Gabriella moved into the booth at the dinner, she forced a smile as Steven placed an arm around her. By now she'd changed out of her clothes. She was no longer in her bottoms and brown shirt, Steven had requested that she change out of her costume before they went to a public place. With a grim smile she picked up the menu and looked at the different meals. Her fib about Troy having the Kelsi over for date had work and had afforded her at least a night out of the house, according to Troy they only need until 7 after that they'd be in the clear to come back to the house. Gabriella looked at the clock on the dinner wall. It was only 4:05.
"You look gorgeous,"
"Thank you," Gabriella said giving him a sideway glance as she offered a smile.
"So we need to talk about your dress for homecoming, what are you wearing?"
Gabriella shrugged her shoulders, "I have this yellow dress in my closet that my mom brought me for last year's homecoming."
"You're kidding right?" Steven said with a raised brow. "You need to buy a new dress, I want you to sparkle." Steven said lifting her hand to his lips and placing a soft kiss on her knuckle. "I want people to see you as beautiful as I do."
Gabriella lightly pulled her hand back, "Steven why am I beautiful?"
Steven furrowed his brow as he looked at her with a strange understanding, "You have really nice curves, your hair smells nice, and you have a great rack." He said leaning in closer to see down her shirt.
"Yeah, but, what about my personality?" Gabriella asked.
"Fat girls have personalities, you have beauty." Steven said taping her chin with his finger.
"Steven," Gabriella said with a frown.
Steven let out a sigh, "Fine, what do you want me to say Gabs?" he said moving his arm and picking up his menu, "you know some of the best conversations I've ever had have been with you."
"I don't understand you," she said letting out a sigh and leaning in the booth. "You're a really great guy when you want to be and yet you chose to be ass."
Steven arched a brow, "Watch it," he said cautiously.
"Or what?" Gabriella said placing her hands on the table, "You'll stiff me with the bill?"
"What is wrong with you?" Steven said dropping his menu as he turned in his seat to look at her.
"Nothing," Gabriella said biting her lip a little as she looked back at the menu.
Steven let out a sign and shrugged his shoulders, "You on your girly thing or something because I can't exactly figure out why you're doing this?"
"Doing what?" Gabriella said deciding on the cheeseburger and closing the menu in hopes that the waitress would come by sooner.
"You're different," he said eyeing her with suspicion, "I remember when you use to just talk about your dad all the time."
Gabriella furrowed her brow, "My dad died, Steven." There was an awkward silence between them.
"I know," he said quietly, "you use to talk a lot more is all."
"I'm talking to you now aren't I?" Gabriella responded a little confused as to what he meant.
"Yeah," he said closing his menu, "We just use to talk about more stuff and I feel like all we do now is hang out."
Gabriella eyes widen, "Steven I'm not going to sleep with you,"
"No," Steven said with a sigh, "I know that," he said quietly.
The waitress came over and Gabriella was quiet for a moment not sure how to process Stevens admission. She watched as he ordered her a salad and got himself a burger.
"Wait," Gabriella said before the waitress walked away. "I'll have the same as he is no salad."
Once the waitress was gone Steven taped his thumbs on the table and then looked over at her. "I'm Sorry," Steven muttered, "Most girls just order a salad and drink water when we go on dates. I sort of just expect it."
"I'm a big girl, I can order for myself." Gabriella said quietly as she looked back at the silverware. "Steven I'm confused."
Steven looked at her with a classic wicked smile he wiggled a brow, "Well if you think Sharpay would be into it I wouldn't mind helping you get unconfused."
"Ew," she said blankly as she looked at him.
Steven let out a sigh and looked over at her with a frown. "My parents are getting a divorce," he said quietly.
"Oh," Gabriella said lifting a hand to place it over his. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be, it's not like no one saw it coming," he said with a shrug, "I just, thought I could talk to you about it."
"You know you can," she said quietly.
"Can I?" Steven said looking at Gabriella with a curious expression. "I mean you have no idea how much I miss what we had, I know you miss it too. You're always sending me looks and you're always wearing things just to get my attention. You're always running off to that stupid Jungle freak whenever you get the chance."
