I don't own anything.
A/N: Another week another update right now I want to thank my reviewers from last week; blueprincess972, kuropie, Angel, CHAYLORISAWESOME312, lilmissmonique, baby2ludaris, PhantomGroupie91, Sciencefreak2007, Phelycia, That Girl Is Alone, and jinidu93. I hope everyone enjoys this new update and please remember to Review.
Baby S
Chapter Sixteen
"I knew something was up…I just knew it." Taylor jerked her head up and gasped as she saw Sharpay standing in front of the door with her hands on her hips and glare on her face. "Now you better tell me what's going on right now or else." Jumping up from her seat, Taylor raised her hands up and while staring at Sharpay in shock.
"What are you doing in here?" Sharpay didn't answer her as she slammed the door closed and crossed her arms over her chest as she continued to look Taylor who seemed to tremble underneath her glaze.
"I'm not kidding Taylor, you better start talking right now." She grounded out; Taylor just sighed and shook her head, as she moved to pick up her things. Sharpay watched her as she did this before quickly saying. "Taylor I'm not joking here." Taylor looked up at her and sighed.
"I don't know what you're talking." Sharpay just sighed at her statement and reached out and grabbed onto her arm.
"I heard everything, Taylor…you can't lie to me about this, I heard everything." She whispered as she continued to look Taylor whose body seemed to relax. Seeing that she had finally gotten through to her friend, she released her arm and gently helped Taylor sit back down on in the desk that she had been sitting in before. "Taylor what's going on?" Taylor lowered her head as tears filled her eyes, shaking her head she lowered her face down into her hands as her shoulders started shaking as she erupted into bitter sobs. Sharpay watched her silently, while rubbing her hand up and down her back soothingly.
"I know you're going to be angry when you hear this." Sharpay sighed, and moved closer to Taylor and wrapped her arms around her holding her tightly as she continued to cry.
"I promise I'm not going to be angry…I just want to help you, Taylor. Please just tell me what's going on." She whispered as she lifted Taylor's head up so she could look her in the eyes.
"I…Sharpay…I made a deal with the devil." Sharpay looked her over for a bit before answering.
"You're talking about Chad." She stated more than asked. When Taylor nodded her head, Sharpay closed her eyes and groaned. "God, Taylor why…why would you do that." She whispered, Taylor slowly removed herself away from Sharpay and wiped her eyes.
"I had to do it."
"Had to do what." Taylor looked up at her sadly, and sighed brokenly.
"I had to break up with Troy." Sharpay gasped as she looked at her friend, before shaking her head in disbelief.
"But you told me you did it because you were worried about him getting hurt just like Miguel…please don't tell me you broke up with him because of Chad Danforth." Taylor jumped out of her seat and looked at Sharpay who continue to sit and watch her silently.
"I had to do it, because he was going to hurt Troy."
"Wait…how in the world can you be so sure about that, Taylor. You don't know what he was going to do alright." Taylor looked at Sharpay and shook her head sadly before walking back over to the desk.
"I know because I asked."
"So you asked Chad and you took his words as the truth." Taylor nodded her head slowly and pointed out towards the door.
"I came to him…I came and told him to stop hurting people, and he told me the only way that would happen would be if I stopped seeing Troy. He wasn't lying, he wasn't pulling my leg, he was telling me the truth. He was going to hurt Troy unless I did exactly what he told me to do." She exclaimed heatedly. "And I did it…I did, to protect Troy so he wouldn't wind up getting hurt."
"But why are you dating him again…and why did you tell me that we couldn't be friends." Taylor's shoulders dropped and with a heavy sigh she returned to her seat.
"All of that was apart of the deal…truthfully I shouldn't even be talking to you right now." She said as she got up and tried to go towards the door. Sharpay was quicker though and blocked the door so she could leave.
"I think we need to talk."
"Talk about what, Sharpay." Taylor asked. "I'm not going to back out of the deal, I'm doing this for Troy…he may not understand that now…he may not see it, but I do and that's the only thing that matters to me."
"This isn't going to end well for you…Chad isn't going stop doing things to Troy just because you're with him. He's an asshole; he's going to use this opportunity to hurt you for wising up and leaving him."
"Well he's already done that."
"Exactly…Taylor, you need to tell Troy everything that you've told me and-." Taylor just shook her head as more tears fell from her eyes.
"He doesn't want to see me, Sharpay…Chad has already made sure of that." Sharpay sighed and placed her hands on top of Taylor's shoulders and looked at her for a brief moment before speaking up.
"Then we need to come up with a plan to end this once and for all, so we can make sure that Chad gets everything he deserves. Cause no one hurts my best friend."
