I don't own anything.
A/N: Alright everybody it's another week and that means another update…first off let me thank my reviewers from last week; toddntan, AyaneC, chaylorlover101, kuropie, PhantomGroupie91, CuteANDSexxxy17, baby2ludaris, CHAYLORISAWESOME312, Phelycia, Sciencefreak2007, cornique chaylor girl, Angel and jinidu93. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and please remember to Review.
Baby S
Chapter Fourteen
"I love Troy…and love is about sacrifice." Taylor whispered to herself as she sat on her bed that night right after Troy dropped her off from the center. Shaking her head she stood up and started pacing the floor in front of her bed. Why? Why did she have get involved with someone as evil as Chad Danforth, why did that have to happen to her. Finally she was happy, finally she had a man who respected her and loved her the way she deserved to be loved and her mistake of being with Chad was ruining it. Dropping down to the floor of her room she cried as she thought over the obvious choice. She would have to do what Chad said, not only to protect Troy from whatever else he had planned but to keep the peace between the two schools. It was all up to her. Raising one hand she quickly wiped away her tears and stood up, going over to her nightstand she picked up her cell phone and dialed. On the fourth ring, Chad picked up the phone.
"Well hello, Taylor…I wasn't expecting you to call so soon…I have company." He replied with a chuckle as Taylor heard a girl in the background asking Chad who was on the phone.
"I…I'm calling about what we talked about earlier. I wanted to give you my answer." She weakly replied feeling as if she was getting sicker and sicker as she spoke. Chad chuckled and Taylor heard some shuffling and then a door slamming.
"And what would that answer be?"
"I…I'll do it."
"Do what?" he asked with a chuckle. Taylor closed her eyes as tears immediately started to fall from her eyes as she sighed and said.
"I'll break up with Troy." Chad chuckled.
"That's a good choice, Taylor…I would have hated to see what would have happened to him or someone else from West High if you had decided not to accept my offer. Though I have to admit it would have been fun."
"If I do this…you'll leave Troy and anyone else from West High alone."
"I promise that I won't do anything I didn't do before you hooked up with him. So that means I can taunt him…say things to him, but I won't hurt him." Chad said with a sigh. Taylor just bit her bottom lip as Chad laughed into the phone. "I want you to break up with him soon…I don't want that abomination of a relationship to go on past the end of this week do you understand me."
"Yes."
"And you and I…well we are going to get back on the right track, I promise you won't regret this. Oh and before I forget…when you break up with Bolton…you better come on with something, no one can know about our arrangement or I'll go back on my word and do something a little extreme if you get what I'm saying."
"I…I won't tell anyone."
"You better not…you better not Taylor or you will regret it. Cause if you do Troy will be in a hospital bed next and it will be all your fault."
"I said I wouldn't tell, Chad." She exclaimed heatedly, she heard him chuckle before he came back and said.
"And I'm just telling you what will happen if you make the mistake of telling anybody and that includes your bimbo of a friend Sharpay." He spat out. "Those are the ground rules for this arrangement, the others well we will discuss them at a later date after you break it off with Troy, now if you will excuse me I have some company to attend to." He said hanging up the phone. Taylor lowered her cell phone and looked at it. She knew she had just made a deal with the devil; however she knew that it was necessary to protect the man that she loved.
Sharpay couldn't figure out why Taylor wanted her to come over tonight, it wasn't Taylor style to have company so late on a school night. Parking her car, she hopped out and went to the front door. Almost immediately Taylor answered the door grabbing her hand she pulled her inside. "Tay, what in the world is going on with you?" she said as Taylor led her into the living room. Taylor released her hand and the sighed.
"I have to tell you something, Shar." She muttered softly. Judging by her friend's facial expressions she could tell that this conversation was going to be very serious. While not taking her eyes off of Taylor, she moved to sit down on the sofa. Once she was seated, Taylor moved to the lone armchair right across from her.
