A/N - You guys are fucking amazing! OMG 65 reviews for last chapter?! That's totally a record! W-O-W… thanks so damn much!! So, I keep my promises (now more than ever ! you guys completely captured my heart with your reviews lol) and here is the second part of the chapter!! Please, please, please… don't forget to review!! It makes my day!!
BTW – I guess I never told you this story is based on a true one. I'm afraid I need to warn you that the 'happily ever after' for the real couple didn't happen. Parents ugh… they are freaking crazy sometimes when they think they know what's best for you. Well, let's see if this one will end up differently, shall we? ;O)
Disclaimer: I don't own HSM or anything related to it. I own the story though and it's purely fictional, nothing happened in the real life and Gabriella and Troy were never and will never be siblings in the movie. ENJOY your reading!!! ;0)
PS: I haven't figured out yet if that's the end of the story or not. Let's see how I'll wake up tomorrow -- hopefully I will have a good humor! lol
Chapter 24;
Like Whoa
Troy and Gabriella closed their eyes as Marina's scream filled the entire second floor of the house, the first one and they were actually pretty sure they would have complains from the neighbors the next day for waking them up in the middle of the night with a crazy middle aged woman screaming. As soon as they reopened their eyes, they stared at their parents and they knew something was pretty bad. Marina's eyes were widen than the zombies from the Michael Jackson's Thriller music video and Jack's face was completely red with anger.
'Oh fuck, they're gonna have a stroke' Troy thought to himself as he slightly shook his head. Gabriella gulped in shock and Troy sensing her fear, protected his girlfriend with his own body as their mother ran to them to pull the girl away from him. Troy stepped back with Gabriella as Marina unsuccessfully tried to grab her daughter by the arm and the shoulder and push her away from Troy. Jack quickly ran to Marina, wrapping his strong arms around her waist and pulling her back to him, "Tell me this is some joke, please tell me" she begged them and Troy shook his head in negation.
'Stay calm, Troy, stay calm' he kept repeating to himself as the situation turned chaotic.
"Mama, please. Let us explain, please" Gabriella wiped a few tears from her eyes and stared at her mom pleading, "Let us explain"
Marina let go of Jack and ran to Gabriella and Troy again, trying to hit the teenagers as tears ran down her face and made impossible to see well through her eyes. She sat on the floor against the wall and hid her face in her hands. Gabriella started crying harder against Troy's back and he turned around and gave her a comforting hug.
"Everything is gonna be okay, baby" he whispered on her ear, "I'm here with you"
Jack bent down in front of Marina and rubbed her arm, "Are you okay?"
She shook her head. "This is so wrong, they are brother and sister"
Gabriella let go of Troy and crawled to her mom, trying to touch her, but Marina slapped her hand away, "Don't touch me, don't touch me" she gasped, "I feel so sick"
"What were you guys thinking about?" Jack shouted, "You're siblings for God's sake"
"We're not" Troy replied stubbornly. "Why can't you understand that?"
Jack looked disgusted at his older child. "You have no right to say anything" he stood up and pushed Troy against the wall, "I've never been so disappointed before. You used your little sister! You took advantage of her innocence"
"We didn't do anything wrong" Troy muttered avoiding eye contact with his father, "We're not blood related"
Jack pushed Troy harder against the wall. "You're man enough to kiss your sister but not to look me in the eyes?"
"Leave him alone!" Gabriella begged with a hurt voice but Jack ignored her. "How long?"
Troy and Gabriella decided that ignoring their questions would probably be the best thing to do now. Jack shook his son by the arms, "How long?!"
"Too long"
"This is gonna stop right now" Marina looked up at the teenagers, "right now"
The girl tried to run to Troy, but Jack pulled her by the arm violently, throwing her sitten on the floor. He looked back for a second, not letting go Troy and his eyes softened. "Are you alright, Gabsy?"
