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CHAPTER 9
Smiling softly, a warm glow hazing her whole body, Gabi opened her locker and deposited her books.
She bit her lip as she remembered the moment she had felt the tingling envelope her body at Troy's love-making. Even now, her tummy clenched deliciously and she couldn't help the heated blush that became her.
"What in the heck are you looking so happy about?" Taylor asked as she appeared next to Gabi, holding her books, ready for class.
Gabi shrugged, smiling coyly. "I was just thinking about Troy." She admitted gently.
"Oh god…" Taylor rolled her eyes. "I should have known it…" She teased.
Gabi smiled at her friend.
"Sorry, I just…" She began, but it was too late because Taylor had gasped and was now reaching for her neck, where Troy's ring sat proudly on a chain.
"No way!" Taylor enthused, her eyes wide, flicking to Gabi's to check if it were real.
Gabi nodded. "Yeah, we're official." She said, even though it had been three days since they'd been an item, this was just the first time she was sharing it.
"Oh, wow. I never thought I'd see the day Troy gave his class ring to a girl…" Taylor shook her head.
"Oh…" Gabi frowned, not quite sure how to take that.
"He must really like you…" Taylor explained quickly.
"You know, when I left New York, I thought this was going to be a nightmare." Gabi admitted. "But you and Troy have made me think maybe it's not so bad. I actually like it here."
Taylor smiled at her, grabbing her arm as she pulled her toward home room.
"Oh wait!" Gabi called, grabbing her last book, shoving it in her bag and walking with Taylor down the hall.
--
"Hey there, beautiful." Troy's voice warmly murmured into her ear, catching her up as she made her way to Art, their only shared lesson.
She smiled as she turned to him, reaching up to kiss his cheek and his arm leisurely scooped around her shoulders.
"Hey, Jock." She teased back, just the mere smell of him making her excited to see him.
"How has your morning been?" He wondered, gently taking her hand as they went single file through the classroom door and he looked right into her face as they sat down.
He looked for signs that she might be regretting their night together, for signs she might be in pain, anything to tell him that last night wasn't the amazingness he remembered it to be.
He couldn't quite accept that something good was happening to him for once. He'd had so much to deal with at home, it was like tempting fate to try and concentrate on anything else.
"Ah, let me see…" She thought for a moment. "Really, really miserable." She pouted, her dark-lined eyes flicking down.
He brushed his thumb across her knuckles. "How come?" He asked quickly, afraid.
Her head lifted and her smile was one of pure joy. "Because I missed you." She said then and he let out a relieved breath, smiling back at her.
"I can't say I missed you..." He teased as the teacher came into the room and called for quiet. Gabi smacked his arm playfully and focused on the lesson.
Gabi flipped open her sketchpad and pulled out her research book from her bag, taking a sharp breath as an envelope dropped out from the cover. A blue envelope. Just like the one she had found that morning three months ago, on her door mat.
Her face froze as her heart did and she struggled for breath, the fear rising sharply in her chest and she let out an anguished cry, running from the room with her hand over her mouth, dashing for the nearest restroom.
Troy watched with confusion as his girlfriend ran from the room and he picked up the envelope she had discarded.
He remembered every detail of the story that she had relayed to him and it suddenly dawned on his that she had received an envelope just like this one when she had gotten the death threat.
His eyes went wide and his face stony, realizing he shouldn't open the envelope alone. He put it into his pocket, requesting to be excused to check on Gabi.
He knocked on the restroom door, wondering if he could get away with going into a girls restroom twice in one week.
He lifted to door open with his toe.
"Gabi are you in there?" He called out.
"I can't do it, Troy. I can't face the fact that he's found me!" She called back and he edged further into the room, checking behind him and seeing her police escort on the stairs.
"I'll be right back- don't move" He instructed, handing the item to the officer and returning directly back to Gabi, this time not caring who saw him as he burst into the restroom and took her shaking form into his arms.
"It's from him; it's from the guy who wants to kill me!" She panicked as she clutched at his shoulders.
"We don't know that- I just gave it to your guard, they're looking at it now." He explained, softly stroking her hair.
