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Chapter 11: Ridiculously Tough

At 4 AM Gabriella woke with a start. There was someone holding her down. She looked over and saw that it was Troy's arm that was slung over her stomach. She sighed in relief, as the fear slowly washed away. She looked at the clock and registered the time, then she realized she never got to her math homework. She quietly slipped out of bed and grabbed her Pre-Cal book. She opened her balcony doors and sat on a chair. 30 minutes later she was done.

She slid back into bed and giggled when Troy grabbed her and held her to him, spooning her. Contentedly she fell asleep. At 6 AM her alarm went off. She reached over and hit the off button. "Troy we need to get up." She tossed a hand in his direction, to find no one there. She turned over and opened her eyes. She frowned when she saw a note where he should be. She sat up and picked the note up.

"El Bell,

I had basketball practice this morning. Don't worry I'll talk to dad. I love you and will see you in homeroom, if not before then.

All my love,

Wildcat"

She smiled when he used her nickname for him. Clutching the note possessively in her hand she walked into the bathroom. She took a shower and got dressed. She went downstairs, with the note in her hand, she ate breakfast and she and Ryleigh got into their car to go to school.

They met a worried Sharpay, Kelsi, Taylor, and Ryan at their lockers and when the bell rang headed towards homeroom. Keeping the note in her hand Gabi waited for the door to open. Five minutes into homeroom it opened and in walked Jason, Zeke, and Chad, but no Troy. Gabi frowned.

"Coach kept him to talk." Zeke whispered as he passed by her. She nodded, still nervous. Finally, 15 minutes later he walked in. She took in his appearance. Even though he kept his stony look, he looked thoroughly exhausted.

Gabi sighed looking at her boyfriend. Now she was pissed off. Darbus went on and on about Shakespeare for a while, if she could marry the man she would, until the bell rang signaling the end of homeroom. "Troy." Gabi said, placing a hand on his arm.

He shook her off, "Don't." she frowned at his actions, but shook it off. She'd deal with him during lunch. Still holding on to the note, Gabi went to each of her classes and thought about Troy and his actions and basketball. She was consumed with worry.

On their way out of the class before lunch Gabi grabbed Troy, "Don't try to shake me off or I'll gladly create a scene." She threatened, he relaxed, "you're coming with me, whether you like it or not," and she dragged him to the rooftop garden. When they got up there she ordered him, "Sit." He did as he was told.

He put his head in his hands as she yelled, "What the hell was that Troy? This morning? I was only trying to be supportive! I can't help it if I worry, it's what I do. Don't you get it? I ALWAYS have had to play the grown up, while Ryleigh plays the carefree kid, so it's what I do, I worry like a mother usually, but in your case and in the case of our friends it's worrying about the people I love. Damn it Troy I've lost more than enough people close to me and I'll be damned if I lose anymore." Finally she stopped for breath.

"He made me run 100 suicides for not being home last night." Troy mumbled

Gabi turned to look at him, had she heard him correctly, 100 suicides for staying over at his best friend's house. He mouth gaped open, "You look like a fish." Troy said with a slight laugh. She frowned and shut her mouth.

"Troy, I'm not very happy about this. That really wasn't necessary. I want to talk to your father." She said, now she was flat out mad. You don't do this to your own child!

"Look. I spoke with him when it was done, he said he'd slack off." Troy looked into her concerned eyes. "Seriously El Bell, I promise." Then he noticed that she had something in her hand. "What's that?" he asked

"You don't recognize it?" she looked shocked, "You wrote it." She giggled

"You still have the note I wrote to you this morning?" he asked

"Of course. I was worried the moment I saw it." She smiled at him, he smiled back and drew her onto his lap. He began drawing lazy circles on her stomach as she slowly drifted off in his arms.

Coach Bolton entered the gym looking for his team. He found his son's table in the center of the cafeteria, but Troy wasn't there. This wasn't good. "Where's Troy?" he bellowed coming up to the table.

Everyone jumped and Kelsi whimpered, falling back into Jason's arms. Jack had gotten scary, like Hitler scary, lately in her opinion.

"I asked a question." He said

Sharpay stood up to face him. "We heard. And if we knew we'd answer it, but clearly," she gestured to the table, "he's not here."

"Sharpay, don't take that tone with me." He told her

"You took it with me Jack. You've lost it. And until you find it, you've lost my respect." She strutted out of the cafeteria.