"Alright Taylor you're really scaring me…what's going on?" Taylor looked down at her hands and then back up at Sharpay.
"I…I think I have to break up with Troy, Shar." Sharpay gasped at her friend and shook her head for a moment in disbelief before sighing.
"Taylor you can't serious?" she whispered.
"I am." Taylor replied as she nodded her head, Sharpay just shook her head in shock as she looked at her friend for a moment. She couldn't understand it; she didn't understand why Taylor would do something like this. She knew Taylor loved Troy, and someone would have to blind not to see the way Troy looked at Taylor there was so much love in his eyes for her and her alone.
"Taylor why are you doing this has something happened." She asked softly as she watched her friend.
"Has something happened…you were there when Landon's crazy ass pushed Miguel down those stairs. You know he was aiming for Troy, and you know why?"
"I do…it's because he's crazy Taylor. Look I can understand you feeling guilty but seriously don't blame yourself for what he did…don't do it." She said as she got up and walked over to Taylor who just rocked back in the chair.
"You didn't see Troy after it all happened. You didn't see all the anger and rage that erupted from him at the hospital that night. He was so hurt…he was furious and I couldn't help but think that if he hadn't," she paused and looked at Sharpay. "I couldn't help but think that if he hadn't been with me none of that would have happened."
One week ago…
They had all been sitting in the hospital room for nearly an hour. Taylor was trying her best to be there for Troy ever since the ambulance came to take Miguel he had been totally out of it. She watched him as he tapped his foot furiously on the floor while watching the nurses as they walked back. She took in his whole appearance; his shirt was covered in Miguel's blood from where he had tried to stop the bleeding. Looking up at his face, she could see the dried tear lines and the steady stream of new tear lines that were making their way down his face. Suddenly Troy jumped up unable to take the silence any longer. "Yo man when are they going to come and tell us something." He shouted as he looked towards the direction in which they had taken Miguel nearly an hour earlier. Shaking his head he started pacing up and down the small space between the chairs. Taylor watched helplessly as he started to mutter things to himself. "Troy, sweetie please sit down." She whispered as she looked at him. Troy didn't seem to hear her, because he was in his own painful world.
"I…I…if I had been quicker I could have been able to grab him…if I had just been quicker." He sobbed as he looked down at his hands. Closing his eyes he tried to force the image of his fingertips brushing against Miguel's before he tumbled down those steps. Rubbing a hand along his forehead he went over to one of the wall and laid his forehead against it and tried to take a few deep calming breaths. Taylor and his father shared a look, before she went to go over to him. Before she could reach him however, Troy reared back and slammed his fist through the wall. "I know who did this…it was Chad and them." He shouted as he turned around his fist bleeding. "They pushed him down the stairs…they did this."
"Troy, baby calm down." He barely glanced at her before shaking his head.
"I'm…Chad's gotta pay." He said crying not even caring that his fist was now leaking blood on the waiting room floor. "Chad's gotta pay." He said as he stalked towards the door. Taylor ran after him while calling out to Troy's father for help. Before Troy could reach the door several of his teammates had placed themselves in front of him blocking his path. "Move." Troy replied as calmly as he could. Taylor and Mr. Bolton came up behind him. She moved forward but Mr. Bolton stopped her.
"Wait..." he said as he walked over to his head.
"MOVE!" Troy shouted at his teammates, who just shook their heads. "No man…we ain't moving." They said. "Miguel wouldn't want you-."
"Miguel is in the damn hospital fighting for his life because of what those punks Landon and Chad did. Now move." He shouted, just as his father came up to him.
"Miguel wouldn't want that son."
