A/N: just going to bed :P

Disclaimer: don't own HSM or 'everything to me' by Brooke Hogan.

Chapter 9 – Solace in another

A three year old Gabriella giggled at the TV as Barney told a joke. "Troy, why aren't you laughing?"

A five year old Troy furrowed his brow and breathed out deeply. "Chad isn't spending any time with me. He's always with Taylor."

"But, you spend most of your time with me. He probably wanted a friend." She said softly.

"Then why didn't he tell me?" Troy asked.

"He's a boy. He's probably got cooties." She said sweetly, grinning innocently.

He laughed slightly. "I just don't have anyone to play ball with anymore."

"What about me?" Gabriella asked indignantly.

"Mummy said that I shouldn't play ball with you in case you get hurt." Troy recited robotically.

"Oh." She whispered.

Marie smiled at Lucille who was sat next to her on the couch as they watched their children interact on the floor. Marie leaned closer to Lucille. "What are they going to be like when they're older?"

"They're going to be a place of solace for each other. Troy actually attempted to climb up onto his roof so he could see her the other day." Lucille replied.

Marie giggled. "Really?"

"Yeah." Troy interjected. "I needed to make sure Brie was okay after she fell over at kindergarten."

"I wanted to come and see you but Mummy said that it was bed time." Gabriella defended.

"Mummy? What does sophace mean?" Troy asked.

"You mean solace? It's like a place of comfort for someone." Lucille explained.

"But, what has that got to do with us?" Gabriella asked.

"When you fell over the other day, who did you want to see?" Marie asked.

"Troy." Gabriella answered instantly.

"And when you, Troy, lost a game of basketball to your father, who did you go running to?" Lucille asked.

"Brie." Troy replied quietly.

"Then you're each other's solaces." Marie concluded.

Gabriella slammed her locker shut and screamed in frustration at the memory. That clearly wasn't the case anymore. He was too busy with Britney. She clutched her lunch bag tighter and made her way to the cafeteria. She pushed the doors open and frowned at the sight of Britney feeding Troy French fries. She suddenly felt a wave of nausea flood through her and she quickly turned around before anyone could see the tears stream down her cheeks. Once she was safely out of people's view, she dropped her lunch into a nearby trash can.

She sighed loudly and slowly trudged towards the library. She straightened her denim mid thigh skirt and brushed down her pink tank top before she wiped her eyes and entered one of her favourite places in the world. A place of learning and imagination enclosed in silence.

Gabriella took a deep breath and walked over to the fiction section. She took a random book off of the shelf and walked over to the study tables. She sat down and opened the book to the beginning. She read the first sentence but was thinking of Troy so the words didn't register.

"Gabriella?"

Gabriella jumped slightly and looked up. "Jake, why'd you do that?"

"I need to do the algebra homework but I don't want to sit alone. Can I sit here?" He asked.

Gabriella giggled quietly. "Sure." Jake was a sophomore like herself and was in every one of her classes. His mop of blonde hair fell over his eyes and his brown eyes contrasted with his pale skin. "Why don't you want to be alone?"

Jake opened his algebra book and bit his lip slightly. "Miss Falstaff scares me."

She laughed.

"Miss Montez." Miss Falstaff warned.

Gabriella looked back at Jake and they both stifled their laughs. "You're right."

"Told you." Jake smirked.

"Besides, why didn't you do your homework earlier?" Gabriella asked, closing her books.

Jake smirked. "I don't know. Coach has been practicing us really hard. It's hard to be on Bolton's team and be an AP student."

"Hence why I dropped gym."

"But, you still manage to play with Troy." Jake replied.

"That's when it's just us and we're just messing around. Uncle Jack is always with my Daddy. And basketball is basic physics and geometry." Gabriella explained nonchalantly as she leaned back and folded her arms.

"Can you help me?" He asked instantly.

"With basketball?" Gabriella asked dubiously.

"Yeah. And maybe algebra and English too. I'm kind of dropping." He furrowed his brow slightly.

"Well, I can't help with basketball until next month because I'm grounded." She sighed.

"Then why can't you…Oh, yeah. You enjoy it." Jake realised.

"Yeah. And I might not be able to help you with English and algebra either because I enjoy that too." She took her phone out and quickly typed a text. "Right, I sent my Dad a text."

Jake nodded. "That's cool. If it's alright, can we start tonight if your dad lets us?"

"I got nothing planned for a month." Gabriella replied.

"I am so sorry if my Daddy interrogates you. It's just I've never really had a boyfriend like…ever." Gabriella giggled slightly as she put some books into her bag and closed her locker.

Jake raised his eyebrows. "Never?"

She furrowed her brow as they started to slowly make their way out of school. "Well, I was so engrossed in my studies in middle school and so engrossed in a boy who hasn't noticed me that I didn't think it was important."

"But, you're sixteen. Have you, like, been kissed?" Jake asked.

Gabriella nodded. "It sounds weird but it was with Troy."

"Really?" Jake asked.

