Thank you everyone for hitting the 'review' button even if it is to say 'thanks' or 'love it'…I really appreciate it, you don't know how much I love reading your words. You drive me to keep writing, I am working on two new concepts at the moment (not yet on my profile!) My writing is getting out of control :O

Do people want to see more on my profile? Should I post concept ideas as well as completed stories in the pipeline? I always worry in case it doesn't get to post-production lol. But if there's anything you'd like to see do tell me! Also, has anyone any questions they'd like to ask me? If you have just add them to your review or PM me and if there's a few, I might publish it on my profile as a questionnaire of sorts…I'd really like to interact with you guys more :)

Fudge: I'm so sorry it depresses you when Chad's sick :( I seriously laughed like a hyena at your 'let's hit Solo Marlade party' idea- guffaw, guffaw :D

Addy: so sorry to hear about the sad loss :( My uncle also has cancer so I can understand how you feel and everyone else who relates to this subject.

Ratzilla: when worms have ears lol. You're welcome, I love your frame it's so cute!

Seth: I have not read Breaking Down…but glad you liked the pillows :) Hope I do this chapter justice, don't kill me if I don't lol x

Chapter 17

"Okay, I'm going out to pick up the spare Pontiac from Dex; he said I could borrow it to practice in…" Gabi announced to the two guys in the kitchen. She was already dressed into combats and a t-shirt.

"You're leaving?" Troy gulped down his coffee and choked.

"I'll be back to say goodbye," she rolled her eyes gently.

"Why are you leaving?" he asked like a cute puppy dog being left for the first time.

"So you can have some guy-time," she replied knowingly. She moved and kissed Chad's scarf. "See you later, Chad."

"Hey…when will you be back?" Troy beseeched.

"I'm taking you the airport," she smiled. "That's why I need the car."

He slowly smiled back and rose to hug her caringly. "I'll miss you. Take care."

/

"This is harder than I thought," Troy tucked his chin onto the top on Gabi's head and hugged the life out of her.

"Just squeeze a pillow while you're gone and pretend it's me…" she suggested lightly, hugging just as tightly back.

Troy smirked to himself. "I don't think a pillow can handle the things I want to do to you…"

"Troy!" she swiped him and pulled back. "Don't be sexy when you're about to leave…" she admonished softly.

"I'm gonna miss you so much," he thumbed her chin and kissed her mouth.

"So you keep telling me…" she smiled.

"I'm hoping I might hear it back…" he fished cutely.

She pressed her lips in and tilted her head. "You know I'm gonna miss you."

"Tell me again," he begged.

"I'm going to miss you." She replied dutifully.

"I'm not feeling it…" he complained, pursing his lips.

"Troy…" she argued.

"My feelings are hurt…" he closed his eyes in mock-pain.

"What?" she gasped. "What do you want me to do? Strip you naked and demand you make love to me before you go?"

He opened his eyes and smiled at this idea. "No." he assured with a slow smile. "But you could kiss me…"

"Is that all you wanted?" She tilted her head and marvelled softly.

He shrugged.

"Why didn't you just say so?" she smiled and dug her fingers into his chest to tiptoe and reach his mouth for a long, slow kiss goodbye.

"You're short," he teased as they broke.

"I have my ugg boots on," she defended; her body wrapped in soft sweat pants and his t-shirt she'd stolen.

"And very cute you look too…"

"Cute?" she made a face.

"See how I felt when you called me that?" he pointed out.

"Ok, I apologise. Besides, cute means sexy in girl language…"

"Would you please stop mentioning sex?" He whispered. "You're turning me on…"

"Goodbye, Troy," Gabi hard-lined and he pouted.

"Hey, that was mean."

"No, that was reality. They're calling your flight…" she pointed toward the line of people with their boarding passes.

"Damn," he swore softly, grabbing her for another hug before he kissed her mouth one more time. "I love you, okay?"

"Okay," she smiled at him patiently and he looked at her, waiting for her to say it back. "I love you," she added belatedly.

"I'll call you when I've landed." He assured, taking her fingers and rubbing them with his.

"I'll be waiting," she assured dutifully.

"I'll think of you on the plane…"

"Troy!" she giggled. "Just go!"

He stepped back until their fingers barely gripped.

"Good bye, beautiful."

"Good bye," she pursed her lips as he hesitated.

She looked up in shock as their hands broke contact but he stepped forward to kiss her again, quickly before he turned to go and then he turned to wave as he queued to have his pass checked.

She wiggled her fingers to wave goodbye, then blew him a kiss. He caught it and put it next to his heart, turning to get on his plane finally.

"Goodbye, gorgeous," she sighed to herself.

/

"So, you're coming home?" Dex asked hopefully as Gabi sat down to have a milkshake with him at the diner.

"Uh, well, no…" she offered awkwardly, wincing.

"Why not?" he looked upset.

"Well…Chad needs my help and I want to be there for him," she explained.

"You're dating Chad now?" Dex irked his brow.

"No!" she giggled. "But listen, he has cancer and his chemo is really bad on him so while Troy's away I said I'd be around…just in case…"

Dex sighed. "I can't lie, I miss having you around, sis."