"Dad, they gotta pay." He said weakly as more tears fell from his eyes. "They gotta pay dad…they gotta pay." He cried, as he weakly pushed his father away, burying his head into his hands. "I'm so sick and tired of this shit." He cried as he moved away from them. "So sick and tired of this East versus West bullshit… all that happens is fighting, and more fighting. That's all that happens…that's all that happens." He cried as he fell to his knees. As he blindly looked across the waiting room, Taylor watched as his eyes fell on hers. "Tay…Taylor baby please…" he trailed off as he broke down sobbing again. Rushing over to him, Taylor gathered him into her arms as he clung to her tightly sobbing into her shoulder.
"I'm here, Troy I'm here." She soothed as she rubbed her hand up and down his back. He continued to sob against her.
"If only I was quicker, I could have grabbed him."
Sharpay looked at Taylor quickly as she retold the story about that night, with tears in her eyes she looked at Sharpay and sighed. "He was in so much pain…so much pain." She whispered as she looked at her. "He was in so much pain…and I caused that so I'm doing this for him."
"He's not going to see it that way." Sharpay replied. "He's not going to see it that way. That boy loves you whether you want to believe it or not. He loves you so much, and I know for a fact, he doesn't blame you. You aren't to blame for what happened."
"How can you say that…the fights between East High and West High have never been this bad. No one was ever sent to the hospital…none of this ever happened until I started going out with Troy."
"It's not your fault Taylor." Sharpay whispered as she reached down and grabbed her friend's hands. "None of this is your fault, and Troy knows that. He's putting the blame on those who deserve it. You're going to break his heart…not to mention your own." Taylor looked down and started crying. She almost broke down and told Sharpay the real reason as to way she was breaking up with Troy, but as soon as the thought appear she pushed it back. 'I'm doing this for Troy…I'm protecting him.' She thought as she lifted her head and looked at Sharpay.
"You don't think I know that…you don't think I know once the words leave my mouth that I'll be hurting him. I know it's going to hurt, but I'm doing this for him."
"Taylor please just think about this and-."
"I've already thought about it, Sharpay…I know I'm making the right decision." She whispered.
"Then why did you call me you knew I would try to talk you out of this."
"I…I need your support…I just need to know that you'll be there for me, cause Sharpay I'm going to need you." She whispered as she started crying even more. Sharpay looked at her friend and walked over to her and pulled her into a tight hug while she continued to sob.
The next day Taylor couldn't shake the nervousness that seemed to flood her soul the moment she laid eyes on Troy that afternoon when he came to pick her from school. He graced her with a smile as she cautiously got into the van. "Hey baby how are you doing?" he said, closing the door she leaned back against the seat and looked over at him.
"Hey Troy." He frowned at her words before sighing and starting the van, moments later they were headed towards the center. Looking over at her he wondered if he should say anything it was obvious something was bothering her.
"You know if you want to talk…you can talk to me, I'll listen baby." He whispered as he reached out towards her hand. She looked at her for a moment before smiling.
"I know and…I…I want to talk to you tonight. Trevor should be over at his friend's house and my mother is working late so we should have the privacy that we need." She whispered, Troy eyed her for a few more moments before nodding his head.
"Alright then that sounds fine I don't have anything to do tonight." Taylor looked over at him nervously before smiling.
"Good…so after we drop everyone off, we can talk." Troy looked over at her smiled, and at that moment felt even guiltier then she had all day.
"That sounds fine to me." He said as they made their first stop to pick up some kids from their elementary school.
Troy looked up as Malcolm and Jandro came over to him. "Yo man how's Miguel?" Jandro asked as they took a seat next to him on the bleachers. Troy looked at them for a moment before shaking his head.
"He's miserable you know how Miggs is…he has to be out and you know his mother and father aren't going to let him out of their sight." Malcolm nodded his head and sighed.
"How are you and Taylor doing?"
"I…I think we're doing fine, it's just that lately she's been a little distant. I think she still blames herself for what happened, and I really don't know if there's anything I can do to make her see differently." Jandro lowered his head and sighed.
"You know me and Kerry were talking about that last night. She said that if she was Taylor's position she would feel the same way about this entire thing." Troy just shook his head.
