A/N: Well, it's official. You all hate me now. I know I haven't updated in... what? A month? I'm really sorry. But I had to prepare and attend to Bat Mitzvahs in a week, study for final quizzes, hand in final projects, and any other necessary things you do at the end of the school year. But fear not, the school year is almost over. It's over on June 20th. So eight more schooldays and I'll be free. Thanks for all the reviews! Even though, I don't really deserve them.
Corbin's My Man: Thanks! And you'll figure out how she reacts once you read this next installment!
thunderyoshi: Thanks so much! Are you sure I didn't put too many descriptions? I read it over and I was kinda disgusted at myself for writing such graphic scenes. Anyway, thanks for sticking around!
you go girl: No problem! Thanks for reviewing! Please forgive me!
-Millie Keane-: Mmhhmm. She sure is! Read to see what happens!
TheFabMax: Thanks! And I'm glad your spleen is okay. I think your spleen will still be okay when you read this next chapter. I hope.
megan: Thanks! And yes, I read the Leslie dying scene over and realized that I had put too much detail into that. Sorry if you were disgusted!
lol925: Thanks very much! I really appreciate it! You really think I could be a proffessional author? Honestly? Well, I am considering it. Maybe I will be a proffessional author when I get older. Who knows?
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I really hope you all forgive me for updating too slowly. And I hope ya'll enjoy this next chapter!
This Is War
Chapter 30: The Promise
Ryan sat down on one of the waiting chairs outside of Gabriella's room. He put his head in his hand, trying to erase the suicide scene that he had just witnessed a few minutes ago. Cold sweat ran down his forehead as his head started to spin. Tears started welling up in his eyes.
He couldn't help it! He had just witnessed a suicide! How was he supposed to feel? He ran his hand through his hair, trying to calm himself down. Why hadn't I done something? Why did I leave Troy alone? Why did I run from the room like that? I'm such an idiot! Ryan thought. Guilt was pounding his system. He didn't think the situation could get any worse. But it did.
A loud "Oh, my God!" was heard from Gabriella's room. Ryan perked up and started listening. But no other sound could be heard. He wiped his tears off and stood up and walked to the door. He pushed his ear to the door, trying to get something. But he couldn't. He tried opening the door but found it locked. He played with the knob a bit more before the door opened and he slammed into another body.
The other body was Chad. He stood up and helped Ryan up.
"Ryan! Dude! Gabriella's awake!" As soon as Ryan heard those two magic words, he pushed through Chad and ran to the spot next to Gabriella.
"Gabby? Are you really awake?" He asked Gabriella, taking her right hand in his good hand.
"Ry? Is that you?" Gabriella managed to get out. Ryan's eyes twinkled in relief, excitement, and happiness.
"Yes! It's me! Gabby! You remember! I'm so happy you're okay!" Ryan said, hugging Gabriella the best that he could. After he let go, he helped Gabriella sit up.
"Where were you?" Gabriella asked.
"Troy just took me somewhere. But I'm here now. And I'll always be here for you."
"Where did Troy take you?"
"Just to Leslie's room. We visited her."
When Gabriella heard those words, her face turned paler. "You what?"
"I went to go and visit Leslie." Ryan responded. Gabriella stared at him in disbelief. "You actually visited that… that… female dog?"
"Gabby, it's not a big deal. And you don't understand."
"Oh, I think I do. Did you not see what she did to me? Are you somehow blind? Or did you just forget? And look at that arm of yours! That's her handiwork incase you forgot!"
"Gabby-"
"Ryan, I can't believe you! I thought you said you'd always have my back? You even promised me that you'd have my back!" Gabriella ranted. "I thought you'd be beside me all this time!"
"I couldn't! The doctor said if I got near you, you wouldn't make it!"
"What does he mean I won't-"
"You'd die!" Ryan shouted. He didn't mean to but Gabriella was being very stubborn.
"Um… I think we should give them some privacy." Jason suggested. He ushered everybody out of the room. Just as he was about to close the door, Sharpay and Zeke arrive. Zeke pushed Sharpay near the entrance of the room.
"What's going on?" She asked, trying to peek inside.