Gabi smiled affectionately, ruffling his hair across the table. "I miss you too, bro."

"So you're staying with them permanently?" Dex checked and Gabi shrugged.

"Maybe not. I don't know…"

"Jody misses you." Dex posed.

"He hasn't spoken to me for weeks," Gabi raised her brows.

"He's getting over it. He asked about you the other day…"

Gabi shrugged. "Then maybe we can hang out. I'll need a friend," she added.

"You'll get him back," Dex promised assuringly.

Gabi nodded. "Tell him to text me, when he's ready."

/

"Long time no see…." Jody's familiar voice sounded behind Gabi as she finished filling the washer fluid in the borrowed Pontiac.

She turned and smiled brightly at her friend. "Hey, stranger," she greeted, and then bounded over to hug him.

"I missed you," Jody told her as he sighed, having to nearly bend double to hug her back.

"I missed you too. Don't be a stranger again…" she admonished.

He shrugged shyly. "I guess I couldn't face seeing you…you know…with him," he smiled tightly.

Gabi's face softened. "I know. I'm sorry."

"He's gone now, right?" Jody attempted to joke and she tilted her head.

"For a little while."

"Then I get you back, for a little while."

"I never went anywhere, Jody," she pointed out.

"Is he good to you?" He asked suddenly. "I mean, does he take care of you?"

She nodded. "He does."

"And he doesn't you know…try and stop you being…you?" he asked next and she shook her head.

"He doesn't."

"He doesn't mind the cars and the grease and the feistiness?" he checked.

She blushed. "He likes it."

Jody nodded. "He's a good guy." He decided.

"Are we okay?" she wondered. "I mean, are you angry that I'm seeing him?"

"I knew I knew him, you know?" he changed tack. "That night I saw him at the race when you fell…"

"You recognised him?" she prompted.

"Kinda," he shrugged. "And I saw it all play out, they way you two looked at each other and stuff…"

"I'm sorry if it hurt your feelings..." she broached.

"We're friends, though, right?" He tilted his head and she o'd her mouth in surprise.

"Of course we are!"

He blinked. "So we can hang out?"

"I was waiting for you to start talking to me again so we could," she explained.

"Well, here I am," he smiled and she giggled and pretended to punch him in the tummy, with her cast on.

"Silly billy," she teased.

"So you wanna go for a spin?" he asked of her car.

"I need a race track." She sighed.

"Did you ask Andy for the circle?" Jody checked.

"Yeah he said I could go tomorrow."

Jody nodded. "Let's just take her down the highway, I'll watch for blues," he suggested and she grinned in conspiracy.

"Great idea, Jody."

/

God, it was beautiful. Riding the track when the sun was coming up.

Gabi never did see the importance of sun sets when she could watch the new day starting; the sun creeping over the horizon to break fresh and new upon the sleepy ground.

It filled her lungs with excited air and her mind with comforting ease.

She wondered what Troy was doing now, as she drove the Pontiac towards that horizon, down the track that was built for speed. She could only get the twilight hours because the track was booked up the whole day through but she didn't care, she liked the challenge of being alone with only the road to master.

It wasn't unlike making love with Troy, where she tussled and compromised with him so that they both reached their optimum. Driving a car was the same. She had to stretch, she had to push and most of all, she had to love the car and drive with her heart to make it happen; and that's what made her good.

She had passion.

Shit, what was that? She wrenched the steering to the right as a bird flapped onto the track and blocked her way, forcing her to swerve to avoid killing the creature.

The rule of the road was to keep driving no matter what but she didn't have it in her to run over the defenceless rook, so although her wrist ached in pain at the sudden direction change, she held the steering wheel steady as the car span out of her control.

"Shit, baby, come straight," she begged the vehicle, her foot off the throttle but not applied to the brake yet. She knew that would only cause more skid; she just had to wait for the car to slow before she tried to apply the brakes.

"Oh god, come good," she sighed as she saw the track wall flash into view as the Pontiac continued to circle without grip. "Come good," she repeated.

"Damn it!" She pressed against the brake gently to test the reaction and the car slowed, reassuring her she could press down harder to stop the spin.

"Stop now," she swallowed as her bumper grazed the wall and the whirling slowed. "Please, god…"

The car slammed against the wall and she winced, knowing it would go over as the momentum of the remaining spin forced the car sideways and then over onto its bonnet, flipping it twice before it nestled on its top.

"Shit!" she hit the steering wheel as she hung upside down, battered by the turns her car had made, her wrist sore from the exertion.

"GABI!" A voice yelled her name and she frowned, running her hand down her shin as she felt a tinge of pain there.

She lifted her hand to reach for the release button and of her seat belt and gasped as she saw fresh blood on her fingers. Her leg must be cut, she realised, from the crushed metal of the bonnet.

"Gabi!" the voice caught up with her and she smiled faintly as Jody's face appeared, upside down to her, right before she passed out.

/

"Let me in there!" Dex roared as he stalked down the hospital corridor, barriered by Jody who quickly sprung out of his seat to hold him.

"Dex, she's going to be ok, it's just a scratch…"

"That's my sister in there!" he yelled. "I knew this would happen!"