"I'm just going to go after her Coach, she's a little stressed, that's all." And Zeke ran out after his girlfriend.

"Tell him I want to see him now." Coach Bolton exited the cafeteria.

"We need to find him." Taylor said, and the six friends got up in search of Troy. They found Zeke and Sharpay in the hallway. "Guys we need to find Troy and Brie." Taylor repeated. They nodded and the eight friends went off.

10 minutes later they found them asleep in the rooftop garden. The girls giggled, "They look so sweet." Ryleigh commented. Ryan gagged and she elbowed him in the stomach.

"Oww." He complained

"Don't be a baby." She told him.

"Let's just wait until they wake up, they look adorable now." Kelsi suggested, everyone nodded and they cuddled up on the floor waiting for lunch to be over.

5 minutes before the bell rang Gabi woke up, she turned to her side and gently shook Troy awake. "What?" he grumbled

She giggled, "Look." She directed, he opened his eyes and saw that all his friends were cuddled together on the floor in different spots sleeping. He laughed, causing them to wake up.

"Morning sleepy heads, bells going to ring about," the bell sounded, "now." Everyone sighed and stood up, ready to go to their next class and prepare before gym and free period work out.

"Oh dude, your dad wants to talk to you." Chad told him, Troy just stiffly nodded.

Once they entered the gym all dressed out they immediately started the training like yesterday. "You have got to fucking be kidding me." Ryleigh sighed

"Girls, I'm not sure if I can do this." Taylor wheezed

"I'm with ya there Tay." Kelsi sighed, trying to catch her breath.

Ryleigh, Gabi, and Sharpay stopped, they were extremely fit and they couldn't do this. The five girls leaned over trying to regulate their breathing. Soon they were joined by Ryan and two other guys that weren't basketball players.

"I'm sitting down." Gabi stated and made her way to the bleachers. The others followed. They sat down trying to breathe when Coach Bolton came over.

"Did I give you permission to sit out?" he yelled, they looked at him like he was crazy.

"I want to go back to Darbus." Lucas sighed, he was a baseball player and they didn't work this hard. The others giggled while Jack glared.

"Get back out there." He ordered

Gabi stood up, "Bite me. And while you're at it, maybe you could take some time to consider what you're doing to these boys. I bet you 100 bucks that before the big game one of them will be hurt, either physically, emotionally or mentally. And I bet another 20 that one of them gets hurt during the game because they're weak, and another 20 that after the game one of them is hurt. Again either emotionally, mentally, or physically. And I'd put 50 that one of them that gets hurt is your son because you practically kill him. I don't care what the fuck you do to me, I'm leaving." The gym was quiet. Everyone watched her leave. Troy sighed and ran after her. Sharpay, Ryleigh, Kelsi, and Taylor followed.

"I've had more than enough of this." Taylor said

"I can't do this kind of work" Kelsi said and Sharpay just glared at him.

Troy caught up with Gabi, "Okay El, you can't do that. He's still a teacher and that's still disrespect."

"I don't care Troy. I'm a fit person, I run almost every morning. 5 miles too! But I can't do that! We can't do that. And you guys are going to get hurt because you're only human. Then what's going to happen, you'll lose to West High and the cycle begins again next year. Let me tell you something. This school does want to win, but not a this high cost. They'd rather you lose to West High then find out that one of you is in the hospital or at home hurt! They want ya'll to play and have fun. There is no super competition between us and West. You guys get along fine, they'd be devastated if they couldn't have a fun game with you at the park on a Saturday. Think about it Troy? Is it really worth it?" She stormed away.

Troy stood shocked, he didn't know what to say. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously, finally he walked back into the gym.

"Dad, can we talk?" Jack nodded. "Look, pushing us is one thing, but pushing the other students like this, Gabi's fit and all, but she's not up to this. None of them are. Can't we go back to normal P.E. or let them have normal P.E. and I'll work. This is getting slightly ridiculous."

"I'll accept normal P.E., but this is not ridiculous, you guys can go, and I guess you can have your free period to deal with Gabi, but I want ya'll in the gym on time." He walked out. The class let out a sigh, this was ridiculously tough.

Review! Oh and suggestions are welcome!! For any of my stories not just this one lol!!

Mollie XOXO