Troy walked into the kitchen and flopped onto the bar stool with a pained sigh.
"What's the matter sweetheart?" Ann asked as she sat next to him.
"Mom, you remember Gabriella Montez?" He asked looking up at her, she nodded.
"Of course, that gorgeous brunette girl from the Christmas pageant." She replied tilting her head slightly.
"Yeah her, well I think she's in trouble a lot of trouble. She means so much to me mom and I don't know how to tell her, we're supposed to hate each other." He sighed and she patted his back.
"Why are you supposed to do that?" She asked softly.
"I dunno, we just do and now I'm stuck in this loop of being the bad guy and I don't wanna be mom. I want to help her and hold her; I want to be the good guy." He sighed dropping his head onto her shoulder.
"You are the good guy Troy, just show her who you really are. Now what's this about trouble?" She asked.
"I can't tell you mom but she gets hurt." He whispered.
"Hurt? Physically? Troy I think you should tell me." She instructed but he shook his head.
"I can't mom not until she trusts me." He sighed and she nodded.
"Very well, you get the girl to trust you then I'll take care of her. She must be going through a lot after losing Joyce two years ago, she was such a lovely woman." Ann muttered and Troy nodded. "Good, now off to bed you've got school in the morning." She told him and propelled him towards the door with a gentle push.
Gabriella was stood piling her books into her bag when Troy appeared holding a book towards her.
"What's this?" She asked accepting the gift. He was pleased to see she wasn't wearing the hat but had an awful lot of foundation on to cover up the bruise.
"A present, it's about a girl who's supposed to kill demons and she's super strong and talented anyway she falls in love with her enemy and proves that it's what's in the heart that matters." He told her and she smiled while reading the back. "Thought you might like it." He shrugged.
"Thanks Troy, I love it!" She beamed and he grinned at her as she put it into her bag.
"Where's your first class?" He asked blushing slightly she raised an eyebrow.
"You know that Troy." She grinned and he shrugged, gently he wrapped his hand around hers. She stared at them for a moment before looking up into his eyes and moving slightly closer a sense of safety overwhelming her. Troy walked her to English in silence and when they reached the door they ended up facing each other.
Gabriella stared at him for a long moment then smiled dropped his hand as she pushed the door to English open and disappeared.
Troy practically skipped to shop.
Lunch rolled around slower than Gabriella ever remembered, she walked into the lunch hall pulling down the sleeves of her hoddy. She grabbed a bright red plastic tray and began to fill it with food.
A black clad arm appeared from over her shoulder and grabbed a large bowl of chilli putting it onto her tray. She turned to see Troy and smiled slightly he picked up her tray with one hand and took her hand with the other. He led her to the middle of the hall then she stopped suddenly.
"What's wrong?" He asked turning to face her she stared at the table Troy always sat at and shook her head. There were too many people sat there, too many people to notice her.
"You don't wanna sit there?" He asked and she sighed.
"Give me my food Troy." She ordered and he shook his head letting go of her hand to grip the tray with both hands.
"Shant." He grinned and she rolled her eyes.
"Troy I can eat by myself." She insisted, he looked around and realised everyone was watching them.
"Or you can eat with me." He suggested and she sighed snatching her food off the tray and walking away. Troy watched her longingly then turned and sat at the table so he could still see her.
Troy had a double free that afternoon so he wondered down the hall and knocked on the door to Miss Carla's art room.
"Come in!" She called and Troy swung the door open. Everyone looked up at him and all the girls blushed and flicked their hair the boys grinning and nodding in his direction. The only one he saw was Gabriella, she had a soft smile on her face but she'd returned her gaze to her painting. "Troy darling what can I do for you?" Miss Carla beamed and Troy smiled back at her.
"I was wondering if you had room for me miss I've got free periods and I've always liked watching people paint." Troy shrugged and Miss Carla beamed.
"Absolutely darling, grab a stool and sit anywhere you'd like." She nodded and Troy beamed at her before turning to face the class. Sharpay was trying to get his attention but he ignored her, Jason hailed him but he blanked him as well. He grabbed a plastic grey stool and dragged it across the room to the only person not staring at him.