Gabriella nodded. "Yes. But, I was seven and he was nine."

"Hey, Gabs." Troy yelled breathlessly.

Gabriella and Jake turned around simultaneously to see the basketball player running towards them. "What is it, Troy?" She asked impatiently.

"Do you want a ride?" He asked.

"Uh, no. Jake's giving me a ride." She replied slowly. "I told everyone at the end of lunch. Oh yeah. You were too busy playing tonsil tennis with Britney to notice I entered the room."

Troy rolled his eyes. "I said I was sorry."

"I said to keep out of my way. Obviously that's too hard. Come on, Jake." She turned around and dragged Jake away and to the parking lot.

Jake unlocked his car and they both slipped in. He started the engine and pulled out. "Care to explain."

"I don't want to talk about it." Gabriella whispered, looking out of the window.

An awkward silence filled the car as Jake continued driving. Soon, they pulled up by Gabriella's house and he turned the engine off. "Okay, this silence is too horrible. Can we please move on? You haven't spoken a word the ride home."

Gabriella shook her head. "Just forget it, okay?" She got out of the car and rushed up the front door steps and into the house. "Daddy? Mama?"

Tony jogged down the stairs. "Hey, mija. How was your day?"

She rolled her eyes. "Get an eye full of Troy and Britney and it lasts you for life."

"That bad, huh?" Tony raised his eyebrows.

"Worse."

Jake came through the door and coughed slightly. "Gabby, you left your notebook in the car. I'm guessing it's important."

Gabriella nodded and took it. "It's got everything about every subject in. It's pretty important. Daddy, this is Jake. Jake, this is my Daddy."

Tony shook his hand firmly. "Good to meet you."

"Jake's on the varsity basketball team with Chad, Zeke and Jase." Gabriella explained.

"Impressive." Tony noted. "So what are you studying tonight?"

"English and maybe Algebra if there's time." She replied.

"Well, the lounge is going to be free."

"Daddy, I was kind of hoping that we could study in my room." Gabriella started slowly.

Tony sighed and raised his eyebrows. "After what happened last Friday?"

Gabriella forced herself not to cry and she looked down at her shoes. "Come on, Jake. We've got a lot to get through." She walked through to the lounge.

"You know what's up?" Tony asked.

"Only that it involves Troy. She didn't tell me why she's grounded, though." Jake replied.

"It's not good. I didn't think Troy would do this but Gabby knows what she's doing. Jake, can you promise me something?" Tony asked.

Jake nodded. "Of course, sir."

"Promise me that you'll stick by Gabby. Troy's being unbelievably idiotic and she needs a place of solace. Troy was always her solace and now that he's gone is going to scare her. She's going to be lost and you seem like the kind of friend she needs."

Jake nodded. "I promise." He turned to go into the lounge.

"Uh, Jake?" Tony waited until the boy faced him. "Tell Gabby that you guys can study in her room and she can play music for tonight."

Jake nodded. "Of course." He walked into the lounge and Gabriella raised her head.

"What did my Dad want?" She asked quietly.

"He asked me to tell you that we can go upstairs and you can play music if you want." He explained.

Gabriella sighed. "Can we go to the basement? I study better there."

"Wherever you like." Jake replied as she stood up and he followed her to the basement. "Whoa. This place is incredible."

"Not really. It's the old stuff from my Daddy's studio." Gabriella shrugged, flopping down onto the couch.

Jake sat down next to her. "So…"

Gabriella laughed. "I know you want to know what happened on Friday."

Jake raised his eyebrows. "Well, yeah."

She shook her head as she straightened up. "You know, I've always been there for Troy. Through his driving test, SATs and through every girlfriend he's had. How does he re-pay me? He has sex with the bitch from hell in my bed while my parents were in LA and I was at Sharpay's and Jase was at Chad's."

Jake's eyes were wide. "Wow."

"Yeah. I wrote a song for him in English today. Don't tell my Daddy I'm still writing music even though I'm grounded. Want to hear it?" Gabriella asked, grabbing her guitar.

"Seems I'm hearing it anyway." He joked.

You wanna go,
And as you open up the door,
You change your mind,
I'm not something to leave behind,
You'll never know,
All these things I feel inside,
I want to show, you,
There's nothing out there to find,

Oh Baby I, wanna make you see,
there's nothing more to fear,
cause everythings right here,

I'm everything you want,
I'm everything you need,
and every little part of you, is a part of me...
I'm everything you know,
I'm everywhere you go,
And I hope that you see,
That your everything to me,
Oh yeah,
Everything to me, Yeah,

Gabriella looked up. "Jake?"

"That was amazing." He breathed. "Troy?"

"How'd you guess? Don't tell anyone about Friday. I'm taking the blame for him." Gabriella explained, putting her guitar down.

"Why?" Jake asked in confusion.

"Because I'm in love with him and I hate it when he gets in trouble with Uncle Jack. The point is, it's done. There's no going back because he'd have a worse punishment. I just want my Troy back." She cried as the tears fell.