Your reviews are really amazing, seriously. Your sweet words give me strength to continue with this story, and I want to say thank you :)
This story is like a therapy for me, I know what is to be bullied, and I am trying to put the feelings the bullied person felt while suffering the pain in those girls. Plus, I've talked with people who bullied me in school and high school, now some of them are my friends, and I am also trying to converse their words and feelings into the bullies. I hope I am doing a good job with that…
Also…I would remind you that I am Spanish, and that I am writing this story with the English I've learned in school, so probably it would be full of mistakes, grammar mistakes and stuff like that. So if you want to correct me in something, go ahead! Like I've said in my first A/N, I hope my English will improve while I am writing the story…so with which way better other than to be corrected when it's necessary? :)
Anyway, here goes chapter 4. Like always, I've own nothing but the plot. Enjoy! :)
Three hours went by. Troy and Gabriella were still in the same position: he with his arms wrapped around her tiny figure, she with her head in his chest and her right arm around his torso. Both teens were still trying to figure out what was happening there. They were aware of the uncommon of the situation, but any of them had the need to move.
Troy knew Gabriella was still awake. Her little fingers were drawing some shapes on his chest and the sensations running to his body were nothing but sweet. His mind was working hard there: he needed to open up Gabriella, he needed for her to trust in him. The events occurred hours before still were fresh in his mind: seeing her so broken and sad had been a shock for him. In his almost 18 years of life, he never had seen a Gabriella so distraught; she was always a bubbling, smiling and happy Gabriella…though her life outside her house was nothing but hard. Though she was bullied every time in school because of her refuse to follow the stupid social rules reigning in East High, you could see the sparkled in her eyes, her smile while being far from her bullies, but what happened before? God…it had been too shocking for him. Suddenly, a little voice broke his thoughts.
"Troy?" a timid Gabriella asked, her doubtful tone alerting him that something new was about to happen.
"Yeah?", his suspicious voice answered.
"mmm…never mind". She wanted to ask him when he was supposed to be at home, but she was like a little child there, part of her wanted to be left alone but with herself, but another one didn't want for Troy to go, and she was afraid of bring up this topic in case he hadn't thought about it and asking him that was a way to put in his mind that maybe her mother wanted him for something and he decided to go.
"What are you thinking, Gabi?". He could say that something was bothering her, and though at first he thought that maybe she was about to explain him which was the real problem, once he saw her frown knew that her thoughts were far from that. "You know you can talk to me about everything…", he tried to push her a little.
Gabriella knew what was he trying, and she wanted to be able to talk to him, but her fears were like a stop signal in her head. She knew that she'd need to say something at some point but what? She didn't know. She glanced at her nightstand in order to see what time was. 8.15. She knew she must let him go, she didn't want her parents knowing about her problems at the moment. She didn't need a freaking call from her mother, and she knew that if Lucille thought that there was a problem with her, she wouldn't hesitate in call Robert and Ana explaining them everything. These thoughts were like a cold shower. She realized that while she was like in heaven in Troy's arms, at the same time the probabilities of pretend nothing was wrong with her in front of their parents would be non-existent. At this moment she made her hard, and difficult, decision.
"Ummm…" she started while intensifying her drawing in his chest. "It's late. You probably should go home…" whispered Gabriella.
He could know that probably this was the last thing she wanted…but he thought he knew why she was saying that. In his mind there was also an internal battle: a part of him wanted to hold her forever forgetting everything but hem, but another one knew that their parents would suspect something, and while he hadn't been able to figure out what was happening, he didn't want a group of hysterics parents on his back. He wanted to find the truth, of course, but he didn't want to push Gabriella too much on that. He hoped that one day she would open up herself at him, explaining him everything that was on her mind. But till that day, he didn't want more problems on her back, and he knew how Ana could be sometimes.
"Probably yes. It's almost dinner time…" his voice also a whisper. "Do you want to stay in my house while your parents are travelling?". He didn't want for her to be alone, and he knew she didn't want that either.