Today she was wearing black skinny jeans and a black vest which scooped at the neckline and went down to her thighs. He thought she looked amazing and he ached to tell her, his body now knowing how it felt to be connected with her, the same way his soul was connected with hers already.
"What if it's him? What if he's found me?" She panicked.
"Do you know my beautiful girlfriend?" He asked instead and she sniffled, clutching him at the same time his hands cupped her back. "She looks even more amazing than usual today…Wanna know why?" He asked again and he felt her nod against his shoulder.
"Not only does she look hot in these tight black jeans," he began, "But she has this total glow about her, kinda like she's in love." He narrated. "You know what else?" He asked as she pulled back and rubbed her lips together. She shook her head a little.
He took a breath as he considered her face, her brown eyes stealing him in.
"I'm totally in love with her, too." He finished, brushing her hair back, framing her face.
Gabi reached up to kiss Troy, cupping the back of his neck with her shaky fingers, lacing them into his hair as their lips met and she re-affirmed how much she appreciated him.
"I am so sorry you had to be part of this." She whispered.
"Are you kidding me? I'm not going to let anything happen to you." He promised.
"You're only saying that because you're crushing on my alter ego." She teased then, her sparkle coming back.
He shrugged, playing along. "Well, you could have a good point." He nodded.
"Are they outside?" She said of her guard and he nodded, letting her lead him with twined hands as they approached the officer and asked what was in the letter.
---
"Honey, I think perhaps you shouldn't go to the game on Friday," Maria suggested as Gabi sat at the counter, her face painted with panic at the days' events.
"Mom, I can't miss Troy's game." She reasoned.
"It's just not that simple. The police have already said anyone can get into the gym." She reminded her.
"If they want me dead then they'll do it, wherever I am." She said resolutely, not quite feeling the conviction of her words.
"And how does Troy feel about this?" She wondered, knowing at least, that Troy shared her caution.
"I haven't told him yet." She mumbled.
"Gabriella, honey, I love you. You're my only child, I can't bear losing you." Maria begged. "If you don't listen to me, at least listen to Troy." She sighed, stroking her hair.
"I don't want to let them win, mom." She argued determinedly.
"Then I'm coming with you. I refuse to let you go in there alone." She countered.
Gabi nodded, wishing her old life hadn't snuck up on her like this. Things were going okay. She was getting a new identity, she was making friends, and she had someone she loved. Why now? Why did it all have to go wrong?
---
"There is no way I am letting you go into that gym tonight." Troy shook his head, laughing without humour.
"I go to every game." Gabi said, tugging his hand as they walked through the hall toward class.
"Not this one. And not another one until we know that you're safe." He added. "You're my girl." He reminded her, picking up the ring she now wore around her neck on a chain.
"But I can still make my own decisions." She argued back.
"You know I didn't mean it like that…" He began as she let go of his hand and walked off, dashing into their form room before he could finish.
He sat next to her, touching her back where she lay on her bag on the desk.
"I'm sorry." He offered. "I know this week has been hell for you." He added, still noticing people in class looking at her differently now that her hair was back to its natural state.
Taylor and Chad had managed to drop their star-struck faces and come through but she was struggling with a lot right now.
He played with her long hair as it curled down her back and he smiled as her tattoo peeped out from the waist band of her jeans where they dipped at the back.
He very gently brushed the outer side of his forefinger against the skin, bringing her body up straight and her dark eyes to his.
"Nice tattoo." He twisted his lips to hide his smile, his comment innocent even though he had seen her body art when they had made love.
She smiled. "I think you should get one…" She teased.
"Oh no…I'm good." He said quickly, nervously.
"Scared of needles?" She guessed.
"Maybe." He returned. "But they look much better on you." He complimented.
"You would know…you're the only one who has seen it." She murmured, turning toward him to kiss him.
"So am I forgiven?" He checked gently, still curling her hair around his fingers.
"I guess so." She smiled, relaxing for one moment, then jumping as someone crashed their bag onto a desk in front of them.
"Hey!" Troy objected quickly, his arm shooting around Gabi's shoulders protectively.
"Oops, sorry." Sharpay apologized with a smile.
Gabi frowned, wondering why she was so blatantly hostile to her face and yet defended her in front of the school when she wasn't there.
