The Note: Reviews! Reviews! I hope this chapter will get them pumped up. My goal is 200+ reviews, 2 nominations (for anything) and one win. If you guys could make that happen I PROMISE to write stories this amazing. Thanks!
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Part II
Leaving their friends to chatter and gossip about Gabriella's reappearance, Troy led her outside onto his porch. The sky was clear and dark, dotted with twinkling stars. They were winking down at them—and Gabriella knew at last she was safe. The cool night sky was a clean canvas, and it could be painted with dismay or bliss, whichever Gabriella took. The stars were only an indicator, and her heart was the knob. They could dim or brighten as she pleased. It was all a matter of illusion.
Troy sat right next to Gabriella. Glancing over at her, he realized, it really, truly was her. Her face was dark with bruises, but her eyes were still fawn-like, curious and beautiful. Her dark, long locks of curls had fallen flat, scorched in some places. Troy imagined this was from a fire or something. Her neck was mostly normal, aside from the fact that two, long slash marks were lightly made. It was amazing she survived the attack, and for so damn long.
"Gabriella," he finally spoke up. She looked at him with the same intense stare she's rocked for as long as he'd known her. "What happened to you? I mean, the one day I was sick and couldn't walk with you home, you disappeared." He shook his head sadly. Gabriella looked down.
"I'm sorry, Troy." Her voice was unsteady. "It wasn't my fault. I was abducted on the side of the road." She added quietly, biting her bottom lip. "You have no idea how terrifying it was. This mad drove up to me and ordered me in. I was scared, Troy. I didn't know what to do. When he pulled out a gun, I had no choice but to listen. And that whole time ...that whole time, all I could think about was how you had prevented this from happening any sooner." Gabriella looked back up at him. Her eyes were watery. "Thank you, Troy."
"Thank me?" Troy asked lightly, putting his hand over hers. "Gabriella I'm sorry that I wasn't there. I think this is all my fault, in fact. I should've gone to school. I really should've. I'm really sorry."
"It's ok." She whispered, putting her other hand on top his. "When I got to wherever I was, I suspect it was somewhere in Arizona, he ...um. Well, he ..." Gabriella paused, not knowing if she wanted to tell him those details.
"He what?"
"He raped me." She started to cry. "It was horrible. Everyday for two weeks, at the same time in the night, he'd pull me up by my hair and make me undress. And then he'd rape me. I didn't know what to do, it hurt so much. I was so scared I was pregnant. I'm not sure if I'm pregnant now." She sobbed. Troy silently looked at her.
"You – you might be what?" Troy was shocked. Gabriella was only 17. She couldn't be pregnant with her assaulter's child. "Gabriella, we have to tell my mom. Or your mom. You have to get checked, right now. You also need to eat and go to a hospital. Come on," he stood up, taking her fragile hand in his. Gabriella pulled away.
"No!" she exclaimed hastily. "I've told you too much already! I can't get checked for pregnancy. At least not now. Please stay with me Troy." She begged him, tears still brimming from her auburn orbs. "Please. I need you."
Sighing, Troy sat back down on the porch. Gabriella followed him and wiped her tears away. "Gabriella, you are seriously hurt. You're going to need help sooner or later. You know that, right?"
"I know." She sighed. "It's just ...I didn't choose any of this. I wanted to sing Breaking Free again and again on stage with you. I wanted to win the Decathlon next year. I want to graduate East High School in a black gown and cap, making a speech on stage. I don't want to be a mom, Troy." She spoke softly, every word laced with tender sorrow. "And if I had to be a mom, I'd want it to be with someone I love. Not one that I hate."
"Well," Troy exhaled everything he was about to ask, like 'Who did you want to be a parent with?'. "For now, let's talk. Do you want to know what happened after you disappeared?" Gabriella slowly nodded. "Let's see," Troy thought. "The first day you weren't at school, all of us thought you were just sick or something. When I got home from school, I went over to your house with some of my mom's chicken noodle soup. Your mom was freaking out; screaming you weren't home and you haven't been home all night."
