Author's Note- I hope you guys like this chapter, I'm really excited to write this story, I think the story line is one of the best that I've come up with. Read and review please.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Gabriella growled.
"Nothing Baby, just having a little fun." A drunk 17 year old boy said as he approached Gabriella.
"What did you do to him?" Gabriella asked looking past his shoulder to see someone laying on the ground, barely moving as he let out a little moan with blood spots here and there on his clothes.
"Who cares?" He asked as he put his rough hand on Gabriella's cheek. "I'm here, and you're here, and that's all we need, right?" He more like demanded than asked.
The guy leaned forward and started nipping at Gabriella's exposed neck as Gabriella could smell the smoke and the alcohol on him. "Stop." Gabriella said pushing him away.
"What did you say to me?" The guy hissed furiously as he pulled Gabriella closer.
"…stop…please." Gabriella said as she looked past his shoulder again to see if the other guy was still at least breathing.
"STOP CARING ABOUT THAT FILTH!" The guy instructed Gabriella as he shook her.
"LET GO OF ME!" Gabriella screamed through tears as the guy shoved Gabriella to the ground, and as Gabriella fell her shoulder hit the counter top with a loud sound and Gabriella finally hit the floor in pain.
Gabriella woke up screaming in pain as her alarm clock went off at 9 in the morning. Gabriella was sweating and shaking at the same time. Chad came running into her room. "Ella, what's wrong?!" Chad asked as Gabriella looked up and noticed that he was in athletic clothes.
Gabriella looked around and made sure that she was in her room, safe and sound. "N-nothing…I'm fine." Gabriella said as she sat up and Troy came standing in her bedroom doorway.
"Chad, you coming?" Troy asked and then looked over the scene of a disheveled Gabriella sitting up in bed. "What's up?" Troy looked Gabriella over again and he couldn't help but notice the tight tank top she was wearing along with short shorts that exposed most of her legs. Gabriella's hair had some loose curls hanging out of her high pony tail.
"Well…Ella here…" Chad was about to explain as Gabriella hit him in the stomach feeling like her usual self again.
"Nothing, everything is fine." Gabriella said standing up and stretching her hands above her head to show off her 'toned tan abs' again.
"Are you sure Ella, we heard you screaming downstairs." Chad asked.
"We?" Gabriella asked confused. "As in mom and dad also?" Gabriella asked with a nervous face.
"No, dad is at the hospital again, and mom is at her business. They always are gone by 6." Chad explained.
"Wow, things have changed." Gabriella said.
"Sure do." Troy answered as he kept his eyes on Gabriella and noticed for the first time that she had two three inch scars that have turned white on her lower back. Gabriella put her arms down so the tank top covered her lower back again after she noticed Troy's eyes on her. Gabriella locked eyes with him pleading him with her eyes not to say anything. That was something Chad could never find out about.
"Where are you going?" Gabriella asked.
"Well, I have to go take Taylor someplace for her birthday last week." Chad said.
"You mean that you haven't given her anything yet? How did I manage to get her something before you when I was across the world?" Gabriella asked in shock.
"Make fun now, but it was something that she agreed on. So I won't be home tonight either. Is that okay, because I'm sure Tay will understand…" Chad got cut off.
"I'm fine. There was nothing wrong in the first place." Gabriella said with a reassuring smile as Troy looked at her as if he was judging her over.
Chad smiled. "I'm sure Tay will be dying to show you guys what I'm getting her. Now Mom will probably be home around midnight and Dad probably won't be home until early next morning. If you need anything at all I'm sure Troy can help you." Chad said looking at Troy sternly.
Now even though Troy did have a rude and cruel personality sometimes, he was always there for his friends when they needed him. "Yeah, sure." Troy said as Chad hugged Gabriella.
"It's so good to have you back." Chad said to her and then ran out and down the stairs leaving Gabriella and Troy in her bedroom.
Once Gabriella and Troy both heard the front door slam shut, Troy stared at Gabriella. "That was some stunt you just pulled." Troy commented.
"What?" Gabriella asked playing innocent as she opened her closet door and stepped behind it so that it was separating her and Troy. Troy couldn't see Gabriella, but he could hear her let out a grunt or a moan of frustration and he started advancing the closet door, that is until he stopped dead in his tracks at the sound of her voice. "Don't come any closer." Gabriella called.
"Why not?" Troy found that an amusing grin took over his face so he quickly hid it.
"That's why." Gabriella said as she tossed her tank top to the ground so that Troy could see.
