"Gabby!" Martin came running out of the classroom to hug Gabriella. Gabriella got up from the planter and and hugged Martin.
"Hey Marty. How was school today?"
"It was fun! Why are you picking me up here? Most parents wait over by the cars." He asked.
"I know, but I didn't feel like waiting with all the parents." She laughed. Troy finally got up from the planter and walked up to them.
"Oh, Martin, I'd like you to meet Troy." She smiled. "Troy, this is Martin. He's staying with me and my mom for a while."
"Ah, it's nice to meet you little guy." Troy said, reaching out his hand, which Martin hesitated to shake and clutched onto Gabriella's side instead.
"Don't worry he's a good guy." Gabriella reassured him.
"Okay." He said, letting go, and shaking Troy's hand.
"His Mom's boyfriend wasn't a nice guy." Gabriella informed him.
"Oh." Troy mouthed. "Well, no worries Martin. I'm a good guy. Even ask Gabby here."
"Yep. He waited with me out here with me for almost an hour for you." She laughed.
"Wow, an hour! That's like a whole movie!"
"Yep. Now, where's your backpack?" Gabriella asked.
"Opps. I forgot to grab it when I left the classroom. Come with me!" He said taking Gabriella's and Troy's hand and dragged them into the classroom. Troy and Gabriella just laughed.
"Okay. Okay. Slow down munchkin. We're coming." Troy laughed.
"Ah, Mr. Bolton. Come back to learn more?" Mrs. Siggs asked.
"Whoa. Hey Mrs. Siggs! Long time no see!" He walked over to hug his old teacher.
"Yes, it has been a while Troy. It's nice to see you again Gabriella." Mrs. Siggs greeted.
"It's nice to see you again too, Mrs. Siggs." Gabriella replied.
"Hey Gabby! Come look at my art work!" Martin grabbed her hand and dragged her to a wall of art work posted up.
"So how have you been Mrs. Siggs?"
"I've been swell. I didn't see you at the park to help when Chad was there with a bunch of friends helping, including Gabriella."
"Oh, well, I was going to. Chad told me about it. But I had to clean up my messy house with my cousin's before my parents came home." He laughed.
"Funny, I always though Chad was the messy one when you two were in my class."
"Oh, he is. He spent the weekend at my house."
"Ah, yes, that explains it."
"Well we better get going." Gabriella said, walking towards Troy, and Mrs. Siggs with Martin. "I still have to help Troy with his homework." She laughed.
"Right. Well, it was nice seeing you again Mrs. Siggs."
"Same to you Troy. I expect I'll be seeing you around more often?"
"You bet. Bye!"
"Uhm, Gabriella may I speak with you for a moment alone?"
"Yeah, sure. Hey Troy can you let Martin into my car and put his things in the back?" She asked tossing her car keys over to him.
"Yeah, no problem. Let's go buddy." Troy said opening the door for him and Martin to leave.
"So, what did you want to talk about Mrs. Siggs?"
"Well, Martin's mother Grace, called me this morning while the students were out at recess. She explained everything that has happened."
"Oh."
"Yes. She told me that Martin is staying with you and your mother, is that right?"
"Yeah, Grace asked if he could stay with my mother and I until she absolutely knew it was safe for him to go home. But she visits him still."
"Well, I just wanted to let you know that Grace had given me your contact information, in case of an emergency. It's school policy, but since he's staying with you and your family, we needed yours too, even if it is temporary."
"I totally understand. That's fine with me, and I'll let my mother know too."
"Great. Well, Grace also told me that Martin was abused by her boyfriend once. And that you were in the hospital."
"Uhm, yeah." Gabriella said.
"Well, I just want you to know, that if you ever need anything, I'm here." Mrs. Siggs smiled. "And seeing that you have friends like Troy, I know they're there for you too."
"Yeah, he's great. Thank you Mrs. Siggs. And don't worry. Martin is no trouble." Gabriella smiled. "Well, I better get going. I'll see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow. Bye!" She said as Gabriella made her way out to her car.
With Troy and Martin
"Yeah, no problem. Let's go buddy." Troy said opening the door for him and Martin to leave.
"Weeeeeee." Martin said. "Bye Mrs. Siggs." He called out after he ran out pretending to fly.
"Haha, you've really got some imagination." Troy said, following him.
"Yep. But Gabby says it's good to have an imagination sometimes."
"Well, yeah. It makes you more creative and all that, but you should never take your imagination too far because you might get stuck thinking like that."
"Hmm, maybe you're right. I'll remember that Troy."
"So, Martin, what do you like to do for fun?"
"Hm, anything." He shurgged. "I like to play with my toys, or play outside, or play basketball, or draw, or just talk sometimes."
"Me too." Troy smiled. "I'm on the basketball team at mine and Gabriella's school."
"Really! WOW! How cool!" He exclaimed as they were about to cross the street to get to the cars.
"Yeah it is kinds cool sometimes." Troy said as he crossed. Then he noticed that Martin hadn't crossed with him, so he walked back.
