Chapter 3
Much had happened over the past week in the Bolton household. Kayla continued to fight with her parents, especially with her father, but it wasn't as bad as before. She was still a little afraid of her father's wrath. So when she saw Troy start to flare up and roar, she would back down. She continued to wear revealing clothes, but took out her belly ring much to her parent's pleasure. Nathan wasn't talking to his father. As soon as he would come home from school, he would go up to his room to do his homework, come down to help his mother with dinner, then go back up to his room for the night.
Troy was really starting to get depressed. He thought that, after a few days, Nate would be back to his old self, but he wasn't. He missed playing one on one with his son or even as to say hi, but that didn't happen either.
Gabriella tried talking to her son, but he didn't want any part of his father. He had looked up to him, and now Troy had failed him. Micah and Sarah were scared to be alone with their father. They didn't talk that much to him either. Megan, his girl basketball superstar, would still play basketball with him but it wasn't the same. After hearing what their dad did to their mom and sister, the kids felt different towards their father. Troy just continued to get more depressed. Gabriella tried to talk to him about it, but he didn't want to.
One evening, Gabriella finally had enough, and demanded a family meeting in the living room at seven o'clock. The kids finally came down the stairs at seven ten. Nathan was the last one to come down and to take a seat. He didn't even as much as to glance at his father. Troy just had sad wounded eyes, and kept his head down. He was trying real hard not to cry. Am I really that bad as a father, that my kids don't want me anymore? He thought. Megan was the first one to speak up.
"So, what's this about? I want to practice for my basketball game on Saturday" she asked, glancing outside at the court. It had started to drizzle.
"This is more important than you're stupid basketball" Gabriella said harshly. Everyone looked at his or her mother. She rarely even raised her voice let alone spoke harshly to her children. That happened very rarely. But, it did happen last week with their brother Nate in the cafeteria.
"Then what is this about mom?" Nathan asked looking at his mother. She glared back.
"This meeting is about how you have been treating your father. I'm sick and tired of it god damn it!" Gabi shouted. They all flinched. She also never swore either.
"He's getting what he deserves mom. He hit you and Kay. There is no excuse for that" Nathan growled, shooting daggers at Troy. Troy just stared back like he was in a trance. Tears started to roll down his cheeks. He quickly wiped them away. But it didn't go unnoticed by his wife.
"He didn't mean it, Nathan Daniel Bolton! It was an accident. It's your sister's fault too. She doesn't listen to a word we say. Look at your father. You guys are making him cry and he never cries. He never sleeps anymore and neither do I. I have to comfort him at night because he's too busy crying because his kids, his own flesh and blood, don't want anything to do with him. I'm done with it" Gabi cried, hugging her husband who was staring at the floor, continuing to silently cry. "If you all don't leave this room tonight and apologize to your father for the way you have been treating him, you will all be grounded for a month. Then we will see if you want to apologize then" Gabi demanded. They all just stared at their parents, taking in what their mother just said and seeing their mother holding their crying father. Micah was the first to get up and go over to his parents. He put his small hands around his daddy neck, and hugged him.
"I'm sorry, daddy. I didn't mean it. I was just scared you would hit me too" Micah said softly. Troy looked at his son and hugged him back, hard but gently at the same time.
"I'm sorry, Micah. I didn't mean to hit your sister or your mommy. I just wasn't myself that day. I would never hit you" Troy softly told his five year old son. Micah also had a few tears running down his cheek . Troy gently wiped them away while his son wiped away his. Everyone was silently crying at seeing the affection. Micah pulled away from his dad and hugged his mother.
"I'm sorry, mommy. Please don't punish me" Micah cried.
"Don't worry, honey. You apologized, so you won't be punished" Gabi laughed, putting her son back onto the floor. "What about the rest of you guys though?" she added, looking to the rest of their kids still sitting on the couch and chaise. Megan and Sarah walked up to their father and hugged him.
"We're sorry, dad. We also were worried that you would hit us" they said unison.
"It's ok, and I'm sorry" Troy stated to his daughters.
"Can we play basketball later?" Megan looked at her father hopefully. Troy smiled down at his daughter and laughed.
"Of course" He replied. They hugged their mother.
"Sorry, mom" They said.
"It's ok now" Gabi replied. She looked to their two oldest. Nathan was still not looking at his father while Kayla was putting up her hair. Kayla finally came over and hugged both of her parents and apologized.
"Listen Kay, if you keep acting the way your acting, you mom and me are going to have to send you to a boarding school. Do you really want that?" Troy asked his daughter.
"No" Kayla replied softly.
"Then, you need to listen to us. What's the matter anyway? Is it boys?"Troy asked her again wiping the tears that she had in her eyes.
"Yes. I thought all my life that I wasn't pretty enough. So, I figured if I dressed more revealing they would notice me. But, still they don't. Everytime, I turn around to look at guys, they would turn around and ignore me" Kayla said softly with her head down. Troy picked up his daughter's pretty face and stared at her straight in her blue eyes that she got from him.