"Taylor can't control Chad or his damn friend Landon…I wish she could get that."
"Maybe you just need to sit her down and say it over and over again until she gets." Malcolm said as both Jandro and Troy looked over at him. "What?"
"Nothing man…I'm just trying to understand how you just made sense all of a sudden that's not natural." Jandro said laughing, Troy just chuckled not really feeling up joking around not when his mind was totally on Taylor and how he could convince her that she wasn't to blame for what happen.
Later on that night after they had dropped off everyone else, Troy headed straight for Taylor's home. Pulling up into the driveway he turned off the van and looked over at her. She had completely silent on the way over here and he just didn't know how he felt about that. "So um…do you want me to come inside?" She lifted her head and looked at him for a moment before nodding her head.
"Please." Troy nodded and unbuckled his seat as she followed suit. Soon both of them were in her living room. Taylor looked at Troy and walked over to him kissing on the lips. Troy smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist as he pulled her closer deepening the kiss until she finally pulled away.
"Please." Troy nodded and unbuckled his seat as she followed suit. Soon both of them were in her living room. Taylor looked at Troy and walked over to him kissing on the lips. Troy smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist as he pulled her closer deepening the kiss until she finally pulled away. Taylor bowed her head savoring what she knew was going to be their last kiss. Looking up at him, she found Troy smiling down at her.
"Wow, that was that for?" he whispered as he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear while bending down and kissing her forehead. "Not that I'm complaining." Staring into his bluish eyes Taylor reached down and grabbed his hands leading him over towards her sofa. Sitting down she turned to face him while still keeping her hands locked with his. She needed to feel his touch…she needed his strength to do what she had been dreading to do the moment she told Chad she agreed to his arrangement. Lowering her head she took a few deep breaths before whispering.
"Troy, I think we need to talk about us…about our relationship." Sensing that the conversation had now gone serious, Troy cleared his throat willing Taylor to look up at him while he held a firm grip on her hands.
"What is this about?" he whispered.
"I…I was thinking about what happened to Miguel, and that got me thinking about everything else." She paused and looked up at him. "What happened to him was absolutely horrible but I couldn't help but feel guilty on two counts."
"Two…Taylor what are you talking about."
"When I say two…I mean I even though I was upset and sadden by Miguel's accident I couldn't help but be thankful that it wasn't you lying down at the bottom of the stairs like that. I can't shake that image from my mind, and I can only say that it would probably be worst if it had been you."
"That's understandable but what about the other part."
"I also felt guilty because I know deep down inside that his accident is entirely my fault." Troy shook his head furiously at her words and pulled Taylor closer.
"It isn't your fault…the police have the person responsible and they are currently downtown in lockup. What happened to Miguel wasn't your fault."
"It is, Troy…god would you just open your eyes." She snapped as she pulled away from him. "I'm the reason your best friend may never be able to play basketball again." She said as she looked at him. "I'm the reason he was pushed down those stairs, if you don't remember Landon was gunnin' for you…and I know for a fact he wasn't doing that because they lost the game…they were doing that because I had embarrassed Chad during the home game by going over to your side." Troy frowned at her while rubbing a hand along the bottom of his chin.
"First of all…I do remember Landon screaming out my name like some lunatic before he pushed Miguel down those stairs…there isn't an hour that goes by that I don't remember what happened that night. That I don't remember my fingers brushing against Miguel's before he fell down those damn stairs, I know that fact and I have to live with it for the rest of my life. Now what facts do you have…what facts do you have that links you to what happened. If anyone in this room should blame themselves for what happened it should be me. My name was the one that Landon called…my name…not yours…mine."
"It would have never happened if we weren't together." Troy crossed his arms over his chest.
"You can't be serious…there have been fights long before you and I ever got together. Baby look you aren't to blame for what happened. I don't know how many more ways I can it." Shaking her head she sighed and closed her eyes as tears welled up behind her eyelids.
