Scream

Chapter 9

Tiger

August 8th

Gabriella

"Gabriella! Troy is here." My mom called as I lay in my bed blankly staring at the ceiling.

"Let him in." I yelled back before I heard the door open and footsteps were apparent.

"Hey." He said but I didn't answer, "What's wrong?"

"Hi Troy." I said as I turned my head toward him.

"Gabs what's wrong?" He asked me worriedly.

"I just-" I paused and thought for a moment, "I just want to walk again."

"Then do it." Troy told me kindly.

"I can't anymore." I told him very confused on my situation.

"Remember what I told you about can't?" Troy asked.

"Well yea but really, I tried and I have been trying to and it isn't working." I told him sadly.

"You just need more motivation." He assured me as he pulled my covers down and he didn't even seem to realize I was in my underwear.

"What are you doing?" I whined questioningly.

"This," He said as he took my foot in his hands and started rubbing it, "What do you think?"

"I feel it. I know I can feel it but I can't move it." I replied just staring at Troy.

"What about this." He said as he started tickling me. My foot flinched and automatically, it moved.

"Troy! Stop it!" I laughed loudly.

"Make me." He said. Somehow I pulled my other foot back and jammed it into Troy's side.

"I am soooo sorry!" I exclaimed.

"Gabriella you kicked me, hard… You moved your leg. If you can kick like that, you should be able to walk." Troy told me.

"Help me up." I told him.

"No you get up yourself." He said as he took a step back.

"I can try." I told him as I swung my legs over the side and sat there as they dangled.

"Come on." He encouraged.

"Alright alright." I said as my feet hit the ground and soon I was standing straight up.

"See I told you, you could do it." Troy said happily.

"I'm going to try and walk ok?" I told him.

"You can do it." He said as he took another step back. I lifted one leg and shuffled the foot slowly toward him. Then another and another before my knees gave and I collapsed into Troy's arms. He pulled me up and swung me in a circle before pulling me close to him.

"Will you bring me to my closet?" I asked him quietly and he held onto my arms as I shuffled very slowly, but successfully to the closet. He let go of my arm as I took the wall for help. I found some clothes and Troy led me back to my bed.

"Do you need any help?" He asked uncertainly.

"Only if you feel comfortable." I told him as his reaction was to actually help me. Troy pulled my pants up for me; I could hear my heart beating five times faster as he buttoned them. Then I motioned for him to turn around so I could change my shirt.

"Ready to go?" Troy asked as soon as I tapped his back.

"Totally." I told him as I got into my wheel chair by myself.

"Let's be off." He said as he swung his leg and pushed me out the door.

"Good morning guys, what have you been up to?" Mrs. Montez asked.

"Nothing." I told her and Troy looked at me quizzically.

"Yea, bye Mrs. Montez." Troy said as he pushed me outside.

"I don't want to tell her yet, I want it to be a surprise and something I accomplished with you." I told him sweetly as he pushed me down the street.

"So you want to go grab a bite to eat?" Troy asked as I rolled along the street by myself until we reached his house and got in his car.

"Yea, how about the mall?" I asked.

"What would you like to eat today?" He asked sincerely as we headed there.

"I feel like pizza," I said but looked over to him, "How about you?"

"Pizza it is." Troy grinned as we drove in a comfortable silence to the mall where we eventually got out of the car and he helped me into my wheel chair.

"Shall we?" I asked and got a reply, "We shall."

"Where is the pizza place here?" I asked quietly.

"Over here." He said as he grabbed the handles of my chair and steered to the restaurant on the outside of the mall.

"This looks nice." I said, more to myself than Troy as we pressed the handicap button and walked in. The waitress led us to a table and took our drink order. Soon we were talking like old friends and having a wonderful time before we ate and left.

"So what does Gabriella want to do today?" He asked me as he grinned widely.

"I don't know." I said smiling back.

"Do you want to go back to the park?" Troy asked smirking slightly.

"Yea sure." I agreed as we drove off to the park. When we got there, Troy helped me out, but he didn't take my wheel chair out.

"You don't need you're wheel chair." He said as he carried me to a more secluded part of the park.

"Ok, whatever you say." I giggled as he sat me down in the grass.

"Hey dude, I see you've got yourself a girlfriend." A voice came from behind me. Just looking at the guy made me feel insecure.

Troy

I turned around to see my rival standing there smirking, West High's football captain; Lance Harce.

"What do you want Harce?" I spat out.

"Just want to meet this beautiful girl you just carried here." Lance said shrugging a bit.

"Well she doesn't want to meet a piece of dirt like you." I growled at him.

"Calm down tiger." Lance said laughing a little.

"What do you want?" I asked getting pissed.

"Hey girl, why don't you come and hang with a real man." Lance said directing towards Gabriella.

"She doesn't want to talk to you Harce." I said angrily.

"What? Asking a girl out is a crime?" He simply laughed out loud.

"You can't ask Gabriella out." I informed him.

"Why not?" He asked mock shock.

"Because." I said… I could think of anything.

"Because why?" He asked as he took a step toward us.

"Because I don't like you." Gabriella spoke up.

"You don't like me?" He asked getting pissed.

"No… Troy, will you help me up?" Gabriella asked as I bent down and pulled her up.

"Can't get up yourself?" Lance said as he mocked Gabriella sticking his bottom lip out. I let go of Gabriella and he found himself pinned against a tree by me.

"Don't you ever be mean to Gabriella." I said threateningly. He must have gotten scared because he quickly nodded and slipped away. When I turned around, Gabriella was standing there as she watched me walk back over so she could lean her weight on me.

"Thanks Troy." She said, not smiling or anything.

"I love you, remember?" I told her.

"Yea." She smiled up at me as I sat her down and sat next to her in the grass.