"Kay, listen to me, sweetheart. You are the prettiest girl out there besides your mother and sisters. You all carry so much beauty, that I don't like it. Guys hit on you whether you wear sweats or a tank top and tight jeans. I just glared at them then walk away. When you look at them, they have already been warned by me, so they turn around so they won't get their face punched it. Your mother gets hit on daily also. Just today alone, I had to wrap my arms around her, to let the guy know she was taken. You girls are all so beautiful with your curly brown hair or blond hair, blue eyes or chocolate brown eyes with your sweet smile and laughter. How can a guy not be attracted to you? Megan and Sarah are also very beautiful. I am going to have problems with you girls too. Especially Megan, who looks exactly like her mother. I sorry Kay, if you felt that, but I just want to keep you my little girl forever" Troy said softly hugging his daughter. Gabi was crying at the speech her husband just made. Kayla was also crying. Troy wiped away her tears.
"Thanks dad. I'm going back to my old clothes then. I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused" Kayla replied.
"It's ok. You're forgiven. But your still grounded for the rest of the week" Troy smirked. Kay smiled.
"Okay. But can I date a boy?" She asked, looking at him hopefully. Troy looked like he got slapped with a fish.
"Umm…well…. I guess it depends on the guy. Who do you like?" Troy asked her, dreading the answer. Kayla put her head down.
"Umm….Michael Danforth, but he doesn't like me. We are just best friends. I'm thinking of moving on" She replied sadly. They all smirked at her.
"He likes you, all right. He follows you around like a lost puppy" Troy stated. She just shook her head.
"No, he doesn't" She said again.
"Whatever you say, Kay" her father said. Kayla hugged her mother.
"I'm sorry mom for everything. I'm sorry I said you're too quiet, and never takes charge of anything. I was just mad. I can see now, I was wrong anyway" Kayla stated. Gabi just smiled at her daughter. It was good to have her real daughter back.
"It's ok. You're forgiven. But you have one punishment from me also" Gabi replied.
"What's that mom?" Kayla asked.
"Baking peanut butter cookies and a chocolate chip cake with me" her mother smirked. Kayla just laughed.
"That will be easy. Thanks mom" She hugged her mother again. That only left Nathan. He was still sitting on the couch trying to determine if he should forgive his father. Troy just looked at his son. He had dark circles under his eyes. He didn't seem to be getting enough sleep lately. He face was also on the pale side. Gabriella and the rest of the kids looked at Nathan to see if he was going to do anything. Nathan slowly got up and made his way towards his parents. Troy looked at him, wondering what his son was going to say.
"Dad, I'm sorry. I just can't believe you hit Kayla and mom. I mean in a way I can see Kayla because I want to hit her to sometimes but mom? Why? You always have said you would never let anyone harm her but yet you hurt her. Why?" Nathan asked, looking his father in the eyes. Troy sighed. He was expecting this. Great,another long speech.
"Nathan, I really don't know what to say to you. Sorry? I don't really know what happened to me that day. I was like… a different person. Even you mother said that, after she saw me glowing with red eyes and red all around me. Gabi smiled at him and rubbing his hands urging him to go on. " I guess I just went with whatever my body was feeling and whacked her. She just looked at me in shock and I then slapped Kayla. Your mother went and tried to comfort her. I guess because she was trying to comfort to hit you mother. I have never hit anybody….well unless you count some guy back in high school because he was trying to get your mother while I was going out with her. I told her to back away after she saw me ready to slap Kay, but she didn't" Troy glance at his wife. "She was protecting a little girl, that obviously wanted to act like a little girl when she wanted to, so I got angry and whacked your mother again" Troy finished. All the kids except Kayla grasped at that their father just said. They didn't know he whacked her twice.
"You whacked mom twice?" Nathan croaked out.
"Yea. Nathan, if I could, I would take it all back. I'm so sorry I slapped your mother and Kay. I am still apologizing to them. Everyone makes mistakes Nate. No matter even if you are the great 'Troy Bolton'. It is what makes us human. You might do what I did one day, I pray not, but what if you do? Do you want your kids to want not anything to do with you when one day you just lost control?" Troy asked, watching his son's mouth for a reply.
"No, of course not" Nate said quietly.
"Then, why are you going to do it to me?" Troy asked.
"I don't know. I guess I was wrong. I'm sorry dad" Nathan said, as he went and hugged his father.
"It's ok. So are we all good?" Troy asked his children. They smiled back. Dad would always be their hero. Mom comes in a close second.
"Yes" They replied.
"Good. Now lets watch a family movie" Gabi stated, getting up and walking over to the DVD cabinet to find a movie.
"Oh Gabi, I forgot you were even here" Troy teased. She stuck her tongue out at him.
"Very funny. Now what are we watching?" she asked her family that was sitting before her.
"Ummm….what about 'Cheaper By the Dozen'." Micah said, scratching his chin like he was using his thinking cap.
"Sure" They all replied. Nathan and Kayla got the popcorn and drinks. They all settled down and watched the movie. Troy snuggled closer to his wife and kissed her forehead. She smiled at him and rested against his chest. The kids smiled at their parents who were so loving and affectionate towards each other. After the movie, they kissed them goodnight and sent them to bed. Troy and Gabriella went to their bedroom. Troy wrapped his arm around his wife and nuzzled into her hair. She smiled and pulled him closer.
"Do you think the kids will be ok with me, now?" he asked his wife, as he was still a little worried about the kids not forgiving him.
"Of course. How can they stay mad at their father? I know I can't" Gabi replied. He laughed.
"Thanks, Gabi. I love you" he said.
"I love you too" she said. They both fell asleep against each other.
A/N: I know that this chapter had a lot of fluff and what not but their will be a lot drama coming up for the Bolton family. Please read and review.
