A/N: Well, I'm officially home. It took a few days to wait out the storm at home while I was in L.A. There was 19 inches of snow, one hell of a welcome home eh? (Haha, that's one of my stories names)
If you have never read Speak, I highly recommend it, especially if you enjoy this story. It is a fabulous book, my personal favorite.
So, my reviewers, YOU JUST KEEP GETTING MORE AND MORE FABULOUS EVERY SINGLE WEEK! I love you so much, thanks for taking to the time to reflect on my story!
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Troy Bolton woke up to the shove of his older brother, "Wake up bro, it's my last day of high school."
Troy rolled his eyes, "Three months closer to getting my own room."
Today was the last day of school, which also correlated with Gabriella's birthday. The half-day would be spent acquiring and signing yearbooks, returning large textbooks to the library, and tear shedding, for the seniors.
"You know you're going to miss me," Matt teased as he walked out of the room toward the bathroom down the hall.
Matt would be leaving for college after the summer, albeit not really leaving. Undoubtedly, he would be home every weekend so that their mom could wash his clothes. The University of Albuquerque was within a ten-minute driving distance from their childhood home.
Even though his brother would be out partying tonight, Troy was much more interested in helping his best friend celebrate her birthday. His relationship with Gabriella was picked on by his older brother. His brother teased him about being 'whipped' without even being in a relationship.
Troy had been denying recent feelings he had for Gabriella, at first because she had a boyfriend and more recently because she had a broken heart.
As much as she would deny it, he could tell she wasn't okay with her recent breakup. He could tell, simply by the way she was denying her hurt and her slight ignoration of himself. She needed some time to heal and he didn't blame her, Jon was a dick. He still couldn't believe she had lasted more than two days with the guy. He treated girls like shit and believed their true place was the kitchen.
Unlike Jon, he appreciated independent women. He felt that it brought extra sexiness to a girl who had a plan and knew what she was going to do with her life. Maybe it was just Gabriella that made him think that.
Since becoming a teenager and going through puberty he was beginning to feel that their relationship was less than normal. It was getting to the point where he would rather stay in and watch a movie with his best friend then go out to parties. Puberty had also lead him to the realization that his best friend was hot. Her curvy Latino body seemed to continue developing further and further into their high school careers. He liked to deny the attraction he had to her body because if she ever found out about his dirty thoughts he'd be in deep shit.
Instead of taking her to the movies as he planned, his mother had left them two tickets to go see a production of Billy Elliot downtown. They were planning to have an early dinner so that they could make it on time to the eight o'clock musical.
As he moved through his morning routine, he began to search for his pair of khaki shorts. He searched his closet and the top two drawers of his dresser. He wasn't sure what prompted him to open the third drawer that was almost never used but he continued with his desperate search, not wanting to be late for his last day of school. As he opened the drawer, he noticed Gabriella's clothes where they were always located. Searching through he noticed a black bra buried beneath various sweatshirts and t-shirts. Lifting it out he noticed the sexy lace band and smooth cups that he could not picture his best friend owning. Hearing the door click open he shoved it back under the pile of clothing and turned to see his brother, standing in the doorway wearing his shorts.
Shrugging it off, he decided not to create an argument with his brother this early in the morning. It was better to just let it slide at this point and wear a different pair of pants.
"Not wearing pants today bro?" Matt questioned looking at Troy with a questionable look on his face.
Troy realized he probably looked ridiculous in his clashing plaid boxer shorts and striped t-shirt. Deciding to slide on his pants, he returned down the path his brother had just walked down to brush his teeth. Looking in the mirror, he messed his hair a little before leaving for school. Today was the last day he would be looked at as Matt's little brother. After today he could hopefully make a name for himself at school.
Gabriella Montez sat digging her feet in the light sand at a park located near Troy's house. When they were younger, they frequented the park at least once a week. She took a deep breath as she let a tear slide down her face. The park was vacant, it was exhausted with age and a newer larger park had been built that the kids played at now.