"Wow, you do this for all of Chad's friends?" Troy asked with a smirk.
"No." Gabriella said stepping out in a black towel wrapped around her petite frame. That's when Troy noticed another scar that looked to be about the size of a penny imprint in her skin.
"What's that from?" Troy asked motioning to her shoulder.
Gabriella quickly looked down and put her left hand over it as if Troy didn't see it. "Nothing." Gabriella said as she walked past Troy and to the conjoining bathroom Gabriella and Chad shared.
"Oh really, and the two scars on your back aren't anything along with the bruise on your arm?" Troy asked out of curiosity.
Gabriella turned on her heel quickly. "Look." Gabriella said sharply. "Just because Chad asked you to take care of me, doesn't' mean that you should. You should just go back to screwing the blonde population because I don't need you." Gabriella hissed as she turned around furiously again and started her journey to the bathroom again.
Troy took three swift steps and turned on his heel to come face to face with Gabriella with his hands holding her shoulders so that Gabriella couldn't move. "Look." Troy hissed with the same amount of feeling. "I know that Chad knows about your past, or at least he thinks he knows." Troy says.
"But how? He wouldn't tell you." Gabriella said quietly as if afraid Chad let out her most deepest and darkest secret.
"He didn't tell me what but I know that he thinks he knows the whole thing, but I also know that you haven't told him the whole thing." Troy said. "Looks like you're not as innocent as I thought you were." Troy said releasing her and stepping aside for her to walk by.
"Don't say that. You don't know what happened, it wasn't my fault." Gabriella said quickly and then stopped talking after she said 'it wasn't my fault' she knew she let out too much information as Troy gave her a curious look. Just the Gabriella's phone started to go off.
She feels lost in her own life. Treading water just to keep from slipping under.
Troy looked at Gabriella who snapped her head to look at her night stand table. And if Troy didn't know any better it was as if Gabriella was scared of the song that was playing, as if she was giving away too much information about herself through one song. Troy watched Gabriella who just stared at her phone.
And she wonders if she's where she's supposed to be. Tired of trying to do it right. Her dreams are just to far away to see how step she's making. It might be taking her to who'll she'll be. And Suddenly it isn't what it used to be, and after all this time…
Gabriella walked swiftly over to her phone and slammed it opened.
"Hello?" Gabriella asked hesitantly. Gabriella breathed out a sigh of relief. "No, I'm kind of tired. But can I take a rain check and we'll do something before school starts, okay?" Gabriella asked as Troy studied Gabriella. She seemed to have already mastered the fake smile and cheery voice. "A party?" Gabriella asked. "Tomorrow night, the night before school?" Gabriella asked.
"Oh great, you're a goody two shoes." Troy mumbled and Gabriella glared at him as she spoke.
"Perfect." Gabriella smirked as she hung up. "You can go now. You don't have to listen to Chad all the time." Gabriella said as she made her way to the bathroom and started the water. Gabriella turned around and right before she was going to take off her towel she noticed Troy standing in the bathroom doorframe. "Go home." Gabriella said going to shut the door.
"I'll just wait out here for you, you're not done talking about those marks." Troy said sternly.
"Leave me alone Troy. You don't even know me, you wouldn't understand and frankly, neither do I and I'm the one that had to go through it." Gabriella said and then went wide eyed. "Damn it!" Gabriella cursed herself. "I'm not talking and you better not say anything to Chad." Gabriella warned as she slammed the bathroom door.
"There's another door in Chad's room." Troy called to Gabriella as she screamed in frustration and slammed Chad's door shut and threw off her towel and hopped in the shower.
After Gabriella washed and conditioned her hair she was scrubbing viciously at the scar on her shoulder blade as if it would come right off. Gabriella let out a little scream of frustration that she let her guard down for a mere second and Troy caught on. Gabriella got out and wrapped the towel around her after squeezing out her hair. She walked into her room and got dressed in jean shorts that showed a lot of her legs along with a dark blue t-shirt that fit her body and wasn't too big. Gabriella put her hair in a high pony tail deciding that she was going to cut it soon because she couldn't stand the site of it anymore. It disgusted her that something that someone would compliment could be turned into something that made her want to puke after that one night she went through. Gabriella shuddered at the thought as she walked down stairs.
She heard the TV going and walked into the living room and saw Troy sitting on the couch drinking a soda. "Finally, took you long enough. You tried to hide the scars with make up or crap?" Troy asked standing up.
