Heartbroken
Chapter 10
Gabriella walked down her street, hands in her jacket pocket feeling very glum over the recent events that took place today. What am I supposed to do now? The theme for Prom sounded so awesome and she didn't plan on missing it for anything, but she just couldn't show up alone. She walked around the oval, but this time decided to go to the other side. Her mother always told her some dodgy people hung out around there, but right now, Gabriella didn't gave a rat's ass.
She walked down a small dirty pathway and through a small area of bush and trees until she reached what looked like a skate park and a half pipe. "Holy shit" Gabriella said. She saw lots of guys as young as 12 years old and as old as only 20.
"Gabriella?"
"Huh?" Gabriella said as she looked to her left.
"Hey" Nick said smiling. He was with his skateboard and took his helmet off, ready to have a chat to her. He was hot when he was…hot (in temperature!) "what are you doing here?" he asked.
"I can go" she said as she began to walk away but he grabbed her arm.
"No, don't go you can stay" he said quickly and Gabriella smiled, "but really, what are you doing here?"
"Well I just decided to walk past the oval than around it all the time" she said.
"Well fair enough"
"So I take it you hang out here a lot?" she asked.
"Yeah" he said turning around to look at everything. "You want a turn?" he asked holding out his skateboard.
"No way! I'd kill myself!" she said laughing slightly.
"No you won't, not if I help you" he said and he grabbed her hand and led her down to the skate park, "can you stand on a skateboard and just roll a bit?" he asked and Gabriella nodded, "okay then" he said as he placed his board at the top of the tiniest hill ever. "Do you wanna try this?"
"Sure, what have I got to lose?" she said. She stood on the skateboard and pushed forward with her foot and rolled down the small hill back onto the flat surface.
"Like a glove" Nick said.
"You know there was always something I've wanted to do on a halfpipe" she said looking at the huge half pipe that about 3 guys were skating back and forwards on.
"What's that?"
"Slide down it" she said.
"Oh yeah, that's heaps of fun. Come on, lets go" he said and he led her over to the half pipe. "Everyone off! A friend of mine wants to do something!" Nick yelled.
"Nick no!" Gabriella said through gritted teeth.
"Relax, they're very welcoming guys"
"Anything for the lovely lady" one of them said, but this guy noticed she didn't look well. Gabriella walked up the steep steps with Nick and sat on the edge and Nick sat next to her.
"Seems scary when you're up here doesn't it?" he asked.
"It sure does" Gabriella added, "my god I don't want to do it now!" Gabriella said chuckling.
"C'monnnn" Nick said playfully. Suddenly, a thought came to Gabriella's mind. Prom. Maybe she could ask Nick?
"Nick?"
"Yes?"
"Okay, feel free to say no to this question and tell me to fuck off, but do you reckon…you could go to my prom with me?" she asked as she immediately pushed herself and slid down the half pipe with her eyes shut tight not giving him any chance to reply. She sat at the bottom, not moving once until she heard someone slide and stop near her.
"Absolutely" he said and Gabriella opened her eyes and grinned widely. He helped her down and looked in her eyes, "I'd be more than happy to go with you! Never been to a dance though…" he said.
"That's okay"
"Can I just ask, and don't take this the wrong way, but why aren't you going with anyone else from your school? I figured someone like you would know a lot of guys. I mean you're very pretty, you seem smart and confident and I like your personality" he said and Gabriella went a light shade of pink.
"Well my boyfriend dumped me and all my friends hate me" she said casually like a normal conversation.
"May I ask why?"
"Of course you can. But I can't give you an answer because I have absolutely no idea why they hate me, I haven't done a thing wrong. And you know the guy I bumped into and you came to save my life that afternoon?"
"Oh yeah the dude and that chick" Nick said and Gabriella nodded.
"They are now dating" she said and Nick suddenly felt very bad for Gabriella.
"I'm sorry" he said and Gabriella shrugged.
"Nothing I can do anymore. I'm done begging for forgiveness" she said. "Oh and, the theme is You're My Cinderella"
"You got it" he said winking again.
Gabriella and Nick just sat off to the side for a while and chatted about anything they could think of. Gabriella was glad she had found a friend, just to talk to.
"Listen, I have to go now, can I have your number?" Gabriella asked looking at her watch.
"Sure" he said and they exchanged their phones and added both their cell's into it.
