A/N: I don't know when I updated last for this but I might turn this to an M rated story because of content. It won't be explicit but to be on the safe side. Tell me what you think. M rated or stay as it is...

Don't own HSM x

Chapter 9 – Could've told me.

Gabriella couldn't believe it. She honestly couldn't. The most popular boy at East High was her boyfriend. And he was perfect. He praised her when she did something he liked – which was pretty much all the time – and made her feel special. He understood that she was still nervous about serious physical contact but she knew that he'd found her weakness – a weakness she hadn't known existed until he found it. If he ran his nose up and down the curve of her neck, she was practically putty in his hands. Of course, she knew he wouldn't use it to his advantage, but she simply accepted anything he put to her whether it was compliments or physical contact.

The week since the school had found out about their relationship had been something she wasn't sure how she felt about. On the one hand, she never wanted to re-live it. But, Troy had been so protective and caring of her that she wanted it to happen again. The reason she never wanted to re-live the week was simple: everyone hated her. It was really only Troy and Taylor who talked to her. Then again, they were pretty much the only people who talked to her to begin with. Troy and Taylor had tried to persuade her that they weren't the only ones who talked to her. They said that Sharpay, Ryan, Kelsi and Martha didn't hate her but she was sceptical. It wasn't like she'd bee their best friend to begin with.

She sighed softly as she turned the page of her text book and continued making notes. She was lying on her stomach on her bed, making notes on the math problems they'd covered that day for Troy – he had been clueless and had begged her to help him. There was a reason she was in some AP classes. She knew he had been paying attention to her, not the teacher, and had, therefore, been clueless by the end of the class. As it was, she was more than willing to help and told him that she simply needed to make simpler notes than what the textbook had – she admitted that the textbook made everything overly complicated.

She heard a knock on her bedroom door and beckoned whoever it was in. She twisted her head and smiled as Troy entered her room. She noted how he left the door open to let her feel comfortable. It was simple but it showed her that he considered her nerves in their relationship. He hadn't been able to hang out straight after school because of basketball practice but he had promised that he'd drop by to see her after dinner.

He shrugged his jacket off and dropped it by her bedside cabinet, followed by his sneakers. She noted how he had obviously showered – she could smell a light hint of cologne and his hair was still slightly damp. He climbed onto her bed, on his stomach and immediately draped an arm over her back, craving her touch. "Hey," he murmured as he kissed her cheek.

"Hey," she whispered, her pencil still scratching speedily on her paper. After finishing the problem she was working on, she set her pencil down and turned to face him, properly greeting him with a light kiss he eagerly responded to. She pulled back with a giggle. "C-Calm down, d-dork. It's only b-been a c-couple of hours."

He pouted. "You're no fun."

She raised her eyebrows and turned the pieces of paper over and shut her textbook. "T-Tell me how t-to use the c-cosine rule to f-find angle a in a triangle."

His face dropped. "I changed my mind. You're the funnest girl in the world."

"Funnest?" She asked slowly. "Yet, y-you're passing Eng-glish."

He smiled at her and turned the pieces of paper over, scanning her work. "Wait, you put every step of the working out down here."

She nodded. "I f-figured that if I-I did that, you could s-see how and why I g-got the answer."

He leaned over and nudged her neck with his nose. "I love you."

She smiled and nodded. "I kn-know, Troy."

He lifted his head and sighed. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I w-will be. Just…" She looked into his eyes and bit her lip.

"What?" he whispered.

"Just st-stay with me. I n-need you." She whimpered.

"Shhh…" He soothed, leaning over so they were closer. He nuzzled his nose into her neck and pressed a light kiss to her skin. "I'm not going anywhere." He lifted his head and smiled slightly. "Chad's not bothering you anymore…right?"

She nodded. "Right."

"See? It'll get better. I promise," he murmured.

"You think so?"

"I know so." He looked deeply into her eyes as he leant forward and pressed his lips firmly to hers. He pulled back slightly, his forehead resting on hers. "You've just got to trust me."

Trust. For the last couple of days, whenever she was worried about school, he'd tell her to trust him. And she did. She trusted him a lot. And he'd told her everything. But, she hadn't. Far from it. She was scared. And confused. If she told him the whole truth, she risked losing him. If she didn't, she'd risk him finding out by himself and then she'd lose him for sure.

