!!WARNING!! This chapter has some very strong language so if that isn't something you're comfortable with- don't read it!!

Disclaimer: I do not own High School Musical or anything else besides the plot. Peace out.

Taylor lay on the long window seat in her room in a similar state to Gabriella. The pillow under her head was soaked in tears with little mascara smudges on the white fabric; she cuddled under the large, velour blanket unable to get warm. She hadn't mentioned her and Chad's break up to Gabriella for the sake of her friend's health- she was already way too stressed out. Sharpay was great but Taylor knew she would have completely flipped out and she hadn't wanted to deal with any more hysterics. Since her sister was away at college and her parents weren't exactly objective listeners (against all odds- they absolutely ADORED Chad), she resorted to being alone with her thoughts. She had known, in some distant realm of her mind, their break up was practically imminent, but her mind had forgotten to tell her heart. She couldn't regret the decision that she made because she knew it was right, Chad was definitely in the wrong when he refused to help her the night before. But being right doesn't keep you warm. Taylor hated that she had been forced into the drama of Gabriella and Troy's completely fucked up relationship, she had to fight not to resent Gabriella for all the damage their hatred had caused, but it was a part of her life now and she knew she had to accept it. She remembered clearly the day Gabriella had told her that she and Troy had broken up, Taylor herself felt like she might go into shock. Most high school relationships either end quickly and it doesn't really matter, or they end and then resume with disgusting regularity.

Not Gabriella and Troy. They broke up and it was as though World War III was being fought at East High- it mattered to everyone. Sides were picked, lines were drawn, and even guns were loaded- although 

they were proverbial. Taylor and Chad had fought to remain neutral- they listened to their best friends' rant about each other and they would offer advice. But never would they mention either one to each other, it was an unspoken agreement that neither one was ever to be talked about because it would be far too easy to get into a heated argument. Taylor still spoke to Troy occasionally, though not nearly as much as before. Chad spoke to Gabriella a bit more often because they had several classes together, but they weren't as close as they had been. Throughout Gabriella and Troy's ten month relationship the foursome had become very tight and it was hard to fall away from those habits. Yet fall away they must. The cafeteria was a red zone for Gabriella. If she went in there -all talking would cease and every eye would be upon her. She generally sought solace in the music rehearsal rooms where Taylor, Sharpay and Kelsi would join her for lunch and free periods. It was the only place where she was out of Troy's reach, except for all female bathrooms of course. There was no red zone for Troy- he had complete control over everything. The school was his domain. He held all the weapons, too and he would fire them mercilessly whenever he felt it was necessary. Pushing or shoving whoever might be unfortunate enough to be in his way was not below Troy Bolton and his temper was incredibly sensitive to any kind of provocation.

Taylor could understand his actions, she didn't agree with them, but she knew where he was coming from. She also knew that he had begun to take things way too far and she felt no fear from him. She stood up to him because she knew it was right. Their friendship was strained and it upset her to a certain extent, but Gabriella was the best friend she'd ever had and she wasn't going to let him treat her like that. Taylor thought back to the ex-couple's first public confrontation, the day after they'd broken up, a day that would be burned in her memory forever.

FLASHBACK

Troy Bolton was standing at his locker; it was a Monday morning which made things automatically shitty in his opinion. The fact that it was the day after he and Gabriella had broken just made it that much worse. He slammed his books into his locker with a loud bang, startling the girl two spaces over. He didn't even apologize when she shrieked and jumped in fright.

Chad walked up next to him, opening his own locker, and looked at him curiously. "Dude, why are you in such a piss poor mood? I know its Monday but lighten up! Was Gabs not givin' it up this weekend?"

The hair on the back of Chad's neck stood up as Troy's eyes rose slowly from the inside of his locker to his best friend's face. "Don't you ever fucking mention that cunt to me again."

"Holy shit, man! What happened?"

"If I wanted to tell you, I would have already." It was only the first of many hurtful things Troy would say to Chad over the next few months. Chad somehow managed to brush off the first few knowing Troy was devastated.

"Okay, man, have it your way. I'm going to class." Troy didn't say a word as his best friend walked away.

Gabriella was on the other side of the school getting off the bus. She had received several curious stares from the other students who were wondering why she wasn't riding with Troy to school the way she had been all year. She ignored them and took a seat by herself, keeping her head down for the entire ride. Homeroom started about ten minutes after the time the bus dropped everyone off, so Gabriella had to hurry to get to her locker before the bell rang. The bus was running a few minutes late that day, of 

course, so Gabriella turned the corner into the hallway where her locker was located just as Troy was walking past to get to homeroom.

Without looking to see who she had run into, Gabriella apologized and tried to pass the person by. The owner of the hard, muscular chest she had hit had a different idea. He stepped to the side in the same direction Gabriella did and grabbed her arms. She finally looked up, slowly realizing just who she had collided with.

The goose bumps erupting all over Gabriella's body and her bloodshot eyes went unnoticed by Troy as he leaned his face in close to hers.

"You fucking whore," Troy growled in an unrecognizable voice, "what the fuck do you think you are doing? Did I not tell you that I never want to look at you again? Didn't you hear me when I said I hate you so much that if you ever fucking touched me again I would make you wish you had never even heard of Albuquerque? You must have thought I was kidding! I wasn't!" With that Troy heaved Gabriella's tiny body into the nearest bank of lockers, almost lifting her off of her feet. "You are such a fucking slut! Don't ever fucking touch me again! Do you hear me? Is there any other way I can get it through your fucking thick-ass skull?"

