Hey everyone! I remembered it was Tuesday! :) I have a yearbook meeting, so I got up earlier to post this for you guys. A lot of you were shocked about Gabriella's reaction to Troy, so let's see what happens next! Enjoy!

Loving Love

Chapter fourteen

Hating Love

It had been a day since Troy had told Gabriella that he had a feeling that he really did love her and now it was no longer the weekend, bringing the awkwardness to the school hallways and into the classroom. Gabriella hadn't seen Troy yet since that night and she had a feeling that she would regret not telling him that in a way she felt the same feelings he did.

At lunch, she sat on the opposite side of her usual seat because her usual spot gave a clear viewing distance of Troy and today she wasn't into seeing him interact with his friends because the one true friend she thought he had had sat next to her, talking excitedly about the NBA Finals with Sharpay.

Now, Gabriella was walking down the hallway with Taylor and Sharpay towards her locker to get her books and binders for the rest of her day. She sighed as she carelessly twirled the lock, opening it quickly just like she did any other day, but when she opened it there was nothing in it.

"Uh, guys…" Gabriella said to her friends so that their attention was drawn to her empty locker. "Where's my stuff?" She asked them.

"I have no idea!" Taylor said as she saw what her friend was talking about. "But I bet we could find out." She spat as she heard the obnoxious giggling coming from behind them.

The three girls turned to see three other girls, all dressed in their East High cheerleading outfits as they laughed at the sight before them. Gabriella breathed deeply as she slammed her locker harshly.

"Where's my stuff?" She asked them as her friends sent them dangerous glares.

"The last time I saw anything of yours, the boys were heading to gym class with it." One of them smiled her alpha smile, sending Gabriella a pitiful look as she walked in the opposite direction with her posy.

"Where are you going?" Sharpay called after Gabriella when she turned quickly and started to walk fiercely down the hallway.

"To get my stuff back."

When Gabriella charged into the gym, she saw that that too was empty causing her to look around for a sign of the team that she knew would take her stuff. When she heard the talking and laughing coming from the locker room doors, she immediately went towards the door, pushing it open without a second thought. Most of the guys were half naked when she walked in; some coming out of the showers and some changing into suitable clothing, but she barely took notice of that, she just kept walking further into the long locker room, her mind on one thing.

She looked into the separate wings of the locker room, getting cursed at by most of the guys who were surprised to see her in the boys' locker room. When she spotted the boys she wanted to see she stopped there, catching her breath as the guys laughed and talked.

"Chad!" She hissed, causing the guys who were gathered there to turn around, all surprised to see her in the doorway. "Where is my stuff?"

"Where do you think it is?" He asked with a chuckle, seeing that she was red with anger and that there was a small layer of sweat on her forehead because of the steam filled locker room.

Gabriella threw her hands up in the air, letting them fall back against her thighs as she shook her head. She looked around to see if Troy was there, but he wasn't and when she made eye contact with Jason, he looked away quickly, not wanting to get involved.

"I'm not dumb, Danforth. You have my work." She said, looking around again to hurry the process of finding her stuff up.

"Yeah, well, find it yourself." Chad shrugged, running a towel through his damp hair. Gabriella's eyes observed his wet hair, getting an idea of where her books and papers could be.

"Why are there books and binders in the showers?" She heard Zeke say behind her, stopping his sentence quickly when he saw that she was standing there. He awkwardly covered his bare chest with his arms as he crossed them in front of him, not wanting his girlfriend's best friend seeing him half naked.

Gabriella moved past Zeke, hearing the crowd of guys following her as she went towards the showers, past the coaches' office where Mr. Bolton was now leaping from his chair, coming out of his area.

She stopped by the showers slowly when she got there, seeing a few of the guys filing in them to get a better look at her soggy papers and books that were spread out on the watery floor. She couldn't help but get somewhat emotional about it. Her paper that she worked hours on was dissolving in the wetness and she knew that her English teacher wasn't one to take excuses. Her books were ruined and she knew the school would make her pay to replace them. She sighed, running her hand through her hair as she felt a comforting hand on her arm.

Zeke gave her a reassuring look and she faked a smile as she turned around to see Chad leaning against the wall about ten feet away from her, looking on in amusement. Mr. Bolton was pushing through his team, shaking his head at the scene. Chad stood up straight as he saw her coming over to him with mixed emotions appearing on her face and he smirked as he heard the locker room door open as someone came in.

"Thanks a lot, Chad. I really appreciate it." Gabriella nodded angrily.

Chad just laughed, looking at her with pity, just like the cheerleader in the hallway had and as he was about to forget about the incident for good, like it meant nothing at all, Gabriella forcefully slapped him across the face, causing an echo of gasps come from behind her and a scary look to appear on Chad's face.

As Gabriella turned quickly, wanting to get away from him as he was obviously about to lung at her, she saw Troy standing by the locker room door dressed in a black and red warm up outfit that read 'Red Hawks' on the front. A black bag was slung over his shoulder, holding all of his basketball gear.

He was still as he watched her angry features turn into one of regret as she walked towards the door behind him and in the scene beyond her, Zeke was holding Chad back from going after her, while his dad, grabbed Chad by the collar, forcefully pulling him into his office.

