Hi all. Sorry about the delay in posting but I haven't been too well this week so haven't got much done. This chapter is a bit short and not very exciting but it's setting things up for what needs to happen for the story to progress. It's not one of my better ones as I'm still not 100. Love Tink. xx

So, tell us, what happened with you and Troy?" Taylor asked the next day at school, as they sat together in the cafeteria.

Gabriella shrugged "Not a lot, he just told me that he was there for me"

"That's it? I thought you two would be together by now, you've waited long enough" Sharpay said with exasperation, watching Gabriella push her small cob salad around the plate.

"I'm not interested anymore Shar, I don't even want to think about guys"

"But Gab, you've loved him like forever, don't let Christian put you off. Troy is a great guy"

"Please just leave it Sharpay, I said I'm not interested and neither is Troy"

Taylor subtly shook her head as Sharpay opened her mouth to protest.

She watched Gabriella feigning interest in her food "You not hungry Gab?"

She shook her head "Had a big breakfast at home"

Taylor and Sharpay exchanged pointed looks; it was obvious Gabi was still trying to lose weight by not eating.

"Have you seen Christian today?" Taylor asked determined to get through to her best friend.

"No, and I don't want to, he's been sending me text messages though" she added as an afterthought.

"What sort of messages? Begging to have you back I'll bet" Shar said smugly with a smirk on her face.

"Not exactly" she paused knowing her friends would be mad, "just reminding me how useless I am, how fat I am, that no one else would want me" she admitted softly.

"Please tell me, you don't believe him Gab" Tay said seeing the unhappy look on her face.

"Well why else would he say those things? You and Shar wanted me to change too, maybe he s right"

"Gabriella we only wanted what was best for you" Sharpay said sadly, not understanding till now the impact the idea of those changes had on Gabriella.

"So did Christian"

"Not in the same way Gab, please believe us. You are not fat, you do not have to change the way you look or dress, you're perfect as you are" Tay said urgently, grabbing her hand.

"But why would he say those things about me if they weren't true?" she asked her expression pained, almost bewildered.

"Because he's a jerk, he just wanted to control you Gab. We are your best friends and we wouldn't lie to you . . . You're bright and pretty and funny and any guy would love to go out with you" Sharpay said her voice kind "You can't stop eating to lose weight you can't afford to loose, and you really don't need to change the way you dress, you're fabulous as you are"

Gabriella looked between Taylor and Sharpay, seeing their concern etched on their faces and realized that they were the ones who were watching out for her, not Christian. Her friends were the ones who cared about her; they liked her for who she was, and not what she looked like. Their caring was a balm upon her wounded heart and she knew she had to listen to them.

She smiled at them "You guys are great. You know what? You're right I'm okay as I am"

Gabriella wasn't quite ready to admit that she was fabulous but she had come a long way in a very short amount of time.

"So no more dieting then?" Taylor prodded with a hopeful smile.

"No more dieting" she confirmed, sheepishly, her smile growing as Sharpay pushed a large slab of chocolate cake in her direction and handed around the forks.

Storing her books in her locker during study hall that afternoon, Gabriella admitted that she was feeling better than she had in a long time, she was happier, more content. Without the feeling of guilt that had surrounded her for so long, she could finally see that Christian had manipulated and controlled her. She had been so desperate to get stop any relationship developing with her and Troy that she had gone to the first person who had shown an interest despite her feelings being lukewarm at best. Christian was no good for her and she felt incredibly dumb not to have noticed just how bad he was for her.

As if her thoughts conjured him, she heard him call out to her from down the hall as he strode towards her.

Slamming the locker door shut, she turned to look at him wondering what she had ever like about him.

"What do you want Christian?" she sighed, arms folded across her chest in an unconsciously defiant gesture.

"Babe, you've got to let me explain . . . It was all Sharpay, she kissed me"

Gabriella shook her head "I don't care Christian, I don't want to be with someone who controls me" she told him tiredly.

"I don't control you Babe, god what have they been saying to you? Who's been filling your head full of bullshit?"

"Christian the only person doing that was you"

He took a step closer to her and grabbed the top of her arm below her shirt sleeve.

"Don't say that Gabi, I care about you" he snapped his fingers tightening like a vise around her arm.

"No you don't you wanted to change me, control me . . ."

"I love you Gabi, I just want what's best for you…This is all Bolton isn't it? I knew he would be sniffing around, trying to get into your panties"

Gabriella gasped as his fingers bit painfully into the tender skin of her arm, "Let go of me Christian, your hurting me" she cried, trying to twist out of his grasp.

Holding her arm tighter still, he yanked her against his body.

"You're mine Gabi, remember that! If I find out that Bolton has so much as breathed on you, then I'll kill him! You belong to me Bitch" he hissed venomously.

Gabriella was terrified; she'd never seen Christian loose his temper before.

"Christian! You're hurting me, please let go of me" she whimpered and he let her go, so abruptly that she stumbled back against her locker and slid to the floor, cowering away from him.

"Oh God! Gab, I am so sorry, please believe me, I just love you so much" he blurted reaching for her and she lurched away from him.

