"Wildcat?" Gabriella asked. They had been cuddling on the sofa and Troy had fallen asleep with his arms
wrapped around Gabriella's waist. "Wildcat?" She slowly reached one of her hands up to touch his cheek, then she
leaned up to softly kiss his lips. "Wildcat. I need you to wake up so we can go to sleep in our bed."
Troy's blue eyes slowly opened halfway. "What, baby girl?" he asked sleepily, pulling her close to his side.
"Can we go sleep in our room so I can sleep, too?" asked Gabriella.
"Okay." Troy took his arms away from Gabriella's waist and stood up, taking her hands in his to help her up be-
fore lifting her into his arms. "You're my baby," he said, kissing her cheek affectionately.
Gabriella closed her eyes and smiled. "You're my Wildcat," she said, sounding tired.
By the time Troy went into their room still holding her, she was fast asleep. He tucked her in bed, covered her
face with kisses, then climbed in next to her and snuggled up to her. He turned out the light, then got comfortable
by pulling some blankets over him and wrapping Gabriella in his arms from behind, making sure to be gentle as to
not to wake her up.
Gabriella stirred a little bit, but didn't wake up. Instead, she rolled over so she was facing Troy, buried her face in
his chest, and hugged him back.
"I love you, Gabby," Troy whispered, gently stroking her hair. "Good night."
Gabriella opened her eyes a little. "Love you, too," she mumbled. But Troy could tell what she had said.
"You get some rest now, okay? You're my baby girl."
Gabriella nodded and snuggled further into him.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
The next morning, Troy and Gabriella woke up and got ready, ate breakfast, kissed each other good-bye, then
drove off to college. As soon as Gabriella stepped out of her car, a boy with medium-brown hair and brown eyes
walked up to her. "Hi, Gabriella," he said.
Gabriella stopped and looked at the boy in shock. It was a boy who she had went on one date with at the school
she went to before East High. His name was Allen Dently. She had ended up hating him because he didn't respect
her shyness. On their date, he wanted her to kiss him. When she shyly said she didn't feel comfortable kissing him
yet, he had tried to force her to. Gabriella had made up an excuse so she could go home. When she went on
Christmas break, she had forgotten about him, especially after meeting Troy, but now she remembered him. "Um,
hi.....um....." She pretended not to know his name.
"Allen. Remember? You don't remember your boyfriend. Wow." he replied.
"Oh......hi.....Allen." Gabriella said.
"Are you ready to kiss me now?" Allen asked, going close to her and bending down towards her face.
"No, no, no!" Gabriella exclaimed in a terrified voice.
"Come on," Allen said.
"No, I'm engaged!" Gabriella said loudly, almost shouting.
"To who?"
"None of your business."
"Well then I'll just take you to my apartment and see if you'll tell me then." Allen grabbed Gabriella's wrist
painfully and dragged her to his car. He shoved her in the back, got in the driver's seat, locked the doors, and started
driving away.
Tears began to run down Gabriella's cheeks. What if he hurts me? What if he makes me kiss him? What if I can
never see Troy again? She started crying harder. She didn't think she could live without Troy by her side after every-
thing they'd been through together.
"You shut up," Allen shouted rudely. "I don't want to hear you crying."
Gabriella wiped her tears off her face, but more fell. "I want Troy," she whispered to herself. She got out her cell
phone and quickly typed in a text message that said, 'troy i need u now im bein kidnapped by a guy I dated once
before I met u when I get to his house ill tell u the address. luv u xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo gabby She hit send.
"We're here," Allen said in a rude and nasty tone. He got out of the car, slammed the door shut behind him,
opened the back door, pulled Gabriella out, and shut the door. He shoved her through the door of his house, but not
before Gabriella saw the house number. "I'll be back. Stay here," Allen ordered, locking her in his house.
Gabriella pulled out her phone and texted Troy again. She wrote, 'the address is 15 bride road apt 4 plz come i
need u luv you xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo ik thats a lot of hugs & kisses gabby
___________________________________________________________________________________________
At college, Troy had heard his phone ring twice. He took it out of his pocket and read Gabriella's messages. "I
have to go. My fiancé just got kidnapped," he told his basketball coach with a worried expression on his face. As
he ran out to his car, a tear fell down his cheek for the first time in so long. What if he would never get Gabriella
back? What if she was being beaten? He hurried into his car and began driving as fast as the speed limit allowed to
the address Gabriella had texted to him. He ran out of the car, picked the lock on the door with a pencil and a paper
clip, and hurried inside. He saw Gabriella with tears streaming down her face.
Gabriella looked up from where she was sitting and saw Troy. She ran over to him and wrapped her arms around
his waist. "Troy," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "I thought I would never see you again."
