Disclaimer: Unfortunately I do not own High School Musical

Rated: T

Pairings: Ryella, Troypay, Chaylor

Author's Note: hey guys. thanks for the reviews and comments! i love to hear from you guys. the story is going to start to rap up soon, but I will be writing more soon. and deffinitely check out my newest story for Across the Universe, "Nowhere You Can Be". and if you haven't seen the movie, go go go! haha so enough advertising, How Will I Know: Chapter 10! Enjoy x3!

How Will I Know?
Chapter 10

Gabriella finally reached her house after running home from the cafe, tears streaming down her face. She hated to see Ryan like that, especially when she caused it. She had to make things right between them. She went up to her room, breathing heavily from the run and the tears. She took out a pen and paper and began to write. She wrote down all her feelings and emotions. Everything from A to Z, hoping it would explain everything. She began to re-read but stopped abruptly when she heard a knock on her door. She started to get up, but remembered what her mom said. Shit, I was supposed to stay with Ryan all afternoon. She shrugged it off and kept telling herself nothing bad is going to happen, her mom was just being paranoid and over-protective, as usual. She folded up her letter and started to clean up her room, she had nothing better to do.

The knock sounded again, this time louder and more agressive. Gabriella started to get nervous and grabbed her cell-phone. She held it tightly, palms sweating, not sure who to call. She remained still, straining her ears to hear more. She heard someone fiddling with the lock. Tears began to stream out of her eyes when she heard the door slam open with force. She ran to her closet and dialed a number. She heard loud footsteps coming up the stairs. The phone was ringing. Oh God, please pick up.

"Gabby, I'm so-"

"Ryan listen to me," She began frantically, "I need you to call the cops and get them over to my house." Ryan could hear the shear terror in her voice.

"Gabs, What's going on?"

"There isn't time, just call someone who ca-" She was cut off by a man, mumbling and grunting something.

"Gabs? Gabriella!" He heard a scream and the line went dead. He called 911. They sounded like they were leaving immediately so he hung up.

"Shit." Ryan began to increase the speed on his car, hoping they would be able to get there in time. That he would be able to get there in time. To get to her in time.

"...just call someone who ca-"

"So you think you and you mom could get away with leaving me?" He slapped her across the face, Gabriella shrieked as she tried to run out of the closet. He rather blocked her and threw her back to the ground. "I'm your father, why would you leave? I loved you." He slapped her again.

"I hate you." She spat back. He grabbed her by her hair in the back of her head, and dragged her to the stairs as she tried to squirm free, wincing at the pain.

"Don't disrespect your father now. Didn't your whore of a mother teach you well?" He pushed her down the stairs. She was able to stay on her feet until she got about a quarter of the way down. She fell hard. CRAACCKK! Gabriella felt intense pain in her arm and continued to tumble. She finally reached the bottom. She layed there, knowing full well she needed to get up if she wanted to make it out, but her body just layed there, no matter how much her mind told her not to. She thought she was going to die. She began to look back on her life. Her mom, her new friends. Ryan. Ryan. She began to cry when she thought of him. How she hurt him. The last things she said to him. How he loved her. How she loved him. She loved him. She began to hear voices, telling her to stay strong. Gabriella, Gabby, Come on Gabs don't give up. Giving her hope. Giving her love. It's going to be okay, I promise. I love you. She felt arms around her, giving her warmth. She couldn't make out who it was, but could have sworn it was an angel. Gabriella began to speak to the angel.
"Can.. you do me... a favor?" She said shakily.

"Anything."

"Let Ryan know I love him, too."She looked up to see her father stampeding down the stairs. The next thing she knew, she saw someone jump over her and collide with her father. The room began to spin, but she felt safe, her angel was watching over her. Everything went blank.

"Let Ryan know I love him, too." She said breathlessly.
Ryan couldn't lose her. He had to fight back.

"Hey kid!" yelled Mr.Montez, "Get away from my daughter." He began to run down the stairs. Ryan didn't want him to get near Gabriella again. He layed her down gently and ran up the stairs, colliding with him.

"Why, so you can beat her more?" Ryan was fit, but not muscular, so it was very difficult to fight a grown man up the stairs, but somehow he managed. They were in the halls now.

"Why does it matter to you anyway, kid?" Ryan swung at him, hitting him dead in the jaw.

"Cause I love her." Mr. Montez stumbled a little and laughed as he spit blood from his mouth.

"Yeah I did, too. Big mistake she was. Her mother should have just gotten an abortion like I told her to. She is useless anyway." He pinned Ryan against the wall but Ryan managed to get out by swiveling his hips. Ryan was fuming. He swung again but Mr. Montez caught his fist a twisted it, breaking Ryan's wrist. He yelled in pain as Mr. Montez punched him square in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. He collapsed on his knees to the ground.

