Thank you so much!! You guys are incredible! Sorry about the long wait on this, at least it was long for me! I have a lot of stuff going on at the moment so I'm sorry.
WARNING: This chapter has some sad parts to it.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.
"So, Tressa, why don't you tell me what happened."
Tressa shuffled awkwardly on the brown leather couch in the middle of the office. Dr. Carson, the therapist, was seated behind the desk in front of her, a clipboard lying on her crossed legs. Tressa sighed and stared down at her hands, which were settled in her lap, before glancing up at the doctor. "Don't you already know? My dad told you over the phone didn't he?"
Dr. Carson nodded her head. "Yes he did, but I want to hear it from you and see it from your point of view."
Tressa nodded her head, trying to silently reassure herself that everything would be ok after this. "O-ok, I guess." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Well, I was watching a movie, The Strangers, when I heard a noise outside." She went on to tell her the details of that night, crying and cringing the whole way through. Dr. Carson nodded along with her and offered her some tissues when needed and waited patiently when Tressa needed to pause when it became too much. "I was so scared." She whispered through her tears.
"I'm sure it was. You know, I believe you made the right choice Tressa. Agreeing to see a therapist is a hard decision for anyone to make, let alone a 14 year old. Talking about it helps you to conquer that fear that builds up. Most people who experience something like this don't see a therapist and end up never being able to live alone or become paranoid. Going to get help after a few days is a much smarter thing to do, something that you should be condemned for. Your father and I are very proud of you." Dr. Carson smiled softly.
"Thank you." Tressa grabbed another tissue from the box and blew her nose. "My dad said that this would be a good idea and I believe him. My father means everything to me." She explained gently. "He said that you would really be able to help. I feel a little better just explaining what happened." She smiled slightly for the first time since stepping into the office.
"That's a good thing." She paused to write something on her clipboard. "Let me ask you about your sleeping patterns. Are you having any nightmares about that night?"
Tressa sighed and nodded her head. "Yes. I wake up screaming before pushing my dad away when he tries to comfort me. It's like I'm in my nightmare and my dad is the guy from that night." She placed her head in her hands. "It's scary."
"I'm sure it is. A traumatic experience can trigger nightmares and such. I'm going to talk to your family doctor after this so we can exchange information and figure something to help you out. I think that this is a case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Do you know what that is?" Dr. Carson asked gently.
Tressa nodded her head. "Yes. I would be taking medication for that right?"
"You would be along with coming to see me once a week for a little while and then we'll go from there." Dr. Carson stood up and Tressa did as well. "I think that this is enough for tonight. Unless there's something else you want to talk about?"
"Nothing else." Tressa answered quickly, smiling nervously.
Troy had told Dr. Carson about his concerns with Tress and talking about her mother. She understood and decided against bringing her up and just let Tressa be. You only talk about what you're ready to talk about in her office. Dr. Carson smiled as the two walked out of the office, meeting Troy who was sitting in the waiting room. He immediately stood up, dropping the magazine he was reading, and embraced Tressa as she walked over to him. He glanced at the doctor and she smiled at him, motioning for him to step to the other side of the room so they could talk privately. "I'd say that she has a case of PTSD. I'm going to call your family doctor and the two of us will talk things through. I still would like to see Tressa once a week for the time being." She explained quietly.
Troy nodded his head. "She'll be ok though, right?"
Dr. Carson smiled softly, placing a comforting hand on his upper arm. "She'll be fine. She might continue getting nightmares and maybe even a few panic attacks but other than that things will be ok."
"If you do decide to diagnose her with PTSD, she'd be taking some medication for it?"
Dr. Carson smiled. Like father, like daughter. "She would. The medication would take a little while to kick in but once it does, you'll be noticing less and less of the flashbacks and panic attacks."
Troy sighed with relief and walked they walked back over to Tressa. "Thank you for seeing her." He smiled, scheduling another appointment for the following week. "I know it was short notice."
"It's ok Troy." Dr. Carson smiled as she waved her hand, dismissing the thought. "It's my job." She played around on her computer for a minute searching for an opening for the following week. "Alright, how about next Wednesday at 6pm?"
"That sounds good." Troy answered, glancing at Tressa who was sitting in one of the chairs, hugging herself while staring at the wall. He sighed and turned his gaze back on the doctor.