Troy sighed as he saw his three point shoot go in, with a small smile he moved to jog across the court but stopped when he saw Miguel wheeling himself into the gym. He silently watched as Miguel stopped and grabbed the ball. "Yo, man you alright?" he said passing the ball back to Troy who caught it and tucked it underneath his arm.
"Yeah, I'm alright…I've never been better." Miguel sighed and looked over his shoulder at the door and then back Troy who was now dribbling the ball idly through his legs. Miguel locked his chair and placed his hands on the legs.
"You don't have to be a smart ass with me…I know you're hurting Troy." He stated softly not wanting to make Troy angrier than he already seemed to be, Troy looked at him for a moment and sighed.
"I'm trying to forget her, Miggs. I don't need you or anyone else bringing her up, if she wants to be with that abusive cheating asshole than who am I to stand in her way. I just don't want her coming back to me when he-."
"You don't mean that…you and I both know you don't want to let her go." Troy paused and picked the ball up before looking at him as if he had lost his mind. He was sure he wanted to let her go, because he was only torturing himself by holding on to what they had. He still couldn't get the image of Chad's lips pressed against her cheek. Every time that image came to mind, his stomach churned instantly he had the feeling that he needed to empty his gut. Miguel watched him silently, before speaking up. "You don't have to put on this façade for me…I know how you really feel."
"Miguel look I just don't want to talk about it alright." Miguel nodded his head and continued to look at him for a moment.
"You know from what you told me…I just don't get it man. Something seems a little fishy about the whole thing. There's no way that Taylor would just dump you. There's no way she would dump you and go back to Chad so quickly without him doing something to her." Troy looked at him and waved his hand in the air dismissing what Miguel had just suggested.
"Nothing's fishy about it…she just made a choice albeit a bad choice by she made all on her own." Miguel shook his head as he looked at his friend.
"I think you're wrong…I think you're so blinded by pain that you are just refusing to see what's right in front of your face, Troy. Taylor didn't get with Chad, just to be with him…she's with him for another reason." Troy scoffed at the suggestion and shook his head.
"Whatever man…look I really don't want to talk about this right now." Troy replied with just a hint of annoyance in his voice. "I'm trying to get over it…not rehash it." Miguel raised his hands up and sighed.
"Man I'm trying to help you out." Troy slammed the ball down on the floor, Miguel watched silently as the ball rolled over to the far side of the court. Troy sighed and rubbed a hand over his hair in frustration before pointing at the ball.
"I don't need help like that…all I want…all I want right now is to be able to play the rest of this basketball season to the best of my ability and focusing on Taylor isn't going to help me do that, alright. Right now the only thing I have control over is basketball and that's exactly what I'm going to be focusing on." Miguel nodded his head and sighed.
"Fine…I guess I better leave." Troy watched him as he unlocked his wheelchair, with a sigh Troy looked at him.
"When did the doctor say you were going to get out of that wheel-chair?"
"By the end of the year." Miguel replied softly, Troy nodded his head and gave him a small smile.
"Good…I hate seeing you in that chair."
"I hate being in it." Miguel replied. "Look I better go so you can practice, but Troy seriously I really think you need to think about what I said alright." Troy looked at him and nodded his head. Miguel sighed and slowly wheeled out of the gym. Waiting until he was gone, Troy slowly walked over to his ball and picked it up. Tossing it back and forth between his hands, he silently looked towards the goal. Miguel was wrong, he had to be. Taylor had made her own choice and it was time he got over it and started focusing on the one thing that had always been there for him, basketball.
Taylor couldn't have imagined a time where she had been more uncomfortable then right now. With a groan she watched as Mrs. Danforth fished through racks and racks of dresses in search of the perfect one. "Taylor come here and look at this one…what do you think?" she asked holding up what Taylor could only deem as an ugly throw-up green color. Shaking her head, Taylor tried to smile as she looked at her and the dress.
"I don't think I like it much, Mrs. Danforth, and I don't really think that's my color." She replied meekly as she looked at the dress and then back at the older woman's face. Mrs. Danforth looked her up and down before sighing.
"I guess you're right…I don't think you could pull it off." She said as she basically tossed the dress back on the rack, before going back through it. As she searched she decided to talk to Taylor about Chad. "I'm so glad that you dropped that awful boy from West High…I've heard that those boys from that school are nothing but thugs…and true slums, you should have never allowed yourself to become associated with someone from that side of the tracks."
"Troy wasn't like that."