Jody sighed and buffed him back again as he pushed to get by.

"Of course it was gonna happen, we all take a few rolls on our first times out, she has to go through it," Jody reasoned.

"You said we'd make it safe…" Dex accused with glittering eyes.

"I can't stop her rolling. But I was there when she went down…"

Dex grimaced and closed his eyes. "Is she going to be okay?"

"She twinged her wrist so they're re-setting it…and she lost some blood so she kinda fainted again…"

"How much blood, Jody? How bad is the cut?" Dex asked through gritted teeth.

"Just a slice on her shin where the bonnet came in…"

"She can walk?" he checked.

Jody nodded. "No nerve damage, nothing more than skin damage."

"Is she gonna be disfigured?" Dex worried.

"There'll be a scar," Jody reckoned and his friend sighed.

"How can I let her keep going out there?" he begged.

"Because you're her brother and you support her no matter what."

"Even though she has another scar on that precious body of hers?" he beseeched.

Jody nodded. "Even then."

"What does Troy say?"

Jody swallowed and bit his lip. "I haven't told him yet."

Dex sighed again. "He just better love her enough to tell her to stop…"

"If he loves her, then he won't," Jody argued. "Because this is what she wants."

"To be torn up and scarred like she's in battle?"

Jody dropped his hands as Dex gave up the fight to get by. "You have to be ok with that before you go in there."

"I can't," Dex ground out. "I told her this would happen and it did…"

"So swallow it," Jody held his shoulders and looked into his eyes. "For your sister's sake, swallow it until she's better."

"Then I can tell her she's banned from racing?" He checked and Jody gave him a look.

"Then you can tell her how worried you were."

"Yeah, right," he sighed and went to move past Jody again, but his friend blocked him.

"No arguments, no stress," Jody reminded him.

Dex looked up with his dark, hard eyes. "I know."

"Just sayin'," Jody stepped back to let him by finally.

/

"Hey, baby…" Dex stroked his hand across Gabi's forehead and frowned at how pale she looked.

"Dex?" she whispered and stirred.

"Yeah, it's me sis…"

"You must hate me right now," she guessed and his heart broke that she was even worrying about his reaction and in that moment, he knew Jody was right. His disapproval was only making things worse.

"No, not at all," he assured on a hoarse voice, stroking her hair.

"You told me I would get hurt…" she mused, tears leaking from her closed eyes down her face as she began to cry.

"Hey sis, shhh," he soothed. "We all get hurt; it's part of the job. The job you wanted. The job you love…"

"I span…I just kept spinning and I knew, I knew I was going over…"

"Shh, it's okay now. You're going to be okay. You'll get right back in that car and learn to stop that spin next time," he assured.

She shook her head as she cried. "You were right, I shouldn't be doing this, I shouldn't be-"

"I was wrong," Dex broke in. "And you're going to get through this. I promise."

She sniffled and nodded a little. "I guess so."

"I know so. You're a Montez. A Montez never gives up…"

She merely smiled at this. "Dad's motto…"

He stroked her hair back and pursed his lips. "Do you want us to call Troy and let him know what happened?"

"Can you?" she asked tiredly. "I don't think I have the energy right now…"

"You just rest, baby girl. We'll do everything else." He kissed her forehead.

"Dex…" she called and he paused. "I love you."

"I love you too, sis. Now get some rest."

/

"Is she okay?" Troy asked of Gabi's condition as Dex relayed the news to him later on.

"She's a little upset, and she got hurt a little but she will be…"

"Should I come back?" Troy asked, worriedly.

"You know what, I think Jody and I got it covered, bro," he assured. "But you should call her. She needs some reassurance right now…"

"What do you mean?" Troy wondered.

"She's talking about giving it up," Dex admitted. "I think it's my fault for discouraging her before…"

"You want me to talk her into racing again?" Troy asked with disbelief.

Dex chuckled. "I know, it sounds insane, right? But you won't talk her into anything, she's too damn stubborn. Just reassure her that this is all part of the job…"

"I can do that," Troy agreed softly.

"Good. And look, she hurt her leg pretty bad so she might have a scar, I don't know how you feel about that but she might feel like it changes things between you…" he warned.

"It doesn't change anything," he promised flatly.

"I know, bro. I'm just warning you how it might be…"

"Thanks Dex, I appreciate it."

"Talk soon, dude."

"Bye."

Troy sighed as he ended the call from Dex and sat down with a heavy heart.

"What's up, hun?" Sharpay asked, touching his shoulder.

"Gabi had a racing accident and she's in hospital." He shared of his new girlfriend, the one he'd already told his best female friend all about.

"Oh no! Is she ok?" she worried.

"She will be. But I'm not there and she needs me…"

"So go back," Sharpay frowned.

"I can't just drop everything here," Troy conceded.

"So go back early, we can help organise things this end," she assured.

He looked up to his friend and rubbed his hand over his mouth. "Really? You can help me?"

"Troy," she put her hands on his shoulders "Gabi is amazing and you shouldn't let that go," she smiled.

"I don't intend to," he assured.

"Then go back early and let your friends help out."

He nodded begrudgingly. "Okay, Shar. I think I will…"