"It's going to take some time Troy." She said sympathetically. "Just be patient with her and keep telling her that you're there for her. She needs you now, more than ever."
Troy smiled slightly. "Thank you, again. We'll see you next week." He grabbed the card from the doctor, saying when the appointment was, and turned on his heel, walking over to Tressa. He kneeled down in front of her chair, placing his hands on her shoulders, gaining her attention. "Are you ready to leave?" He asked softly.
Tressa nodded her head and stood up, whispering "Yeah."
They waved one last time to the therapist before returning home. Once there, Troy went to the kitchen to start dinner while Tressa sat on the couch in the living room, placing her head in her hands. There was a thought running through her head repeatedly and she needed to do some serious thinking about it. "Is there something you want to talk about baby girl?" Troy asked, entering the room and sitting next to her.
Tressa looked up, tears in her eyes, and shook her head. "Not right now daddy." She whispered just as the tears started falling down her cheeks. Troy looked at her, confused, as he wiped away the tears. "You'll understand later daddy." He nodded his head, wishing that she would tell him now rather than later. "I'm going to call Lacey and Aidan." She placed a kiss on his cheek and pulled him in for a hug before walking up the stairs and into her room, keeping the door open slightly in fear.
She pulled out her cell phone and called Aidan first, asking him to come over which he agreed to immediately. Fifteen minutes later, the doorbell rang and she heard Troy answer the door. She took a deep breath before walking down the stairs, smiling slightly when she saw Aidan. "We're going to talk on the porch." She informed Troy who nodded his head. The couple walked onto the porch and took a seat on the swing.
"How are you?" Aidan asked, his arm wrapped around Tressas' shoulder.
"Not good." She swallowed nervously as she turned to face him. "I called you here right now because we need to talk." She closed her eyes, tears building up in them. Aidan looked down briefly before glancing at her again. He knew what was coming just from that last line. Tressa opened her eyes and grabbed his hand, enlacing their fingers. "I know that we haven't been in a relationship very long which makes this even harder." She paused for a minute to think about what she was going to say.
"You're a great guy Aidan. You're sweet, charming, funny the list goes on. I really like you, don't think that I don't. It's just; this week has been really tough on me. My mothers' anniversary and what happened a few nights ago has taken a toll on me emotionally and because of that, I need some time." She placed a hand on his cheek as the tears started spilling out faster. "I'm sorry Aidan, but I'm not emotionally stable for a relationship right now." Aidan closed his eyes as the words hit him full on. "I need some time to put myself back together. I can't have the pressure of a relationship on my shoulders right now."
Aidan nodded his head, opening his eyes. He took a hold of her hand that was on his cheek and held it tightly in his as he kissed the back of it. "I understand Tressa." He whispered, Tressa gasping at his confession. "You thought I would be upset right?" Tressa nodded her head slightly. "I am upset, but not with you. I think it's unfair that all of this has happened to you. You are an amazing person Tressa Bolton and you didn't deserve to have your mother taken away from you and to have some guy break in and do the damage that he has done to you. I can't even imagine the hurt that you're going through right now, but I'm sure that the pressure of a relationship is making it even worse." He explained softly, never letting go of her hand. "Take all the time that you need Tressa because I will be waiting for you." Tressa started crying harder after hearing him say that. Aidan let go of her hand and pulled her in for a tight and comforting hug. "I'm still here for you Tress. If you ever need someone to talk to, you can call me; I'll answer." He held onto her as she cried into his shoulder, clutching onto his shirt.
Minutes later, Tressa lifted her head from his shoulder and wiped her eyes. "Thank you for understanding Aidan. You mean a lot to me." She smiled despite her tears and hugged him again. "I promise, once I'm ready, you'll be the first to know." She whispered into his ear before pulling away from him. She placed a hand gently on his cheek again and leaned down, placing a soft kiss on his lips. She pulled back after a few seconds and dropped her hand.
Aidan stood up from the swing and held out his hand for her. She smiled and grabbed his hand, helping her up. The two walked to the front door before stopping in front of it. Tressa turned around, her back to the door, and glanced at Aidan, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "I meant what I said Tress. Take all the time you need. Don't worry about how it's going to affect me, your health and you in general are more important to me." He leaned in to place a kiss on her cheek. "Call me if you need anything, no resentment from this." He smiled slightly at her.
