I have decided to be extremely nice to you with this Fic, as in you get a say with what happens, there will be polls every few updates, you vote in them, the first will be at the bottom of this update. YAY, bet I've made your day, you must be so happy now, never been happier have you, answer to your question: yes the glass of cola is right next to me.

Recap

I didn't care that my behaviour was freaking them out, they said I was being irrational.

End Recap

Troy's POV

"She seemed fine when I saw her last night" I was speaking to Gabriella's Mom.

"She's not, I hardly see her anymore, and when she is here she's angry, upset or withdrawn, we never talk anymore" She answered.

"She needs time to accept that Kevin's back, maybe staying with her dad and grandparents is what she needs right now" I suggested.

"No, she's better off here, with us, we're her family" Maria answered.

I swear, the Montez women are trying to drive me crazy, Gabriella's changed, if I didn't know her so well I wouldn't have noticed it, it's so subtle, even Chad and Kelsi haven't noticed yet, and I don't think she's mentioned Kevin to them. Maria talks to me a lot, probably because I'm the only connection she has to her true daughter right now, Gabi isn't herself around her mother anymore.

"She doesn't seem to think she is, it'll take a while for her to come round, the guy pretended he was dead, Gabi pushing you away is wrong, but she's right about being angry, what kind of guy lets his family think he's dead?" I asked.

"It was what was best for them" A man answered from behind me, making me turn, "Who are you?"

I had only seen Kevin Montez the once; I figured Gabi would need someone whose only connection to the guy was through her.

"Kevin, this is Gabriella's boyfriend, Troy, you've met." Maria explained, noticing my silence.

"The guy from the cemetery" He spoke as he remembered.

I nodded, "I should go"

"You don't have to Troy" Maria told me.

"Actually, I do, school, remember and I'd rather not talk in front of, well, you know," I admitted.

"Gabriella's Dad?" Maria asked.

"No, I speak to Andrew a lot, he's actually pretty cool" I answered, knowing well what she meant, but respecting what Gabriella now agreed with.

"I'm her Dad" Kevin answered.

"That's not what she says," I answered, feeling bitterness towards this man rising inside me.

"How's she coping?" He continued.

"She's not" I replied, "Maria, she needs you more than ever right now, I think the reason she's staying away from you is because she thinks you've let her down, she thinks you won't understand, I really have to go now, school and all,"

I headed towards the front door, smiling reassuringly at Isobel when I saw her in the hall.

"Not going to school?" I asked.

"No, dad wants to spend time with me and mom, Gabi too but she won't come" She explained.

"I'll get her to come see you tonight" I told her.

"You promise?" She questioned.

"If she won't come to you, I'll take you to her" I added, "I promise"

I had no idea how Gabriella would feel about seeing Isobel, but the kid needed her sister, and I wasn't going to let Gabriella blame the only person in her family, except Andrew, who was worried about her.

I left the house and made my way to school, I had to see her before homeroom, she had to know that Isobel needed her.

Gabriella's POV

"Cookie, you're going to be late," Dad said as he entered the kitchen. "Your grandfather has already taken Evan and Carly"

"Dad, Can I ask you a question?" I asked.

"Anything" He answered.

"Why did you leave me when I was younger?" I questioned.

"I was messed up, my friend had died in a car crash, we were close, I lost it, my psychologist said I wasn't stable, your mom couldn't take it anymore and I knew she couldn't, so I left, sometimes I wish I hadn't, I'd know you better than I do now if I hadn't, but I can't change that now" He had seemed ready for that question.

"So it wasn't me?" I asked.

"No, no it wasn't you, have you been told it was you?" He interrogated.

"Kevin suggested it, I was about 10, he said maybe the reason you had left and didn't come back was because you didn't want to be committed to a kid," I told him. "Why would he say that?"

"Honestly Gab I have no idea, he changed after Mike died, he always acted like he hated me, like he blamed me or something, but no, you were not the reason I left, you were the reason I came back" He assured me. "Now, school, don't want your mom getting at me"

That's it for now, but I'm about to start the next update.

STORY POLL

Should Gabriella confront Kevin over what he said when she was 10?

Simple Yes or No really.