A/N: I'm back! I've been so busy lately that it's ridiculous. My other stories are currently on hiatus but I decided to work on a new one. As you know, I am heavily inspired by music, so this story will be heavily influenced by the song "Tiny Vessels" by Death Cab for Cutie and also "Sakura Drops" by Utada Hikaru. It will be pretty dark AND GRAPHIC and will involve themes of a very dark nature and character OOC, due to outside influences. If you dislike that, please do not read, I'd hate to make a reader feel bad or down. Reader discretion is advised. Thank you for your time and at least clicking on this story.
Warning: I do not own the song "Sakura Drops" by Utada Hikaru
Beautiful Bruises
Chapter 1: The Battered Blonde
"Why have I suffered
Almost the same blows such countless times?
But even so, I'll probably fight again
That is one of life's mysteries"
Troy Bolton dashed down the court, faking left to avoid a member of the other team, and sliding past him with ease.
The crowd began to cheer as the buzzer neared ten seconds and Troy made a mad dash for the hoop at the other end of the court.
His team was down by two points. He needed to make this three pointer. He HAD to! His whole team was depending on him. Hell, his spot on the team depended on this.
Troy stopped at the three point line, dribbled twice, and jumped, the ball rolling off of the tips of his fingers towards the hoop.
As the buzzer hit zero and Troy's feet touched the slick and waxy floor of the basketball court, he felt his heart twist into knots.
It had to go in.
It had to go in.
It had to-
The ball bounced off of the rim and dropped back down to the court.
"NO!" Troy cried out, his aqua eyes shining with tears of frustration and disappointment.
The other team rejoiced and began high fiving in excitement. One person bumped into him and Troy angrily shoved him off and then placed his muscular arms behind his head and sighed, still staring at the hoop and trying to figure out how it was possible that he missed the shot.
"Hey, nice job Bolton. We need to play against you more often, you make it so easy to win" The same player who bumped into him joked and Troy saw red.
"SHUT UP!" He cried out as he lunged for the player.
Before he knew what was happening, everyone was fighting and hitting him and he was on the ground. He heard voices and yells and he was being hoisted to his feet.
His best friend, Chad Danforth, brushed him off and examined him.
"Thanks" Troy murmured and Chad nodded.
"It's what brothers are for" Chad smirked. Chad had long, curly brown hair that sat around his face, but tonight it was pulled back into a ponytail so other players wouldn't grab on it during the game. He had caramel colored skin and hazel eyes.
Compared to Troy's somewhat light tan skin and chestnut surfer boy haircut, it was obvious that they were not genetically related, but it's not all about blood.
"You want to come out to eat with me and Taylor tonight?" Chad offered but Troy just shook his head. He always blamed himself too much to actually go out after a loss.
"Come on, man. Your wife and my wife love hanging out and it would cheer-"
"I said no!" Troy interrupted, his voice harsh.
Chad lifted up his hands in surrender. Troy was moody sometimes and Chad didn't want to just upset him more.
With a sigh Chad left for the locker room and Troy sighed as he left. He knew he was being an asshole but no one understood what it was like. This was a professional basketball team, they got paid good money, but they wouldn't if they kept losing.
And it was Troy that was causing the losses.
He needed some relief.
…
Troy pulled his fire red BMW into the driveway, right beside his wife's magenta Chevy Sonic. It was so loud, so colorful, and so obnoxious, just like she was.
Troy sighed as she got out of the car and slammed the door, the windows shaking from the force. He walked inside of the mansion to find it lit up.
"WHY ARE ALL THE DAMN LIGHTS ON?!" Troy called out, but he received no answer.
He didn't need one. She had all the lights on because she knew he hated it. She was evil like that.
Troy walked to the office and opened up the safe that was under his desk.
He needed some relief. He needed it now.
He grabbed a bag of white powder and a large bottle of Everclear and sat down at his desk.
They made him like this.
…
Sharpay happily walked through the house, her pink stilettos clicking on the polished hardwood floors.
Her perfectly styled blonde hair bounced with every step she took and she smiled as she went on the search to find her husband.
Her make-up was perfectly applied, her body was thin and toned, and she wanted to congratulate her husband on his game.
They may have lost, but it was only by two points, and he played like a champion. After all, he was the one that scored about 80% of the points.
She knew, however, that he would be blaming himself as usual for some odd reason and she wanted to cheer him up, so besides her stilettos and the large fur jacket she wore, she had nothing else on.
"Troy?" Sharpay called, worry starting to crease her brow. She knew that she had heard him come in.
Sharpay suddenly stopped in her tracks.
The office… She hoped that he had not gone into the office.
"TROY!" She cried out in alarm as she ran as fast as she could down the circular stone staircase and towards the office.
He promised her that he wouldn't ever do those things again. He promised!
