I don't own anything.
A/N: Alright it's another week and that means it's time for another update but first off I want to thank my reviewers from last week; Aipom4, NaeNae1495, sweetchocolate26, chaylorXtraylorlover, traylorlove and BabyGlover. I hope everyone enjoys the chapter and please remember to Review.
Baby S
Chapter Seven
"You can not be serious?" Taylor mumbled as she looked at Troy who remained seated on the picnic bench facing her. "Leave my home." Troy narrowed his eyes at her words and rubbed the bottom of his chin furiously while resisting the urge to grab hold of her and shake her silly for thinking it was okay to place herself in a situation like this. After a moment, he stopped and gave her a pointed look.
"I'm very serious, just like that hairline fracture on your wrist is." he pointed out with a shake of his head as he stared at her. "I don't know who or what you're protecting but I'm serious here you need to leave the that house and those people behind. You're my friend, Taylor. I didn't ask my boys to be your bodyguards at school only to have you go home at night and get beat up by some sick fuck who enjoys messing with little girls. None of it is right and you shouldn't be forcing yourself to go through this. you should be somewhere safe." he stated firmly as he gave her a look that urged her to act like the smart girl he knew she was capable of being.
"Troy-." she started with a sigh, but Troy quickly stopped her with a shake of his head.
"Look, Bonnie you don't have stay with me. Hell choose some of your other friends if you need to, just make sure you're safe." he stated softly, he gently reached out and touched a hand to her bandaged wrist. "This shouldn't be happening. You shouldn't be dealing with something like this alright." Taylor looked at him for a moment before slowly nodding her head. She understood where he was coming from and she agreed. She didn't need to be dealing with her mother's boyfriend attacking her just because she looked at her mom funny. It seemed like the guy had been searching for a reason and found one last night and her mother didn't care. She just sat there and let him abuse her. She looked back up at Troy and found his eyes glued on hers.
"Well you let me think about this by myself?" she asked as she met his gaze, Troy stared at her for a brief moment before reluctantly nodding his head. She knew he didn't want to agree but knew that her asking for time to think was better than what he had received earlier when he told her his plan of moving out.
"Sure I'll let you think about it, not really sure what there is to think about." he murmured softly as he looked at her.
"There's plenty I'll be changing my life around-."
"From the look of things you're be changing it for the better." he muttered lowly as he sighed again and shook his head. "But fine, if time is what you need to see that staying in that house with them isn't going to work then fine you take that time." he pushed himself off the bench and stood looking down at her. Taylor frowned as she saw the open disappointment in his eyes as he gazed down at her. "But let me tell you something Taylor if anything else happens I will come to your house myself and have a little conversation with this Charles guy about how to treat a woman."
"I don't want you fighting him." Taylor quickly replied, thinking back to the look of pure satisfaction in the man's eyes last night as he attacked her. She didn't want Troy to get hurt because he tried to stand up for her. That would hurt her worst than anything Charles tried to do to her. Troy looked at her as finished her plea and shook his head.
"Then you better home the bastard doesn't give me reason." he muttered as he looked at her. "All I need is one scratch, one little insignificant scratch and I'll assume he hurt you again and I'll take matters into my own hands."
"You can't go around fighting other people's battles."
"I won't be fighting other peoples battles, just yours." Troy stated firmly as he looked at her, before placing his hands on his hips and sighing. He was still trying to calm himself down, something that had become rather difficult especially when he found about Taylor's injury. Taylor wrung her hands together and looked at him before sighing softly.
"I guess we should get back and get to work now that we've had our talk." she suggested, Troy merely shook his head and looked over at her.
"Naw, homework and stuff can wait till tomorrow. I brought you out here so you can have some peace and I intend to do that for you." he stated calmly as he looked at her. "So what do you want to do?"
"Do? What do you mean?" she asked looking at him as if he had grown another head, Troy raised an eyebrow at her words and pointed towards the playground.
