Dedicated to the guy whose current girlfriend seems to think that I got the worse end of the deal and she the best end… Edward. She's been having fun making fun of me (thinking I don't realize it). Joke's on her though…. We named Bryce's kid in the sequel to Band of Gold is named after her (insert smirks here).

We don't own Garduno's no matter how much Star would like to.

Little Rock – Reba McEntire

October 21, 2012

Apartment Building Parking Lot

5:37 PM

Abby sighed as she looked up at her apartment from her car. She had just spent the majority of the day in the darkroom not wanting to come home. It had taken her even longer to develop pictures seeing as her hands had scratches all over them from being pushed into the glass the night before and the chemicals kept getting in them.

She decided she might as well get out of the car and see who all was home. She was just about to knock on the girl's apartment when Ryan came out of the guys' apartment.

"They're not home." He said smiling at her. She smiled back.

"Thanks. I guess I'll go wait in there for them then." Abby said rather disappointed. She really didn't want to be alone right now, she had had enough alone time this afternoon in the darkroom.

"You want to go out to dinner or something?" Ryan asked hopefully. Abby smiled as she noticed he was starting to blush.

"Sure." She replied and tried not to laugh as she noticed him blush even more. "Just a second though, I need to put these pictures in Gabi's room." She replied and held up her portfolio so he could see.

"Oh, yeah sure." He said watching her as she unlocked the door. He followed her in as she put the pictures down on Gabriella's bed.

"Can I see them?" He asked hopefully. He hadn't seen that much of her work to be honest and he was feeling rather guilty.

"Sure. After we get back?" Abby asked as they walked out of the apartment to the parking lot. "I'm really hungry." She replied laughing.

"Ah." He replied laughing slightly. Why was he so nervous? He wasn't ever nervous around any of the other girls!

"Do you want to drive?" Abby asked fingering her keys in her purse.

"Sure." He replied and pulled the keys out to his car.

"Where do you want to go?" He asked as they drove along mostly in a not so comfortable silence.

"Hmm... Mexican sounds good." She replied thinking of a good place.

"Garduno's is close." Ryan replied. If they went there it was a perfect mix between romantic and anything but. That way it wouldn't be considered a date... right?

"That's the one on Montgomery right?" Abby asked still trying to figure her way out around the city.

"Yes. Well that's the closet one, there's at least one other one in town." Ryan replied wincing at the fact that he couldn't think of anything else to say.

The rest of the night went surprisingly well. It wasn't awkward at all by the end of the night.

"Thanks so much for dinner Ryan. I really appreciate it. It's just what I needed... a night where I didn't have to worry about if I got enough makeup on to hide all of the bruises and such." Abby said quietly as she and Ryan walked through the hall towards their apartments.

"You're welcome." He replied grabbing her hand and squeezing it slightly. He went to let go, but she wasn't letting him. "I'm sorry that none of us noticed what was going on. I wish we could have saved you all that misery." He whispered as they came to a stop between his apartment and the girl's.

Abby shrugged. "It wasn't anyone's fault but mine and those two idiots." She nudged her shoulder in the direction of her own apartment. She didn't plan on going back in there without at least Chad, Ryan, Zeke, Jason, and Troy with her. Maybe Mr. Montez and Sharpay too.

Ryan turned to face her and grabbed her other hand and squeezed them both again. She looked up at him and smiled.

"It's not your fault." Ryan replied in a whisper.

"Yes it is. I was stupid enough not to say anything." She whispered back, the tears starting to fall.

"Most women that are in this position don't say anything. You just let your cuts and bruises speak for you last night." Ryan replied moving a bit closer to her. "You truly are my hero for speaking up as soon as you did."

Abby blushed and noticed how close they were. She really did like Ryan...she just wasn't willing to admit it to herself before since she was married...but now.

"Thanks Ryan. You always know how to make me feel better." She replied. She let go of one of his hands as it went to dry her tears.

"Anytime you need me, I'll be there." He replied smiling as he wiped away her last tear. He had no idea what was going on between them at the moment, but he was loving it.

"I don't deserve friends like y'all" She replied as she reached for his hand again. She felt so much safer with him all 

of a sudden. She moved even closer to him and in a split second decided what she was going to do.

Ryan's eyes widened as her lips met his. He loved it. It wasn't desperate like she just wanted to forget all of her troubles, it was like she truly wanted to be kissing him... not Bryce. They were both just starting to get into it when her apartment door banged open and they broke apart.

"Get away from my wife!" Bryce roared as he ran out of the apartment. Ryan didn't have time to register what he was about to do until Bryce's fist had connected with his jaw.

Ryan moaned in surprise as he landed on the ground.

"Get away from him!" Abby yelled as Bryce started for her.

"Fine. It's your turn then." Bryce replied before he slapped her hard across the face. He was about to hit her again, but Ryan tackled him before he could.