"Ryan and Gabriella are fighting." Jason explained.
"Gabriella's awake?" Sharpay said as she tried to get up out of her seat to get in on the action happening in the room. Zeke pulled her back down.
"Hon, it's none of our business. Just sit back down and let Ryan and Gabby sort things out." Zeke said, wheeling Sharpay away from the door.
"But-"
"No buts." Zeke said firmly. Sharpay crossed her arms across her chest and sighed. Jason closed the door to Gabriella's room.
Ryan looked Gabriella in the eye. "The doctor said if I got any closer, you'd die, okay? So I only left for a while because I don't want to hurt you anymore! I'm the reason you're in this situation! I'm the reason you have a broken arm and a broken leg! So, I don't want to hurt you anymore! I've hurt you enough!"
Gabriella's expression softened a bit. "But still, why would you go and visit Leslie?"
"Because Troy wanted us to talk things over and try to understand each other."
"So how'd it go?" Gabriella asked curiously.
"Um…" Ryan responded. He didn't really know how to break the news to Gabriella. "She… she's… oh, God, I can't really say it."
"SHE COMMITTED SUICIDE!" The pair heard Sharpay shriek from outside the room. Soon they heard a chorus of "sshhs" and "be quiets".
"I guess Troy's back." Ryan tried to make a joke out of the situation, but it didn't work. Gabriella looked at him with distress in her eyes.
"She committed suicide?" Gabriella asked worriedly.
"Well… she's…"
"Ryan. Stop beating around the bush. Did she commit suicide?"
Ryan couldn't escape. "Yes she did." Ryan said. Gabriella's brow scrunched and she stared at him with disbelief. "She stabbed herself with a butter knife. Twice. Once in the chest and once in the stomach. Troy and I witnessed the whole thing."
"Oh, God!" Gabriella cried. Tears started streaming down her face. She put her face in her good hand.
"Gabby? Why are you crying? It's not your fault." Ryan comforted, cuddling next to Gabriella, putting her head onto his shoulder.
"Yes, it is my fault. Ryan, Leslie's dead because of me! If I hadn't come into your lives, none of us would be in this one hell of a mess."
"If you hadn't come into our lives, the girls would be dead. And I wouldn't have had anyone to love." Ryan proclaimed. Gabriella sniffled into Ryan's sleeve for a while before she looked lovingly in his eyes.
"You mean it? You still love me?"
"Gabby, I never stopped."
Two weeks after the incident, Ryan found himself getting his cast taken off and getting ready for Leslie's wake. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe Leslie Davis is actually dead. Nor could he believe that he was going to her wake after hating her for a long time. But he figured he owed something to Troy for running away like a coward.
He finished tying his necktie and folded his shirt collar down. He went over his suit, making sure there were no creases. After having perfected his look, he walked over to the other side of the hallway and knocked on the door.
"Shar? You ready? It's almost time to go!" He shouted.
"Just a minute! I'm almost done!" She shouted back. Ryan walked over the other room at the end of the hallway and opened the door. He saw his daughters looking nice in their matching black and white dresses.
"Girls are you ready?"
"Yes daddy." Rachelle answered.
"We're ready." Roxanne added.
"Great, you two can go down to the living room and keep grandma and grandpa company alright? I'll just go and get your Aunt and we'll be on our way." Ryan instructed his girls. They obeyed immediately and went down the staircase.
Ryan strolled over to Sharpay's room and knocked once again. "Shar! We're leaving without you!"
"I'm coming! I'm coming!" She shouted before opening the door, revealing herself to Ryan in her little black dress.
"Gorgeous as usual." Ryan said with a smile. "But make sure to watch the leg. The doctor said, it's not well enough to put too much pressure on it."
"Yeah, I know. At least they took the brace off." She said as she walked around him with a limp. "But do I look too good? I mean, it's a wake, you're supposed to look miserable. I'm afraid to come off as disrespectful because I can't find fitting clothes."
"Shar, it's fine. We're gonna be late, come on, we still have to pick up Gabriella and Mrs. Montez."
"Oh, how is Mrs. Montez doing, by the way?" She asked as they started going down the steps.