"What do you want to do? I can push you on the swings or chase you around or we can just sit here and just enjoy one another's company. Either way, you'll be getting your decent share of peace at least for the remaining amount of time we have before you have to leave." Taylor stared at him, she couldn't believe what he was telling her.
"Are you serious?"
"Very much so," he stated with a grin. Walking over to her, he latched onto her uninjured arm and pulled her towards the swings. "Come on, you look like a swing girl." Taylor just shook her head and allowed him to pull her across the playground. "I haven't pushed a girl on a swing since elementary school but I think I handle it." Taylor just blushed as he led her to the swings and sat her down beside a little girl who was pushing herself on the swings. The little girl looked over at them and wrinkled her nose up.
"Eww! You're gonna let a boy push you on the swings," she paused and leaned towards Taylor and whispered quite loudly. "Are you afraid for cooties?" Taylor released an unladylike snort at the little girl words while Troy just pulled Taylor's swing back and started pushing. He looked at the little girl who who had started back swinging and shook his head. Catching Taylor's swing he pulled it back against his chest and held it there and whispered to Taylor.
"In a few years she won't even think about cooties when she looks at boys." he said on a chuckle as he shook his head while Taylor just shook her head and laughed. Troy released the swing and began pushing again, glad that the frown that had been on Taylor's face when she had walked into his home that afternoon was officially gone. It made him feel good, that he had been able to put her lovely smile back on her face. As far as he was concerned that was the only emotion that needed to be on her face.
Taylor returned home that night at a decent hour, as soon as she entered the house she looked around and noticed that her mother wasn't there and that probably meant neither was Charles. She glanced over her shoulder at Wilson who had insisted on bringing her inside himself no doubt wanting to protect her if they had been there. "It's okay, Wilson. They aren't here. Normally they'd be here waiting on me or something." she replied as she turned back around and gave Wilson a small smile. "So you can go home now."
"Alright but if there is any problem. Anyone at all call me immediately." he said before walking over to her and giving her a quick kiss on the forehead and a hug. Taylor hugged him back while thinking that his words sounded awfully similar to the words Troy spoke before she left that afternoon. Closing the door, she turned around and jumped when she saw Charles now standing in the living room looking at her.
"Sorry didn't mean to scare you." he replied smoothly as he walked towards her. Taylor reached down and picked up her laptop bag and started moving towards the stairs but Charles quickly overtook her and grabbed on to her shoulder easily stopping her in her tracks. Taylor didn't try to move because she was sure he had enough strength to knock her down just by applying pressure to her shoulder. "You know," he whispered as he leaned in towards her ear. "I couldn't help but over hear your conversation with Wilson," he paused and yanked her around so that she was looking up at him. "What's he so worried about?"
"Um!"
"I hope you aren't telling him about things that go on in this house?" he whispered but Taylor could see the anger in his eyes. She moved back as far as he would let her and then stopped and looked up at the man.
"Where's my mother?"
"Why do you care? She doesn't care about what happens to you or about what I'll do to you. She just wants to be with me for my money perhaps but I really don't care about that. As long as I get what I want in return." he whispered again as he looked down at her. "So let's get back to the matter at hand shall we, did you tell that old bastard about what really happened to you."
"No, I just told him I fell down and landed on my wrist awkwardly." she muttered as she looked at him. At her words, Charles released her and stepped back from her and sent her a smile that literally chilled her soul.
"That's a good girl," he turned and started walking away from her. "I wouldn't want to have to provide you with anymore discipline that you probably wouldn't be able to handle." with that said he sent her a wink and just walked away. Taylor stood there looking after him trembling from the encounter. She felt that the conversation might have revealed something to her that she hadn't really thought of before. Something that made her mother's relationship with Charles seem even more sinister and sick. Now she knew for certain that her mother was only with Charles to get back at her and her late father. Taylor didn't spend anymore time downstairs, instead she hurried upstairs to her room and locked the door. As she walked over to her bed, her cell phone rang causing her to jump up in surprise. Reaching down she quickly pulled it out.
