Chapter 9 – Staying the night and Chaddy?

At Gabriella's place that evening, Troy was making dinner for them and Gabriella was in the shower.

"Bella? The dinner is ready in ten minutes," Troy called from downstairs.

"Ugh! I have to eat now, haven't I?" she called back from the bathroom door.

Troy walked upstairs to find Gabriella standing in the door into the bathroom just in some sweatpants and her bra, "oh… I'm sorry," Troy looked down.

"It's okay, Troy, I'll just put on a shirt, wait a second," she smiled at him and ran into her room to put on a shirt, "now, look at me," she giggled.

"Hey! That's my shirt!" Troy laughed, "you borrowed it for PE the first day I met you."

Gabriella blushed, "uhm, yeah, I know that, I just forgot to give it back to you, is it okay, that I wear it now?"

Troy smiled at her, "of course, you can keep it, if you want to."

Gabriella smiled, "really?"

Troy nodded, "yes, really, but now we have to go eat, and you have to eat, even if I have to feed you, miss!"

Gabriella slowly shook her head, Troy would not give up until she was out of this, she knew it, but in some way it made her feel safe, but why? Chad had not noticed it; Shar had not noticed it or anyone else. Why could Troy come into her life, and now in a week, he was trying to make her eat again, it does not make any sense in Gabriella's mind, but that would not be a big part, the fact was, that Troy was trying to help her, and Gabriella felt safe around him, and Troy was probably the only person, who knew the whole story of her life after the rape… Gabriella sighed as they went downstairs.

"What's wrong, Gab?" Troy asked concerned.

Gabriella shook her head again, "it's just…" she looked at Troy, "I've only known you for a week, and now you are standing here in my house, making dinner for me to get me to eat, and you pretty much know everything about me and my life…"

Troy looked at her in confusion, "yeah, and you sigh because?"

"It's just not normal!" Gabriella looked at Troy.

"Well, I'm not a normal boy, you're not a normal girl, this is not a normal city, this world is not in the near of being normal, so the problem is?" Troy joked at her, and she smiled and just shook her head.

Troy was right, there was not anything in this world, which would be normal, so why not make this another abnormal thing, she actually liked the fact that Troy knew her that well; it was nice to know that he would be there for her, and that he stood by her side.

"Now eat, Bella," Troy said bringing Gabriella out of her thoughts.

"Umm, yeah," Gabriella looked at the food, it really looked delicious, but she was not quite sure if she could eat anything.

"Bella, you need to eat, just a little, please?" Troy looked at her, "for me?"

Gabriella nodded slowly and then took a little bit of salad and a small piece of meat, and then she slowly started eating.

"So do you like it?" Troy asked while putting food on his own plate.

"Yeah, it's good," Gabriella smiled at him, "but…"

Troy looked worried at her, "but?"

"I'm not that hungry," Gabriella looked down trying not to look at Troy.

"It's okay, Bella," Troy took her hand across the table, "I'm not going to be mad, just eat the food at your plate, and then I'll be glad, okay?"

Gabriella nodded, "yeah, okay."

"Good, so eat and then I'll put the rest in the fridge and then do the dishes, and then we can do something you want to do, okay?" Troy smiled at her hoping that Gabriella would be able to eat normal sometime, but he knew it would be hard to fight her through this, but he knew he could make it! He had to!

"Yeah, that sounds great, but I'll help you doing the dishes," Gabriella smiled and started to eat the salad.

"Okay, okay, but I'll not hear any complaining, that I said you should," Troy joked at her again.

"You know what?" Gabriella giggled a little, "you sound like my dad, when you say that!"

Troy looked at her, "hey! I'm not your dad, I've never been and never will be your dad!" he laughed at her.

"I know that," she smiled and laughed.

After they have done the dishes, they went to Gabriella's room. "Troy?" Gabriella asked a little ashamed.

"What's with the looking down and looking like you're ashamed of something, Bella?" Troy sat down beside her at the bed looking at her.

"Could you…" Gabriella stopped and looked directly into Troy's gorgeous blue eyes.

"Yeah, Bell? What could I?" Troy smiled at her, "just spill, it's not like I'm going to kill you or anything."

Gabriella smiled at him; "would you stay with me tonight?" she looked down again.

"Of course, I will, Bells," he smiled at her and made her look at him, "why are you looking down?"

