Till Death Do Us Part Chapter 10: An Opportunity to Die For, a high school musical fanfic

Chapter 10 – An Opportunity To Die For

That same evening, Lizzie walked into the house behind Troy carrying a shaken Sharpay. She immediately left the couple and went into her room. She was so angry about her father for the way he treated Jenny, especially if she was protecting them. She looked at her bed and saw a music manuscript lying on it. She picked it up and saw a piano part with a singing line above it. She read the title 'Everytime' and she realized that Jenny had left it behind for her. Lizzie sighed and hummed the song, reading the lyrics. Lizzie saw that the lyrics were definitely written for Troy, and she concluded that it was the best song she had ever heard.

Two Years Later…

'Hey Lizzie!' Sharpay greeted as Lizzie walked into the kitchen. She had just returned from UCLA for vacation, but was dreading visiting her future step-mom-to-be. Troy proposed to Sharpay six months ago, and when Lizzie found out, she wished and prayed for Gabriella to return. Neither Troy nor Lizzie had heard from Gabriella or Jenny since that time at the dance lesson when Jenny defended them, and Lizzie was heartbroken that her mother has lived to break her promise.

'Hi Sharpay,' Lizzie said with as much politeness she could muster, walking past her to get some orange juice out of the refrigerator.

'So…how's college?' Sharpay said, with a big fake smile plastered on her face.

'Dad isn't home, Sharpay, so you needn't bother being nice to me,' Lizzie sighed.

Sharpay's smile dropped. 'Listen here, Bolton. I'm trying to be nice to you. You could at least try to be nice to me.'

'Well I have heard the things you have said about my mom, and I don't like it,' Lizzie said, taking a sip from the carton of juice.

'Can you not drink out of the carton?!' Sharpay said.

'No. Dad always drinks out of the carton.' Lizzie argued.

'That's different. He's-'

'The one you are marrying. You have to be nice to him.' Lizzie interrupted.

'Excuse me?' Sharpay said, putting her hand on her hip.

'Oh come on, I'm not stupid. You are only after my dad for money. You don't want to jeopardise your main income for the rest of your life.'

'How dare you-' Sharpay started but stopped when she heard the front door open and Troy call out saying he is home.

Lizzie sighed and walked out the kitchen to say hi to her dad. 'Hey, sweetie!' Troy said, hugging his daughter tightly.

Lizzie smiled into the hug, wrapping her arms around her father, 'I've missed you, Dad.'

'I missed you too, Lizzie. And so has your boyfriend! He dropped this letter by this morning before I left for work.' Troy handed her an envelope with Justin's hand writing on it and Lizzie smiled as she took the letter and she made her way to her room to read it.

'So wait, the day I get back from my first semester at college, you decide to take your fiancé out on a date, without me?!' Lizzie said angrily.

'I'm sorry Liz, but I promised her a few weeks ago and I didn't know you were getting back today,' Troy replied, guiltily.

'Can't you just cancel?' Lizzie argued.

'You know she hates cancelling things…' Troy said.

'So?! So what?! I'm your daughter Dad!' Lizzie said.

'Look, Lizzie…' Troy said.

'No, just go. Get out Dad, I can't believe you!' Lizzie shouted.

'Lizzie-'

'You haven't been the same since Mom left. Go.'

'Gabriella leaving has nothing to do with this,' Troy said.

'It has everything to do with it, Dad,' Lizzie said, lowering her voice, sadly. Troy sighed and walked out of her room and walked down the stairs to meet Sharpay.

'So, we going then?' Sharpay smiled.

'Lizzie is a bit upset,' Troy said.

'Ah, she will get over it! I'm sure she will understand tomorrow morning.'

'You sure?' Troy asked.

'Positive!' Sharpay cooed, taking hold of Troy's hand. Troy smiled and they walked out the house.

Meanwhile, a certain Montez girl had listened to the whole scene through a microphone, shocked at how much Troy had changed. 'I think you are ready, Lizzie,' she said to herself, and got out of the black BMW that was parked across the road from the house.