As Troy's rage continued, seemingly unending, Gabriella slowly slid to the floor, still leaning against the lockers she had just been thrown into. Tears ran unchecked down her face as the student body crowded into the hallway to watch their formerly beloved 'dream couple' come apart at the seams.

Troy turned and pushed his way through the students that had gathered as teachers began to poke their heads out their classroom doors, drawn by the shouting. One teacher noticed Gabriella lying like a rag doll on the floor against the lockers, sobs shaking her body. But seeing that Troy Bolton was involved, they only shook their head in pity for the poor girl and turned back into their classroom. The gawkers 

still surrounding Gabriella disbursed quickly as the warning bell rang for homeroom. So there she remained, lying utterly defeated where she fell. It was in that same position that Taylor found her as she rushed by, uncharacteristically late. Already alarmed at seeing someone on the floor, Taylor went into an absolute panic when she realized it was Gabriella. She had given her the shirt she was wearing for her birthday.

"GABS!" Her screams echoed through the hallway as she threw herself to floor, kneeling by her devastated best friend. Gabriella's eyes opened slowly and Taylor helped her to sit up straight as questions flew out of her mouth.

"What the hell is going on, Gabs? Why are you lying on the floor? Why are there red marks on your arms? Taylor was becoming more distressed by the minute at seeing her friend in so much pain.

"Oh, god, Tay. I've ruined everything. It's entirely my fault. I really screwed up and now I'm all alone." Gabriella cried as Taylor brushed her damp hair off her pale face.

"What do you mean? What happened? Who did this to you?"

"Troy…"

"WHAT?!"

"I can't tell you," Gabriella whispered brokenly. "You'll hate me, too."

"Oh, Gabs! You know that's not true. You can tell me anything."

"I don't know, Tay…" Gabriella stopped speaking as Taylor grabbed her hand to pull her to her feet.

"You don't have to tell me now, Gabs, but we need to get you out of here. Let's go."



Gabriella was shocked as Taylor led her by the hand towards the doors that opened to the parking lot where all the students parked their cars. "Taylor, are you about to skip school? You can go to class now, I'll just call my mom or walk home."

"Gabriella Marie, you live 15 minutes away, you are not walking home! It's fine, it's only one time." Taylor voice didn't carry the confidence of her words but she kept walking out the double doors without looking back. Just as they got into Taylor's car, they heard screaming from across the lot.

"GIRLS- WAIT!!"

Gabriella looked at Taylor, startled out of her misery, "Holy crap, is that Shar?"

Sharpay finally reached the car, breathless. "I…I saw you walking by and I asked for a hall pass. I had to come find you, I heard about what happened, Gabs. Where are you going? I'll come with you!"

When Gabriella was finally able to get a word in she said, "Its okay, Shar. Taylor is going to take me home, there's no way I can go through the day like this. I don't want you to get in trouble for leaving, Taylor and I never even made it to class."

"Are you kidding me? Me in trouble? That's impossible! Who would they call for donations the next time they want a new library? It'll be fine, let's go," Sharpay said, climbing into the backseat.

END OF FLASHBACK

The image of Gabriella's haunted eyes in her pale face would never leave Taylor's mind, she felt scarred by it. As Gabs had told her secrets that day, Sharpay and Taylor had cried with her and offered what support they could. They knew though that no words would help, how do you survive two tragic events- one right after the other? Not by listening to comforting words and cliché platitudes, it would take time. 

It was incredible to Taylor that her very closest friend had been going through so much and she hadn't even realized it, Gabs was a better actress than they all thought. And she knew Shar was just as shocked, she hadn't thought the blond girl would ever stop shaking her head in disbelief. Taylor couldn't wrap her mind around the idea that not only did she not see the change in Gabriella, but she hadn't felt it. They were closer than some people were to their own siblings; she was surprised that she hadn't had any empathy pains or whatever it was that identical twins felt when the other was in trouble. Being angry at Gabriella was impossible, not for this. Understanding Troy's anger wasn't difficult, he definitely had every right to be angry. But understanding Gabriella was not out of the realm of possibility either, she did what she had to do. Taylor had no regrets about the past few months, shit happens. She wouldn't change any actions she had taken because she never made one without considering the consequences. But when Chad's number showed on the caller ID of her cell phone for the fifth time in 20 minutes, the accompanying picture taken only days ago of them kissing underneath some mistletoe, Taylor found it very hard not to pick up and ask if they could start over.

Three streets north from where Taylor reclined on her window seat, Chad was launching a basketball repeatedly at the goal without even trying to make a shot. He so desperately wanted to take his aggressing out on something- ANYTHING- that he had resorted to just throwing the ball as hard as he could trying to hit everything in sight. He knew why Troy was mad at Gabriella, he was one of the few 

people who did, and he figured that Troy had every right to feel the way he did. But it was hard to watch him torment a girl that meant so much to Taylor, and even to himself. He, too, had gotten to know Gabriella over the past year and he thought she was a great girl. Looking back on the night before made him sick, he tried to tell himself it was just the alcohol so he could relieve some of the guilt, but he knew it wasn't. Cowardice is what it came down to; he should've told Troy to 'fuck off' and helped the love of his life take care of their close friend. The cold of the outside air didn't do a damn thing to quell his fury as he thought about his life without Taylor. The fact that just one short year ago he had thought she was a 'freaky math girl' was long forgotten. So much had happened since those days, he had never been happier than when he was with her. She was beautiful. She was intelligent. She was sweet. She was everything he'd never realized he wanted. And unfortunately, she was right.

A/N: WHOA! That was intense, I know. I hope you loved it though! That really is the last one for a few days! Haha If you've figured out what Gabriella did- don't say it in a review!! I want it to be a surprise. Thanks for reading and make sure you review!