"They admitted her out of the hospital a week ago. She's getting fitted for prosthetics tomorrow."
"That's nice. What about Gabriella? Is her leg okay?"
"Same as your leg, still can't put a lot of pressure on it. But her arm is still in a sling though." Ryan said as they reached the first floor. "What about Zeke? Isn't he coming?"
"He is. He said he'll meet us there."
"Are we ready?" Mrs. Evans said as she started heading for the door.
"I am. I just hope Troy is." Ryan whispered.
"Hi Mrs. Montez. You look stunning." Ryan complimented as he helped Gabriella wheel her mother out of the house.
"Gabby, looking wonderfully fantastic as always." Ryan complimented her as they walked to the van.
"'Wonderfully fantastic'. I've never heard you use that phrase before."
"That's because I was reserving it for you and you only."
"Aw… that's my sweet little man." Gabriella said, hugging Ryan tightly around the waist with her good arm, as they got closer to the van. Ryan helped Mrs. Montez out of the wheelchair and into a seat in the van. As he has done so, he folded the wheelchair up nicely, and put it in the back. He helped Gabriella into the van also; as to not put too much pressure on her leg and he himself got inside as his father started driving.
"Are we all set?" Mr. Evans asked everybody. He received a loud "yeah" from the group.
"I can't believe this is really happening." Ryan subconsciously told himself. It caught Gabriella's attention.
"Why not?"
"Because…" Ryan started. "When I started college, I liked Leslie. Then when she got pregnant, I got scared and stuff and the next thing you know, we're parents to two beautiful twins. Then she left us, which made me angry. And then she tried to kidnap them, she tried to kill you, she tried to kill me, and yet I still insist on going to her wake. This whole thing is crazy!"
"Everything in life is crazy. Just not to the same degree." Gabriella said.
"I guess so." Ryan said. "But I feel like a total…" He continued. He lowered his voice so that only Gabriella can hear. "I feel like a total asshole to Troy. When he and Leslie needed help, I just bolted right out of the door. I'm such a coward!"
"You're not a coward. You are one of the bravest people I know. You were just dealing with too many things at the moment and you weren't ready to have anything else put on your shoulders. I'm sure Troy will understand."
"But what if he doesn't?"
"I'll be here for you." Gabriella said, taking Ryan's hand in hers. "Now I got your back."
"Thank you for coming Mrs. Montez." Troy said politely as Gabriella wheeled her mother into the room.
"I'm so sorry Troy. Here, we brought flowers. We hope you feel better hun."
"Thank you very much." Troy said, accepting the bouquet of flowers. "Gabby, it's nice that you came." Troy said as she hugged Gabriella.
"Oh, the arm, the arm! Careful!" She shrieked.
"Sorry, I forgot." Troy apologized, letting go of Gabriella. "But thanks for coming."
"No problem. We're all here for you Troy." Gabriella said as she stroked Troy's arm and continued wheeling her mother inside.
Mr. and Mrs. Evans walked up to Troy next, handing him another bouquet of flowers. "Our consolations Troy. If you need anything, remember honey, we're here for you. You can just give us a ring anytime." Mrs. Evans said. Troy thanked them and let them pass.
Sharpay and Zeke walked up next saying their consolations and giving more flowers. Ryan walked up next. He feared that Troy would just ignore him. But he had to give it a shot.
"Hey man." He greeted. Troy just looked at him blankly.
"I would've brought in flowers for you, but everybody seemed to have covered that already." Ryan joked, trying to get a slight chuckle out of Troy. It didn't work.
"Listen, I'm… really sorry man. I should've-"
"Sorry for what? It wasn't your fault. You didn't do anything. Why should you be sorry?" Troy said aggressively.
"I'm sorry for running away like I did. I should've stayed and tried to help."
"So why didn't you?" Troy asked. It was a good question. Why hadn't Ryan stayed and helped Troy with Leslie. Why did he run away like he did? Ryan couldn't even answer the question.
Troy got out of Ryan's way to let him in the room. "Just get in."
"Troy, I-"
"We'll talk later."
Ryan obeyed Troy's wishes and just let the subject drop. He walked in the room and he could already feel the sadness in the atmosphere.
