Chapter 4
I adjusted my book bag impatiently as I waited at the bottom of the stairs for Alexander to come down. He had moved his things into the room beside mine as his father had told us before hand so he was now officially living with us, well, for now.
I glanced at my watch for the fifth time just as Alexander came running down the stairs.
"You ready?" I asked him, already knowing the answer as I began walking towards the door.
"Yup lets go," he said, following me out the door.
As we walked to school I told him all about East High. The clubs,, the teachers and about lunch time, trying to get him prepared as he listened intently, nodding now and then.
It was funny how much I liked Alexander. Amazing really. Yesterday after I had dropped the gift off at Troy's house we had talked for quite some time. And we had an immediate connection.
Alexander was smart and well built, though he wasn't as athletic as Troy was. He was charming, and as I could easily tell, very in love with Casey. He was sweet and caring, but nonetheless very tough if need be.
It was hard to explain our realationship. There really was this unexplainable connection between us. It was this bond that was formed without our knowledge, but I knew that my feelings for him were nothing like my feelings for Troy. It was more as if we were old friends finally meeting each other after a long absence. He was like the older brother I never had, and I knew I could never love him the way I loved Troy. But I could not deny that if I was possible for me to love him, I would restrain myself from doing so for Troy sack. Because I loved him and no one else. Even if we couldn't be together.
"Gabriella?" Alexander asked snapping me out of my daze. "Are you okay?"
I nodded as we walked up the stairs to the school and noticed that not many people were there yet. We had arrived early to get Alexander's settled into his new school.
Promptly as we stepped inside we headed straight for the office. The secretary handed Alexander a folder and a map of the school if need be, along with his schedule and it reminded me of my first day here. The day that I saw Troy after out short encounter and the ski lodge.
I had been dreading this day since the night I broke up with him, for this was the day that I would see Troy after our horrid scene at the park. I didn't want to hurt him more than I already was, and I didn't want to hurt myself by seeing him and not being with him.
As we head out of the office more and more people began arriving as the minutes passed us by.
"What locker are you?" I asked him.
He handed me the folder as I sorted through it and reached were it told me his locker number. Luckily his locker was by mine. Seems like things were working out, or not so much in which prespective you choose. It was just more of a chance that Troy would see us together.
I shook my head as he looked though his folder.
"Seems my father put me in most of your classes," he told me rolling his eyes. I didn't get offended because I knew his annoyance had to do more with his father than it had to do with me.
We made our way toward my locker first as I put most my books away before we headed off towards his. As he sorted through his things, putting many away I leaned against the locker beside his, feeling as if I could pass out right then and there with the amount of sleep I had been receiving with thought of Troy probing at me, day and night.
"Gabriella, who's that guy that keeps staring at me?"
My eyes opened questionably as I looked to Alexander to see whom he was talking about. I followed his line of vision and indeed someone was staring at Alexander with a questionable look.
It was Chad.
"That's Tr- his best friend," I silently cursed myself. I couldn't even say his name. Or I just didn't want to. Maybe if I didn't then it wouldn't hurt as much as it already did.
Alexander gave me an understanding nod, knowing exactly what I meant as he gazed at me and I stared back at him.
"You never did tell me his name," he said with a twinkle in his eyes. Was he amused at this?
I decided to play dumb. "Oh, that's Chad." I nodded my head toward Chad who had had Taylor just walk up towards him. Seeing him looking at me and Alexander, she began watching and wondering what was going on. I was beginning to get nervous.
"Gabriella, you know what I meant." He looked at me sternly and I sighed.
"His names Troy," I whispered as I looked to the ground.
Alexander shut his locker and took a step closer to me. Reaching his hand up, he moved my chin so I was looking him straight in the eyes.
"Gabriella I understand how you feel. I mean with Troy and Casey," he paused for a minute when he said her name. He sighed as he dropped his hand and looked down too. After a few seconds he looked back up, never finishing the sentence he was about to say. "I remember you told me yesterday that everything happens for a reason, right? Well there has to be a reason for this. And one day, we'll figure it out. You love Troy and I love Casey. No matter what, we just can't change that. But we have to come to terms with that."