"Hello?"
"Taylor is everything okay?" Troy asked over the line in a concern filled voice, Taylor glanced back at the door to her bedroom and sighed.
"I'm as okay as I'll be right now."
"What happened?"
"Nothing."
"Did he touch you?" Troy asked quickly and Taylor was sure she could see him pacing the floor of whatever room he was currently in at the moment. Lowering her head to her free hand, Taylor massaged her temples and spoke up.
"No, he didn't hurt me."
"You aren't answering my question." Troy snapped back heatedly. Taylor frowned for a moment and wondered what Charles would do if incited Troy to anger and got him racing over here to play hero. He'd probably talk her mother into taking her out of school or something. He was rich probably just like her father had been. Who knew how far he was willing to take things.
"Troy I'm fine. He just said some things but he didn't hurt me." Troy released a sigh over the line as Taylor went to sit down on her bed. "There's nothing wrong, nothing to be concerned about." she mumbled over the line. At least until I'm sure my suspicions are proven correct. She could hear Troy groan and heard a bed move.
"Alright but did you think about it?"
"I literally left your house an hour ago." she stated with a soft laugh. "I think you'll need to give me a little bit more time."
"You didn't think about during your ride home." Taylor sighed and just shook her head, of course she wasn't going to think about it inside a car. She needed to pay attention to the road in front of her. Talking had distracted her father and gotten him killed. She didn't talk in the car unless forced to do so by Wilson.
"No I had other things on my mind." There was a pause on the other end of the line before Troy spoke up his voice low.
"I'm sorry I should have-."
"It's okay, Troy really." Taylor replied as she thought about the look that was probably on his face. "Look I have to go to sleep alright, I'll see you tomorrow okay."
"Alright I'll see you tomorrow." he murmured softly. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight." Taylor whispered back before hanging up the phone. Once she did she walked back to the door and made sure it was locked before going back to her bed. As she laid there she thought about what Charles had said again and sighed. Moving out was probably for the best, it would help her avoid whatever it was that he wanted to do to her, but she needed to make sure he couldn't pull her back into the house once she left because she was sure the punishment he would enact on her would be more than she could bare.
"How you feeling?" Sharpay asked the next morning when Taylor entered the school, it was obvious that she was still worried about her friend especially after seeing her injured the yesterday. Taylor sent her friend a smile and gave her a quick one arm hug.
"I'm doing fine, the pain pills the doctor gave me or working out really well." Taylor admitted with a smirk. Sharpay just sighed and shook her head while latching onto her free arm.
"So you told me that you and your boyfriend were having dinner with his mother," Sharpay paused and smiled at the expression on Taylor's face. "How did that go?" The look that Taylor sent her only made her laugh harder as she realized her friend was truly taken back by her words. Sharpay just grinned and rested her head on Taylor's shoulder. "I'm waiting."
"First off he's not my boyfriend?"
"Taylor, I taught we already settled this honey. He asked his friends to make sure that no one bullied you here and then he asked you to dinner with is mother. Meeting the parents has always been a very big step in relationships."
"Oh my god, you're absolutely insane." Taylor muttered as she pinched the bridge of her nose with her free hand, carefully moving her wrist so she wouldn't cause herself any unnecessary pain. She knew now, that she probably shouldn't tell Sharpay or Gabriella about the park incident. They'd just eat that whole incident up and never let her hear the end of it. "How many times do I have to tell you that he isn't my boyfriend."
"I don't know, Tay. Maybe until I believe it." Sharpay countered with a grin as she looked at her friend. "But I'll move on cause I can see that this is making you quite uncomfortable, so I guess you won't be doing much in music class for a few weeks." Taylor looked down at her bandaged wrist and slowly nodded her head.
"Yeah, you guessed right. The doctor told me to take it easy." she replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "And I plan on doing that but that doesn't mean I won't take the time out to write some music every now and again."