"Gabriella…" Troy started as she grabbed the handle of the door, stopping from pulling it open as he looked down at her.

"I just want my stuff back." She said with tears in her eyes. "Please."

He swallowed the lump forming in his throat.

"Just wait here."

Troy heard his mom's voice in his head, telling him that the girl who makes miracles happen can never wait and he grabbed Gabriella's hand, sighing. He changed his mind, hoping that if she wanted to, she'd come with him.

"Just come with me." He said to her, feeling her hand tense in his.

"I don't want to go with you." She admitted pulling his hand so he'd turn to look at her.

"I have to tell Chad, Gabs. He needs to know now, I can't take it anymore." He explained, tugging again at her hand. He had the greatest morning at the University of Albuquerque, hanging out with a few of the players and he had even forgotten somewhat about the night with Gabriella and now Chad was ruining his almost perfect moment.

"No. I don't feel comfortable facing him right now."

"Are you afraid he'll do something to you?"

"He hasn't given me reason not to be." Gabriella explained to him.

"I won't let anything happen to you." Troy told her.

Gabriella didn't budge though as he pulled at her hand, wanting her to follow him because deep down inside she didn't believe him; that scared even her. She shook her head, swallowing as she tried to look tough.

"You'll be fine without me." She said, seeing a disappointed expression on his face. "I'll see you later."

As her hand fell back to her side and the feeling of his disappeared from hers, she had a gut feeling as she left the locker room that that would be the last time he held her hand lovingly because knowing Chad, he'd be sure to change Troy's mind the second he found out about them.

***

Gabriella had come home after the incident at school and had sent her paper to the English teacher instead of having to face her with an excuse. She was emotionally drained as she sunk into her desk chair after getting something to eat in the kitchen and she ran her hand over her face to try to rub out the sadness that must have been clear on it.

During her phone call with her mom, her mom had told her again, that guys are only mean to girls because they liked them. Gabriella tried hard to convince herself of that too, but when she hung up with a long goodbye, she still didn't believe that explanation because assumptions like that were made for girls who came home crying in the third grade because of a painless sandbox incident, not for a senior in high school.

Later, after a long shower and dinner, the door bell rang, causing Gabriella to lazily get up from the family room couch, walking over to the door slowly. When she saw Troy through the window, she picked up her pace, unsure if seeing him come to the front door was a good sign.

"Oh my God, Troy, are you okay?" Gabriella's said quickly as she ushered Troy into her dark house after seeing the blue and black rim around his eye, one obviously marked by a fist.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's nothing." He told her calmly as he put his hands in his pocket, obviously uncomfortable.

"You need something on that." She said as she put her hand on his back, pushing him with her as she went into the laundry room where they kept their medical supplies.

"Really, Gabriella, I'm fine."

"Don't argue with me." The sternness in her voice shocked him and he did what he was told, leaning against the dryer as she fished through a basket of disinfectants and band aids, one that Troy had a feeling she used often thanks to his friends. "I told you this was a bad idea."

"The bad idea was keeping it from him."

"Yeah, and whose idea was that?" She asked him quickly, dabbing a cotton ball into some kind of cream, still upset about today's events.

Troy didn't answer her because he had a feeling she didn't want one. He could feel the quietness of the house causing goose bumps to form on his arms and when she turned to him, cotton ball ready to perform its task, he saw the way her eyes had darkened in anger. When the cold substance on the cotton ball touched his skin, he felt the sting instantly around his eye and without thinking; he grabbed her wrist, wincing in pain as he realized the severity of his injury.

"Troy." He heard Gabriella said weakly, making him open his eyes from their tight close.

He saw her fearful eyes first and then the whitening skin of his knuckles as he held her hand away from him. He released her quickly, noticing how she stumbled slightly at the quickness of his action.

"I'm sorry." He said his voice cracking. "It hurt."

He could tell she was holding back a comment as she finished cleaning the cut by his eye and after putting a small band aid on it, one that was barely seen against his flesh, he sighed, needing to get this over with.

"Gabriella, this isn't…"

"I know." She said to him, looking down at the bloody cotton ball on the washer machine. Her eyes couldn't be seen by him now, but he knew he would have seen hurt clear in them.

"Going to work out." She finished for him.

"Yeah." He said softly, watching as she stepped away from him, throwing the medical set back into the cabinet. "It's easier…"

"Hating love."

Troy nodded, following her quickly as she left him in the laundry room, making her way towards the stairs. He picked up his pace, stopping at the edge of the stairs as she made her way up them.

"Gabriella…" He started.

"Go get hit by a bus, Bolton." She spat harshly as she stopped at the center of the stairs, watching him back up to the front door.

Troy felt a lump in his throat forming as he looked at the glass door that was separating him from the outside. He hesitantly pressed his hand against the glass, leaving a barely visible hand print in the center of it before leaving, knowing that if she was going to go back to their old ways, he would too, but in a way, his paw print that he left behind was a lot more heart breaking than her remark because it hung around for a little bit, disappearing as he did into his car.

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Much love,

unknownbyhim22