Abby got up as fast as she could while Ryan and Bryce fought it out and ran to the guy's apartment and knocked frantically on their door and then on the girl's door, hoping desperately that they were home since Edward and Libby had just come out in the hall to join them.

"Stay away from him!" Abby screamed as Bryce had Ryan down on the ground again and had Edward holding down his arms. She jumped as she was pushed out of the way of trying to get Edward off of Ryan as Troy and Chad came to the rescue.

Troy ripped Edward off of Ryan as Chad punched Bryce, knocking him over.

"OH NO YOU WEREN'T JUST HITTING RYAN!" Screamed Sharpay running out of her apartment with her baseball bat in hand.

"Sharpay! No!" Zeke said grabbing her around the waist and holding her to him.

"LET ME GO ZEKE! RIGHT THIS INSTANT!" She screamed and bit his arm. He didn't let go though. By this time Edward was being restrained by Troy and Chad and Jason were restraining Bryce. Libby looked about ready to pass out from everything going on.

"You are the biggest idiots I've ever met!" Abby said quietly as soon as everyone else was quiet. "You and all of your stuff will be out of my apartment by tomorrow morning you understand? I'm not going to be your wife for much longer."

Bryce and Edward's eyes widened considerably as they heard police sirens and watched Gabriella put her cell phone back in her pocket.

"You're also fired." Abby spat in Edward's face.

"You can't just expect me to move out just like that, it's my apartment too." Bryce said smiling nastily.

"Want to bet? Where's your part of the rent? What about you Edward? Where's your part of the rent? I should be even asking you that Libby since I'm assuming you spent the night last night." Abby said turning to face a very pale Libby.

"You have no right to talk to her either." Bryce said in a growl.

"Says the one who has his girlfriend pregnant and beats his wife. I gave you back the little rock last night. You need to grasp the fact very quickly that I'm not yours." She replied and turned to Ryan who was still on the floor holding his eye and nose. "You okay?"

"I don't know." He responded quietly and groaned. Abby bent down and helped him up with the help of Taylor and Kelsi.

"I'm sorry, Ryan... If I hadn't... You wouldn't have gotten this involved."

"Don't worry, Abby. It's not your fault. I actually enjoyed it... at least until I was outnumbered." He smiled. The cops made it to the top of the stairs and walked over to the group, "We had a call about a disturbance?"

"That was me." Gabriella said.

"So what happened?" The officer asked and then noticed Ryan. "We need an EMT" He then said into his radio.

"I'm fine." Ryan said trying to stand on his own.

"No, you're not!" Abby, Sharpay, and Kelsi responded in unison.

"What happened?" The officer repeated again.

"First off, he," Gabriella said pointing and Bryce, "Has been beating Abby here since, when?" She asked as Abby bowed her head.

"July 1st." Abby replied quietly.

"What!?" Gabriella yelled as Abby answered. She had told them it had been awhile, but she didn't realize it was the day after their wedding.

"I don't beat you! Why would I beat my wife?" Bryce interrupted.

"I don't know, why would your wife not be pregnant and your girlfriend instead be pregnant?" Abby spat back at him. "You seem to think you own me. You beat me when we're in private and then treat me like a princess when my friends are around. I took that stupid band of gold off last night and I'm not ever putting the thing on again." Abby replied then turned to the officers. "Would it be okay if I told you my story without the two most disgusting people in the world here?"

"Don't listen to her, she's crazy." Libby said.

"Excuse me, Ma'am, But we can see her proof here and now. We will listen to her and do you have proof that she has a mental disorder? No? Then please don't interrupt her. you may put your story in the report after she tells us her's."

"Forget it, I don't know much, I got here a few days ago."

"Excuse me, officer? Someplace private or at least take them away for now?" Abby shyly spoke up.

"Sure ma'am. Will you all follow us to the station and we'll arrest these two right now." He said taking over Chad, Troy, and Jason's place of restraining Edward and Bryce.

Everyone started to go down the stairs except Libby, Zeke, and Sharpay. Libby just went back into 'her' apartment.

"Zeke! Let go of me!" Screeched Sharpay seeing as he still hadn't let go. She turned around in his arms, dropping the bat in the process.

"No." He replied smiling.

"What? Why!" Sharpay asked, surprised as he tightened his grip on her.

"Because there is something I've been wanting to do for an extremely long time and I believe I have an opportunity to do so now." He replied smiling even wider. He then suddenly kissed her, catching her completely by surprise. It even surprised him even more though when she started to kiss back.

"I've been wanting to do that for practically 7 years." He said once they broke apart so they could breathe.

"I'm glad you did and I'm sorry about your arm." She whispered back touching where she had bit him earlier. "Now, I'd love to stay and do it some more but my brother is probably in the hospital."

Second to last chapter btw…. Sequel in the process of writing.