"That's good and you know I'll be looking forward to hearing your music. It's always so good." she replied with a sigh as she shook her head. Taylor merely smiled at the compliment before looking down the hallway and seeing Coach Woodson making his way down the hall. Ever since the man had been introduced to the school a few weeks again he had been patrolling the hallways making sure that nothing happened. It seemed that he didn't like the bullying that he had seen taking place in the hallways during his fight week there. He made sure his players didn't partake in the pastime and if he discovered that they did he would suspend them from the time.
"Ladies." Coach Woodson said as he moved pass them, but then stopped. He turned back around and looked at Taylor. "Ms. McKessie how are you feeling?"
"I'm doing fine."
"I hope one of my players didn't cause that." he said as he pointed at her wrist. Taylor looked down at the cast and then back up at him and shook her head.
"No," at his look she sent him a small smile and shook her head. "No, they didn't do it. I merely had an accident." Coach Woodson looked at her for a brief moment before nodding his head.
"Alright then," he murmured. "Did you tell Troy about the ceremony?" Taylor nodded her head rapidly for answering his question.
"Yes I did and he and his mother will be coming to the ceremony." Coach Woodson released a small smile.
"Good. I'm glad to hear that." he admitted, "I hope you to lovely ladies have a pleasant day." he said before turning on his heel and walking down the hall. Sharpay just released a low whistle and shook her head.
"He is so fine."
"And old." Sharpay sent her a look and shook her head. "What he is. Has a family and everything." Taylor stated on a giggle as she looked at the way Sharpay was glaring at her. "Sorry if I messed up your dream on something." she finally stated with a sigh.
"Oh just stop talking, unless you want to talk about your boyfriend." At the look Taylor produced, Sharpay smirked and cocked her head to the side. "That's what I thought."
Taylor spent the rest of the day simply going through the motions, her thoughts mainly on Charles and what she could do to help herself get out of the house. The way he talked about her and his relationship with her mother made it sound like her mother had made some type of deal with him. One that placed her strictly in his clutches. After school was over, Wilson picked her up and dropped her off over at Troy's place. Once she entered the house, Troy pounced on her about the decision that he told her he had to make. "Did you decide yet?" he asked as he took her bag from her hand and led her inside the house.
"Geez, no hello."
"You know I wish you well, Taylor," Troy replied softly as he looked at her. "But this is serious here so what did you decide to do." Taylor glanced at him for a moment remembering the look on Charles' face last night.
"I thought about it and I don't really think I should be-."
"You tell me, you're staying there and I'm going to be mad Taylor." Troy replied with a shake of his head as he looked at her. He glanced over at her and frowned and placed his hands on his hips before shaking his head in disbelief.
"What happened, Taylor?"
"I," she paused and looked down for a moment. "I just need more time okay, Troy." he stared at her for a moment before blowing out a puff of air.
"Fine. . .how about till the end of the week or something, but you seriously shouldn't be dragging your feet about this, Taylor. He already hurt your wrist who knows what will happen if he does something else."
"I know. . .but I just need that time alright Troy."
"Fine, I'll give you that time." he mumbled as he hoisted her bag up and headed towards the dining room. Taylor sighed and followed behind him, wondering if she should tell Troy about the conversation with Charles and how that was keeping her motionless. She paused outside the dining room and looked at him as he sat her bag down and began to pull out her things. As she watched him, she decided that she owed him an explanation, one that explained why she was intent on staying at the house at least for the time being.
"He scares me." she blurted out, Troy paused in his movements and looked up at her. Taylor bit down on her bottom lip and stared at him for a moment before sighing. "He scared the life out of my and I don't know what he'll do if I try to leave." Standing up, Troy studied her for a moment before walking over to her and placing his hands on her shoulders. He rubbed his thumbs over her skin and pulled her to him and held her tightly.
"You don't have to be afraid." he whispered as he lowered his hands so he could rub her back, "It's Charles right that's who you're talking about right."
