A/N I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING! I ONLY OWN THIS PLOT! I know I left you with such a big cliff hanger so let's get right into the story:
Gabriella's eyes went wide. It was true, she had cheated on Troy, they weren't really together. Troy was lying to her…in that moment Gabriella's whole world fell apart.
Her heart started to pound out of her chest, making the machines go crazy. She tried to rip the wires off her. She had to find Troy. She had to make sure he knew how much she loved him.
"TROY! TROY! TROY! TROY! TROY! TROY!" Gabriella screamed.
Doctors came rushing in, followed by Maria and Peter. All the doctors held her and pushed her back onto the bed. She squirmed and continued to fight them off.
"NO! NO! NO! TROY! HELP ME! NO! TROY! TROY! TROY!"
"Let her go!" a voice said from the doorway.
Everyone stopped and saw Troy. He rushed over, actually pushing one of the doctors out of his way.
"I'm right here baby girl, I'm right here. Everything is ok, you need to calm down."
"I'M SORRY TROY! I'M SO SORRY!" she screamed.
"What for?" he asked.
"I LOVE YOU TROY! PLEASE YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE ME I LOVE YOU!"
"Hey, I know you love me, Baby girl, I know you love me."
"I'm so sorry!" she cried hysterically.
"Come here, Baby." Gabriella fell into his arms crying into his chest as she clung to him as tight as her weak hands could. Sean couldn't be right, he had to be wrong he just had to be. She couldn't have cheated on him. She couldn't have disobeyed her father's last wishes it couldn't be true. She cried harder as she thought of her father. He must be so angry and disappointed with her now. How could he even still love her?
Gabriella started to cry so hard she was choking herself.
"Baby, listen to me, you have to calm down. Whatever you think you did I'm not angry with you. I love you and I always will."
"Really?" she whimpered.
"Really, I love you so, so much, and there is nothing you can do to make me stop. You're a wonderful person, and an even better girlfriend. Nothing can change that. Baby, whatever you think you did I'm sure it isn't the truth."
"Did I do something bad, is that why you are keeping a secret from me?" she asked.
"No, not at all. Oh Baby I never wanted you to think that. I'm so sorry. Look, I'll tell you the truth but you need to calm down, take some deep breaths and just calm down."
Gabriella listened to what he said and started to calm down.
"Good girl, just keep taking some deep breaths."
He looked to the doctors. "I've got everything under control. Please let us be alone."
All the doctors nodded and left. Troy looked to Peter and Maria. "I have something important to tell her, please give me some time alone."
They both just nodded and walked out.
Troy looked back to Gabriella and she had calmed down.
"Ok, now first, what I am about to tell you is not easy, and it won't be easy to hear. I love you and It's going to hurt me so much to tell you this. It's why I've waited so long to tell you. But I want you to know it wasn't your fault. I DO NOT blame you in anyway and it doesn't change the way I feel about you ok?"
Gabriella's eyes went wide, the way he was making it sound, was like she…like she had cheated on him. "I love you." She whimpered.
"Baby, I love you too. Nothing can change that."
She nodded and prepared herself for what he was about to say. Even though she knew what it was.
"Ok, one of the things Hunter did to you was he made me look like an abusive boyfriend."
"But you aren't. The worst thing you've ever done is tickle me till I stop breathing and I like when you do that."
He chuckled and lightly tickled her stomach. She giggled. "I know you like it, and I know I'm not but Hunter got me so angry that I actually hit him, just as Peter walked in. So he assumed I was abusive."
"Is that the worst of it?"
Troy shook his head. "Hunter and Peter spoke to your mom about me, told them I was bad for you and I had tried to hurt you very badly. Maria believed them. They all agreed that it was best for you to go to West High…"
"No…" Gabriella gasped.
Troy just nodded. "So the next day you went to school with Hunter, he didn't take care of you. He hit you, and dragged you in the gym. The other West High boys were there they…they wanted to hurt me by going after you."
"What did they do to me? Troy please tell me."
"First they beat you to a blood pulp and then they…they…Gabriella I'm so sorry, they sexually assaulted you."
Gabriella looked at Troy like he had grown two more heads. "Was that before or after I kissed Sean Johnson?"
"What?" Troy asked.
