm sure it's nothing." Jim said before giving his wife a quick kiss and going to the laundry room. Gabriella was a little surprised when she saw Jim. They never came down to the laundry room. "Gabriella. We are going somewhere tonight."

Gabriella took a breath before asking. "Where, sir?"

"The house next door, for dinner…The boy that lives there, Troy, is your partner for an English project. You forgot to mention him."

Gabriella silently gulped. "I forgot about him, sir."

"You lied. He was the reason you were late." Gabriella closed her eyes for a moment and before she could say something, Jim's hand came up, and she was prepared for the slap, or punch. But when it didn't happen, she opened an eye, looking at him, waiting for him to hit her. She was shocked, to say the least, when he put his hand back down. "I can't hurt you. We're going somewhere tonight, and you need to look presentable. You will be on your best behavior…Cary will give you a dress for tonight."

When he leaved, Gabriella almost fell. She had an encounter with him, and she didn't currently have any blood running down her arm, or new bruises forming. She took a few breaths before quickly finishing up the laundry.

.

"Don't slouch, and remember, you like regular music." Cary said as she pulled the clip that was keeping Gabriella's hair up out.

Gabriella looked down at herself for a moment. Cary had given her a loose white tube-top dress that went down to her knees, it showed her figure perfectly, and a small black thin jacket that stopped at her breasts and went all the way to her wrists. Cary gave her that to cover the bruises on her arms. She felt like a little trophy of theirs, only to show how perfect their family is.

Cary put her arm on Gabriella's shoulder, and she had to keep herself from wincing in pain. Jim knocked on the door. A few seconds later, Linda answered the door. "Hello." Jim and Cary said with small smiles.

Linda invited them in. "Hello. Welcome to our home. Dinner will be ready in a soon, so why don't we go to the living room."

Troy came over and took Cary and Jim's coat and almost fainted at the sight of Gabriella. She looked amazing. Yesterday she was wearing a big t-shirt, now he could see her incredible curves and her breasts were hypnotizing, he cleared his throat and asked for her coat, but when Gabriella didn't give him hers, Linda raised as eyebrow. They went to the large table as Jack, Troy's father, came in. "You must be the Walling's."

Cary smiled. "Yes. I'm Cary; this is my husband Jim, and our daughter Gabriella." Jack shook Jim's hand and gave a little wave to Gabriella.

Jack saw his wife running around in the kitchen and said, "Dinner seems to be almost ready. Why don't we sit down?"

Jack led them to the couches before turning towards Troy. "Why don't you show Gabriella your room?"

Troy saw a look in his father's eye that he didn't understand. But he shook it off and offered his hand to Gabriella. He saw her look at Jim and Cary for a second before slowly putting her hand in his.

Troy smiled and brought her up the stairs to his room and closed the door. He turned back around and saw her standing in the middle of his room, looking at the floor. He walked toward her and lifted her chin up. "You okay?" It was weird how he felt so comfortable with her.

She blinked a few times before nodding her head. "

Jim sat at one end of the table; Jack sat at the other end. Cary and Linda sat next to each other, and next to their husbands, while Troy and Gabriella, the children, sat next to each other on the other side.

"So Jim, what do you do?" Jack asked as he poured himself and Linda some wine before offering it to Cary.

"I'm the CEO of Wall Inc."

Jack nodded his head. "Wow. That's very nice…I'm the head coach for the Nicks. And my wife here is one of the head designers for Prada."

Cary turned towards Linda. "That's amazing. You know, I have a lot of friends in fashion, and I help them out all the time. If you need any references, or help with a line, you can give me a call." Linda faked a little smile as she took a sip of her wine.

Gabriella wasn't having the best time though, she's a vegetarian, and she knew Jim and Cary wanted her to eat the food, or she'd be punished later. She also noticed that Troy kept sneaking glances at her, which she had to admit, she was doing too, but his mother, Linda, kept looking at her too, and it was making her feel uncomfortable.

"Is something wrong Gabriella, do you not like lamb?" Linda asked, noting how she ate the rice, the vegetables and the bread, but not the lamb.

Cary almost dropped her fork. She gave Gabriella a look and tightened her lips. Gabriella silently gulped before slowly picking up a piece of lamb with her fork and brought it up to her mouth. She took a breath and ate it. "No, it's great." She forced herself not to cry. She couldn't believe she was eating a poor innocent lamb.

Troy leaned down to her ear and whispered. "Are you okay?" Gabriella shuddered lightly from his hot breath. She nodded her head with a weak smile and he let it go.

"So, Gabriella, how old are you?" Jack asked before taking a bite of his lamb.

