I don't own anything.
A/N: Alright it's time for another update but first off let me thank my reviewers from last week; Sasural, MissMercedesJade, jinidu93, chaylorXtraylorlover, HeartsWereNeverMeantToRace, Ash8495, chaylorfan, Aipom4, NaeNae1495, traylorlove, You knoe me, boycrazii98 and Tina. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter and please remember to Review.
BabyS
Chapter Two
Releasing a painful groan, Troy pushed his chair back from the table and clutched his head in-between his hands. He was so close to screaming from memory overload that he didn't know what to do. Taylor had been sitting next to him as he tried to finish his math homework calmly going over whatever it was that she did when she assigned him something to do by himself. After a few minutes, when Troy felt like he was finally calming down, he opened his eyes and took a peek over at Taylor and found her now sitting back in her chair watching him with an amused look in her eyes. "You okay over there?" she asked as he just shook his head and released a tired sigh before leaning back in his chair and just staring down at his work like it was something horrible. Taylor studied him for a moment and just smiled. "It's not going to get you." she stated with a soft chuckle as she looked over at him. Troy sighed then and looked over at her.
"I know right," he murmured back softly. "It's just that I need a break man." he whispered as he wiped his hands over his face. Taylor looked at him and then over to her work and nodded her head, reaching out she pushed her papers away from her and then looked back over at him.
"I guess you're right, maybe we should take a break. Sometimes I just get so caught up in what I'm doing that I forget not everyone can work like I do." Troy sent her a look while rising an eyebrow at her words.
"So what is it, you just love to study huh. You just get-."
"I'm not that much of a geek Troy," she quickly replied as she looked over at him and fingered her notebook. "I just like to get things done you know. If I start a homework assignment I want to get it finished before I move onto anything else." she stated with a small sigh as she finished her sentence. Troy looked at her for a moment and sighed.
"Just to let you know I wasn't calling you a geek." Troy replied thinking that maybe Taylor needed to know that. Turning towards her slightly in his seat, he looked over at her. "I was merely suggesting that you got lost in things," he paused then and closed his eyes angry at himself over his choice of words which he felt were weak and awkward. "What I mean is-well-I kinda know how that is and stuff." He could see that he had gained Taylor's interest.
"Oh really and what exactly do you get lost in?" she asked softly, Troy crossed his arms over his chest and just looked down for a moment, as he tried to remember what it was that he could find himself getting lost in. Basketball, was one of the first things that came to mind immediately, but he didn't feel like acknowledging that. Taylor sighed for a moment and then nodded her head in understanding. "I'm sorry you don't have to talk about it." she whispered as she reached out and placed a hand on his arm. Troy looked down at the hand on his arm and then back up at her, surprised by the way touch made him feel.
"It's okay." he answered back, Taylor looked into his eyes for a few more minutes before removing her arm and sitting back in her seat for a moment. They both sat there silently just enjoying the peace before she clasped her hands together in front of her and realized a soft sigh.
"Let's take a snack break." she stated brightly as she looked at him. Troy glanced over at her and nodded his head in agreement as he felt his stomach clench at the word snack.
"Now you're talking my language, um we can eat here or in the living room wherever you want." he said as he pushed his chair back and stood up from the table. "I'll go and get us some snacks, is bottle water okay with you."
"It's fine." Taylor replied as he disappeared out of the room. She could hear him rummaging around in the kitchen, but for the most part she remained where she was. After a few minutes, Troy looked into the dining room his arms loaded down with snack food and two bottles of water.
"I guess we'll be eating in here."
"Let's move to the other end of the table so we can eat and not have to worry about having some freak accident that will ruin our papers." Taylor just nodded and pushed her seat back as Troy headed towards the other end of the table. Once they were seated, Troy pointed to each snack food he had brought out with him and named them for Taylor who just nodded and quickly grabbed up a pair of chips and a bottle of water. Troy had also grabbed a bag of chips and at them for a little while before speaking up. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Why are you in the therapy group, I mean I know why but-." she raised a hand and shook her head as she picked up her bottle of water and took a generous sip.
"I'm in the group because like you," she paused and just shook her head. "I lost my father too." she admitted softly. "So I guess I know what you're talking about." Troy studied her for a bit not really sure what he wanted to ask her next. After a few minutes, he sighed and looked back down at the table.
"I'm sorry for your lost." he stated softly, the potato chip in his mouth suddenly becoming to hard to swallow.
"And I'm sorry for yours." she replied back just as softly. Setting his bottle down, Troy focused on her for a moment, before shaking his head.