"No no, it's ok. It's late now. I probably will make me a sandwich and then go to bed…" answered Gabriella while trying to get up. However, Troy tightened his arms around her. He didn't want to go until he was sure she was ok, or at least, he was sure she was better than before.
"Are you sure?" asked Troy while looking into her brown and big eyes. Gabriella was taken aback by the intensity of his voice…and the look in his blue eyes.
"Of c…c….course. But in order for you to go, you must let me go Troy" giggled Gabriella trying to light the mood.
Troy couldn't help but smile at her cuteness. "Ok, ok" he said while giving her a kiss in her cheek and letting his arms to drop from around her waist and shoulders. She returned the gesture with a happier smile and got up. Troy took advantage of that and stirred himself a little. While he was putting himself his snickers, he was observing her. She was in her balcony, the moonlight giving her profile a magical aura. She looked like a ghost…but a very pretty ghost if you asked him. She looked spectacular and he took a moment to take in her relaxed and fairy frame.
"Ok, I am done. Come with me downstairs…I want to be sure every window and both doors are locked when I go". Gabriella couldn't help her blush and a wide smile in her face once she listened his caring words. He was one of a kind; that was for sure.
"Let's go then". With that, she found herself in the middle of the living room, watching him check every window and the backdoor with a smile in her face. Once he was sure everything was locked, both teens were in front of her door. He wanted to hug her, but he didn't know if that was the correct thing to do. The awkwardness and his thoughts were broken, however by Gabriella, when she put him into a tight hug, which he returned after a millisecond of surprise for her actions.
"Take care of yourself, and if you need anything don't hesitate to call, ok beautiful?". Troy registered his words at the same time with Gabriella. Both blushed, but she, showing a courage they didn't know she had, smiled and told him her ok. She tried to smell him again, without him notice, of course, in order to keep his particular scent as a treasure which gave her strength, support, and a home sense. Troy notice her sniff, and couldn't help but smile…while letting her own coconut scent pierce into his nostrils.
"Good night Troy, and thank you so much for everything you've done this afternoon. I don't know I'd had done without you…" a hesitating Gabriella said.
"Hey…there is no need to say thanks. I'd do it over and over again, seriously. And you don't need to worry about "with or without you", cause I am here, and I am not planning on going anywhere.", he said tightening his arms.
"Promise?" was her muffled response from her position in his shoulder.
"On my life". And with that, they exchanged another good night, Troy kissed her forehead while repeating that he would keep his cell on all night just in case she needed something and he went to his car.
Gabriella watched him go. And once his car was in the road, she locked the door, went to the kitchen, made herself a turkey sandwich, grabbed a glass of water and went to her room, where se ate, put her pyjamas, and let herself slip into unconsciousness…thinking about a certain blue eyed boy who lately was always on her mind.
The next morning came for our girls.
Gabriella sent a SMS to the girls saying about meeting her fifteen minutes before homeroom started at the fire escape to explain them her weird, but at the same time amazing afternoon with Troy. She wanted to share with them her feelings, her internal battle. Maybe they could help her to understand what was happening with her.
One by one, our girls arrived to their secret spot. Nobody but them, even the boys, knew they went there when things became too much for them. After exchanging hugs, Gabriella explained the others everything that was in her mind. To her surprise, each girl directed her eyes to the floor. Taken aback by that, she narrowed her eyes…till the truth fell down in her brain. All of them were thinking the same!!!
"Girls, what is happening here? I mean, they are like our brothers! How come now we are seeing them in that way? Do you reckon we are falling for them?" asked a timid Kelsi.
Sharpay was the first in gave the others an answer. "Well, I've never thought about Zeke in a romantic way, and I think that I am still not thinking about him in that way, but what I think I know is that when he hugged me something inside of me woke up. And when he kissed me in my forehead, I felt like I was home, you know? It's weird…but I'd love to be in his arms forgetting about everything but him. Is that love? I don't think so. Things are so muck fucked up to be able to think properly, I think…but that doesn't mean that we can't enjoy the feeling. Right?". Her last word was more a question for herself. The truth is that every girl was thinking the same so neither of them knew if this was right or wrong.
