I don't own anything.

A/N: Alright I hope you guys are ready for the next update, right now I want to thank my reviewers from last week; cornique chaylor girl, Keirah, Aipom4, allyxocorbin, Favor1234, baby2ludaris, Angel and Ani Thompson. I hope everyone enjoys this new update and please remember to Review.

Baby S

Chapter Fourteen

There had never been a moment in Taylor's life where she felt like just hiding away from everyone and everything. There had never been a time where she wanted to be secluded from everyone, however as she rode back in the limo with her cousin Zeke, Sharpay, Kelsi and Jason she felt that way for the first time in her entire life. "I could just kill him." Zeke said angrily as they rode towards her house. Taylor barely glanced his way, because she was so deep in thought but that didn't stop Sharpay from voicing her two cents.

"I don't know why I didn't think about this…but Taylor, Troy didn't do that."

"Oh really and who did." Zeke asked her angrily as he slid away from her to emphasis his point. Sharpay sighed and leaned back against the seat of the limo and the spoke.

"I can't believe I didn't think if this earlier, but Ryan has been harassing Troy lately, and I know for certain that he's the one that put that picture of Taylor up on the screen. I just know it deep down in my bones." Sharpay said with conviction. Taylor looked up at her, still crying with tears flowing down her cheeks. She and Sharpay's glazes met and then she gasped.

"Oh my god." She cried out quickly, "Sharpay you're right." Nodding her head she looked over at Zeke who was now sitting in stunned silence.

"But why would he go through such-."

"Because Troy made a mistake that Ryan doesn't seem to think he's done paying for." Taylor whispered as she maneuvered around the inside of the limo till she could tap on the driver window. The car slowed down as she told him to head back to the school immediately. Zeke looked at her for a moment and then spoke up.

"What da hell is going on?"

"I'm going back to the prom, there's no way I'm going to let Ryan get the last word in this." She said as the limo made a u-turn in the middle of the street and headed back towards the prom with a seething Taylor McKessie in the backseat.

"You alright son." The taxi driver asked Troy who had been sitting silently in the back since he had gotten picked up earlier that night. Troy looked over at him and then down at his hands that were between his legs.

"I'm not doing to good, sir…I um…well at the prom you picked me up from there was an incident. You see I did some things in my past I'm not proud of and then this guy I hurt…well he used my past to hurt the girl that I love." He replied softly. The older man looked at him and sighed.

"I'm sorry to hear that…well maybe the young lady will forgive you."

"I really don't know about that sir, but I'm on my way right now to see if that will happen cause I would really like to have her in my life." He said as he sat back fully and looked straight ahead. "I mean even though she's only been in my life for a few months I couldn't imagine my life without her in it."

"Well that certainly sounds like love." He said as he continued driving. "Why don't you try to explain everything to her…I'm sure if she feels the same way about you she will take the time to listen to your side of the story, and hopefully forgive you." Troy sat silently for a minute as the man continued driving, as he turned into Taylor's neighborhood he looked out the window and sighed.

"That's what I'm hoping." He said just as his cell phone went off, just as the man pulled into Taylor's driveway. He frowned as he saw that the lights in her room were off. Taking his cell phone off he answered it in annoyance. "Who is this?"

"This is your lovely step-sister."

"Sharpay…please don't…look I have to find Taylor and explain to her-."
"Would you please just shut up…God, you are so annoying." Sharpay exclaimed cutting him off. Troy frowned as she said that, but remained quiet. "Thanks…now you need to come back to the prom now…Taylor calmed down as did I and we realized that you didn't do it…you need to come back immediately Troy before she does something crazy."

"Crazy like what?" He asked his voice becoming tenser as he thought about all the things she could do and what could happen to her in return if Ryan decided to retaliate.

"I don't know just get your ass here." She cried out angrily and then hung up. Troy looked down at his phone and then looked up at the driver who was watching him quietly throughout the entire conversation.

"Something wrong?"

"Change of plans…I need you to take me back to the school ASAP…it seems something has happened." The driver nodded his head and pulled out of Taylor's driveway and then sped off back towards East High, while Troy sat nervously in the back hoping he got to Taylor in time.

Taylor tapped her foot on the floor of the limo as it sped through the night headed back towards East High. Sharpay watched her silently before speaking. "Taylor…are you okay?" she looked up at the question and frowned as she thought about the events that had taken place that night with a sigh she shook her head and said.

"No, Shar…no I'm not. I can't believe I feel into one of Ryan's traps. I allowed him to use me to hurt Troy." Sharpay shook her head and leaned back in her seat, looking over at Zeke who had remained strangely quiet since Taylor had demanded that the limo be turned around.

"You alright Zeke." He looked up at her in surprise for a moment before shaking his head. Placing a hand underneath his chin, he sighed and looked over at his cousin and then back at her.

"No, I'm not…I take what happened to my cousin very seriously. I was supposed to protect her and here I am unable to do anything out than watch as some sick bastard makes her a mark on her first and only prom night." He exclaimed angrily as he looked at her. Sharpay moved over to his side and reached for his hand. Looking down at their hands, he looked back up at her and sighed.