Gabriella stilled as she took her hand away slowly. "Steven,"
"Did you really think for one moment that I don't know what's going on?" Steven said narrowing his eyes. "I'm not that stupid."
"I'm sorry."
"I don't want you to be sorry I want you to be with me." Steven said pounding on the table.
Gabriella jerked and sat up straighter, "Steven I am with you,"
"No you're with him," Steven said with a frown. "I'm the one that's confused Gabriella. You tell me that you want me and then you run around behind my back with him."
Gabriella's body went into full alert, her body buzz, her cheeks flush as she looked around the dinner, there was a family in the far left and the waitress was talking to some guy at the front counter. Worry spiked inside her and she instantly wished she were anywhere but here in this dinner sitting next to Steven. "What do you want me to do?"
"Tell me what he's up too." Steven said turning to face her as the waitress brought them their drinks.
Gabriella mouth fell open as she shrugged her shoulders. "He isn't doing anything,"
"Don't fuck with me Gabriella,"
"I really don't know what he's up too," Gabriella said with frown, "We're just friends."
"Friends," Steven said with tight grin, "You kiss your friends like that." Steven pulled out his phone and placed it on the table between them.
Gabriella looked down to see her and Troy up on the roof her body pressed against the Gazebo beam and Troy's lips on hers. "Steven, please," she whispered.
"You were supposed to be with me," Steven said quietly as he turned his attention to the salt shaker on the table.
Gabriella remained quiet as she sat there watching his glaze as he picked up the salt shaker and tipped it over.
"What are you college plans?" he asked causally, "Some big fancy art school?"
"I'm not sure yet,"
Steven picked up the fork and let out a sigh, "You're a senior Gabriella, and you should have figured this out by now."
Gabriella wasn't sure how to respond her eyes still trained on Steven as he ranked the fork through the salt grains on the table. When the waitress arrived she let out a break as she smiled at them and placed their burgers on the tables. Once the waitress left them again Steven grabbed Gabriella's hand placed it on the table with her palm facing up.
"Steven?" Gabriella said cautiously.
"Now I think since you adore drawing so much the decision about art school should be easy," Steven said as he dipped his finger in his water glass and then dapped her skin in her palm. "What do you like about drawing the most?"
"It helps me express myself," Gabriella said calmly as he drew something in her hand with the water. "What about you and your college plans?" she asked trying to get his attention again.
"Well, funny you should ask," Steven said turning her hand over and pressing it into the salt, "I am counting on the homecoming game win to bring out the scouts and hopefully get me a nice scholarship to a University where I can get away from my parents. Trouble is your little boyfriend has something up his sleeve and I think he's going to be a problem."
Gabriella winced from the rough and firm hold he had on her hand, "What are you doing?" she said in panic.
"You leave you two choices here Gabs, listen to m very carefully," Steven said as he reached into his water glass and pulled out and ice cube, "If you scream I'll have to snap his Achilles tendon, which as you know he'll never recover from," he whispered as he leaned into her a little. "Or," he said turning her hand over "You could be quite and the worst I'll do to him is keep him benched for the big game," he said quietly.
"Wait what are you doing?" she said watching him in horror.
"Watching you make a choice for me," Steven said pressing the ice cube in to her hand. Gabriella whimpered as she bit her lip, her body jerked in pain and his other hand clamped down over her shoulder as he leaned into whisper in her ear. "I would love to hurt him, go ahead if you scream I'll stop."
Gabriella gritted her teeth as she lowered her head and winced as she felt the pain shoot up her arm. The sting in her hand was a vibrate bite the cold burning her flesh; she could feel the skin sizzling almost as it decreased in temperature.
"Have you ever heard of the Ice and Salt Challenge?" Steven asked as he closed her hand over the ice cube and firmly held it crushing her hand and causing her to gasp. When she didn't respond he continued. "A group of really stupid teenagers are taking part in dangerous trend of chemical chicken that can result in permanent damage to their bodies." Steven said as he looked around the dinner and then back at her with a smile.
"What do you want?" Gabriella said looking at her hand and feeling the burn on her hand.
"To send a message," Steven whispered in her ear as he kissed her cheek. "You know they say that adding salt can drop the freezing point of ice as low as 0 degrees Fahrenheit, resulting in severe injuries to the skin, including frostbite. Do you think that's possible?"