"Nonsense…he's the one that attacked my son, don't tell me that you still having feelings for the boy," she said as she pulled a black dress from the rack and placed it against Taylor's body with a sigh she shook her head. "Nope…looks like you're headed to a funeral."
"I certainly feel like it." Taylor mumbled.
"Excuse me." Mrs. Danforth exclaimed hotly as she looked at her, Taylor sighed and shook her head.
"Never mind."
"No…I'd like to know what you said." Taylor frowned at the older woman and crossed her arms over her chest."
"It doesn't matter what I said…geez can we please just find a dress I would really like it so I can get home. I have homework to do." Mrs. Danforth shook her head at her words and sighed.
"I certainly don't know what Chad sees in you….you're constantly doing homework which makes you a true definition of a bookworm that's what you are. You know studying isn't everything a girl like you should be doing instead you should be around Chad, spending time with him. Why, when I was your age that's all I did. Me and Mr. Danforth were inseparable, we were always together."
"Well Chad and I have a slightly different relationship, Mrs. Danforth." She said with a soft sigh as she pulled out a dark blue dress. Catching her attention because of how it had instantly reminded her of Troy's eyes. Placing the dress against her skin, she sighed as she saw how well it matched. Mrs. Danforth looked her over and smiled.
"It looks lovely on you…what do you think." She asked, Troy ran her hand up and down the dress with a sigh as she remembered the nights and days she spent with Troy. She closed her eyes as she remembered the way he would look at her when he said I love you or when he was excited. She remembered how his blue eyes would light up whenever he was extremely happy. Opening her eyes she looked at Mrs. Danforth who was watching her closely and smiled.
"Blue's my favorite color…it reminds me of good times." She said as she held the dress away from her chest so she could look it over once more. Mrs. Danforth sighed and took the dress from Taylor and looked it over.
"Well the color is great on you…however we don't really know how it will bring out your figure, come on let's go and find the attendant so you can try it on." She said as she took the dress and disappeared further into the store; Taylor sighed and reluctantly followed her hoping that now the dress hunting would end.
Troy sighed as he followed Miguel, Jandro, and Malcolm throughout the mall that Saturday afternoon. He had tried to tell them that going out was the last thing he wanted to do today, however they just weren't listening to him or his excuses. "Yo, man let's go and get something to eat before we head to the movies." Jandro said with a smile as he looked back at Troy who was following behind them at a slower pace. Malcolm stopped and looked Troy over before replying.
"Come on man let's have fun man…you need to focus on something else." Troy sighed and shared a look with Miguel before saying.
"Don't you think I'm trying?"
"We know you are man, but try a little harder…I hate seeing you like this, and I know there's nothing I can do to fix it." Malcolm replied as he walked over to Troy and placed a steady hand on his shoulder. "Just clear your mind and try to let everything go."
"I'm trying man…look let's not focus on me how about we focus on you and Whitney." He said as Jandro and Miguel chimed in, Malcolm blushed and shook his head. "Why wasn't Whitney speaking to you on Friday?"
"It's about college man…stupid college stuff."
"Hey now don't call it stupid cause that's the next step man." Miguel said wisely. "Once we head off there we're going to be headed straight for adulthood…and-."
"She's upset because I might not be going to same college she wants to go too." Malcolm admitted with a sigh. "I just told her about some other offers…some better offers and she flipped." He stated sadly.
"Are you going to go to the same college?"
"I want too, but I'm going to have to look over all my options, cause like you guys said this is the big decision…it's the next step." He replied with a soft sigh. "I just want to make sure I do this right."
"I understand man." Malcolm just shook his head and looked over at Troy.
"So what about you…I know for a fact you have how many schools looking at you…oh that's right about fifteen. Fifteen schools ready to give you a full ride."
"Man, likes not talk about that way to much pressure in the first place." He said with a shake of his head as he broke out into a genuine smile; however that immediately slipped from his face as he paused in mid-step. Malcolm, Miguel and Jandro all looked at him as if he had lost his mind until they followed his glaze and saw exactly who he was looking at. Inside an elegant dress store stood Taylor with a smile on her face as she admired herself in some full length mirrors. Troy took her in, as a man dying of thirst would take in a glass of water. However he knew she was trying on the dress for Chad, just as soon as the thought entered his mind he frowned. It was at that exact moment that Taylor turned around and caught his stare. They both looked eyes and held one another there before Troy tore his glaze away from her and stalked away towards the food court. Malcolm, Miguel and Jandro quickly followed hoping that they could console their friend.
Taylor was shocked to see Troy standing there, and she immediately felt guilt when he rushed off. Stepping away from the mirrors she looked at Mrs. Danforth who seemed rather pleased. "Taylor you looked great I know Chad is going to love this dress on you." She said.