Sharpay felt her heart rise to her throat as she finally got to the office and yanked on the door. It was locked.
"Troy. Baby, it's me. Please open the door. Troy! Troy!" Sharpay cried as she yanked on the door.
After what felt like centuries, the door was flung open and Troy stood there, his face pasty, his nose red, and his eyes shifty.
His shirt was off and his basketball shorts hung haphazardly around his waist.
"Troy, are you ok-?" Sharpay started to say but his fist connected with her cheek before she could get the sentence out.
Not again, not again, she thought as she crashed to the floor with a yelp.
"I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU DO THINGS, LIKE LEAVE ALL THE LIGHTS ON, TO ANNOY ME!" He cried out as she looked up at him from the floor, her pretty face already swelling.
"Troy, I've told you before, but I leave the lights on because this house is huge and I get scared at night." She whimpered from the floor.
As she tried to crawl to the wall and use it as support so that she could stand, her robe fell open and Troy cocked his head to one side.
"Why are you naked?! WHO HAVE YOU BEEN WITH?! IS HE STILL HERE?! YOU SLUT! I'M WORRYING ABOUT MONEY TO MAKE YOU HAPPY AND YOU'RE WITH SOMEONE ELSE!" Troy screamed at her as he grabbed her shoulders and slammed her into the wall over and over again until her head rattled.
"IT WAS FOR YOU! I WAS TRYING TO SURPRISE YOU!" Sharpay tried to explain as he pushed her towards the steps.
Sharpay backed up slowly as Troy continued to advance on her. He was silent and Sharpay knew that when he got quiet, things only got worse.
"Please" Sharpay begged as she started backing up the stairs.
"I will call the cops" She threatened and he stopped walking towards her.
Sharpay felt relief floor through her. He stopped-
Suddenly he lunged for her and Sharpay turned and dashed up the stairs, her heels clacking against the stone.
Troy reached out and grabbed onto her foot and pulled, and Sharpay, in her high heels, lost her footing. She fell face first and she felt her head connect with the edge of the stone step.
…
Sharpay woke up on her bed, her head throbbing and her face swollen still. She didn't know how long she had been unconscious, but it wasn't for long because all that could be seen from the windows in the master bedroom was darkness.
Sharpay rose up to look around and she screamed when she saw Troy standing at the foot of the bed, his chest heaving as he huffed and puffed.
"NO!" She protested but she knew this part was unavoidable, so, she just screamed.
…
Sharpay awoke the next morning to two pain pills and a large cup of water on the nightstand beside her bed.
She took them greedily, the pain she felt was almost unbearable.
With a lot of effort, she dragged herself out of bed. She was dressed in an oversized t-shirt and pajama pants.
It would have been a sweet gesture, but it wasn't. And Sharpay had had enough. She was going to call the cops.
The sweet young man from high school, who was so kind to everyone and only wanted to do the right thing, was gone.
She hoped that he was still in that monster who struggled with drugs and alcohol, and that's why she stayed at first but no more.
As she walked towards the home phone (it was an old rotary phone that sat in the parlor) she realized that she would have to try and find her cell phone eventually, for she could not find it, but she had a plan and she knew if she put it off, she wouldn't do it. Just like the first time.
She was walking towards the phone when she noticed her reflection in a hallway mirror.
Her face was bruised and her cheek so swollen that it was shut. There was a large lump on her forehead from where it connected with the step, and her back and thighs were covered in purple and yellow bruises.
She used to think that her bruises were beautiful somehow. A way for him to express his love for her.
Now she knew that was sick, and she knew she had to do something.
Just as she reached for the phone, she saw a note.
Hands shaking feverishly, she picked it up.
"Sharpay:
Troy called me last night, sobbing.
He told me what happened and I am so very sorry.
You tried to tell us once and we didn't believe you.
When he told me, I got very upset and Taylor and I came over and he showed us what he did to you.
He said he had to stop, that it's been going on for years, and he needs help.
So, we took him to rehab.
Still, I think you need to do what you think is right.
If you want to call the police, then do it.
It's your choice.
I left the name of the rehab center, his patient ID, and the phone number at the bottom of this note.
Sharpay we love you, and we are here for you.
We are so sorry, but you don't have to forgive us.
Just know that Troy is getting the help he needs.
With you always,
Taylor and Chad Danforth"
Sharpay couldn't hold back her sobs.
She knew deep down that Troy had real problems and needed help. She also knew that Troy never cared for her, his heart had always belonged to another. She knew that the Troy she used to know would never hurt her either.
So, she was left with a decision.
Did she call the police, or let Troy heal?
A/N: Welp… that escalated quickly and was so very dark. If ya'll don't like it, you know I'll take it down and do something else. Thank you for at least reading it, thank you so much, I really appreciate it. After five reviews, if ya'll want more, I'll start a new chapter. Love ya!