Gabriella took a small breath. She had to lie about his. Or her whole plan would be ruined. "I'm seventeen." Troy raised an eyebrow. If she was seventeen, that means she skipped a grade, or she was lying.

Linda smiled. "That's nice. Troy's eighteen."

Jim put his glass down and asked, "Do you do any sports Troy?"

Troy cleared his throat. "Well, I was accepted on the school's basketball team yesterday, and at my old school, I was captain." Gabriella tilted her head while taking a sip of her water. She didn't know Troy played basketball, but then again, she didn't really know anything about him.

Jack smiled proudly. "State championships three years in a row, only lost four games."

"That's very nice…Gabriella here was a cheerleader her first two years, but for some reason, she just quit." Cary said giving Gabriella a little look.

Linda raised an eyebrow at that. "Why'd you quit?"

Gabriella looked up and said, "I-I um. I just grew out of it I guess." Troy turned her head slightly to look at her. She didn't seem like the cheerleader type. And after spending time with her yesterday, she didn't seem like the school spirit type either.

Fifty minutes later, or so, everyone finished eating, and Linda started to gather up the plates. Cary never does the dishes, so she said, "Gabriella. Help our nice host clear the table."

Gabriella didn't even make a sound, she just stood up, grabbed her plate and Troy's plate. She followed Linda into the kitchen and put the dishes in the sink. Linda took a step back and watched as she rolled her sleeves up and started washing the dishes. Linda took a quiet step forward and saw the cut marks on her wrists.

She closed her eyes and cursed under her breath. "So, Gabriella, Troy told me that you work at the Diner Betty's."

Gabriella paused for a second before continuing to wash the dishes. "Yes." She said with as much strength as she could.

Linda sighed, before putting on a little smile. "You know, when I went up to the attic last night to put a few boxes away, I saw something when I looked out the window." Gabriella pulled her sleeves down and looked at the ground. "I saw you, bandaging up your bloody arm…You want to tell me about it?" Gabriella didn't say anything. "When I was a little girl, my father got remarried after my real mother died. And she hit me sometimes. When I told my father, he called the police, and she went to jail. I'll never forgot about it, but with help, I got on with my life healed my bruises."

Gabriella took a breath and took off of the jacket and Linda gasped at the sight. Her arm was bandaged up, but around it was too many bruises and scars to count. Her shoulders looked okay, but her arms were too much. Linda didn't even want to think about the rest of her body. "I…I can't leave them. I don't have anywhere to go."

Linda could barely hear her, she was so quiet and her voice was so soft. Gabriella put her jacket back on and finished up the dishes quickly before going back out to the dinning room to see Cary and Jim standing up looking ready to leave.

Cary nodded at Gabriella to go to the door and she did. She opened it up for her "parents". "It was great to have you over, maybe we can do this again sometime." Jack said as he looked behind him, wondering where his wife was.

Troy smiled at Gabriella. "It was great to see you again Gabriella. We can do our project tomorrow, if you want." Gabriella looked at Jim for a split second before weakly nodding her head.

"Bye." Cary said as Jim closed the door and discreetly pushed Gabriella out.

Troy took a breath before going back the kitchen in search of his mom, his father followed. "Mom?"

Linda hadn't moved since she was Gabriella's bruises. What she saw last night didn't even compare to the pain she saw in that girls eyes. She needed to figure out a way to save her.

She put a little smile on as she gave her son an unexpected hug. He hugged her back after a few seconds and was about to ask a question, but she just smiled at him and patted his cheek before going upstairs to bed.

Troy just raised an eyebrow before shaking his head.

.

Cary did not miss the look on Gabriella's face when she came back from the kitchen, and of course she noticed that Linda did not come back out. Something happened in that kitchen, and she knew it wasn't good. She was glad her husband noticed it all too.

As soon as they closed their door Jim pushed Gabriella up against it. "Did you tell that woman Linda anything?" He had Gabriella's throat in his hand, and he kept squeezing. When she didn't answer him, she squeezed a bit harder. "Huh?"

"N-…No sir, I swear." Gabriella said with as much strength as she could.

Cary hated Gabriella the second they got her and that was never going to change. For some weird reason, she just wanted her to suffer all her life, and have bruises all over her so no man would ever want her.

She however, was very tired, and the food in her belly was starting to rest, and it needed to come back up before it turned into fat. So she went upstairs to her and Jim's room, leaving her darling husband to take care of Gabriella.

Jim wasn't tired though, and he was thinking about having a little bit of fun. He pulled the jacket off her and looked at the bandage. He tore it off and threw her against the wall, with her arm hitting the stone hard.

