Hold on Tight

10. Answers

Gabriella stirred awake and immediately sat up as she remembered last nights events. She glanced around frantically when she felt Troy wasn't asleep next to her. "Troy?" She called. Nothing. He must have left and she knew exactly why. He couldn't want to still be close to her when she had let him down so horribly. She rubbed her temples in angst and got out of bed. Without thinking twice she ran downstairs, not caring what she looked like. The brunette grabbed her jacket and ran downstairs, making sure twice that the door was locked behind her. She drove hastily to Troy's place.

She knocked and knocked. No answer. She rang the bell about five times before giving up. She sat against his front door for 48 minutes before a pair of blue jeans appeared in front of her. "Gabriella?" Troy said looking down at her. Gabriella stood up quickly and brushed herself off. "What are you doing here?" He asked opening his front door and letting her in.

Gabriella thought about what to say. "I wanted to thank you again."

"In your pajamas?" He said eyeing her up and down curiously.

Gabriella pulled her trench coat tighter against her body and blushed in embarrassment. She was in such a hurry she forgot to look at least a tad bit presentable. "Uh…yeah I guess."

"…Okay." Troy closed the door and led her into his living room. Gabriella looked around and smiled. His home was very…Troy. It was messy in some places, and then rather tidy in others. The kitchen had food everywhere and the living room was comforting, probably where Troy sat and played video games all day. "Here sit down." Troy gestured towards his coach and Gabriella sat down awkwardly. She looked down and frowned when he sat down on a recliner chair rather then next to her.

"Troy, we need to talk…I'm so so sorry."

"I'm a little lost Gabriella. Why are you sorry?"

Gabriella got up and stood in front of Troy, she pulled him up and hugged him tightly. "Please, please, can't we just go back to how it was…friends."

Troy closed his eyes and sighed. "I don't think I can do that…" He whispered staying still as she hugged him tightly.

"Why?!" She pulled away angrily. Why was he being like this? "You're being absurd." All she wanted was to have him in her life, but right now not in the way he wanted.

"I'm being absurd?! Huh! You said no to me Gabriella! We can't just be friends now…you're out of your mind." Troy shook his head, looking down at his feet and shoved his hands in his jean pockets.

"Who cares if I said no! That doesn't mean I don't care about you."

"Stop doing that…" Troy looked up with anger swimming in his eyes.

Gabriella looked at him in confusion. "What am I doing?"

"You're playing with my mind! You keep….saying these nice things to me as if yesterday didn't even happen. You ran away from me and now I find you sitting at my doorstep." Troy walked away furiously towards his kitchen. "You only want to be friends so if someone breaks into your house, I'll be there to rescue you. If you think your going to just use me, you got another thing going."

"Use you?! Troy you're talking nonsense. I would never just use you…I don't know how you could think such a thing. I thought you loved me."

"Yeah I do, and apparently you don't love me."

"I-I Troy-"

"Save it. You either want me or you don't." Troy walked around his kitchen counter and opened his refrigerator.

"I do want you!" She said desperately.

"Stop that!" He said slamming his fridge door and walking to stand in front of her.

"Stop what?! You're crazy!" She yelled.

"You make me crazy!" He retorted.

"You're acting like a real idiot!" Gabriella said fuming. Last night he was so understanding, now he was being completely stubborn. Troy clenched his fists in frustration.

He screamed out in frustration and turned around having his back to her.

"Please Troy, stop acting like this."

"Why wont you show me your heart?!" He asked surprising Gabriella. "It's a simple question Gabriella! Why is it so hard to just let yourself be happy?!" He turned around and stared at her. She stood there in confusion. They question just wouldn't process fast enough. "Well answer me!"

Gabriella let a tear roll down her cheek. She suddenly started hitting Troy's chest whilst sobbing. "Because!" She screamed.

Troy grabbed her wrists and stopped her from hitting him. "Because why?!"

Gabriella screamed the only thing that came to mind. "BECAUSE IT'S BROKEN! I CANT FIND IT!" After hitting him for the last time she sighed and fell to the floor. Troy stood frozen and took a few steps back in shock.

He looked down at her and she stared at him pleading with her eyes. "I think you should leave…" Troy whispered.

"What?" She asked hurt.

"You should leave…"

"But-"

"Fine, you stay, I mean it is my place…I'll go then." Troy walked towards his front door and closed it behind him. Gabriella got to her feet and ran after him. She got outside and Troy was nowhere to be found. She sobbed and started walking to her car. Suddenly she felt something hit her cheek and groaned when it started raining.

Gabriella ran to her car and got inside, mildly soaked from the rain. As she drove home, all she could think about was what Troy Bolton was doing walking in the rain.