Tressa nodded her head, placing a hand on the doorknob and turning it. "Thank you Aidan, if I need anything I'll call." She smiled one last time at him before pushing open the door, walking into the house and closing the door behind her. She leaned against it and slid down to the floor, placing her head in her hands as she started crying silently. Aidan watched the door close and stood on the porch fro a minute longer, taking in everything that had just happened. He closed his eyes as tears threatened to fall, turning away and walking in the direction of his house.
Tressa stood up a few minutes later, wiping her eyes as she walked to the kitchen, seeing her dad cooking on the stove, his back to her. She closed her eyes, the tears deciding not to go away. She opened her eyes and choked back a sob. "Daddy." She called out brokenly, the tears falling yet again. He turned around and instantly ran to her side once he saw the look on her face. She wrapped her arms around his middle as she sobbed into his shoulder. He held onto her tightly, dropping kisses to the top of her head every few seconds until she slowed her sobbing down into hiccups and a few tears. "I broke up with him." She whispered as he led them both to some chairs. They each took a seat, Troy keeping an arm around Tressas' shoulders for support.
"Oh Tress." He whispered, knowing the heartache she was going through from her first break up. "Can I ask why?"
Tressa giggled quietly and nodded her head. "Of course." Her smile dropped as she looked up at him. "I have so much emotional damage from this week that I need some time to fix. I can't have the pressure of a relationship added on with that." She explained and Troy understood where she was coming from. "I need time to heal."
"Tressa, you're a strong girl and I'm so proud of you. I'm sure it wasn't easy for you and won't be for a little while, but you did what you had to do. You knew that you needed time and you took the responsibility to tell Aidan that. He's a good kid Tress, which is why he understood the reason as to why you broke up and didn't age it." Troy stroked her hair soothingly as she nodded her head.
"He told me that he'll wait for me to be ready." Tressa whispered into his shoulder.
Troy smiled. "Because he understands. He wants you to take the time to find yourself and let your heart heal itself from all the blows it's taken this week."
Tressa leaned her head up and smiled at her father. "Thanks daddy. You always know what to say." She kissed his cheek before placing her head back on his shoulder. "I just wish mom was here to talk about this with."
"I know baby girl. I wish she was here too for a lot of things too." He whispered into her hair, closing his eyes as if to say a silent prayer to Sharpay. "But we can't keep thinking like this Tress. I know you wish that she was here but she isn't which is why we have to rely on each other for advice and help."
"You're right daddy." Just as she said that, the doorbell rang. This time, the two of them went to answer the door together since it was getting darker outside making Tressa a little more frightened than before. Once Troy opened the door, Lacey ran inside the house and pulled Tressa in for a bone crushing hug.
"Oh Tressa, I'm so sorry." She whispered, pulling away from her best friend. "Aidan called and told me what happened. He said you might need a girl friend at a time like this." She explained with a smile. She turned to Troy and raised an eyebrow, waving her hand as if to tell him to leave. "Scurry on out of here oldie."
Tressa giggled slightly as Troy rolled his eyes. "Nice to see you too Lacey."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah it's nice to see you too Troy; now leave." She smiled sweetly as Troy mimicked her, leaving the room to enter the kitchen. Lacey rolled her eyes and turned back to her friend. "Are you ok Tress?"
Tressa smiled. "A little bit. It just hurts." She whispered and her eyes watered at the thought of Aidan. "It's going to take some time."
"I know it is. Heartbreaks are never easy sweetie. What you need is some good ole wallowing time." Lacey grinned. "Which is why I invited myself to spend the night." She gestured to the duffel bag on her shoulder. "I have the sappy romance movies taken care of. Do you have the Ben and Jerry's?"
Later on that night, after three movies and a whole container of double fudge chocolate ice cream, Lacey and Tressa decided that it was time for bed. They walked up the stairs and into Tressas' room making her stop at the door. "What's wrong?" Lacey asked, jumping on Tressas' bed.
"I, uh, haven't slept in here since the night before it happened. I've been staying with my dad." Tressa explained, scared about spending her first night in her room in a few nights. She cautiously stepped in and sat at the computer desk. "I've been too scared to."
