Thanks so so so much for the reviews guys!! I can't believe I got the last chapter out fast! Please review again everyone! The part after cliffhangers, is the part that I cannot live up to thinking up without help. So sorry if this comes out late!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything (or anyone) you recognize! By the way, the song Erase and Rewind by Ashley Tisdale (both of which I DO NOT own) is a really awesome song! check it out!! It's from her new album, Guilty Pleasure...I really like the new her...its different...
and boy, do I like different
Love ya'll Meet you guys at the bottom.
Good Comes Last
by Laugh, in laughnsmile96
Chapter Eighteen: Erase and Rewind
Guess I should leave this behind
Guess I should erase and rewind
Somehow I cant seem to stay away
I don't want to sound desperate but I am
So come say that you'll come around
Guess I should erase and rewind, erase and rewind
Ashley Tisdale, Erase and Rewind
Troy was left out of everything just as much as he was kept in. His heart was on the edge of a cliff, about to fall off with just the slightest chance of recovery. Troy didn't know what was happening. But once Gabriella connected her eyes with his, the truth was out. She was back. Gabriella knew everything now. Everything Troy was keeping from Gabriella and everything Gabriella had kept from him. All of it was no secret to her anymore.
Jayden held his mother so nothing could ever part them. He still cried helplessly into Gabriella's chest, whimpering words of sorrow to her. She sat on her knees and out her son's head onto her shoulder. And out of utter shock that the secrets of the past had left her with, she cried with him.
"Baby," she soothed her son. "I missed you ,too," they sobbed together, not thinking about anything else but their reunion. The room was silent other then their melancholy wails and everyone else, including Troy, had left the mother and son to be together after months of being apart.
Before anything else, Jayden was put first. The little eight year old boy knew he was doing to die. He knew that he disease was eating up the last of him. All this time, death was vague idea, something distant, but as it came closer and closer the very fact was intolerable.
"It's going to be fine, honey," Gabriella tried to calm him down. "We'll do something," Jayden hiccuped and sniffed like a baby, not in control anymore.
"I don't want to die, mommy," he whispered. Gabriella kissed him on the forehead sincerely.
"Shh, Jay, don't say that. Nothing like that is going to happen, " she bit her lip, controlling tears and trying to stay strong. But truthfully, she was crying inside. Jayden can't die! It was impossible. How could she live without him? Gabriella shook slightly so that her body would relieve the never ending screams of mercy for her child.
"Oh, Jayden," A silent tear slid down her cheek. "No matter what happens, I'll never leave you again, baby. I love you, sweetheart," She was continued to her pray for her son's life.
Troy sat outside of Room 414 with Taylor and Chad. He was quiet, shocked and waiting.
"Excuse us for sometime Troy," Taylor said and turned to Chad. "We need to talk," So they went around the corner of the hospital, Taylor pulled Chad by the arm like a misbehaved child. Troy's curiosity arose. He lifted himself off of the blue chairs and to the edge of the wall that Chad had just passed. He put his ear in their conversation.
"No, Chad, you can't" Taylor protested against Chad's will for something.
"Troy has the right to know, Tays! He is sitting their in an utter mess of confusion when his own flesh and blood is crying in the next room and fighting for his life!" Troy's train of thought came to an abrupt stop. Flesh and blood? My son? His eye's widened and heart beat in chest indifferently to the surroundings.
"Quiet, Chad! He can hear you!" Taylor hushed him. "Look, I know he has to know sometime or another. But what about Gabriella. Those two are in love, Chad! And if suddenly the truth goes out without an explanation, who knows what will happen?! Troy deserves to know the truth, Chad. But, not from you,"
They made up with a hug, and when Troy knew their eyes were closed he hustled to the other side of the hallway. When the two passed him, he found another hiding place to slump over at.
Troy was shocked. His veins pumping with vulgar blood, and his head spinning. Beads of sweat lined his forehead as the usually air conditioned hospital grew increasinly hotter. It was almost unbearable. His son? It was impossible, simply impervious. He tried to think of more ways that Jayden, the sick child in Room 414, was really not his son. Instead, Troy was thrown back eight years earlier on a sunny morning in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
EIGHT YEARS AGO
MORNING AFTER
Troy woke up to a chirpy bird and the sun's long shafts of light that poured into the room. He smiled. Usually, he despised mornings. Even if he woke up in the afternoon, and especially after a night of grand parties that were full of alcohol. But today was different. Of course, there was a pull from his head, what people typically called a hangover, but he managed to ignore it entirely. He was finally used to Albuquerque and after last night he knew he would like it more. Last night's memories were very blurry, all he could remember was a very charming girl and whole lot of beer. Suddenly, Troy came to a stop. It had just hit him now how 'alone' he was on the queen size bed. He cursed. To his utter disappointment, the other side of the bed he slept on was empty. Just empty. Troy groaned. His arm lay across the bed where there should have been a very pretty, loving lady. Unless his eyes were completely distorted, he knew that no one was there. Troy lay on his side and looked at his lonesome arm. Why couldn't he have just woken up earlier. He cursed again. This wasn't normal. Troy never put his arm around a girl through the night. He was usually the first to leave. It was fair. Troy really wanted to get to know the girl from last night. Suddenly, another revelation hit his head.
