AN: Hey hey. It's raining and I'm extremely bored and I found myself writing this chapter…it may be a bit dark, but hopefully effective!
Disclaimer-I only own the plot, folks!
Chapter 18 – What Happened?
Four months later and everyone was back at school. Gabi's mom phone Rich and they agreed to start recording towards the end of Gabriella's time at college. Troy had been scouted at a basketball game by a UCLA scout and he is still awaiting the results. Everything should be perfect.
But it wasn't.
The funny, bright, smart Gabriella whom everyone knew and loved had gone. In her place was a quiet, timid and almost scared Gabriella. Whenever Troy touched her he felt her flinch.
One day Troy couldn't stand it anymore. He was at Gabriella's house keeping her company while her mom was out and he cracked when she pushed him away when he merely hugged her. 'What the hell is wrong with you?' Troy yelled.
Gabi shuddered at his sudden outburst. 'Nothing,' she squeaked.
'Nothing? Nothing! No one knows you anymore, Gabriella. I don't know who the hell you are anymore!' Troy shouted at the top of his voice and slammed his hand on the table. 'How can I love you if I don't know you?' he whispered to himself, looking down at the table, missing Gabi's heart slightly breaking. He looked at Gabriella and saw something that he didn't notice that had been in her eyes ever since she changed. Fear.
'Please don't shout, Troy. Please don't get angry. Please…please don't hurt me!' Gabi begged and she threw herself against a wall and cried harder than Troy has seen anyone cry in his life. He stared at her for a while in complete shock then moved over towards her to hold her. She pushed him away hard that he almost fell over and screamed, 'Don't touch me!'
'Why are you scared of me touching you, Brie? When have I ever hurt you?' Troy asked. He was so confused he couldn't think straight.
'He will hurt me.' Gabriella whispered thinking Troy won't hear. Troy tried to get hold of her again but she hit his chest repeatedly to try and get him off her until she just collapsed onto him and wrapped her arms round him tightly and continued to howl into his chest, soaking his shirt. Troy just held her, holding back his own tears from seeing her in this state.
After a few minutes Gabi had calmed down and she reached up to kiss him. Troy smiled into the kiss thinking that the Gabriella that he loves is back but when they separated he saw the same eyes as before. He held her arms to make sure she looked into his eyes. 'What happened, Brie?' Troy begged, 'Please tell me…what happened?'
Flashback
Gabriella was standing at her locker waiting for Troy to meet her on the first week of school and Derek Clarke, the football captain came up to her. 'Hello, Gabriella.'
'Hi Derek! Good summer?' Gabi answered politely.
'I suppose. But I need some help with math. Can you come round my house tonight to help me out? I just don't get it.' Derek smiled at her.
'Sure, I guess I can. Troy has basketball training. I'll be round yours at around 4?'
'Perfect,' Derek grinned and he walked off. It was just the beginning.
Gabriella had 'helped' Derek with his math homework and she was just about to leave when he grabbed her arm to stop her. 'Don't go yet! I'm not finished with you!' Derek said huskily and he lunged at her and started kissing her roughly. Gabi tried to push him away from her and started screaming but Derek pulled away and slapped her in the face. 'If you carry on struggling, it will hurt a lot more next time.'
'Please don't do this, Derek! I beg you!' Gabi pleaded.
Derek didn't answer and continued to kiss and her lifted her up harshly and carried her to his room and finished what he set out to do behind closed doors. All you could hear was Gabi crying in pain.
For the next few months Derek forced her to come round his house whenever Troy had training or something after school and the activities got more and more violent and painful for Gabriella. She was scared to be touched by any guy, especially Troy, and she couldn't look at anyone in the eye for too long so they won't see the pain and fear she had in her eyes. She covered up any bruises with make up and made sure she was wearing clothes to cover them. She didn't speak much because she felt that her voice would break with the tears that always threatened to fall whenever she was near Troy because she couldn't tell him the secret which had caused her so much pain she was on the brink of giving up with life.
End Flashback
Troy remained silent and looked down at the ground. 'He hurt you…' he whispered. Gabi saw the tear fall from his face onto the ground. 'Please don't tell anyone! You can't tell anyone, he will kill me!'
Troy looked at her with pure hate and anger in his eyes and turned around and left the house leaving Gabriella alone in the house. She sat on the floor and held her ring thinking that she had lost the person which kept her fighting through the pain.
The next day Troy walked directly towards Gabriella's locker and he saw Derek by her locker. He marched to him and said angrily, 'You stay the hell away from Gabriella. Do you understand me?'
'Oh so you know about our little affair then?' Derek smirked, lying, 'I didn't want to at first but when I realized how hot Brie is and the fact that she is going to be very famous in a few years, I figured I should take the advantage. I would have a very good story to tell the press wouldn't I?'
Troy lost it and he slammed Derek against the lockers and took a swing at Derek's jaw. Derek quickly recovered and punched Troy in the gut.
Taylor was walking in the direction of her locker and she heard shouting. She quickened her pace and saw Troy and Derek fighting with a huge crowd around them. 'TROY!' She shouted, 'Troy, STOP!'
Coach Bolton ran up to the fight and tried to pull the boys apart. 'Troy, get off him!' Jack demanded.
Troy refused to listen. 'No I won't stop dad!' Troy yelled as he punched Derek repeatedly in the stomach, 'He raped Brie and I am not letting him get away with it!'
The crowd gasped. Taylor and Sharpay who were in the crowd had tears in their eyes and Chad and Zeke clenched their fists to try and contain their anger.
Coach Bolton grabbed Troy's shirt and pulled him back and put Derek into an arm lock. 'You're coming with me,' Jack whispered into Derek's ear and began to steer him towards the principal's office. 'Troy! I want you to find Gabs and bring her to the principal office in ten minutes!' Jack called over his shoulder as he left with Derek.
The crowd began to ease and Taylor stayed behind and stopped Troy from leaving the scene. She walked up to Troy and put her hand on his cheek. Troy looked at her cconfused until she began to talk. Her voice breaking with grief. 'Troy. Gabi isn't at school today...she tried to kill herself last night.'
Troy shot his head up in shock and looked at Taylor. 'What?'
'She wrote a note and everything. Luckily her mom arrived in time to call an ambulance. But she was already unconcious. She gave me this to give to you. Anna couldn't reach your house at all last night.' Taylor handed Troy a piece of folded paper.
Troy opened the note and began to read:
Dear mom and Troy,
I'm sorry for giving up, but my life in the past few months, as Troy knows, has practically fallen apart, and when he left, I had no reason to fight anymore. I have been on the brink of this for a while now, and I thought I was strong enough, but I'm not.
Troy, move on from me, my darling. I'm a whore and a slut and I didn't deserve someone like you. Promise me you'll find another person to give the ring and necklace to.
Mom, I'm sorry that I have to leave you all alone, but I promise things will get better. Don't be a coward like I am and give up, you are stronger than I am.
Tell Tay, Chad, Shar and Zeke how sorry I am.
All my love,
Gabriella.
Taylor handed Troy the necklace and ring to Troy and walked away slowly. Troy wiped away the tears pouring down his face and shouted to Taylor, 'Meet me at the hospital with everyone else in 20 minutes! I'll call my dad later!'
Before Taylor could argue, Troy was out of the school and rushing to the hospital.
AN: Mwahaha. I was going to make it happy, but I changed my mind. I was thinking of finishing the story, but I thought 'why not cause a larger step back?' and I did...sorry!
Review!