"Yes, he cornered me last night and said some things. That's why I'm going to take some more time. I don't want to rush into anything cause when I leave I want it to be for real." she whispered as she thought about what Charles could do to her to make that not so. Troy pulled away from her and sighed for a moment.
"So you're really considering leaving."
"I am, but I want to do it right. Cause I don't want to be returned back to that home once I leave, Charles would make sure I regretted it and I don't want to give that bastard the chance." Troy just nodded his head again and pulled her back in his arms. He rubbed his hands up and down her back hoping that he was providing her some type of comfort.
"As long as your considering leaving, is there anything I can do to help you?" he asked as he reached behind him and pulled out a chair. Turning around, he gently forced Taylor to sit down before kneeling down in front of her. "I mean anything."
"I can't really think of anything at the moment, what I really want is for you to be supportive." Troy ducked his head and gave her a slight nod.
"I can do that." he replied with a small grin. Taylor sighed then and looked towards the table at her books.
"Thanks for listening, Troy." she paused for a moment before sighing. "Now how about we get focused on your work, I'm not going to let your progress suffer because of my situation." Troy glared at his books on the table and looked back at her.
"Your safety is more important than my grades, Taylor." he replied with a shake of his head as he looked at her. "You have to know that."
"I do Troy, but sitting around here thinking about that guy isn't going to me any good. It'll just put me in a giant panic attack. I have to focus on something else, anything else alright." she whispered as she looked back up at him. Her eyes pleading for understanding, Troy massaged the back of his neck for a brief moment before reluctantly nodding his head.
"Fine tell me more about World War II." he muttered as he sat down across from her in his normal seat, Taylor looked at him from across the table and shook her head.
"I'm going to do something about this Troy, don't worry okay. I just have to do a few things on my own before I make a move." she replied as she reached across the table and grabbed hold of Troy's hand. He looked down at her small brown hand and turned his hand over so that he was now holding her hand in his.
"Where will you stay once you leave?"
"I'm not sure, I haven't planned that far ahead yet Troy." he rubbed his thumb along the back of her hand while he looked at her.
"I want you to know that you have a place here. We have a free bedroom and I'm sure my mother wouldn't mind especially if she knew your situation and-."
"You haven't told her have you." Troy merely shook his head at that and sighed.
"No I haven't told her about what's going on with you. You wanted me to keep quiet, and I will as long as you do something to keep yourself safe. The moment I think you're just staying there letting that bastard abuse you. I'll be telling the first police officer I see when I walk into the precinct."
"Troy."
"No Taylor," he replied holding up his hand to stop her words. "You know I didn't want to agree to keeping quiet but I did so because you promised me that you would take care of yourself and I'm trusting you with that. The moment I think you're neglecting yourself is the moment I step in with the police at my back."
"Okay fine." Taylor whispered as she released yet another sigh. "Just give me time that's all I'm asking you, and if things don't work out quick enough we'll do it your way." Troy placed his hands on his hips for a moment before slowly nodding his head.
"Fine, I guess I'm just gonna have to settle for that then." he whispered softly as he looked at her. "Just make sure that whatever you do-just be safe alright." he mumbled as he sat back in his chair and flipped open his book. "Alright let's get started." he suggested reluctantly. Taylor watched him for a moment before settled back and opening up her book as well so they could start studying until it was time for her to go. Troy gave her another quick speech about being safe and calling him if anything happened and then reluctantly let her go home with Wilson.
"Troy seems rather upset this evening just like last night." Wilson stated as he pulled away from the Bolton House, Taylor clutched her hands around the seatbelt on her waist and looked ahead at Wilson who hadn't taken his eyes off the road.
"He's just upset."
"About what?" Wilson asked. "Is it about your wrist, did you tell him what really happened to you." Taylor's eyes widened in surprise as she lifted her head to see Wilson's eyes directly on her. "There's no need to lie, Taylor. I can already see that I'm right."
"Wilson I am-."
