Break Through Chapter 10, a high school musical fanfic

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Break Through

Chapter 10

I don't know how long we stood there hugging each other, but when the light started to dim outside, I knew we should be getting home. I pulled away from him and looked up. His lip was swollen and bleeding and it looked like he had many bruises all over his arms. I touched his bleeding lip and said,

"You got hurt... because of me-" My voice broke on the last word.

"Ella, stop! If anything, it's my fault. I feel horrible! If I had just gotten there before, maybe-"

I shook my head and looked away from him. He grabbed my shoulders and shook them a little bit.

"It's not your fault. Ok?" he continued scrutinizing my face when he saw the cut on my left cheek.

"Who did it?"

It took me a while to figure out what he was talking about when I saw him looking at my cheek and realization dawned on me. I turned my cheek away from him and stepped back a little.

"It's nothing."

" Tell me." he repeated firmly.

" Troy! Stop! Leave it alone! It's just a small cut! It's not a big deal!" I raised my voice a little and so did he.

"So when is it going to be a big deal? When you're bleeding to death on the street?"

" I think you're exaggerating a little!" I snapped.

" If you let them hurt you and pass everything off as okay then that is what's going to end up happening! Who did it?" he was yelling by now.

" It's not up to you to protect me, Troy!"

" I never said it was!"

" Then drop it!" I shouted.

"Fine. Whatever. Get your ass killed. I don't care." And with that, he strode down the hall and out of sight.

"Troy!" I shouted. But it was useless. He was gone and there was no one left.

In one day, I had managed to get beat up and get in a fight with one of my friends. Great. Can't wait for tomorrow.

HSMHSMHSMHSM

NEXT day, I went about my morning sluggishly, doing everything slow. I was depressed. It seemed like everything in my life was going wrong again and I could not afford to go down that rode again.

A third of the way to school, I felt a presence behind me. I didn't look back but started walking a little faster. When I heard the car accelerate a little bit I started running. My heart pounded on my chest. Who was following me? And why? I was on the verge of calling 9-1-1 when I heard a familiar voice call out to me.

"Ella!" That could only mean one person. I whipped my head around and glared at the blue eyed boy in the car. With a toss of my hair, I continued walking without a glance back.

"Ella, wait!"

The car slowed down next to me but I crossed my arms and stared straight ahead.

"Let me give you a ride." he offered. When he knew that I wasn't going to talk to him, he tried again.

"I'm sorry."

Walk, walk, walk.

"Come on! Let me at least explain!"

But this time when I didn't answer, I heard the car stop and the door slam.

I knew I was being stupid. Childish even, but he really hurt me last night and I wasn't going to give in so easy. When I heard his footsteps behind me I started running, knowing it was only a matter of time before he caught me. But that didn't mean that I couldn't prolong it.

I heard him start to run as well, but just as I started to speed up, I felt a hand grab my elbow and pull me back. I shoved his hand away and spat out,

"What Bolton?"

"I'm sorry! I know I was a jerk yesterday but it's just that I got mad and-"

" I called you! I called your name and practically begged for you to come back and you just ignored me! So forgive me for being angry!"

" I know, Ella! I know! It's just, I don't like to see you hurt! It's horrible-"

I cut across him again.

"That didn't use to bother you when you were the one bullying me!"

I knew I had said the wrong thing when his eyes darkened and they became narrowed.

"Why do you always have to bring that up? You know I said sorry and I've apologized so many times! Why can't you just accept the fact that I've changed? I don't know what else to do! I thought that you forgave me for that!"

I instantly regretted my words.

"Troy, I know. I know, I'm sorry. It's just, it was a hard time in my life and it's hard to forget. I know you're sorry and I know you've changed." I mumbled.

His eyes lightened almost immediately.

"So can you forgive me?"

I sighed heavily.

"Yeah."

A smile stretched across his face and he said, "Cool! Now let me give you a ride. It's the least I can do."

He opened the door for me. While he went around the other way to his seat, I gazed at my surroundings. It was a nice car, but not overly expensive. Just right.

When he got in, I said,

"Your car-It's nice."

"Thanks. Grandparents got it for me."

On the way there, we picked up on where our friendship left off. It was as if we were never in a fight. We chatted on and on about things until we arrived at the school.

As I got out of the car, I noticed people staring at us and it was then that I realized why. Geeky Gabriella Montez had just gotten out of the car with basketball star, Troy Bolton. I became uncomfortable when they wouldn't stop staring. I looked over at Troy and noticed that he looked unconcerned. He must be used to it by now.

Even Sharpay and Taylor's eyes widened slightly when they saw us walk in together.

"Hey guys." I said easily.

"I don't think you've officially met Troy before. Troy this is Taylor and this is Sharpay."

Troy nodded and flashed them a smile that I knew even dazzled them, and they didn't even like him like that.

"U-um, hi?"

"Gabi? Wanna talk to us over here?" Sharpay looked at me. When I was about to protest, she glared at me.

With a sigh, I looked at Troy and said, "I'll be just a minute."

He nodded and glanced around with his hands in his pockets.

"What happened Gabi?"

"What do you mean?"

" Last night you called us crying last night talking about some big fight that you and Troy had and now all of a sudden he's driving you to school?" questioned Taylor.

"Oh. Well, I don't know. He just apologized and... yeah."

"That's it?"

" Yup."

"Ya sure?"

"Scout's honor." I held up two fingers.

They continued staring at me, obviously not believing my answer.

"Okay then..."

HSMHSMHSMHSMHSM

LATER that Friday, me and Troy were just finishing up our Jane Austen project when I heard the front door open. I froze, wondering who on earth it could be. It couldn't be my mom. She usually came home about 2:00 on Fridays.