I opened my mouth to speak but the bell interrupted me and just then I realized that we had had an audience. I looked up but the halls were to busy for me to see Taylor or Chad.
I sighed as we made out way to homeroom. I sucked in my breath. I would be seeing Troy.
---
Chad's Point-Of-Veiw
As I watched Gabriella with some guy I didn't know I questioned what was going on. And as I watched her, I slowly felt a deep hate surface from deep inside me as he pulled her face to look at him. And from the look he had in eyes, it looked like one of a guy in love.
How could Gabriella do that to Troy? So this was the reason she dumped him? For him?
And worst of all, how was I going to tell Troy?
I noticed Taylor but she was watching the sight in front of us.
"What is she doing?" Taylor asked, shocked.
But I just shook my head as I watched. How could she?
The worst thing was that as Troy's best friend, I had to tell him. But how?
---
Troy's Point Of View
I sighed tiredly as I resyed my head down on the desk. I was sitting in homeroom earlier than usual for I wanted to avoid Gabriella. Many people were scattered through the room but I paid no attention to them. I silently sighed and closed my eyes.
I heard the door open but I stayed still until I felt someone shake me slightly.
"What?" I asked annoyed and pulled my head up to look at Taylor and Chad.
"Did you already see?" Taylor asked seeing my mood, causing me to get confused.
"Taylor, what are you talking about?"
Chad and Taylor exchanged a worried glance and it soon got my interest.
"What happened?" I asked them.
"Troy," Chad began but was cut off as the bell rang and we all had to find our spots. Soon the door opened and in walked Gabriella followed by a guy I wasn't quite sure I knew.
She looked just like she did every other day. Hair down. Polite smile. She didn't seem bothered at all by the break-up. I thought I could handle seeing her but I guess I was wrong.
She lightly touched the arm of the guy that she had been walking in the class with a whispered something in his ear while pointing to Ms. Darbus. Nodding, he walked to the front, handing to Ms. Darbus a folder before going back to Gabriella as they sat in two seats beside each other. I gulped. What was happening? Who was he? And what was he doing with Gabriella? I silently wondered what they were talking about.
Gabriella's Point Of View
I sighed as I turned to talk to Alexander.
"He's here," I whispered to him as I fiddled with my hands.
"Hey come on, you're going to have to face him soon," he told me, putting his hands on mine stopping them.
I narrowed my eyes. "Have you talked to Casey yet?" I asked him knowingly.
He raised his hands up in surrender. "Hey, I will. Eventually," he added looking away.
"Uh huh, when? Once you seventy-five?" I asked him with a laugh.
He nodded eagerly. "Sounds like a plan," he chuckled.
All amusement fell out of me. "But seriously. When you deal with Casey, then I will Troy."
He stared at me for a second before nodding. "Deal."
We looked up to the front in complete boredom until Alexander spoke up.
"Is that Troy?"
My head shot at his direction. "What?"
He nodded in the direction Troy was sitting. "He keeps looking at you sadly and keeps glaring at me," Alexander told me lazily.
I just nodded as my eyes met Troy's though he was the one to look away first and down at the desk, Chad staring worriedly at him
I turned to Alexander apologetically. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"I already got two people hating you in this school and you've only been here for less than thirty minutes."
He just shrugged. "It's alright. So, how many more will be plotting my death by the end of the day?" he asked me teasingly but I answered nonetheless.
"About six," I pouted.
Alexander whistled. "Whoa Gabriella. I don't want to be dead by tomorrow. I was hoping for at least one more week," he joked around causing me to laugh.
"Nice," I told him, rolling my eyes.
"I thought so," he said as he turned back to the front.
I could feel Troy's eyes on me but I didn't want to look. I didn't want to see his expression, knowing nothing good could come from it. I kept my eyes frozen to the front. Unmoving.
