A/N: Ok, so here is Chapter 3. Let me know what you think ASAP. Thanks!!

Disclaimer: sniff I… Do… Not… Own… HSM! But, man! Do I wish I did! lol

It's Gonna Be Love

Part 3:

It's Gonna Be True

"What about the scar?" Troy asked, trying not to let on exactly how curious she was making him.

"He… We were talking, and all of the sudden, he slapped me… and I fell against the wall. He started shouting and saying things like 'You killed George, you fool!' and 'You'd better go somewhere far, far away!' It scared me terribly, so I tried to call the police on the phone beside my bed. That's when I got the scar."

"Mmhmm," Troy nodded, taking mental note of the entire story.

"So he pretty much just snatched the phone from my hands, and then he pulled out this hideously disfigured fishhook. He snatched it across my arm, and then left. Just like that. Like he had nothing to be ashamed of, because he was punishing me for… for…"

"Killing your dad?"

"Yeaahh," she sobbed, burying her head in Troy's chest, her new favorite place to be.

And they sat there, just like that- Troy stroking Gabriella's hair and letting her cry- until the final bell of the school day sounded.

"Well, I guess we'd better go," Gabriella said, finally breaking the serene silence that had broken out over the two friends. "I have to walk home today."

"Are you kidding?! What if you run into Adam?"

"Don't even worry about that, Troy. I've seen Adam's new house, and it's nowhere close to the route that I have to take to get home."

Troy seemed to be considering the idea, and then a horrible thought popped into his head. He imagined Gabriella, alone, walking along the sidewalk unaccompanied, and then he saw Adam Johnson appearing from thin air and… No. He couldn't think about that. It was just too painful. "Well, at least let me walk with you, Gabby," he pleaded, stroking her arm.

"No way. Listen Troy. It was really nice of you to listen to me today, but I'm a big girl, believe it or not. And I can handle the whole Adam Situation all by myself. So you can stop playing Big Brother now, and worry about your own problems."

Troy was hurt, a little, but mostly confused. She thought that he was doing it for her good, but in reality, he needed to protect Gabriella for himself. It wasn't that he felt guilty whenever he wasn't around her; just that he couldn't imagine being responsible if anything happened to his very best friend in the entire world. He couldn't go on living. That was for sure.

"Are you… are you sure?"

"Positive. Just let me handle myself from now on." Even Gabriella couldn't understand why she was suddenly feeling so hostile.

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Gabriella shuffled down the sidewalk of the suburban neighborhood, pressing her textbooks against her chest tightly, acutely aware of her surroundings. Every time something snapped, she jumped. Why did she have to be so stubborn? If it weren't for her stupid ego, she would've been sitting beside Troy in his old-fashioned pickup truck, making small talk instead of peeking around every corner, searching for danger, wherever it might be.

"Looking for me?" a voice from behind her sneered, causing her to drop all of her books.

"Adam? Where did you come from? And why are you here? Did… Did you… This place isn't even close to her house!" Gabriella wondered. Had he come by there just to see her? Why didn't I listen to Troy?

"Silly, silly Gabby," he cooed mysteriously, moving closer to her and draping his arm around her shoulder. "I came to see you. How have you been keeping our little secret lately?"

She felt caught, busted like a deer in headlights. "Well… I, you know…"

"NO!" he shouted, motioning to some of his large, muscular friends who had been sitting in a ditch. How could she not have noticed them before that? "I don't know! How about you explain it to them."

The biggest one of them, about six feet two inches tall, with broad shoulders and a grim expression on his face twisted his arms around her waist, and pulled her backward, cupping her mouth closed with his free hand. "What have you got to say for yourself now, Gabriella?"

A/N: Boo yah! Major cliffie. lol. But there is a major issue to be discussed, so let's just get right down to it, shall we?

I'm not getting enough reviews on this story, so please make sure to review this chapter. It is very important that, if you want to know what happens to Gabriella, you send a REVIEW! Right now! Click on Submit review or whatever and DO IT!! haha. But seriously, guys, it only takes like two minutes, and it really motivates me to keep posting the chapter quicker and quicker. So make sure to REVIEW!!!