Troy hugged her back. "I'm here," he told her, bending down to kiss her head. His hands gently stroked her hair.
"Let's get out of here," he said.
"I-I'm not l-letting g-go of y-you," Gabriella said, clearly still terrified.
Troy lifted her up and carried her to his car. He put her in the passenger seat, then climbed into the driver's seat.
Gabriella grabbed his hand and wouldn't let go.
"Honey, I have to drive," Troy said, kissing her cheek. He started the car and backed out of the parking lot.
"I'm not letting go," Gabriella said. "I'm so scared."
"Then lean against me," Troy said.
Gabriella let go of his hand and leaned against him. Once he pulled into the driveway of their house, she stopped,
grabbed his hand again, and let him pick her up and carry her inside. Once inside, Troy sat down with her on the
sofa and pulled her close to him. "We're gonna have to call the police," he said, stroking her hair. "But first tell me
what happened exactly."
Gabriella hugged Troy and began explaining. "Well, this guy named Allen Dently wanted to date me in school.
It was before I met you and before I even went to East High. I said yes reluctantly after he kept bugging me. He
tried to force me to kiss him on our date, and I said I wasn't comfortable kissing him, then made up an excuse to
leave. When I met you, I forgot about him. I didn't even see him at college until today. I got out of my car and he
came up to me and said, 'Hi Gabriella.' I knew exactly who he was, but I pretended not to. Then he said 'I'm Allen.
Remember? You don't remember your own boyfriend. Wow.' Then he asked me to kiss him and I said no, and told
him I was engaged. He asked who I was engaged to, and I said, 'It's none of your business.' Then she grabbed my
wrist really hard and forced me to go in his car. He locked me in, and started driving off. I started crying and then he
said, 'Shut up, I don't want to hear you crying.' Then I texted you. When he came to his apartment, he dragged me
inside, told me he would be right back, and locked me in. I texted you again, then he came back in, hit my arm, and
tried to make me kiss him again. I kept refusing. Then he said 'I'll be right back.' He went into the bathroom and then
you came."
"Oh, my poor baby," Troy said, pulling Gabriella close to him. "My poor baby." He kissed her head. "You didn't
deserve that, honey."
"Troy, I never want to leave your side," Gabriella said, hugging him tighter. "Until Allen in arrested."
"Okay," Troy said. "Tomorrow you can come to college with me. I'll just say that you need to be with me because
you were kidnapped and you're scared."
"Okay," Gabriella said. "I love you."
"Love you, too, Wildcat."
"I'll call the police now," Troy said, taking one arm away from Gabriella to reach for his cell phone. He dialed the
number. When someone answered, he told them everything that had happened. The policeman said he would go find
Allen immediately. Troy thanked him, then hung up. "He's gonna be arrested, my love," Troy gently reassured his
fiancé.
"Troy, I'll always love you."
"I'll love you always, too, baby girl."
For a long time, they just sat like that in each others arms, Gabriella feeling comforted. Finally Troy broke the
silence. "Honey, baby girl, Gabby," he said, beginning to call Gabriella a few of the nicknames he used for her. "Do
you want to get something to eat?"
"I want to be with you," Gabriella answered.
"I'll carry you over to the kitchen, we can get something to eat, then you can sit on my lap again while we eat."
"Okay," Gabriella said, moving her arms from Troy's waist to around his neck as he lifted her into his strong arms
and carried her into the kitchen. Taking one arm away from her, he grabbed a bag of chips off the counter, then went
back into the living room to sit down with Gabriella in his lap.
"So does your arm hurt bad?" asked Troy.
"A little," Gabriella said leaning back into Troy and closing her eyes.
"Oh baby girl," Troy said. "I love you so very much. Let me see."
Gabriella rolled up her sleeve and showed him her arm where there was a small bruise. "I guess I'll be okay,
though," she said.
"I'm so sorry that had to happen to you, honey," Troy said, kissing her cheek. He opened the bag of chips and
took one out. "Want it?" he asked Gabriella.
Gabriella shook her head no. "I want you," she said, turning around to face him before clinging to him. "I need
you to keep me safe, Wildcat."
Troy are the chip, then kissed Gabriella's head. "I really love you." He put one arm around her and continued
eating with the other. "I love you so much."
"Love you, too. And thanks for loving me," Gabriella said. "I don't know what I'd do if you weren't there for me."
"I'll always be here for you," Troy said.
"Wildcat, did I get you in trouble at college?"
"Well I was in basketball class. I just told my coach you got kidnapped and ran out the door."
"I'm so sorry if I got you in trouble."
"It's okay. I love you too much to care."