"Let's move on to something else, less heavy." he muttered as he met her gaze from across the table.
"Like what?" she asked softly as she looked at him. Troy ran a hand through his hair for a moment before saying.
"One of the things I can get lost in is um, music." he admitted, as he thought about the times when his thoughts and memories were so loud that the only thing that could effectively drown them out was his music.
"Really and what do you play?"
"My CDs," he paused and released a chuckled and Taylor quickly joined in. "But seriously I don't play an instrument but I can sing." Taylor quirked her lips up into one of the cutest smiles he had ever seen.
"Impressive." she replied with a nod of her head. "I play music too, that's something else I get lost in, I mean really lost in."
"So do you play any instruments."
"A violin." she replied with a sigh. "I've played that since I was about-well since I could pick it p and take lessons."
"So basically forever." Troy replied with a smile unaware that there was a twinkle in his eye that hadn't been there before. Taylor just nodded her head at his words and blushed in embarrassment.
"Yeah, basically forever." she stated with a small smirk. "Maybe one day I can play my violin and you can sing a song."
"Only if you write it." Troy replied back with a smirk as he looked at her. Taylor just smiled and shook her head.
"I don't know if you'll like it but I'm gonna to hold you to that." she replied with a brief smile. Troy returned the smile and took a sip of his drink, glad that she was actually in his life. He had forgotten what it was like to have his friends around. Ever since his father passed away, he had all but locked himself inside his own little world not willing to let them in under any circumstances. So he was glad he had Taylor here with him at the moment, not only playing the part of tutor but also trying to be his friend.
"I'll be looking forward to it." he replied with a small smile, just as Taylor's phone started to ring. Reaching down she pulled it out and looked at the time and winced.
"Dang, it's eight."
"Time flies." Troy replied as he pushed himself out of his seat, so he could help Taylor pack up her laptop bag like he did every day when it was time for her to leave. Taylor sent him a look over her shoulder before grinning.
"Please you weren't having fun." Troy glanced at her as he picked up some of her books and placed them into her laptop bag. Was he having fun? Meeting her gaze, he slowly nodded his head as he stood up.
"I was, when we were talking and it wasn't so heavy," he paused and nodded his head. "So, yeah I enjoyed myself. I haven't done that in awhile and you-."
"You don't have to say anything I really get it." She stated as she offered him a comforting smile. As she reached out for her laptop bag handle. Troy took a step back and shook his head, as he looked at her.
"Now you know I carry this out for you. Do we really have to go over this every time." he asked with a smirk, Taylor sighed and just shook her head. She wasn't use to anyone carrying things for her except her late father. Heck, what she was used to was everyone going about their business even as they saw her struggling to carry things out of the school.
"No, I guess we don't." she replied as she grabbed her purse and jacket instead, as they made their way towards the door, Taylor looked up at him and sighed.
"Will you be at the group meeting this Friday." Troy opened the door while slowly nodding his head at her question.
"Yeah, I'll be there save me a seat." he said as he turned a looked at her. Taylor nodded as he stepped outside and walked her to the car parked in the driveway.
"Sure I'll save you a seat." she replied as an elderly black man exited the car and like always he took Taylor's bags from Troy and placed them in the backseat. The man offered Troy a quick nod of his head before opening the door for Taylor who gave Troy one last wave and slipped in the car. Heading back inside, Troy wondered about Taylor's lifestyle. He hadn't really thought about it before but she had to be rich especially since she always had a driver to pick her up and take her places. Massaging the back of his neck, he looked towards the doorway and saw his mother standing there.
"She seems like a nice girl." Lillian Bolton admitted as she looked at her son, Troy could only nod his head in agreement before saying.
"Yeah, she's cool." he admitted softly. As he stepped into the house, once his mother stepped back to allow him entry. Closing the door behind him, he sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. He knew Taylor would want him to get things done so the next time she came over they could move forward with his work. "You know what Mom, let me get some of this work finished and-." Lillian nodded her head, but the look in her eyes told Troy that she was disappointed in something. "Mom what is it?"
"I was hoping you could watch a movie with me." Troy's eyes widened in surprise. It was Thursday and this had always been his parents' thing. They would watch the new premiere of a movie on their favorite movie channel. They had done that for as long as he could remember. Troy glanced towards the dining room where his homework was, and then back at her. "Sure what's coming on tonight?" he asked softly as he looked towards his mother.
"Avatar." she stated with a soft smile.