"What are you doing here Troy?" Gabriella sighed and he sat down next to her but Troy didn't reply he was staring at her painting. He looked from it to her and back again. "What?" She asked eventually, waving her paintbrush around.
Troy looked back at the painting; two large blue eyes stared back at him the beginning of a nose disappearing of the edge of the page and the hair line to sandy blonde hair disappearing the other end, the right eyebrow had a cross shaped scar swiped across the corner.
"That's me." He told her pointing to it. She frowned and looked at the painting then her head shot back to him.
"I didn't mean to... it just happened." She blushed back Troy was staring at her awe struck.
"You drew me." He whispered.
"Yeah I guess I did." She nodded blushing deeply. Troy looked around the room and saw other drawing's of grandparents, churches, houses but no more people like him.
"Why?" He asked after a moment. Gabriella took a long breath and ducked her head then slowly brought her gaze back up to his.
"We were told to draw where we felt most at home." She whispered and Troy stared at her for a moment.
"You feel at home with me?" He asked gently and she nodded.
"You make me feel important, like I'm not disgusting or..." She trailed off as glistening tears filled her eyes. Troy lifted a hand and stroked her cheek; he didn't notice the people watching at that moment the only one that mattered was this perfect goddess in front of him. Gabriella leant into his touch and closed her eyes, Troy lent forwards and pressed his lips to her other cheek. She didn't protest in fact her lips curved into a gentle smile. Slowly Troy pulled back and replaced his mouth with his other hand so he was cupping her face.
She opened her eyes to look at him and his piercing blue eyes seemed to reach down to her soul.
"I'm going to kiss you." He whispered and her eyes widened but she didn't pull back. Slowly Troy lent forwards until his lips met hers and she let out a sigh. Tentatively he swept his tongue across her bottom lip and they parted granting his access. It was the sweetest kiss he'd ever had and it took all his strength to pull away.
"That's why I drew you." She whispered and he beamed at her kissing the tip of her nose before releasing her face and leaning back against the table. He looked around the room and winked and everyone watching them.
Art flew by in a blur for Gabriella, Troy didn't kiss her again but most of the time he was touching her in some way. When the final bell rang Troy jumped to his feet taking her with him.
"Troy stop!" She hissed as they reached the corridor. Troy turned to face her and the look of horror that was evident on her face made him stop.
"What's wrong?" He whispered and she shook her head.
"I can't go home with you if he sees..." She trailed off leaving the sentence hanging in the air. Troy looked at her for a long moment then stepped slightly closer only to have her drop his hand and back away. "No Troy." She whispered then took off her feet hitting the floor hard as she sprinted away from him. He didn't chase her just watched as she ran away from him.
Gabriella quietly shut the large white door to her house and padded across the wooden floor.
"Gabriella!" Her dad called out and she froze squeezing her eyes shut.
"Yes daddy?" She asked straitening up but not turning to face him.
"Never mind." He dismissed and she let out a sigh of relief running up the stairs to her room. She collapsed onto the bed and took in a shaky breath, Friday, today meant mo school for two days, today was the last day she had of freedom she had to spend the next to trapped in this house with her father.
She absently wondered what Troy was doing...
Troy slammed the front door to his house shut and was greeted by the sight of Ann.
"Sorry mom." He muttered and she sighed.
"What's wrong Troy?" She asked and he frowned turning into the living room and flopping down onto the sofa.
"I'm worried about Gabriella mom, I kissed her today." He explained and his mother joined him on the couch.
"What happened after that?" She asked softly placing a hand on his knee.
"Nothing she smiled at me then nothing, I offered her a lift home and she wouldn't have it." He replied in confusion.
"Sweetheart I think this girl may be working through a lot you're going to have to give her some time." His mother smiled and he shook his head looking up at her with a pained expression.
"I love her mom, I really do I've only ever loved her. I hate not knowing if she's ok or where she is." He whispered and his mother let out a breath of air.
"Oh sweetie I've never seen you so worked up."
"That's because I love her mom!" Troy announced exasperated.
"Why don't you go see her in the morning?" She suggested and Troy sighed, he already wanted to but she'd probably get into trouble for it.
A/N: Please R&R pretty pretty please :) love you all xxxx