The next day during homeroom.

Troy sat at his desk with a girl on his lap. His hands rested on her hips while he kissed her.

'What does she have that I don't?' Tia asked Sienna.

Troy heard her, ignored her and his hands rubbed against her body. But then the teacher came in.

'Miss Barten, get off of Mr Bolton! Now!' Mrs. Lutin said.

The girl hopped off looking irritated.

'And please, save the personal displays of affection for after school!' The teacher said.

'The teacher said so… I'll see you after school.' The girl whispered in Troy's ear and kissed his cheek and pressed herself up against him when she made her way to her desk.

'I SAID ENOUGH!' the teacher yelled.

T: Yeah, see you Stephanie… No, actually not. I have an appointment with Katie after school… Poor girl… Haha.

The teacher started to call the role.

'Troy Bolton?' she asked.

'Here.' He mumbled.

Many names were called.

'Gabriella Montez?'

There was no response. Troy looked around and found her empty desk.

'Miss Montez still not here? Okay, Mona Chris?' The teacher asked.

'Here'

3 days later.

Gabriella took a deep breath and quietly ran to the door.

'Kid! Where are you going?!' John yelled from the kitchen.

'I'm going to school…' Gabriella said softly.

'With that shit on your face?!' He asked pointing at her.

Gabriella looked at the floor, scared of his expression on his face.

'You're not going anywhere!' He said smirking.

'But, Dad… I've already missed two weeks of school.' She said quietly.

'If anybody asks, I never touched you…' He said after some hesitation.

'Okay!' She said smiling.

'Now, get out of my face!' He yelled grabbing a bottle.

Gabriella rushed out, scared to death.

At School.

Troy leaned against his locker, surrounded by girls. He smiled when he saw the jealous looks to the girl he had his arm around.

With Gabriella.

Gabriella walked in and looked around nervously. Her long hair covered her face like a curtain. Her breath stocked when she saw the boy standing at his locker, surrounded by girls.

His hard jaw, his perfect tanned skin, his electric blue eyes, his messy tousled brown hair.

G: How can some one so beautiful be such a jerk?

She hadn't seen him for two weeks, and forgot how gorgeous he was. But why was he surrounded by the school skanks?

G: Didn't he say he only had eyes for me? You're such a fool, Gabriella! You really believed what he told you? He's a player! It was all crap!

Gabriella walked up to her locker, a few down from his.

G: Why did my locker have to be so close to his?

Troy's eyes tore away from his girls as he jerked his head to see… Gabriella?! His eyes widened, the girl he really loved, the object of his fantasies was here, finally. Standing helplessly trying to get her books out of her locker, her entire frame shaking. He pushed the girls away and turned to her.

'Gabriella…'

T: Why the fuck am I talking to her?!

Gabriella looked up, her bones shaking, her heart pounding, her breath racing to meet his eyes.

'Troy…' She couldn't help smiling.

G: Maybe—Maybe he DOES care for me…

'What the fuck is wrong with your face?' He asked.

A sharp knife cut and twisted in Gabriella as the skanks laughed hysterical. Her eyes widened and tears started to stream down her cheeks. She dropped her books and ran out, pushing through the crowd.

T: Did I just say that? CRAP!

'Gabriella!' He pushed the skanks away and ran after her.

But it's too late, she's already gone.

With Gabriella.

Gabriella ran as fast as she can, her legs burning, het cuts stinging with wet, salty tears and her mind kept replaying his words.

G: That's what he really thinks of you, Gabriella…

As hard as she tried, the tears wouldn't stop falling, her eyes ran like taps she couldn't turn off. She skidded to a halt and jumped on the bus home, wiping away the clumps of hair sticking to her face.

With Troy.

Troy jumped into his car, stepping hard on acceleration and speeding off in the direction of Gabriella.

T: Don't stop until you get her back…

Troy arrived just in time to see Gabriella get on the bus. He followed the bus all the way to her house. Gabriella ran inside as Troy parked his car. He looked as she closed the door, took a deep breath and thought about what he could say to her now. What COULD he say? "I'm Sorry" certainly wouldn't suffice.

He got out of the car and stepped onto the front porch. After a few minutes of no answer, Troy opened the door and quickly stepped inside.

Crying.

Smashing.

Yelling.

Troy's whole body froze at the sight before him. His muscles tensed, his teeth clenched, his fists tighten.

T: What the fuck…

A scruffy man is standing over a shaking Gabriella with a vodka bottle in his hand, only a few inches away from her face.

Gabriella ripped her eyes away from the bottle inches away from her face to see… Troy. His face is creased with a frown and his usually tanned complexion is a deep murderous red. He looked like he was about to kill and his baby blue eyes were widened in shock.

