I know I said that I'd update once per week…but after your reviews, and your comments on fanforum, I think you deserve a little gift as a enormous "THANK YOU" from me :)

Keep the reviews please, I feel honoured to know that this amount of people is enjoying my story…now I have a lot of new ideas…you inspire me! ;)

I know I am describing hard scenes…but this is what bullying actually is, or at least, the bullying I suffered in school and high school, so sorry if I am making you feel uncomfortable. Things will get better at some point, relax, but until then…

Here goes chapter 10. Enjoy! :)

The journey until Gabi's house had been horrible. Troy tried to drive slowly, without sudden moves and without slamming on the brakes, but from time to time he could listen those little screams of pain from Gabi's mouth which were not stopping. Each whimper, each scream was as if someone was stabbing his heart. His mind was a eddy of thoughts: pain and sadness for her, angriness against those idiots who had beat her, ununderstanding at the reasons someone could have to beat this hard someone…but above everything, a feeling which he couldn't identified…but that made his heart feel warmer than ever.

However, he didn't have time to think about this new feeling building in his heart because they were in front of Gabriella's house. He stopped the car in her driveway, and thought about his possibilities: if some neighbour saw him carrying her, he or she would know right away that something wasn't ok with Gabriella, and this would mean her parents back sooner, or her parents in a hysteric mode by the phone…sooner too. This only thought brought a shiver run through his spine. He didn't need more drama now…and he was sure as hell Gabriella didn't want for them to see her like this.

Thinking hard, he decided that first, he needed an excuse. His parents wouldn't allow him to stay the night at Gabriella's without her parents being there, so he needed the rest of the gang to be his alibi.

Grabbing his iPhone, he dialled the numbers he knew by heart…and waited impatiently to someone pick the phone up. "Come on…", he muttered.

"Hey dude!", said Chad.

"Chad. I need you to find the gang and to bring everybody at Gabi's house now!", a very anxious Troy asked his friend.

"Wh…what? Why?", said the other confused.

"Someone has beat Gabriella dude…she is in a lot of pain, she almost can't walk and she has a lot of bruises on her body…", his voice was being lower each word by.

"What? Who?", Chad's voice was angrier at the minute.

"I don't know. Remember when we were in practice and I wasn't feeling well and my dad let me go home early?", he waited for a yes or some sound coming from Chad's mouth and once he had it he continued, "Well, so when I got out of the gym, I've seen Mrs. Darbus with her arms around Gabriella, and she was limping. I've gone right away with them to the nursery and well, she has put some ointment on the bruises and has cleaned the cuts…but they are bad, man…so bad. Mrs. Darbus has told me to bring Gabriella to my home or one of the girls' home, but Gabi wanted to be in her house, so here I am, in her driveway, and I am planning to stay the night here too. In no way I am leaving her like this.", he said.

"Of course man, I understand. Those idiots are really idiots, I swear. When I know who are those salvages God help me to not kill them", Chad said in a menacing voice.

"Yeah well, there is queue for that man…", answered Troy in a cold voice too.

"Ok. I am calling Taylor now, she will ring Shar and Kelsi, and after that I am calling Jase and Zeke. I suppose we will be there in 15 minutes or so. Is that ok, Troy?".

"Yeah, I think I am going to park the car inside the garage…I don't want the neighbours to start with rumours…", said Troy.

"Ok. I suppose the girls know the doors' code, so you stay with Gab in her room. We will be there as soon as possible", said Chad.

"You need to pack some clothes with you. I can't be here alone with her. My parents talk with yours each time, and they would know that I didn't was at your house…and the same with Jason and Zeke. The girls are all alone now, so we can say that we were planning our assignment for English…I mean, we are a group, and my father knows it, and if not, if he asks Darbus she can tell him, so…if this is a "work reunion", none of us will have problems…", said Troy.

"I'll do. Ok, I am calling everybody now. Will you be at your house at some point to grab clothes?", asked Chad.

"No way. I can't leave Gabi alone…and I don't want to. I don't mind to wear the same clothes tomorrow…", actually he couldn't care less. His principal worry was Gabriella, the rest…fuck it.

"Ok. Let me think…mmmm…I know! I'll pass by your house. I'll tell your mother that all of us are having a sleepover in Gabi's house to prepare our project, and that you were not feeling well in practice, so you have gone right away to Gabi's house. This way I can explain why you are not there, and why I am grabbing clothes for you", explained a proud Chad.

"Fantastic…", he couldn't continue his sentence because a low whisper could be listened in the back of his car.

"Troy…I don't feel good….", said a sobbing Gabriella.

"Chad, I can't speak now. Come immediately" and he hung up without wait for a response. "Baby…I need the parking code. I am going to enter the car, this way nobody will see you…", he said turning his body to face hers and rubbing in the sweetest way possible her calves.