Gabriella began to cry again.
"This is when I began to get a little scared. But, I figured, after all, you were Gabriella, the smartest girl I know. So I figured you'd be back tomorrow screaming 'Haha you guys were so scared!'" Troy finished sadly. ""But, you never showed up."
"I didn't tell anyone of course, but naturally, Taylor thought she'd figured it all out. She was yelling at me in homeroom about a week later, thinking you and I eloped and are living in Utah or something. When I pointed out that I'm still here, Ms. Darbus got annoyed and despite her hatred towards anything cellular, she called yours. It rang, and it rang, and finally, she called your home phone. Your mother explained that you've been missing for a week and that she'd already reported it to the Police."
Gabriella listened intently, trying to think of every detail in her mind.
"Ms. Darbus, being the drama queen that she is, reported the grim news to the class. Everyone gasped—like all together. Taylor started to cry, and Chad had at run over and start hugging her. Ryan has told us before that Sharpay doesn't cry, she kicks and screams. So she was throwing a huge fit, saying that she was going to have 'dear daddy' buy her the Marines or something to find you. Even Ms. Darbus was overwhelmed; she kept flipping her scarf over her shoulder and running her hand over her bun. The whole class was silent."
"And you?" Gabriella asked softly.
"Me." Troy chuckled a little, feeling so embarrassed. "I didn't know what to do. I had already known the news, so I supposed I was just sitting there like an idiot, while everyone cries and gossips and such."
"Oh." Gabriella said disappointedly.
"I have a question though." Troy added. "If you were only being raped for a month, why were you gone for six?"
"Uh," Gabriella stood up. "Because ...I can't tell you." she hung her head slightly. Troy was shocked. Flustered and slightly annoyed, he stood up too.
"You can't tell me? Gabriella, why can't you tell me why you were missing for six months?"
"Because if I tell you, he'll know, and he'll hurt me again. I can't do it Troy. It's no big deal anyways." She shrugged, taking a step up on the porch to go inside and greet her friends. Troy turned around, and grabbed her arm. Gabriella turned her head and stared at a very confused looking Troy.
"You have to tell me Gabriella." He pleaded. Suddenly, instead of sounding rather concerned for his friend, his tone turned to one of harsh and brutal anger. "You don't trust me, don't you? You're hiding something, for all I know, you weren't raped, you chose to have an affair with a 45 year old guy!" Troy shouted at her. Gabriella spun around, her stance rugged.
"What?!" she screamed. "You think I chose to be beaten daily? Troy, you must be crazy to think that. Look at me! I'm a wreck. And you think I look like this because I'm some sort of sex slave?" she asked him, genuinely hurt from his accusation. Troy rolled his eyes.
"Yes!" he cried out, spinning around. "I can't believe you Gabriella Montez! You had everyone so worried, and now you're not gonna even tell us why you went missing? Huh?"
"I told you I can't." her voice was soft again.
Troy was silent. His gaze at her was cold, hard and unforgiving. "Get out. Get out of my yard. I knew you weren't Gabriella. Because the real Gabriella was true. You maybe Gabriella Montez. But you'll never be the girl I once knew." He snarled at her. Gabriella began to back away towards the gate door. Troy opened it. Timidly, Gabriella looked out, then looked back to Troy.
"I thought I could trust you." she whispered.
Blinking back tears, Troy took one deep breath and shoved Gabriella onto the sidewalk. Shocked, confused and hurt, she stumbled onto the cold, rocky ground and looked up at him. "Get out of my house. Get out of my yard. Get out of my life." He said simply, words dripping with venom. Gabriella began to cry. Quietly and quickly, Troy closed the gate door. And with a click, it was locked.
Tears dripped down his cheek as he heard Gabriella stand up, weeping softly. Quietly, Gabriella whispered something into the night air. It was so soft and so discreet; Troy could barely make it out. But listening again as she limped away, the wind brought the sweet melody of the phrase back to his ears.
"I love you."
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End Note: Wow. Okay. You lucky kids get so many updates. Review.