'Gabriella…?' Troy said looking down at her.

'Leave, Troy! NOW!' She yelled.

Troy looked at the bottle and Gabriella's cuts and wounds. His face turned to the man in disgust.

'You…' He growled.

'Get out of my fucking house, kid!' He said and swung the bottle towards Troy but missed.

Troy drew his fist backwards and punched the man right in the face. The guy immediately grabbed his bleeding nose.

'YOU FUCKING JERK! Do you like how it feels?! I'm gonna make you feel her pain! And more!' Troy yelled as he punched him again.

All the time, Gabriella just sat there, frozen in shock.

Gabriella's dad just stumbled, tried to punch Troy but missed and tripped. Troy took that chance to run over to Gabriella.

'Gabriella…' Troy said, looking at her in disbelieve.

She immediately took Troy's hand. Her lips were cut and bleeding.

'Troy…' She whispered in pain.

Her tears started to creep out of her eyes, but Troy cupped her face like it was the most delicate porcelain. He looked into the watery eyes of this breakable girl. How could he do this? He would give her shit everyday yet he had no idea she was getting home to this.

'Troy… Please, take me away from here, please…' She whispered scared.

'EY, buddy! You want a fight, you got one.' Gabriella's dad already stood behind Troy.

Troy spun around and got punched in his face. He just touched his bleeding lip and punched the guy in his stomach so he fell over. Troy turned back to Gabriella and picked her up ever so gently. He sprinted away with her in his arms before the guy could get up.

Gabriella was bruised, bleeding and broken. She looked up into Troy's eyes and for the first time, she felt safe. She felt safe in the arms of this boy, the boy she hardly knew but still loved with all her heart. It was hard to look away from his but she tore her gaze away to steal a glance at where they were going.

A hospital.

Doctors rushing.

Emergency room.

Next morning at the hospital.

Gabriella's eyes fluttered open. Her lips were dry, chapped and cracked and her head is aching. It seemed like every part of her body is screaming in pain louder then the other.

'Miss Montez?' The doctor asked.

Gabriella looked up but was unable to move her lips so she just nodded.

'Okay, how are you feeling?' He asked her.

'Pretty sore.' She whispered after trying to clear her throat.

'You're a brave girl, Gabriella. And a lucky one. No broken bones, only minor wounds.' He said smiling to her.

Gabriella licked her lips, trying to soften them to speak.

'There's someone here to see you…' The doctor said.

She looked up quickly.

'Hey, Gabby.' Troy said looking down, guiltily.

G: Gabby… That sounds so nice. His voice, I've missed it so much.

'I'll leave you two alone…' The doctor said looking from Gabriella to Troy and left the room.

'Gabriella… I'm so sorry.' Troy said.

Gabriella stretched her lips to say something but Troy sat in the chair next to her bed, put his face in his hands and started talking again.

'The way I treaded you and then--.' Troy was interrupted.

'Please, don't.' Gabriella whispered.

'What?' Troy asked looking up.

'I don't want you to apologize… I just want you to be here with me.' She said.

'But I –.' Troy said, getting closer but was interrupted again.

'You nothing Troy. I was stupid, I should've told you.' Gabriella said putting her finger on his lips.

'I understand why you didn't.' Troy said stroking her cheek gently.

'He… He said he'd--.'

'Please, don't Gabriella. I don't want to hear what de did to you. It makes me sick. I hate to think that he hurt you like that.' Troy said interrupting.

Gabriella looked down, trying to breath evenly. She looked back up to Troy's face and saw his cut lip.

'Your lip… Troy, are you okay?' She asked.

'Gabriella, you're in the emergency room covered with cuts and bruises and you're worried about a little busted lip? Trust you to be so selfless.' Troy said giving her a little smile.

'I'm sorry.' Gabriella said softly.

Troy took her hand and held it tight.

'Gabriella, don't apologize. You don't have to be so careful around me. I'm not going to hurt you, like he did. So no apologizing, okay?' He asked with a soft voice.

Gabriella nodded, looked down and sighed.

'I love you…' Troy said as he laces their fingers.

Gabriella's face shot up and looked at him with a smile.

'I love you too, Troy.' She said.

'I though I'd never hear those words.' Troy said bringing their hand over to her and brushed Gabriella's cheek with the back of his hand.

Gabriella quickly closed her eyes and opened them again. She swallowed painfully.

'It was all an act. I fell for you from the start.' She whispered.

'I suspected so, but when you didn't turn up at school I thought otherwise.' He said grinning in victory.

'And about the tutoring--.' Gabriella said.

'We'll discuss it later.' Troy said smiling.

Gabriella sighed and looked down, pressing her lips together to stop herself from screaming. She took a deep breath and looked back up with tears in her eyes.