Gabriella looked down but didn't reply. "Leave her alone" Troy pushed his father back and he hit his back against the corridor wall, "Don't touch her"
"You won't yell at me, boy"
"I love her and there's nothing you can do about it" Troy replied, not staring at his father's eyes again. "Shit, we didn't do anything wrong"
"Oh, sure you didn't" Jack replied sarcastically and started wandering back and forth murmuring something to himself, "She's your little sister and you were slipping your tongue down her throat and that's completely acceptable"
"It's not wrong, daddy" Troy heard Gabriella's soft voice and turned around to look at her, "I love Troy"
Jack seemed to softer every time Gabriella talked to him. It was no secret that she knew exactly how to make him calm down, she was always daddy's little girl. He opened his mouth to say something, but Marina interrupted him.
"You shut up" Marina snapped abruptly and stood up as well, "you are 16, you don't know anything"
"I do" she whimpered, "I love Troy and I wanna be with him"
Gabriella whined. "He didn't force me to do anything. I'm with him because I want it, I slept with him because I love him!"
"No!" Marina yelled again and slapped Gabriella on the face, "I told you to shut up!"
Troy felt his blood rush inside his body and anger burned his eyes. He clenched his fists and his body tensed from head to toes. "DON'T YOU TOUCH HER!" he screamed and pushed his mother away from his girlfriend, pulling Gabriella safely to his arms. "You never touch her again, do you hear me? I won't let you hurt her"
"She is my daughter. I will do whatever I want with her"
"Exactly" Troy exclaimed as Gabriella cried harder on his chest, "You were always a good mother to us and you never hit Ella or me. Why you're doing it now?"
"You betrayed us" Marina replied coldly. "All the time we were trying to be good parents and that's how you pay us?"
"This is nothing personal, we just fell in love. Why can't you understand that?" Troy asked suddenly calm. "Please, understand"
Jack shook his head. "This is not correct. She is your sister, Troy"
"She's not, damn it"
"He's my boyfriend, not my brother" Gabriella said against Troy's chest and he kissed her hair again, "Shh, it's okay baby"
Jack shook his head again. "This is fucking wrong, Troy. This is not a movie, this is real life"
Troy stroked Gabriella's back in an attempt to comfort her, "You betrayed us in our house. You were supposed to be brother and sister"
"We love each other, can't you understand that?"
"No" Marina replied and looked at Jack like it was his entire fault. "Gabriella and I are leaving as soon as she finishes her exams. She can't be raised in a house fucked up like this"
"What?! Why?! The house was fine an hour ago!" he protested and Marina shook her head, "You knew we had our problems before this happened, Jack"
"Because you're jealous of a deceased!" he exclaimed and ran his hands through his hair, "don't leave me because of this. We can work this out, Nina. Troy and Gabriella will learn how to be siblings, I promise you"
"No, no, no" Troy shook his head violently. "We are boyfriend and girlfriend, we told you guys already. We won't pretend we're siblings to save your freaking relationship"
"Shut up, Troy" Jack half yelled at him. He took a deep breath and looked at Gabriella, "You go to your room, Gabsy"
"But daddy—"
"No buts Gabriella" he replied firmly. "Troy, you come with me"
"Where are you going to take him?" Marina asked but Jack only replied "we'll talk later" before walking downstairs.
"Don't go" Gabriella begged but Troy gave her a comforting smile, "It's gonna be okay, relax baby"
He let go of her and followed his father to the backyard of the house. Jack asked Troy to stop in the middle of the basketball court they had.
"I was never ashamed of you" Jack said coolly, "But now" he threw a ball that hit Troy's stomach.
"Pick it up, come on" he shouted, "I wanna see you picking up" he threw another ball that hit his face, "show me you're a man, Troy"
Troy's nose started bleeding, but he kept looking straight into his father's eyes, ignoring that his legs were weak as jelly. He wiped the blood from his nose away with the back of his hand and flicked his hair out of his eyes. "I love her, you need to understand that"
"No, no" Jack smacked his forehead in annoyance, "Shit Troy. You're fucking my life all over again, don't you understand that? You're making Nina leave, just like you made your mother leave"
The boy shook his head and found strength to speak again. "You made mom go, she told me she loved me. You were the one she couldn't handle anymore"
"Oh, so you blame me?"