She slipped to the ground, thinking it was over, but he came over and kicked her in the stomach, making her curl in a fetal position. He kicked her again before pulling her up and holding her by the throat so her feet were barely touching the ground. "Let this be a warning…If you ever tell anyone, you will end up dead. That, I can promise you."

Before she could even speak, he ran over to the window and threw her through it. Everything seemed to be in slow motion for her. Jim had never done anything this extreme; he obviously wanted to make a point.

Luckily, her head was turned, so no glass got on her face, but her side had a rather large piece of glass sticking out of it, and her legs had hundreds of cuts on them, her arms too. In a few moments, the blood would seep out of the wounds and it'll look like she was just bathed in blood.

She knew she would pass out from the blood lose if she didn't do something quick, but she could barely move…she didn't want to move. She wanted to scream, cry, fall asleep. But she couldn't, she wouldn't. She wasn't gonna let them win like this.

So, she leaned on one side and used her left arm to get on her knees. After a few breaths, she stood up straight, or at least, as straight as she could.

She needed to get the glass out, and her roll of bandaging tape. But it was upstairs in the attic, and she didn't have enough strength to get up there.

Then she remembered Linda. Going there would make questions come up, and it would probably get back to Cary and Jim, but right now, all Gabriella could think about was getting the glass out of her side before she bled to death.

.

Troy sat on the hood of his car, staring up at the stars. He didn't normally see the stars. In the city, there's to much light pollution, but out here, it was almost magical.

But, despite the beauty above him, he couldn't get his mind off another beauty. Just saying her name makes him feel butterflies in his stomach. She was so beautiful tonight, but he couldn't help wonder why she always seemed sad and defeated.

She said that she was going to do their project alone, but he really wanted to do it with her. Not just to hang out with her, but the story she came up with seemed really cool, and would probably be fun to work on together.

Before another thought could cross his mind, he heard something.

It sounded like a moan, a painful moan.

He got off his car and looked to his right, he saw a figure in the shadows, but he couldn't make it out. After a few moments he started to walk towards it. What he saw shocked him to his core. It was Gabriella, struggling to walk over to him with bloody legs and a piece of glass in her side. He couldn't believe it, twenty minutes ago, she was eating dinner in his house, and now she looked like she was about to die, or at least pass out from blood lose.

"Oh god." He murmured before he ran over to her. Gabriella looked up and was going to say something, but at that moment, her legs gave out, and she fell on her side; luckily the side without the piece of glass.

Troy was in too much shock to say something, or call for help. So, he picked her up, bridal style of course, and starting walking towards his house. He didn't run because he didn't want to hurt her, but he did walk fast.

Gabriella could feel the blackness start to take over. She just wanted to shut her eyes and fall asleep, and when she'd wake up, she'd be a little girl again; on her father's lap as they and her uncle's watched Sunday football. But that wasn't gonna happen, and with all the blood she's lost, she highly doubted she'll even wake up if she falls asleep. But keeping her eyes open was getting hard.

Troy couldn't, and didn't want, to put her down, so he kicked open the door and yelled. "MOM, DAD!" He looked down at Gabriella and whispered. "It's gonna be alight. You're gonna be okay Gabi."

A nickname, she's never had a nickname before. It was kinda nice, and a little sweet. She smiled through the pain, lifted her right hand, with all her might, and brought it to his cheek. Troy didn't care that a little blood got on his cheek; all he cared about was Gabriella.

It was a little weird. He met her yesterday, and suddenly, he felt like he was in love with her. There was just something mysterious and different about Gabriella. And now, he felt like he wanted to protect her for the rest of his life, and never let her out of his sight again.

"Oh, god." Linda gasped as she ran towards them. "Put her on the couch." She said quickly before running to the kitchen.

Jack came down and asked. "What's going on?"

Linda came back out with a bowl of water, a washcloth, band-aids, and a lot of bandages. "Call an ambulance, and the police." She said with a slightly angry voice. Jack turned to his left and his eyes popped out at the sight. A few seconds later, he ran to the phone in the other room.

Linda put the bowl down and took a few breaths before landing her eyes on the piece of glass in Gabriella's side. She fought to keep the tears in while saying, "Troy, hold her hand. Keep her awake."

Troy was already holding her hand, and stroking her cheek. He barely even noticed his mother; his focus was completely on Gabriella. He stroked a bit of her hair back as their eyes stayed connected.

Her face still looked perfect though, which told him that Jim knew what he was doing. Don't get bruises on her face, and you won't get caught. He couldn't imagine the pain she endured, or how long she'd been enduring it. Why didn't she tell him? He could have helped her.

The last thing Gabriella remembered before blacking out was sirens and Troy.

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I know, it's been a really, really long time. I've just been really, really, really busy. So, I'm sorry, and I don't blame you if you don't review. But please review.