"What's wrong?" Troy asked.
"I'm not aloud to cross the street unless someone holds my hand." Martin said shyly.
"Oh, I see. Well, c'mon." Troy smiled, holding out his hand. Gabriella was watching as she was making her way towards her car from a distance. Martin thought for a second, then grabbed onto Troy's hand. Troy smiled, as Martin accepted him, and led them across the street.
"So, do you trust me now?" Troy asked.
"Mmmhmm, and because you're Gabby's friend. And I trust her friends like Taylor, and Sharpay, and Kelsie."
"Wow. You must have a way with the ladies if you know all them older girls."
"I met them when we had a sleepover! It was fun!" He exclaimed, getting into the front seat of Gabriella's car.
"Don't forget your seatbelt." Troy reminded.
"Yeah, safety first." Gabriella added.
"You're fast." Troy laughed, handing her car keys to her.
"Yeah, Mrs. Siggs just wanted to let me know that she got my contact information from Marty's mom."
"Marty?" Troy said confused.
"Oh, it's what me and the girls call Martin sometimes." She laughed.
"I don't know how they came up with that." Martin groaned.
"Hey! I thought you liked it."
"I do, but I still don't know how you girls came up with it." he said as Gabriella closed the door, while Troy laughed.
"Hmm, so, I'll see you at my house?" Gabriella asked, walking around her car, towards the drivers seat.
"Yup. I'll be following." He kissed her cheek, and got into his car.
"So, do you like Troy?" Gabriella asked Martin on their way home.
"He's a cool guy. Did you know he's on the basketball team! That's so cool!" He said with his eyes big.
"Actually, yes I did. He's the captain, and one of the best players on the team." She told him as they came to a stop light.
"WHOA! Captain! AND one of the best players!"
"Yeah." Gabriella giggled. "You can ask him more about it when we get home."
"He's coming home with us?" Martin asked, tilting his head a little.
"Yeah, he needs help with his homework, so I told him I would help since I know how to do it."
"Oh. Well, I'll ask after you guys finish then. I have homework too." He groaned.
"Hm, did you want help with yours too?" She laughed.
"Not really. We're just supposed to write and draw on a topic that Mrs. Siggs gave us in our journals tonight."
"I see." She said, pulling into her driveway, with Troy pulling up right next to her. They all got out, and headed inside the house.
"You guys want a snack?" Gabriella offered.
"FOOOOOOOOOOOD!" Martin said, running into the kitchen.
"What he said." Troy laughed.
"Boys..." Gabriella laughed as well.
"Hey Martin." Mrs. Montez said from the kitchen, laughing as he came running in with Troy and Gabriella right behind him.
"Hey Sweetie. Oh, Hi Troy. It's so nice to see you again." She smiled.
"Hey Mrs. Montez. It's good to see you too."
"Hey mom. Why are you home so early?"
"Oh, I finished my work early, after I got a head start on my work for tomorrow, I just decided to come home early."
"Well, that's good." Gabriella said, taking out a box of fruit snacks for Martin. "So what did you want Troy?"
"Hmm, I think I'll have some fruit snacks like Martin."
"And then you'll be hungry again later.." She laughed.
"So." He stuck out his tongue. "I haven't had fruit snacks in a long time."
"Lies. Everyone loves them."
"I do, but I just never got around to eating them in almost...hmm... like a year."
"Wow. Basketball really was your life." She joked.
"Well, if you three need anything, I'll be in the living room, reading."
"Okay, Mom. We're gonna be upstairs. I have to help Troy with his homework." She said walking upstairs with the boys following her. "Wanna do your homework in my room with us Martin?" Gabriella asked opening her room door.
"Nah. I always write in my journal by myself."
"Hmm, can I read it when you're done?" Gabriella asked.
"No. Not until after Mrs. Siggs grades it. I don't even let my mom read it before it's graded, geez." He said laughing, walking into "his" room, otherwise known as one of the guest rooms.
"Alright." Gabriella said walking into her room with Troy, and closed her door.
"Hah, he's a pretty cool kid." Troy said, setting his stuff down on the small couch Gabriella had in her room.
"Yeah. He's been through a lot." Gabriella sighed.
"Hmm, so did you want to finish your own homework first? Or help me first?"
"I already finished mine." Gabriella giggled.
"What? Already?" He asked as she nodded. "How?"
"We had some free time in class before Zeke came and pulled me out, so I just finished my homework in that class, and since we didn't have any other classes today, I don't have anymore."
"Hm. Me too. Kinda? I just didn't get any from my other classes except for math."
"I see."
"But I'm pretty sure I'm gonna fail the test tomorrow."
"Don't say that!" She pushed his shoulder a little. "Do you want to fail or something?"
"No."
"Good. Because you wont, because I won't let you. And I'm gonna push you until you get it." She smirked.
Hmm well there you go. Not much of a cliff except for the journal thing. LOL. Well, review please! It seriously does help me write faster, because i know that people are reading it. Well, see you guys later.