"Aw, Tress, I'm sorry." Lacey walked over to her and saw down on the desk. "We can go sleep in his room if you'd like. I can sleep on the floor and can sleep on the bed with him." Lacey suggested with a shrug of her shoulders.
"I don't want to do that to you Lace. Plus, I have to get over my fear somehow right?" Tressa said with an unsure smile. "Just let me go say good night to my dad." She stood up and left the room after Lacey said she was going to get dressed for bed. Tressa knocked on her fathers' door and walked in, seeing him stare at the TV blankly.
"Let's go swimming." A newly married, 23 year old Troy exclaimed as he bounded up to Sharpay, who was lying on a towel with sunglasses covering her eyes, clearly sun bathing. When he received no answer from his wife, he shook his wet hair, sending droplets of water to fly onto her.
"Troy Bolton I'm trying to sun bath here." Sharpay said sternly, opening her eyes to look at her husband of three days. The two were on their honeymoon in Maui, a place where the two had always wanted to go, especially with one another. "I'll go swimming in another hour or so."
Troy sighed. "But Pay, I want to go swimming with you now. It's no fun by myself." He pouted, sticking his bottom lip out as he looked at her with big puppy dog eyes. Sharpay rolled her eyes and sat up, removing her sunglasses.
"You're lucky you're so darn cute." She muttered, stripping her short shorts off revealing her deep purple bating suit bottoms. She had already taken her shirt of for sun bathing leaving her in halter top, matching the bottoms. She covered her eyes with her sunglasses again as she stood up.
Troy smiled brightly and stood up as well, walking behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her to his chest. "Thank you PayPay. I love you." He whispered in her ear lovingly, placing a quick kiss there. The two walked to the water, with a bit of difficulty since Troy was still attached to her from behind.
Sharpay giggled, placing her hands on his arms. "I love you too Troy." Once her feet touched the water, she jumped back from the coldness, her feet landing on Troys'. Troy groaned into her hair, eliciting a small giggle from her. "Sorry."
"You will be." And with that, Sharpay took off running down the shore line, Troy following after her quickly, picking her up from behind and spinning her around. She giggled loudly, kicking her feet as she begged to be put down. Troy placed her on her feet and spun her around so she was facing him. "You're so beautiful." He said suddenly, causing Sharpay to blush.
"That was random." She stated with a laugh.
"It's true though." He tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear as it spilled out from the pony tail she had it in. He let his hand linger on his cheek as he placed a soft kiss onto her lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and responded. "I'm glad you're my wife Pay." He said once he pulled away from her lips.
"I'm glad you're my husband." She smiled as she kicked her foot in the water, succeeding in getting Troy wet. She waved her hand and took off again, this time running into the water. He rolled his eyes before running in after her, starting a splashing fight. After a while, Troy pulled her into his arms and they stood in the water hugging, the water up to her shoulders. He started swaying the two of them side to side as if they were dancing in the water before humming her favorite song, then whispering the words in her ear.
I'll be your dream
I'll be your wish I'll be your fantasy
I'll be your hope I'll be your love
Be everything that you need
I'll love you more with every breath
Truly, madly, deeply do
I will be strong I will be faithful
'cause I'm counting on
A new beginning
A reason for living
A deeper meaning, yeah
Sharpay smiled into his shoulder, holding onto him tightly as her eyes started to water from the sweet gesture he was doing for her. She held onto his shoulders tightly, not wanting to let him go. Troy, feeling her tears, smiled and continued singing.
I want to stand with you on
a mountain
I want to bathe with you in the sea
I want to lay like this forever
Until the sky falls down on me
And when the stars are shining
brightly in the velvet sky,
I'll make a wish send it to heaven
Then make you want to cry
The tears of joy for all the
pleasure and the certainty
That we're surrounded by the
comfort and protection of
Sharpay kissed his shoulder lovingly as she started to hum the tune to the song. She dropped one of her hands in search for one of his which were secured tightly around her waist. She found his and laced her fingers with his, squeezing his hand as a thank you.
The highest powers
In lonely hours
The tears devour you
I want to stand with you on
a mountain
I want to bathe with you in the sea
I want to lay like this forever
Until the sky falls down on me
Oh can you see it baby?