"Good…um Mrs. Danforth I'm going to take this off, and then I'm going to…I saw a friend and I want to go and say hi." She whispered, raising an eyebrow the older woman nodded her head for a moment before smiling.
"Very well…I will pay for the dress." She said as Taylor quickly went into the dressing room to change. Once she was done she gave Mrs. Danforth the dress and took off towards the food court where she hopped Troy would be. Entering the food court area her eyes quickly searched the place out for Troy and she found him over at a table with his friends. Taking a deep breath she headed over, not really knowing what she would say to him. As she headed over she noticed Malcolm reach out and get Troy's attention before pointing in her direction. Troy glanced over his shoulder and the sighed when he saw her. Taylor came to a stop and forced herself to smile.
"Hey, Troy I-." he cut her off and leaned back in his chair.
"Taylor what are you doing over here." Taylor sighed and looked at him for a moment before shrugging her shoulders.
"I was just wondering what-."
"What I'm doing on the East side of town…nothing much just hanging out with my friends, what are you doing here." He asked coldly, Taylor bristled at his tone and sighed.
"Nothing." She stated softly, he narrowed his eye at her answer and shook his head as he pointed at her.
"I saw you, Taylor…you were trying on what looked like a prom dress."
"Well actually it's a dress for the fall dance." She stated softly, wishing she could have come up with some lie especially when Troy's face broke out into a frown, at her words, and for a split second she saw a hint of hurt in his eyes before he covered it up.
"Oh that's right you East highers can afford two dances right…look Taylor I really want to chill with my friends right now so why don't you just go." He stated, Taylor looked at him in shock before nodding her head.
"Right." She said her voice trembling with emotion, stepping back she gave them a small smile and then headed off back towards the store. Troy silently watched her go; he didn't know how he felt about that encounter. He'd be lying if he said that he didn't hear the tremble in her voice, or the hurt that passed over her face at his dismissive actions. He reluctantly removed his glaze away from her retreating form and looked at his friends who were watching him closely. With a shake of his head, he pushed his food away from him and settled back against his chair as he thought some things over.
After the dismissal from, Taylor found herself even miserable then she had been before. The thought of her protecting him no longer brought peace to her mind, especially since every time she thought about it Troy she caught picturing the look of utter indifference on his face. Sharpay watched her quietly from her spot at the chair that sat in front of Taylor's desk. "Tay, are you alright."
"I'm…no…I'm not fine. I can't get over him looking at me like that Shar. I mean how would you feel if Zeke looked at you as if you were absolutely nothing." She replied with as a lone tear escaping from her eye. Lifting her right hand up she quickly wiped it away and took a shuddering breath. "All I have to say is that this plan had better work Sharpay." Looking at her friend, Sharpay got out of the chair and walked over to her and embraced her while rubbing her back.
"Everything is going to work out just fine, Taylor…just be strong for the rest of this week, and I promise you that all of this is going to end before the end of the dance and you and Troy will be back together."
"He won't even look at me, Sharpay and then I have to go to the game with Chad over at West High. I just feel sick to my stomach." She said bending over at the waist for emphasis; Sharpay pulled her into a hug and held onto her tightly.
"Everything is going to be alright…I'm you're best friend and I promise you nothing is going to happen, Taylor. I promise you that."
"I just hope that your plan works…I don't think I can take much more of this." Taylor whispered bitterly, Sharpay looked at her friend and nodded her head in understanding.
"By the end of the week…before the fall dance is over, everything will be alright I promise." She whispered softly as she looked at her friend. Taylor just nodded her head as she continued to lean against Sharpay for support.
Friday came to quickly for Taylor's taste, the game was suppose to start at four o'clock that afternoon and then that night the fall dance was suppose to take place. As Chad had instructed Taylor arrived at the game before tip-off with the Wildcat cheerleaders, as soon as she entered the gym she immediately felt the heated glares directed in her direction from the West High students. Never in her life had she felt as self-conscious as she did at the moment. She knew Chad had only told her to come so that he could make her life even more miserable. Glancing out towards the floor her eyes immediately landed on Troy who was currently going through some drills with his teams. She could hardly take her eyes off him; he looked so fine when he was playing basketball. Taylor sighed in disappointment as Troy said something to a teammate before taking off towards the locker rooms. Taylor was so into her thoughts that she didn't notice Chad coming over to her. "TAYLOR!" he shouted out angrily as he grabbed her hand and tugged it sharply forcing her attention away from the court and onto him.