She knocked on the door and a minute later Lizzie answered it, looked red eyed. 'How may I help you?' she sniffed.

'I want to offer you a job,' Gabriella said, glad Lizzie didn't recognize her in her disguise.

'What sort of job?' Lizzie frowned.

'We want you to feature in a new song, sung by Will.i.am.' Gabriella smiled at Lizzie's shocked face.

'Me? How do you know me?' Lizzie pondered.

'Your mother.' Gabriella answered. After a long pause, Gabriella continued, 'she heard that we were looking for an artist to sing in the song, and contacted us saying that you would be perfect. So…you interested?'

Lizzie thought for a while. 'How do I know that my mom actually contacted you, and that this thing is real?'

Gabriella smiled again, 'She said that she will meet you at the studio where she worked all those years ago, tomorrow.'

'What time?' Lizzie asked immediately.

'11 am,' she answered.

'I'll be there.' Lizzie said, and shut the door on Gabriella, and screamed in excitement, knowing that she will soon be reunited with her mother. Gabriella smiled at the sound of Lizzie's celebration and made her way back to her car.

The next morning Lizzie sped out of the house before Troy could question her as to why she was going out. She arrived at the studio and walked briskly in. While she was waiting in the reception, a secretary came out and led her through to the recording studio which was in session. As she walked in she looked through the window and saw Will.i.am recording his new song, but she didn't see Gabriella singing next to him or anything.

Lizzie looked around and saw no other than Gabriella Montez sitting at the editing booth nodding her head to the music and fiddling with the various buttons and knobs. Lizzie's face broke out into a broad grin and as soon as the music finished Gabriella jumped up and hugged her daughter tightly. 'I've missed you, Honey!' Gabriella said, not letting go of her.

'I missed you too, Mom,' Lizzie said.

'Give me two secs, I just need to talk to Will and we can go talk in the café.' Gabriella walked over to the artist and said a few things to him. He laughed and winked at Lizzie and Gabriella led her out to the studio's café. 'So, tell me about the last two years!'

Lizzie took in a breath and let out all the steam and anger about Sharpay and Troy. 'I can't forgive him, Mom. I can't forgive him for going back to Sharpay.'

'He's your dad, Liz,' Gabriella said sympathetically.

'I know, but you are my mother who has given up her life to protect us.'

'What do you mean?'

'Mom, I know why you left. I saw the way you fought those guys. You must be trained somehow. And anyway, you didn't let them anywhere near us, although I wouldn't have complained if they had gotten Sharpay,' Lizzie stated.

'You shouldn't talk about her like that,' Gabriella said.

'She deserves it, Mom. She talks about you like you are trash,' Lizzie groaned.

'As far as she is concerned, I am trash. Moving on…are you interested in featuring in this song?' Gabriella asked, quickly changing the subject.

'I don't understand, you phoned them, told them I would be good and they collected me?'

Gabriella laughed, 'No, that was me trying to find a way to make you come. I wrote and produced the song, realized it needed a female voice in it, and thought that I am way past my time to sing, so I chose you.'

'Mom, you are still an amazing singer…you can still continue with your career and everybody will love you! Just wait till Dad finds out about this!'

'Lizzie, you can't tell him about this.' Gabriella said.

'Why not!' Lizzie exclaimed, 'When he finds out that you came back and offered me the most amazing deal ever…he will have to realize that you are not just being selfish.'

'Well, maybe I am being selfish…I could be seen to be using you to make a hit song to make me money.'

'Mom, this song will introduce me into the music business…that is my dream!' Lizzie emphasized.

'I know…but…what if you want to get Dad back?' Gabriella said.

'What do you mean?'

'Well…there will be a video…I can appear in it with you…he won't know what hit him!' Gabriella smiled, 'And as for Sharpay…'

'She will be even angrier at you…and jealous of me…I love it! This is an opportunity to die for,' Lizzie enthused.

'Let's get recording,' Gabriella said, standing up to go back to the recording studio.