Ryan looked in Leslie's coffin seeing that she had been cleaned up fairly well considering the last time that he saw her was when she was in a bloody hospital gown. He still feels bad that he ran away.
"Hey Les." He said to her.
"Listen, I'm… I'm really sorry I ran out on you and Troy when you stabbed yourself. That was foolish of me. And I'm sorry that I'm apologizing a while too late. That's my fault too." He said to the unmoving corpse. He sighed at how pathetic he must be sounding at the moment.
"Look… I just wanted you to know that I forgive you. I forgive you for everything that you've done. And I'm sorry that you chose to die right then. I guess guilt has a way of controlling things." He said. "I guess, I'll see you later then." He said before walking back to Gabriella.
"How're you holding up?" Gabriella said as she took Ryan's hand in hers and rubbed it.
"Pretty well I guess. I'm still guilty about running off."
"Well you'll get through it. I'm sure if Leslie was still alive, she'll understand why you ran off."
"I doubt it. Troy can't even forgive me."
"Are you sure about that?" Gabriella said as she drew Ryan's attention to Troy's direction. Ryan could Troy looking at him and signaling for him to talk to him. Ryan excused himself from Gabriella and walked over to Troy.
Ryan sat down next to Troy and waited for him to start speaking. He figured that he shouldn't talk anymore, considering all the trouble he's caused.
After a few minutes of silence, Troy finally spoke. "That was the one of the biggest mistakes of my life."
"What was?"
"Me letting go of her."
Ryan looked at Troy intensely. He could see his eyes starting to tear up. His gaze never left the coffin.
"I don't know what came over me. I-" He stopped talking, trying to make his voice not crack or let the tear fall. But it doesn't work. "I know she can be a handful at times but… but that's what makes her Leslie, you know?"
Ryan still didn't talk. He didn't dare to. He just merely nodded his head to show that he was following Troy's story.
"I know she gets kinda crazy at times but that's what made me fall in love with her in the first place. I don't really know why I let her go."
Ryan looked at him and somehow, he understood him. Even though he wasn't going through the same thing, he understood him. He felt his pain.
"I wish I could just… I wish she could just come alive again so I could at least apologize. So I could apologize for not being the best boyfriend for her, for being a useless piece of crap. She deserved better."
Ryan looked at Troy with a sympathetic look on his face. "Troy, don't say that."
"It's true though." Troy said. "Just don't do the same thing I did, Ry. Don't you ever let her go."
"Let Gabriella go? I have no intention to. I love her. I love her very much. I want to spend the rest of my life with her."
"All I'm saying is you better treat her right. I let her go before so she could be with you. That cut me real deep. It really hurt. But I knew I was doing the right thing. She was happier with you. And now I wish I could've just made Leslie happier somehow."
"Troy, I'm sure you were the best boyfriend you could've ever been. I'm sure she enjoyed her time with you."
"Well, a little word of advice. Be the best partner you could ever be to Gabriella. Make her happy. And don't wait the last minute to do it. If you do, you'll regret it. You'll regret it so much."
"I love her so very much Troy. I want nothing else but to make her happy. She's my life. I would never want to push her away."
"So why haven't you asked her to marry you yet?"
Ryan hadn't pondered this. He never thought Gabriella would forgive him so he didn't really think about asking her to marry him again. "Honestly, I don't know. I guess I haven't really thought about it."
"Well, you better hurry up. Because if you wait too long, I'm telling you, you'll regret it."
"I know. I'm just trying to look for the right moment, and the right place to ask her. I don't know when or where that is, so it's going to take a little while."
"Just promise me some things." Troy said.
"Sure."
"Promise me you'll love her forever. Promise me you'll never neglect her. Promise me you'll take care of her and will always have her back."
Ryan looked at Troy. He had loved Gabriella too. And the least Ryan could do was promise him the things that he asked for. "I promise."
After he said that, Ryan knew somehow, all is forgiven.
Awww... now ain't that sweet? Not much really went on in this chapter, I apologize for the lack of content. But I promise you the next chapter will be very eventful. And I also promise I won't take as long to update. Since there are only EIGHT more days of school left!