"I'll message you" she said and winked back to him when she left. As she walked home, she wondered when she could go looking for a dress. This Saturday? Shit! No! That stupid carnival is on, god dammit! Gabriella really wasn't looking forward to that, but she had to go. Even if you said you had Scarlet Fever or the Plague, you would still have to go.
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The day of the carnival came, and the marks on Gabriella's arm had gotten deeper and fresher, she was becoming thinner and bottles of alcohol had been getting scarcer and scarcer. She felt like total shit waiting in line for the Ferris wheel, particularly since Troy and the gang were behind her. She had put her hood over her head before they had even queued up after her, so she was at the hope they didn't know it was her, and since her body shape looked so different, she highly doubted they did.
"You ready young lady?" the man said, trying not to stare at her fragile frame and hollow looking face. Gabriella nodded and handed him his ticket. She thought being on the Ferris wheel would clear her mind. "You not going with anyone?" he asked.
"No, just alone"
"Lonely ride! Bucket 7!" he yelled out.
"Oh my god no!" she said, but it was too late. The man had just yanked Troy out of the line and almost pushed him in the seat.
"What the hell?" Troy said.
"A lady should never be alone" he said and pushed the bar down and the Ferris wheel began to spin. There was no escape. Gabriella's hood was still over her head, basically hoods had been over her head for the entire week. And Troy hadn't even recognized her yet.
"Jesus, the things people do these days" he said, trying to strike up conversation with the person. Troy was talking to her, but it didn't feel real, because to him, Gabriella was a total and utter stranger. "What's your name?" he asked. Gabriella couldn't escape him anymore. She turned to face him and Troy gasped. Her stared into her eyes, there was no twinkle like there used to be. The rosiness in her cheeks had changed to a hollow face. There was no happy, fresh look to her. Compared to her old self, she looked like the Grim Reaper. "G-Gabriella?" Troy stuttered. Gabriella didn't answer, she just turned around again, her face hidden by her hood. Troy's heart was thumping fast. He looked down at her ankles, they were tiny and she had painted her nails dark red. Gabriella always got a pretty pedicure. Her fingers had gotten skinnier as well, her entire body was absolutely microscopic! A part of Troy just wanted to wrap his arms around her and let her cry into his chest, but it seemed she had no tear ducts. Her face showed no emotion.
"I came here to clear my head. That's completely turned into shattered glass" she said in monotone.
"Gabriella you're sick" Troy said immediately.
"Oh really? Haven't looked at myself in the mirror for about a week" she said.
"Why not?"
"Because I'm afraid all I will do is punch it then I'll get glass stuck in my hands" she said strangely. Instinctively, Troy looked to her hands, and just managed to see deep gashes on her wrists. Shit shit shit shit he repeated over in his mind. His jaw clenched together and he began to shake. "Are you cold? You've got like 50 layers on. Maybe you're feeling sick from being away from your precious Eloise"
You're more precious then she is he thought immediately, but he squeezed his eyes shut and stopped thinking. Gabriella closed her eyes as well and pictured what would be the perfect carnival. She saw herself and Troy on this very Ferris wheel, leaning towards each other and holding hands, while shouting out to Chad and Taylor on the cart in front and making kissing sounds at Zeke and Sharpay who were down on the ground. When Gabriella closed her eyes everything just went blank again. She felt eyes burning into her head through her hoodie.
"What?" she asked looking at him again, only to see him whip his head away.
"I don't know what to say"
"Then don't fucking say anything. Don't fucking talk to me, leave me alone" she said moving closer to the edge of the cart and looking out to the distance.
"Gabriella look at yourself, you're sick"
"I don't care Troy, and I'm not listening to you anymore" she said as she began to block him out. God I just want to get out of here! Gabriella thought desperately as Troy began to rant on. Gabriella looked down and was definitely going to jump out when she was close enough to the ground. Come on come on COME ON!! Faster! And finally, she got close enough to the ground and began to crawl out.
"Gabriella, what the hell are you doing!" he said, but before he could even touch her, she had jumped and landed on her feet and jumped over the metal fence and out of his sight. "Holy shit" Troy said.
"Hey Troy!" Eloise said as she jumped in the same cart as Troy, "why the hell did that mean old man pull you away from me?" she asked.