"What is it, Chad?" she asked with an annoyed look in her eyes, as she watched him closely. Chad narrowed his eyes t her
"Are you trying to embarrass me…you think I'm blind. I see you looking at him." Taylor tried to yank her hand away from him, but he wouldn't budge. "Come on let's go…I think I need to talk some sense into you before this game starts." He snapped as he violently pulled her up out of her sit and led her towards the hallway that led to the locker room. Once he was sure they were alone he shoved her back away the wall and looked down at her angrily.
"I'm not going to be disrespected alright…anyone that looked at you could tell you were looking at Troy like so simple minded slut. Now I think you better stop what you're doing before you piss me off and I do something to Bolton that I'm pretty sure I won't regret." He snapped as Taylor looked away from him while biting her lip in frustration.
"I wasn't disrespecting you…and please can you drop this, it's not my fault you're so insecure and-." She gasped in shock as Chad grabbed her arms tightly and yanked her towards him.
"Insecure…oh you have got to be joking." Taylor's eyes watered up with tears as she struggled in his arms trying her best to get away from him.
"Chad let me go…you're hurting me." She whispered in pain as a lone tear rushed down the side of her face. Chad frowned at her and was about to say something else when he was forcefully yanked back and slammed against the far wall. He looked up in shock surprised to Troy holding him back away from Taylor with a scold on his face. Taylor looked on in shock; Troy had come to her rescue, again.
"What in the hell do you think you're doing, Bolton."
"I'm not going to let you hurt her; in my presence…I don't care if she chose you over me." He snapped as he glanced over his shoulder at Taylor who was slowly rubbing her arms. "What makes you think you have the right to lay your hands on her like that you coward?" Chad pushed Troy off him and pointed a finger in his face.
"You better watch yourself…you see Taylor's my girlfriend and-."
"I don't care…you're not going to hurt any female in my presence. You see I'm a man and I know how to treat a woman obviously you missed that lesson during your development." Chad chuckled and looked at Taylor who nervously looked down at her feet.
"I expect you to be out there sitting on those bleachers in five minutes." He spat as he brushed pass Troy and headed out to the gym. Taylor and Troy stood silently in the hallway. Taylor watched him as his jaw clenched and unclenched as he saw off in the direction that Chad had disappeared. After a few more moments he spoke up in a calm soft yet firm voice.
"That's what you broke up with me for…more abuse…more of that." Taylor shook her head as she stepped towards him.
"It's not what you think?" he turned on her then and glared down at her. He held her glaze for a moment before his eyes drifted down to her arms where she was still rubbing. His features soften for a moment as she studied her before sighing.
"You don't deserve this." He whispered. "You deserved to be loved and treated with respect. You deserve so much more than what…than what he's giving you. Black and blue bruises, hurt feelings and tears is not what someone like you deserve." Shaking his head he turned and started to walk away. Taylor felt her heart seize up at the sight and took a step towards him.
"Troy…it's not really what-." He held up a hand at her words not bothering to turn around. She stared at his back and wondered what he would he was going to say. Slowly lowering his hand Troy spoke up.
"You better get back out there; your five minutes are almost up." He stated bitterly, as he left Taylor alone in the hallway.
The game had turned out to be a landslide victory for West High, and it didn't take a genius to see that Chad was absolutely furious. Seeing the anger in his eyes, Taylor wondered how the dance would go tonight especially since she had Sharpay were putting their plan into motion to expose him for the bastard he was. She watched as Chad stormed out of the locker room, his gym bag slung over his shoulder. Getting off the bleachers she quickly followed behind him, after all he was her only ride. "Chad!" she called out, causing him to stop in his tracks. He turned around and glared at her.
"I'm going home…be at the dance at seven." He snapped, as he quickly walked out of the school. Taylor moved to follow him, her face flush with embarrassment, a feat which Chad was always good at doing.
"But Chad you're my only ride." She called out angrily; he simply looked at her for a minute before walking back up the stairs. He stood in front of her for a brief moment before shrugging his shoulders.
"So…you better call your mother and tell her to come pick you up or catch a ride with someone else cause after that lost well I just need to be by myself." He said sharply as he looked down at her. "Now do what I say and I'll see you at the dance?" Taylor watched in shock as he stormed off. The shock didn't wear off until she saw him drive away. Speechless she pulled out her cell phone and decided to call Sharpay immediately so she could have a ride to take her home so she could get ready for the dance.
"Oh I hope she's home…I can't believe this." She said as she started dialing the number, she jumped in shock as a hand took the phone away from her and closed it.
"I'll take you home." Taylor looked up in shock as she stared into Troy Bolton's dark blue eyes.