Gabriella opened her eyes as she watched her hand held shut in his grasp tightly compressing the ice cube into her skin.
"Think about the relief, why should you put up with all the pain in this relationship? What has he done for you? Why should you do it all?" Steven whispered in her ear as he pressed the ice into her palm.
Gabriella took a deep breath as felt the cold sweat wash over her, the sickness to her stomach. Shutting her eyes she blocked him out of her head. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of wining something over her.
"Did you really think I wouldn't see you two together, that I would know you spent your entire lunch break making out with him like some little slut on the roof?" Steven whispered as he pressed the ice deeper into her skin.
An inward groan sounded from her throat as she felt the sting of tears in her eyes, "Does your message have a point," she said between gritted teeth, "because I'm not going to scream."
"Think about your art; think about your precious art school?" Steven said with a raised brow. "Your mother will be so sad, not only did she lose her husband the love of her life but she has a looser for a daughter, a chump who willing to throw it away for a jungle boy."
Gabriella winced as he pressed it harder into her skin the noise of the dinner in the back ground as she heard the bell go off for the oven, the ring of the cash register and the murmur of people talking to one another. She couldn't move under Stevens's firm hold with his right hand firmly closing the ice cube in her hand and his left hand tightly on her left shoulder stopping her from moving suddenly.
"Think about the burning, the mark, the damaged skin, which has to be up to a second degree burn by now. Think about it, this is Troy's fault." Steven said with a frown, "I'll make it easy all you have to do is say stop."
Gabriella shook her head as she gritted her teeth again, "fuck you."
"Fine," Steven said quietly as he frowned, "you win. I'll bench him." Steven let go of her hand and pulled back as Gabriella lurched forwards dropping the ice cube from her hand immediately and looking at the burn in her palm of a giant red X.
"I got to get going; I hope you enjoy your lunch," He said throwing some bills on the table, "You know despite the outcome, this was fun," Steven said pushing some of her hair back so he could see her face.
Gabriella jerked back from his touch her breathing quick and labored as she fought off the anger and pain inside her.
"Tell you what, if you keep seeing Jungle Boy, the next time I come across a fork in the road I'll make the decision while that ice cube is pressed up against that pretty little face of yours." Steven said with a smirk as he got up from the booth.
Gabriella watched as he left the dinner and didn't take her eyes off of him until he was in his car and reversing out of the parking lot.
Troy and Chad high-fived once the door was shut on their last team mate to leave the house that evening. "The game is two more days away and the team is looking great," Chad said with fist pump.
"This is actually going to work," Troy said with a faint smile.
"The guys and I were talking about it and we decided to throw your name in for homecoming king," Chad said with grin, "We think you should have the full high school experience."
"King of what?" Troy said leaning on the post at the bottom of the staircase.
"The school," Chad said with a laugh as he adjusted his backpack, "The homecoming court."
"I not sure I'm fit to be king," Troy said with a smirk, "You guys are doing the work."
"Troy," Chad said with his hands clasp together, "You're too nice for your own good."
The keys in the door triggered Gabriella's return and Chad said his goodbyes as the door opened and she made her way in.
"Hey," she said quietly as she looked at Chad and then towards Troy. Her eyes were red, her features pale her right hand was wrapped in a napkin.
"What happened," Troy's face fell instantly.
Chad eyes drifted to her hand and he frowned as he moved towards her, intent on seeing what was underneath the napkin.
"It's nothing I'm fine," Gabriella said with a low voice as she back away from Chad's advance.
Troy looked at both of them with crossed look over his features in one swoop he grabbed her hand and when she didn't fight him he unwrapped it. A sharp intake coming from both boys as Troy revealed the bright red burn in her hand. There was a blister already festering and a hardened shell was forming over the edges of it. "This is frostbite," Troy said looking at Gabriella with a worried look on his face.
"Ice and Salt?" Chad said quietly looking at Gabriella with sympathy.
When she nodded she avoided Troy's glaze, her frown tight on her lips as she continued to hold her still burning palm out for them to see.
"Did he do this to you?" Troy said quickly.
"He does it to everyone, it the last part of the hazing process," Chad said looking at Troy, "Everyone on the team gets one."
