September 27th, 2008: 4:39 AM
Gabriella woke up a little earlier than she expected to wake up.
She felt a little older and more confident, now that she was sixteen and not fifteen. She was about to turn sixteen, and Troy turned eighteen a week ago.
Griffin was now two months old.
She peered into Griffin's room, saw that he was still sleeping, and went to go take a shower. As she got out and got dressed, it was four, and he was still sleeping. She made her bed, said hello to Leaf and Henry, fed them, sighed in disappointment at Colt, who was waiting for Griffin to wake up, and then went upstairs to get something to eat.
Her dad was sitting at the kitchen table.
"Dad? Why are you up so early?" She made herself a bowl of fruit loops and sat at the bar.
"Couldn't sleep." He sighed.
"What's going on? Is something going on between you and mom?"
"No. Nothing's wrong. Just worry about you and Griffin, not me."
"Okay?" Gabriella set her bowl in the sink when she was done, and went to go check on Griffin. He was still asleep.
"Coltie, why don't you go get somethin to eat?" She said quietly and opened the dog room door open for him. "Griffin's going to be right there when you come back."
Colt was sitting up, staring right at Griffin. He set his nose between the bars and innocently looked up at Gabriella.
"Colt, come on... " She walked into the room and grabbed Colt's collar, trying to drag him into the dog room. When she finally got him to go in there, she shut the door and locked him in there.
She decided to wake Griffin up.
"Griffie, wake up... " She turned his bedroom light on and walked over to his crib. He stubbornly cried.
"I know you don't feel good, but you've been sleeping since ten in the morning yesterday." She picked him up. "Time to wake up."
He buried his head into his shoulder, whining a little.
"Don't you dare even start. You're gonna wake mamaw up."
She turned the dehumidifier up higher as he coughed.
"Let's hope daddy's going to take you to the doctor today." She set him down pn his changing table.
Her phone began to ring. She held him down with her left hand and answered her phone with her right hand. She didn't bother looking at the caller ID.
"Hello?"
"Hey! Gabriella!"
She pressed te record memo button on her phone on accident.
"Troy? What's going on and why are you calling me so early?"
"Just uh... Checking up on... You... "
She looked at Griffin. "At five in the morning?"
"Yep."
She could hear loud music playing in the background.
"Where are you?"
"Oh, home... Just... Chillin'."
"Really?" In the background, she heard Harvey. "With Harvey?"
"No!"
Harvey yelled in the background. "Man, it feels sooo good to go out and party once and a while, you know what I mean?" She could hear Troy tell him to shut up.
"I will tell you that... I am NOT out partying, and I am NOT drunk, and Harvey is NOT drunk and partying... "
A girl walked up to Troy.
"Hey baby, aren't we going to get back to making out?" She giggled drunkily.
Gabriella's eyes watered.
"You cheating asshole! You obviously don't care about your son either, because you were supposed to take him to the hospital today. What the fuck ever. I don't care anymore! If it makes you happy, go party all night, but don't ever come back to my house ever again, you hear? Go ruin your own fucking life, but don't ruin mine and Griffin's!" She hung up on him.
Troy stared at his phone. He stumbled around and fell against the bar. "Shit man... "
"What's wrong kid?" Harvey grinned and danced around happily.
"Gabi's not happy... " Troy burped loudly and held the bar tightly
Harvey to count on his fingers. "Well I'm happy, you're happy, we're all happy, I'm happy, you're happy, I'm happy- "
"Stop talking Harvey... " He stumbled around a little. "We're all fucking drunk."
Troy felt a little bad, but continued on making out with the girl on the bar. He felt no guilt in his heart.
Gabriella looked at her phone, and noticed her recording memo was going. She listened to it, then quickly turned it off. She didn't erase it.
...
Gabriella gave Griffin a bath and got him dressed. She took him into the kitchen and began to feed him his bottle. Her mom came down from upstairs and her dad came out of the living room. Both went into the kitchen.
"Why are you up so early sweetheart?" Her mother grabbed some eggs, some sausage, and some bacon out of the refridgerator.
"I've gotta take Griff to the doctor. He's been sleeping since yesterday morning, he was hacking all night, and he's got a runny nose."
"I thought Troy was going to take you guys."
"Forget that asshole. He's out partying with Harvey. They're drunk and at the bar."
"But they are not old enough to be there!" Maria looked up at her.
Gabriella kept quiet.
"Gabriella Anne Montez, please don't tell me- "
"I used to go bar hopping and clubbing with them, okay? It doesn't matter anymore, because that's not how I got pregnant with Griffin and I don't do it anymore. I thought it was cool, but I have a baby now, and I can't do it anymore."
Her mother sighed. "How should I believe anything you say now? You always lied to me. I did not believe you anyway."
Gabriella looked up at her mom. "I'm changed. I had to grow up and be a mom faster than I grew into being a kid. Eight months was all it took. Here, listen to this." She grabbed her phone and started the call memo.
Vincente` and Maria listened closely.
