Here's the next chapter! Thank you to all my reiviwers and this story is coming to an end! Yes, an end! Well…like, in about four or so chapters, anyway. Check out my other stories also, if you've got time on your hands!! Here's the chapter:

Gabriella ran into the train station and looked around wildly. Sure enough, there he was. Gabriella took a deep breath, quickly tamed her hair, and began walking over to where a sandy-haired boy was sitting on a bench, his head cradled in his hands. Gabriella sat down next to him and he looked in astonishment.

"Where is your train headed?" She asked him casually. Troy blinked at her in confusion, and then quickly looked down at his ticket and back at her.

"North," he replied. "Wh…What…How did you know I was here?"

"Well, I was guessing it wasn't a suicide note, it wasn't depressing enough," Gabriella answered breezily, not looking at him, her eyes focused on the train which was entering. "And…You aren't the first person to run away from home, just remember that. The train station isn't exactly an original idea," there was a hint of scorn in Gabriella's voice. "It was either here or the bus depot."

"Why aren't you at school?" Troy asked.

" Chad and the team were worried about you," Gabriella said. "They were gonna cover for me to leave school and find out if you were okay." She finally looked at him. "This will be the worst idea of your life, if you hop on that train," she told him seriously.

"Oh, right!" Troy laughed dryly. "Escaping from a guy who gets drunk and abuses me will be the worst idea of my life!"

"No, running from your problems will be, when you should stay and face them," Gabriella answered. Troy sighed. " Troy, listen to me. If you leave on that train, you'll be leaving behind not only your dad, but your mum and your sister and all your friends…and me," Gabriella told him quietly. Troy looked at her for a moment, and then back at the train tracks. " Troy, believe me, it's much safer to stay here."

"But…I…" Troy trailed off and shrugged.

"Troy…You can come back to my house…My mum will help you," Gabriella told him. Finally, he nodded. She took his hand and pulled him up. Gently, she pried the ticket out of his hand and crumpled it, throwing into a rubbish bin nearby. Then, she led him out of the train station.


Chad was pacing up and down the gym nervously. Jason and Zeke eyed him for a moment before resuming tossing the basketball back and forth between them. It was five to two, five minutes before the bell rang for the fifth period and Gabriella still wasn't back.

"Something bad must have happened!" He finally cried, dropping onto a bench.

"Uh, dude?" Jason said. "Chill. Gabriella can look after herself."

"Yeah, stop stressing, just text her or some—"

"Danforth!" Taylor yelled, storming into the gym. Chad jumped up from the bench and looked at her. "Where is Gabriella?! She said she had some favor she had to do for you and she would be back by quarter to! It's five to!" Chad shrugged helplessly.

"I don't know where she is!" Chad cried.

"Don't know—Don't know where she is?!" Taylor yelled. Chad took a step back. "What does that mean?!"

"It means…I don't know where she is?" Chad tried.

"You mean you sent Gabriella on some hair-brained scheme and you don't even—"

" Taylor!" Sharpay yelled, running in. "Leave Chad alone!" Chad sent Sharpay a relieved look. "We'll kill him after we find Gabriella." Chad looked pained again. "Where is he Danforth?!" Sharpay screamed at him.

"Whoa, slow down, Blondie!" Chad yelled.

"Call me blonde again and I will inflict a great deal of pain upon you!" Sharpay hissed. Jason and Zeke laughed. "Just tell us where Gabriella is!" Chad looked from Taylor to Sharpay and then started talking. He told them everything about Troy, how they found out about his dad abusing him, how Chad had been kicked off of the team.

"So, you don't know where Gabriella is?" Taylor sighed, making it sound more like a statement than a question.

"Nah, she's standing right in front of me," Chad answered snappily. Ryan looked confused.

"I…I don't see her…And didn't you just say that you didn't know where she was?" Ryan said, tilting his head to one side. Sharpay reached over and slapped the back of his head. "Ow…" Ryan muttered, rubbing the back of his head. Sharpay rolled her eyes and turned back to the boys.

"Why don't you text her, Taylor?" Kelsi piped up from behind her.

"Yeah," Taylor muttered. She got out her cell-phone and texted Gabriella, her fingers slamming down on the keys, her eyes still looking furiously at Chad. Chad shrugged uncomfortably and looked away.

Where r u?

A moment later, a text message returned.

Hme wit Troy.

Taylor sighed.

"She's at her house…with Troy," Taylor told everyone. Chad nodded, although still not making eye contact with her. "I've never been to her house, does anyone know where it is?" Chad hesitantly put up his hand, as if he was being told off in a classroom. "Why do you know where it is?" Taylor asked rudely. Then she sighed, "Actually, don't answer that, I'm not sure I want to know." Chad picked up on what she was hinting with and opened his mouth to protest. But Taylor just glared at him. "Okay, I'm going to Gabi's house and you're taking me!"

"But…But…"

"No 'buts'. Troy's your friend, and Gabriella's mine! You should be worried about him!" Taylor snapped. hat seemed to change Chad's expression, and he quickly nodded.

"Yep, I'll come with you to Bella's," he said and nodded at the guys. "Let's go." They both got off their seats and walked over, Jason holding the basketball underneath his arm. "Right, are you all coming?" He nodded at Sharpay, Kelsi and Ryan. Sharpay narrowed her eyes at him.

"I wouldn't trust you alone with Taylor for longer than a second," she muttered and Chad glared at her. "So, yes, I'm coming. And these guys are too." Kelsi opened her mouth to protest, but Sharpay silenced her with a look. Ryan just shrugged, all too accustomed to being pushed around by his sister.

"Okay, let's go!" Taylor said, leading the way out of the gym. She stopped suddenly and turned to Chad. "Bella?" She asked in confusion. Chad grinned goofily.

"She has chocolate," he replied before walking off.


Troy was sitting on Gabriella's bed, just staring into space…Well, actually, it was Gabriella's blue walls, but he had completely zoned out. Gabriella was sitting beside him, just holding his hand. Her cell-phone buzzed and she read the message she had just got from Taylor. A moment later, one also arrived from Chad. Gabriella nudged Troy gently, knocking him out of his day-dream.

"Hey, Troy? The gang's coming over…" Gabriella consulted her cell-phone. "All of them." Troy nodded, as though still not comprehending what she had said. " Troy, they really care about you—especially Chad. He was really worried about you. If I told him about the note you left, he would've gone nuts." Troy nodded, a slight smile on his face.

"Yeah," Troy murmured. " Chad's always been around. He's been my mate since Pre-K…Always around…" Troy shook his head. "I used to tell him everything—even that I was the one who had broken his iPod…But I didn't tell him this…" Troy sighed and dropped his head to his hands. "He's gonna go crazy," Troy muttered. Gabriella shook her head quickly, her hand resting lightly on his thigh.

"No!" She said firmly. "He'll understand…He will!" Troy looked up at her, his eyes boring into hers.

"You think so?"

"I know so!" Gabriella said, and then realized how corny that sounded. "Well, yeah, I'm sure he will," she quickly amended and Troy let out a dry laugh. Gabriella licked her lower lip. Her voice dropped to a whisper as she began her sentence. " Troy…" She began. Troy looked at her seriously. "I l—"

" Troy!" Chad yelled, running in through the door. Gabriella and Troy sprung apart, although Chad didn't seem to notice. "Hey, Troy! We were like so worried about you dude!"

"Thanks, man," Troy said with a grin as he got up. Something about Chad made everything else feel okay, even if only for a moment. Jason and Zeke ran in and they gave Troy a whack on the back. Troy winced and the guys looked at him with concern in there eyes.

"You okay, dude?" Zeke asked.

"Yeah," Troy said tightly. "Yeah…" Chad licked his lips nervously. Then Taylor and Sharpay stalked in.

"Hey, Troy!" Taylor said lightly and then walked over to Gabriella, Sharpay just giving Troy a quick smile. Ryan looked torn, not knowing whether to go over to his sister or go over to Troy. He settled for sitting at Gabriella's desk, Kelsi leaning on the desk next to them. Taylor and Sharpay started talking a mile-a-minute with Gabriella, who looked a bit tired, and Troy's three team-mates were all talking to him.


The gang all left about an hour later, just as Mrs Montez was pulling up the drive. Mrs Montez gave the retreating group a questioning glance and then walked into her house.

"Gabriella! Gabriella Montez!" She yelled up the stairs from the kitchen. Gabriella came down the stairs. "Who were all those people?" Gabriella licked her lower lip and shrugged. Mrs Montez sighed. Gabriella had always been quiet and subdued when her father was around, always keeping herself to herself and not opening up. But over the past couple of weeks, Mrs Montez had noticed a change in that, and she liked it. She didn't want Gabriella going back to be the way she used to be. "Gabriella, sweetie, you know you can tell me…" Gabriella nodded.

"Mama, Troy's dad hits him," Gabriella murmured. Mrs Montez's face went pale.

"I know, sweetie, his mum told me," Mrs Montez said quietly. Gabriella bit her lip.

"He needs our help—your help!" Gabriella said urgently.

"Yes, yes, where is he?" Mrs Montez asked. As if on cue, Troy appeared at the top of the stairs. Mrs Montez nodded at him and indicated he should come down. He came down and Mrs Montez gave him a hug. Troy awkwardly hugged back, and Gabriella licked her lips nervously. "Okay, Troy, I'll ring your mum." She nodded determinedly. "We'll get through this, okay? Gabriella, take him up to your room while I ring her up." Gabriella nodded and Mrs Montez walked briskly out of the room. Gabriella gave Troy a quick smile.

"C'mon, Wild-Cat, I've been given strict instructions to take you to my room," she told him, grabbing his hand. Troy laughed lightly.

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