Until We Bleed

by: LunarEclipse360

A/N: thank you to all my reviewers. I'm glad that you all like how this story is going. Writing isn't as much of a hobby for me as it is an escape, so I'm not as good as many of the writers on this site, but I'm flattered that you think I'm doing a good job writing this story cause I surely don't think so. lol.

Warning: rated M for sexual situations, language, drug use, sex

Chapter 9

Gabriella jolted awake the next morning, finding herself lying across the couch with a blanket draped over her mid-section. Looking around, she saw that the television was on, but no sound came out of it. She guessed it was put on mute so it wouldn't disturb her. Remembering what happened hours earlier, she wondered where Troy was. As if on cue, he came out of his room with nothing but a pair of pants on. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the rather large gash across his chest that stretched from the right side of his collarbone to just underneath his left pectoral. What had happened to him to cause him to receive such a large scar? Before she could study it any further, he put on a shirt and walked into the kitchen.

Figuring it would be better that she got up, she stretched and yawned, alerting him to her conscious state. She ran a hand through her bed hair and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"Morning," he said.

"Morning." She got up and walked over to the kitchen. "What time is it?"

"Ten thirty."

"Shit."

"What?"

"I'm supposed to be heading to lunch with my Father in half an hour."

He turned, leaning against the counter. "Do you really wanna do that? I mean…you were pretty upset last night because of him."

"I really have no choice, Troy."

Leaving him in the kitchen, she went up to her room to get ready before her father's limo arrived. She wished she could put off this lunch with her father and the Mercers, but he was expecting her to be there. She didn't want to give him another reason why he should be angry with her.

"Oh, if Sharpay calls while I'm in the shower, tell her I'll call her later," she called.

"Will do."

/0\

Visiting Chad at his job had become an almost daily thing since that day in the park. Troy could slowly feel himself getting his friend back. They joked and reminisced about all the times they had in the past. It was bittersweet, though, because it brought back the fact that Troy had destroyed their friendship as slowly as the cocaine was destroying him. But they didn't dwell on it.

"So how goes living with this girl?"

"Great. She gave me some rules that I have to follow. If I don't, she'll cut my balls off."

Chad chuckled. "And you're actually following them?"

"Somewhat. I make it a priority to make some kind of dirty joke or comment towards her."

He shook his head. "And she hasn't kicked your ass out yet? Tough girl."

"She doesn't want me to know, but she secretly likes it."

"And you know that how?"

"She either laughs or rolls her eyes when I say it. She never tells me off."

"I wonder how you got lucky with that one."

"Wish I knew."

"Is she aware that your birthday is coming up soon?"

"No. I haven't told her. Don't really know if I want to."

"Why?"

"Girls tend to make a big deal out of birthdays."

"Stop being so sexist."

"I'm not."

"You are. You're lumping all girls together. Not all girls are the same. Hey, you might be lucky and she might not give a damn about your birthday."

"Maybe."

"Did you bring the picture of her I asked for?"

"Yeah." He pulled out a picture of Gabriella and Sharpay that he'd swiped from her wallet.

"Whoa." Chad said, looking down at the picture. "This is her right?" he asked, pointing to the brunette in the picture.

"Yep. That's Gabriella."

"She's cute. Who's the blonde?"

"Her best friend, Sharpay."

"Odd name."

"You can say that twice. But they're close, like sisters. Sharpay's very protective of Gabriella, so I know there's some kind of past that goes with her."

"Like you."

Troy nodded. Chad may not have known much about Troy's past, but he did know he had one. That much could not go unnoticed by the guy who used to spend almost every waking moment with Troy. Chad knew that Troy wasn't fond of his birthday; he also knew that Troy had an unspoken hatred with the date July 12th. He didn't know why, but he did know that those two days were two of the worse days of the year for Troy.

"Is her friend single?"

Troy smirked. "As far as I know she is. Why? Interested?"

Chad shrugged and grinned. "Maybe."

/0\

She was suffocating.

