Chapter Seven: Alone
Gabriella had never felt so alone in her entire life. She had been lying on the bed now for what must have been days but felt much longer. The last human contact that she had had was after Troy had left on that fateful day, Turner had returned to the basement with a selection of dry foods and bottles of water which would last her for days. He had untied her and went back upstairs without single word. They seemed to be avoiding her – and Gabriella was not surprised. She had not spoken since Troy had gone. She didn't want to speak. She just stared vacantly into her surroundings, lost in thought. She didn't eat. She didn't sleep. She just sat and thought the thoughts that she wished she could erase from her memory.
It played like a video tape, over and over again. How he had removed his hood. How she had recognised him. How she had felt relief and happiness at the sight of him. How he had glared at her. How he had kissed her. How he had told her that he was involved in her kidnapping. How he had told her he didn't love her. How he had left her.
And now she remembered.
The first time she had met Troy at the lodge and how she had sung with him. She was so nervous, she was terrified to perform in front of all of those kids but when she looked into Troy's eyes, there was something comforting in them. He was a complete stranger but she knew he was special. And then they had met again at East High School. She fell for him, they were inseparable. Troy made her feel safe and secure and at the audition for the musical, he had convinced her she could do it and made her feel amazing. They had had their problems too – the summer that they had nearly broken up, how she had left him without saying goodbye to leave for university – but they had always pulled through. The fact was that Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez were special. They were meant to be. They were in love. Or at least she had thought so.
For the first time since she had been taken, Gabriella broke down into tears. They rolled down her face and dripped on to the mattress where she had been abandoned. She had been so strong before now – no matter how scared she was, no matter how sad she was, no matter how lonely was – she had willed herself not to cry. She could take anything so long as she knew that Troy was still out there, still looking for her, still loving her and knowing that they would be reunited eventually. He had been her strength even though he was nowhere near her. That was gone now. She had no drive, no motive to stay strong. She cried endlessly. But she knew that no amount of tears was going to bring Troy back to her.
The darkness of the room and her broken heart shrouded her.