"Alright then, I can always finish my homework later." he replied with a shrug as he allowed his mother to lead the way into the living room. As Troy settled down on the sofa beside his mother, he silently made a vow to himself that he would be there for her, and that maybe this Thursday movie thing could now be a mother-son thing for awhile. He didn't like seeing her suffer, and if spending a little time in front of the television would help him not see her suffer, then he'd do it.
Troy had never been so scared in his life, he rushed into the hospital very much aware that most of the basketball team that had been at the party were on his heels. Looking around for an information desk, he saw his mother sitting in a chair all by herself off to the side silently crying. Running over to her as fast as he could, called out her name. "Mom!" he shouted out, she looked up at him and then bolted up from the chair. As soon as he reached her he pulled her into a tight hug as she clung to him crying.
"Oh Troy thank God you're here." she whispered softly as she looked up at him. Troy looked down at her and then over towards the doors that led to the emergency room. Lillian followed his gaze and sighed. "He was in bad shape, they thought it was better if we wait out here. They told me that as soon as he's stable, they'll move him into a better room."
"What happened?" he gasped out, as his throat constricted and his eyes filled with tears that he knew he couldn't shed because he had to be strong for his mother. Lillian looked up at him and then shook her head tears falling down as she thought about her husband.
"A drunk driver, hit him on the way home." she whispered as she looked at him. Troy closed his eyes, silently cursing whoever it was that had been drinking and driving. Cursing that person to the deepest pit of hell.
"He's going to be okay Mom." he stated firmly needing to convince himself. Lillian just hugged him to her and nodded her head.
"Of course he will, you're father's a fighter. He'll be fine." she whispered. Troy glanced over his shoulder at the rest of the guys who had come to the hospital and saw that they were all sitting around the room silently watching them and waiting on news about his father.
"Come on Mom have a seat." he whispered as he led her back to the chair she had been sitting in before he had arrived. Once she was seated, he quickly took up space in a chair beside her and waited thinking over his father's current situation. How could this have happened? He asked himself as he took a glance towards the doors that housed his father on the other side. He thought that all over as he sat there in his seat by his mother, and after a while he finally figured it all out. His father was in this situation because of him. Normally, his father would have stayed in the gym with him for a little over an hour after practice going over whatever he thought they needed to go over.
Troy looked up as the door to his room opened and his mother peeked her had inside, "Are you okay?" she asked her son softly, Troy looked down for a moment hoping that she wouldn't see the truth in his eyes. Once he was sure he had masked it properly he looked back up at her.
"I'm fine Mom, what is it?" he asked softly as he leaned back against the headboard of his bed and looked at her for a moment. Lillian stepped into the room and looked at him for a moment and then took a look around the room. She could tell that her son had taken some of his awards and trophies down that he had gotten from playing basketball, but she figured that it was his way of coping.
"I was just coming up here to tell you that it's almost time for your session," she stated as she pointed towards his nightstand clock. He glanced at it as she continued. "You don't want to be late do you." she asked as she looked at him. Troy just shook his head and turned off the music that he had been listening to earlier.
"No I don't." he answered as he thought about the fact that Taylor was suppose to be holding a seat for him today. He certainly didn't want to be late and have her give it away to someone else, but even as he thought that over, he had to shake his head at that. She wouldn't do something like that, not after she had given him her word. Taylor wasn't like that, he might not have known her for long but he was pretty sure that she wouldn't go back on her word. Pushing himself off his head, he looked towards his mother and spoke up quickly. "Give me a minute, Mom. I just need to change clothes and then we can go alright." Lillian only nodded her head and quickly left the room. Troy quickly made his way to his closet and pulled out some of his clothes. It barely took him fifteen minutes before he was bounding down the stairs. "Alright let's go." he called as he landed on the landing at the end of the stairs. It took another twenty minutes before his mother pulled up in the parking lot of the area where he was suppose to have group sessions. Opening the door, he quickly told his mother good-bye and then hurried inside. As he entered the room, he spied Taylor in her usual seat with her leg thrown over one to her right. Walking over to her, he graced her with a small smile as he tapped her leg with his finger.
"Is this seat for me or your leg?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, Taylor smiled and quickly sat up correctly while looking at him.
"It's for you," she stated with a smile as she looked at her phone. "You're early."
"I thought since I had you here holding my spot that I should come early instead of lazing around like I normally do." he stated glad that for the time being, he could dwell on her instead of how he had his and his mother's life a living hell.
"Oh I see, well maybe I should save you a seat every week if it guarantee's your early arrival." Troy settled down into the seat and shrugged his shoulders as he looked at her.