She wiggled out of his hold and stood up, walking over to her desk. "I d-do," she whispered.

Troy rolled onto his side and frowned. "Then, why did you just walk away from me?"

She turned to him and licked her lips nervously. "Tr-Troy, you've got t-to underst-stand that I didn't g-grow up like you. I've been th-through a lot and I have b-bad days when everyth-thing gets to me. That's all."

He nodded. "I know." He looked down at all of the papers and sighed. "El?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't want you to be afraid of me. Be weary and unconfident with physical contact, that's fine. But, please don't fear me," he pleaded.

She shook her head and made her way back over to him. She climbed onto the bed and lay down on her side, so she was facing him, and kissed him softly. "I'm n-not afraid of y-you. I'm af-fraid of l-losing you. I-I've already told y-you that I-I need you. But, I'm sc-cared that I-I'll do something wr-wrong or something you d-don't like."

He stroked her cheek gently and locked his eyes on hers. "You really think I'd do that? El, baby, I love you. That's all that matters. If you do something I don't like, it doesn't matter. I'll tell you and then you won't have to risk upsetting me because of it ever again. As for doing things wrong, you are the last person in the world to be afraid of getting something wrong. You're a straight A student and you're so cute and adorable and funny and charming that I wouldn't care. If you do something wrong, it won't be majorly big like I probably would. Please, El? Just…Just live life like you only have one day to live."

She blushed and looked away. "Troy? Y-you keep surprising me. I-In a g-good way. Where d-did you h-hear that?"

"My mom. She was all about living life instead of letting it pass by." He whispered.

She leaned forward and kissed him resolutely on the lips, her fingers trailing up to brush through his hair. She pulled back breathlessly but kissed him again, feeling his arms wrap tightly around her waist. She felt him roll over slightly so that he was lying on his back and she was half lying on top of him. She pulled back and blushed deeply as Troy opened his eyes. "H-Hey."

He looked up at her and stroked her cheek. "Are you feeling better?"

She nodded softly. "Yeah. I am. I'm g-glad I h-have you."

* * *

"So, how are you and Troy?" Taylor asked as she and Gabriella sat down at an empty lunch table.

"We're g-good," she whispered.

"Really? I'm so happy for you guys," she gushed, picking up her apple.

Gabriella shrugged and pushed her chilli fries around her tray.

"Gabs? What's wrong?" Taylor asked worriedly.

She shook her head. "I-It's nothing."

"Well, it's obviously something." Taylor exclaimed. "Please?"

Gabriella sighed. "Sh-Should I t-tell Troy about why I-I'm here."

"What? You mean, like, what happened to you as a kid?" Taylor asked.

"Exactly." Gabriella whispered.

Taylor shrugged. "It's up to you. Troy knows you've been through a lot and he's patient with you. He won't force you into it and I won't, either. I promise. By the way, where is the lunk-head basketball boy?"

Gabriella giggled. "I'm n-not ent-tirely sure. He m-mentioned Ch-Chad and p-practice."

Taylor rolled her eyes. "Right. So, what are you going to do?"

"I-I was k-kind of hoping y-you would kn-know." Gabriella admitted sheepishly.

"Gabs, I still don't know what you've been through so I don't know how bad it is. But, it's still not my choice. And, I don't what I'd do if I was you because I've never been through anything which could compare to you." Taylor said softly.

Gabriella nodded. "I-It's my ch-choice?"

Taylor wrapped an arm around her and squeezed her. "Whatever happens, I'm here. And, if Troy does anything to hurt you, he has me to deal with and Shar and everyone else following me, too."

The young Spanish girl giggled weakly and nodded. "I just f-feel l-like I owe him s-so much. H-He gave up h-his friends f-for me and wh-what have I g-given him?"

"He told me the answer to that question and you already know it." Taylor said softly.

"Wh-What?" Gabriella asked in confusion.

"He found you. Before you, he was just a typical jock that really just got by in school, hung out with his friends and played basketball. And did theatre but anyway… And then you came along and he had something to work for. He loves you. He wants to protect you and please you and make you happy. That's what you've given him. He's told you about his mom. You've given him his life back." Taylor exclaimed quietly.