Imagine my surprise when I saw her walk in the kitchen with a few grocery bags. She looked up when she saw Troy.

"Oh... hi Troy. How are you?"

"I'm good Ms. Montez. And you?"

"Fine..." She gave me a hard glance before putting away the groceries.

Troy, obviously noting the tension between my mother and I, finished up quickly and said,

" I gotta go. Talk to you later, Ella. Nice seeing you Ms. Montez." And with that he left.

The silence in the room was deafening. Finally my mother spoke.

" Gabi." When I didn't answer she said more firmly,

"Gabriella Montez. You know you're not supposed to bring people over to the house without my permission. Especially boys."

I looked at her in disbelief and said,

"Ask your permission? Mami, you're never home. How could I possible find the time to ask you? Besides you know Troy. You think he's a "sweet" boy. You said so yourself."

" Regardless, you don't bring boys into the house." she repeated.

"What is up with you, Mom? Besides the usual?" I jabbed.

" It was just Troy. We're friends. Nothing more, nothing less. We weren't doing anything."

" I don't feel comfortable knowing the fact that you're in a room alone with a boy." She said quietly.

" Come on, Mom! You don't seriously think I'd be getting it on with a boy in the middle of the kitchen floor, do you? This whole conversation doesn't even make sense! You're just starting stuff now!"

With that, I turned around to head upstairs when I heard her yell,

" Gabriella! Gabriella Montez!"

HSMHSMHSMHSM

NEXT morning, after my jog, I found out that I was down another dress size. Yes, ladies and gentleman, Gabriella Montez is now a size 10. I did a little jig around my room until I got tired.

And for the one-thousandth time, my eyes fell on the songbook. A pencil was poking out from the inside. With a sigh, I opened it and stared down at the words that I had written. I had done the easy part. The hard part was actually singing it. With a deep breath, I opened my mouth.

You used to call me your angel
Said I was sent straight down from heaven
You'd hold me close in your arms

I loved the way you felt so strong
I never wanted you to leave
I wanted you to stay here holding me

I miss you
I miss your smile
And I still shed a tear
Every once in a while
And even though it's different now
You're still here somehow
My heart won't let you go
And I need you to know
I miss you
I miss you

You used to call me your dreamer
And now I'm living out my dream
Oh how I wish you could see
Everything that's happening for me
I'm thinking back on the past
It's true that time is flying by too fast

I know you're in a better place, yeah
But I wish that I could see your face, oh
I know you're where you need to be
Even though it's not here with me

I willed myself not to cry after I sang the song and I succeeded.

"I miss you, Papi." I whispered.

HSMHSMHSMHSM

I laid on my back on the roof, staring up at the moon. A melancholy feeling washed over me. I kept thinking how different it would be if my father was still alive. How much happier and carefree I would've been. A scuffling sound by my balcony broke me from my thoughts.

"You know, I find you in the strangest places at night." joked Troy, as he hoisted himself up the roof.

He looked at me for a while before laying down next to me.

"What's up?" he said, while he looked up at the sky next to me.

"Nothing. Just thinking."

"Well that's never a good thing!" I didn't laugh nor did I answer.

He looked at me worriedly and said, "Ella, I know something's wrong. Spill."

"I'm just thinking about my mom. My dad-" My voice broke.

He took my hand before saying,

" You really miss him, don't you?" he asked softly.

" A lot. I think about him all the time." I guess he didn't have anything to say, or maybe he didn't feel the need to say anything. Maybe he knew just being there with me was enough. Regardless, he squeezed my hand as we looked up at the stars again.

After about 30 minutes, he broke the silence again.

"And your mom?"

"She doesn't understand. About anything. After you left on Friday, she yelled at me for 'having boys in the house without permission.' I don't even know where that came from. She's always liked you. Part of the problem was that we had a fight early in the summer about... about my dad. We haven't talked. It's been...four months." I finished in a broken whisper.

He squeezed my hand again before saying, "I know you hurt, Ella. I know."

I found myself getting lost in his crystal blue eyes. Shock went through my body when I realized that his face was getting closer and that his eyes flicked to my lips. My breathing became shallow as I looked up at his eyes again.

I sat up once I realized what we were about to do and panic flooded through me. Flustered and breathing heavy I said,

"Well, I- I gotta go to bed. I'm... you know, tired. Long day." I finished lamely.

"Yeah. Ok." His eyes looked conflicted as I glanced up at him.

I jumped down from the roof onto my balcony and headed towards my door.

"Well, I'll- I'll talk to you... soon." I said looking back at him.

In my haste to get towards the door, I tripped a little before putting my hand on the door knob.

I saw confusion etched in his eyes as he nodded at me.

I closed the door fast and threw myself back down on the bed. My eyes were wide as I stared up at the ceiling.

...

I almost kissed Troy Bolton. Troy Bolton almost kissed me! Flabby Gabi!

Even then, I didn't completely know why I had pulled away. Maybe it was because I panicked, maybe it was because I couldn't fathom the idea that Troy Bolton wanted to kiss me, or maybe it was because I was scared. Scared of getting close to someone. After all, anyone that I had ever become close to always left. My dad, my mom... Well not in the physical sense, for my mom at least. More of an emotional. And I couldn't bear the thought of anymore pain being inflicted on me. Because I knew that if I let it happen again and I was left, I would be torn to pieces.

Okay! Even more drama! Tell me if you liked this. I love you guys so much that I stayed up till 2:00 in the morning to type this up! So you better appreciate it! Jk! :) Let me know what you think about the "almost Troyella kiss." Was it too rushed?

Oh and also, the song that I used for Gabi was "I miss you" by Miley Cyrus. I hope you imagined the song with Gabriella's voice though, because it's more... emotional. Okay, I'm gonna stop talking now!