"Hahaha, You think you can save her? Hmm? You think you stand a chance against me? Well let me tell you something kid, you made a mistake coming here. You're just as dead as she is." Mr. Montez kneed Ryan in the face. Mr. Montez grabbed Ryan's leg, digging his fingernails into him, and dragged him across the floor. He was now face down on the ground, but he wasn't about to give up. He got up, using all the strength he had, and pinned Mr. Montez up against the wall.

"Don't you ever touch her again, you fucking asshole." He said through gritted teeth. He was about to swing at Mr. Montez when he felt someone pull him off. He tried to fight back but relaxed when he saw cops run up and handcuff Mr. Montez. Ryan limped to the staircase and looked down to see Gabriella being rolled out on a stretcher to an ambulance. She looked so pale. She had lost a lot of blood. He was about to walk down the stairs, to be by her side, when Mr. Montez came up behind him and slammed his head with his fists in the handcuffs. Ryan fell down the stairs and blacked out.

Wednesday Morning.
Gabriella began to stirr. After a few minutes she was awake. She jumped up, not sure where she was. Memories flashed through her mind. Ryan. Her dad. The angel. Her angel. The angel that saved her. She continued to think about the angel until someone else popped into her head. Ryan. Ryan. I wonder where he is. She wished he was here beside her, holding her hand, saying everything would be okay. Just then, a nurse came in.

"Well, Hello there. How are you feeling?"

"Fine. Tired, but fine."

"Well, If you feel up to it, you can go visit your friend if you want." I thought Taylor got released... She thought.

"Who?"

"That blond haired boy. He was at your house, got quite a beatin' from your father. If he hadn't come, that man probably would have beat you to death. He came pretty close with the both of you."

"Can you take me to him?"

"Of course." Gabriella got out of bed, threw on her clothes, and followed the nurse. She looked around as they walked, so many health posters and signs on the wall. One sign caught her attention, hanging from the ceiling.

CRITICAL/INTENSE CARE AND TREATMENT

It read in big, bold, red, letters. Was Ryan in here? No, it can't be that bad. It couldn't be. They followed that sign and Gabriella began to cry silently. After what seemed like forever, the nurse stopped. Gabriella turned to face a window, looking in to a room, and saw him. Ryan was lying there, bruises all over his face, and various tubes tangled around him. The nurse motioned for her to go in and left.

Gabriella was leaning against the wall to the door way and slowly sank to the ground as she began to weep. Only her sobs and the heartbeat monitor were heard. She forced herself up and began to walk around the room. She pulled up a chair, which had Ryan's clothes drapped over it. She inhaled the sweet scent coming from them, only to make her cry harder. She at down and grabbed his hand, lacing her fingers with his. He was cold, she longed for his warm, loving touch. She ran her other finger through his hair, and felt the bump on his head.

"Why? Why did you come and help me? Why didn't you just call the cops like I asked?" She sobbed. "Even after everything. After I saw that painful look in your eyes, that I caused, you came back. You always come back. Now look at you. You could be dying here. All because of me. Stupid...stupid." She brought his hand to her lips and held it there. "My angel." She mumbled into his hand. She rested her head on his shoulder, and knew she never wanted to be anywhere else, than with him.

"I love you." She whispered.

"Mmm." Ryan moaned. Gabriella jumped up, he continued to mumble, then spoke. "I know... a little angel told me, and for the record, I prefer heroic over stupid." Ryan didn't have time to say anymore before Gabriella slammed her lips to his.

"I love you, too." He mumbled into her. She climbed next to him in the bed and they laid there, in the same position they were in, just two nights ago, with Ryan occassionally kissing her head. So the two laid there like that for what could have been an eternity, but they didn't care, because they had each other.

crazy, twisted, insane. i know. i hope i didn't confuse people with my scene overlapping from ryan's to gabriella's. So R&R! so im an emotional sap, and i got teary eyed as i was writing about Gabriella's little epiphany at the bottom of the staircase, and the whole ryella hospital scene. im a bum. an emotional fool. but enough about me! i hope you are liking the story so far. btw, for all you lucas fans, it pained me so much to write about him getting beat up. it was so depressing, cause i love him, but he was being heroic for the girl he loved. so its so comletely sweet. so i had to do it. haha i felt the need to explain my actions. anyhoo, the next chapter may be the last, but then i have a sequel in mind to tie up a few loose strings. so stay tuned fellas and let me know your opinions.