She was terrified by the way he had switched moods so quickly, one minute he was all anger and wrath and the next remorse and humility.

"Stay away from me Christian or I'll go to Principal Matsuai" she said pushing to her feet and backing away from him.

"Please Gab, I love you" he said, as she made her escape.

Gabriella hurried down the hall on legs that shook, Christian was a really screwed up guy. She didn't know if she was more scared of him when he was angry or when he told her he loved her, there was something, a wildness in his eyes that she didn't like or trust.

"Hey 'Brie, there you are. I almost sent a search party for you" Troy quipped looking up from his book, as she stumbled into the library.

One look at her face and he knew something was wrong, her skin was pale and her chocolate eyes were so large that they almost looked too big for her face.

"What's happened?" he asked his voice low and urgent.

"N-Nothing" she said taking a seat across from him and reaching for a math book.

"Don't lie to me Br-", Troy froze as her shirt sleeve rode up and he could make out the now very visible finger marks, purple against her olive skin. He stared at her arm as she quickly, awkwardly tried to cover it up.

"What's happened Gab?" his voice was dangerously quiet.

"Nothing Troy, please just leave it" she whispered looking around to make sure no one was listening.

"Don't lie to me" he repeated but it was a plea not a demand, "It was him wasn't it? Christian did this you? Are you hurt?"

Gabriella shook her head, feeling the familiar well of tears in her eyes "I'm fine really, he just scared me that's all"

Troy's beautiful blue eyes were ice cold "Tell me what happened"

"Nothing really, he just wanted to tell me he loved me"

Troy knew there was more to it than that, she was scared, he could tell from her face.

"And?" he prompted

"And nothing, that's it, he just held me a little too tight, a little too long"

Troy looked at her for long moment, deciding if he should push her further, whatever else had happened, she did not want to talk about it, he knew her too well to push her any further, "Promise me Gab, If he gives you anymore trouble, you'll tell me. I can protect you Brie"

Gabi nodded, her fingers crossed under the table. Christian was mad enough at Troy without her getting him involved too. She was worried that he would hurt Troy and Gabriella would never be able to forgive herself if something happened to him because of her.

"I promise" she lied softly and Troy nodded, turning his attention back to his book.

Approaching her locker at the end of the day, Gab could see something stuck to it. It looked to be a piece of paper but on closer inspection was a photograph, of Christian and Gabriella. Somebody had drawn little hearts drawn around it. She did not even have to read the note pinned to it to know who it was from. Sighing she tore it from the door and ripped it into little bits, before throwing into the nearest trash can. As she did so, her cell phone went off, it was a message, from Christian,

"That wasn't nice Bitch. Don't make me angry, come back to me Gabi and we can forget all this bullshit. I love you. Xxx"

Gabriella swallowed a bubble of hysterical laughter, in the same message he had called her names, threatened her and then told her he loved her. There was something really wrong with him. Then a thought suddenly hit, he must have seen her rip the picture, but where was he? She darted looks all around her, was he watching her? He was no where to be seen, Gabriella felt panicky and more than a little sick. Tay and Shar had gone home together and Troy was staying late for practice. Should she wait for him? Or should she just make her way home rather than risk hanging around and letting Christian find her? She sent a quick text to Troy and Tay telling them she was on her way home and could they please call her when they got her message.

Grabbing her back pack she set out for the journey home, shivering a little despite the mild weather. Although Albuquerque was in the middle of its usual Indian summer, the sun was lower in the sky in October. Gabriella felt a chilled, she hadn't thought to bring a sweater but she hoped that a brisk walk home would warm her through. She hadn't gone but a few blocks when she heard the noise of a car behind her, it was slowing and as it pulled up next to her she stared determinedly ahead, knowing immediately who it was.

"Hey Babe, why you walking home? I can give you a ride" it was Christian, full of charm and smiles.

Gabriella kept walking eyes straight ahead in the deserted street "No thank you"

"Babe, don't be like that, didn't you like my present?" he cajoled arms stretched towards her.

"Christian leave me alone,"

"I can't Gab, I love you'" he stopped the car and got out, Gabriella's heart began to thump and her stomach filled with a million butterflies, adrenaline beginning to course through her system. She was scared and hurried her pace, wanting to be away from him.

"Well I don't love you, so leave me alone Christian"

"You don't mean that Gab, come on babe, come with me, we can prove just how much we love each other" he said suddenly blocking her path.

Gabriella pulled her cell from her pocket and looked at Christian

"Don't try anything or I'll call the police Christian" she said her voice strong but shaking, she dialed 911 and held her finger poised over the call button.

"Don't be scared Gab, I just want to talk to you . . .You wouldn't dare" he stepped closer still, his tone deceptively calm.

"I mean it Christian, leave me alone!" she said and pressed the call button.

It rang for a few seconds before an efficient voice asked "911, what's your emergency?"

She stared Christian in the eye for a few seconds calling his bluff,

"You bitch! You'll regret this" he snarled venomously and stalked back to his car.

"911 what is your emergency?" the voice repeated calmly, although with more urgency.

"Oh no emergency, sorry my mistake" she said softly before disconnecting the call.