"He's cheating on you!" Vincente` stood up. Maria tried to calm him down.
"I'm not stupid." Gabriella rolled her eyes and put her phone back in her pocket. "I know he's cheating on me. He's not my problem anymore."
Vincente` sat down at the table. "I should call Kay and Jack and tell them what their son is out doing."
"I think you should too Vin. He is sinning- "
Gabriella groaned. "Oh my god, mom and dad, just leave it alone! I can handle this myself! God damn! I can handle my own fucking life, I don't need you two nagging and biting at my feet to protect me, because I can protect myself and my own son on my own! Just quit butting into my fucking life!"
"Gabriella!" Her mother became angry. "How could you say that about your father and I?"
"I'm just tired of dad treating me like I'm still six, and you trying to direct my life. Well guess what, dad? I'm not six anymore! I spent the first six years of my life without you, and I can sure enough spend the rest of my fucking life without anyone!" Gabriella went to her room and shut the door.
Maria began to cry. "What has happened to my daughter, Vin? Why is she being so cruel and mean to everyone?"
Vincente` got up and hugged Maria. "She's stressed out... Her son's father is out partying with his friends, she can't because she has their baby, and she's tired of being cheated and lied to from him. She's not meaning anything towards you and I. I think we are pushing her to her limits, though. She needs some time to think about what she's going to do with Troy."
"If he is not going to step up and be a father to my grandson, then she needs to break it off with him and sign for full custody- "
"But she's not going to do that, and we all know that. He's pulling her strings, Maria. He has her wrapped around his finger. She does what he wants and what her to do, and that's all there is to it. She needs to find a way to cut the strings and unravel herself from him, and she's going to have to figure it out on her own. She needs to make the decision for herself. We can't make it for her like we used to. Yeah, she's still in our custody as our daughter, but she now has the right to make decisions for her and her son because she's now tied to her son. Let's just give her space to blow off some steam, okay? If she tries to talk to you, just try as much as you can to comfort her."
Maria nodded, knowing that her daughter was making a rough decision. "When I decided to let you see Gabriella, I made the hardest decision of my life. It's going to be even harder for her to make the decision to leave him, if she decides that."
"And I know what that feels like, and believe me, it's not easy to make that decision." He stroked Maria's head. "Leave her some space to grow."
...
Gabriella walked into the main room and sighed. She didn't bother to look at her mom and dad. "I'm taking Griffin to the hospital, and I'm going to Troy's house after that. If I don't come back until late tonight, don't be mad at me. I'll be back as soon as I can." And she walked out the door.
She went to her brand new SUV, which her father bought for her. It was metallic blue and black, and Gabriella loved it. She strapped Griffin in the backseat, set his bag beside him, and turned the car on. She set her head against the steering wheel. "Griffie, you know mommy loves you, right?"
Griffin was playing with a light up block that Troy got for him. He was also covered with the blue and brown silk blanket that Troy payed $30 for.
"We're gonna go pay a visit Grandpa Jack and Grandma Kay after we get back from the hospital. Maybe daddy will be there too. I hope he is so I can tear his throat open."
She pulled out of the driveway, and passed Troy's house three houses down on the left. She noticed that his truck wasn't there.
...
Gabriella set Griffin in his carseat and strapped him down. "So he has strep?"
The doctor nodded. "He needs to take the liquid I gave you twice every day, once every 12 hours. If he sleeps, let him rest, and turn your dehumidifier all the way up."
"Okay, thank you so much doctor." She picked him up, exited the building, and carried him to the car. She strapped the seat in and turned the car on. Her phone rang. It was her mom.
Ignored.
As she pulled into Troy's driveway, it was just turning nine o'clock.
She noticed Troy's truck was there.
She began to shake a little.
Gabriella got out of the car, got Griffin out of his carseat, and walked towards the front door. She rang the doorbell.
Jack opened the door.
"Hey Griffin!" He had a huge smile on his face. "What's going on?" He allowed her to step inside.
"I need to talk to Troy." She brushed Griffin's blonde hair back and kissed his cheek.
"I think he's in his room. We just woke up and took our showers. You're welcome to stay for breakfast, if you want."
"No thanks Mr. Bolton. I have to go when I'm done talking to Troy."
"Oh okay. That's fine." Jack smiled at her.
Gabriella went up to Troy's room. She opened and shut the door hard.
She wasn't happy.
He was lying on his stomach, wearing a black shirt and his jeans, with his black sneakers on. A card that read 'Midnight Romeo's Late Night Drink Party' was on his bed beside him. It said 12:00-6:00 AM on September 27th, 2008.
Troy was wasted.
She didn't let go of Griffin for one second, although he spotted his daddy and wanted to go sit with him.
Finally, Troy woke up.
He sat up in his bed, looking around. "Harvey? Caitlin? Where's Ally and the party... " He looked around, spotted Gabriella, and jumped a little.
"Oh... my god, Gabriella? What are you doing here?" He stood up, then fell back on his bed. He held his head.
"No reason." She was fuming. "What's this about 'Midnight Romeo's Late Night Drink Party'?