"I cheated on you with Sean Johnson…didn't I?"
"I have no memory of that. Where did you get an idea like that?"
"He came in here and told me himself."
"That's why you got so upset? You thought you cheated on me?"
Gabriella nodded.
"Baby, you didn't cheat on me. I don't know who this Sean Johnson boy is but you never cheated on me with him."
"Did I have sex?"
"No, Gabriella, look, listen to me very closely. You. Did. Not. Cheat. On. Me. You. Were. Sexually. Assaulted. You. Did. Not. Want. It. I. Am. Not. Angry. With. You. I. Love. You. More. Than. Anyone. Else. In. This. Whole. World."
Tears filled Gabriella's eyes, "Then why did that boy say I did? Why did I see myself laying on the floor in a kiss with his lips on mine? Why Troy? Why?"
"That was a flashback from when Hunter and his friends sexually assaulted you. You didn't want that kiss,"
"Who was that boy who came in here Troy?"
"I don't know. I've never heard of anyone named Sean Johnson. What did he look like?"
"He had brown hair and green eyes. He was about 6'2."
Troy growled. "That was Hunter, he made up a fake name so you wouldn't know who he was."
"So, he lied to me? Are you sure?"
"Yes, baby I wouldn't lie to you. Look, let me ask you a question. A few months ago, your mother was working more and neglecting you. You felt I was the only person you could turn to right I was the only person you could trust?"
Gabriella nodded.
"So, trust me now. You never cheated on me. You never had sex with another man. It was all a lie."
"But I was really sexually assaulted?"
"Yes." Troy sighed. "I'm so sorry."
"It's ok…Troy…can you hold me?"
"Oh Brie."
Troy pulled her into his arms and held her as she cried. He had finally told her the truth but now he felt even worse
After a few minutes she pulled back and wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry."
"Baby, I've already told you, you never did anything wrong."
"Um…" She pointed to the wet spot on his shirt. He looked down and chuckled. "It's ok, I think I can forgive you for ruining my favorite shirt." He teased poking her stomach.
She giggled. "Thank you for being honest with me Troy. It couldn't have been easy."
"No, but it was either tell you or let you believe you cheated on me."
"I still can't believe Hunter lied to me like that."
"I can. It's what he does."
"I believed him."
"It's ok, you didn't know. Look, when Peter comes back ask him to show you a picture of Hunter. I want you to know what he looks like so the next time you see him you'll know who he is."
"Are you going somewhere?" she asked, fear clear in her voice.
He smiled softly. "No, but if I forget you can remind me."
She giggled and nodded.
She reached behind her to rub her head.
"Are you ok?" he asked.
"The stitches are starting to itch a little bit, but if I actually scratch them it might rip them so I've just been rubbing them to relive the itch."
"Should I get a doctor?"
"No, but…can you look at me? I…I don't feel any hair back there and I'm scared."
"Baby, I'm sure they had to cut some hair so it didn't get tangled in the stitches."
"You don't understand. I feel a bold spot."
"Baby, you do have a blood spot. They didn't have a choice, you're hair was too long for them to fix your wound without cutting your hair, but it will grow back."
"Before or after I go back to school?"
"Brie, nobody is going to laugh at you."
"You don't know that."
"Ok, I'll punch anyone who does laugh at you."
Gabriella just shook my head. "What did I do to deserve this? Did Hunter really hate me that much?"
"No, he hated me and he wanted to get at me, so he used you. He knew you're my one weakness. The way to break me is to hurt you."
"Sexually assaulting me wasn't enough hurt for the both of us? He had to push me out a glass door?"
Troy sighed. "Look, Brie, right before he pushed you, he had gotten in trouble for something he did."
"Something else he did to me?"
Troy nodded.
"Like what?"
Troy sighed. He hated having to be the one to tell her.
"He threatened to kill you. We told Peter and Maria and so they yelled at him again and I guess he just…he wanted to take out his anger."
"So, if I leave him alone he hurts me, and if I tell on him he hurts me. Is there anything I can do where he won't hurt me?"
Troy sighed and shook his head. "You and your mother are moving out of Peter's house and moving in with me. It's an attempt to keep you safe until Peter finds a way to deal with Hunter."
"Well, that's a plus." Gabriella smiled.