"Maybe you should." he admitted with a nod of his head. "So how was your day?" he asked as he looked at the other teenagers either quietly talking amongst themselves or just sitting down and messing with their phones. Taylor followed his gaze, and spoke up.
"Oh the usual studying and trying not to let-" she paused and shook her head. "It was the usual day." she finally stated with a sigh as she looked over at Troy wondering if he had heard her slip. Unfortunately for her, he did. Troy turned to give her a look before shaking his head.
"What was that bit about trying not to, um. . ." he paused and rolled his finger through the air as he looked at her. "What exactly were you trying not to do." Taylor's eyes widened in surprise as she looked away from him for a moment.
"It's nothing Troy."
"Right." he drawled out with a roll of his eyes. "It's nothing huh, sure it is." he stated with a shake of his head. "You might as well tell me now cause I don't see myself dropping this line of questioning anytime soon." he stated seriously as he looked at her, Taylor met his gaze for only a second before looking towards the door as Dr. Patterson walked in ready to start the session. Troy glanced at Dr. Patterson too, but unlike Taylor whose gaze held nothing but relief in it, his gaze held annoyance. Leaning towards Taylor he spoke to her quickly. "This isn't over." Taylor only sent him a look before didn't say anything further.
Sitting back, Troy watched as Dr. Patterson walked over to the group and sat down in his usual chair at what Troy could only think to call the head of the circle. The man looked at everyone and when his eyes landed on him, Troy could see the shock in his eyes. Since he had always sat away from the group since day one. Dr. Patterson's gaze lingered on him for a beat longer before turning back to everyone else. "Glad to see everyone today," he stated with a small smile. "Let's get started shall we." Troy gave the man his attention fully aware that once this whole session was over he'd be talking to Taylor about what she hinted at today. Settling back in his chair, Troy watched as Dr. Patterson started the session by introducing two more teenagers into the group and then the real session started, thankfully Dr. Patterson avoided him probably because he didn't want to make him go back to the way he had been before. Once the session was over, Troy reached out quickly and latched onto Taylor's arm just as she bolted up from her seat. Looking up at her, he studied her for a moment before nodding his head towards the chair she had just left.
"Troy we don't have to talk about any of this?"
"You're my friend and I want too." he admitted aloud, after the last two weeks he was almost positive that was how he felt. She understood him, he didn't need to explain anything to her because she got it. Unfortunately, she had to go through the same thing too. She had lost someone she cared about as well. That alone made him cling to her, he needed a friend someone who would understand him and allow him to recover at his own pace. He wasn't so sure his friends back at school would do so, they would want things to be back to normal and until that happened they would be walking around as if one egg shells till it happen and he didn't want to be apart of that. Glancing back up at her, he saw that she still hadn't moved. "Go ahead tell me what happen?" he asked as he looked up at her wanting to know what had made her day usual. What horrible thing had been happening to her on a regular basis that she would deem it usual.
"It's really not that bad and I don't know why you're getting so upset." Troy sighed and just fixed her with a stare. After a few moments, Taylor pinched the bridge of her nose and settled down into the chair she had gotten out of earlier.
"Just some normal teasing that's all." she admitted with a frown, but Troy could see the tears in her eyes as she spoke.
"Do you always try to play it off?" he asked softly as he looked back at her, unable to stop the protective feeling that surged to left within him. "I mean it's obvious since the moment that you mentioned it that this hurts you."
"I'm used to it, Troy." she countered a shake of her head as she looked at him. "So please let's just drop it alright."
"I don't think I can do that, tell me who is it and I'll make a few calls maybe even get them to back off and-." Taylor looked at him for a moment and then shook her head.
"It's just the same old high school," she paused as Mr. Patterson walked over to them. Telling them that he'd be in his office and that when they were done talking just to give him a holla. Once he was locked away in his office, Taylor turned back towards Troy. "It's just the same old high school bs, Troy. Nerds and Geeks get picked on by the more popular students. I mean it's just a way of life."
"Maybe," Troy stated as he looked at Taylor for a moment. "But it won't be that way for you." He snapped as he thought over the fact that someone was actually trying to make Taylor's life a living hell. He could see it in her eyes, that's exactly what she thought. The only emotion he could correctly identify was the one of anger. He was angry that someone was picking on her. Picking on the person, that had with their presence made his life a little more bearable. Standing up, he looked down at her for a moment before holding out his hand to help her up. "Come on let me walk you to your car." Taylor quickly accepted just as Troy shouted towards Mr. Patterson's door that they were leaving.
"What are you going to do?" she asked, Troy looked over at her for a brief moment before reaching out to open the door that led to the parking lot.