She was sitting on a swing that creaked with movement. She was drawing light patterns with her feet. There were numerous reasons as to why she was sitting in the park crying before a looming thunderstorm. The last day of school had made her realize she didn't have much time left at home. Only two more years and she would be leaving home for college. The pressures of life on your own would be set, more likely dropped, on top of her shoulders for her to balance out.
Her mother seemed to be neglecting her, leaving her to deal with pain by herself. She loved her mom and that was why she was so upset. They were so close, Gabriella and her mother shared everything and now the distance was pulling them further and further apart, physically and emotionally.
And then there was Jon. The man who dumped her because she wouldn't have sex with him. The man who criticized her body and made her feel like shit. The man, actually boy, who moved on two days after their break up. She lost the little respect she had for him.
She was crying at who she was becoming. She was becoming a lonely obsessive teenager. Her body ached from the lack of food, yet she could not eat. It hadn't even been a week since she began her diet yet it was taking over her life. She wasn't going to admit she had a problem, because she didn't have one. She was smart, she was loosing weight quickly in a smart way.
As Gabriella wrapped her arms around her body, she could feel the tightness of her stomach. When she inhaled her ribs stuck out slightly. It was fine though, the most weight you would loose while dieting was generally within the first week. After this it would be more gradual, she tried to convince herself.
The part that scared her the most was that she knew she wouldn't be able to stop.
Gabriella felt her phone buzzing from the back pocket of her jeans. Sliding it out, she saw Troy's number flashing. He was the only person she could trust right now. She had friends but no one even came close to matching the trust she held with Troy.
"Hey Troy," she sniffled slightly answering the phone. She tried to cover up her crying pattern.
"What are you doing? I wanted to know what time I should come get you," Troy's firm voice responded.
"I'll just walk over, I'm at the park actually," she stood up and walked to slide her flip flops back on.
"Why are you at the park? I'll come meet you half way," she could almost see Troy's eyebrows furrowing at her last statement.
"I was just clearing my brain and don't worry about it, it's only five minutes," she really just wanted some time for her blotchy face to clear up.
"No Ella! I'm not going to let you be alone on your birthday. I'll meet you half way," with that she heard the dial tone after he hung up.
She sighed and began to trudge up the street. By walking slowly she might be able to gain some time. Although it clearly wouldn't be much because Troy would just walk until they meet up.
She stared at the ground as she continued forward. The heat and humidity of the approaching storm was making her sweat and she felt a little light headed. She blamed it in her head as dehydration. She felt a bead of sweat drift down her face knowing she was getting closer and closer to Troy. It was making her feel worse and what she needed was Troy to wrap his arms around her. She needed someone, anyone that cared. Nobody seemed to care anymore except for Troy. As much as she was trying to put up a front to seem strong, if there was anyone she was going to admit she had a problem to, it was Troy.
She didn't think she could feel more relieved when she was able to make out Troy's figure. He was always there to catch her when she fell. Even if he wasn't aware something was wrong, his presence simply made her feel better.
As she got within distance, she knew that he knew she had been crying. There was one of those unspoken moments where Troy just opened his arms for her to wrap herself in. "Ella, what's up?" He stroked her hair gently.
"I think I'm sick," she closed her eyes as she felt the light headed feeling turn into a headache.
"Let's get home before it starts raining then Ella, do you think you can make it?" His concern was growing largely.
She gently nodded her head and pulled back from his arms. Gaining some confidence, she returned in the direction of his house. The sooner they got there, the sooner she could lay down.
Troy wrapped his arm around his best friend in comfort. He could tell her emotional instability was beginning to take a toll on her physical health. "Are you okay?"
"A little light headed. I probably just need some water and to sit down for a while," she really would try to shrug this off as much as possible. The more excuses she could pull the better.
