K, sorry I haven't been updating, but as you can tell, this is a very long chapter. It does have a song in it, but it's only the chorus. See if you can figure out what it is before the last author's note :) You'll get a hint of incest in this chapter, but it's just brother/sister love :)
Note: Yeah and did I forget to mention that this is a very depressing chapter? It'll probably make you cry. Just so you know...
It's been 2 and a half months since Troy found himself in the hospital. He thankfully got rid of his crutches one week ago. He still couldn't play basketball, but he could get around better without the extra help. The scars were finally starting to fade, but you could still tell that he was badly injured.
He and Gabriella were getting extremely close. So close, it scared them. This didn't go unnoticed by Brandon. Every passing day, he would try to get Gabriella to talk to him or even willingly look at him, but she was just too stubborn and persistent with her plans to teach him a lesson about messing with her friends. By now, he had caught onto her little game and to be honest, he was starting to go insane. He couldn't sleep, eat, talk properly, or concentrate on his schoolwork. He claimed that he was just sick, but nobody believed him. He didn't even believe himself. But in a way, he was sick. Gabriella seemed to be his drug that he was addicted to or his oxygen that he needed to breathe everyday.
Also, he was losing his war with Troy. At least twice a day, he would walk up to Troy and just start throwing sloppy punches, kicks, claws, slaps, and anything else that he could do to hurt him. He always made sure to do it when Gabriella was around. When the two got her attention, Brandon would egg Troy on, making the captain furious so that he just hit Brandon harder. Brandon would then give up and let Troy hit him, hoping that Gabriella would defend him. But she just looked Brandon in the eye, shaking her head. When Troy would give the final punch, Gabriella would roll her eyes and walk off with Troy, making sure that he was okay. Brandon just lie there, accepting the glares and stares from the students surrounding him. The same thought ran through his mind everytime before he dropped into unconsciousness.
"Will I ever get Gabriella back?"
During one fight in particular, Gabriella noticed Brandon staring at her, pain and sorrow purely flashing through his beautiful eyes. After one of Troy's blows to his stomach, he mouthed "I need you."
That was the last straw. Gabriella had had enough. She took off running down the hallway, tears streaking her face. She didn't run to the bathroom. It was too far away for her mood. She found a darkened corner and sunk to the ground, pulling her knees close to her body and sobbed her heart out.
What was happening to her? Again, she was starting to forgive someone too soon. Why was she always running away from a fight that meant she would give in 2 seconds later?
No! She couldn't give into Brandon yet. He was always "protecting" her and never thinking about her feelings. She was tired of being ignored. She was now going to show him how it felt. He was going to pay. No matter how depressed he was getting.
But he was her brother. How could she neglect and technically abuse someone who's been there for her during the worst time of her life?
"Oh my God Brandon! What power do you have over me?" Gabriella cried to herself. She buried her head in her knees and sobbed to herself uncontrollably, not caring if someone heard her.
"Gabby, I'm sorry." A soft, loving voice came in front of the distressed girl. She lifted her head to reveal a beaten Troy. But he wasn't as bad as his previous fights. He was getting better at every fight he had. He was getting stronger.
"F-for what?" Gabriella stuttered, knowing exactly what he meant.
"For everything." Troy whispered, walking over to her and sitting down, rubbing her back.
"W-what about-" Gabriella tried, but Troy cut her off.
"He's unconscious now." Troy answered. "I've been looking for you for a few minutes now. I heard crying and I followed it. That's how I found you. I just wish that there was something I could do." He finished with a frown.
"You really wanna help me?" Gabriella asked, looking at him knowingly. He nodded, with a glint of hope in his eyes.
"Can I cry on you?" Gabriella whimpered, starting to tear again.
Troy stared at her for a few seconds before engulfing her in a tight, heartwarming hug. "Always Gabriella. Always."
They just sat there for the whole period, the only sound being Gabriella's sobs and Troy's comforting words. He did everything he could to calm her down without actually saying the words "Calm down." He didn't want her to feel rushed or pressured. He rocked her back and forth, whispering the most comforting words that he could think of, which seemed to help every few minutes. He would occasionally kiss her hair or her forehead, letting her know that he was still there and he cared about for her. She fisted his shirt and just cried harder into his chest.
After about 35 minutes of crying, Gabriella muttered "T-Troy? Can you do one last thing for me please?"
Troy, noticing her insecurity, kissed her forehead and replied softly "Anything."
Gabriella gave a light smile and carefully asked "C-can you sing the song you sang to my brother when our parents were fighting?"
Troy looked at the floor for a few moments, trying to remember the song. He finally grinned and hugged Gabriella as close to him as possible as he gently sang...
"I'm holding on for you
I'm fighting for your life
When you're blinded by this jaded world
I'll be your eyes
Even if you fall
I won't let you break
When all the noise is telling you
To run away
Run to me
That one?"
Gabriella nodded shakily through her heavy tears. Her head collapsed into his chest and he stroked her hair while asking "Why that song?"
Gabriella sniffed and looked up at her friend. She smiled and asked "You wrote it?"
Troy nodded.