You don't have to close your eyes
'Cause it's standing right
before you
All that you need will surely come
I'll be your dream I'll be your wish
I'll be your fantasy
I'll be your hope I'll be your love
Be everything that you need
I'll love you more with every breath
Truly, madly, deeply do
I want to stand with you on a
mountain
I want to bathe with you in the sea
I want to live like this forever
Until the sky falls down on me
Once he finished the song, Sharpay pulled her head off of his shoulder and turned his head so he was facing her. She smiled brightly as she leaned up, placing a thank you kiss onto his lips. He smiled into the kiss as he laced their other hands together as well. "Troy, that was beautiful." She whispered, not wanting to kill the mood that they had going.
Troy leaned his forehead against hers, closing his eyes in bliss. "Anything to put a smile on your face." He said softly, pecking her lips lovingly. "I just want you to be happy Pay. You deserve it."
Sharpays' tears started again at that moment. Hearing the sweet words come out of his mouth made her heart swell and eyes water. "I'm happy with you Troy Bolton." She took a deep breath to steady her tears. "I'm happy with you and only you."
"Daddy?"
Troy shook his head as he heard his daughters' voice. He smiled at her and waved her over and she jumped onto the bed next to him. She took a seat next to him and laced her arm through one of his, like always. "Are you ok?"
Troy smiled. "Perfect."
Tressa, noticing the giddy smile, realized that he was reliving a memory with her mother and smiled softly. "I love you daddy." She hugged him tightly before pulling back, placing a kiss on his cheek. "I just wanted to say good night."
"Good night baby." He whispered as he kissed her forehead. "If you need anything during the night, you come and get me. Got it?" He asked, pointing a finger at her.
"Got it daddy." She smiled. "Can you come and check on me a few times before you go to sleep? It's my first time sleeping back in my room since, well, you know and I'm kind of scared." Tressa asked nervously, playing with her fingers.
"Of course I will. If you get scared at all, you come and get me. You're my first priority baby girl." He kissed her forehead again and watched as she jumped off the bed, walking towards the door.
"I will daddy, I promise. I love you."
"I love you too princess. I'll see you in the morning." He smiled as she left the room, closing the door behind her. "Oh, and tell Lacey no more pranks in this house." He screamed after her, remembering the last time Lacey spent the night. Let's just say, it's took days to get the blue hair dye out of his hair.
He heard Tressa giggle from the hallway before his door opened again and Laceys' head popped through the crack, smiling evilly. "Maybe, Mr. B, if you're lucky." She giggled and walked into the room, giving him a hug. He accepted the hug and returned it. "Night Troy."
"Good night Lacey. If you need anything at all during the night, don't hesitate to come and get me." He smiled and patted her back before she pulled away and walked to the door.
"I will. Thanks for letting me stay the night without any notice." Lacey added just before she left.
"You're always welcome here Lacey. Good night girls and please be quiet, I want to get some sleep sometime soon." He teased and the two girls gasped, both entering the room with a pillow in their hands. Troys' eyes went wide as the girls attacked him. He tried to reach for his own but couldn't get to it with two pillows flying at his face so e defendedhimsef by puttinguphis arms toblock is face. Lacey and Tressa stopped after a few minute, giggling loudly. "Not fair, I wasn't ready." Troy pouted.
"Oh boo woo." Lacey faked a pout before laughing again. "Wittle Twoy is sad."
Tressa laughed as she high fived her best friend. "You deserved it, telling us we talk a lot and loudly. Humph." The two girls walked out of the room after grabbing their pillows leaving Troy to roll his eyes at them. "Teenagers."
Well, I wasn't entirely sure how to end this chapter so that's why the end may seem a little weird. Lacey has been best friends with Tressa since they were in kindergarten which is why Lacey hugged Troy good night without it being awkward and was joking with him when she first arrived. I'm sorry if you guys hated Tressa breaking up with Aidan but I think it fits. If I were in her situation, I would probably do the same thing. Also, I've never been to a therapist so I don't know if what I have written is the real deal or not so please just bear with me on that. So, I think that's it! Lol Please review!
P.S. - The song used in this chapter is 'Truly, Madly, Deeply' by Savage Garden. Incredible song!