The looming clouds began to darken and you could see the rain over the mountainous land formations. Troy unlocked the door to his house when they arrived. None of his family was home, a rare occasion. His parents had taken the younger boys to soccer and would likely be home soon due to the weather. It was fairly late in the year for rain and thunderstorms.
Gabriella went to settle on the couch and Troy went to the kitchen to get her a glass of water. She took a few breaths through her nose as she felt the air conditioning raise goose bumps on her arms at the contact. "Do you want some advil?"
"Yes please," she spoke quietly. Her stomach was beginning to feel like acid, yet there was nothing for her to throw up.
"Here," he sat down next to her body. Her face was pale. She sat up slightly to swallow the pill with some water. Hopefully it would help a little. "Do you want to go into my room? It's probably more comfortable than the couch."
"Sure," she replied, but before she could stand, she felt her body being lifted. She was not expecting to get picked up.
After Troy set her down in the bed, she pulled the sheets over her body. What a great way to spend her birthday.
Troy gently crawled next to her on the bed. Sitting perpendicular to her, he crossed his legs, sitting near her head. "What's up Ella?"
"Troy," she warned, not wanting to talk at the moment.
"Ella, you were crying. I can tell, tell me what's wrong," he rested his hand palm up on her forehead to test her temperature. His mother insisted the best way to check for a fever was actually a kiss on the forehead. That way you could decipher whether it was just sweat or an actual fever.
"I'm just overwhelmed," she curled her body tighter within the confinement of the sheets, "It's been a crazy two weeks Troy."
"I didn't think you would let if affect you this much though. I didn't know you liked him so much," Troy sighed as he saw her turn her back to him.
"I don't want to talk about it Troy," she wasn't going to let her ex's words take over her life. Although the amount of time she wasted thinking about him was increasing everyday.
"Fine, but you can't hold everything in," Troy didn't speak with just anyone this deeply. With anyone else he'd shrug it off but he'd begun to notice how Gabriella was attempting to block her feeling from him. At school she put up a brave face but he could see the way her eyes glared when Jon walked by with another girl. The only indication she'd given to know she was aware of what Troy knew was the slight smile she'd given him when he saved her from an encounter with Jon. The guy had nerve but Troy had beaten him to Gabriella's locker and he'd swiftly walked her toward her next class.
"I'm not holding anything Troy, I told you I'm just overwhelmed," her day was beginning to worsen it seemed.
"Okay, okay. I'm sorry," Troy defended against himself. He knew better than to piss of girls, especially on their birthdays. Deciding to switch the topic, he walked into his closet and shifted a few things around from the floor before picking up an atrociously wrapped purple package. Now was as good a time as ever for her to open her present. He gently set it down, letting it's weight sink into his comforter, "Here, open it."
Leaning up on her elbows, she accepted his present as a peace offering. "Thanks," she smiled up in appreciation.
She laughed at the wrapping job he'd done. The paper was about three times longer than it needed to be and it looked like he'd placed tape everywhere it didn't need to be. She dug her finger in the crack and watched as it ripped open slowly. The box was slightly larger than the average shoe box and she could her multiple things slide back and forth in the box.
She pulled out two books from the package, the first being Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Her favorite classic. She had read the book numerous times but never acquired her own copy. The second was one she had never read before but was interested in, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. The book told the tragic tale of a high school girl who struggled through her first year of high school after calling the cops on a party in an emergency situation. She would admittedly call herself a bookworm and adored almost every book she read. She wasn't picky.
Nodding her head in appreciation, she continued. Next she pulled out Go Radio's new CD Do Overs and Second Chances. Gabriella had been obsessed with one of their songs and she was excited to check out the rest of their music.
"Thank you so much Troy, I love it," she commented shifting the new items in her hands. She was happy to know someone cared about her enough to spend her birthday with them.
"Oh, there's one more part," Troy jumped up from the side of the bed to head into the kitchen. He grabbed the tickets to the musical his mom had left for them. Walking in the room, he fanned out the tickets for Gabriella to see.