"Hi, Sharpay." She greeted anyway, smiling at her.
"Oh, hello famous person. How does it feel not having your own show anymore?" She asked in a bitchy tone.
Troy rolled his eyes. "Play nice." He warned his friend, checking Gabi's face.
"It feels quite good, actually." She answered, surprising both Troy and Sharpay and the other students who had secretly been listening in. "I actually know who my friends are now instead of having to guess." She added pointedly.
"Oh and don't forget the biggest catch of the school, Troy Bolton there." Sharpay tipped her head toward him.
Troy smiled fakely, pretending to be amused. "Ha-ha." He quipped.
"You do know they're auditioning for your replacement?" Sharpay asked.
Gabi dipped her gaze, biting her lip. "That's good." She said quietly, unconvincingly.
"I'm going to New York tomorrow to test for it." She added with a gloating grin.
"Good Luck, Sharpay." Gabi said genuinely, still a little shocked by the fact she was being replaced so easily and it just re-affirmed everything she had been feeling for the last three months, that she didn't belong in New York, or in that world. That she belonged right here with Taylor and Chad and Troy, where they really cared about her and she wouldn't be forgotten so easily.
The form room session ended and Gabi drifted toward her next class, her mind elsewhere. That was like the final nail in the coffin of her old life. The old her, the person that would wake up and be Mary-Poppins sweet all day long, skipping around in floaty skirts and dresses.
She looked down at her clothes, her black and white checked pinafore dress over black tights and her biker boots, bracelets decorating her arm, her leather jacket broken in and softening with wear.
This was the real her, as she would be known at East High from now on. Would everyone be able to accept the differences? Would they eventually let her go about her day without being bothered?
She quickly wiped a tear from her face as she saw Troy leave the form room too and she scooted off, not ready to face him right now.
"Hey! Gabi!" Troy called up the stairs, catching her up and she closed her eyes, annoyed now because she wanted some time alone without him there to cloud her thoughts.
She smiled wanly at him, tensing as he touched her arm.
"Hey, what's up?" He asked worriedly as she hung off the banister, avoiding holding his hand.
"I just need to be alone for a bit." She said gently, lifting her eyes.
His brows lifted and he took a breath as the power of her words hurt him. He had no idea why, but he never thought he'd be the one to bring that sad look to her face, her fake smile.
"Oh…sure…okay." He nodded, dropping his gentle massage of her forearm, linking his own fingers together and backing up. "I'll…uh…see you in class." He said and carried on up the stairs.
Gabi felt her heart twist painfully at the look of rejection on his face. Sliding to the floor, she covered her face with her arms and segued out the world around her.
"Miss Montez?" Came a formal voice and Gabi knew it was one of the guards assigned to protect her.
She looked up and fake smiled again. "I'm ok, thank you." She said before they even asked, trekking to Art class, already knowing she was late.
She collected her tardy slip and looked for a seat. She felt both guilty as hell and touched to her toes when she saw Troy had kept her seat. She moved through the tables, sitting next to him and disregarding everyone around her, she stretched her arms around his neck, pressing her chin into his shoulder where he leaned forward onto the desk.
Troy sat up, surprised at her hug, the rest of the class barely paying attention to the couple.
"Hey, are you okay?" He asked again, hugging her back.
"No hugging in class!" The teacher called and all eyes turned to them, causing a few giggles.
Troy rubbed her back as she pulled away, touching her hand as she placed both her hands on the desk.
"I'm ok." She answered quickly, not entirely truthfully, opening her pad to end their contact.
Troy stared at her for another minute, realizing he needed to back off. There was so much she could be thinking about. At first he thought it might be them taking that next step in their relationship, and then he'd presumed it was because of the scare with the envelope.
He'd seen her tense and flinch every time she opened her locker and checked her books and every time, he was there to help her.
Now he knew that Sharpay's news about the show was affecting her thoughts. Maybe she was regretting coming to Albuquerque? She'd certainly not been shy about telling him what she thought about the town. He just hoped she didn't regret meeting him; he couldn't cope with that thought.
He began to sketch, his own inner turmoil tumbling out as he drew, his chest tight and his confusion evident in the dark, unclear drawing that resulted.