A/N I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!
That weekend Gabriella and Troy were in the kitchen getting everything ready for the sleepover.
"Troy wha-what if you-your fr-friends don-don't li-like me?" Gabriella asked.
"That won't happen. Everyone is going to love you."
"Wha-what if th-they la-laugh at me be-because I ca-can't spe-speak?"
"Your speaking has improved so much. They aren't going to laugh. I explained to them that you're shy and don't talk much."
Gabriella just looked down at her feet.
"Hey come here."
Troy lifted Gabriella and set her on the counter then stood in between her legs.
"Brie look at me."
Gabriella looked up at him.
"I love you. I don't care what anybody will say about you tonight. I will still love you. If something should happen and your start to feel uncomfortable you can come cling to me and I'll protect you ok?"
"Ok. I love you Troy."
"I love you too Gabriella."
Just then the doorbell rang. Troy helped Gabriella down and they went to get the door. Gabriella jumped back when Chad came in very hyper.
"Yo, yo, yo what's up my man?"
"Hey Chad. Come in. This is Gabriella."
Troy said pulling Gabriella protectively into his arms in front of him.
"Oh the hospital chick. Nice to meet you."
Gabriella turned and buried her face in Troy's chest and whimpered softly.
"Chad she isn't just the hospital chick. She is also my girlfriend now so be nice to her." Troy growled.
"Girlfriend? Since when?"
"Since this week. Like I said on the phone she is shy and scares easily just be calm."
"Sorry. Hi Gabriella. I'm Chad and this…" Chad said pointing to his hair "…is Sally."
Gabriella turned around and gave a small giggle.
"It's ni-nice to me-meet you."
"So you want to play basketball with us?"
"Actually Chad, I need to tell you something important. I'd rather do it before anyone else shows up because you're my best friend…my brother and I'll need you to have my back when I tell the others."
"What's up man?"
"I've been lying to you Chad, for years."
"What?"
Troy took a deep breath and let it out. "My mom didn't just leave on a business trip. She left for good. I was too scared to tell anyone because I was trying to save myself from the pain that I knew I'd feel. So I lied to you and I lied to myself. I'm sorry and I understand if you never want to talk to me again."
"I'm mad Troy but not because you lied. I' mad because you didn't trust me enough to tell me. I'm your best friend your brother. I wouldn't have told anyone I could have helped you through it."
"I'm sorry Chad. Both my father and I were so scared and hurt that we just lied about. I'm not blaming my dad I'm just letting you know. I'm sorry Chad. I'm so sorry."
"I should be the one who is sorry. I should have known something was wrong. I'm sorry I wasn't here for you."
"Brother?"
"Brothers."
Gabriella pulled away from Troy and let the two "brothers" share a hug. Then they pulled away and Gabriella moved back into Troy's arms.
"I'll help you tell the others. Until then let's play some b-ball."
They three of them went outside and played a quick game. Gabriella won. Both Troy and Chad were shocked.
"Troy have you been training her?"
"No this is the first time I've seen her play. Wow Gabriella."
"Where did you learn to play like that?
"y ad…."
Gabriella mumbled softly looking down.
"What?"
"Her dad. He died in a house fire when Gabriella was 11."
"I'm sorry Gabriella. I didn't mean to upset you." Chad said.
"It's ok."
Troy took Gabriella back into his arms. Gabriella laid her head on his shoulder.
"You ok sweetie?"
"I'm hot. Can we go inside?"
"Sure baby."
Troy was a little worried as to why Gabriella didn't speak. They three of them went inside and drank some water. Then the others showed up. Troy introduced Gabriella to everyone and soon they were all seated in a circle in the living room. Gabriella sat in between Troy's legs.
"Guys look I…I need to tell you all something…"
Troy was scared. He wasn't so sure this was a good idea anymore. What if one of them got mad and lashed out? Gabriella would get scared. She already stopped speaking.
"What Troy has to say is hard for him because he's been hiding this for a long time. He needs you to just listen to what he has to say and not speak until he is done." Chad explained.
Everyone nodded.
"My mom didn't just leave on a business trip. She left for good. I was too scared to tell anyone because I was trying to save myself from the pain that I knew I'd feel. So I lied to you guys and I lied to myself. I'm sorry and I understand if you never want to talk to me again."
"Bro that's rough. I'm sorry man. I forgive you." Zeke said.
"I forgive you." Jason said.
"You should have told us so we could help you. I understand through why you did it and I forgive you." Taylor sighed.
"You've been like my big brother since we met. I forgive you. I'm sorry and if you ever need anyone I'm here." Kelsi said giving him a small smile.
In the end all his friends forgave him which made Troy smile.
"Thanks you guys. It really means a lot. Now we can have some fun."
"Wait, about Gabriella? What's her story?" Chad asked.
Troy looked down at Gabriella who looked back at him. She gave a small shrug.
"I will only tell if you want me to."
"If you trusts them I trust them. Just give them the short story I don't want to hear all the details."
"Ok guys I'll tell you but no one outside our group can know."
Everyone nodded.
"Gabriella lost both her parents in tragic accidents and then her only nice foster parents died in a car crash. The others were abusive. When she turned eighteen she was sent to the hospital that I visit to get help. They couldn't help her and I could so my dad and I took her in."
Everyone was quiet. No one knew what to say.
"Now that everyone's questions are answered let's have some fun." Troy said.
"TICKLE FIGHT!" Chad yelled.
Gabriella watched as Chad grabbed Taylor and pinned her down to the floor and started to tickle her. Taylor screamed in laugher. She fought back and tickled Chad. He burst into laughter.