"Don't apologize to me, Taylor. I know why you did it or at least I suspect why you did it." he said with a shake of his head, Taylor remained silent as he pulled the car over to the side of the room and put it in park. Bowing his head, he rested it against the steering wheel and released a broken sigh. "You should have told me immediately when Whitney began threatening you."
"I wanted too, but I couldn't. She threatened your job and you need this and-."
"Taylor, I'm a grown man. I don't need you protecting me. I should have been protecting you. I've been there for you since the day, you were born. A job is a job but I do see you as a granddaughter. and to think that you were willing to silently suffer because of me."
"Wilson please I-I just didn't know what to do."
"You could have told me," he replied lifting his head to look back at her. "Now tell me who injured your arm was it your mother?" he asked his voice taking on a harsher quality as he thought about the woman who should have never been given the ability to reproduce. Taylor gently touched her cast and looked back up at Wilson who was impatiently waiting on her answer.
"No, it was Charles." she whispered brokenly as she looked at the man who seemed to be struggling with that lone answer, resting his head back on the seat he glared up at the ceiling on the car.
"I'm taking you to the cops right now and we're going to get this all sorted out, meaning that bastard will be in a cell before the night is up." he growled as he turned on the car and pulled off. Taylor shook her head rapidly as Wilson sped down the street.
"No you can't."
"Why the hell not? Taylor I don't know what type of man you think I am but I'm not into letting a man get away with child abuse." he snarled out angrily.
"I'm going to do something about it, Wilson." she whispered softly.
"What are you going to do about it?" he asked still driving to the police station. He wasn't some child and she certainly wasn't going to talk him into waiting like she did that Bolton kid. Now he knew why the boy had been so upset the last few days. Oh he was certainly going to have a talk with the boy the next time he saw him.
"I was going to try and find Mr. Mitchell's contact information. He was daddy's friend and he's a lawyer maybe he could help me."
"What makes you think you'll need a lawyer. The way I see it, Charles is the one that will need a lawyer."
"And he probably will be able to afford one, Wilson. He's rich and I think. . .I think my mother doesn't care what he does to me." Wilson's eyes widened in shock at Taylor's words and he pulled the car to a stop again.
"What did you just say?"
"I don't think she cares about what this man does to me. He hinted at it last night told me. He basically said that my mother was with him for his money and that he didn't care about that at all as long as he got what he wanted in return."
"Why that sick son of a-."
"Can you take me to Mr. Mitchell's office I want to talk to him and see what he says. If I get away from them, I don't want Charles pulling me back into the house cause who knows what he'll do to me then." she muttered as she held her stomach feeling quick sick at the thought. Wilson closed his eyes for a moment, he knew he wasn't to far off from the police station but he also knew how certain things worked. Especially when it came to rich people and their ability to maneuvered themselves out of the law's reach. He hated to admit it but Taylor's was right. If she went to the police with this now, Charles would be arrested and eventually released and he would be livid. The man would probably cut Taylor off from everything and trap her in the house. He'd probably be fired and Taylor wouldn't have anyone in her corner. She'd just be trapped in that massive house with a psychopath and a bitch of a mother. "Wilson, if I'm going to do this. I have to do this right okay." she whispered pleading, he could hear the hope in her voice. The hope that he would understand were she was coming from.
"Fine, but why haven't you called Mr. Mitchell yet?" he asked as he turned on the car and pulled off heading downtown. He knew Mr. Mitchell was probably still in his office and thankfully he hadn't forgotten the way. There had been many days and nights that he had driven Taylor's father to the office.
"I-my mother got rid of his contact information after the reading of the will. She thought he had did something to it. You know messed up what she was suppose to get and at first she didn't believe that my father actually did basically write her out of the will. So she fired him as our family lawyer and then got rid of his contact information. I haven't seen or heard from him-I was going to search her office last night but after that scary conversation with Charles I just went to my room. If he had caught me in my father's office there's no telling what he would do to me."
"Well, we'll be there a matter of minutes. I hope Mr. Mitchell helps you or we'll just have to take our chances with the police."