I'll Stand by You

Chapter 3: Bits of the Truth

Troy and Gabriella watched as Sharpay fainted right in front of them. For a moment the world seemed to go quiet and stare at the girl. What was going on? Troy was the first to recover from shock he bent down and checked her pulse, it was beating strong.

"I think we should take her to the hospital." Gabi whispered falling beside him.

He shook his head. "She told me she did not want to go to a hospital. She'll get mad and not talk to us longer." He replied

Gabi was at a loss, should they take her to a hospital? Should they risk her anger or her well being?

"What the hell?" A voice pierced through the silence of the once noisy hall.

Sharpay had woken up to find her best friend and Troy standing over her. She remembered running and falling…and THE PILLS! Oh no! She thought Did they find them? She looked down and saw her purse still zipped in her left hand. Maybe they didn't find anything.

"What is going on here?" a stern voice exclaimed. It was the voice of the principal.

"She fainted, sir, for a moment." Gabi explained.

The angry face of the principal softened and he looked closely at Sharpay. "Why don't you two take her home for the rest of the day? I'll excuse you." He told the three.

Troy nodded and quickly picked her up bridal style.

"Put me down!" She ordered but Troy carried her to the parking lot like that with Gabi in tow slightly behind him.

Sharpay's House

"You know, I don't need your help. I'm perfectly fine." Sharpay muttered as Troy placed her on her overstuffed couch in the living area.

"Then why did you faint in the hall? For the hell of it? Face it; you need us more than you know." Troy growled in return.

She huffed and situated herself. Gabi walked over and whispered something to Troy, who left the room, and sat beside her friend.

"I understand" Gabi whispered.

"What are you talking about? Gabs, I'm fine." Sharpay replied innocently.

Gabi sighed heavily. "Sharpie, what happened at the party Saturday? I've known something did since that night when you disappeared."

Tears began to fall from Sharpay's eyes like a broken dam. Her whole body shook violently. She motioned for Gabi to wait a second and walked out of the room. A few moments later she returned with a washcloth and began rubbing all over her face, bruises were revealed.

Gabi gasped as the purple and black showed on Sharpay's beautiful skin. Tears burned her eyes as Sharpay revealed even more bruises on her arms. Some in the perfect shaped of a hand.

"How can you understand Gabi?" Sharpay sobbed.

Gabi stared at her friend, she had never told anyone, except her mom, about her rape, but now Sharpay depended on it.

"I was raped three years ago, by some stranger on the street. They never caught him." Gabi explained. It still hurt her to think about it, but therapy had helped her so much in the recent years.

Another heartbreaking sob escaped from Sharpay's lips. She just grabbed Gabi and held onto her for dear life.

Troy then stumbled into the room staring at the girls, tears in his eyes. "I never knew Gabs" He breathed.

Gabi smiled. "I'm over it, I still have nightmares but I know it wasn't my fault, you have to convince yourself of that too Sharpie."

"Were you raped Sharpay?" Troy asked hoping for a "No"

But Sharpay nodded miserably. Anger began to rise inside of Troy.

"Who was it?" He yelled "I'll kill him!"

Sharpay whimpered weakly at the outburst. But Gabi sat in shock. Knowing what had happened to Sharpay for a fact was so much worse than just thinking it may have happened.

"I'm really tired guys, please let me go to bed." Sharpay whispered.

Troy's face softened. He knew Sharpay had to be completely exhausted from everything that had happened in just this short amount of time. He helped her off the couch and watched her go into her bedroom. Something inside him knew it would be okay now. He and Gabi were going to save her.

After she was gone Troy looked back to Gabriella. She sat there biting her lower lip.

"What if she got some crazy disease? Or is pregnant?" She blubbered.

Troy stiffened, those thoughts never ran through his.

"I don't know Gabi, we have to take this slowly. She may run if we push to hard."

"Yea, can you think of anyone at the party that just was gone for a while then suddenly showed back up?" Gabi racked her brain for the guest at the party. It had only been The basketball team, Sharpay, Gabi, and Taylor.

"It's one of my boys, I cannot believe this!" Troy yelled. How could one of his friends do this to Sharpay? Who hated her that much?

"ZEKE! JASON!" Gabi and Troy shouted at the same time. The looked to one another in pure terror.

At the top of the stairs, Sharpay had been listening. When the names were said her body shook violently. She ran to her room and began to pack.

So who is it? It may be both of them! Anyway what's going to happen next? What will Sharpay do? Is she leaving? R&R and I may not update for a lil while but i promise I will!

Raindrops!