Gabriella grinned and looked at the floor, staying silent for a few minutes. She looked up and finally admitted "Because Brandon still sings that all the time."
----
...Brandon...
Brandon limped down the empty hallway to the bathroom. How he could still walk, he didn't know. All he knew was that he needed to wash himself off. He rested his hands on the sinks and stared at himself in the mirror for a while. He sighed, closed his eyes, and thought back to the fight. Gabriella had run away from his love and went God knows where. Troy had saw her run and ran after her, making sure to kick Brandon's legs so that he couldn't come after them.
He shook his head as a simple tear made its way down his face. His mind then thought back to one of the moments that changed his life forever.
The promise.
FLASHBACK (5 Years)
"Yo Brandon! What's up ma... oh God, what's wrong?!" Troy concerned his best friend, who was in tears.
Brandon whimpered "Parents fighting. I can't take it anymore Troy! This is just too much! I'm too weak to get through it, so don't even say that!"
Troy grabbed his shoulders and scolded "Hey! Don't say that! You can fight anything! Trust me, I've seen you! You're stronger than this!"
Brandon viciously ripped himself away from Troy and yelled "No I'm not strong! If I was, would I be here crying like a little baby?!"
"Everyone cries at some point Brandon! I know I do! And I know that you're strong! You can get through this!" Troy shot back.
Brandon raised his voice even more "Troy, you don't understand!"
Troy retorted "Yes I do! I've dealt with fighting parents before!"
"BUT YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT LIKE THIS!!!" Brandon screamed, taking Troy by surprise. He backed away while his best friend shouted "No you don't understand Troy! You don't get it! This is a crisis and you don't know what the hell a crisis is! A crisis for you would be losing one of your hundreds of basketballs, but this is pure pain! You have no idea how hard it is to hear two people that were once so deeply in love call each other sluts and bastards! And then to hear Gabriella cry. That really sets me off. I can't stand to see her in pain! You know how much I love her and care for her! I've promised her for 2 and a half years that things will get better and they've only gotten worse! And you know what she's saying now?! I keep telling her that I love her and now she's saying that love is just a painful disaster waiting to happen!!!"
Troy grabbed Brandon and buried him in a bone crushing hug. Brandon didn't try to escape his best friend's grasp. He just hugged him back, sobbing like he was at a funeral.
Troy rubbed his back and whispered...
"I'm holding on for you
I'm fighting for your life
When you're blinded by this jaded world
I'll be your eyes
Even if you fall
I won't let you break
When all the noise is telling you
To run away
Run to me"
"I'm losing it Troy." Brandon cried "I can't go on like this. I don't know who I am anymore."
Troy parted from Brandon slightly to look him in the eye. He sternly replied "No, you're just losing hope. The Brandon Montez I know wouldn't give up that easily. He would grab his support group and fight the problem face to face. He wouldn't stop attacking until he wins and is looking into the dead eyes of his issue. A relationship like you and Gabby's only comes around once in a lifetime. You can't let that slip away Brandon. You can't give your pain the satisfaction that it's begging for. You have to stand your ground, keep you head high, and keep holding on. Never let go of what you have. Just remember that you'll always have me. Brother's till the end, remember?"
Brandon looked into Troy's caring, brotherly eyes. They've been best friends for as long as Brandon could remember. Their bond had never come close to being broken and the thought of someone breaking them apart sent bile to his throat.
He smiled and answered "Brothers. Nothing can break us apart."
Troy smiled and congratulated "That's the spirit! Good to see that I've knocked some sense into you."
Brandon laughed back "Yeah. Thanks man. You really are a lifesaver."
Troy replied "What are best friends for?"
After earning a smile from Brandon, Troy said "Okay, how about we get to basketball tryouts? We're already late and that wouldn't look good on our record. Come on."
Brandon nodded and ran with Troy to the tryouts being held at the school. When they arrived and changed, Brandon stopped Troy and asked "Hey bro. You remember the promise we made to each other when we signed up for tryouts? We don't join unless the other made the team too. One gets in and the other doesn't, we convince the coach to include the other. Remember?"
Troy rolled his eyes and scoffed "You actually thought I'd forget? I thought I taught you better than that!"
The two shared one last laugh before doing their special secret handshake. The last act of friendship that they would ever perform.
END FLASHBACK
Brandon ripped his eyes open and glared at his reflection.
"You lied." He seethed quietly. "Troy you lied to me."
FLASHBACK (After basketball tryouts)
Brandon jogged out to the court after changing. He sighed when he thought back to all the hellish drills and exercises that they had to do. Whatever the cause, he thought that he did a pretty good job.
He looked around at the 30 boys beside him. They all wanted the same thing and that was to surpass their obstacle of everyone else and make the team. Brandon smirked when he thought of how Troy was the best one out there. He saw the coach's mouth drop when he saw him make every single shot. No one had ever done that in years.
Brandon looked at his best friend and expected to see him beaming like there was no tomorrow, but instead he looked like he had just seen a ghost. His face was pale and he was looking at the ground, looking like he was about to cry. His usually light blue eyes darkened into a light grey and Brandon had the feeling that something was horribly wrong.
