CHAPTER 10
"Go Wildcats!" Taylor called at the top of her voice, using her hands to cup around her mouth and carry her voice.
"Score big, baby!" Gabi called next, giggling as Troy caught her comment and gave her a 'thanks for embarrassing me' look as his friends ribbed him.
She blew a kiss for good measure and he caught it, placing it next to his heart just like he had before.
"Gabi, I really don't think you should be here if it's not safe." Taylor worried.
"Don't you start…" Gabi rolled her eyes.
"I mean it. Troy and your mum both said the police said you should stay home." Taylor lifted her brows.
"And miss my boyfriend playing basketball?" She questioned. "If I let them change my life, they've won, Tay." She said quickly.
"Oh, honey." Taylor hugged her.
"My mom is right there." Gabi pointed her out in the crowd, near the bottom bleacher.
"So she is." Taylor nodded.
"I'm gonna go get a soda, you want anything?" Gabi asked and Taylor shook her head.
"No, I'm good." She smiled and Gabi made her way down the stand, her guard trailing her.
Troy saw her route down the stands and jogged over, abandoning his warm up.
"Hey, where you off to, beautiful?" He asked gently, puffing.
"Just for a soda- with Frank." She added with lifted brows and a smile.
Troy nodded, reaching one of his hands from his hips to pick up her hand.
"I love you." He said quietly, shocking her to hear him say it so blatantly in front of his friends, even though it was quietly spoken.
She quickly hugged her arms around his neck, kissing him on the lips as she pulled back.
"I love you too, Wildcat. Now go kick some West-side butt." She demanded, taking the pin badge from her cardigan and attaching it to his jersey. "For luck." She smiled.
--
In the hallway, the peace and quiet was a stark contrast to the buzz in the gym. She grinned to herself as she thought how proud she was of Troy and how he put his all into those games. She honestly couldn't care less about basketball, but he'd made her care because it meant so much to him.
"Forgot something?" A voice asked and Gabi turned, confused.
She noticed Frank was no longer with her and the only other person in the corridor was Ben, who had called out to her.
He was in her English class, a quiet boy that sat at the back. She wondered why he was here, speaking to her.
"I…" She began, frowning, seeing his movements, slow but so clear. It was like slow motion, but she watched him pull the gun from his pocket and aim it straight at her.
"Ben!" She said quickly, holding up her hands as the panic suffocated her. Where in the hell was Frank? "What did you do?" She begged.
"Shut up, bitch!" He yelled, stepping closer and closer as she began to whimper, lowering herself to the floor, crouching with her hands outward to show she was compliant to his demands.
"I'm surprised you even know my name. It's not like you ever speak to me. You just look right through me and now you're gonna know who I am." He promised on a threat.
"I know who you are…" She supplied quickly, shivering as he came closer.
"You have it all!" He accused. "You have the perfect life, the perfect boyfriend! I loved you…and you didn't even know. You just looked right through me like I didn't exist." He stood before her.
"Ben, please, it's not what it looks like, no-one is perfect!" She quickly denied.
"You chose him didn't you?" He asked, now pointing the gun into her shoulder and grasping her under the arm to bring her off the floor, directing her back down the hall past the gym.
"I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings…" She said, bewildered, scared, desperate to save her own life.
"You chose him." He repeated in a monotone voice.
"Where's Frank? Ben, what did you do to Frank?" She asked, knowing there was a second guard on back up and would be looking for her anytime now.
"Don't worry about Frank, he's not hurt…just…out of action. Like his little friend sat outside." He said in a husked voice that curled claws of terror into her tummy in a biting pain.
"No!" She called quickly, utter fear making her legs go from under her.
"Get in there and shut up!" He yelled again, pushing her into the boy's locker room.
"Not here, Ben, the team…They'll come in here for break…" she pointed out, determined that no-one else would be hurt in whatever sick game this boy was playing.
"You think I don't know that?" He yelled in her ear, making her flinch as he threw her to the floor and her knee took the brunt, hitting the floor, tearing her tights.
"He better walk through that door because if I don't shoot him I'm sure as hell gonna shoot you!" He roared, his face reddening.
"You can't shoot him, Ben, he did nothing wrong." She began quickly. "This is my fault, blame me, hurt me." She begged.
