Disclaimer- I don't own anything, not a single thing, not a thing can be connected to me…how sad.

Chapter 10

"Footloose, Footloose kick off your Sunday shoes," Gabriella sang to the music playing on her T.V. Troy couldn't help but grin from where he sat next to her on her bed. It was 2 in the morning and they were watching the movie Footloose on the lowest volume possible so Luke didn't wake up Troy had come over at about 1:30 A.M. when his parents had started fighting. The fights were now starting to escalate it seemed like each one was louder than the last with more and more damage being caused to their house. So he had gone to his sanctuary, Gabriella's room. She had been asleep but when he had gotten into the bed next to her and when neither could fall asleep turned on the movie. After the movie finished around 3 something they both got up and went to the balcony and sat their legs dangling in between the fencing (not sure what the thing around a balcony is called.) Gabriella sat with her head on his shoulder.

"It's getting worse isn't it," she said softly.

"Yep," he responded in that quick way that can quickly annoy people.

"Longer, too," she said.

"Yep," he said in the same way.

"More violent," she said.

"Yep," he said this time responding slower and she sighed. They both knew what happened behind the Bolton's closed doors where Mrs. Bolton's bruises came from but she would never admit they were from her husband.

"Troy?" she said.

"Yep," he answered.

"I'm scared for you," she said removing her head from his shoulder looking at him.

"Don't be. I'll be fine," he said not looking at her even though he knew she wanted him, too.

"Troy what if something happens and he gets out of control," she said when he interrupted.

"No okay he would never hurt me even he draws a line," Troy said standing up angrily at Gabriella for bringing up something he had tried so hard to get away from.

"Troy there is no line if he ever had one he crossed it a long and is know stomping on the other side. I mean why are you defending him don't you see what he is doing to you, what he is doing to your mother," she said standing up, too.

"You think I don't see," Troy said.

"No I think you just like to pretend it isn't happening," Gabi said.

"What do you want me to do," he whisper shouted.

"Tell someone what's going on so they can stop it," she said.

"I told someone…I told you and do you think I honestly haven't tried to stop it because I have and it only makes it worse," he said.

"Troy-," she started.

"No okay I knew I shouldn't have said anything to you," he said turning around to leave.

"Troy please don't go," Gabriella said holding onto his arm with her hand which he shook off. He wordlessly climbed down the balcony and went to his house using the back door. Gabriella watched him feeling tears welling up in her eyes.

GABITROYGABITROYGABITROYGABITROYGABITROYGABITROYGABI

For a week Troy ignored Gabriella. School was two weeks away and Gabriella was getting nervous but she was more worried about Troy. The fights were starting to get more frequent even occurring during the day. Gabriella was sitting in her back door the door open her legs on the porch so she was half out the house half in. She was listening to a fight occurring next door. This was on of the loudest and longest fights and Gabriella didn't understand why no one of on the block called the police. She was worried because she knew Troy was home. Luke was in the kitchen making lunch which was unusual but nice at the same time. She had a feeling that he was worried about the fighting next door, too.

"Gabi, why don't you stop being nosy and come inside," Luke said.

"I'm not being nosy...it's just I'm worried I mean Troy's home what if something happens to him," she said.

"Troy will be okay he's not stupid," Luke said but Gabi could tell he was worried. Gabi stayed sitting there her head leaning against the door frame. Luke came over to her and bent down next to her and handed her a plate of food.

"Gabi if Troy wants help he'll ask for it and you need to stop worrying about it. Troy's going to be okay he's a strong guy he can take care of himself," Luke said.

"What if he isn't as strong as he seems? I mean can't you just call the police or talk to Mrs. Bolton convince her to go to the police," she said playing with her ham sandwich.

"I have spoken to Cathy and she doesn't want to do that," Luke said.

"But doesn't she see what this to Troy," she said mad.

"Gabriella this is none of our business," Luke said.

"But-," Gabriella said.

"But nothing I'm going upstairs eat something," Luke said. Gabriella watched him go upstairs and played with her food some more until she heard a shout and glass breaking her eyes widened it was Troy's voice and she heard his dad yell back and Troy's mom cry out. She started to stand up plate in her hand knuckles turning white from holding it so tightly. The next thing she heard made her drop the plate. It was Troy yelling and then the loudest sound of breaking glass she had ever heard. She ran from the porch to the front going around the fence and running to the Bolton's back porch. When she got to the porch all the color drained form her face. Troy was lying on the porch surrounded by glass. As she looked at their door and realized that he had fallen or been pushed through it. His face was white and he was obviously in pain. She ran up to him ignoring the glass.

"Troy what happened," she said.

"Nothing just getting myself into a little trouble you know the usual just hanging around," he said trying to make light the situation but instead of laughing ended up groaning in pain.

"Oh Troy don't worry I'm going to take care of you," she said trying to hold back tears.