"What? Oh…I dunno" Troy answered, his attention still on the walking Gabriella. As much as he denied it, Eloise was the last person Troy wanted to see. And to make things better, she began to make out with him, and out the corner of his eye, he saw Gabriella watching, and then run around a corner pulling her hood over her head.
"If the bucket's a rockin' don't a come a kn-kn-kn-knockin'!!!!" Chad yelled out, swinging the cart back and forth with Taylor in it. Troy and Eloise looked behind and saw him and began to laugh, but Troy's laugh was only half hearted. It would have been 100% real if Gabriella was there.
Meanwhile, Gabriella was walking aimlessly around the carnival kicking an empty coca cola can on the ground. "Are you going to pick that up?" an old teacher asked.
"No! I am not. I don't want to pick up other people's filthy rubbish, it could be diseased and I could get sick. I could get contaminated" Gabriella said, starting to really get sick of teachers demanding students to do petty things they could do themselves, but they are just too superior, "why can't you pick it up?" Gabriella asked.
"Miss. Montez! What has gotten into you lately? You are usually so level headed, but now I really have no idea who you are" the teacher said, and Gabriella knew she was right. She had a very good, sensible reputation at East High but now everybody seems to know she has been changing. Academically changing, changing in appearance and changing in attitude. But Gabriella didn't care. Finally, she was free of her irritating thoughts when her mobile rang.
"Hello?"
"Hey Gabriella! It's me Nick"
"Who?"
"Nick!!"
"Oh! Hey Nick! I'm sorry, I'm at a carnival at the park raising money for the prom and it's really loud!"
"I know, I'm here too! I came to the skate park but this massive circus was here!"
"You are?? That's awesome! Can I meet you somewhere?"
"Absolutely, where are you now? Let me guess, the dodgem cars!?"
"Yeah!!"
"You're probably standing there with one arm folded across your chest just moving on the spot"
Gabriella looked down and she certainly did have one of her arms folded across her chest and she was slowly turning back and forwards slowly.
"And you're probably looking down realising you are in fact doing all that!! And have also realized that I am in fact watching you!!"
And immediately Gabriella began to laugh and looked around for Nick but couldn't see him.
"And now you're looking for me!!"
"Nick where are you?!"
"I'm right here" he said popping up behind her. Gabriella turned around and saw him facing her. He was wearing black jeans, a nice shirt and a trucker hat and boy he looked good. In the meantime, Troy had spotted them talking and wondered who on earth this guy was, and yes. He felt jealousy throughout his body. He didn't like this dude. "So you're not afraid of heights are you?"
"No, why?" Gabriella asked. And Nick pointed to the big slide, "hell yes" Gabriella said and they ran over to the slide, with Troy and the gang watching them the whole time. As they both approached the stairs, Gabriella saw the sign saying Single or Double Up. She saw Nick grab two potato sacks (you know the ones they use for the giant slide), "no it's fine, we can go together, I never really liked going alone" she said.
"You sure?" he asked and Gabriella nodded.
"Sure"
"Alright then" he said and they both began to walk up the steep stairs.
"You two going together?" a rather overweight lady said to them, observing the one potato sack.
"Yep" Gabriella said. Nick put the potato sack on the flat surface at the top of the slide and Gabriella sat down first and Nick then got on, both of his legs on each side of Gabriella. He wrapped his arms around Gabriella's waist, and she felt totally fine with it.
"You ready?" he said happily.
"Go!" Gabriella said playfully and Nick pushed off and Gabriella let out a fun squeal as they went down and then laughed the entire way to the bottom. When Troy saw Nick's arm's wrapped around Gabriella's waist, he felt a massive surge of anger, jealousy, protectiveness, resentment and wanted to punch Nick to the floor. And the worst part was that Gabriella was enjoying herself. He felt a strong hand comfortingly squeeze his shoulder which he knew to belonged to Chad, Chad knew everything about Troy and almost everything he was feeling. He could read Troy like a book.
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The next week came quickly and all the students were scattered around the hallway again. Gabriella was wearing a large polo shirt and short shorts which she needed a belt to hold up.
"Gabriella" Mr. Matsui said from behind her.
"Yes Principle Matsui?" Gabriella said in a perfect teachers pet voice, just to piss him off.
"Would you like to come with me?" he asked gently.
"Do I have a choice?" she said and Matsui gave her a knowing look and Gabriella just followed him, "where are we going?"