"Troy you have to believe me…I'm right on this. Chad and Landon planned that because of me. They wanted to hurt us."
"They've been trying to hurt us."
"And that's why I think we should break up." She whispered as she meekly looked into Troy's eyes. He looked at down at her in shock. "Troy did you-." He jumped off the sofa quickly moving away from her touch while glaring at her."
"Oh I heard you alright…damnit Taylor you have got to be kidding." Taylor stood up as well and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Someone has to be willing to sacrifice in order to protect you if you aren't willing to do it yourself." He narrowed his eyes at her and shook his head.
"Is that what you're doing is that what you call protecting me," she nodded her head as he just shook his head while giving off a bitter chuckle. "And I thought you were pretty smart…let me clue you in on a secret Taylor…I can and have protected myself, and I can continue doing it while dating you."
"Oh really…then what about that day you came here with that bruised jaw claiming that it was a scratch…why didn't you protect yourself then." Troy clenched his jaw and shook his head.
"I protected myself by walking away."
"And how is that protecting yourself."
"Because Darren Dawkins…Chad's cousin is a known gang banger…and is known for carrying a gun at all times." He spat out. "I handled the situation, and I don't need you questioning me alright."
"If that's true then I'm making the right decision." Troy shook his head and moved towards her reaching out he grabbed her hands.
"Baby please just listen to me. I love you alright I love you so much. If you do this…you'll break me…I need you in my life Taylor." He whispered as he looked down at her. Taylor lowered her head and carefully removed her hands from his.
"I will be there…you'll be picking me up from school and we'll see each other at the center." He looked down at her in shock, and shook his head.
"That's not the same thing as me being able to hold you in my arms, as me being able to kiss you. It's not the same." She turned her back to him and he sighed. "What the hell is wrong with you Taylor?"
"Troy just try to understand please just try to understand."
"I'm trying but you keep talking about me letting you go…damnit I don't want to do that. I don't want to let you go," he walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. Taylor gasped at his touch and leaned back against his chest before she realized what he was doing while he whispered. "I love you, Tay…don't do this to me…don't do this to us." Shaking her head she pried his arms from around her waist and turned to him.
"This is necessary…I don't want anything to happen to you. I don't want your injures to be on my conscience as well." Troy shook his head.
"We can fight him…we can fight him. If we do this he'll win. If we break up because of him he'll win." Taylor shrugged her shoulders and sighed.
"Maybe I'm not strong enough." She mumbled as she looked up at him. "Maybe I'm not strong enough to fight him. Or maybe I'm just tired of fighting." Troy sighed and looked down at the ground.
"If you love me as much as you claim you do you'd fight for me…you'd fight for us." Taylor looked away from him while whispering.
"That's not fair, Troy."
"Is it…what's not fair is you giving up on us because you don't want to fight. What's not fair is that you made me love you. You made me fall in love with you and now when the going gets tough…you want to back out. You want to destroy everything we've worked so hard to build just because you're scared."
"And you're not scared? You mean to tell me that everyday I go to East High you're not worried about me."
"I worry about you all the time because I love you, but just because I worry doesn't mean I'm willing to give up on the best thing in my life. I mean basketball is great but having you there cheering me on. Having you there to hold me when I'm upset, when I'm happy, when I just need you…that's when I'm truly enjoying my life, and if I have to go through some things. If I have to go through some pain just to achieve a moment of bliss with you. Then damnit I'm willing to do it."
"Troy…I can't do that." She choked out. "I can't be with you, while constantly worrying if someone is going to do something to you. I can't do that."
"Then I made a mistake when I thought that you were stronger than that. I made a mistake when I thought that together we could get through anything."
"I'm not willing to see people hurt just because we want to be together." She snapped back as she looked at him. Troy moved to say something else but she cut him off. "I mean I love you so much but-."
"You don't even know the meaning of the word." He replied as a lone tear escaped his left eye he quickly turned away from him bracing his hands on the wall as he bowed his head. Taylor sighed and looked at him for a moment before whispering.