He had failed to even get her name. Troy was disgusted with himself. He scolded himself rather harshly and sat up in the bed. He leaned his bare back on the cold wall and with all his might led himself through the night. He smiled as he remembered. It was so strange, how the two had 'clicked' almost instantly once their eyes had met. He mentally remembered the treasured details of their first -and because of Troy's clumsy sleeping habits- their last night as well. Troy winced again. He deeply regretted letting her go so early, and even more not even getting her name. Troy sighed heavily and lifted his nude self off of the mattress. He looked around for a checkered pair of boxers to slip on. He found it, and the rest of his cloths that the mysterious girl last night managed to strip off. When he reached down to grab pull up his shirt something caught his eye on the bed sheets. Troy's heart lifted at the discovery. Sprawled across the white cotton bed sheets was a clear note. Troy was sure it was from his girl. He came to an abrupt stop at the thought. His girl? Troy shrugged after moments of contemplating and perhaps bits of dreaming, and shook the thought away. The note was small but readable.
Last night was great! Hope we can get to know each other. Call me! 555-983-8394.
Troy almost jumped in joy at the letters. He passed that fact that even she didn't write her name. It didn't bother him. He would call today! Ask for a date, an outing or something. Troy grabbed the pen that was on the side table and penned the number down on his arm. He wrote in big numbers, so her number ended up being from his elbow to wrist. Troy gazed at his handwriting and noted it needed casual improvement. Knowing that the girl probably wont like having her number scribbled on his arm like that so he drew a small heart next to it to show its importance. Troy narrowed his eyebrows. A heart? He shrugged and thrashed the pen away. Troy slipped his shirt on in a hurry. He grabbed his phone from the back pocket of his jeans and took a whiff of his self. He frowned, thrown off by the foul odor that came from his shirt. On the other hand, Troy decided to drop by his house and take a shower first before asking her out on a date. He headed out of the room and slowly found himself out of Sharpay's house as well. Smiling to himself, Troy unlocked his car and got in to drive.
Troy absolutely enjoyed last night. Although, he really had to admit, the sex was infinitely mind blowing, but he knew that wasn't the only thing that made him want to meet her again. Something was different about her and other girls that were throwing themselves for Troy everyday. He wanted to make it work. The girl was real. Not a fantasy of perfection that every guy dreamed for. There was an edge to her. And that is another reason why Troy wanted to run after her. Besides, it even made her all the more sexier.
Before he knew, Troy had parked in the driveway of house and slammed the door shut. He strutted coolly to the front door. Troy entered the house very quietly so that he didn't have to face his father when he came come. He stepped inside, and to his surprise everything was dead silent. It came to him that today was a Thursday and both of his parents worked. He was an only child so none of his invisible siblings would be home either. Troy shut the door like he did everyday and skipped up the stairs. He was still day dreaming, putting almost none of his awareness on what was happening in front of him. Really, he loved it. He was extremely anxious for meeting the one and only later on today. His smile never faded. Troy turned on the hot shower and stepped in. He moaned at the pleasant feeling of hot water reaching his body. Troy reached for the soap on the holder and scrubbed all over. He washed his body until was completely satisfied. All at once, Troy's eyes widened. With a flick of his arm he switched off the water and grabbed the white towel. He wrapped it around his waist and jumped out of the shower, terrified at the circumstances. He was in complete despair. Remorse filled his eyes has he stared at a horrifying sight of a blank numberless arm.
PRESENT
Troy stared through the small window that portrayed Gabriella and Jayden embracing for dear life. That was his son. Jayden was his son. It was true. He looked at the clipboard that hung on the door. It read:
Jayden Bolton-Montez
Leukemia patient as of June 15, 2017
Tears escaped from Troy's eyes as he remembered now how foolishly he had forgotten Gabriella all those years ago. How foolishly he forgot to write down her number on a separate piece of paper. And it was just sickening how stupidly Troy had forgotten the use of a condom that very special night that Gabriella and hewere together. Small mistakes led to the most consequential happenings. Troy backed away from the door and sat down in the blue chairs. The look on his face clearly explained everything to Chad and Taylor. Now he knew.
Feet pattered in the distance slowly growing louder and louder as they approached Room 414. The man turned the corner and panted crazily.
"I came here as fast as I could," Jesse, the older Montez, said breathless. "What's wrong?" It was like an immediate answer to his question when Gabriella came bursting through the doors and safely into the arms of her brother's.
"Jesse!" she cried.
"Oh, my god, Brie," he was obviously appalled but the amount of joy that surged through his face when he figured out she remember him was indescribable. "Your back!". Then it hit Troy, as he watched their reunion, that know one knew. Otherwise, someone would have told him. Someone would have told him that he had a son eight years ago to the girl he had fallen in love with at the very first sight! Troy's eyes flowed continuously as he chose to omit himself from their rejoice. No one knew that Troy was Jayden's god damn father. Gabriella chose to keep the truth hidden for all those years just for Troy. Just so that he could live a care free life. She burdened herself with the constant thought of why Troy hadn't called and top of that a constant reminder of him. Their son. It all fits together. He flashed back to many weeks ago when Troy and the rest of the gang had gathered in his living room and discussed her past. Everything; Gabriella's torturing relationship with Dylan, Troy, Jayden, Taylor, Sharpay, and Jesse.
Gabriella knows everything. She is the sorcerer, the one who knows all truth but fears to let them go. Why? Because the truth hurts. Gabriella was a hero. She would never hurt anyone.
So, as everyone celebrated their reunion with bittersweet joy, what did Troy do? He left. Not because he was afraid of the future.
Rather because, he didn't deserve any of it.
Hold Cheese and crackers. It's 1:44 in the morning and THAT is the saddest ending that I have ever written. I don't know how I managed to do it! Anyway, thanks soooo much for all the reviews . Please let them keep coming.
Keep smiling everyone!
Love ya!
Press the that green review button and get those fingers typing, please!! LOVE YA!
