Chapter 9: The Talk:

"Troy..." he said.

I really felt like I was going to snap...i couldn't hold this in anymore...

"You know what...just stop. Stop! Ok! You have a 12 year old daughter! You left only 11 fucking years ago! You cheated on my mother! You go off and make this whole new fucking family and what...forget us! You have 3 boys! Two of them barely rmember you! I meant what I said the other night dad! I want you no where around my son! All you bring is hard feelings! I look at you and ask myself what did I do wrong! And now I see it! We weren't snobby enough for you!" I yelled.

"Now look here! Your not going to talk to me like that!" he yelled back.

"So what I'm supposed to respect you!"

"Yea! Yea you are! Your still my son!"

"No I'm not! Biological sure yea. But in every other way no the hell I'm not!"

"I was there for you as a boy!"

"BOY! You were there when I was a boy! Where were you in high school! Or middle school! Or now! Me and Gabriella are struggling! We are barely making ends meet! But I'm making it work! I'm working my ass off for my son! I'm not going to cheat on her! Have another kid and then skip out!"

"I didn't cheat on your mother! Sadie is adopted! So get your facts straight first! I was over whelmed with you guys! We had you when I was just 17! I was a kid myself when you were born!"

"I'm doing it! Gabriella is only 17! She's missing out on her childhood too!"

"I respect you for that Troy! I'm proud of both of you! You have proved already your a better father than I was to you and your brothers! I admit that! I was a dead beat! I didn't do shit for you! All of this...happened because of Donna!"

"We were fine! You up and left for no reason and no fucking warning!"

"I regret walking out on you guys every day!"

"then where have you been for 11 years!"

"I was embarrassed!"

"that's a piss poor excuse. And your a piss poor excuse as a father!" I said and walked out.

I was beyond pissed right now! Danny caught me coming out.

"Stop troy..."

"No! Danny...please take Gabriella home...i can't...i can't be around her when I'm this pissed!"

"ok" he said. I walked to my car and drove off...i kept driving and driving and driving!

How could he be such an asshole! Ebarressed! I needed to drink or smoke...i needed something! I quit both when Gabriella got pregnant...but you know what...I need it right now...

I called these guys I used to hang out with a lot. Ryan and Jason. I was over there apartment in a few minutes and they were already lit.

"Troy man what it do!" Jason was laughing.

All night I drank a lot and smoked a lot. Gabriella kept calling, so did Chad and Danny and my mom. I didn't answer..i just let all my worries go away. It was wrong...but I felt too good to care...

I woke up in and saw a familiar room...after a few blinks I realized I was in my old room at my moms.

I walked downstairs confused to how I got here.

"Hey sleeping beauty" my mom said sipping her coffee. I could tell she was pissed...

"Gabriella called me last night...saying you left her at your dads, had Danny take her home and you were no where to be found. I talked to Danny and he told me it got heated between you and your dad. I called Chad and asked him to go and pick you up. You were so stoned and so drunk that you didn't even realize where you were!" she was yelling.

I had a headache...and I felt a little sick. But I listened quietly. I don't remember anything after my 8th shot of patron...

"I picked Gabriella up today and took her to school since you weren't there and she had no won else!"

my mom was really pissed off at me...

"I can't believe you Troy! You had Gabriella worried sick! You had me worried sick! You had Chad even worried! You let your father take you to a very dark place! And you did this!" she said. She stopped talking so I guess this was when I was supposed to say sorry.

"i'm sorry..." I said quietly. I may be grown but with my mom yelling at me like this I felt like a little kid again..

Her face softened...

"Troy...I love you to death your my baby! But last night I had no clue who the hell you were! Gabriella is the one you left yesterday...she's going on 8 months pregnant! You really think she needs that kind of stress! What if something happened to you!"

"i know..."

"you don't know Troy. You really don't. I really thought you matured over the past few months, but last night you acted like a high school boy! Not a man with a family!"

I felt like shit now...

"why did you do it?" she asked after a long pause.

"i needed awhile to just...escape" I said. She looked at me with a lot of anger. Then she slapped me.

"I want you to go take a cold shower...and I want you to come right back down here. We're going for a ride" she said. I did as I was told.

I was worried about Gabriella now...when I got out of the shower I looked at my phone.

All these texts from her...

'Troy baby...please come home...'

'are you ok?'

'I'm really worried...'

then I listened to the voice mails...

"Troy...I'm really worried about you...please baby call me back..."

"Baby...Come home..."

she sounded like she was crying...

I walked back downstairs and my mother was ready. We got in her SUV and she drove to the park I used to play basketball at...

"why are we here?"

"remember coming here with your dad..."

"yea"

"i remember you coming home so happy that you got to spend time with him...now think about if something had happened to you...your son would grow up without any memories..."

I thought about a lot what she said...she drove me back to the apartment. Chad must've brought my car back...Gabriella would be home in an hour. I still had to go fight tonight. I should stay home...but I can't face her yet...so I just went to the gym and worked out for a little while. Then later that night...i fought. As I do every fight...i thought about everything I'm angry about. Tonight...i thought about myself and what I did to everyone...also my dad. I knocked the guy out.

"Good job son..." Danny said in my ear. I went home and sat in the parking lot for awhile...i looked at Gabriella through the window. She was pacing probably because the baby was kicking a lot. I must've sat there for at least 20 minutes...after everything that has happened...still when I think about her and my son...i feel calm and like nothing is wrong.

I finally walked in. Gabriella ran into my arms and hugged me.

"Don't ever scare me like that again! Or so help me god! I hit a lot harder than your mother!" she scolded me.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..." I said hugging her. I felt the baby kick. Which made me smile.

"definitely your kick boxer" she said. I laughed and kissed her. No matter what my dad to me in the past...all that matters now is me Gabriella and our baby...our family is what matters. We may struggle and we may be poor...but as long as there's a roof over our heads and bed for us to sleep in I'll be content...and still working hard to do better for my son.