"What is it?" She squinted her eyes, yet it was too far for her to see the specifics on the tickets.
"Mom had some extra tickets for Billy Elliot tonight. I thought we could go?" He questioned her more than informed.
"No way! I wanted to go with mom but she couldn't get tickets. How'd you know?" She gasped in excitement.
"Well, your mom told my mom who happened to pull some strings with the tickets," he mentioned the lengthy process his mother had gone through to get the tickets.
"Are you going to sit through the whole thing without complaining," she questioned glaring her eyes into his blue orbs.
"No guarantees, a few snide remarks might slip, but since it's your birthday I'll try my best," he smiled knowing he had made his friend happy, "Now come over here and give me a hug."
Gabriella grinned and reached her arms out to wrap around his neck. She felt his arms wrap around her waist as he whispered in her ear, "Happy Birthday Ella."
Then, she shrieked as Troy suddenly fell backwards onto his back. Gabriella slapped him on the shoulder as the tone in the room shifted. Any partial argument was forgotten about when Gabriella reached over to grab a pillow and shoved it in Troy's face.
"Oh no, you're on my list now," he flipped Gabriella over him and shoved a pillow in her face in return.
After taunting her for a few seconds, he removed the pillow from her face and smiled innocently at her.
"Don't you dare try and act innocent Bolton," she flicked his side feeling his newly formed abs through his thin shirt.
"What are you going to do about it Montez? Flick my abs of steel?" he ran his hand over his chest. He took any opportunity to show the product of his hard work.
"I know all your secrets Bolton," despite the threat, Troy didn't have many secrets. Especially compared to herself. Troy knew the majority of her secrets but they were just things she would rather keep to herself to avoid unwanted attention.
"Right, and who are you going to tell them to? It's summer," he took a breath to calm himself down after their laughter.
"Your mom," she teased.
"Ooh, I'll have to watch what I say from now on," as he spoke both jumped, startled by the crack of thunder they heard from outside.
Gabriella rested her hand on her chest after the shock, "Oh my god, that scared me."
"Me too," Troy agreed. Neither were exactly scared of thunderstorms, but neither really liked them either. The storms were pretty harmless in Albuquerque and tornadoes were a very low threat. Gabriella stood from the bed to take a look out the window. She gripped the edge of the windowsill as she observed the dark greenish black sky. Rain was pouring down and hitting the window at an angle. A flash of lightning struck and she decided to back away from the window.
"Is it bad?" Troy questioned, worry evident on his face.
"Just a normal thunderstorm. Nothing too bad," she walked around his dresser and dragged her fingertips along the top, "When is everyone coming home?"
"Mom and Dad should be home soon, there's no way Liam and Mason are playing in this weather," it was nearing three in the afternoon and they would probably be eating in two and a half hours, "Mom wanted to get a head start on dinner too."
Just as she had began to forget about food, it was brought up again. Troy seemed to be the only who could make her forget but he wouldn't know not to discuss the topic unless she talked to him about it.
"Let's go do something Troy. Claim the basement before, or if, Matt gets here," she walked out of his room and down the hall before he got the chance to respond.
"Happy Birthday Gabi!" She heard the shout of Troy's younger brothers as Troy and her walked up the stairs after being called up for dinner. This would probably be her second substantial meal of the week and her stomach ached at the thought of eating.
"Aww, thank you guys," she bent down to hug the two boys she would consider to be her younger brothers. "You guys just get cuter and cuter everyday, don't you?"
"We are not cute Gabi," Liam scolded.
"Yeah, we're handsome," Mason finished explaining.
"Well I'm very sorry. It was a silly mistake," she grinned at the boys she'd watched grow up before her very eyes. As she continued further in the kitchen, the smell made her stomach twist even further.