"Mrs. Bilton, our nutritionist would like to have a word with you" he said.
"East High has a nutritionist?" Gabriella asked shocked.
"Yes, East High does" he replied. They walked for about 2 minutes until they arrived at the physical education building, "Gabriella this is Mrs. Bilton" he said, introducing the two to each other.
"Nice to meet you" Gabriella said timidly.
"Nice to meet you too Gabriella" Mrs. Bilton replied and Mr. Matsui walked away, "would you like to take a seat?" she asked motioning Gabriella to sit down, and sitting down herself. So Gabriella nervously sat down and clutched her school books to her chest tighter. "Now Gabriella I would like to talk to you about your diet" she said and Gabriella rolled her eyes and began to squirm in her seat. "just relax, just tell me about your diet. Truthfully"
"Well, I don't know. I don't keep track" Gabriella said, she did not want to be here.
"Well what meals have you eaten this week?" she asked and Gabriella's world began to shake and spin. Her eyes began to move at a rapid rate around the room and she started to shake, "Gabriella? Are you alright?" she asked and Gabriella just got up and zoomed out of the room, barging through the door and running down to the gym, needing a place to lie down. She spotted a big blue mattress above a bunch of other mattresses and climbed up and dropped down, sinking into the softness.
"Ahhh" she said, but shut her mouth tight when she heard basketballs bouncing and a bunch of rowdy, loud teenagers yelling amongst each other, "shit" she whispered under her breath.
"So you're taking Elly to prom Troy?" Zeke asked.
"Yeah who else would I be taking Zeke? Sharpay?" Troy answered.
"Good point. Did you ever consider asking…Gabriella?" Zeke asked and Gabriella's heart began to beat fast.
"Do you honestly reckon I would? Gabriella's a bitch remember?" Troy said, but having the words 'Gabriella' and 'bitch' in the same sentence made Troy feel sick. It felt awful coming out of his mouth, "but, you know it was sort of my instinct to ask her in the first place" he said and the others agreed, "I wonder what she's gonna wear"
"Who knows? Have you seen her lately? She looks as sick as a dog" Chad said, shooting a hoop. Gabriella was glad as hell they couldn't see her, she had sunk so far into the mattress. A dog? Thanks…Gabriella thought. They were comparing her to a fucking dog.
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Another entire week had gone by and Gabriella had lost a couple of kilograms. She was walking to English until an arm yanked her into an empty classroom. "What the hell?" Gabriella said and the light switched on. "Sharpay?"
"Yes, Sharpay" Sharpay said, "look I dislike you, but it doesn't mean I'm going to sit around and watch you kill yourself"
"What are you talking about??" Gabriella asked.
"This is what I'm talking about!!" Sharpay almost ripped the hoodie off Gabriella's head and unzipped the jumper and yanked it off her. She harshly brushed Gabriella's hair behind her neck and yanked Gabriella's tracksuit pants down, (don't worry they had all just had gym and Sharpay new Gabriella was wearing shorts underneath). "Look at yourself! You are so sick! And me, being the lover of fashion and body image isn't going to take it!"
"Yeah well being me, a person who is not into other girls, isn't going to stand half naked in front of a blonde bimbo like yourself" Gabriella said and quickly started to dress herself and exaggeratedly pulled the hood over her head, "leave me alone!" Gabriella yelled.
"Are you going to prom Gabriella?! Do you know what everyone is going to be saying and thinking about you? 'Look at Gabriella Montez, she's tiny' 'wow Gabriella has gotten so thin!' 'is Gabriella Montez anorexic?' That is what you're gonna get Gabriella!" Sharpay shouted.
"Yes I am going to Prom! And I am going to enjoy my night! Haven't you always told people not to care what others say and think about them? Well that's what I will be doing! And have fun in your most likely skanky Cinderella dress" Gabriella said and began to march out of the room.
"The theme changed Gabriella" Sharpay said calmly. (don't worry, she isn't lying, it really did change lol)
"What?" Gabriella asked
"It changed to Welcome to the Jungle"
"When?"
"This morning, Darbus announced it in homeroom, but of course you were probably in bed sleeping, drinking your life away" Sharpay said. And at that, Gabriella swung her hand in the air and sent it right across Sharpay's face. Sharpay squealed and looked up at Gabriella, "I have no idea who you are" she said and walked out of the room with her hand at her cheek.