"What are you talking about?"
She grabbed the card off of his bed and held it up for him to see. "12:00-6:00 AM on September 27th, 2008."
"My dad and mom went to that." He said.
"You lying asshole! I know you went to that! I have proof!" She grabbed her phone from her jeans pocket and turned the memo on.
Troy listened, and then looked up at her.
"I'm so sorry Gabriella... I was drunk- "
"I don't care how drunk you were! You cheated on me, again, and I have proof that you did! I just came over here to tell you in person that I'm sick of your shit and if you can't step up and be a father to your son, then I'm done with you!"
"No, please Gabriella, I'm so sorry... Give me another chance!"
"I gave you another chance, and you screwed it up. I gave you another chance to be a father to Griffin, I gave you another chance to be with me, I gave you another shot at being in our life, and you cheated on me AGAIN! I'm fucking tired of this shit Troy! I'm done with you!"
"I just needed to get away, and this girl just kissed me out of nowhere! It's not my fault! I'm sorry!"
She hoisted Griffin a little more onto her hip. "If you want to go out and party for the rest of your life away, then you go and do that, but don't expect to see Griffin and I ever again!" She began to walk towards the door. She opened it and shut it in his face. As she walked down the stairs, he followed her.
"There was no excuse for it, and I understand that, but I don't want you to take my son away from me! Please! I love you and I want to be with you! I was drunk! Please Gabriella, please give me another chance!"
"No! I'm done with you and your shit! Leave us alone!"
Kay and Jack rushed into the room.
"What's going on?" Kay was confused.
"Your son here went out and partied last night. He got with another girl and cheated on me again! I'm sick of his bullshit, and I can't let my son be dragged into this mess with him! I'm done with him!" She tried to walk towards the door, but Kay stopped her.
Jack turned to Troy. "You did WHAT?" He grabbed Troy's shoulder and shook him. "What is it going to take to knock some sense into your ass?"
Kay held Gabriella away from the door. "Listen sweetheart, I know you're really upset. I don't blame you. But don't take Griffin away from us... "
Gabriella began to cry. Kay held her in a tight hug. Griffin began to whine, then cried because Jack was yelling at Troy. Gabriella kissed the side of his head and held him tightly against her chest.
"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TROY? YOU HAVE A CHILD TO SUPPORT AND A GIRLFRIEND WHO NEEDS YOUR HELP! THIS IS RIDICULOUS!"
Kay held Gabriella in one arm and grabbed Jack's arm with the other. "Jack, calm down. You're making Griffin upset."
Jack backed away from Troy and shook his head. "God damn it Troy! This is what really makes me disappointed in you! When you got Gabriella pregnant, I was mad, but I knew that some sense would finally get knocked into you, and obviously, it wasn't... " Jack's eyes watered. "I thought we raised you right, Troy. We raised you to not be a drunk liar, and more importantly, we raised you to be faithful, and you broke both."
"I'm sorry... " Troy looked at him. "I'm sorry I disappointed you... "
"There's no room for sorries now." Jack looked at Gabriella and Griffin. "You fucked this up big time Troy. I can't get you out of this one, kid. You've gotta fix this on your own."
Troy looked over at Gabriella and Griffin. "I don't know if I can fix it."
Gabriella shook her head. "What did I ever do to make you do this?"
"You promised your friends to get pregnant. I don't want kids. I never did. You ruined my life and my social life by getting pregnant."
"I ruined your life? You are the one who ruined your own life! If you don't want kids, then that's fine by me, because you'll never see Griffin and I ever again. You can just forget we ever existed!" Gabriella walked past Kay and opened the door. She turned around. "Kay, Jack, I'm so sorry this had to happen here." She ran out the door and into her car. She set Griffin in his car seat, strapped him in quickly, and pulled out of the driveway before Kay could catch her. She immediatly pulled into her own driveway and got out of the car. She got Griffin and his bag out, and ran into her house, locking the door behind her.
"Gabriella?" Vincente` ran into the main room.
Gabriella was crying. She set the bag down and leaned against the front door.
"Oh sweetheart... " He grabbed her in his arms. She cried into his shoulder.
"I broke up with Troy, daddy... We got into a big fight at his house and Griffin was crying and- " She cut herself off and cried harder. "I'm so sorry for yelling at you earlier... "
"Don't worry about it. I know you didn't mean it." Maria walked down the steps. "She just broke up with Troy and got into a big fight with him."
Maria sighed. "I'll call the lawyer."
Gabriella didn't resist.
"I'm so tired of being thrown around and treated like his whore daddy... I don't want Griffin to suffer anymore... "
"We're going to make sure that Griffin doesn't suffer anymore. We'll protect you and Griffin. Just trust us, okay?"
She nodded.
She thought she made a horrible decision, but in her heart, she knew it was right.
It was always the right decision, but she ignored it.
She knew he would cheat again, deep down. She knew that eventually, this would happen.
But not so quickly.
She had just broken up with the love of her life.
And she regretted it.