Three weeks later Lizzie, Troy and Sharpay were watching TV together. Lizzie looked at her watch then grabbed the remote and flipped the channel onto a music channel. Before Sharpay could protest, the music started playing which showed Lizzie walking in a room full of colorful lighting.

Where it's at (where it's at)
I know karma's coming to pay me back (pay me back)
I'm with the sweetest thang that's on the map (on the map)
I broke her heart in 30 seconds flat
In 30 seconds flat

Gabriella appeared on the screen next to Will and he danced with her while singing.

Now how did I (how did I)
Just how did I become that kind of guy (kind of guy)
To look at girl and lie right in the eye (in the eye)
My momma told me willy that aint right
Boy now that aint right

Troy looked at Lizzie angrily. 'What is this?'

'Just listen to the lyrics, dad,' Lizzie replied.

Lizzie started singing to the song on the video while dancers behind her moved to the music.

You're my heartbreaker
You're my heartbreaker
You're my heartbreaker
A h h h h I'm a heart
A h h h I'm a

Will started singing again and Lizzie saw Troy's fists clench tightly so his knuckles turned white.

Where she go (where she go)
I got some things I gotta let her know (let her know)
To fix the love now its impossible (its imposible)
But baby baby if we take it slow
If we take it slow
We can make it work make it work
We just cant throw the love down in the dirt in the dirt
You probly think that im a…
cause the way I let you down it made you hurt
I didn't mean to make you hurt

I'm s s s sorry
I'm s s s sorry
I didn't mean to break your heart
(I didn't mean to break your heart)
I'm s s s sorry
I'm s s s sorry
I didn't mean to break ya
B b b b break it baby
Look baby
I'm a heartbreaker
(Lizzie)
(You're my heartbreaker)
I'm a heartbreaker
(You're my heartbreaker)
I'm a heartbreaker
(You're my heartbreaker)
(You're my heart)
(Will.i.am)
A h h h h im a heart
A h h h ima

Gabriella started street dancing in front of the dancers and Troy couldn't believe how much she had changed. She never used to dance like that, and he saw the pure anger and sadness in her eyes.

(Lizzie & will.i.am)
Break it down
(Lets break it down)
Break it down
(Lets break it down)
Break it down
(Lets break it down)
Break it down
(Lets break it down)
Break it down
(Lets break it down)
Break it down
(Lets break it down)
Break it down
(Lets break it down)
Break it down
(Lets break it down)
Break it down
(Lets break it down)

(Lizzie)
You're my heartbreaker
You're my heartbreaker
You're my heartbreaker
You're my heartbreaker

(Will.i.am)
I'm a heartbreaker
I'm a heartbreaker
I'm a heartbreaker
A h h h h I'm a heart
A h h h h I'm a

The final shot was of Lizzie and Gabriella standing in the room together looking into the camera, and the look on their faces were the same: Sad.

'You have some nerve to do something like that behind your father's back, Elizabeth!' Sharpay hissed after a moments silence.

'You mean something with my mom? What is wrong with that? It's her song and she wanted me to be on it!' Lizzie argued.

'Then why didn't you tell me?!' Troy shouted.

'Cause I wanted to see your face when you saw how she really feels!'

'How she feels? What about how I feel?!' Troy raged, making Lizzie jump. 'She left me immediately after that incident at your school! As soon as she was in a bit of danger again, she fled the country. Do you know what that did to me?!'

Lizzie stayed silent, not letting herself tell Troy and Sharpay why she really left.

'Your father was in a mess when I saw him that evening,' Sharpay said.

'So what? You see that he will be easy to get so you screw him?' Lizzie blurted, not realizing what she said.

'What did you just say?!' Troy shouted.

'You heard!' Lizzie said, 'Sharpay is using you, Dad! Mom left everything to you, which is a lot of money…so Sharpay thought that she might as well get her hands on my mother's money and husband.'

An explosive silence filled the room and the doorbell went off. Lizzie opened the door and saw Gabriella smiling at her. 'Bad timing,' Lizzie whispered.