"Can you tell me what time it is, Wildcat?" Gabriella asked.
Troy looked at the clock. "Five-thirty," he told her.
"Okay."
They both just sat there for a while since Gabriella didn't want to leave Troy's arms. They would alternate
between talking and cuddling or just cuddling. Around nine o' clock, Gabriella asked Troy if they could go to bed.
"Yes," Troy said. He stood up, still holding her, carried her into their room, took one arm away from her, pulled
the covers back, and slowly got under. Gabriella then slid out of his warm arms, snuggled into his chest, and let
his arms wrap around her again. "Good night, baby girl," Troy said.
"Wildcat, can I have kisses?" Gabriella asked, lifting her head from Troy's chest.
"Okay," Troy said, bending down to kiss her. Their lips passionately and affectionately touched. Troy carefully
licked Gabriella's soft lips. Gabriella opened her mouth a little so Troy could slip his tongue inside and lick hers
gently. Gabriella gave Troy gentle love-bites on his bottom lip. Finally, they couldn't breathe anymore, so they broke
apart.
"That felt good. Thanks," Gabriella said.
Troy kissed her nose. "Gabby, I love you more and more every day."
"Love you more and more every day, too," Gabriella said.
"Listen, baby girl," Troy said to Gabriella, "I'll always protect you."
"I'll always protect you, too, as best as I can," Gabriella said.
"And just to let you know, I would die if it meant I were saving you."
"I would do the same. But if it ever happens, we'll have to die to save each other because I would be heartbroken
if you died." At the thought of Troy not being with her anymore, Gabriella began crying.
"Oh, baby girl, I won't die anytime soon. You're stuck with me for a long time," Troy said, pressing a kiss onto
her cheek, then using his thumb to wipe away her tears.
"I'm glad," Gabriella said.
Troy reached over his fiancé and switched off the light. "Well good night, baby girl. Love you."
"Love you, too," Gabriella replied, snuggling into him as far as she could.
"You okay?" Troy stroked her hair gently.
Gabriella nodded. "I might have bad dreams tonight, though."
"And if you do, I'll comfort you."
Gabriella smiled up at Troy before closing her eyes and trying to get some rest. Troy smiled back at her, hugged
her tightly, and rested his head on top of hers. Then they both drifted off into a deep sleep.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Around three in the morning, Gabriella woke up because of a nightmare. She gently shook Troy awake. "Troy, I
need you. I'm scared," she said.
"What's wrong, baby?" asked Troy sleepily.
"I had a bad dream. I had a dream that Allen broke into our house and took me and we never saw each other
again." She wiped a tear from her watery eye.
"Aw, my poor love," Troy said, kissing her cheek. "Do you want me to make it all better?"
Gabriella nodded.
Troy bent down to kiss her on the lips. Gabriella kissed back. When they pulled apart, Gabriella said, "It's all
better now, Wildcat. Thanks."
Troy nuzzled her cheek softly and kissed it. "Okay. Try to go back to sleep. I'll be here holding you all night. If
you need to wake me up again to talk to me or to get kisses, just wake me up. I always will be here for you."
"Thanks, Wildcat. You're so sweet."
"Love you, too. Now do you want one more kiss before we close our eyes again?"
Gabriella nodded and they kissed once again. Then, they went back to sleep and Gabriella slept soundly the rest
of the night.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
The next morning, Gabriella made Troy come with her while she got ready and asked him if she could stay with
him while he got ready. He said yes of course. So after they were ready, they went downstairs and got breakfast.
"So, Taylor and Chad are coming this weekend, right?" asked Gabriella.
Troy nodded. "Taylor's leaving on her flight Friday after her college is done for the day. Chad is driving up here
Friday evening since he's only at U of A."
"It'll be nice to see them again," Gabriella commented.
"I know," Troy agreed.
Once they were done, they cleaned up their stuff and left in Troy's car for college. When they got there, Gabriella
held Troy's hand as they walked inside. Troy explained what had happened, and both his basketball coach and the
theater directors said it was okay for Gabriella to be with him for the day.
"Troy, can I sit on your lap?" asked Gabriella. Troy was in his drama class.
Troy nodded and lifted her onto him, kissing her cheek. Just then, he saw Nicole coming. "Hi, Tr-" she began,
stopping when she saw Gabriella with her arms around Troy. "So you do really have a fiancé? It wasn't just a made
up thing?"
"No I didn't make it up!" Troy exclaimed.
"Well I guess it's useless trying to get you to date me. Anyway, I like someone else now," Nicole said.
"Well that was easier than Tiara," Troy whispered in Gabriella's ear.
Gabriella nodded in agreement. "Way easier."