"76548006", said a barely whisper.

Troy entered the code, and luckily for him, the door opened without trouble. He parked the car and got out of it to rush at Gabi's side. He opened the back door, and at the moment he could actually see her face…broking his heart in the process. Her face was full of cuts and bruises, her eyes were puffy and red from all the crying, huge tears were dropping from her eyes, which were full of sadness. Taking a deep breath in order to cal himself, he helped Gabriella to get out of the car, and once she was out, he placed one of his arms under her knees while the other was still around her waist. Carrying her bridal style, he went to her room to place her on her bed.

Once they were there, he put her on her bed, covering her body with the covers in order to maintain her body warm. He kissed her forehead and was about to go out of the room to grab some Tylenol for her head and a bottle of water when a hand grab his arm. "Don't leave…please…", whispered Gabriella.

"I am only going to grab you some Tylenol and water. I'll be here in less than one minute I swear", he said while rubbing her forehead. She directed her eyes into his, and Troy was taken aback. The fear those eyes were screaming inwardly was huge, he could see she was terrified and that she didn't want to be alone.

"Promise you'll be here in less than one minute?", she asked in a petite voice.

"On my life", he said while giving her a light sad smile. With that, he kissed her forehead again and, running went to the kitchen to grab the items. True to his word in less than one minute he was in her room again, helping her to sit up in order to be able to drink the water. Once she was finished, she returned to her lying position and motioned for him to do the same. Very carefully, he placed his body near hers but without touching because he didn't want to cause her more pain. However, Gabriella has another idea, because the first thing she did was to put her head on his chest and her right arm around his waist. Troy put his arm around her body and in a sweet way, he began to draw a path with his fingertips on her arm. This movement was like a lullaby for her. In a beat he could listen how her breath was steady and deeper, so he turn off the lights and grabbed his phone from the nightstand typing a message.

"Gabi is sleeping now. Don't make any noise when you come here because she needs rest. Stay in the living room. Once she is awake, I'll tell you and then you all can come upstairs, ok? Thanks man. -Troy"

Fifteen minutes later, Troy could listen how the front door was being opened, and he guessed all the gang was already there. He looked down to the sleeping beauty in his arms to see how she was beginning to stir and to open her eyes.

"Good afternoon beautiful", he whispered with a smile in his face. He wanted for her to be comfortable and he knew that all his questions had to wait.

"Hey…", whispered her. "How long I've been sleeping?"

"Not much. 30 minutes or so. Are you feeling better though?", he asked still whispering.

"Well…I don't know…my body is sore now", she answered in a very low voice. He could notice how his shirt was beginning to get damp, and he knew she was crying again. He didn't want to touch her back because he knew she has a lot of bruises there and he didn't want to cause her more pain, so he intensified his caresses on her arm, while whispering comforting words in her ear trying to make her feel better, while with his free hand, he tried to erase the tears that were still falling from her eyes rubbing her cheeks with his thumb.

He didn't know how long she had been crying, but when he couldn't hear more sobs, he looked down at her. Her body wasn't making any sound, but he could see how huge silent tears were running through her cheeks. His heart was broking. He only wanted to help her to feel better. He only wanted to kill those bastards who were beating her and her friends because they didn't have another hobby. He only wanted to be there for her, but each time it was more difficult to pretend that they could deal with all that shit alone. He knew they needed help, but the girls were still too much terrified, and the wrong pressure now on them would mean 4 girls more closed with everybody, and he didn't want that. It was a difficult situation. But he didn't have time to think more about it because Gabriella cut the path of his thoughts.

"Am I really so lowlife, Troy?", she said whispering while drawing some circles on his chest and no daring to look at him in his eyes.

"Baby no…please, don't let them get to you…you are amazing. Forget what some jerks are saying. You are intelligent, you are beautiful, you are sweet and kind and caring, you are always polite with everybody, you are almost a genius, you know how to listen, you can talk about everything, you are funny…you are a great person Gabriella, don't let anyone say the opposite…if people don't know what is really important in this life and being with 17-18 years old is still thinking about looks, popularity and all this crap is their problem. Not yours…you are amazing, inside and outside. And if you need for me to repeat it a million times, I'll do it in order to you believe me, I swear", he said trying to convince her. But she remained silent.

She was thinking about what he had said. Part of her knew that he was saying the truth, but another part of her couldn't help but think that maybe those who called her "lowlife", "piece of shit" and other names were right. However, Troy words were like a balsam for her soul. It hit her, he really cared for her, but she couldn't let him know the total truth. She didn't know what future had planned for her and her friends, but she knew that Troy and the other boys would be at their side in each step they took. This thought made her feel better…not completely ok, but now those dark grey clouds on her head seemed smaller.