"Shar?"

"I'm here for you…and you haven't failed at protecting Taylor…she's fine and we're going back right now to handle the situation. If you want to protect her then, well you have my permission to beat my brother."

"Shoot, after what he did I don't need anyone's permission but thanks for the go ahead." He said giving her a smile, she smiled back and looked up as the limo came to a stop, before anyone could say anything. Taylor had hopped out of the limo and headed inside. Sharpay and Kelsi looked at one another. Mouthing a curse, Sharpay hurriedly got out of the limo with everyone else behind her and headed inside in search of Taylor because no one wanted her to go against Ryan by herself.

"Did you see her face? God that was one of the best things I've seen all year." Gabriella said as she and Ryan danced. He looked down at her and nodded, however his mind was on the satisfied feeling he felt when he had looked into Troy's heartbroken face. Never in his life would he have thought payback would feel so good. Taylor being hurt in the process wasn't something he had wanted to happen, but it was a necessary. "Ryan are you even listening to me." He looked down at her and smiled.

"Of course I wasn't." he said trying his best not to laugh at the look on her face. She sighed and stepped back away from him.

"Oh, I should have known you wouldn't have forgiven me." Ryan just looked away from her and didn't say anything. She sighed at the look on his face and looked down at her hands. "Fine…then I'm just going to go."

"Oh you don't have to do that, Gabriella…we were having so much fun dancing." She looked up at him as Ryan smiled down at her. "You don't have to leave, I was enjoying dancing with you." She looked up at him and sighed.

"We're never going to be like we were before are we?" Ryan just looked away at her words, and then chuckled. Confused by his actions she turned around and saw none other than Taylor McKessie making her way towards them. The crowd parted like the red sea for her. Not to far behind her she could see Sharpay, Zeke, Kelsi and Jason. Ryan smiled and pushed her slightly away from him as he gave his full attention to Taylor.

"Taylor…did I tell you that you look at absolutely breathtaking tonight it is an absolute pity that, that fool Troy had to ruin it all by showing that horrid pict-." He was cut short by a hard slap. Lifting his right hand to his lips he shook his head and looked at her for a moment. "Wow, who would have known you could hit so hard."

"Why would you do something like that, Ryan?"

"Do something like what?" he asked looking down at her. "It's a shame that you got hurt, by your mere involvement with Troy, but please down blame me for your mistakes…it's not very becoming." He said as he looked down at her.

"You wanted to hurt Troy and me, that's why you put that damn picture up there. Troy didn't do that…he wouldn't because he loves me and he would never hurt me."

"He loves you," Ryan stated laughing. "Please Troy has loved lots of girls…hell in that book you can see each and every one of them, and you think you're different. God being in that school lab really has made you a naïve little girl."

"Naïve! I'll show you naïve." Sharpay exclaimed about to make her way over, but was stopped back Taylor lifting her hand signaling for her to stop. Once Taylor was sure that Sharpay wasn't going to come over, she looked up at Ryan and frowned.

"Troy Bolton has changed," she whispered and then looked around at the gathering crowd and spoke up so everyone could hear her. "Troy Bolton has changed…and you can't seem to accept it." Ryan looked around at the room at crowd that seemed to be paying close attention to the conversation at hand. Releasing a deep breath, he looked down at Taylor and shook his head.

"Of course you'd think he's changed…that's what he'd want you think."

"I saw the change…I saw him change from a womanizer into a man who cares and loves me. I saw someone who turned into a man who anyone would be proud of." She said hotly. "I love him and what we have is pure and good, and I'm not going to like a prick like you ruin it." She said as she looked up at him. "For once in my life…I have someone who sees more in me than a nerd or some smart girl that can help them with their homework…no instead I have a man that sees me as the beautiful woman I am and you set out to ruin that."

"He ruined my relationship with Gabriella; I know you didn't forget that so you must have selective memory."

"Selective memory…I guess I do, when I choose not to dwell on the past. Troy changed; he asked you for forgiveness…he was so upset with himself after what he had done. You see that's the difference between you and him. He knows when he's done something wrong and he tries to find a way to make it right…but you…you do wrong and you blame your wrongdoing on others."

"Go ahead turn this around on me…turn it around on me, when Troy was the one that is in the wrong."

"He isn't in the wrong here you are." Taylor exclaimed as she looked at him. "You are…he would have never done what you've done to me tonight."

"That's what you think, Taylor but I know better…so I guess you're right. Cause I don't regret what I did." He said as he looked down at her. "I don't regret and instead of attacking me you should be thanking me." Taylor looked up at him and nodded her head.

"You're right." She said as she reared back and punched him in the nose, Ryan fell back with a grunt his hand automatically went to his nose.

"What da hell!" he screamed as he scrambled to his feet and looked down at Taylor who was shaking her hand.

"That was my thank you." She said as she looked at him. He narrowed his eyes at her and was just about to make a move towards her when several teachers broke through the crowd. The first teacher to say something was Mr. Thompson.

"What exactly is going on here?"