"Gabi you should go back I'll be all right," he said as they stood up or rather she stood up and she tried to prop him up.

"No way, I'm staying," she said determined.

"Gabi I'm sorry I yelled at you the other day I know you were only trying to help," Troy said.

"Its okay, don't worry about it," she said trying to help him down the stairs.

"Where's Luke," he asked.

"He was upstairs but don't worry he'll be out here any minute don't you worry," Gabriella said hoping Troy's dad didn't see them or hear them. Unfortunately they weren't that lucky. Next thing they knew there was a roar from the porch and they turned around to see Troy's dad a wild look in his eyes.

"Troy you better get back here. I don't where you think you are going," Jack said breathing heavily.

"No, dad I can't do this anymore I just can't. Look at what you've done to me, look at what you've been doing to mom," Troy said finally standing up to his dad.

"Who do you think you are?" Jack said and before either Gabriella or Troy knew it he was coming down the stairs fists clenched. Before he could reach them a figure had come throwing himself on Jack making both fall on the ground. Troy and Gabriella looked realizing that the person who had intercepted Jack was Luke. Luke drew back his fist and punched Jack square in the face and before he could do more two police officers came around pulling Luke off Jack.

"Come on Troy," Gabriella said. Gabriella helped Troy to walk to her house being his crutch. Soon they were up in her room and she sat him on her bed. She went to her bathroom and got a first aid kit bringing it in her room. She sat next to him and he looked at her.

"So where does it hurt," she asked.

"I think the question is where does it not hurt," Troy said trying to make her laugh but it didn't work.

"Well I think your bottom half is okay seeing as how you are wearing jeans but top half not so much," she said her lips pinched.

"Well Doctor Montez what do you prescribe," he said.

"I think you need to take off your shirt so I can bandage you up your arms and back unless you're going to get infections," she said and he raised his eyebrows but followed what she said to do. When Gabriella saw Troy taker off his shirt she gasped off in amazement and half in shock that he had a huge cut on his back and lots on his arm which could be seen better now. He threw the bloody and ripped shirt on the floor.

"Oh Troy what happened? What has he done to you?" Gabriella said tears coming again this time spilling over and coming down her face. Troy looked at her surprised.

"Gabi it's okay. It's just a scratch," Troy said wiping her tears gently.

"Troy it's not just a scratch but don't worry I've totally got this covered," she said and with that she wiped away the remaining tears and went to work cleaning up the blood all over Troy, putting on ointment and bandages on the cuts. After about 20 minutes she was done and he was clean and bandaged up. She grabbed one of Luke's shirts and gave it to him.

"Well Doc I think you did a really good job," said Troy smiling at her happy to be around her instead of ignoring her like he had been this whole week.

"I've missed you," he said looking into her eyes and taking her hand in his bringing her even closer so they were eye to eye so close Troy could feel her breath against his mouth.

"I've missed you, too," she whispered looking into his blue eyes. He moved even closer until their lips were an inch away and both closed their eyes and leaned forward ready at last for something they had both thought a lot about. They were just about to kiss when.

"Hey," said Luke opening up Gabriella's door causing them to jump apart, Gabriella blushing and Troy looking down.

"You guys okay," Luke said looking from Gabriella to Troy.

"Yeah we were just talking about stuff," Troy said.

"Well sorry to interpret but your mom is going to be in the hospital overnight turns out her arm is broken but I told her you could stay over for the night in the guest room and I figured we could go over at 6 and see her okay," Luke said and Troy nodded. Luke closed the door leaving Troy and Gabi. They looked up at each other then back down at the ground.

"Want to watch a movie I think Footloose is on again," she said and he nodded.

GABITROYGABITROYGABITROYGABITROYGABITROYGABITROYGABI

Later that night Troy was in the guest room and he was going over the day's events in his head. He couldn't believe things had happened the way they had. But the one thing that was torturing him out of everything was the almost kiss. H had been so close to finally kissing her until Luke had come over and interrupted them just like Jamie had. Troy was starting to get really irritated with all these interruptions. He took the pillow from under his head and yelled his frustrations into it.

(A/N you guys are probably doing the same yelling only at me sorry but it's not time yet. So in the next chapter we are skipping a month or so into October where we will see that school has caused Troy to push Gabi away but don't worry she strikes back with a definite boo ya and we meet new characters and bring in some of our favs from High School Musical like Taylor, Chad and others. Please Review and spread some happiness to me and maybe you will get an early update cause I already have the next chapter typed and ready to go it all depends on you my lovely readers. Okay i know i said i was goign to post until i got 7 reviews but i got six and i was proud of that and i ahd a really good week i got my MCAS scores and i got advanced and i am the new president of my school's book club so i am def. having a good week . And if you review it will make it even better so please 10 review this time u guys lets try for that.)