"Will you two stop it you're acting like children." Kelsi said.
Both Taylor and Chad stopped. They looked at Kelsi than each other. Chad grabbed Kelsi and held her arms up, Taylor came and tickled her. Kelsi screamed.
Gabriella watched as Kelsi struggled to get free and failed. She whimpered and buried her face in Troy's next.
"What is it baby girl?" Troy wondered.
Gabriella looked up. "I-I-I don-don-don…." Gabriella was getting so uncomfortable she couldn't speak.
"Shhh sweetie, it's ok. Just calm down. Come on talk to me what's wrong?"
"I don-don't…don't wan-want t-to be tick-tickled li-like tha-that."
"Aww sweetie you don't have to. Chad is just crazy. I won't let him do anything that makes you uncomfortable."
"TROY! HELP!" Kelsi screamed.
Troy looked at Kelsi and noticed everyone had joined in and helped tickle her.
"Ok guys that's enough."
Chad stopped and looked at Gabriella. "You're turn."
She whimpered and clung to Troy.
"Nope. Only I get to tickle her. Plus my dad might be trying to sleep so we can't scream anymore."
Troy lightly tickled Gabriella's stomach making her giggle.
"I'll go get a movie." Chad said. He ran to Troy's room.
"Troy sto-stop, sto-stop it."
Troy stopped and Gabriella got up.
"Where are you going?"
"Bath-bathroom."
Gabriella left to use the bathroom just as Chad came back with a disk in his hand.
"What did you pick?" Troy asked.
"You'll see."
Chad smirked and put the disk into the player. Everyone was confused when on the screen appeared a young women and a child sitting on a couch. The mother was tickling the young child and she was giggling.
"Troy I didn't know you had a sister and your mom looks different than I remember." Chad said.
"I don't have a sister and that isn't my mom." Troy said. "Where did you find this?"
"It was on the desk in your room. I thought it was a home movie."
"It is but it isn't of me."
"Then who…"
Before Chad could finish they heard a gasp. Gabriella had walked in. She took one look and froze. It was her and her mother. She couldn't move, she couldn't even breathe.
"Mom…"
(On screen/regular)
The scene changed to little Gabriella on the beach. She was standing near the edge of the water screaming on top of her lungs.
"MOMMY! MOMMY!"
Gabriella started shaking. She couldn't turn away. Troy grabbed the remote and turned it off. Gabriella grabbed it and turned it back on.
"MOMMY! MOMMY! MOMMY!"
Just then a male version of Gabriella came over.
"Baby what happen to mommy where she is?"
"Daddy the shark. The shark got mommy! THE SHARK GOT MOMMY!"
"Shhhhh baby."
Greg Montez waited in hopes of his wife coming back but she never did. He picked up Gabriella.
"Come on. We need to go home."
"NO! NO! MOMMY! MOMMY! NO!"
Gabriella was hysterical. Troy tried everything but Gabriella wouldn't let him turn it off. Her whole body was shaking. Her heart was pounding and she couldn't breathe.
The screen then changed to what looked like a kitchen. Then as the person moved into the living room an 11 year old Gabriella sat sitting on the couch reading.
"There is my darling daughter reading again."
Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Dad stop. I'm reading." Gabriella held the book up in front of her face.
"I can see my daughter is being shy. I guess there is only one way to get her over it."
Then you saw a long arm reach out and start to tickle Gabriella. She shrieked and dropped her book bursting into giggles.
"Stop dad! Stop!"
"Nope. Not until you say the magic words."
"No!"
"Fine then I will continue."
"No! AHHHH"
Gabriella continued to giggle and squirm as her father tickled her. You could hear her father laughing in the background.
"OK! OK! Dad you are the world's best dad!"
Finally the tickling stopped but then the smoke alarm went off.
"What the…."
The camera turned to the kitchen which was on fire. You heard Greg curse then the screen went black.
"NO! DAD! DADDY! DADDY! COME BACK! COME BACK DADDY COME BACK!" Gabriella screamed at the tv.
Troy pulled her into him and turned her away from the tv. She buried her face in Troy's chest and started to cry.
"Come back. Mommy daddy come back! COME BACK!"
"Shhhhh it's over baby. It's over Shhhhhhhhh." Troy soothed.
Gabriella cried for a good half hour before she finally started to calm down. Once she calmed back down she clung to Troy as tight as she could.
"I'm so, so, so, so, sorry. I had no idea that was on there I swear." Chad said.
"It's not your fault Chad." Troy said.
"Who on earth would keep a video of that?" Taylor asked.
"No one would keep that. I can think of one person who would make a video like this." Troy sighed.
"Who?"
"Dr. Anderson. He used to torture Gabriella I wouldn't be surprised if he created this video just because he thought it would help Gabriella heal."
"That is sick." Chad said.
"That's why I took Gabriella out of there."
"Is she ok?"
"She'll be fine. Extremely clingy but she will be ok."
Gabriella whimpered. "Troy I need it."
Troy knew what she was talking about. He went right to his room and grabbed Gabriella baby blanket and teddy bear and gave them to her. She clutched them tightly like a life line. Troy lifted her back up and she wrapped her legs around his waist and one arm around his neck while the other one held her blanket and bear. Troy walked back out to the others. He saw the others looked at Gabriella's things. "Not a word." He mouthed to them. They all settled down and just talked. Gabriella ended up falling asleep on Troy. He was happy everything turned out all right. Now all that was left was to help Gabriella over her fears.
A/N next chapter Troy starts to help Gabriella overcome some of her fear. Can he do it? Read to find out.