"She hit me…," he exclaimed taking his hand away from his nose to show the teachers the evidence. They all winced as they saw how bloody his nose was. Mr. Thompson looked over at Taylor in surprise and then back at Ryan. "She just hit me."

"Taylor I am so disappointed in you." Mr. Thompson said as he looked at her in shock as did the other teachers. Shaking her head, she glared at Ryan who had now tilted his head back in an effort to stop the bleeding.

"Well since we're playing the confession game. I think it's only fair that I tell you that that picture that had been put up on the slideshow about me was put up there by Ryan himself. Troy didn't do it…it was Ryan."

"Oh my god."

"She's a lair." Ryan exclaimed hotly as he shook his head frantically.

"No she isn't." They all turned around and saw Gabriella who was looking at Ryan. He moved towards her but was stopped by Mr. Thompson who was looking at Gabriella.

"And how do you know?"

"Because I helped him." She said as she looked over at Taylor. "I wanted him back and I was willing to do anything…" she trailed off. Sharpay looked at her and moved forward.

"You bitch!" she exclaimed but before she could get close to her, Zeke wrapped his arms around her and picked her up and carried her a bit away.

"That seems to be the only thing my sister and I can agree on." Ryan spat out as he looked at Gabriella angrily. Ignoring the look of hate from Ryan, Gabriella continued.

"Ryan…found something of Troy's and asked me to if I wanted in on this revenge plot…and after what Troy had done to our relationship. I wanted in, so I told him yes. He brought that picture to me and I added it to the slideshow." Mr. Thompson looked between Ryan and Gabriella and frowned.

"Gabriella…I am very disappointed in you and Ryan. Come with me right now. I'd like to discuss that little stunt of yours in private." He said pulling an angry Ryan away, Gabriella lowered her head and followed, but not before stopping. She turned around and looked at Taylor and walked over to her.

"What do you want?" Taylor asked

"I just wanted to say to you…that I'm sorry. It wasn't until I was listening to you talk about Troy, did I realize how wrong I was. Ryan used to be that way. He used to see me as a beautiful woman instead of just that smart math girl…I know you might not believe me but I'm sorry." She said, as soon as she finished she turned on her heel and walked after Mr. Thompson and Ryan. Sharpay and Kelsi ran over to her, and pulled her into a group hug.

"You were awesome…remain me not to get in front of your right hook." Taylor smiled at Kelsi's words and shook her head.

"I would never hit you, Kelsi." She said with a sigh, "Look guys why don't you all just go back to enjoying the rest of the prom I really need some fresh air alright." Sharpay looked at her and nodded her head.

"Okay but if you need us you come back in here and get us." Sharpay said as she placed a comforting hand on Taylor's arm. Nodding her head in understanding, Taylor headed towards the doors that led outside. Sharpay watched her for a brief moment and silently hoped that Troy was pulling into the parking lot at that exact moment.

Taylor exited the school with a sigh, never in her life had she put herself in the spotlight like that. Everyone in the entire school now knew what happened and she had no doubt that it would be the talk of the school for weeks to come. Looking down at her hand she hissed in pain as she ran her fingertips over her knuckles. She looked up as she heard a door close, looking out into the parking lot she saw someone walking towards the school. She froze as the figure passed underneath a light and she saw that it was Troy. He froze as well, and looked up at her. "Taylor." He breathed out; before she could answer he bounded up the stairs two at a time. "Taylor I am so sorry…"

"No, I'm sorry…I should have never believed that about you." She whispered as she looked up at him. Troy clenched his jaw, as two lone tears escaped his eyes. "I love you so much and I know you love me."

"Oh I do baby…I do." He replied quickly on a rush of air, as he placed his hands on her shoulders, he looked down at her and sighed. "I love you so much and it killed me to see my past used to hurt you. It killed me to see that look in your eye baby." He whispered as he looked at her.

"I'm so sorry I didn't listen to my heart…I should have, my heart was telling me that you didn't do it but I was paying attention to it because my mind…" she trailed off and just looked up into the blue orbs that she was so used to getting lost in. Troy brushed his thumb along the side of her face and wiped the tears away from her eyes.

"I love you and none of that matters as long as I have you." He whispered sincerely. He didn't care about it anymore. He was just happy that she had declared her love for him, and that she was willing to take him back messed up past and all.

"I love you too." She whispered back, and that was all Troy could handle, pulling her close to him, he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her softly. At first the kiss was tender, but it soon turned passionate as he pulled her as close to him as possible while rubbing his tongue along her lips until she allowed him entrance into her mouth so that their tongues could duel. Taylor moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck and ran her fingertips through his hair. When the kiss ended Troy rested his forehead against her closed his eyes in happiness.

"That has to be the best damn kiss of the year." He whispered hoarsely, Taylor giggled and laid her head on his shoulder. He smiled and hugged to him. "Come on…you still owe me a dance." He said as he reached down and grabbed her hand. Together they headed inside; she smiled as he led her into the prom. She could see everyone watching them, but it didn't matter to her. It was like she and Troy were the only ones there, once they reached the dance floor Troy wrapped his hands around her and pulled her close. She laid her head on his shoulder as they slowly started dancing to the beat of their hearts.