"Yes, it is."
They both shared a passionate kiss on the lips. They pulled away and Gabriella smiled. "I love you."
"I love you too."
Gabriella yawned. "Sorry, guess I'm not such good company."
"Get some sleep. I'll still be here when you wake up."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
Gabriella closed her eyes and let the darkness take over. Her sleep was haunted by vision of Hunter hurting her, body slamming her to the ground, pushing her out the glass door and almost raping her. But she saw the man that everyone called Hunter doing all these things to her that Troy had said to her. It all happen in one place and it all happen at the same time. But it didn't stop there her dream continued to get worse and worse.
She had gone to the hospital. She woke up to feather light kisses on her face. Thinking it was Troy she giggled softly. "I love waking up like this."
"I know what you like." A voice said…a voice that wasn't Troy's.
She opened her eyes and Hunter was on top of her. She gasped. "Get off me!"
"Nope, you just said you liked this."
He continued to kiss down her neck, to her shoulder, all over her chest. Gabriella then noticed she was naked. She tried to push him away only to find out she had been restrained to the bed.
"HELP! TROY HELP!" she screamed.
"Bolton can't hear you. I had my guys take care of him."
"What?"Gabriella looked next to the bed and screamed. Troy was laying there in a pool of blood.
"NO! NO TROY! TROY!"
Hunter just laughed. "Now you're mine."
Hunter continued to kiss all over her upper body, his hands going to her legs and inner thighs.
"NO! GET OFF ME! NO! TROY! TROY! TROY! NO! HELP! SOMEONE HELP!"
Gabriella shot up in bed screaming on top of her lungs. The machines were beeping like crazy as she panting hard trying to get air into her lungs. "HELP ME! SOMEONE, ANYONE HELP ME PLEASE! GET OFF ME! HELP! TROY! TROY! TROY!"
"Gabriella, Brie, calm down I'm right here." Troy's voice soothed.
Gabriella's snapped toward his voice. She caught his baby blue eyes and threw her arms around his neck clinging tightly to him as she cried hysterically into his chest. She was having a panic attack it was clear she couldn't breathe.
"Baby, calm down. I'm right here. It was just a bad dream."
"You were dead! Hunter killed you and you were dead!" she cried.
Troy squeezed his eyes shut. Not these dreams again. Last time she had nightmares about him dying it turned into a disaster. But, the good thing, he had comforted these nightmares enough times to know how to handle it now.
He slipped his hand under the back of her shirt and gently started to scratch her back as he softly started to sing.
Like always Gabriella slowly started to calm down.
"Good girl, just breathe, Angel. Just breathe. Everything is ok."
Doctors rushed in with a sedative.
"Too little too late. I've got it covered." Troy said.
He was glad Gabriella didn't notice them or she would have gotten upset again.
The doctors just turned and walked back out. Troy kissed Gabriella on the head. "Are you ok?"
"I had the worst nightmare." She whimpered.
"That's all it was. It wasn't real."
"It felt real. You were gone!"
"No, I'm not gone. I'm right here. I'll always be right here."
"I love you, Troy."
"I love you too. I promise. I'm not going anywhere."
She nodded and cuddled into him. She closed her eyes and let his singing and back rubbing soothe her into a much better, more peaceful sleep.
The next morning Gabriella woke up and smiled at Troy sleeping by her side…again. Her mom and Peter were sleeping on the couch. Gabriella ran her fingers through his hair.
"Wildcat, it's time to wake up." She whispered softly.
He stirred and opened his eyes. He smiled when he saw her. "Morning."
"Morning, sleep ok?"
"Perfect." He smiled.
"Me too."
Troy kissed her head. "How are feeling?"
"Much better, I'm not dizzy and my head doesn't hurt as much."
"Good, to hear. Maybe you can go home now."
"That would be great."
They shared a small kiss on the lips.
There was a knock at the door and the doctor came in.
"Good Morning, Ms. Montez, how are you feeling?"
"Much better, I'm not dizzy and my head only itches. It doesn't hurt."
The doctor chuckled. "Well, there isn't much I can do for the itch but I'm glad you're feeling better. Mr. Bolton would you mind moving to the other side so I can check on Gabriella?"