I have no idea who you are. Gabriella dropped back against the wall and slid down, her hands covering her face as she began to cry. The only thing she could do to get her mind off things was to message Nick and tell him the Prom theme had changed.
PROM NIGHT
Gabriella had used some of the money her mum left her to get her hair and makeup done. She was looking at herself once last time in the mirror until she heard the doorbell ring.
"Nick" she said quietly. She was quite surprised at herself, because she was feeling very excited to be going with him! She thought she might feel sad, seeing Troy was going with someone else. Gabriella slowly walked down the stairs, trying not to trip on her heels and put her hand on the door handle. For a moment, it was as if she didn't want to open it, and just wanted to run upstairs and climb into bed and forget about the entire night. No, I can't do that. So Gabriella turned the door knob and revealed Nick standing there with his hands in his pockets, wearing a black suit with a green tie (for the jungle theme) with his sleeves slightly rolled up and boy he looked sexy! (Just think of Ryan Sheckler at his hottest)
"Wow, you look pretty incredible!" Nick said sincerely and Gabriella blushed.
"Well you pretty sexy yourself" she said. Just realizing what she said, she turned around to grab her purse cursing herself inside her mind. She turned back around and linked her arm through his, only to see a black stretch limo waiting there. "Nick!! Did you do this??"
"I certainly did" he said grinning.
"Well you certainly didn't have to! I could have driven, or you could have driven or-"
"Gabriella, we are taking the limo, end of story" he said smiling and led her to it and she giggled, very excitedly. Nick helped her in the limo and noticed her small she was, and he began to worry. (Gabriella's dress is in my profile)
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Gabriella and Nick entered the amazing hotel and the theme decorations were just incredible!! Gabriella noticed that other girls were commenting on how sexy and hot Nick was and how he was a totally stranger, but how different Gabriella looked. She was wearing a dress everyone was surprised to see her in, and everyone was talking about how drastically thin she had gotten, but she still managed to look beautiful somehow. She had also added a lot of bangles on her left arm to cover her cuts, and they worked very well. No one noticed, not even Nick. Eloise just looked like a total slut, Taylor and Sharpay both looked amazing and so did the guys. But Troy looked the best, he looked better than Nick. Well that's what Gabriella thought. Gabriella saw that most couples were already dancing to Just Dance by Lady GaGa (love that song!!) and Gabriella saw that the gang headed onto the dance floor.
"Come on, let's go dance" Nick said.
"But…" Gabriella began. She didn't feel so comfortable dancing without the gang, especially the fact she was only dancing with one person.
"No buts" Nick said and gently pulled her onto the dance floor. Gabriella began to dance timidly but when she saw how much of an awesome dancer Nick was and how other girls seemed to be envious, her confidence lifted a little and she began to relax.
"Take it easy man" Chad said to Troy when he noticed how his fists clenched and his knuckles turned white, "ignore her, think about what that lousy bitch did to us" he added, and Troy's fists unclenched. Chad was right.
Throughout the night, everyone danced and ate and danced some more, until it was time to announce the king and queen. "Okay everyone! Are you ready to hear the king and queen?" a male teacher yelled through the microphone, and everyone exploded with uproars. "I'll take that as a yes then! Okay, this years Prom King issss…Nick…Coulsin?" he said, having no idea who the guy was. Immediately, each girl cheered and squealed. Nick had introduced himself to one person other than Gabriella and seemed as though the word spread around! Gabriella looked up at Nick and chuckled, seemed as though a shitload of last minute voting had been done!!!
"I had nothing to do with this" he said smiling, "I'll reject it if you want me to"
"No! You're Prom King, go!!" she said patting him on the back and clapping, although she didn't like the fact she was standing alone. She saw everyone clapping, except for her old friends. Chad had his hands in his pockets, Troy had his arms folded across his chest, Taylor and Sharpay stood with attitude and Eloise just rolled her eyes, although she thought that guy was unbelievable sexy.
"And this years Prom Queen isss…Sharpay Evans!" and more cheers were heard from the room, although Sharpay had gotten queen for the past 2 years. So the King and Queen were up on stage while the teachers were rambling on. Nick was just focused on being normal and Sharpay was focusing on desperately not trying to look at the sexy boy standing next to her. "Now it's time for the king and queen to share a dance" the teacher said, but Nick quickly leaned into the microphone.