Gabriella scoffed. "Just go home." Gabriella said.
"Nope." Troy said simply as he pushed past her.
"Why the hell not?" Gabriella asked as she tossed the basketball from hand to hand that she picked up from the counter.
"Bored. No one is home. Shar is shopping with Zeke and Chad is with Tay." Troy said.
"And you don't have anyone else to hang out with?" Gabriella asked finding that hard to believe since everyone made Troy sound like the kind of East High.
"They all bore me, but then there's you. You have a whole background that no one knows about, and let's just say that it doesn't bore me as much." Troy said as he took the basketball from Gabriella's hands.
"Hey." Gabriella exclaimed.
"I'll play you." Troy challenged.
Gabriella scowled and then smirked. "Fine, but if I win, you leave me alone, and if you win…"
"I get to ask any five questions I want." Troy said with a smirk. Gabriella looked hesitant and Troy looked deep into her eyes. "Or is someone scared of losing again?" Troy taunted.
"I get ball." Gabriella said pushing past Troy and heading outside in the 90 degree weather. Troy rubbed his shoulder, man, Chad was right, Gabriella did have some built up muscle, even though she looked super thin and could be like a model, she had hidden muscles. Troy rolled his eyes after he found that he was thinking about Gabriella again! "Come on Bolton!" Gabriella called.
After two hours of playing they were both sweaty. Gabriella was laying on her shirt that was sprawled out on the ground as Troy was sitting on the picnic table, looking down at Gabriella who had her eyes shut due to the sun shining down on them.
"Are you going to tell anyone about the guy?" Troy asked as he watched Gabriella react to his question and if Troy didn't know any better, he would say that Gabriella flinched at the question.
"I did. I told Chad." Gabriella hissed.
"Whatever." Troy said.
"Do you know what?" Gabriella snapped as she stood up. "You don't get to judge me! You just met me and you don't get to just come into my life without knowing anything and fucking judge me Bolton!" Gabriella demanded.
"I can do anything I want and I get whatever I want, and right now I'm determined to find out what the hell happened over in God Damn England! Because you think that no one notices your half smiles, fake laugh, and sad eyes!" Troy yelled back at her. "And they don't! I've known them long enough and no one notices any of that, but I do!" Troy declared. "I see past your little act Montez and right now you're lying to everyone including yourself!" Troy yelled as Gabriella glared at him.
"You're wrong." Gabriella said shortly.
"Then prove me wrong." Troy said as Gabriella backed down and Troy could see the shift her eyes gave. They went from anger to almost being scared for your life.
"I can't." Gabriella said shaking her head, "Not yet." Gabriella said as she ran back to her garage, putting on her fake cheerful mood again as she called over her shoulder back to Troy, "I have something." Gabriella yelled.
Troy rolled his eyes as he ran his hand through his matted hair. Gabriella came running back holding a bottle of something. "Whiskey?" Troy asked with a kinked eye brow.
"The one and only." Gabriella replied with a smirk as she opened the bottle and took a quick drink of it. Gabriella smirked as she held it out for Troy to take. "Bottoms up." Gabriella said.
"You are a spitfire Montez." Troy said with his own smirk as he took a drink from the bottle.
"Who uses Spitfire anymore?" Gabriella asked.
"Chad." They both answered and then they both were going to go laugh, but they quickly caught themselves, trying to hold in their emotions. Troy and Gabriella both sat on top of the picnic table with their feet situated on the bench.
"I believe I won." Troy said. "You should really work on your fade away." Troy said.
"I can create space, I just prefer to drive better." Gabriella said. Troy was about to say something, but Gabriella stopped him. "Just ask your God damn questions Bolton." Gabriella said.
"Okay, number one…you did have a boyfriend, right?" Troy asked.
"Wow, I'm surprised you didn't know that one already…yes, I did. The key word, did." Gabriella said.
"Okay, number two…are you glad you're back?" Troy asked as he took another drink from the bottle
Gabriella thought about this for a minute. "I'm happy that I'm here again with my friends, but I have a theory that I will want to leave this small town in a year or so again. You know, I loved it there in England, but after a while, I just got bored again and I needed to be refreshed with my old memories." Gabriella said taking the bottle back and taking a little longer drink than Troy.
"Number three…Did you love your boyfriend?" Troy asked as he looked into Gabriella's eyes.
Gabriella looked at the ground, deep in thought and then she looked straight a head of herself as if she wasn't looking at anything, she was just looking through everything, overlooking the objects in front of her. "My theory is….you can't truly love someone if they don't love you back." Gabriella said handing the bottle back to Troy.