Lifting her head a little bit, she gave him a small smile. It was her way to say thank you, and she knew he understood her when he let out a breathe they didn't know he was holding back. The truth is that when he saw her little smile his heart made a mortal jump right there. She was one of the most beautiful girls he had ever met, and here she was, thinking bad things about herself because a bunch of assholes was attacking her with no reason.

He knew she was still with a low esteem of herself. You can't erase every negative thought put in your head with someone saying one good thing about you…but he was willing to show her that his thoughts were real, that he was real, and that his heart was beginning to feel something new, amazing, but new, towards her.

He kissed her nose and still whispering he said, "The gang is downstairs. Do you want for them to come here?"

He could see her confusion. The gang? In her house? What? Why? When?. Smiling, he said "I needed an excuse to be able to stay with you without our parents getting worried. So I've talked with Chad, and we have thought about pretend that we all are in a sleepover here because we have to prepare the project…so everyone is downstairs", explained the boy.

"Oh…do they…mm…do they know…well…what happened?", she asked embarrassed directing her eyes far away from his.

"Yes…I had to tell Chad…is that bad?", he asked narrowing his eyes in confusion.

"Yes, well…I mean, no…but…what are they going to think when they see me?", her fears growing up again.

"They are not going to think anything bad about you. They are your friends. And if someone would make a bad comment about you, which I doubt, I'll take care of it, ok? I am your superman…have you forgotten it?", he said putting a goofy face.

She couldn't help but giggle, which earn for her another of his perfect smiles. "Ok then, I am going downstairs to let them know you are awake, ok?". And he was starting to sit up…but he couldn't finish because two little hands tightened their grab on him. "What? I need to go downstairs baby…I swear I'll be here in no time…", he said soothing her.

"No. Don't go…please…I don't want to be alone…", she said in a petite voice.

Seeing her desperation and need in her eyes for him to be with her, he couldn't help but give her another small smile. "Ok then. How do you think we must let them know you are awake then, missy?", he answered smiling.

She returned the smile and without any warning she screamed "I am awake. You all can come upstairs now!!!", which made Troy laugh out loud…and Gabriella giggled more. She made him to lay with her again…and when he did, she put her head on his chest again, resuming their "sleep" pose.

Suddenly, fast steps could be listened, and in a beat 6 faces entered running in the room with concert written in their faces….stopping dead in their tracks once they saw a very bruised, but smiling Gabriella. The girls couldn't help but started to cry, which made the others to exchange looks.

"Girls…I am ok…", said Gabriella. Seeing her friends cry so hard was being too much for her. She had already stopped her tears…and if they continued like that, her own tears would appear at some point. Troy could see a water curtain in Gabi's eyes, and feeling their special connection again, he knew she was about to cry because of her friends.

Clearing his throat, he said in a firm voice "Girls. Stop. Gabi don't need more drama…she is more or less okay now. And seeing you like that is making her feel uncomfortable…so stop. Now we need positive thoughts, jokes…we need something funny here, so this way we can forget today. At least for now. Later we have to talk about it, but now, we need peace, relax, and good vibe. Is that clear?".

The girls exchanged a look, and rushing to Gabi's side to hug her, slowly because of her bruises, each one of them placed herself near her friend. "You are right Troy. Sorry", they said.

Turning to Gabi, Shar looked at her sympathetically and say in her drama queen mode "From now on missy, none of us is going to be alone in the school. If you need to pee, all of us need to pee, is that clear girls?". A chorus of "YEAH!" could be listened, which made the boys smile.

Troy let them room in the bed. He still has a firm grab on Gabi, because she was with her head in his chest again, but he put himself in a position which let the girls be there with them too. Chad, Jason and Zeke also wanted to be with their "family", so Chad, whining like a little child said "It's so unfair…we also want to be there with youuuuuuu…", he said pouting.

"The pout don't look good on you babe", said a smirking Taylor. The entire group laughed at that, and he glared at her.

"Oh…come on little boys! Come here you 3!", said Gabriella. And with that, those 3 big-little boys went to the bed and each boy placed himself near his girl. In the end, our 4 couples were snuggled together in Gabi's bed laughing, joking and having fun.

Time flied by…but they didn't mind. They were with their family, they were with their friends. They were forgetting the real world for a while. And they couldn't be happier about that.

All of them knew that at some point, this bubble they had built around them would be broken, because they needed to talk about what happened, but until that moment, they chose to be normal teens. Nothing more, nothing less.

Nothing interesting here…but this was needed for the story. I don't want to make a story based only about drama. We can't forget my characters are teens…so some good vibrations from time to time I think are needed.

Thank you again!!!

Irene xoxo