"Uh, actually no… I'm not dancing with this lovely lady" he said holding his hand out to Sharpay, "I'm dancing with that gorgeous girl right there" he said pointing to Gabriella who immediately went bright red. Troy could've screamed. So Nick went down the stairs casually and pulled Gabriella out in the middle of the dance floor and they began to dance to Kiss From a Rose by Seal. Troy saw Nick whisper something in Gabriella's ear and watched her laugh. After a couple of minutes, Troy saw Nick brush a strand of hair behind her ear and his fury amplified. He could have exploded when he saw Nick edging closer and closer to Gabriella's lips each second. Troy didn't realize, but Gabriella was feeling slightly uncomfortable. Nick certainly wasn't doing anything wrong, he obviously liked him a lot, and it's not like he was forcing himself on her, she just wasn't ready to do anything like that. And when Nick was close to kissing her, Troy stormed in on the scene.
"Troy!" Chad yelled out, but was too late. Troy pushed Nick right off her.
"I think you've had enough dude" he said angrily.
"Troy!!" Gabriella yelled extremely angrily.
"Jesus mate, we're just dancing!" Nick yelled back.
"Yeah buddy I think you've got more than just dancing on your mind!" Troy spat back.
"Hey screw you man! Gabriella asked me, not you! Now go dance with your bimbo date!" he said and Gabriella nodded in agreement.
"What the hell? How dare you!" Troy said, pissed off he insulted Eloise – but Troy knew it was the truth…she did look like a bimbo, and a lot of people agreed.
"Tell me you don't agree mate" Nick said.
"I'm not your friggin' mate" Troy replied and pushed him harshly back.
"And Gabriella's not your friggin' date!" Nick replied, pushing Troy back, but with more force.
"Don't fucking touch me" Troy said pushing him one more time.
"Or what?! You're gonna hit my fist with your face ay??"
"Screw you!" Troy said, only to be replied with a massive smack in the face with Nick's fist. Gabriella jumped at the sight and saw Troy punch him back.
"Nick stop!" she yelled instinctively, but Nick was her date! "TROY! Get off him!!" she yelled louder, but neither of the boy's stopped.
"Oi!!!! Break it up!! BREAK IT UP!!" a teacher yelled, but again, the guys just kept on wrestling. "SECURITY!!" The teacher yelled, and immediately two security guards came rushing in and as soon as the saw the fight they immediately stopped it. They both had each boy pinned to them, wrapping a strong arm around their collarbone and another around their waists.
"You break it up or you get kicked out!!!!" the huge bouncer said.
"Stop, please just stop for a minute!" Gabriella said and everyone stayed still and the bouncers let her talk. Gabriella looked at Troy and back at Nick. Nick seemed very disappointed when Gabriella walked over to Troy, but his spirits lifted when he saw her slap him in the face. "THAT'S FOR MAKING MY DATE BLEED!" she yelled and slapped him again, "THAT'S FOR BELIEVING THAT BITCH!!" and she slapped him one more time, "and that's for me" she whispered and the security guard took him outside. "Please let Nick go" she said as she walked over to Nick and put his hand on his cheek and rubbed his arm. "He won't do anything else. I promise" she said and the security guard loosened his grip on him and Gabriella pulled him to the side and gave him and hug and kiss on the cheek. Troy saw the scene and struggled against the security guard but the bouncer just grabbed him tighter and literally dragged him outside so Troy was slipping on his feet.
"You stay still and shut up!" as the bouncer chucked him outside, leaving Troy almost falling over.
"Shit!" Troy yelled and turned around bashing his forehead.
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The end of the night came and when Gabriella got home, she had a splitting headache from not eating or drinking anything the entire night, and to top things off, she had already felt tears rolling down her face from what happened between Nick and Troy. She hated Troy with a passion, but deep, deep down…very deep down, she loved him more than anyone. She really liked Nick, but just couldn't like him that way and she burst into more tears. She hurriedly went to the alcohol cupboard and pushed aside all the empty bottles and reached for a bottle of red wine. She opened it and sculled it, not caring about the taste. Everything around her began to spin, and before she could think or breathe or notice, she had fallen on the floor with a shattered wine glass next to her, and everything went black.