Gabriella sighed. "But, st-till. I d-don't know wh-what to do."

Taylor bit into her apple as she thought about it. "I think you should talk to him and ask him what he thinks of it."

Gabriella nodded and got to her feet. "Th-Thanks Tay. I-I'll see y-you later."

"You're going now? What about his practice?" She exclaimed.

Gabriella nodded as she picked up her tray. "If I-I don't d-do this n-now, I don't kn-know when I w-will." She walked away with her tray, dumping her trash into the can. She walked briskly down the corridor, feeling exposed to some degree without either Troy or Taylor by her side. Her boyfriend and best friend had become a sense of comfort for her. Wherever she was, they were.

She shook the thoughts from her head and walked through the doors to the gym. She quietly made her way towards Jack and smiled up at him. "Hi, C-Coach Bolt-ton."

"Gabriella." He exclaimed happily, his gaze moving from the team to the small girl beside him.

"Gabriella." A voice yelled excitedly.

Gabriella turned her head and saw Troy standing in centre court, waving at her. She waved back. "Hey, Tr-Troy."

Jack chuckled. "Bolton, get'cha head in the game."

"Sorry, Dad." Troy easily caught the ball which Chad had just passed to him but Gabriella could visibly see the anger behind the pass.

"Uh, C-Coach, could I-I mayb-be talk to Tr-Troy for a c-couple of minutes, pl-lease?" She asked nervously, fiddling with her hands.

"But, Gabriella-" Jack started.

Troy jogged over and grabbed his water bottle. He saw Gabriella's unease and placed his free hand on the small of her back. "What's up?"

"Troy, what are you doing out of the game?" Jack exclaimed.

"Dad, let me talk to Gabriella. Please?" He took a swig of his water and sighed. "Dad, I'll make up for it after school, I promise."

Jack ruffled his son's hair. "Go on, then. And don't worry about tonight. Just try not to let it happen again."

Troy grinned and hugged Jack. He knew that Jack couldn't really say no. It wasn't that Troy was his son; it's that when Jack had been on the basketball team in high school, Lucille had interrupted the practices, too.

Troy took Gabriella's hand and led her out of the gym and down the corridors, making their way up the familiar staircase and they made themselves comfortable on the bench. Troy had his arms around her and she had her hand on his thigh. "So, what's this about?"

Gabriella inhaled deeply. "Troy, I-I want y-you to be hon-nest with me."

He nodded seriously, looking her in the eyes. "I wouldn't ever lie to you."

"I know," she whispered. She took a deep breath. "D-Do you want t-to kn-know about my p-past?" she asked quietly.

Troy nodded. "I do. But, I don't want you to tell me if you don't want me to know. It's none of my business. As long as you're happy and safe now then I'm okay with not knowing."

Gabriella furrowed her brow cutely. "I-I can tell you if y-you want."

He pressed his lips to her forehead. "I don't care what's happened to you. Wait, that came out wrong. I meant that I only care that you're alright now. Is that better?"

She giggled and kissed him softly. "Yeah. I just w-want you to kn-know that I'll t-tell you one day. I promise."

He softly caressed her cheek and she leaned into his touch, her eyes locked onto his. "I promise that I'll always be here."

* * *

Maybe she was blowing everything out of proportion. But, she couldn't help but think that Troy deserved to know despite whether she wanted to tell him or not. But, she trusted Troy and knew he wouldn't pressure her into anything despite his desires. She could tell from the way he looked at her that he desired much more than he let on. She wasn't an idiot. He was a teenage boy; of course he'd want to make love to her. But, he hadn't even mentioned it and she respected that.

Anyway, she had been mulling over the decision since she had spoken with Troy at lunch and knew she had to tell him. She just had to take a risk. Ever since she'd come to Albuquerque, she'd taken risks. She had friends and a boyfriend and people who cared about her. She'd never really believed it before but she did now.

She and Troy had decided to go over to the McKessies' so that Gabriella could continue her tutoring of Troy and to spend time together like they did every night. During the beginning, she had felt somewhat guilty that she wasn't studying but now that she was tutoring Troy, she didn't feel guilty anymore.