"Yes" Troy admitted, "If you didn't suck as a husband she would never leave"
Jack threw a few other balls that hit Troy on his leg and arms. "You're feeling very brave now, right? But you keep missing my balls"
Troy clenched his jaw and anger flashed in his eyes, making the baby blue turn darker. Jack half grinned and threw another ball that hit Troy right in the side of the head, "Missed again"
Troy gasped and fell down, not being able to stand up anymore. His vision became blurry and his face pale.
"You are stronger Troy" his father admitted, "But not strong enough to have Gabsy"
Jack turned back and started to walk away. The blood in Troy's nose was still running madly, so he pinched the bridge of it between his thumb and forefinger, but it didn't work – the blood kept running and Troy closed his eyes as he wiped the liquid with the palm of his hand. He tried to stand up again, but fell in the same sitten position, unable to make his legs stronger.
Gabriella's eyes were still red and swollen with all the crying that got harder as she watched Jack torturing Troy. How come she was so naïve believing their parents would accept it so well like their friends and Mae did? She stared at Troy from her window, the boy trying to stand up for the third time and her heart ached badly as he fell one more time. Gabriella ran downstairs and into the backyard, ignoring her mom's screams that she needed to be away from Troy Bolton. She stopped in the porch, the scene of Troy's body falling back slowly passing through her eyes like a movie.
Tears flooded down her pale face as Gabriella crouched in front of him, pulling Troy's head to her lap. The world became silent as the boy grabbed her hand and gave her a weak smile that quickly faded away as his hand let go of her and his eyes shut. She shook him, trying to wake him up from his faint, screaming for help at the same time and trying to avoid the feeling she had to kill her parents right now.
; 2 days later
Gabriella couldn't tell exactly how long it took to Jack and Marina to come to the backyard and notice Troy had fainted. Their father wrapped his arms around Troy's body slowly, ran to the car and drove to the hospital. She closed her eyes and sighed deep. Troy was fine now, he just passed out because his body was too exhausted and he needed to rest urgently. The doctor gave him a medicine to make him sleep and took care of his purple bruises that were all over his body now.
Gabriella stood up and went in the bathroom, looking herself over in the mirror before splashing some cold water on her face, trying to stop thinking about everything that happened in just two days. Her life had gone from perfect to hell – she couldn't see her boyfriend anymore, she was locked up in her room, her mother was acting insane and she was forced to do all her final exams in just a day.
"Shit, I hate them so much" she murmured to herself as she ran her hands through her hair, "Fuck, fuck, fuck"
She got lost on her thoughts again. Why her parents were acting so mean with them? Why they had to treat them so bad because they couldn't accept they were in love? Troy had to stay in the hospital because Jack wasn't talking to him. As soon as Marina was sure Troy was fine, she left too and didn't let Jack come back to their house – everybody kept blaming the situation on everybody. Marina blamed on Jack's dead ex wife, Jack on Troy and Gabriella blamed it on…ugh, she didn't even know. She wanted to blame someone so much – she wanted to blame the whole world if it was possible! How come people could be so prejudiced!
Gabriella felt a smooth hand on her shoulder and snapped out of her thoughts. Turning around expecting to see someone new because there was no way her mother would touch her delicately ever again. As she studied the person in front of her, her eyes couldn't help but get teary and her heart race faster.
"Granny, thank God you're here" she whispered against her grandmother's chest, "I'm so glad to see you"
Mae rubbed her back slowly and kissed the top of her head, "I'm here now, honey"
The girl nodded against her grandmother's body as she started crying again, "Mom won't let me see him, granny" Gabriella explained in between sobs. She felt so good being in the arms of someone that really cared about her again, "I had no fault. We didn't want to fall in love, it happened"
"I know, I know" Mae stroked her hair, "It is okay, sweetheart, its fine"
Gabriella let herself be led to her room again by Mae and she sat on the edge of her bed, cross-legged, staring at her blanket. "I heard dad saying yesterday he didn't want Troy living here anymore"
Mae sighed. "I know, your mother told me" she shook her head, "I can't believe how stupid they are"
"And mom wants to take me away from him" Gabriella whispered, "we can't stay apart"
The old woman sat on Gabriella's side and kissed her forehead, "Your mother called me yesterday asking if I could come here" she began, "She explained everything that happened and I thought it would be a good idea to come and support my grandchildren"
"You're not mad at us?"