Troy brows rose as he looked back at Gabriella's hand. "You're joking." Troy said turning to face Chad.
"Wish I was," Chad said lifting up the left side of his shirt and exposing a small faint X scar on his torso. "Some of them can get really bad."
There was silence as Troy's face fell and his insides spun, clenching his stomach he stopped and suddenly let the rage engulf him. That burn had been meant for him. No doubt about this was Steven's way of jabbing him where it hurts. By hurting her, but taking advantage of her, by putting her in pain. "I'll kill him," Troy said sharply as he began moving to the door and pulling it open.
Gabriella grabbed his arm with her left hand and pulled, "Troy please don't!"
"Dude," Chad said as he also held Troy inside the house by grabbing his right side, "She's right, you can't!"
Troy looked at either one of them and then outside in driveway at his truck. All he had to do was find him, find him and kill him, snap his neck or run him over with his truck. With a final huff Troy shrugged out of their gasps and turned to make his into the house. "What are we suppose to do?" he said looking at Gabriella who was holding her hand tightly and wincing. "Does it hurt? scale of 1 to 10, 1 being no pain."
"A very big 10," she said sinking down to the first step.
Bending down Troy scooped her up lifting her up from the steps and headed upstairs.
"What should I do?" Chad called as he stood at the bottom of the steps.
"See if they have first aid kit, I need Lidocaine or Neosporin or Cortisone cream and gauze." He said rushing up the stairs, "and Tylenol or Ibuprofen for pain."
Chad dropped his back pack and ran to the bathroom in the hall.
Troy rushed to the bathroom down the hall, and sat her down on the closed toilet as he turned on the water and began to test it for temperature. "How long were you exposed?"
"3 minutes?" Gabriella said unsure as he held out her hand to him and watched as he put it under the warm water.
"Shit," Troy hissed as he motioned for her to keep her hand under the water.
"Troy it burns," Gabriella winced.
"I know," he said dropping to his knees and opening the cabinet to look for a first aid kit.
"Got it," Chad said at the door.
"Thanks," Troy said opening the box and pulling out what he needed. "Alright, give me your hand, Chad give me that towel."
Chad handed him the towel and Troy gently patted the skin. "Why did he do this to you?" Troy said looking up at her as he tore open a packet with his teeth and began smearing it all over the burn.
"He saw us on the roof," Gabriella said with a wince, "He said if we don't stop seeing each other he'll do it on my face the next time," she said as she used her other hand to wipe away a tear.
"He is never going to do that to you," Troy said looking up at her, "I'm never going to let him close enough to try it," Troy added with reassurance.
"So, what are we going to do?" Chad said crossing his arms as he watched Troy and Gabriella.
"This is going too far, this ice and salt crap is dangerous," he said beginning to wrap her hand in gauze.
"Steven is a god; his father is a big shot in this town, no one is going to touch him," Chad said as he leaned on the door frame. "If it were that easy he'd be gone by now but Steven knows how to use the system."
"Yeah well now I'm here," Troy said with a firm frown, "I know a few systems of my own."
Troy looked at her gaze wrapped hand, then up at her face which was a little paler and tear stained. His shoulders slumped as he took in the moment. He was going to let this happen to her, he wasn't going to let someone get away with this.
"Troy," Gabriella said cautiously, "I don't want to be the reason this plan doesn't work, everyone has been doing so much," Gabriella said with frown.
"Everyone has worked hard, but you're done," Troy stood up and placed his hands on the bathroom sink. "If it's a fight he wants, it's a fight he's gonna get."
"I thought you said you didn't want to fight him?" Chad said placing his hands in his back pocket.
"Doesn't matter what I want anymore,"
"Troy you're gonna get kicked off the team," Gabriella said wincing as she held her palm up.
"Like I was ever going to play anyway, I maybe a little naïve, but I'm not stupid." Troy looked up in the mirror and shrugged his shoulders.
"What about your scholarship?" Gabriella said quietly.
Troy let out a laugh and looked back at Gabriella with a smirk, "I have 4.5 grade average, I think I'll bounce back."
Gabriella frowned as she bit her lip and looked over at Chad, "So what do we do?"