'There are a few things you need to know, Troy.' She said.

'We've got plenty of time.' Troy said kissing her hands, hoping it would calm her down.

'Yeah, you're right, I guess.' Gabriella said and looked the other way.

That night, in Troy's room.

Troy's parents weren't home. Gabriella sat on the edge of Troy's bed, looking around the room nervously. Troy walked in and jumped on the bed with pizza in his hands. Gabriella looked at the pizza and shook lightly.

'Will you relax, Gabby?' Troy asked her.

'What I'm going to tell you… It's not easy for me to say.' Gabriella just said.

Troy sat up and pushed the pizza aside. He rubbed her shoulder and took her hand.

'It's okay, you can tell me anything. I won't judge or think any less of you. But if you don't want to tell me, it's okay too, you know?' Troy said.

'No…No, I want to tell you.' Gabriella said shaking her head a little.

'Okay then.' Troy positioned her body to face him. 'Shoot.'

Gabriella took a deep breath.

'The reason I went crazy when we kissed was because it brought back memories… Bad memories…. Memories of when I was raped.' Gabriella looked down immediately and scared of his reaction.

Because she was looking down she could see how his fists clenched.

'When it happened, I was… different. More confident, I had friends. I had a boyfriend.' She said while tears started to creep out of her eyes, ashamed of telling this. She was a little relieved when Troy looked her in the eyes.

'It was the beginning of summer and everyone was going around to this guy's place for a party.

** FLASHBACK**

'Are you ready, babe?' Chase asked.

Gabriella rushed out and got in his car and Chase speeded of.

During the ride.

'Do I really have to go, Chase?' Gabriella asked.

'Yes, it's the end of school party! You can't miss it.' He answered.

'But, I'm really tired and--.'

'Come on, Brie. It's my mate's party.' Chase said.

'But my dad --.'

'You're going, Gabriella. And that's final.' Chase said.

At the party.

Chase was constantly getting alcohol for Gabriella and made her drink it.
She hated the taste, the smell, the feeling but when he used his stern voice and stood over her,
she just couldn't say no. He just reminded her of her father.

** END FLACHBACK**

'I don't really remember much of the party but I remember everything after he took me upstairs.' Gabriella said leaning against Troy.

**FLASHBACK**

'You still tired?' Chase yelled over the music.

Gabriella nodded and closed her eyes.

'How about we go upstairs so you can lie down for a bit?' He suggested.

Gabriella nodded again.

** END FLASHBACK**

' My friends, the people I thought were my friends, they let him take me upstairs, knowing fully what he had in mind.' She said.

** FLASHBACK**

Chase opened the door for her. Gabriella stumbled and fell over on the bed.

'Thanks, Chase. You can go back to the party.' Gabriella said.

'No, it's okay. I'll stay here and look after you.' He said.

'No really… It's fine--.'

Chase jumped on top of her, holding her wrists down above her head, kissing her roughly.

'Chase, please stop it. I'm really tired and I don't want this.' Gabriella said.

'Yeah? Well, I do!' He said kissing her again and ripped her dress of.

Gabriella tried to cover herself but he held her hands above her head. She tried to push him away and started screaming.

Chase immediately covered her screaming with a pillow.

'I've waited too long for you, Gabriella. I'm doing this now.' He said and took of her panties.

**END OF FLASHBACK**

Troy cradled Gabriella in his arms and rocked her back and forth calmingly as she cried her eyes out.

'It hurt so much, Troy…' She yelled, crying hysterically. 'I thought he loved me, Troy… I thought he loved me…'

'Shhhh…' Troy said wiping her tears with his thumbs. 'I'm here now.'

'I wasn't ready. I told him to stop.' She gasped for air. 'He just kept going. I screamed in pain but he just ignored me!'

'He won't hurt you again, Gabriella… Not when I'm around.' Troy said.

After a few minutes and Troy kept saying nice, comforting words, Gabriella calmed down. She sighed heavily.

'Thank you, Troy.' She wiped her tears. 'I'm sorry for crying. It just seemed so real…'

'Don't apologize,Gabby.' He wiped her tears for her. 'It's not your fault… Not at all.'

'Well, that's…' she sniffled. 'That's why I reacted the way I did when we--.'

Troy nodded and put a finger on her lips.

'I totally understand.' He just said.

Gabriella leaned against him and buried her face in his chest.

'I don't deserve you.' She whispered.

Troy pulled her closer and put his chin on top of her head. 'Don't say that, Gabby. We're meant to be. You and me.'

Troy smiled at his words and her reaction. She wrapped her arms around his waist.

'Just you and me…' He said.

This was it! Hope you liked it! Please comment.

Wriiten by Kelram101 on youtube.