Gabriella looked at her strangely but realized what she meant as soon as Troy appeared at the door. His eyes were almost black from anger and he was breathing deeply to try and calm himself down. 'What are you doing here, Montez?' Troy said through gritted teeth.

'I think we should talk,' Gabriella stated and walked through the door and past Troy into the living room, to see Sharpay glaring at her.

'There is nothing for us to talk about, Gabriella! You made my daughter go behind my back to do some stupid song!' Troy shouted from behind her.

Gabriella spun round to look at Troy, 'Stupid?!'

'Yes, stupid. A song made from your own lies to make you seem like the innocent one, when really, it's me who the public feels sorry for.'

'You think this is all about public appeal?' Gabriella exclaimed. 'I left to keep you safe then you go back to Sharpay…after all the things that she had done to me in the past?'

'You didn't leave to keep him safe, Gabriella, you left to keep you safe,' Sharpay interjected.

'Stay out of this Evans!' Gabriella shouted and Troy and Sharpay froze as they recognized the tone from when Jenny said the same thing.

'If…if you left to keep us safe…why did we get attacked two years ago?' Troy stuttered.

'That is nothing to the ten times I have got attacked, Troy. I've been shot at three times, gone into hiding five times, and cried myself to sleep hundreds of times!' Gabriella shouted her voice breaking.

Lizzie walked over to her mom and hugged her, while Troy rolled his eyes, 'Oh please, save us the tears. You cry too much Gabriella.'

'Even when we were in high school you cried too much. You were such a wimp!' Sharpay added, enjoying the opportunity to offend Gabriella without getting shouted at by Troy for it.

'How dare you say that, Sharpay!' A voice said from outside the living room. The four people turned around to see Chad and Taylor walk in.

'Oh…if it isn't the Danforths. How nice of you to visit after, what, two years?' Troy snarled.

'We came to congratulate Lizzie on her song!' Chad said, walking over to Lizzie and putting his arm around her shoulders.

'We just never expected to see Gabi here!' Taylor said and hugged her best friend after so long.

'Nice to see you care so much about your best friend, Chad!' Sharpay smirked.

'He hasn't been my friend ever since he started being with you again,' Chad answered plainly, earning a glare from Troy.

'Leave it Chad,' Gabriella said, walking over to hug him.

'No, I won't! It's bad enough that he thinks you left to protect yourself, but to go back to Sharpay…' Chad continued.

Troy didn't say anything but started to lunge and Chad. Before he could punch him he felt something push him back so he slammed back against a wall. He looked down and saw Gabriella have a strong grip against him. 'Don't even try to hurt my friends, Bolton. You have already hurt my daughter and I've never forgiven myself for it,' Gabriella said quietly so only Troy could hear. He shoved her backwards, harder than he intended. She stumbled back and was knocked over by the coffee table. She fell on top of the table then rolled backwards off it, making a loud noise.

Sharpay laughed quietly and Lizzie launched herself at her swearing and hitting her. Taylor held her back while Chad moved to help Gabriella up. She made him stay away from her and she slowly stood up and winced at the pain in her leg. She looked down at the left leg and saw a large piece of glass stuck into her calf. Lizzie looked at her mom and saw the glass and gasped loudly. Troy's eyes widened at what he had done, not understanding why he pushed her so hard in the first place.

Gabriella slowly bent down and pulled out the glass, quietly moaning at the awful pain shooting up and down her leg. She then took off her cardigan and wrapped it tightly around her leg, securing it with a knot. 'I-I'll get an ambulance,' Troy said, stunned at what he did.

'No, you have done enough for the night. I'll just go,' Gabriella stated and started limping to the door.

'No, mom, you are not just leaving. I'll drive you to the hospital,' Lizzie protested and walked over to Gabriella and supported her.

'We'll follow,' Taylor said and Chad picked Gabriella up bridal style so she didn't have to put pressure on her leg.

'Br-Gabriella, I'm sorry,' Troy said, almost letting himself call her by her nickname.

'So am I,' Gabriella whispered, as Chad walked out of the house.

AN: Woah that was a long chapter! For me anyways. Please review, it makes my day…you have all been great so far.