WHAT THIS MEANS
Gabriella sighed and flopped down on her couch. She groaned as she looked through the mail, seeing multiple bills. A confused look washed over her face when she came to an envelope with a handwritten address. She opened it to see a piece of paper folded up. She opened the paper and two small rectangular pieces of paper fell out. She picked them both up. The first was a plane ticket. It had her name on it and it was from New York to L.A. She instantly knew it was from Troy. She then picked up the other piece and looked at it. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. It was a check for ten thousand dollars. She grabbed the piece of paper to read the note.
Gabi-
Don't feel like you have to come to L.A., but I sent you the plane ticket just in case you decide to. It's transferable so you can come whenever you want. As for the money, it's for studio time or if you need a little help on rent or something like that. Don't think of it as charity, I just wanna help you out. Hope to see you soon.
Troy
She looked at the note in shock. After processing what it said, she leaned back into the couch and sighed. She picked up the check and stared at it. She needed the money, there was no doubt about that, but if she cashed it, Troy would know, which means she would be admitting to him that she wasn't financially stable. Just then her eyes caught the clock, and her eyes widened when she saw that it was 9:00, and she had to be at the bar by 9:30.
"Shit!" she exclaimed to herself and stuffed the check and ticket into the coffee table drawer, before quickly getting up to get dressed. She put on a pair of brown leather pants, a brown halter crop top, and brown boots. After finishing her make up and hair she grabbed her coat and ran out of her apartment. She practically ran to the subway station, so she was relieved when she got to sit down after boarding it. Her thoughts immediately traveled back to the piece of mail she had just received from her ex-boyfriend. She had come to one decision, which was that if she was going to go to L.A. she couldn't cash the check. She finally came to the conclusion that she could cash the check and not go to L.A. Go to L.A., return the check, but she would still be living off the Troy, or rip the check up and stay in New York. Now she just had to choose which option. However, before she could think about that the train reached her stop. She got off, and luckily the subway station was right across the street from the bar, so it was only a few minutes before she entered the bar. Cami and Rachel were organizing the alcohol and glasses, while Lil was counting the cash in the register. They all looked up as she walked in.
"Hey guys sorry I'm late," she said immediately.
"It's okay, help Cami with the glasses," Lil said and Gabriella nodded. She hung up her coat and walked over to Cami.
"Hey sweetie," Cami greeted.
"Hey," Gabriella mumbled.
"What's wrong?" she asked immediately and Gabriella sighed.
"I got a letter from Troy today," she replied a little annoyed
"And..." Cami said in anticipation.
"There was a plane ticket to la along with a check for 10 thousand dollars," she replied without any emotion.
"What?" Cami exclaimed in shock.
"Yeah," Gabriella nodded
"And you look upset because…" Cami said confused, while looking at Gabriella like she was insane.
"Cause I don't know what to do," Gabriella sighed.
"What do you mean, you don't know what to do? You need the money Gabs."
"I know I do," she sighed, "but if I cash it I will feel like I am forever in debt to him, as well as a charity project. And it will be the same thing if I go to L.A. I can't afford a place there, and he knows that. I mean he already said that if I come I could stay at his house, which means I would be living off of him. I can't possibly do that."
"It would be a different story if you came to him, but he approached you Gabi, and it seems like he really wants you to go out there. I mean he did send you a plane ticket," Cami replied.
"I know," Gabriella replied reluctantly. "But it's also…" she started then stopped.
"Also what?" Cami asked. Gabriella sighed and leaned back against the bar.
"I'm his ex. It would be weird. He said it would be a friend helping a friend, but we've never been just friends."
"So you still have feelings for him?" Cami asked rhetorically.
"No! Of course not!" Gabriella exclaimed defensively and Cami gave her a look, which made Gabriella sigh. "He's my first love, there will always be a part of me that loves him, but I don't wanna get back together with him."
"Why not? He obviously still loves you, and he's like absolutely perfect," Cami replied.
"What makes you think he still loves me?"
"It might be the fact that he wants you to come out to L.A. so bad, that he sent you a plane ticket," Cami replied.
"So you think I should just give up my whole life here and just go all the way to L.A." Gabriella asked.
"You're whole life here? Gabriella you sit in your run down apartment all day, playing the piano, before coming here and dancing for a bunch of sleezy guys. He is right, you are better than this," Cami replied. "I don't think you should go. I think you need to go."
"We'll see," Gabriella sighed.
"Just think about it…seriously."
"Yeah. I will," Gabriella replied.
--
"Thank god," Gabriella mumbled to herself as she walked out of the bar. It was almost 3 in the morning and she was glad that she was finally going home. It had been a long night to say the least. Little did she know, it was hardly over. She walked down the stairs of the subway station, which was pretty much deserted. After using her metro card that would get her on the train she walked towards the tracks. As she did she noticed a man standing against the wall. He was dressed in all black, had a beanie on, and was smoking a cigarette. Gabriella tensed up as soon as she saw him eye her out of the corner of her eye. She saw him put out of the cigarette and push himself off the wall. Knowing this guy was nothing but bad news, she picked up her pace. Her heart started to pound as she heard him come closer. Before she knew it she had been slammed against the pole. She screamed out of pain. Tears began to well up in her eyes out of fear.
"Please…please don't hurt me," she cried.
"You give me that purse of yours and I won't have too," he replied harshly and she froze. Inside her purse were all of the tips she had received that night. It was money that she desperately needed. All of a sudden his hand collided with her cheek leading her head to hit the metal pole and she screamed in pain. "Don't make me tell you again." Shaking, she handed him the purse.
"Good girl," he said in an evil tone. He slammed her up against the pole, before running off. She slid down to the ground, now sobbing. After a few minutes, she was able to reach into her pocket and pull out her cell phone that she had fortunately not put in her purse. Shaking, she dialed a number and put the phone up to her ear after pressing send.
"Hello," Cami answered.
"Cami," Gabriella cried.
"Gabriella?! What's wrong?" Cami asked frantically.
"I…I was mugged," she cried and Cami gasped.
"Where are you?"
"The subway station across from the bar," she replied through her tears.
"I'll be there in 5 minutes," Cami replied.
"Ok," Gabriella said weakly. They said their goodbyes and hung up the phone. Gabriella pulled her knees to her chest and cried into them. A few minutes later she heard her closest friend's Russian accent.
"Oh my god sweetie," Cami said frantically, rushing up to her, and Gabriella looked up at her. "Are you okay?" Gabriella shook her head as Cami bent down to her level. "What did he do to you?"
"He…he…slammed me against the pole…and…and asked for my purse…but…but I hesitated…cause…cause it has my cash from tonight in it…then he slapped me across the face…and I…I was so sc…scared…so…so I gave it to him," Gabriella stuttered through her sobs.
"Oh god honey, I'm so sorry," Cami said sympathetically. "Can you get up? We need to get you home." Gabriella nodded and tried to get up, but winced, which led Cami to immediately grab her arm and help her up. Luckily the train had just arrived, so Cami helped Gabriella onto it. Once they got on Gabriella slowly sat down, wincing as her back hit the back of the seat.
"You okay?" Cami asked and Gabriella nodded. "You know what this means right?"
"Yeah," she mumbled. "I do."
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