Troy gladly accepted as he took a quick sip and then asked again. "Number four…Were those scars accidents?" Troy asked looking at her shoulder blade.
"They didn't mean it, but yet they did." Gabriella said. "It's hard to explain, but the person wasn't in their right of mind at the time." Gabriella explained as Troy handed her the bottle back, but Gabriella didn't take anymore she just capped it off and put it on the table beside herself.
"Question five…what do you think of me?" Troy asked cockily.
"Small question for a long answer." Gabriella said back and then stopped talking indicating that that was her answer.
"Oh come on Montez, that was not a fair answer." Troy said.
"That was my answer and I don't think that you've proven yourself to be worthy yet to hear what I have got to say." Gabriella said with a smirk. They were silent as they both just looked a head at the basketball court. "Can I ask you a question?" Gabriella asked in soft tone.
"Shoot." Troy said. Troy found this odd since he never let anyone talk this openly to him, well, except for Chad.
"Did I miss a lot when I was gone?" Gabriella asked. Troy sighed as if he should sugar coat it for Gabriella, but decided against it because Gabriella seemed like the kind of girl that could handle the truth. "Please, tell me everything." Gabriella said.
"Okay, in my opinion, yes." Troy said bluntly. "You missed when Shar broke three nails going bowling one time, you missed when Tay almost had a panic attack the year she flunked Spanish and had to take it over the summer, so we all took it to help her. You missed the month Zeke kept fretting over how to ask Shar out, and you missed when Chad tried cooking Tay dinner for her birthday, but ended up burning her table a couple of weeks ago." Troy said.
"What about you?" Gabriella asked.
Troy shrugged. "You didn't know me, so you couldn't possible miss anything about me." Troy said.
"You're my brother's best friend, you're apart of his life, eventually you'll be apart of mine." Gabriella said.
"Maybe, maybe not. That all depends on you." Troy said smugly as he turned to look at Gabriella.
"Do you think I made the right decision of going away?" Gabriella asked as she looked at Troy also turning a bit.
"Do you regret any of it?" Troy asked leaning in slowly.
"No, I think I probably would've gone nuts if I stayed here." Gabriella said.
"Then you didn't make the wrong choice." Troy said with his mouth inches away from Gabriella's.
Gabriella started moving in closer, but then realized what she was doing and pulled back and she hopped off the table knocking the bottle of whiskey to the ground and having it roll under the table. "Oh my God, this did not just happen." Gabriella said pointing between herself and Troy.
"Nothing happened." Troy said.
"But something was, and it can't..." Gabriella said almost panicking. "I have to go." Gabriella said.
Troy smirked. "I'll see you around Gabi."
"Just…" Gabriella was at a loss for words. "…ah….just stay away." Gabriella said running into her house.
Troy watched as Gabriella shut the door and locked it. He stood up himself and bent over as he picked up Gabriella's shirt. He smiled to himself as he walked inside his own house putting his shirt back on.
"Hey sweetie." His mom Lucille greeted.
"Hey mom, where's dad?" Troy asked.
"Up at school, getting ready." Lucille answer. "So who was that girl you were with?" Lucille smiled as Troy just shrugged.
"Chad's sister." Troy answered as he got a drink of water.
"He has a sister?" Lucille asked. "I never knew that."
"She was over in England for two years and just came back." Troy answered as he took a cookie from the plate his mom just made.
"She looks very nice." Lucille said knowing that the girls Troy usually hung around with outside of school were ones that anyone would call sluts.
"She looks it." Troy said taking another cookie and then walking up to his room.
Troy walks into his room and sits at his computer desk and notices Gabriella on her balcony through his window. Troy never did really know what room in Chad's house was the room that Troy could perfectly see into. Troy looked at Gabriella as she was looking at some sort of picture. He saw her glossy eyes and then all of a sudden in a quick and harsh second, she ripped the picture in half and let go of the two pieces to watch them float down to the ground below her.
Gabriella smiled a cheeky smile as the picture hit the ground. She was determined to rewrite her past and forget about what happened in England, nothing was going to stop her, not even Troy Bolton and his stupid curiosity for her, or at least, that is what she thought. She never did expect Troy to try and kiss her. She wasn't in the mood to getting caught up in a player like him, Gabriella promised herself that she wouldn't ever get involved with another player. She only hurt herself in the end after what he did, so Gabriella thought to herself…strike one for Bolton.