"Happy Birthday sweetie," Troy's mother commented at her sight while bending over to remove the baked Macaroni and Cheese from the oven, "I'm sorry Matt didn't show up. He's probably partying it up."
Gabriella noticed the slight eye role Lucille gave, "It's fine. Troy's my best friend, not Matt." Gabriella and Matt had a rocky relationship at the beginning of their friendship but it had developed to be more of a brother/sister relationship.
"Gabster! Happy Birthday," yet another Bolton, Jack, entered the room. He swallowed her in a hug. Jack had taken her under his wing after her father had been arrested, he was the closest she had to a father figure.
"Well, aren't I popular today?" she squeaked out from under Jack's protective arms. He was almost as strong as Troy was.
"Well you are the birthday girl," Jack replied at her unwanting attention.
"Come and dish up guys, no standing around," Troy, commonly referred to as the bottomless pig by his parents, demanded.
"Fine, fine," Jack mumbled, "Demanding sons. We should have had a daughter, I mean, look at Gabi. Her world doesn't revolve around food."
She remained commentless after Jack's words. The thing was, her world was beginning to revolve around food but in a different way than Troy's.
As she looked at the food she was about to consume, she began to mentally divide the portions. A small scoop of Macaroni and Cheese but she'd only eat a half of it. A few carrots, she'd eat two. Fruit was what she'd eat the most of, they were more healthy. Then there was the cake, she hadn't figured that one out yet.
When she sat down at the table, she waited for everyone else to begin eating. Everyone was doing fine, eating as normal. She was beginning to feel light headed again. Gabriella decided that she could buy time by standing up to fill her glass with water.
Opening the freezer to get some ice, she let the cool air wash over her body. When she filled up her glass with water, she gripped the edge of the sink tightly. She turned around to see Troy looking at her with concern. Taking slow steps, she inched toward the table. Sitting down, she shakily picked up her fork to begin eating with Troy's eyes watching her carefully. It took her a while to allow her fork to make it to her mouth and when it did she reluctantly allowed the few pieces of macaroni in her mouth.
She slowly chewed the food, over and over and over. When it became mush in her mouth, she attempted to swallow the processed food. It hit the back of her throat and she felt her gag reflex kick in.
She raised her hand to her mouth to prevent a disaster happening at dinner. No one but Troy had seemed to notice her actions until she gagged. She felt Troy place his hand on her back and he gently rubbed up and down, "You okay?"
"I, yeah, um, can I be excused," she stated rather than asked. Before waiting for a response, she stood up and walked down the hallway to the bathroom. Gabriella kneeled in front of the toilet and let her head rest backward. She took a deep breath to calm herself. An overwhelming sensation hit her and she gripped the edge of the toilet with strength. She was not going to make herself throw up. She was too strong for that.
Gabriella heard a knock at the door, "Ella, are you okay? Can I come in?"
"I-I guess so," she felt weak from resisting the urge to purge.
Troy knelt beside her and began to rub her back. He noticed the empty toilet bowl and took that as a good sign, "Are you okay?"
"I just feel light-headed again. I think I'm a little dehydrated," she excused herself again. Shifting away from the toilet, she let her back rest against the cabinets behind them.
"Can I get you anything? Water? Another advil? Or do you want to go and lay down?" Troy was concerned now. She was obviously not okay.
"A glass of water sounds good and I think I'll lay down for a while," she moved to get up and felt Troy jump up before she could stand.
Troy stuck his hand out to help her up. Wrapping his arm around her lower back, he helped her back to his room, "I'll go get you some water."
He left the room and she found herself in the same position she'd been in earlier. She let her head relax against the soft pillows. She felt bad, the Bolton's had worked to give her a decent birthday and she was sick now.
"Mom said not to worry Ella," he set the glass down on the bedside table.
"Are we still going to the musical?"
"Ella, I don't know," he really didn't want to take her if she was feeling so crappy.
"Please Troy?" She used the puppy dog eyes on him. The eyes no one could resist.