"If he's out of the picture, you have to choose me." He reasoned in his madness.
"You want me to dump him? I'll do it, Ben. I'll do it for you." She promised, so afraid for Troy, so afraid he'd get hurt.
"No you wouldn't!" He argued, his eyes glazing over as they both heard a whistle blown, signaling first break.
Gabi's eyes went wide and she began shaking her head, her nerves overwhelming.
"No, Ben, don't…" She pleaded, getting to her knees, the bruised joint protesting but she ignored it.
"Get down, bitch!" He demanded and the door to the locker room burst open, a shot firing out loudly at the first person came through the door and Gabi screamed in the split second before the gun went off.
"Troy!" She screamed, knowing he was the always the first off the floor, obviously the same as Ben.
Pandemonium set about in the gym at the sound of the shot and Gabi barely dared to lift her head, her eyes shuttered by her fingers, afraid of what sight might greet her.
Ben was stood between her and the door, holding his gun with a shaky hand, breathing quickly through his nose.
The door had been propped shut as the deafening noise of mass exodus from the gym occurred outside this nightmare world Ben held them in.
She could see a body on the floor and panicked quickly, wondering how many he had taken down.
Her eyes quickly noticed the top of the doorway shot away, meaning that the bullet hadn't hit anyone.
Chad was laid on the floor, on his front, buffering the door so no-one else could get in.
In front of Chad lay Troy, also on his front, taking a kick from Ben as he aimed the gun at his head.
"No!" Gabi screamed again.
"I said SHUT THE FUCK UP, BITCH!" Ben yelled, letting off his gun above Gabi's head and she wailed with fear, tears streaming down her face.
"You want her so badly, huh?" He said to Troy. "You couldn't even let a guy like me have a chance…" He blamed. "I watched her show every week and then it was like a sign that she was here, at my school." He was talking to himself now and echoing Troy's own thoughts.
Gabi watched as Troy lifted his face, meeting her gaze and his blue eyes that stirred her soul, reached out to her and told her not to be afraid.
"Don't look at her!" Ben yelled, kicking Troy again and Gabi whimpered as he curled in pain.
"This is all your fault, bitch." He said to her again and Gabi realized he'd never called her by her name. "You could have just said Hi or just looked at me. Anything." He twisted his lips.
"I'm Gabriella, Ben. Please, call me Gabi." She begged, tears streaming down her face as she tried to move forward, closer to Troy.
"You have a fucking perfect life and you don't give a shit about anyone else!" He continued and Gabi knew she couldn't reason with him, he was clearly sick in the head.
She took a breath, praying to god, praying to anyone that she would at least get the boys out of here alive.
"Let them go." She said of her friends. "It's me you hate; I'm the one who should suffer…" She said.
"No!" Troy said against the floor, his word quiet but vehement.
"Shut up!" Ben kicked him again, making her wince.
"At least let Chad go." She begged then. "He's innocent in all of this. Just me and Troy, that's who you really want, right?" She said.
He seemed to consider this. He walked over to the door and checked through a small slit.
"They'll have the place surrounded, he'll tell them everything." He argued.
"It's not too late, Ben. You can just let us all go and no-one will hold it against you" She lied.
"Stop saying my name!" He protested, pointing the gun back at her.
She signaled with her fingers for Chad to escape as she held Ben's gaze.
"It's just a bad day, I have those, we all have those. Just tell me what happened, Ben, tell me why you hate me." She asked.
Chad crawled from his position and out of the door, Gabi sighing in relief and giving away her secret plan as Ben turned quickly and noticed him missing.
"You fucking bitch!" He yelled. "You don't give a shit! I told you!"
"I do, I do, Ben, I promise. But he had to go; he's not part of your war." She said gently.
"Get down there!" He commanded, pointing to the door. "Sit against the door! And you!" He ordered Troy and they sat, backs against the door, barely able to touch for fear of upsetting their captor.
"You wanna know why I fucking hate you?" He arched a brow, tears coming to his eyes.
Troy cradled his aching ribs with an arm as the boy began his story and he begged for Gabi to be safe. As soon as he had heard the gun shot, he had begged for her to be safe. He had never seen the look in her eyes that he saw now and he never wanted to see it again. He should've followed her out! He should've got her soda for her. He should have made sure she didn't come to his stupid game and risk her life for him.
