Author Note: Okay, so this is SERIOUSLY overdue, i am SO sorry, guys! I've just had a ton of rubbish to get out of the way at Uni but now that i'm home for Easter i should have more time. Not that i don't have like ten assignments to do for when i go back in May. It sucks. Believe me.
Anyway, now that i finally have this typed up (i actually wrote it the same time i posted the last chapter =S) i'm gonna post it before i friggin' forget! This chapter was inspired by, and is dedicated to, my good friend, FaberryAchelefan16. She, like most of us, went through some crap because of who she is, it sucks but it inspired me to write this chapter and start dealing with some issues within my story/ies. So thank you. You're awesome to talk to and a rockin' writer (seriously, go look her up if you haven't already!), keep being you and everything will work out, i just know it.
Anywho, enjoy =)
Disclaimer: I don't own a thing. It's very annoying.
Chapter 11
Kelsi finally found me as I was heading out the main doors of the school.
"Gabs! Where the hell have you been?" she was red and having trouble getting her words out. "I've been looking everywhere for you… Gabs?" she narrowed her eyes at me, at the smile that had appeared on my face.
"Sorry, Kels, I had something I had to do."
"Oh. And you're okay?" I nodded. "Well… that's good then."
"Sorry for worrying you. How about we get out of here?" she said nothing for a long moment, just scrutinised me, waiting for me to crack under the pressure. But I wasn't going to. I really was fine.
"Sure thing. C'mon."
I spent the rest of the evening with Kelsi, laughing, talking, eating unhealthy amounts of chocolate… you know, normal teenager stuff… stuff I didn't do often enough. My Mom was surprised to see me so happy, but covered it well by handing me a list of chores to do.
It was almost ten by the time I'd finished everything, even with Kelsi's help it had taken a good few hours. I was just taking the last of the trash out when a car pulled up outside our house.
"Gabriella." I froze; sure my mind was playing some sort of twisted trick on me. "Gabbie, please turn around." Nope. It was real. She was here.
I turned slowly afraid that if I made any sudden movements I'd wake up from whatever crazy, chocolate induced dream I was in.
"What are you doing here, Sharpay?"
"I came to see you."
"Really? So you didn't just happen to be out for a drive and somehow found yourself in my neighbourhood and thought you'd come stamp on my heart some more?"
"No."
"Oh."
"To tell you the truth, Gabs, I'm not completely sure why I'm here."
"Good to know."
"No- Gabs, just listen. It's my turn to say my piece now." I sighed but leant back against the wall of my house, arms crossed and waited.
She took a deep breath. "What you said today, it was true. All of it. I was using you, you were just something else to amuse me, pass the time. But-"
"Not really helping your case here!"
"But!" she took a step forward, hand held up wanting me to wait, to just listen. "It didn't take long for me to realise it was something more. It had turned into more than just a game, a way for me to get revenge or have a hold over you. I actually cared about you, I still do!" As she'd been talking my eyes had gradually drifted down to her lips and I found myself longing for her. But I quickly shook myself out of it. "Gabs, please, you have to believe me!" She started to reach for me, but we were still too far apart. "That morning you called me, I'd been sat up all night thinking about you, longing to text you but I didn't want to scare you, or… or show you how scared I was. But when I heard your voice it just… didn't matter so much and I was happy. It's as simple as that, Gabs. You make me happy!"
I hadn't moved all the while she'd been speaking and I still didn't now. I just watched her, as if I was waiting for something, for her to crack, or for me to suddenly wake in bed or… something. I tensed as she made her way over to where I stood.
"Gabs, I'm begging you. You have to believe me. I miss you. Just standing here in front of you now, not being able to touch you, to kiss you…" My eyes flickered to her lips again and I felt the pull. "It makes my stomach hurt and my head feel all clouded, I miss you that much."
"…You finished?" she opened her mouth to say more but nodded instead. "Good. Now I want you to leave." Her mouth fell open again as she tried to find the words. "Sharpay, you can say whatever you want, but it still won't change the facts. I want someone I can be myself with, someone I can laugh and kiss and hold hands with. Someone who is as proud to be with me as I am to be with them. And that isn't you."
"G-Gabs, wait-" she grabbed my arm as I turned to go back inside.
"You're shallow and selfish and you care way too much what everyone else thinks. You want to be different, to stand out, and take the lead. But that couldn't be further from who you really are." I pushed myself away from the wall again and squared up to her this time. "You're just a scared little girl still hiding behind the image that she's created. The perfect girl. The girl all the guys want to be with and the girls all want to be like. But that isn't you. So unless you figure out who you really are and what you really want, I can't be with you."
I pushed past her and headed back inside. But something stopped me before I could open the front door. I let my feet retrace their steps and come to a stop in front of her again. Even in the dim light of the street lamps I saw the tears. She didn't make a sound as they made patterns down her cheeks and mingled with the dirt below.
I cupped her chin and made her look up at me. " It's not easy. It took me such a long time to figure it out. But now that I have, I'm so much happier. I like who I am, I don't care what people say. Of course it gets to me sometimes; there are a lot of small minded people out there. And there's always going to be. But if it feels right in your heart, then it must be right."
I kissed her gently on the forehead and wrapped her in a tight hug. Even with everything she's done, how much she's hurt me; I still can't seem to hold it against her. Guess love really does triumph over everything.
"You okay, Sweetie?" My Mom and Kelsi stood in the doorway watching me. I hadn't even heard the door open. I'd been sat on our front lawn for a while, just looking up at the sky, watching the stars wink at me listening to the voice of the night as everything powered down ready to sleep.
I felt someone sit down to my left, as an arm wrapped round my shoulders and pulled me into them. "I'm so proud of you, Gabriella Montez."
"Me too." I felt Kelsi sit down on the other side of me and squeeze my hand. I linked my fingers with hers and held on tight.
"You are so brave, standing up to her like that. Sometimes we have to be cruel to be kind."
"I didn't want to be cruel. I just want her." I felt Kelsi massaging circles into my hand with her thumb; it was rather hypnotic and soothing.
"I know you do, baby girl. But you don't want to be hurt any more, do you?" I shook my head. "Then what you did was for the best. Until she figures out what she wants it's a good idea to stay away and just leave her be." I glanced over at Kelsi who smiled gently.
I hated hurting Sharpay, but I'd finally done it. I'd finally told her everything and in a strange way I felt so much better for it. Like the fog that had been clouding my mind had cleared and that god awful weight in my stomach had just vanished. I felt light and free.
I just wish I didn't miss her so fucking much. She'd left without another word, just got in her car and driven away. "Everything always seems better in the morning, Gabs." Kelsi leant her head on my shoulder as my Mom kissed the top of my head. "You'll see."
Author Note: Thanks for reading, guys, review and lemmie know what you think =) i know it's a bad thing to think but is it worth continuing? I've kinda fallen into a writing funk and since i'm so obsessed with Glee atm it's kinda hard to write for any other fandom =S sucks, i know, but anyway. Just lemmie know and i swear i shall do my utmost to finish it =)
Peace Out all.