"You rest while everyone finishes eating and we'll see how you're feeling," he made no guarantee.
"Fine," that was the farthest she could push him at the moment.
Troy had caved and allowed the pair to go. Gabriella had been fine after her rest and right now was bouncing off the walls with excitement.
"That was so good Troy! I'm totally going to New York City just so I can see Broadway plays and musicals," she bounced in her seat.
Troy was still grumbling at the fact that he'd had to sit through the whole musical. He really didn't understand how she could be so excited over a musical. Then again, she had no clue how he could get so worked up about a basketball game.
What Troy really didn't know was how she had made two miraculous recoveries today. Gabriella had been so weak in her moments and she was just fine afterwards. No signs of sickness, nothing.
"Come on, it wasn't that bad Troy," she grinned at him as they walked toward her front door.
"Okay, fine, it wasn't that bad," he spoke truthfully. It wasn't horrible.
"Ha! So you admit it, you liked it," she assumed while opening the front door with her key.
"I didn't say I liked it, I said it wasn't that bad," he stepped into the empty dark house. Flipping on the switch, he mad up his mind that he didn't like her staying home alone as often as she did. "You should just sleep at my house tonight Ella."
"Troy, I've slept at your house way too many times recently. I'll be fine," she put on her all too common fake smile. The fake smile Troy could see right through.
"Ella, really. It's fine, let's go," he knew she wouldn't budge, no matter how much he pushed the matter.
"No, I'll be fine Troy. I promise," she was suggesting that he leave now. It was late and she didn't want him driving home tired.
"Let me stay here then Ella. You've been home alone way to much recently," it wasn't that he didn't think she was safe, it was more the matter of loneliness.
"Troy, I promise I will call if I need anything. You need to go home," she began to push against back in the direction of the door.
"Fine, but you have my number on speed dial," he reminded himself more than her. He continued down the path to the door.
"Yes, now go home Troy. I'll be fine," she watched as he turned around to give her a hug.
"I had fun tonight Ella," he whispered in her and Gabriella felt shivers run down her back at the huskiness of his voice. "Call me if you need anything, okay?"
"I will Troy. I'll see you tomorrow, at the bonfire," she gently nudged him out the door. He worried too much.
"Bye Ella," he turned to get one last look at her as he made his way across the driveway. He saw her wave from the doorway.
Gabriella began to think about her and Troy's relationship. It was very strange. She was around his family so often that she considered them to be her own family, yet the thought of thinking of Troy as her brother seemed to be bizarre. They were too emotionally connected to be thought of as siblings.
Gabriella lie in her bed as her thoughts began to shift. It had begun raining again and the lightning flashing in her room made her stomach twist slightly. The storm was picking up and she had felt a lot more comfortable around other people during storms. Come to think of it, she couldn't remember actually being alone during a storm.
She could feel her breathing quicken. All of a sudden, she was feeling claustrophobic and felt as though the room was constricting around her. She tried to shut her eyes to block the shadows of the palm tree twisting and bending from the wind but her body would not allow her. Gabriella wasn't sure what it was but it seemed as though the blood rushing through her body was paralyzing her. She was stuck in her spot. Her body refused to allow her to move and call Troy.
The thunder and lightning wouldn't stop for anyone. No matter how much it scared little kids or adults, there was no preventative measure to be taken. All Gabriella could focus on was the outline of the tree on her wall. Her body lay flat and heavy on the bed. Her stomach was revolting against her body. As she lay flat she felt the way her ribs stuck out of her stomach. Her body ached with the lack of nutrients and her muscles felt weak. Her breathing was still uneven as another boom of thunder rocked her body.
All she could think about was her loneliness. Nobody wanted her. Her mother was always gone, her boyfriend dumped her, and her father drunk himself out of the family. There was no on around to notice how she felt and she put up a fake front for the person who did care. She was so stupid, she should never have let herself open up and trust such a risky person. High school relationships didn't last either. Overall, her reasoning was stupid.