"You have the perfect life, all happy and carefree and fucking skipping round town on mummies' credit card." He spat. "Every guy you dated was perfect- a scholar or a musician or a fucking jock!" He pointed to Troy who jolted with fear of the gun going off.
"Shit, man" Troy swore to himself.
Gabi shifted up closer to him, prepared to dive to protect him.
"It was just a TV show, Ben, those boys weren't real, they were all pretend." She offered.
"He isn't! He's the hero round here and you still had to go and date him didn't you? Even in real life." He said sadly. "I was meant to be with you, I was meant to be your guy…I would have taken you to the movies or for a picnic…" He said forlornly, his tears dropping down his face now.
"It's okay, Ben. You can, when we get out of here." She promised wildly.
"Do you hear that?" He asked Troy. "Your girlfriend wants to date me. How does that make you feel?" he demanded.
Troy shrugged, not sure what response would please him.
"Well you should know she's only saying that so I don't shoot you," he said menacingly. "She's lying to save you." He sobbed outright.
Troy nodded. "I'm sorry, man. I'm sorry for whatever happened to you." He offered, hoping their continued emotional pleas would sink in.
"Do you love her?" He asked Troy then.
Troy knew the answer, he had said it several times before to her, but he also knew it could mean death for either of them with this madman in front of them.
Ben turned the gun back on him.
"Answer me." He stated flatly.
"I love her." He said quietly, unable to deny his feelings.
"And you love him?" he asked maniacally, turning to Gabi.
Gabi nodded.
"Tell me!" Ben demanded.
"I love him." She said, leaning into Troy's side as she began crying again, knowing those could be the last words she ever spoke to him.
Troy tipped his head against the top of hers, his own tears streaming down his face.
"For fucks sake! You couldn't just stay in New York could you?" He asked, waving the gun at her once more.
Troy shifted his arms around her, not caring if Ben pulled the trigger, he had to protect her.
"It's not worth it, Ben. Just remember who you are, this is not you, it's not you…" she sobbed, accepting Troy's hug, gripping his forearm from underneath where her arms lay in her lap.
"You don't know shit about me bitch!" He accused again, pointing the gun right at her, then Troy, then turning it on himself.
"No!" Gabi screamed, throwing Troy's arms off her body, launching upwards and making a grab for the gun, the shot resounding into the air and hitting the ceiling.
In the next second, police guards burst into the locker room through the door.
"Drop the gun!" A uniformed officer demanded of Ben as Gabi stepped back, caught by another officer who held her firmly by her upper arms.
Ben looked around him, realizing he was cornered and he had been stopped from taking his life. He dropped the gun to the floor gently, barely able to lift his hands again before he was tackled to the ground by three large soldiers.
"No!" Gabi called quickly, afraid for Ben as they grappled with him and she closed her eyes against the image of it, forced from the room by the soldier behind her, wildly looking around for Troy.
It wasn't until she was deposited in the relative safety of the gym that she saw him. He'd already been taken out and he was sat on a bench, being tended to by medics.
"Troy!" Gabi sobbed quickly and he jumped off the bench, sprinting for her across the short distance, despite the medical staff trying to stop him.
He pulled her into a hug, into his body and so far into his soul he didn't know if he could ever forget her imprint against him. His arms were tight, his breath harsh against her hair, blowing out raggedly as his tears of relief fell into her dark curls.
He clung to Gabi like she was his lifeline, not the air that he drew in so quickly through his mouth and he felt her racking sobs in return, vibrating against his bare chest.
Gabi placed a small hand against his bandaged ribs, looking up into his eyes as a paramedic approached.
"We need to finish checking you over…" they said gently but Troy put a hand out, stopping them.
"Please, just give us some time." He begged hoarsely, looking back into Gabi's face as the medic sighed and walked away.
"Are you ok?" She wondered at his bandage.
"Just a bruise." He promised, touching her face, leaning down to take her lips, reminding him that they were both still here, still alive and he still had her beautiful mouth to kiss and her incredible body to hold.
Gabi didn't believe him but she smiled sympathetically. "He broke your rib didn't he?" She checked.
