Gabriella pulled up to the Bolton household behind Coach Bolton. She was nervous. She didn't know what Troy or his mom would say about her coming over. She liked them and she wanted them to like her. She took a deep breath- that's all she could manage to do right now to make sure she didn't completely lose her shit.
Jack stood at the gate, waiting for Gabriella. She stepped out of her car and went with Coach inside the house. "Babe, I'm home." He announced like a classic sitcom. Troy's mom looked up from the couch at her husband then looked over at Gabriella.
His mother smiled, standing up. "Gabriella! It's so good to see you!"
"Hi, Mrs. Bolton. Sorry to come over kind of unannounced and abruptly and so late-"
"Nonsense, you're welcome anytime."
Gabriella gave his mother a weak smile. "May I use your restroom?"
"Absolutely. There is one just down the hall here." His mother pointed.
"Thank you."
Gabriella rushed to the bathroom, her head down but her eyes up focused on the door. She shut herself in the bathroom and turned on the light. She took a deep breath and looked up into the mirror. Fuck. She had the outline of three fingers on her cheek in pink, luckily it was close to her ear so she could fluff her hair to make it less noticeable.
After actually using the bathroom, she took her time to splash water on her face. This would give time for Coach B to tell Mrs. Bolton why she was at their house at 8:45 at night. She wished she took the makeup she had on off at home. She sighed in the mirror before wiping down the counter to not leave any trace of her existence. She opened the door to walk out and turned off the light.
His mom was sitting on the couch and Coach Bolton disappeared. "Troy should still be up, He's in his room."
"Thank you Mrs. Bolton." Gabriella said with a nod. She went up the stairs and knocked softly on Troy's closed door.
"Come in." He called back.
She took a breath. She opened the door and stepped in. "Hey."
His eyebrows furrowed in confusion before he smiled. "Cupcake, are you breaking and entering?"
"That would be less mortifying than my current situation." She said, leaving the door partially open. She observed him in his bed. The TV was on low. He sat up, he was shirtless. She didn't move, she peeled her eyes off his chest and looked over to the TV. "What are you watching?"
"Are you okay?" He asked, sliding his legs out of his bed.
"I guess." She said softly. He looked at her and she sighed. "I got into a fight with my mom so I left. I ended up at East High, just staring at the wall in the dark like a weirdo. Your dad saw me and invited me here so I wasn't alone in the dark at East High staring at a wall like a weirdo."
"Are you going to go back home?" He asked, concerned.
"I really don't want to. I was going to call my dad to see if he answered. If not I would check into a hotel or something. I want to sell my car and buy a plane ticket to New York and never come back."
"I would miss you and be very pissed at you for leaving me in the stupid play without you there to be with me." He reached over for her hand. "Do you need anything?"
"Maybe a make-up wipe for the moment."
He kissed the back of her hand gently. "I'll go get you one and some water, have a seat, relax." He led her to his bed and made her sit. He walked out of his room in his basketball shorts.
She pulled out her phone and called her dad. She stared at Troy's door as his phone rang then went to voicemail. Of course he didn't answer. She could lie and tell Troy he answered and that she had somewhere to stay or she could just go home. She really didn't want to go home. She would call her dad again before she left the Bolton's.
Thankfully she wasn't behind on homework. She needed to hammer down and get as much completed by the end of the week to avoid any late or missing assignments.
Troy came back with a wipe in one hand and a glass of water in the other. He handed both to her. She took the glass and the wipe before getting up. She put the glass of water on his dresser and looked in the mirror next to it. She wiped the make-up off her face, making sure to get all of the mascara. The mark on her cheek looked really noticeable now. She cursed inwardly before throwing the wipe in the trashcan. She took a sip of the water he brought her and turned to face Troy.
"I called my dad. He didn't answer, of course. I'll call him again before I leave."
Troy dug in his dresser and pulled out shorts and a t-shirt. He handed them over to her. "For now, get comfortable, go change and we can just talk for a little bit."
"Troy, it's fine."
"Please, Cupcake? I'll let you cuddle in bed with me."
She rolled her eyes, making him smile. "You're annoying." She took his clothes. She took off her shirt and put his red one on. She pulled down her jeans and kicked off her shoes, pulling his basketball shorts up her legs. She tied them tight around her waist before picking up her clothes and folding them neatly.
He climbed back in bed and held his arms out for her. She sighed, climbing into the bed with him, over the covers. She put her bruised cheek on his chest and closed her eyes as he rubbed her back slowly. He kissed the top of her head. "What did you and your mom fight about?" He asked, curiously.
"It's so stupid. We just got home from Sharpay's. I went to the piano and I started to play a piece. The piece is only like three minutes long. She stops me and tells me to go to bed. I was more than halfway at that point. I basically told her to leave me alone and I continued playing. She slammed the cover down and almost breaks my fingers after I'm done." Gabriella moved her cheek to get more comfortable. "I told her that she only cares about herself and she needs to grow up and learn how to be a mother. I told her that I'm not going to raise my sisters and Rose shouldn't have to either. She threatened to call my dad. I told her that I wished she would. She slapped me- Camilla saw. I told Camilla to go upstairs. I said fuck you to my mom and I packed a suitcase and drove to East High."