As the storm began to wear down, so did her anxiety attack. That was the only plausible cause as to what had happened. When her arms began to bend and she felt as though she could sit up without puking, she glanced at her alarm clock. It was a little after midnight.
Gabriella decided she would feel bad about calling Troy so late. Then again, if there was one person in the world who cared about her and would forgive her for calling this late, it was Troy. He told her to call if she needed anything. She wiped the tears she wasn't aware had fallen. She stared at her phone for a while before gaining the confidence to call his cell.
She held the phone to her ear and took deep breaths. It rang and rang and she just as when she thought it would go to voicemail she heard his groggy voice on the other end of the line, "Hello?"
Before she spoke she could faintly hear, "Troy, turn your god damn phone off," it was Matt yelling at Troy in their room.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake Matt up," this was a bad idea, she shouldn't have called.
"He'll get over it," all Troy wanted to do was roll back over and sleep.
"Do you think," she stopped herself, "I mean, uh, can you come and pick me up?"
"Um, sure," he was surprised. She was so stubborn that he didn't think she would actually call him.
"I'm sorry. You don't have to, I know it's late and you were asleep and I feel horrible for waking you up-"
"Hey, calm down," he shushed, "I told you to call if you needed anything. I'll be there in five minutes."
Troy snuck out of his bed and pulled a pair of dirty shorts on and grabbed a t-shirt. Something was obviously wrong with Gabriella. She'd acted so strange that day. Rambling was her way of hiding something. He wondered what could have possibly happened in the hour and a half since he had dropped her off at home. Sneaking out of the room, he was happy his brother had fallen back asleep and wouldn't rat him out for leaving the house after curfew.
After he pulled up to Gabriella's house, he'd had to formulate a plan to make it to her house. Even though the thunder and lightning had ceased, the rain was still pouring down. Deciding to just make a run for it, he stood underneath her door jiggling the spare key in the lock. Stepping in dripping wet, he flicked on the lights. Before shutting the door he stuck his head outside and gave it a shake. He slipped his shoes off and went to go upstairs to Gabriella's room.
"Ella?" He questioned venturing down the hall.
"I-I'm in here Troy," she stood in her bedroom shaking slightly. She was cold in the air-conditioned room. She was going to put a sweatshirt on when she heard Troy come inside the house.
"What's the matter?" he could tell from the look in her eyes and the way she was standing that something was wrong.
"I just got startled from the storm," she took a deep breath, she wasn't lying to Troy, she just wasn't sure what had actually happened.
"Do you want me to stay here, or do you want me to take you to my house?" he offered.
She thought about both options, if she stayed here it would be easier to get away with not eating but Troy would likely stay all day tomorrow until the bonfire. If she went to his house, his mother would buy the excuse that she still wasn't feeling good and she would be able to leave whenever she wanted, "Let's go to your house."
"Are you ready to go or do you need to grab anything?" He asked swinging his key chain around his finger.
"I think I've got enough stuff at your house," she concluded while walking over to shut her lights off. She felt Troy wrap his arm around her shoulder, she felt comforted by his actions. She allowed herself to sink into the feeling. Troy was always there for her. He was the one who took her under his wing on her first day of school, was there when her father was arrested, and she had a feeling he would be the one to get her through whatever life would throw at her next.
IMPORTANT: PLEASE GO TO CHAPTER 2 OF "AN OCEAN BETWEEN YOU AND ME" TO LEARN ABOUT GABRIELLA'S DAD! Read the italicized part, it will be crucial to part of this story.
Also, you may want to check out the flashback in chapter 4 to find out about how Gabriella and Troy meet. It would mean a lot to me if you all just read the other story because it really is their relationship in the future. But you don't have to if you don't want to, but I would really appreciate it. So, thank you in advanced if you do!
-Sarah-Anne