She pushed the door open, shaking the thoughts from her head. As usual, Troy shut the door behind them and they both slipped their shoes off and set their bags by the door. They made their way into the kitchen to see Harry and Diane sitting at the island with Mrs Thompson. "M-Mrs Thompson!" She exclaimed.

Mrs Thompson looked up from some paper work and smiled brightly at Gabriella. "Hey, Gabby. Who's this?" She asked, gesturing with her pen at Troy.

"Oh, um," she started in embarrassment as she blushed, "th-this is Tr-Troy Bolton, my b-boyfriend. Troy, th-this is Mrs Thomps-son, my social worker."

"Boyfriend?" Mrs Thompson asked in amazement.

Troy nodded. "Yeah. We've been going out for a little over a week, now."

"Well, you must be good for her if she agreed." Mrs Thompson said softly. She looked at her watch and gathered a few papers into her briefcase. "Well, I must go." She got to her feet and smiled at Gabriella. "I'm glad you're settling in, Gabby." She left the McKessie house, leaving only a couple of papers in her wake.

Harry and Diane rose and left the kitchen to go into the living room, leaving Troy and Gabriella alone. "She seems nice." Troy commented softly.

Gabriella nodded as she walked over to a cupboard to take out two glasses, then to the fridge to get some orange juice. "Sh-She is. She's d-done a lot f-for me." She said softly as she poured them a drink each.

He sat down where Diane had sat and smiled. "Well, I could see her shock when you said I'm your boyfriend."

She giggled weakly. "I-I've been living as an i-introvert sing I was s-six years old. I used to st-struggle to trust p-people." She looked at him and sighed. "Then you came along." She walked back over to the fridge, putting the juice away. "D-Do you want s-some snacks?"

"Sure." Troy agreed before something caught his eye. One of Mrs Thompson's papers. He glanced up at Gabriella who was rummaging in the fridge for some snacks. He brought the piece of paper towards him and read the words in front of him. It seemed to be a report, informing Harry and Diane of Gabriella's past foster families, each saying the same: a quiet girl who suffered from trust issues because of her past. At the very bottom, it informed Diane and Harry of what she had been through in her childhood. She had been fostered since she was ten years old. He knew that. Her mom had died when she was four due to illness, he knew that, too. What he didn't know was that another reason for the death of Gabriella's mother was the beating she suffered from her husband.

Husband? Gabriella's father? He continued reading, feeling his heartbeat increase at the words in front of him. His brain didn't register the full sentences, just the words that flashed a red alert in his mind.

Gabriella.

Mother.

Abuse.

Death.

Beatings.

Rape.

He couldn't believe it. His Ella, his sweet, innocent Ella, had been raped. Her own father had taken advantage of her naivety and raped her. It said that the first rape had occurred when she was a little over six years old and it had happened numerous times after that. It informed him that he had always been abusive to Gabriella's mother but had never harmed his daughter. However, after his wife's death, he began drinking and became a severe alcoholic. He began beating Gabriella and a year later, raped her for the first time. It was discovered when she was ten years old by her teacher who reported it to social services. Up until she was fifteen, she had had to visit the hospital regularly to ensure everything was working properly. As it was, he read, it turned out she could never have children because of it.

"What are you reading?" She asked quietly.

He balled his hands into fists. He shut his eyes and kept his head bowed, not knowing how he'd react if he saw her. "You were abused." He whispered lowly.

"What?" She gasped. "H-How?" She whimpered.

He lifted his head and she scurried back at the anger in his eyes. He snatched at report from the counter and waved it about. "Why didn't you tell me? All this time I thought you were suffering from your parents dying. But, no. You were fucking abused and raped as a kid."

Her bottom lip trembled and she slid down until she was sitting on the kitchen floor. "I-I'm s-sorry."

"Sorry? You could've told me." He hissed.

After seven years of bottling everything up, she started to cry as she got to her feet. "I-I said s-sorry." She whispered.

Troy finally registered the fear in her eyes and gasped. "I'm so sorry, baby. Please. I'm sorry. It shocked me. I…"

She sniffed and shook her head. "No." She said determinedly as she brushed past him and ran up the stairs.

"Ella!" He called but heard her bedroom door slam. He slumped against the counter and dropped the report down. He had promised himself not to get angry around her.

He just knew he'd destroyed what confidence she'd gained.