"Do you reckon would be so bad for them to know that things at East High are not the way they think? I mean, we know they are friends with Jimmy and his crew…but they don't know that those jerks are who hit us. In fact, I suppose, they guess that some cheerleaders insult us…cause people is what says them. They knew nothing about the other day. They only know that something has changed with us, they know us too much so the minimum change is noticed by them…but they can't figure out what has changed.", Taylor asked her friends.
"I don't know. My fear here is another though. I suppose they know things are different from what they live here. I mean, they don't know how is to be bullied and insulted. They know those things happen here, but they don't live them…so I don't know if they would believe in our word, girls. I wouldn't be able a fight with them. Not now, not ever. Though until now things with them were normal only outside school…I don't know, now they are keeping an eye on us in here too…and I am loving the feeling to have someone, outside from you, caring for me here" said Gabi.
"I agree. Though they are not friends-friends with those jerks, the truth is that sometimes they hang out with them. Remember when they asked us to go to see them at the park three or fours Sundays ago, while they were playing against the football team a friendly baseball game? What if we explain them the truth, they go to talk to them and the others convince about how deceitful we are? For sure the football team would be after us again…and this time the beating would be worse. Plus, we wouldn't have them as friends, acquaintances or whatever they are now" explained Sharpay.
Kelsi spoke again. "I feel bad for them though. They are trying to help us, and we are not treating them very well…I mean, we are letting them out of it…while they are not giving up on us. Jason always in sending me SMS asking if I am good, if everything is ok…I don't know, but I think they deserve the truth…or at least, a part of this truth".
"What are you exactly saying Kelsi?" asked a bewildered Taylor.
"What if we explain them that some boys hit us…but we don't say their names?"
"Knowing them, they would be asking their "friends" to keep an eye on us, so the information would arrive to the football team too. And we are in the same spot again", Taylor said.
"Well…" started Gabriella.
"What?" the other three chorused.
"They wouldn't do anything if we ask them not to tell anybody cause we don't want for our bullies to know that we have talked with somebody about that, in fear for another beating or something. Like…we trust in you, but please, don't say anybody…otherwise we would suffer the consequences" was Gabi's proposal.
"And do you really think they wouldn't do anything?" asked Kelsi.
"Well, the most they would do is to keep not only an eye on us but don't leave our side. I mean, probably they would want to be with us during school…but at the same time, we have classes without them, so they know that they can't be with us 24/7. That assure us that yeah, when we are with them we are safe…but it would be moments when they couldn't do anything mostly because they would be in another place…so this way the football team wouldn't be suspicious about us explaining somebody the truth", Gabi developed.
"I agree. I'm sure the boys would listen to us about that…they care for us this much like we've could check these past days", said Taylor.
Suddenly the bell sounded, which made our girls to gather their things and run to homeroom.
Once there, they found the boys all gathered around Chad's desk. Zeke was the first in notice the girls' arrival, so he gave the boys a little signal so they could see them. Once the 4 boys saw the 4 girls smiling, they couldn't help but smile too. The girls exchanged a look, and they knew all of them were thinking the same: "our plan is still on. We'll explain them part of the truth in our secret spot during free period". The boys also were talking with their eyes: "we must talk to them again. During free period we must bring them to our secret spot (rooftop garden)". Our four girls went to Chad's desk and when the 8 teenagers were in front one of another all, at once, said: "We have to talk".
Well, I know this is shorter than the others, but I think that is a good moment to end the chapter. A little cliffy always is good, and this way, I can elaborate a little more that turn of the events in the next chapter. I hope you'll like this chapter…it's hard to explain a story from 8 points of view…and trying to not to be focused only in 2. I know you can think that I am making this story only a troyella story, but I swear that this is not the case. Those 4 couples would appear at some time, but each one of them has its own rhythm, I mean, not all 4 couples would be official at the same time…so bare with me on this please! :)
Review and tell me what you think!! Thank you so so so much for adding this story to you story alert list or even add it to your favourite story list!! Each time I've received one of those mails you make my day, seriously! Thanks!
