It was dark out already when Troy got back to the beach. Taking his clipboard out from under the seat he marked his hours and mileage and then slipped the clipboard back under. The last group he drove back to the dorms was a group of freshmen who had never been to a bonfire before and had turned the back of his van into a photo booth. Looking back he let out a sigh as he thought about his obligation to clean out the back seats. There was glitter everywhere and sand all over the floor. "Fuck my life." He said facing front again and leaning back in his driver seat.
Zeke knocked on the window and Troy turned to look at him through the window. "Get out man, come on we're going to dance, you need a break from responsibility!"
"I'm good," Troy said bring a hand up to ruffle his hair. "I feel safer in here."
"Get the fuck out here Bolton!" Zeke howled and banged on the door making wolf howls.
"Alright, alright!" Troy said popping the lock. "Pull your skirt down I'm coming."
"Oh yeah what if I just pull it up and push my panties to the side for you," Zeke said motioning to his crutch.
"Dude," Troy made a face and the chuckled as he followed Zeke out into the sand where everyone was dancing. Troy was greeted by Kelsi and Ryan in the chaos of people moving and jumping around. He lifted his hands and began to move along to the music, his body bumping and grinding against random bodies as he lifted his fist into the air along with the music.
In a moment of pause between songs as people spread out to mingle Troy rested fell onto one of the logs nearby huffing and puffing as his lungs tried to keep up with his body.
"So," A familiar voice sat down beside him and he turned to see Ryan taking a seat. "Where do we stand?"
"What you mean?" Troy asked raising a brow as he placed his hands on his knees and concentrated on deep breathing.
"What my sister did was crap." Ryan said leaning forward to be better heard over the chaos. "I'm hoping that it won't affect our friendship."
Troy let out a huff and waved a hand in dismissal, "I'm not going to stop talking to you because I'm mad at your sister." Troy said leaning back a little and looking over at Zeke who was setting up the next set. "That's a little third grade don't you think?"
"Just checking," Ryan let out a sigh as he wiped his brow with a towel he had over his shoulder. "So do if you don't mind me asking," Ryan said looking around before he continued. "What's going on with you and Kelsi's friend."
Troy shot Ryan a sideways glance. "Don't ask," he said shaking his head in frustration. "What about you and Kelsi?"
"What about me and Kelsi?" Ryan said with a smirk.
"Fine, we'll take women off the table." Troy said shoving aside invisible subject. "How's your research paper for Mr. D'Aghostino?"
"Piece of shit." Ryan said with a wince. "I have no idea what to start with or what to say?"
Troy nodded, as he looked around the beach at people walking in pairs or groups by the water, laughing, joking, everyone having a good time.
"Gabriella's got a fan club going on over there?" Ryan said motioning towards the other end were Taylor and Gabriella were standing by the bonfire and talking two random boys. Taylor was feeling the muscle of one guy while Gabriella nodded slowly at something the other was saying.
Troy's eyes zeroed in on her like a trained drug dog sniffing her out in a crowd of hundreds. "Yeah," he mumbled as he watched her eyes drift sideways almost as if she could tell he was watching her. When their eye met he inhaled sharply. The expression on her face was hard to read from this distance but if he had to guess she had the same reaction as he did.
"Still don't want to talk about it?" Ryan said before bracing himself to get up again.
"Nope," Troy said with sigh.
"Well, if you don't mind, Kelsi giving me the eyes," He said tipping his hat before turning to walk over to Kelsi.
Three songs later he was standing in the crowd. His eyes wondered the beach looking for her and yet trying to avoid her at the same time. Unwillingly his eyes landed on Sharpay and Chad who were dancing around with a few random faces. Letting out a breath he rested a hand on his hip and brought the other one up to his face rubbing the frustration that was gnawing at him. Turning around he came face to face with Gabriella and suddenly out of breath. The two stared at each other before he could actually get a word out. "What do you want Montez?" he said shoving his hands in his pocket.
"Can you drive us home?" she said pointing over at Taylor who was leaning against the van already.
Troy looked from Taylor to Gabriella his breath caught as someone nudged their way past pushing Gabriella forward and forcing his arms to catch her as she placed her hands on his chest. For a moment his speech was impaired and he wasn't able to from a thought, instead he'd been overwhelmed with the smell of jasmine and vanilla.
"Troy?"
"Yeah," he said releasing her against his better judgment. "I can take you home."
Feeling a slap on the back he looked back to see Zeke smiling at him. "Let me," he said taking the keys, "You kids stay here and I'll take the drunks home, you haven't had much fun all night." Before Troy could begin to protest, Zeke plucked the keys from his hand.
"Oh but," Gabriella looked back at Taylor then Zeke. "It's alright; we don't have to go now, we can wait."
"I insist." Zeke said with a smile. "Help him have a good time."
Gabriella eyes widened as she looked back at Taylor then at Zeke in fear. "No." she said a little too loud then necessary.
Zeke and Troy froze as Gabriella took the keys from Zeke, "We don't have to go home, I mean we can just hang out until you're ready." Gabriella said looking at Troy.
Catching on to her urgency Troy looked over at Zeke and nodded. "It's alright man," Troy said after a moment. "I don't mind," nudging Zeke. "Go have a drink and work your Mack skills." He said with a wink.