"Troy." He loudly whispered. Troy didn't look back at him. He just kept his eyes fixed on the ground, holding his pointer finger with his other hand. He started to lightly shake when he heard Brandon say his name.
"Yo Troy! What's wrong? Did you get hurt?" Brandon asked, worry lining his voice. Troy didn't budge.
"Okay boys!" The coach yelled, coming out from his office. Troy snapped his eyes shut and took a deep shaky breath. He was obviously nervous, but Brandon didn't believe he had a reason to. "I've thought this through long and hard and I've decided to choose the best players to be an East High Wildcat!"
The coach called off the names one by one, hearing the cheers and screams from the boys chosen.
"Nate Griffin!" the coach called. Nate yelled words of joy as Troy just tensed. He knew what was coming next.
"Troy Bolton!" Brandon smiled excitingly and looked over at his best friend, who had frozen. His eyes showed panic and fear. Brandon had never been so confused. Troy just made the team. Why was he now so scared?
"Troy Bolton? I just called your name. You either move your butt or your spot goes to someone else." The coach annoyingly called.
Troy shakily nodded and took baby steps toward the group of boys that were now on East High's team. He started shaking again as he tried not to cry. Brandon waved and mouthed "What's wrong?" Troy didn't reply. He just returned his gaze to the ground.
"Chad Danforth!" Brandon's other best friend ran up to Troy and immediately asked "What's wrong dude?" Again, Troy kept his mouth shut.
"And finally..." Brandon grinned knowingly and started walking forward.
"Zeke Baylor!" the coach called. Brandon froze in his tracks. Zeke ran up with his best friends and cheered. As soon as Zeke's name was called, Troy closed his eyes and let out a breath, signaling that he was putting all of his power into not crying. Brandon just stared at him, his eyes wide and his mouth fallen. He didn't make the team?
"Thank you for all of the men who tried out. You were all fantastic, but these boys were just phenomenal. Next week, we will vote on a captain. Now, WHAT TEAM?!" the coach shouted.
"WILDCATS!!!" the team, minus Troy, screamed.
"WHAT TEAM?!"
"WILDCATS!!!"
"WHAT TEAM?!"
"WILDCATS!!!"
"WILDCATS!!!" the coach yelled.
"GETCHA HEAD IN THE GAME!!!" the team screamed, cheering and running into the locker room to receive their new official jerseys. All, except Troy. He just stood there, unable to move or lift his head to meet Brandon's gaze. Everyone who didn't make it had left, leaving Troy and Brandon alone.
"Troy." Brandon seethed lowly in between his teeth. Troy didn't reply.
"ANSWER ME!!!" Brandon bellowed. Troy slowly, but surely, lifted his head to meet Brandon's gaze.
"What was that?" Brandon glared, trying his best not to lose control.
"What was what?" Troy replied quietly.
"You're on the team and I'm not?! What about the promise?! You can talk anyone into anything! Why should the coach be any different?!" Brandon scolded, starting to tear. Troy just shrugged.
"Oh, so now we're playing dumb?! You know exactly what I'm talking about Troy! We made a deal! We don't join the team unless the other's on it too! What happened to that?!"
Troy again shrugged and whispered "I don't know."
Brandon turned away from Troy, breathing deeply and trying not to attack him.
"You don't know. You know damn well why you did it, now tell me!" Brandon demanded loudly.
"I can't tell you." Troy whispered.
"We're brothers forever Troy! You can tell me anything! We've got brotherly love-"
"Love's just a painful disaster waiting to happen Brandon." Troy quietly quoted, looking up at his friend. "It's just another fairytale." Brandon looked at Troy in disbelief, not believing the words that just came out of his mouth. They stood there, staring at each other, barely being able to stand each other's sorrow.
"Troy-" Brandon started, his voice breaking, but Troy cut him off.
"I gotta go." Troy dismissed, walking away from his best friend. He could hear Brandon's screams from behind him.
"TROY!!! TROY, DON'T WALK AWAY FROM ME!!! TROY!!!" Brandon screamed and pleaded, but nothing made a difference. Troy walked around the corner.
His best friend was gone. Forever.
END FLASHBACK
Brandon let out a hot, shaky breath through his nose and seethed "You lied to me Troy."
He felt a jolt of angry energy fly through him to his fist. He raised his fist and plunged his hand into the mirror, having it shatter into millions of pieces while he screamed "YOU LIED TO ME!!!"
After feeling his skin rip from the glass, he slipped to his knees and sobbed, just like his sister.
Brandon couldn't block out one last memory from coming into his mind. Troy was once again comforting Brandon about his parents and he whispered "Just remember that I'm here and I'll always be your best friend."
Before hearing the bell for last period ring, he whimpered "How can I call you a friend when you stood me up in the end?"
Didn't I tell you that it was sad? There's a very small hint in this chapter as to why Troy's in this fight with Brandon. See if you can find it before you REVIEW. The other part to the reason is a few chapters away. If you put two and two together, you'll have Troy's reason! Okay, now REVIEW!!! Thnx :)
Rachel :)
P.S: The song is the chorus to "Run to Me" by Nick Lachey. It's one of my favorite songs! Seriously, listen to it! It's beautiful :)