Troy moved to sit up. "She slapped you?" He looked at her cheek.
She pushed him back down. "I'm fine. I just… don't think I can be in that house with her anymore."
"What are you going to do?" He asked after a quiet moment.
"Sell my car and move to New York."
"My parents will let you stay."
"Yeah, right." She said, holding him closer. "I'm not going to put out your parents. I'm going to call my dad and figure something out."
"They really said you can stay tonight. My dad will come to check on us in a minute. He just wants to make sure you're okay." Gabriella nodded and didn't say anything else.
He rubbed her back slowly. Her eyes opened and she stared at the wall. Troy's dad knocked softly, opening up the door that was cracked open. "Hey."
She sat up. "I called my dad, he didn't answer but I'm going to call him again when I leave in a minute." Troy brushed her hair away from her bruised cheek. "Troy, stop." She said, quietly, moving her hair back into place. Jack looked at her curiously. She didn't want to lie to him. He's been nothing but nice to her. "When my mom and I got into a fight earlier, she slapped me but I'm fine. That's mainly the reason I don't want to go home. If my dad doesn't pick up, I'll have to go back."
"You can stay if you really don't want to go home."
She sighed quietly. "I don't want to cause any issues. I'm just going to call my dad."
"No issues." Jack said, "If it makes you more comfortable, we have a spare bedroom down the hall. Troy can put new sheets on it, give you towels and anything you need."
She looked over at Troy. He was still staring at her cheek. He nodded in agreement with his father. "Let me call my dad. If he doesn't answer then I'll stay… if that's still okay."
"In here or in the spare room, wherever you feel comfortable." Troy emphasized.
"We know Troy's not going to make a pass at you. If he does anything inappropriate, I'll kick his ass."
"Dad." Troy looked over at him.
Gabriella's lips formed a small smile. "I know Troy's a virgin. We'll be fine."
Jack laughed at that. "I'll be down the hall if you need anything."
"Thank you Coach Bolton."
"Our home is always open, Ms. Montez." He closed the door as he walked away.
Troy moved her hair away from her face again. She was about to get up to grab her phone when she felt Troy's lips on her cheek. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of his gentle kisses against her bruised skin. He moved his lips up her bruise, kissing every part of it. She turned her face to kiss his lips gently. She pulled away from him slowly.
"I'm going to call him one more time, then I'll lay down and we can go to sleep." She said softly, her eyes fluttering open. She slid off the bed, picking up her phone. She pressed her dad's number. It rang in her ear three times before she was met with a voicemail. She waited for it to beep. "Hey, Dad, It's Gabi. I'm not at home because Mom and I got into a fight. I don't know if she tried to call you or not but I'm at a friend's house. I need to talk to you so please call me back." She put her phone down.
Gabriella took another sip of water before she turned out the lights. She walked over to the bed, illuminated by the TV screen. She crawled underneath his covers. He held his arm out for her and she curled up beside him like they were before. Her eyelids fluttered closed. She needed to think of something to repay the Bolton's. Her mind wandered off as she drifted into sleep.
An annoying beeping sound woke her up from her sleep. She looked up and around and had no idea where she was until she saw the boy sleeping next to her. Her eyes drifted shut as she scooted closer to his body for body heat. She felt him jump in surprise. He groaned as he reached over and the beeping stopped. She slid her arm across his bare chest and leaned into him.
He dropped a kiss to her forehead. She started dozing off again until his alarm went off. They both groaned at the same time. "What time is it?"
"Six." He answered, stretching his arms up before returning them back around her.
"I don't want to get up."
"Me either." She yawned and hid her face in his chest. "Do you want me to get you some towels to shower or a tooth brush?"
"I have stuff in my car. I just have to go down and get it."
"I'll get it for you, cupcake."
"You don't have to." She protested but he was already sliding out of the bed. She pulled the blankets around her more. He pulled a hoodie over his bare chest and slipped on some shoes.
"Where are your- Found them. Is your stuff in the trunk?"
She sighed. "Yeah. It's a suitcase. Troy, I can get it."
"Be right back." He walked out the door.
She sighed, covering her head with his blankets. She giggled as she heard him pull the suitcase up the stairs. She heard him set it down and close the door. She peaked out from under the covers. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. That thing weighs a hundred pounds."
"I told you I'm selling my car and moving to New York."
"Can you wait until Cabaret is over at least?" He asked, walking toward her. He pulled off his sweatshirt. "I'm going to go take a shower. Do you need anything?"
"I think I'm okay. I'm not going to shower. I'm just going to get dressed."
"If you need anything, come get me." He said. Gabriella nodded. He walked out the door and into the hall bathroom.
She braced the cold of the morning and climbed out of Troy's bed. She made his bed and opened up her suitcase. She grabbed a casual outfit of jeans and a comfy shirt. She put her other clothes in the suitcase along with the clothes she was now stealing from Troy.
She looked at her cheek in the mirror and the pink was gone as were the finger marks. There was only three little purple bruises that weren't too noticeable. She gave up trying to tame her hair so she threw it into a messy bun. Troy came into the room in a towel. She grabbed her little toiletries pack. "I'm going to go wash my face and stuff." She said, walking to the door and closing it behind her. She went into the steamy bathroom and turned on the light and the fan.