"Alright man," he said backing away from Gabriella and Troy with a little bit of caution before turning to disappear into the crowd.
"Despite popular belief not all men are out to hurt you, you know." Troy said looking back at Gabriella.
Gabriella was still looking into the direction that Zeke disappeared. "I wish I could believe that," Gabriella said looking back up at Troy. "I want to."
"Well why do you trust me so much?" he said raising a brow. "I mean for all you know I could be some twisted sicko who lures drunken girls into his van and rapes them?" he said with a shrug.
Gabriella jerked as she met his blue eyes with her brown eyes. Both of them stood there in the chaos of people all around them. In that moment something flickered inside her and she was filled with rage. "Why would you say something like that?" she said shoving him with both her hands forcing him back with all her might.
Troy stumbled back only catching himself on the people behind him, with a few mumbles and a curse he was brought back to his feet where he turned to look her in the eye. "What's your problem?" he said looking at her a little annoyed. "It was a joke."
"It's not a funny one." Gabriella said hitting him again, her heart was thumping wildly as she picked up her hand again. "An American woman has a 25 to 26 percent chance of being raped in her lifetime." Gabriella said giving him another blow. "Nothing about that is funny." Raising her hand again Troy moved a little to soften the blow, only this time he took hold of both her arms and held out. People all around them were staring, there was a muted noise to the chaos as people stopped mid sentence. A change in the atmosphere that could you could cut with a knife. In a panic she struggled to get free only to be pushed. They were moving to the clearing, away from people, the music, over hearing ears and intruding eyes. "Troy." She said with a warning tone.
Once they got to the clearing he let her go his features were harder, his eyes set ablaze with a crisp blue that made her instantly go still. "When."
Silence echoed past the music and Gabriella looked away from him in an effort to avoid the coming train of emotion. They were behind the van, covered from the few people who had followed, from the ones still watching to see if there was more to story. "What are you talking about?" she said in a low voice.
"Don't!" His voice was a little more thunderous and Gabriella jerked as she took a step back from him. His temper flared and she could almost feel the impending strike. Even though all common sense told her that Troy would never hurt her she still couldn't shake the fear that gathered inside her like a disease.
After a standoff of two minutes that felt like 30 Troy let out a breath and brought a hand up to pinch the area between his eyes. Scaring her wasn't the best option, it wasn't even his intention. The idea that someone would hurt her, would force themselves on her, take away any sense of security from her made him see red. His insides clenched his jaw tightened and everything inside him almost felt as though it had been shattered. "When did this happen?" he said in a softer voice, dropping his hands to his side he looked up at her with a certain type of concern.
Gabriella didn't say anything she just stood quite as she stared at him. Lost in the between of trying to hide from him and be exposed to him at the same time. She suddenly wished she was wearing something different. Something that covered her up, that didn't expose her body physically in the way she felt exposed emotionally. His eyes traveled over her body seeing her for the first time through thick lens of sympathy and confusion.
"Hey," he said in concern lifting his right hand to tilt her chin upward to meet his eyes. When she flinched he froze his hand barely even close enough to touch her. Panic filled her eyes and Troy felt her get distance as her eyes seem to glaze over. "I'm sorry I raised my voice and I'm sorry I made a very stupid joke." He said pleadingly.
Gabriella didn't respond, she didn't know what to say, what to do. She watched him watch her, his eyes looking at the scar next to her eye, coming down to the faded scar on her chin. "He came from behind." She said quietly almost automatically. "He took me right off the sidewalk in the middle of day." She said looking down to avoid the sting in her eyes turning into tears. "He drove a truck, he shoved me into it and pinned me to the floor of it under his feet to hold me down."
Troy closed his eyes as wave of nausea took over.
"When the Truck stopped and he got out I got up and took off, I ran as fast as I could and but I didn't know where we were, he knocked me down and fell face first into some kind of crate that splintered." Her hand came up to her face gently. She couldn't stop, before she knew it she was talking again. "Then he dragged me into the warehouse." The words spilled out with flooded relief and laced with toxic venom all at the same time.
"Gabriella," Troy voice was soft.
"They said I was gone for two days," Gabriella said looking up at him, "I was gone for 38 hours and 12 minutes before someone found me on side of the road barely conscious."
Troy took a step to her and she took two steps back. "Gabriella,"
"Stupid, doesn't even begin to describe that joke." She said between clenched teeth.
Troy stood there his stomach flipping, his pulse slowly down and everything around him faded out but sound of her voice. After a moment of silence passed through them again, they watched each other intently waiting for a response. "What do you want me to do?" Troy said in daze not sure what he expected her to say.
Gabriella nodded slowly as she blinked back a tear. "I just wanna go," she said in a low voice. "Please,"
The please on her lips almost sounded like sob. The way she crossed her arms and hid her body behind them seemed to make a statement. Troy nodded as he got the message loud and clear. "I'll drive you home." Troy said with a small frown.
"Thank you," As she walked past him and he was rushed with the smell of her, the Jasmine filling his nostrils as he shut his eyes. As soon as she was gone he felt the vile bubble to the surface and without hesitation he lurched over and let vomit pass from his lips.