Troy nodded and moved to the other side of the room. The doctor gave her a quick exam.
"Well, Ms. Montez you're well enough to return home. But take it easy, too much excitement can make you feel dizzy again. SO just nice and easy"
"Great, when I can leave?"
"As soon as your mom signs the release papers."
Gabriella looked at her mom who was still sleeping soundly. "MOM WAKE UP!" Gabriella screamed.
Maria and Peter jerked awake. 'What's wrong?"
"You have to sign the release papers so I can go home." Gabriella said sweetly.
"You woke us for that?" Peter asked.
Gabriella nodded. Maria shook her head smiling at her daughter. "That wasn't very nice."
"Sorry, now sign the papers."
"Actually, you know what, I'm kind of hungry, aren't you Peter?" Maria teased.
"I am, let's go get some breakfast first. We can sign the papers later." Peter nodded.
"Mom!" Gabriella whined.
Troy, Peter, and Maria all laughed. Maria followed the doctor out the door.
"I think I should punish you." Peter said. "For waking your mother and I."
"No!" Gabriella squealed
"Any ideas, Troy?" Peter asked.
Troy shrugged. "She's very ticklish."
"Troy!" Gabriella squealed.
He laughed. "You told the doctor I was ticklish, I'm just returning the favor."
"No, no, Peter don't!" Gabriella squealed.
Peter slowly approached her. Gabriella squirmed around on the bed just thinking about what was to come.
Troy laughed. "You don't even have to touch her to tickle her."
Peter chuckled. He lifted his hands and wiggled his fingers in front of her face. "Tickle, tickle, tickle."
She squealed. "No!"
Peter attacked her sides and Gabriella screamed. She burst into giggles squirming to get away.
"Stop, stop, stop!" Gabriella begged.
"Nope, nope, and nope." Peter laughed. "You're being punished."
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Gabriella laughed. "Stop it!"
"Not good enough, you have to say. 'I'm sorry, Peter, for waking you from a sound sleep. It was selfish of me and I will never do it again. I will let you sleep in as late and for as long as you want. I will be quiet and calm while you sleep so I do not disturb you."
Troy laughed. "She will never be able to say that all in one breath."
"I know." Peter smirked.
"Troy help me!" Gabriella cried out.
She was losing it, Peter was getting way to close to her armpits and his fingers were moving very fast, yet the touch was so soft and gentle. She was kicking her legs out any which way in hope of making him stop. She squirmed, jumped, jerked, and rolled, anything she could think of to escape his torture.
"You're the one who woke him. Not me." Troy chuckled.
Peter smirked. He stopped tickling for a minute to allow her to catch her breath.
"If you say the magic words I'll spare your underarms." Peter said.
"Ok, ok. I'll say them." She panted. "I'm sorry, Peter, for waking you from a sound sleep. It was selfish of me and I will never do it again."
"What else?"
Gabriella froze "There was more?"
Troy nodded. "Yep."
She whimpered, she couldn't remember what else there was. Troy leaned down to whisper something in her ear. As much as he was on Peter's side he was always on her side first.
"I will let you sleep in as late and for as long as you want. I will be quiet and calm while you sleep so I do not disturb you." Gabriella recited.
"Doesn't count." Peter smirked.
"Why?" Gabriella shrieked.
"Troy told you what to say, it was recited and not spoken."
"Come on, Peter, give the girl a break. Plus her underarms are very ticklish she get's breathless really fast. She'd never be able to speak to say the words through her laughter." Troy said.
"Nope. She has to say the magic words and mean them. Not just recite them."
He wiggled his fingers again.
"No, no, no!" Gabriella squealed. "It was spoken, I meant every word, please don't tickle ME AHHH!" Gabriella screamed as he attacked her underarms. Now she really lost it. She hated being tickled there, even more than her knee.
"Stop, stop, stop!" she choked out.
She rolled onto her stomach in hopes of making him stop. Suddenly the tickling stopped and she head Peter gasp. She laid on her stomach catching her breath back. She honestly didn't care why he stopped. She was grateful for what it was.
"What's wrong?" Troy asked.
"Uh…nothing I just…I didn't think Hunter had done that much damage."
He was looking at the scar on the back of her head. It was two inches long, the area around the wound was completely bold and the thread used to stitch her back up was pure black so you could see where the stitches were.
Gabriella gasped when she realized what he was talking about. She rolled back onto her back and buried her head in the pillow. She looked away from Peter ashamed and squeezed her eyes shut. She pressed the pillow to the back of her head to cover her scar.
"Don't tickle me anymore." She whimpered.
It was all his fault. If he hadn't of tickled her, she never would have rolled onto her stomach and he never would have seen her scar.
"Baby, it's ok." Troy cooed as he leaned down to stroke her hair. He bent down so he was eye level with her. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, we all have scars."
Gabriella didn't respond. Troy sighed. He looked up at Peter who was just staring at her.
"It would help if you stopped staring at her." He said.
"I just..my son…he…it's huge and….it's black…" Peter muttered.
"It's going to heal, her hair is going to grow back and when it does you won't be able to see it anymore."
Troy looked back to Gabriella. "Baby, can you please open your eyes?"
She shook her head.
"Please, there is something I really need to show you?"
Gabriella opened her eyes. Troy crossed his eyes and spit out his tongue. Gabriella giggled and hid her face to muffle them. Troy chuckled. "I knew I'd make you smile. But that isn't what I wanted to show you."
Gabriella looked back at him.
He lifted his sleeve to reveal a faded two inch line. "I cut myself while making chicken one night. It had to get ten stitches and it looked a lot like yours looks right now. IN time it will fade, but when your hair grows back you won't be able to see it. It doesn't change who you are Brie. You're still the most beautiful girl in the world."
Gabriella smiled. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Troy kissed her nose and she giggled.
He stood up and looked back to Peter who was still staring.
Troy shook his head. He looked to Gabriella. "Come on, let's get you out of here."
She smiled and nodded.
It felt like forever but they finally made it to the Bolton house.
"We're just going to drop you and leave, if that's ok? Peter and I want to hang out because I won't see him tonight." Maria said
Gabriella nodded. "I understand, go have fun."
Troy and Gabriella got out of the car and inside.
"Dad, Mom? I'm home." Troy called.
Jack came in from the backyard.
"Hey, Bud! Welcome home. Your mom went to the store so we can stock up on enough food for all of us. How are you feeling Gabriella?"
Gabriella shrugged. "Better."
"She's a bit low on self confidence making her a bit shy and clingy to me." Troy explained deeper.
"Well, I think you're beautiful anyway." Jack said.
Gabriella blushed and hid her face. Troy chuckled. "Thanks, Dad, we're just going to go upstairs and cuddle for a bit."
"Of course."
Jack went back out. Troy kissed Gabriella on the head. "Come on, Angel. Let's go to my room and snuggle under the blanket."
Gabriella nodded and followed him up the stairs. Once they were both snuggled on the bed Gabriella spoke "Troy, what happens tomorrow when I go back to school?"
"Well, you go to your classes, break for lunch, go to the rest of your classes and come home." He answered softly stroking her hair.
"You make it sound so simple."
"It is simple, Brie. Why are you so scared? You normally love school."
"Everyone is going to laugh at me, Troy. They will make fun of me and start rumors about me."
Troy rubbed her back. "Listen, some kids may laugh but it's high school. Kids are always going to find something wrong, even if there is nothing wrong. "
"They don't find things wrong with you or Sharpay."
"Everyone is too scared of Sharpay to bad mouth her. No one bad mouths me because I've won every game. If I should lose a game trust me they bad mouth me too. Look the point I'm trying to make is that even if you didn't have a bold spot kids will still make fun of you because it's what they do. They make themselves feel good by making others feel bad. That doesn't make what they say true."
Gabriella buried her face into Troy's chest. "I just don't want to be laughed at Troy. People finally stopped looking at me as the freaky math girl and they finally stopped yelling at you for dating a nerd. I just don't want people to start acting like I'm the nerd again."
"It doesn't matter what they think. You know the truth and that's what matters. If anyone says something to upset you I'll punch them in the face. Nobody is going to upset you and get away with it."
Gabriella nodded and giggled. She just hoped Troy was right. She knew one thing was for sure...school was going to be a nightmare.
A/N Is Gabriella right, will school be a nightmare? Can Troy help her get through the day? Leave me your thoughts in a review.