Gabriella walked into her shower and savored the warm water. It drenched her body and left her with a feeling of pure comfort. It made her think of Troy. She wrapped herself in a towel and sat on her bed letting water from her hair drip down to land on her bed spread. She crawled on her mattress and lay in the very middle of her sheets, not caring how they would be drenched. She let herself fall asleep not wanting to ever wake up.

"I love you Gabby…" Troy said smiling.

Gabriella's eyes went wide. She then grinned happily and leapt into Troy's arms. "I love you too wildcat." She kissed him passionately.

"I love you Gabby…I love you Gabby…I love you Gabby…" It went on and on, until Gabriella was all alone in complete darkness.

"Troy? I love you too, where are you?" She squinted her eyes trying to see him.

"I love you too Troy. I do." That wasn't Gabriella's voice. She hadn't said that.

"I know pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Bolton. You may kiss the bride Troy." Gabriella ran into the darkness, with no end.

"Troy! No, don't!" What was this? A Joke. Who was he marrying, if not her?

Gabriella jerked up and panted heavily. She looked around and sighed in relief when she found herself in her bedroom. Gabriella gasped when she looked down and was still in her towel. She quickly got up and changed into dry clothes. After she blow dried her hair she replaced her sheets with new ones. The words 'I do' replayed in her head over and over. It was driving her insane. She wondered how it was so easy for her to say 'I love you' in her dream but not in reality. This got her thinking about the conversation all those years ago when they had broken up.

Gabriella grinned widely. "I do love him!" She squealed. Gabriella had figured it out. She loved Troy, more than anything. The thing stopping her from saying that to the one person that mattered was not her past, but it was her and only her.

Troy had been there for her when no one else had, he had pulled her up when she was knocked down. He was and always would be her prince charming. Her mind was just telling her that she didn't deserve him. That if she loved him back somehow the world would find a way for him to break her heart all over again. That was just the thing though, if Gabriella really truly loved him, and he loved her back just as much, than the possibility of that happening was very slim, to the point of never happening. What brought on this? The day they broke up, also was the day they told each other that they would always love one another. Gabriella knew she had never stopped loving him, and she had kicked herself for not noticing this earlier. He had kept his word, and she had failed miserably.

Gabriella looked at her clock and paused when it read midnight. She shrugged and grabbed her purse, running out to her car and locking her front door behind her. She drove faster than she had earlier and arrived at Troy's house in a matter of minutes. She knocked frantically and rung the door bell. "Troy! Please open up! I need to tell you something!"

"Uh, Gabs?" She heard from behind her. She spun around and found Chad on the sidewalk looking at her in puzzlement. "He's not here."

"Chad?...What do you mean he's not here?"

"He went to visit his parents for a week."

"What? Why?"

"He didn't say…What's the problem?" Chad asked raising an eyebrow. Gabriella walked down Troy's driveway and to Chad.

"I just really need to tell him something, but I guess it can wait." Chad furrowed his eyebrows not satisfied. He shrugged and smiled. He was never one to pry.

"Alright Gabs, well Taylor's waiting for me. See you later."

Gabriella smiled faintly as Chad started walking towards his home. "Bye." She said turning towards her car.

Chad turned around and watched Gabriella. "Wait Gabs!" She turned around and waited for him to continue. "Do you wanna come over for dinner? You can just leave your car here. I'm sure Troy wouldn't care." Gabriella grinned, she really didn't want to be alone.

"Sure, thanks Chad." She ran up to walk beside him and followed him to his and Taylor's home. When she walked inside Taylor smiled in surprise.

"Gabriella? Hey!" They hugged briefly.

"Chad invited me for dinner." Gabriella said smiling at Chad. Taylor looked to Chad in approval and kissed his cheek lovingly.

"Good boy." Taylor said. Chad rolled his eyes and handed Taylor the milk he had retrieved from the store. "Thanks. Gabby, we're having chicken, I hope that's okay."

"That's more than fine." Taylor nodded. "Come on, you can help me cook." Gabriella followed Taylor into the chicken, Chad close behind.

"So did you guys see each other in the grocery store?" Taylor asked putting the milk in the refrigerator.

"No, I found Gabster banging on Troy's front door." Chad laughed and looked to Gabriella.

"Yeah, I just needed to tell Troy something." Gabriella said with a fake smile.

"That's right he went to visit his parents, right Chad?" Taylor asked.

"Yup." He said.

Taylor noticed Gabriella's uneasiness and her eyes widened. She could always read her best friends mind, but this time she really truly wished she couldn't.

10 reviews please. I have a really great idea for a new story. I'm not very pleased with the way this story is going, so I'm going to try and make it better before starting my new one. Thanks, for reading. Review please!! Ideas are welcomed. (: