A/N : Okay, not very many people seem to be reading this but I'm going to carry on anyway! I enjoy writing it and I think there is at least one or two of you who enjoy reading it! But if you do read it let me know! Even if the review is only two words long it's better than nothing! Right I'll stop with the mega long author's note and get on with the story! Sorry for moaning! Izzy xx

After a few hours of 'Sharpay therapy' Gabriella was feeling almost back to her old self again. The images of the memory were still seared on her brain but there was nothing she could do about that. They would be there for as long as she lived and there was nothing she could do about it. They weren't the sort of memories that were gone as soon as something new came along.

"You girls sleep well?" Asked Maria when the two teenagers had finally succumbed to the pangs of hunger in their stomachs and stumbled downstairs for some breakfast.

"Yes thanks, Ms Montez" Said Sharpay as Gabriella handed her a bowl of muesli.

"Good" Smiled Maria "And it's Maria, Sharpay! Ms Montez makes me feel like my grandma" Maria shuddered slightly as the girls laughed.

After Sharpay and Gabriella had eaten and got dressed they headed next door to find Troy. Gabriella had ended up telling Sharpay exactly how she felt about Troy. Surprisingly Sharpay hadn't been at all shocked. She'd said that she had seen it coming for months; this had worried Gabriella as she thought others may have seen it coming too. But Sharpay assured her that it was just her 'best friends intuition' that had allowed her to guess what was going on.

"Hi Troy" Said Sharpay as the door opened to reveal a very tired looking Troy.

"Hey Sharpay, Hi Gabriella" Replied Troy wiping his eyes.

"You look like death warmed up" Said Sharpay, looking the boy up and down.

"Gee, thanks Shar! Now I know why I count you as one of my best friends" Said Troy sarcastically.

Gabriella laughed and gave Troy a very quick hug, "What Sharpay was trying to say was, why do you look so tired?"

"Chad appeared at my door at three in the morning after a fight with his parents. He needed somewhere to sleep and an ear to listen."

"Oh no!" Exclaimed the girls in unison.

It freaks me out when they do that, thought Troy.

"Hey girls" Said an equally tired looking Chad.

"Hi how are..." Gabriella started but she was cut off by Sharpay's gasp of horror.

"It's only a cut Shar" Said Chad putting his hand to his lip.

"It's huge!" Sharpay exclaimed. "Did your dad do that to you? Does it still hurt? Will it scar?" Sharpay's questions were coming thick and fast and no-one could get a word in edgeways.

"SHUT UP" yelled Chad clamping his hand over the blonde's mouth. "Yes my dad did it to me, but I got a few punches in of my own before my mum managed to pull me off him. No it doesn't hurt anymore, Troy's mom was great. She patched me up at three this morning! I hope it doesn't scar but who knows" Finished Chad, he released Sharpay and she flung her arms around him.

Gabriella looked at Troy in shock. She'd only ever seen her best friend like that once before and that was when Gabriella had been taken ill in her freshman year.

"Oh Chad. Thank god you're okay" Said Sharpay when she had released him from her grip. She looked close to tears.

Just then a slim blonde woman entered the room, a look of bewilderment on her pretty face. "I thought I heard you shout Chad. Is everything okay?" She asked, and then she noticed the two girls standing in the room. "Hello girls, I didn't hear you come in"

"I let them in mom and Chad shouted at Sharpay because she was off on one of her rants again" Troy said. Sharpay glared at him.

Lucille Bolton smiled, "Okay, if you need anything I'm in the kitchen. How are you feeling, honey?" She asked Gabriella.

"I'm not bad, thanks Mrs Bolton" Gabriella replied with a smile.

An hour later the four teenagers were sat around talking when the doorbell went again.

"I'll go" Said Troy.

"Well it's your house. I don't think anyone else is going to answer your door." Said Sharpay, she had calmed down once Chad had reassured her that he was fine.

Two minutes later Troy reappeared with a slim red head at his side.

"Hey, look who showed up" Smiled Troy, his arm around Mia's waist.

"Hi" Smiled Mia, giving a small wave.

Gabriella felt as though her stomach was full of snakes. The sight of Troy, her Troy, with his arm around this skinny, pretty, clever girl was pure torture. She wanted to go and rip this girl limb from limb.

"Hey" Said Sharpay, glancing at Gabriella surreptitiously.

"What's up then?" Asked Mia who was making herself comfortable on Troy's bed.

"Nothing much, just chilling" Said Chad.

"Cool, how are you Gabriella?" Mia asked, smiling at Gabriella.

"Fine thanks" Gabriella forced a small smile back and glanced at Sharpay. Why did she have to be so nice? Why couldn't she be horrid? Then Gabriella wouldn't have felt so bad for hating her guts.

"Good. Anyone fancy seeing that new movie, Prom Night?" Asked Mia, looking around.

"Is that the one with Britney Snow in it?" Asked Chad

"Yeah" Replied Sharpay.

"Definitely, she's hot." Chad replied with a smirk. Then he looked at Sharpay, "She looks kinda like you actually"

"Are you saying I'm hot?" Sharpay asked with a smile.

"No……Yes….Dunno….Shut up" Said Chad, going bright red.

The four teenagers laughed.

"I can't guys, sorry. I have to go somewhere with my mom today." Said Gabriella.

"Oh dang, that sucks" Said Troy. "Didn't you say you really wanted to see that film?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'll drag Taylor or Kelsi with me. It doesn't matter. You guys go have fun" Gabriella said, if she was being honest she didn't want to go and see a movie with Troy and Mia anyway. If they started making out then Gabriella thought she may puke. "I better get going. Have you got all your things from my house, Sharpay?"

"Yep, Are you sure you don't mind us going to see this film?" Asked Sharpay

"No it's fine, I really have to spend some time with my mom today" Said Gabriella, and with that she walked out the door.

Gabriella pushed her front door open and called out "Mom, I'm home"

"In here Mija" Came the reply from the living room.

Gabriella wandered into the room where her mother was and sat down. She looked around the room and began to wonder. What would it have been like if her father hadn't turned out to be a creep? What if he had never tried to ki...No she couldn't think about it. Not now. Not today. Not ever.

Gabriella glanced over at her mom; she was dusting the bottom shelf on the bookcase. As she bent over Gabriella saw the small round scar on her mom's arm. Tears immediately began to form in her eyes as memories flooded back.

"No momma" The 11 year old cried.

"Don't touch her or I'll get you too" A gruff voice hissed

Gabriella was brought back to earth by her mom shaking her shoulder. "Honey, what's wrong?"

"Memories" Said Gabriella.

Maria put her arms around her only daughter and rocked her back and forth. It was hard for her as well. She had to be strong for Gabriella when inside all she felt like doing was breaking down and hiding from the world. Maria closed her eyes, afraid that the tears would spill over if she kept them open. Maria knew that the only cure for the bad memories was a good movie that they could both loose themselves in.

"I got you a little present earlier" Said Maria wiping the tears from Gabriella's eyes.

"Really you shouldn't have" Said Gabriella

"You don't know what it is yet, you might hate it" Said Maria.

"I know I won't" Smiled Gabriella.

Maria walked over to her bag and pulled out a DVD. She held it out to Gabriella. Gabriella gasped and flung herself at her mother.

"You got it for me!" She exclaimed.

"Yep" Her mother smiled, she had taken Gabriella to see JUNO at the cinema and ever since, Gabriella had been waiting for the movie to come out on DVD.

"You know how much I loved this movie" Exclaimed Gabriella, running over to the television and putting the DVD in.

Two hours later Gabriella was a lot calmer than before. Her heart rate had returned to normal and she wasn't feeling on the verge of tears.

"That movie is even better than I remember" Said Gabriella, getting up to get a drink.

"You'll have it memorised by next week" Grinned Maria, "How many times did you go and see it at the cinema? 20?"

"No" Said Gabriella, feigning shock, "It was only 10 thank you very much"

Maria laughed at her daughter. It was good to see the smile back on her face after her little trip down memory lane.

A/N : Three reviews for the last chapter! Please Please Please Review Guys! Thank you so much to those who do review! Izzy xx