October 18th, 2011: 2:34 AM
Gabriella sat quietly at Troy's parents' kitchen counter.
She had her head in her hands.
Another headache to deal with.
"Damn it Troy, where are you... " She said.
She looked at the front door again.
Nothing.
She sobbed and let a couple tears drip off her face. Nothing scared her more than Troy out and about at two in the morning. He could be at a club, a bar, with another girl... Nonsense, he's on his way home to me and the kids. He's going to be home any minute... She thought to herself.
But alas, he did not come home.
A half house passed. It was three in the morning.
Droopy-eyed and exhausted from a long day of chasing Gracelyn and Griffin around without Troy's help, she almost fell asleep at the counter. But she caught herself before her nose touched the marble counter-top.
She looked back at the front door.
Nothing once again.
She sighed in agony and cried a little more.
Kay must have heard her.
She walked down the stairs and peered into the kitchen. "Sweetheart?"
Gabriella sobbed and looked up. She quickly wiped her tears away. "Oh, hi Kay... "
She sighed and stepped off of the steps. "I think you need to get some sleep, Gabriella." Kay set her hand on Gabriella's shoulder and kissed the top of her head. "Griffin and Sierra are already in a dead sleep, so nobody should wake you up... "
"That's not why I'm not sleeping... "
"I know why you're not sleeping." Kay stroked her hair a little. "Troy's been gone since this morning. I know. He's my son. I'm aware of that."
"And you don't worry?"
"I've been worried all day Gabriella." Kay sighed. "I'm scared that something happened to him."
Gabriella sobbed again and put her face in her hands. "I'm scared he's out partying and cheating on me again... God, my kids... This can't happen again... "
"I don't think he would risk that again sweetheart." Kay sat at the kitchen table with Gabriella.
"Kay, you don't know that side of Troy. He likes to drink. He likes the taste of beer, wine, rum, anything with alcohol in it. He likes to party and have sex with sluts. He's just... I should have never got with him. It was the biggest mistake I ever made. I wouldn't be in this situation if I didn't say yes to his pleads for me to go out with him in eighth grade."
Kay set her hand on Gabriella's hand. "But if you never would have said yes, you wouldn't have Jack or me as your parents in law."
"You aren't my parents in law."
"Maybe not by law, but you are our daughter, whether you like it or not." She giggled a little. "You're stuck with us."
She sobbed again.
"And you wouldn't have your beautiful little boy, or your gorgeous little girl. You would be with some other guy, maybe having a better life, but you wouldn't have your babies."
Gabriella looked down at the table as a couple tears dripped off her face. "My kids are the most important things I have."
"That's why you should be grateful for Troy. He's put you through hell and back, but he love you, whether you think so or not, and he's given you your two kids. Aren't you happy you have them?"
She nodded.
"Then don't be so regretful towards Troy." She smiled at Gabriella. "I wish I would have raised him a little better. I thought I raised the perfect kid, but I guess Jack and I didn't push hard enough on the alcohol and the partying thing." She kissed Gabriella's hand. "But you still have your kids, and that's all that matters."
Gabriella heard a small voice beside her.
"Mommy?" Griffin said quietly and tapped her.
She looked over and sniffled. "What's wrong baby?"
He whined a little.
Gabriella pulled him onto her lap and held his little body close to her. She kissed the side of his head.
"I love you so much Griffin... " Gabriella buried her head into his shoulder.
Gabriella and Kay both heard the door unlocking.
Kay noticed that somebody was coming in the house. It was Troy.
"Be quiet." Kay whispered to Gabriella. "I'll jump on him for being out so late."
Another silhouette followed him. Gabriella squinted to see if she was just seeing things.
He was holding the silhouette's hand.
"Come on." He whispered to the silhouette. "Upstairs- "
Kay flipped the lightswitch on.
There, Troy stood.
With a slut.
She was wearing heavy makeup and a prostitute-looking costume.
Troy's eyes got huge as he began to freak out. "Gabriella... What... Why are you... Why are you here?" He stuttered.
"What am I doing here?" She set Griffin on the floor. "We were supposed to take Griffin his first day of preschool today, remember?"
Troy looked over at Griffin and bursted into tears.
"Oh god, I should leave... " The slut said, and ran out the door.
Troy broke down. "I'm so sorry! I needed something, Gabriella! You won't do anything with me- "
"THAT DOESN'T MEAN TO GO AROUND AND FUCK OTHER GIRLS! WE ALREADY WENT THROUGH THIS ONE TIME, AND YOU LOST YOUR SON!" Gabriella screamed.
Kay immediatly turned around and grabbed Griffin in her arms.
"HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU CHEATED ON ME SINCE WE GOT BACK TOGETHER?"
"NONE!" He yelled.
"DON'T LIE, ASSHOLE!"
He sobbed and backed against the door. "Okay, twice... "
She almost slit his throat open.
"AM I NOT ENOUGH?" She sobbed.
"I love you so much... " He tried to coax her back in.
She slapped him hard across the face. "Don't lie, Troy!"
"I do baby! I love you so much! I love Sierra and Griffin so much!"
Jack walked downstairs. Kay told him everything.
"You did WHAT?" Jack laughed sarcastically. "Oh god kid, you're in big trouble this time... "
Troy looked helplessly up at his dad. Gabriella back off. She could hear Sierra crying upstairs.
Jack opened the door and took Troy's keys from him. "Go, before I kick your ass out this door!"
"What? You're kicking me out?"
"You bet I am!" Jack looked over at Gabriella. "How could you do this to Gabriella and your kids AGAIN?"
"I didn't mean to- "
"OH WAHTEVER!" Gabriella stepped in. "You've been a fucking child since I got pregnant with Griffin. I grew up. You stayed a selfless child! YOU DIDN'T STEP UP! If you want to go stay a kid, fine by me, but your kids are the ones suffering."
She sobbed and looked at Griffin, then back at Troy.
"You just blew your last straw, Bolton... "
"Blew my last straw?" Tears ran down Troy's face. "No, baby, please... I'm so sorry... Please don't take my kids away from me... "
"YOU HAD THREE YEARS TROY! THREE YEARS TO GROW UP AND BE A MAN, BE A FATHER TO YOUR SON AND YOUR DAUGHTER! THREE YEARS! YOU BLEW THEM!" She hiccuped and wiped her tears away. "I'm breaking up with you, for good this time... You won't see a hair of me or your kids ever again." She ran to Griffin, took him in her arms, and ran upstairs to Sierra.
"No, Gabriella!" Troy began to cry uncontrollably. "Please!"
Jack pushed him outside. "You just ruined your life, kid. For all I'm concerned, we won't be housing you here anymore. Go find your own fucking house and learn some responsibility, Troy." Jack slammed the door in his face and locked it.
Kay fell into Jack's arms, crying hysterically.
"What did we raise Jack? Where did we go wrong?"
Jack rubbed her back and sighed. "We didn't do anything wrong, Kay. Something went wrong in his head."
Troy's life wasn't at a hault. It was at a downpour.