I know you don't agree, but it's for the best."
"What's for the best…huh, you breaking my heart is that for the best." He shouted as he turned back around to face her. His face was contorted in pain as tears fell from his eyes. "Is that what you think is for the best."
"Don't be like that…I'm…I'm doing this for us…I'm doing this for you." Shaking his head he chuckled bitterly as he continued to cry.
"Oh isn't that rich…you're breaking my heart and then you claim you're doing it for me." She took a step forward and looked at him for a moment before whispering.
"I'm doing it to protect you." He lifted his head and looked her directly in the eye before frowning.
"So let me get this straight…you're strong enough to break up with me and break both," he paused and pounded his chest. "And break both our hearts but you aren't strong enough to stay with me and fight for us."
"Troy, please try to understand."
"I can't understand this…I won't understand this." He replied with a shake of his head. "You…you can't do this. I love you Taylor…I love you so much I can't allow this to happen not when I'm finally happy."
"I love you too, Troy but you're going to have to understand because I'm not going to change my mind, Troy." He nodded his head and shook his head. "I'm going to protect you whether you want me too or not."
"Nothing will happen to me." He walked towards her and grabbed her hands within his. "Nothing is going to happen to me, Tay." He whispered she shook her head and pulled her hands from his, knowing that she would break down from his touch. Troy looked hurt at her rejection but lowered his hands.
"This whole east high against west high thing is to hard. Nobody wants us together. Nobody will leave us alone it's just too hard Troy, and I care about you so much but being with you is too hard." She said watching as he literally crumpled at her words.
"You don't mean that?"
"I do…I thought I was stronger. I thought I could take what they dished out, but after seeing what happened to Miguel I know…I know I'm not strong enough." Troy bowed his head and sighed.
"I thought you were strong enough." He mumbled, and Taylor could instantly feel him growing cold towards her. Shaking his head, he slowly backed away from her. "My bad…I thought you were stronger…I thought you could handle the different school thing. I thought you could handle us."
"Did you not see what happened to Miguel?"
"That wasn't your fault…that…don't you see you're playing right into Chad's hands. I'm sure this is what he wants, I'm sure he wants us to break up and you're playing right into his hands."
"If he would go to that much of an extreme to end our relationship, then I'll end it."
"Don't let him win…we love each other, don't let him break us up." Troy pleaded as he looked at her.
"I'm breaking us up…I'm doing it." She replied firmly, Troy's eyes glazed over with more tears as he finally nodded his head.
"Then it's over?" Taylor watched him for a moment before nodding her head. He looked into her eyes as she slowly nodded her head.
"It's over." She choked out as she watched him shake his head.
"Well you know normally I don't let punks like Chad Danforth control my life…I don't like punk ass men tell me who I can be with or who I can love and if they do something to me I can handle it…and I could have handle this, because I'm strong enough to handle it." He whispered as he watched her. "But since you want out so badly, I guess I can let you go."
"Troy."
"No, its okay Taylor…you want out, you got it. I was alone and doing just fine before I met you and I will be again." Taylor watched as he turned and headed towards the door. Hurrying after him she called out his name just as he opened the front door to head out.
"Troy!" He froze and slowly turned around and looked at her.
"What?" she winced at the harshness of voice and slowly spoke.
"Even though…even though I've ended our relationship I still love you, Troy. I just…I just had to do this. I have to protect you." Troy eyed her for a brief moment before shaking his head.
"And I still love you…but like you said our relationship is over, so what does it matter." He said walking out and slamming the door behind him. Taylor jumped at the sound as tears filled her eyes, shaking her head she slide down the wall while pulling her knees up to her chest. Looking up towards the ceiling she hoped that she had made the right decision. Chad had threatened him, and she was protecting him. Love is about sacrifice and she had just placed her heart on the altar for the man she loved.
A/N: So what did you think?