"Of course not" Mae replied too fast, "I'm mad at Jack and Marina. They're being so…" she struggled to find the words, "impossible to deal with"
"I agree" Gabriella said nodding her head, "Where is Troy going to live, granny? He has no place to go. You need to talk to dad and ask him to let Troy stay, please"
"I tried, but he thinks your mom is leaving him because of Troy"
"They're treating us so bad" she murmured, "Mama doesn't even look me in the eyes anymore" she looked down, "I can't pretend I don't love him, granny"
Mae tapped her knee gently, "I know baby" she said. "I convinced Jack that it would be better for Troy to live with me till he goes to college"
"Can I live with you too?" Gabriella begged, "Please"
Her grandmother gave her a tiny smile, "I'd love to, but you are too young and your mother wants you with her"
Gabriella started crying again, "Shit, I'll never be able to be with him again"
"Of course you will" Mae assured her, "Your parents are just pretty… surprised" she concluded, "Give them time to get used to it, okay?"
Before Gabriella could reply Marina walked inside her room and placed two suitcases on her bed. "Start packing your things, I'm getting all your documents from school tomorrow and we're leaving in a day"
"Marina, let Gabriella be with Troy, they love each other and—" her mother began but was interrupted, "Don't mom" she said coolly, "I'm a woman now and you can't tell me what is best for my daughter. I know what is best for her"
"You don't" the teenager half-yelled, "Troy is the best for me"
"Gabriella, I had enough of this conversation" her mother sighed and ran her hand through her hair, "Pack your things, please"
"No"
"Don't make me pack them myself" she warned and looked at her mother again, "Mom, I heard Troy is going to live with you for a while"
"Yes" Mae replied firmly, "I'm going to take him to my house, to a place he will be loved. I can't believe my own daughter is kicking her son out"
"You know as much as I love Troy I need to do what is best for Gabriella" Marina assured her, "And I'm pretty sure it's best for him too. Don't you see people will never accept them?"
"I don't give a damn about what people will say. The whole society is so hypocrite!" Gabriella exploded, "And you! You keep telling everybody what to do, but you can't even solve your own problems"
"Gabriella—"
The girl stood up and shook her head, "Newsflash mom – your life is more fucked up than mine right now. Can't you pretend you're happy for me? Why you have to ruin my relationship just because you're a freaking insecure middle aged woman that is getting a divorce because of a woman that is already dead?"
Marina raised her hand to slap Gabriella on the face but Mae quickly grabbed her daughter's hand, "Don't you ever touch Gabi in front of me" she said firmly, "I am still your mother and you need to show me some respect"
Marina sighed and shook her head, "Pack your things or you're travelling naked" she said again as she left Gabriella's room and closed the door behind her.
Gabriella lay down on her bed, "I can't believe this is happening to me" she said sadly hiding her face in her hands, "shit"
"You're only 16, Gabriella" her grandmother remembered her, "You guys have an entire life to be together" she winked and smiled to the teen, "You have to be just a little patient"
She lifted her head and looked at her grandmother, "You think they're going to accept us someday?"
"I don't know" Mae admitted, "but when both of you are 18, you are legally an adult and can do whatever you want" she laughed a bit, "Think about it"
"Granny" Gabriella let out a groan and whined. "It's 2 years"
"Everything is gonna work out okay? Trust me" she said as she stood up, "Anyway, I'm gonna visit Troy in 10 minutes, make sure you hide in my cab quickly"
"Room 341" Mae murmured to herself, walking slowly into the elevator. She pressed the third floor button and waited till the doors closed and the elevator lifted up.
"Alright…" she placed her purse securely next to her again as she looked for Troy's room, "338, 339, 340…"
Mae stopped in front of Troy's room and smiled. She placed her hand on doorknob and pushed it open, walking inside it without bothering knocking. Her eyes ran around the huge room and immediately all the white from it hurt her eyes. The smell of hospital made her sick and she shook her head, internally cursing Marina and Jack for letting their healthy son there for no reason at all. Across the room, Troy was lying down on the huge hospital bed, staring at the ceiling and she noticed he seemed completely bored. Mae studied his pale and tired body. She sighed loud as she realized Troy probably didn't sleep at all the two days he was there because he had deep dark shadows under his eyes.
"Your dad sure gone mad" she said, snapping him out of his thoughts and rubbing his bruised body, "How are you, son?"
"Mae!" Troy's voice came out in a whisper and his eyes got teary, "I thought they were going to leave me here forever"
"Of course not, son" she stroked his hair, "I'm here to take care of you. You're going home with me, Troy"
"I am?" he asked confused, "Ella too?"
Mae shook her head, her eyes blinking with sadness, "Just you sweetheart"
"Oh" he gulped and added emotionless, "I guess dad doesn't want me around anymore, huh"
"Your dad is going through too much now" she told him, "He wouldn't be good to you"
Troy nodded and looked down at himself. His whole body was still sore from all the balls his father threw on him, he had purple and green bruises all over his legs, arms and his nose was almost broken with the hit. "I guess you're right" he admitted, "What about Ella? Where is she going? I need to see her, Mae"
The grandmother shrugged. "I don't know, apparently my daughter gone mad as well"
"Shit"
"But" she began again, "I have a surprise for you, just don't take too long, I need to take her home before Marina realizes she's gone"
Troy gasped and stared at Mae. "She's here?"
She smiled. "Mm hmm" she laughed, "Should I let her in?"
Troy smirked. "Please, please, please"
Mae searched for her cell phone inside her purse. "Oh, that's not it" she put her wallet inside her purse again and kept looking for the phone. As soon as she found it she grinned and lifted her eyebrows, "A-ha"
Troy rolled her eyes and laughed a bit. Mae was always pretty funny but he was too anxious to really pay attention at her now. "Hey, yes sweetie. Room 341."
Gabriella quickly hopped inside the elevator and pressed the third floor button. She waited impatiently till it reached the right floor and as soon as the doors opened she ran outside it and down the corridor. She couldn't help but feel her heart racing faster and her hands become sweaty at only the thought of seeing him again. Troy and Mae had been talking with each other and suddenly, the door slammed open.
Troy held his breath as Gabriella stepped into the room. Mae just stepped back and leaned against the wall, watching the teenagers in silence.
Gabriella stared at him carefully, "You scared me to death"
Troy's eyes narrowed her, "You don't look dead" he replied calmly and then smirked, "Actually, you look very healthy"
She gave him a playful smile but started crying harder in a matter of seconds. She ran into Troy's arms, two days apart was harder than she thought. How come they expected her to manage to stay apart from him 2 long years? That was going to be impossible.
"I missed you so much" she whispered in his ear and Troy nodded, nuzzling his nose in her hair, "Shh, don't cry baby"
"I don't wanna let go of you" Gabriella admitted sadly, "I don't wanna lose you"
"You'll never lose me" he said as he kissed her lips, cheek and neck, "It's okay"
"It's not okay" she pulled away from him and looked into his eyes, "I'm going out of town in 2 days Troy and you too, they're splitting us"
"Aw Ella" he opened his arms inviting her for a hug again. Gabriella jumped on his bed and lay on his side, hugging him tighter and crying quietly on his shoulder.
Mae left the room so the two teenagers could say goodbye privately.
"I don't think I can let go of you" she whispered in his neck and Troy rubbed her back, "Me neither"
"I'll always be with you" he assured her, looking in her eyes, "We're gonna be together again someday. Do you trust me?"
"Very much" she said in a whisper and stroked his cheek, "I love you, forever"
"Me too baby"
Gabriella snuggled into Troy for what felt like ages. She tried to memorize his face, his eyes and his touch as much as he was trying to memorize everything about her as well. They knew that leaving the other was the equivalent of selling their souls and the young couple, of course, would only be completely happy when they were finally together again.