"I'm going to take care of it." he admitted with a shrug. "I have a few friends I can call that can handle the problem for you. They're nice guys so I'm pretty sure they'll do it." he stated with a shrug.
"You'd do that for me."
"Yeah, I would." he said as he motioned towards her car. "Go on, I'll see you Monday afternoon right." he asked referring to their next tutoring session. Taylor only nodded her head at that and then slipped into her car. Troy watched it drive away, and then quickly looked around for his mother's car. Spotting it over near the far end of the parking he quickly made his way over. Slipping into the car, he quickly buckled his seatbelt as his mother looked out the window.
"Was that your tutor?"
"Yeah, that's Taylor." Troy stated, his mother could only nod her head then, backed out of the parking space. Lillian slowly merged into traffic while looking over at her son who was silently leaning back in his seat.
"So are you two friends now?" she asked as she looked over at him briefly, before yanking her head towards the road so she could pay attention the coming traffic. Troy didn't look at his mother, instead he focused on the cars in front of them.
"Yeah we are," he stopped for a moment and then looked at his mother. "We have a lot in common and talking to her is easy." he admitted softly with a shrug of his shoulder as he glanced back out the window.
"Well that's good," Lillian admitted honestly as she glanced at her son for a moment. "I'm glad to see you coming out of your shell again." Neither one of them had the strength to talk about why he had withdrawn into his supposed 'shell.'
"I wouldn't say I'm coming out of my shell just yet." Troy admitted with a shake of his head as he looked over at his mother for a moment. "I mean let's just say she can get me to come out." Lillian just send her son a look as he said that but didn't comment. Troy satisfied that the conversation was over settled back in his seat and just looked out the window, wondering which one of his friends he was going to call to handle the bullying thing at school.
By the time he had arrived home, he already knew who to call. Getting out of the car, he rushed around to help his mother out of the car and then headed towards the front door. Once his mother was inside the house, he bounded up the stairs pulling out his cell phone as he went. Entering his room, he walked over to his bed and sat down strolling through the names in his contacts until he got to the correct one. He immediately hit the call button and waited for his friend to pick up. After the third ring, the call was answered. "Troy?" the voice called out in surprise over the line. "Man is that really you."
"I know I haven't spoken to anyone in quite some time." he stated with a sigh, hoping that he could just put in his request and hang up the phone. He didn't want to have a conversation that required him to tell the other guy how he was feeling. He didn't want to do that, all he wanted to do was make sure that Taylor never had that look on her face again. His friend wasn't going to look like ever again as far as he was concern.
"I know man and I just want to say-."
"Zeke, I'm calling because I need a favor and you were the only person I could think of that would and could do this favor for me." There was a pause on the other end of the line before Zeke spoke up.
"Man, you know whatever it is I'll do it man, you're my boy." Zeke with conviction, Troy could only nod his head at his words.
"I have a tutor and right now she's getting picked. I mean some guys are making her life a living hell and that needs to stop." he stated, as he felt his earlier anger rising again as he thought about what was happening to Taylor at East High.
"What's her name?" Zeke asked calmly.
"Taylor McKessie." Troy stated, "So can you make sure that it stops?" Troy asked with worry lacing his tone. Tapping his foot on the floor alongside his bed, he eagerly awaited Zeke's answer.
"Yeah man I can make sure that it doesn't happen," Zeke admitted with a sigh. "But you do know that's the older guys on the basketball team that's picking on her and a whole host of other so-called nerds."
"Taylor's not a nerd." Troy snapped out angrily.
"Wasn't calling her one," Zeke quickly stated. "I'm just telling you what's going on. Mark Hudson and his boys have always been messing with people they deem as nerds don't you-." Zeke trailed off, "Look me and the boys will tell them that she is now off limits. I think that should work and if not we'll look out for her between classes and during breaks."
"Thanks Zeke."
"No problem man, anything for a friend." Zeke admitted with a soft chuckle. "So when can we expect to see you back at East High."
"No time soon." Troy rushed out. "I have to go." he didn't even wait for Zeke to say anything else, he just quickly hung up the phone and tossed it across his bed. He watched as he hit his pillow and rested there. Getting up, he quickly walked over to his ipod currently was and picked it up. He was tired and wanted to go to sleep but wasn't going to allow himself to fall victim to dreams that seem to play that night over and over again. Only stopping when his dream self came to the same haunting conclusion. No, he tonight he was going to sleep peacefully or as much as he could. Which was why he needed his ipod to sleep. The music usually masked the dreams.