She used the bathroom and then used the sink to wash her hands, face, and brush her teeth. The steam went away quickly and she turned the fan off. She looked through her toiletries bag and found a bronzer powder. She pulled out a brush and brushed it over her bruise, working it into her skin. She did the other side and it wasn't even noticeable. She put some on her forehead before putting it away.
She walked back into Troy's room and he was dressed and ready. She put her stuff back in her suitcase. She put on her socks and shoes. She picked up his hoodie that he wore this morning that was on the floor. She pulled it over her body.
"You're pretty." He commented. "You can't see your bruise."
She sighed. "Good." She bit down on her lip. "Do you mind if I keep my suitcase here? I'll come pick it up after rehearsal."
"Of course." He reached out for her. He pulled her close to him, holding her waist. He leaned down to kiss her lips. "Thank you for staying."
"Thank you for being so cool. I need to do something really nice for your parents cause they could have just told me to get lost. I'm sorry I ended up here."
"I'm glad you did. If my dad would have just let you go, I think I wouldn't have been able to sleep last night." He kissed her lips again slowly. "My dad is a teacher. He has a soft spot for kids in need. If you ever need anything, he's the guy to go to."
"You're pretty wonderful, TB."
He grinned. "You don't call me that anymore."
"It reminded me of tuberculosis." Troy chuckled. She leaned into him. "You're a good cuddler. Very warm. Would cuddle again."
"You can have all the cuddles in the world, cupcake." He promised, kissing her forehead. "Do you want to get breakfast and coffee?"
"Yes and hell yes."
He chuckle, kissing her lips one last time. "Let's go then."
Gabriella worked through lunch to get ahead on some homework and upcoming assignments. She went to her class after lunch. The final bell rang and everybody got seated. When the teacher turned around to start lecturing a kid walked into the classroom and went over to the teacher.
The teacher looked up at her and she instantly felt nervous. "Ms. Montez, your father is in the office. Take your stuff."
Her father? Oh god. "Thank you Mrs. Briggs." Gabriella said politely, collecting her stuff. She walked out of the class with the office aide. She walked quickly to the office to see her father standing there. He didn't look pissed off so she wondered what this was about. "Dad?"
"Bunny, You have a dentist appointment, remember? Do you have all your stuff?"
"Yeah." She said slowly, trying not to come off as completely confused.
"Good, Let's go." He put his hand on her shoulder.
When they stepped out of the building toward the parking lot she turned to him. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to spend the afternoon with you. I feel so terrible for not answering last night. I had to call Rose this morning to see what happened. She said you didn't come home. Then I listened to my voicemail. I'm sorry for not answering. I was honestly asleep. I had a really early meeting yesterday and the lack of sleep caught up to me. I apologize."
Gabriella studied her father. She wondered if he meant it. She guessed she would have to feel him out for the afternoon. "I have to be back at three for rehearsal."
He checked his watch. "Well, we have two hours then."
"What are we going to do?"
"Maybe get some coffee or tea or ice cream. I just want to sit and talk with you."
"Okay." Gabriella said wearily. "Are we going in your car?"
"Yes!" He said excitedly. "Come with me, bunny." He pulled her close by the shoulder as they walked to the car. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I missed you."
"I missed you too." She said softly. He held the door open for her and she got into her father's new Aston Martin. "This is fancy."
"Thank you. I got it a week ago. It's beautiful isn't it?"
She hummed in agreement. "How'd you managed to get away from work?"
"I'm supposed to be at a dentist appointment. I rescheduled but didn't tell the team so I have an afternoon free." He said with a smile. "Wow. You look so grown up. Who's sweatshirt is that?"
"My friend, Troy's. He was on the basketball team. His dad is the coach and the athletic director. I stayed with them last night."
"You stayed with a boy?"
Gabriella rolled her eyes. "It's not like you picked up the phone. Mom slapped me and I didn't want to deal with her bullshit any longer. I told her that she needs to grow up and take care of her kids because I'm not going to do it anymore. It's not my responsibility. I did not choose to have these kids and I'm not going to take care of them like she… and you are supposed to. I'm going to school. I have rehearsal for my play. I have a yearbook I have to edit. I am the senior class Vice-President. I'm going to be a Valedictorian. I barely have time to eat most days. Today I didn't even eat lunch because I was doing schoolwork in advance because I don't have a home anymore." She let out an angry breath. "I had half a mind to sell my car and jump on a plane and move to New York."
"You are not going to do that." He said. "Your mom probably needs to get her meds re-evaluated."
"I'm not going back there. If she is there, I am not going. I will live in my car, I don't give a fuck. I'm not going there."
"Let's get some lunch and we'll talk." Her father said after a quiet minute.
"Fine."
Hiiiii! Me again. Enjoy this new chapter. I hope everybody is staying safe and warm this holiday season. Thank you to the people who reviewed. I get a flutter of excitement every time I get an email notification. I will update soon- sometime next week... maybe on Christmas.
Don't forget to review! :)