A/N: Phsycotic Vodka pointed out in their review that Adam Pascal was also in Aida on Broadway, and after doing a little digging (yeah, like 2 seconds worth while trying to find a good picture of him), I found that he also played Theo in School of Rock. I have not seen the movie, so I can't tell you who Theo is. If you wish to see what Adam looks like, the second linky on my profile links to a picture of him doing to tango down a table during one of the COOLEST Rent songs called La Vie Bohemé, so check it out if you don't know what he looks like. Oh, if anyone knows where I can find a picture of his wife (so I know who I'm talking about when writing Off-Camera), PLEASE let me know! Thanks!

Chapter 4:

Gabriella froze in fear. No, he couldn't be here. Both her and her Mom had restraining orders against him. He couldn't be here.

"Hello, Gabriella," Ian said as he stood up from his seat at the kitchen table. Gabriella backed away slowly. "Is that any way to greet me?"

"What are you doing here? How did you get in here?"

"Ahh, how I got in here. You see, I was cleaning up my apartment, and guess what I found? The key to your house that you're Mother gave me. So, I decided to stop by for a little visit. You know, to finish some business." Ian was now standing a foot away from Gabriella, who was cornered up against a wall.

"Some unfinished business? Like what?"

"Like this!" Ian brought back his hand, and slapped Gabriella hard. Before she could react, he had kneed her in the stomach, and she doubled over onto the floor. "Don't even think about calling for your little boyfriend, he really doesn't care about you! He just feels bad for you, that's it. Poor little Gabriella, who lost her Father when she was little, moved here to escape the past, and almost had a step-father who tried to teach her what real life is like." Ian grabbed Gabriella by the shoulders, and shoved her against the wall with such force that her head went flying backwards. "Well here's a new lesson for you: you're a waste of everyone's time. Nobody cares about you! Not even your Mother! Without you she would be able to do as she pleases and not what you want all the time."

"How would you know that?" she demanded.

"Everyone knows that Gabriella! You're too slow to realize it! Nobody loves you Gabriella Montez, it would be better if you just disappeared."

Ian continued to beat Gabriella until she was sore all over the place. When he stopped for just a second, Gabriella managed to break free of his grip, and ran out the front door. She bolted across her lawn, and down the street. When she got to the corner, she ran head-on into Chad. Chad whirled around, startled about what had just happened. Instead of coming face-to-face with a person, someone collapsed into his arms. He helped the figure to her feet, and realized that it was Gabriella.

"Gabi! What happened to you?" Gabriella buried her face in Chad's chest, sobbing uncontrollably.

"It's, it's, it's Ian!" she sobbed. "He got into my house, and I'm scared. Please help me Chad!" Chad calmed his friend down as he helped her over to Troy's house.

Ding, dong! Anne Bolton sighed, who would possibly stop by at 11:00 at night? When she opened the door, she found Gabriella, badly beaten, leaning on Chad.

"Oh my Gabriella! What happened to you? Are you alright?" she exclaimed as she stepped out of the way so Chad could help Gabriella inside.

"Ian attacked Gabi when she got home. She ran into me while running away from him, and I thought that she should come here."

"Thank you, Chad. You should probably get home before your parents start to worry. I'll see you tomorrow." Chad waved as he bound down the steps to the front porch.

"Hey Mom, who's at the door?" Troy froze for a second when he saw Gabriella. In a flash, he was by her side with his arms around her. "What happened to you?" Gabriella was still in a state of shock, so Anne replied for her.

"Ian," she said simply. There was a flicker of anger in Troy's eyes. "Now don't start getting mad. I'm going to go call the police and Rosa, I want you to take Gabi upstairs, and give her some clothes to change into. She's going to stay here for tonight."
"Thank you," Gabriella said quietly.

"Don't worry about it. I'm going to call your Mom. Do you want her to come home?" Gabriella shook her head.

"Not unless she really wants to. Could I possibly stay here until she gets back?"
"Of course, sweetie. Now you go upstairs and get changed. Don't worry, we'll keep an eye on you." Gabriella smiled weakly as Troy led her upstairs.

Gabriella sat down on Troy's bed as he dug around for shorts and a t-shirt. He found some old basketball shorts, and a red shirt.

"Here you go," he said as he handed them to Gabriella. She took them, and went into the bathroom to change. When she came out, Troy wrapped his arms around her. "How are you doing?" Gabriella immediately began to sob, but wouldn't tell Troy why. They stood there in the center of his room, Troy gently stroking her hair as she sobbed. A soft knock on the door about fifteen minutes later started to calm Gabriella down.

"Gabriella?" Jack said as he slowly opened the door. "Anne just got off the phone with your Mother. She's getting on the next flight home, and should be here around noon tomorrow. Officer Smith is going to stop by around the same time to talk to you. Do you want to stay in here tonight?" Gabriella was surprised at how willing Troy's Dad was to let her stay in Troy's room for the night.

"If you don't mind," she said weakly.

"I think it'll be fine for just one night. Goodnight you guys." Gabriella and Troy said goodnight as Jack closed the bedroom door.

Troy pulled out a white undershirt, and went into the bathroom to change. When he came back out, Gabriella had curled up on his bed, and fallen asleep. He silently turned off the light, and laid down next to her. he propped himself up on one elbow, and brushed Gabriella's hair out of her eyes as he watched her sleep. How could this have happened a second time to someone so sweet? If he ever got a hold of Ian…no, he couldn't think anything like that, he needed to be strong for his girlfriend. He sighed, and laid down next to her. Gabriella snuggled closer to Troy, and rested her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms protectively around her, and he too was soon asleep.

When Troy woke up around 9:00 the next morning, he found that Gabriella was gone. His clothes were carefully folded at the end of his bed, and her clothes from the previous night were gone. Troy pulled on a pair of jeans, and went downstairs to see what Gabriella and his Mom were up to. When he got downstairs, however, just his Mom was sitting at the kitchen table.

"Gabi still asleep?" she asked him.

"No, I thought she was down here. Here clothes are gone, and mine are folded up neatly at the end of my bed. you didn't see her at all this morning?" Anne stopped the think, and shook her head.

"Sorry, no. I just assumed that she was still asleep. You're sure that she's not in the bathroom or something?"
"Positive. Could she have gone back home to get something?"

"I don't know. Run down there quickly, Troy. I'm starting to get a little worried." Troy ran down to Gabriella's house, and found it completely empty. Twenty minutes later, he returned to his house with a note in his hand. "What's that?"

"A note from Gabi. She said that she was sorry for all the trouble she put us all through, and she said that she'd see me in Bohemia."