Gabriella sighed and then looked away, "it's hard to tell…"

"Bella, tell me, I'm not going anywhere! I promise!" Troy said pulling Gabriella into his arms.

"I told you about, Jordan earlier today…" Gabriella began to get tears in her eyes again, "ever since he raped me, and I was alone a lot, I have been scared of being alone…"

Troy stroked her back, "I'll stay with you as long as you want me to!"

"Troy…" Gabriella sighed.

"Yeah, sweetie?" Troy looked at her.

"You are one of the only three boys who actually can touch me like really touch me… you know as in hugging and such things…" Gabriella looked at him, "You, Chad and Ryan are the only boys, who can hug me, and I'm still feeling safe. You and Chad are the only boys I've ever been sleeping in same room as since Jordan…" she stopped as she said his name.

"Shh, don't say more, Bella," Troy smiled at her, "it's okay, and I'm horned to be one of those boys." Gabriella nodded against Troy's chest and tried to forget about all the things Jordan ever did to her.

Two hours later, Troy and Gabriella were lying in Gabriella's bed. Troy had Gabriella in his arms, because she wanted to be in his arms and feel safe.

"Gabriella?" Troy asked softly.

"Yeah?" Gabriella said half sleeping.

"What are you thinking about?" Troy asked knowing that she was thinking since she wasn't sleeping.

"Well… it's just…" Gabriella looked up at Troy and sighed, "it's just that… I'm really glad, that you're here… I'm not sure, how I would ever do this without you trying to get me to eat again or helping me… you're the first person, who actually sees the things, the cuts and the not eating thing…" she sighed and looked at Troy, "I'm glad I met you!"

Troy smiled at her, "me too." They laid in a comfortable silence, when Troy's phone suddenly started ringing, "can I take it, Bella?" he looked at Gabriella.

"Yeah, go on, Troy," she smiled at him.

Troy sat up in the bed and picked up the phone, "hello?"

"Hey man, it is Chad," Chad said from the other end of the line.

"Hey Chad," Troy said and smiled at Gabriella.

Gabriella giggled, "hey Chaddy!"

Troy looked weird at her, "Chaddy?"

"Say hey to Gabby from me," Chad chuckled.

"I will, what's up with that name?" Troy asked.

"Well, I think you should ask Gabby about that one," Chad chuckled.

"I'll do that then," Troy said and smiled at Gabriella, "anyway, what's up?"

"Well, I would just hear if you had heard from Gabby, she didn't pick up her phone, when I called her, but I guess she hadn't heard it, since you two are together," Chad smiled.

"Well, I haven't heard it either, but she is fine, I promise you!" Troy said smiling and mouth to Gabriella, "where is your phone?"

Gabriella looked around and saw her phone at the floor and picked it up and mouthed "here, why?"

"She better be fine, dude!" Chad said teasing.

"She is, I have made her dinner, and now she is looking weird at me, because I'm talking on the phone or maybe my hair isn't looking that good?" Troy chuckled and mouth to Gabriella, "I'll be off the phone right away!"

Gabriella nodded and smiled.

"I guess the hair," Chad chuckled, "but I'll leave you guys alone, have fun… no wait! Don't have fun in that way!"

Troy laughed, "that wasn't funny, Chad! But I promise you, I won't have sex with her!"

Gabriella looked weird at him.

"Great, bye Troy," Chad said and hang up, and so did Troy.

"What was that?" Gabriella asked confused, "sex with whom?"

Troy smiled, "Chad said we should have fun, and then he said "not in that way!" and well, I promised him not to have sex with you."

"Oh," Gabriella giggled, "that was a completely weird subject!"

"I know," Troy smiled and then laid back down at the bed.

"Troy?" Gabriella asked still sitting with her phone is her hands.

"Yeah, Bella?" Troy sat up beside her.

"Thanks," she smiled at him.

"For what, Bella?" Troy smiled at her.

"Everything," she said smiling.

"You lost me again, but I think the answer is "no problem!"" they laughed.

They lay back down at the bed, Gabriella had her head resting at Troy's chest, and Troy was playing with one of her curls.

"Bella?" Troy whispered, but she did not answer, Troy looked down at the girl in his arms, she was sleeping peacefully, and he smiled at her. He really liked watching her sleep, she was so cute. He smiled again and then put the blanket up around them again and slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep.