Books were scattered across the coffee table as one body was on the couch with more books and the other body was sitting on a pillow with an elbow prompted on the table. It was 8 o'clock in the evening on a Thursday. After a long day at school, work, and practice the two college students were looking quite forward to Thursday-Night-Movie-Night.

The sound of It's A Wonderful Life floated through the living-room from the speakers on the 40' inch flat screen T.V.

Gabriella sat cross-legged on the carpet while she roughy tapped her pen against the open notebook, that contained her English notes, making small dents on the neat handwriting. Her MacBook Air was open to spark notes as her open-bottled Vitamin Water sat dangerously close to the laptop.

Her Wildcat sat on the couch with even more textbooks surrounding him as he concentrated on his nutrition reading. Troy had opted for nutrition instead of biology because he refused to dissect a cat. When he heard of the requirement his skin crawled and throat tightened up hinting his breakfast was coming up. Fortunately it didn't.

As Gabriella focused on the laptop screen in front of her, she constantly glanced at the T.V. and then Troy. She was trying to bring up what she and Emily had done earlier the same day but didn't know how.

Just at that moment Gabriella's phone vibrated, notifying that Emily sent her a text – speak of the devil.

have u told him yet ?

Gabriella glanced at Troy before typing on her touching screen.

He came home exhausted. We both have a lot of studying to do. I haven't had the chance 2.

She knew the reply was going to irk her best friend, but it was the truth. Midterms were a week away and they had research papers due as well before they began the Spring vacation. Her phone buzzed again.

if you don't tell him in the next 10 mins i'm going over to tell him for you !

Gabriella shook her head, "Wildcat, are you at a good stopping point?" she asked before sending her reply to Emily.


"Yeah, why?" Troy looked up from his textbook with curious eyes. Gabriella stood up from her spot on the carpet to the couch where Troy was sitting. She placed the textbooks that were sitting next to his thighs onto the coffee table. "We have to talk."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Troy questioned with his eyes filled with confusion and hurt. Gabriella took in a breath as she shrugged her shoulders upwards. "I didn't want you to stress even more especially with basketball and —"

"Gabriella, that isn't an excuse," Troy interrupted as he abruptly stood up from his spot on the couch and looked down at Gabriella. "What if he had gone further? Okay, you and Taylor went crazy on a girl from your AP class at East High when nearly the same thing happened to her. Yeah, she eventually told, but Gabriella c'mon..."

Gabriella let a breath, slumping her shoulders as she grabbed one of Troy's hands with both of hers. "I just didn't want you to worry more. It's just things have been so hectic for us and...I dunno." She shook her head, looking at the wall to her left. Troy placed a thumb on her cheek to encourage to look at him. Gabriella refused to look at him, turning her head completely away from him.

Troy squatted in front of Gabriella's legs. He dropped his head and rubbed the back of his head roughly. After a few minutes he noticed Gabriella's body shaking. Troy quickly sat next to his girlfriend - hip to hip - and brought the front of her body into his. His assumption of her crying was right when he felt the tears on his neck.

"Gabi..." Troy whispered into her ear. "Please don't —"

"I'm sorry," Gabriella interrupted. "I should've told y-you." She whimpered as Troy rubbed her back soothingly. He whispered it was okay in her ear and waited for her calm down.

By 10 P.M. Gabriella had calmed down. She pulled her hair into a messy bun, changed into sweats and v-neck. Troy was in the kitchen making her hot chocolate as You've Got Mail played on the T.V. Troy walked into the living-room with two mugs of the steaming beverage.

"Thanks," Gabriella mumbled as she held on the burning mug by the handle. Troy nodded his head before sitting in front of her on the coffee table. "We reported him. Today after classes. We went to the head dean and reported Eric." Both stayed silent. Neither knew what to say.

"I wish you would've told me,"

"Troy!" Gabriella whined, tucking her legs underneath herself and lowering her head.

"I'm not mad...anymore. You're more important. I just," Troy sighed and looked to his right. "I just wished you would've told me. Part of being a boyfriend is to protect you. Let me protect you, Gabriella."

Gabriella looked at Troy with a soft smile. "I love you and your over-protectiveness side." Troy smiled back and closed the distance between the both of them by sitting next to her on the couch. "I'm not that over-protective." He hugged her before she slapped his chest an giggling. Troy smiled, "I missed hearing your giggle tonight." Gabriella snuggled herself into him.

"So did I," They both laughed, easing away the tension in the room.

Then the phone rang.

"Hello," Gabriella answered as she continued giggling.

"Ms. Montez?"

"Speaking," She held her hand up signaling for Troy to stop what he was going to do.

"My apologies for calling so late in the evening, this is Mrs. Maria Paige. I am the secretary at Stanford University and I am calling because Mrs. Scott, the head dean, will like to speak with you tomorrow morning. This is concerning Eric Gaston."


Hey everyone ! Hope all of you had great holidays ! My apologies for this chapter being short and delayed. I am on my last week of Christmas vacation and wanted to get this chapter out before I entered the stressland we call school. My late nights, early mornings, tears, anger, and stress paid off. 3.4 for the semester ! My honor roll streak continues !

There are a few things I will like to talk about:

1) The past month was a horrible one for me. My cousin was diagnosed with leukemia. It is tearing my family apart.

2) I wanted to go back to the previous chapter. I had two separate incidents were those actions happened to me. The first was when I was going into 5th grade by my babysitter and the second was a few months ago. The nonstop texting, the groping, and the partnership was all true except he was the one in a relationship, not me. He has fortunately backed off.

3) I am working on a new story. I have the first six chapters outlined. I am really passionate about this story.

God Bless.