Mae peeped inside the room and sighed sadly, "Gabi, we need to go"
She nodded and bit her lip, "Can I have five more minutes, please?"
Her grandmother nodded and closed the door again, "I feel sick" she whispered before running to the bathroom, trying to shut the door on her way. Troy stood up from the bed as well and followed her to the small bathroom in his hospital room. He sat on the floor, right beside her and waited patiently till she threw up all her food. Troy didn't say a word, just kept rubbing her back comforting; ignoring his heart was completely broken now. He needed to be strong at least for her, it didn't matter he was falling into pieces inside, he would not show it outside as well, Ella was already too sad.
Gabriella rested her back against the cold bathroom wall, her hand on her chest as she tried to breathe softly again while crying and sobbing hard. Troy bit his lower lip as tears started running down his face as well. He brushed her hair out of her eyes and kissed her tears away, "Everything is gonna be okay, baby"
"It hurts so much" she looked at him with pleading eyes, "You need to make it stop Boo"
"I'll go after you" Troy told her and looked down, "I promise I will"
They stayed in silence for more than a minute, just crying quietly. Suddenly Gabriella stood up, trying to balance herself in her weak legs again, "I need to go"
Troy stood up as well and held her hand, they walked back to his room and he kissed her softly on the lips, "I'll see you soon, okay?"
She bit her lip and nodded, "Only 2 years"
"Yea" he tried to sound hopeful as he sat on the edge on his bed, "Come here, Ell"
Gabriella walked to him and he hugged her by the waist, "Promise you'll never forget me"
"I promise" she stroked his hair, "I have my ring to remember you everyday"
Troy closed his eyes and could hear Gabriella sobbing. "I need to go" she said and tried to pull away from him, but he kept hugging her stronger, his head rested against her stomach, "I can't let you go" he whispered on her skin, "Run away with me"
"We can't Troy" she tried to be reasonable, "We don't have the money"
"I can talk to Mr. Barnes, I can try. I don't know, maybe we can marry, live together. Mom and dad will manage to make up again sometime" he stood up and wrapped his arms around her, "I need you with me, Ella" he cried out, "We can work this out"
She sighed. "We can't Troy"
"Don't you want to be with me?" he asked her, tracing the side of her face with his index finger, "I thought you wanted to be with me"
"I do" Gabriella bit the corner of her mouth, "But I'm only 16. I can't be a student, a housekeeper and a wife" she whimpered and continued, "I don't know how to cook or do laundry, or—"
"Ella" he whined, "Listen, we can do something about that"
"Troy, as much as I hate my mother right now, I'm the only person she has" Gabriella's voice came out of her lips as a whisper, "She will have nobody"
"You're the only person I have now too" he replied stubbornly, "You were the only person I had" he corrected and pushed her gently away, "Mae is waiting you"
Gabriella shook her head. "Wait for me" she begged him as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "Please. 2 years, wait for me"
Troy looked down for a second and then stared into her eyes again, "I love you" he whispered and kissed her on the lips, devouring her lower lip before slipping his tongue inside her mouth. Gabriella kissed him back, savoring the salt taste of her tears in their mouths as their tongues danced together for the last time.
"Gabriella" Mae called again from the door and they pulled away, "I love you"
He nodded and let her go. She looked back and wiped a few tears that kept falling from her eyes before stepping outside the room.
"I'll be back for you tomorrow" Mae told him with a sympathetic smile, "Try to rest"
As soon as the door closed, Troy fell back on the bed already missing Gabriella. It was so strange how miserable he could feel after a minute without her. He curled up into the fetal position and cried like a little baby. His chest ached and he could swear he felt his stomach turning. Gabriella sat in the backseat of the taxi her grandmother had called and started sobbing too. The tight chest and the waves of nausea there as well. When they woke up the next day, red and puffy eyes, they still felt the chest tightened – they prayed the pain would go away soon but it didn't happen. A few months later, the pain was still taking their breath away. A year later, it was still there as well. The days passed, the months and the years too… but Gabriella and Troy never saw each other again...
'Cause there has always been heartache and pain
And when it's over you'll breathe again
You'll breathe again"