Troy's Point-Of-View
I felt my heart drop as who ever that guy was, put his hands on my Gabriella. But than again, she wasn't mine anymore. And it killed me. Was this why? Was this what she wanted? Was the only reason she broke up with me, was so she could be with this other guy? I didn't know whether to be sad and love her, or mad and hate her? I just didn't know.
Chad's Point-Of-View
I watched Troy out of the corner of my eye and I felt myself suffer for my friend. How could she do this to him? What had he ever done to deserve this? And I could tell it was destroying him as much as he tried not to let it show.
But the thing was that he wasn't trying to hide it. He was to busy staring at Gabriella to even realize he was letting his feelings show. He didn't realize he was letting her destroy him. He didn't realize he was acting like a sick little puppy. He didn't realize how she was ruining his life.
He just didn't realize.
---
I didn't see Troy after free period. The team was going to play a game of basketball in the gym even though the season was long over but I was quite disoriented when Troy didn't show up, but I wasn't surprised.
He missed the rest of the classes that day and I didn't see him once. I knew one thing though, I'm going to find out what is going on with Gabriella.
For Troy's sack, I was going to get to the bottom of this, no matter what. Nothing could stop me.
Troy's Point-Of-View
I slammed my room door shut as I walked over to my desk and crumpled up the piece of paper that had Gabriella's scrip on it and chucked it across the room angrily. I kicked the empty box that once held Gabriella's presents as hard as I could as it hit the wall with a light thud.
I was sick and tired of this. How could she do this to me? How? Why would she do this to me?
I didn't want to see them getting cozy together. I didn't want to see him touch her. I didn't want to see him so much as look at her.
I grabbed my pillow and threw it as far as I could causing a lamp to clatter to the floor and break.
I didn't care. I shouldn't care. I can't care. She wasn't worth it. She wasn't.
I had cried over her. And just in that, I had already crossed the line. The line that separated what I could and couldn't do. And that was something I couldn't do. Never again.
She wasn't worth it. She wasn't.
That stupid letter. Nothing in that stupid letter mattered. They were all lies trying to pull me up so high, only to have me crash down into a heap on the ground. It was stupid, and I never wanted to see it in my life again.
I felt my heart break over and over again as I saw him resting his hand on Gabriella's. Saw them staring at each other. Whispering to each other.
Images flashed through my mind, taunting me. Piercing daggers straight through my heart.
I didn't care. I won't care. She wasn't worth it. Not at all.
I slammed my hand on my desk in frustration. I need to get these thoughts out of my head. Somehow.
I felt down to my knees, exhausted. The day would soon be over and I hopefully didn't have to put up with anyone for the remaining time. No one. I skipped on more than half the day to be alone. All alone.
I ran my hands through my hair and let rational thought take over me for a moment.
The thing was, I did care. More than I should after all she did. More than anyone should in my place. But I cared, more than anything. God damn it, I cared.
I didn't know why she did what she did. I didn't even know if they were together but I couldn't see them with each other. I couldn't see her with anyone else. No one but me. It hurt too much.
And sadly, as much as I hated to admit it, she was worth it. She was everything. And for some reason I felt regret overwhelm me for soul reason of letting her go. I couldn't take it as I felt tears prick in my eyes.
I will not cry. No longer will I cry for her.
But she was worth it. And I hated her for making herself worth everything that she was. I hated her. I never wanted to see her again.
Yet I loved her, and if I never saw her again, how would I go on?
I hate her. I love her. And I can't seem to get myself to stop crying for her. I want her gone. I wish I never met her. I wish I could stop myself from loving her.
But mostly, I wish I could hate her.
A/N: Like it? I updated sooner than expected. Hope you like! Next up, Chad tries getting to the bottom of things. I don't want to make Troy cry anymore in this thing. I don't like it. So I'm trying to keep myself from it. Hopefully I can. Next one I will start working on as soon as I can. Enjoy!