Around her, plans for her spring wedding were being spoken about. Georgia had brought along Maximilian's aunt, Corrine, and his god-mother, Audrey. All three women were speaking rapidly that she could hardly keep up. Every few seconds she would catch a word or a sentence, but nothing more.

"I was thinking of pink dresses for the bridesmaids."

She hated pink.

"White roses."

She much preferred lotus flowers or lilies.

"How about a long veil?"

She didn't want a veil.

"A cathedral."

"I don't believe in God."

Conversation ceased. Gabriella hadn't realized she had said that out loud until three pairs of eyes were on her. She was slightly glad that her father, Maximilian and Tobias Mercer had excused themselves from the table so that the women could talk.

"I'm sorry. What was that?" Georgia asked.

"I…I don't believe in God."

She could see something in the woman break. Georgia stood and went to seek out her husband, leaving Gabriella under the scrutinizing eyes of Corrine and Audrey. When she returned, Georgia returned with all three men and Gabriella could feel her father's burning gaze on her without having to look up.

"Tell them, Gabriella."

"I don't believe in God," she said softly.

Georgia turned to Jorge. "If you think I'm allowing my son to marry an atheist, you are sorely mistaken."

"I assure you, Georgia, that Gabriella is not an atheist. She whole-heartedly believes in God."

"Then why did she say it?"

"It was just a joke." He turned to Georgia, smiling slightly

"You do not joke about things like that, Jorge. It is unacceptable."

"I am aware of that." He turned back to Gabriella, burning holes into the top of her head. "Gabriella has a tendency to do things without thinking. This was just one of those times. Right?"

She nodded. "Yes. I'm sorry, Mrs. Mercer. I didn't mean to say what I said. It was a mistake to think I could joke about something like that."

Georgia sighed and retook her seat. "It's fine, dear."

"M-May I be excused?"

"Of course."

She stood and quickly went to the ladies' room to get from underneath her father's gaze. She screwed up; she knew that. It was nothing new and that's what made it even more unbearable. She told her father that she would never mention the fact that she didn't believe in God and she did…unintentionally.

Leaning against the sink, she stared at her reflection.

When are you going to stop making mistakes? When are you going to become the daughter he would be proud to have?

/0\

Something was wrong.

He didn't even have to ask her to know.

Worry crept over him as he watched her stare blankly at the television screen. He knew she shouldn't have gone to see her father today, but she refused to listen. Walking over to her, he sat down in front of her on the coffee table and blocked her view of the television.

"Troy? What are you…?"

"You were zoning off. I've been standing in the kitchen staring at you for the past ten minutes."

"You weren't imagining me naked again, were you?" she asked, hoping that she could change the subject.

"No, though I wanted to, but that's not the point." He sighed. "Point is, something's bothering you."

"I'm fine, Troy, really."

"You said the same thing last night and I saw right through that lie. What makes you think I can't see through this one?"

Sighing, she lowered her head. "How did you get so good at reading me?"

"I'm a very observant person." He placed his fingers under her chin and raised her head so that she was looking at him again. "I know you don't want to talk about it with me, but at least talk about it with someone. Call Sharpay; I'm sure she'd be happy to talk."

She smiled softly. "Thanks, Troy."

He nodded and smirked. "You're welcome." Standing, he headed back into the kitchen. "Uh. I'm fucking hungry."

"I can make you something."

"You don't have to."

She shrugged. "I know, but…cooking's kind of therapeutic for me. It helps me distract myself."

"If that's what you wanna do, then by all means go right ahead."

She got up and walked into the kitchen. Troy watched as she flittered around, going through cabinets for the necessary materials.

"Anything in particular you want?"

"Nope. Whatever you feel like making."

Nodding, she turned away from him and began to cook her mother's infamous 'arroz con pollo'. She wasn't sure how big he was on Spanish food, but he said anything.

A/N: If you haven't realized it by now, this is going to be a Chadpay. The idea of Chad and Sharpay together has grown on me :)