He nodded, cupping her face. "But it doesn't matter, you're okay, that's all that matters. We're both ok." He added.
"My knee hurts." She complained, wincing as the adrenaline of her fear wore off and the pain kicked in.
"Then let's get you some medical care..." He suggested, bending to scoop her into his arms, his ribs protesting and he ignored the pain, carrying her in a protective hug to his chest as she curled into him and buried her head.
"She needs some help- she hurt her knee." He told the team as he laid her gently onto a bench at the side of the gym.
"Your ribs, young man…" The medic who had come after him lifted a brow.
He stroked Gabi's forehead and she nodded her assurance she was okay, leaving him to sit and receive care for his own injuries.
--
After an emotional reunion with firstly their families, and then their friends, Troy and Gabi remained hand in hand as they sat close together, both eyeing their parents with trepidation.
"Mom, please can I stay with Troy tonight?" Gabi asked quietly.
Troy linked their fingers, lifting his eyes to Mrs. Montez and his own mum and dad. It was the first time he had seen them together since the divorce.
"Please can we?" He repeated, appealing to both sets of parents.
The three adults looked at each other and finally Lucy spoke.
"I think under the circumstances that would be okay." Lucy allowed and Troy tightened his hold on Gabi's hand, hugging her as she threw herself into his body.
"Hey, shh." He murmured shyly, rubbing her back as their parents watched on but they got up and walked away, deep in discussion a few feet away as he lifted his foot onto the bench, his thigh bracing her back as he pulled her into his body.
Gabi felt the fear pound through her heart as clearly as the sound of Troy's breathing, his arms stroking and comforting her as she suffered in silence.
They had been set up to speak with a counselor before they were allowed to go home, but he knew that this day would sit with them for a long time to come and that Gabi would take it worse than he would. He knew she would blame herself and he was prepared for the aftermath. All he wanted was for her beautiful face to smile again, her eyes to shine.
He kissed her hair as he soothed her.
"You do know that you're the bravest girl I know?" He asked gently.
"No, I'm not, I completely flaked." She argued.
"Hey- none of that." He admonished. "You risked your life for me, that means more to me than you know." He stated.
"I love you." She said simply, reaching up to kiss him again, her kiss desperate and hard and lacking in finesse but speaking so clearly of her fear of losing him.
"I love you too, pretty girl. And if you ever want a soda again, I'm buying, okay?" He asked, squeezing her tightly in his arms.
--
Gabi's hands found Troy's body with gentle tenderness as she somehow re-assured herself he was all there and all ok, stroking down his torso and up his back as she squirmed to be closer to him in bed, reaching up to kiss him and letting their tired, lazy kiss seep through every cell in her body, reaching her core.
His own hands began a slow exploration, checking her every part for damage as his tongue flicked insistently into her mouth, insinuating how he wanted their bodies to be joined.
As if both sensing the same urgency, feeling the same need; they gradually undressed each other, body touching body, lips ravaging, hips clashing. Their passion soared, but quietly, desperately.
As if they only had this moment to express their absolute love for each other, they came together, Gabi straddling Troy and relieving his aching body of the pressure of love-making as she took him deep inside every part of her being and felt his hands claim her breasts.
As if feeling him inside of her at every re-affirming stroke wasn't enough, she heard his words, his uttered promises and his devotion to her spelt out with the very brush of his hands over her body.
Troy felt the slow sweet squeeze of her every time she rocked and trailed his fingers up her back from her rounded backside, tickling her tattoo spot even though he couldn't see it, his fingers against her spine causing her to arch and moan at his touch.
The unadulterated desire he had for her, his need to claim her, burst through as he climaxed beneath her commanding body, bringing her instantly to him as close as he could get her, never wanting to let her away from him again.
"Gabi?" He whispered into the quiet of the room, the light from the bedside lamp softly glowing over her curves.
She hadn't wanted to sleep in the dark, her fear still prevalent. His lips brushed her hair now as he spoke.
"Mmm." She answered, her hands against his chest, the whole of her body touching his inch for inch as she lay atop him, now stretched out after their love-making.
"I love you." He said again as his arms curled around her.
She kissed him then, softly, sweetly, tucking into his body and murmuring her love for him as she closed her eyes against the exhaustion the day had brought.