Wow, thank you all so much for the amazing reaction to chapter 13! I got s many fantastic, positive reviews it was great! Lil-Evans - it's great you are doing something so rewarding with your life and yes this is being written from personal experience. Tuttiflutey630 - yep I did know that and it is very true for some people. Star-girl62626 - Oooh a surprise?? I'll be on the lookout for any suspiciously human-shaped boxes then hehehe! hmjesseluvva19 - personal experience.

My partner-in-Troyella-like-crime, Jessa – you're review was awesome hahaha. I can imagine you sitting in the middle of work babbling haha.

My past-life-sister, Em – thanks for letting me pick your brains once again in this chapter!!

Here is chapter 14 :)

Charli xox

P.S - For the sake of this story, even though it takes place after HSM2, pretend that Gabriella never got a haircut and her hair is still long and curly down to her waist.


Chapter 14

Gabriella's second day on chemo was a Saturday. Jack and Lucille offered to drive Troy to the hospital that morning, as they had planned on visiting Gabriella anyway. The three Bolton's arrived at around 10am and were greeted by an extremely miserable Gabi and a very worn out looking Maria.

"Hi," Lucille whispered as they entered the semi-darkened room. The curtains were half pulled over the window, and the overhead lights were switched off. "How's she doing?"

Maria stroked her daughter's forehead. "Let's just say we've had a night we'd rather forget."

"Oh honey," Lucille said sympathetically as she rubbed her thumb back and forth over Gabriella's hand.

"I think between the two of us we've had barely an hours sleep," said Maria. "She's been so sick – just when we thought she couldn't possibly throw up any more...it'd start all over again."

"Hey," Troy said softly, leaning over to kiss her hello.

Gabriella replied with a soft groan as she lifted her arm and rested it over her eyes.

"She doesn't feel like talking to anyone much today," Maria said apologetically. "They've just given her another dose of Ondansetron, so hopefully it will work this time. She will probably be asleep soon though, it makes her really drowsy."

"Hey Champ," Jack said fondly, using a nickname he had for Gabriella. "All your teachers at school send their best wishes. They need you back soon to keep them on their toes!"

Gabriella just whimpered.

"Gabi sweetheart, do you want to have another few sips of water?" Maria asked gently.

"Mmm..." Gabi turned her head towards her mother, moving her hand from over her face to above her head. Maria placed the straw between her lips and Gabriella took a few sips of the cool liquid. When she was done she closed her eyes, her forehead creased.

"Poor darlin'" Lucille whispered sadly, her husband wrapping an arm around her shoulders. The pair watched their son as he sat by Gabriella's side, stroking her hair lovingly. "Have they given you any indication of when you might be able to go home yet?" Lucille asked Maria.

Maria shrugged. "Nothing definite - she has today and tomorrow left on chemo which she has to stay inpatient for, but they are hoping if she bounces back alright we could be home by mid-week."

"I bet you will both be glad to get out of here," Lucille replied.

"Oh Luc, I'm counting the seconds," said Maria, pinching the bridge of her nose between her fingers and closing her eyes for a moment. "It's so hard to get a decent sleep in here with IV's beeping up and down the hall all night amongst everything else. I think Gabi will feel a lot better once she's home in her own bed."

Maria nodded and Lucille patted her arm supportively. Troy continued to stroke Gabriella's hair. She seemed to have finally fallen asleep. He kissed her forehead softly, so as not to disturb her.

"Sleep well, gorgeous girl..."

HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM

Gabriella finished her chemo on Sunday night. By Tuesday the nausea had started to wear off, and Gabriella was mostly sleeping the days away. By Wednesday she was eating a little, and Thursday afternoon she was given the all-clear for discharge. She was finally discharged Friday morning and Troy was so excited to arrive at her house after school and see her sitting up on the lounge watching TV.

Even if he did have to tease her a little for being so engrossed in Days of our Lives.

Saturday and Sunday were spent with Troy doing homework on Gabriella's bedroom floor while she did a little school work that had been sent home in case she felt up to it, in between sleeping.

Monday Maria took Gabriella into the Oncology Day Unit at University of New Mexico Hospital to have her blood counts checked, and undergo a Bone Marrow Aspiration and Lumbar Puncture which would be a regular part of her treatment protocol.

Tuesday she helped her Mom bake some cookies and brownies in the morning. Troy bought Taylor and Kelsi with him to visit after school. The three caught Gabriella up on the latest East High gossip, including the hair-pulling, face-slapping, claws-out catfight that had gone down between Amy Matthews and Victoria Westbridge in the corridors after lunch that day.

Wednesday she felt a little off colour and spent the day sleeping off a dose of Ondanzatron. She perked up a little in the evening, and watched the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy with Troy and her mother.

Thursday morning Gabriella woke up feeling good. She got up and actually got out of her pyjama's, dressing herself in a pair of black sweat pants and a purple t-shirt, before making her way downstairs and into the kitchen.

Maria looked up from the newspaper as she heard her daughter's footsteps coming down into the kitchen.

"Morning, Medusa!" she joked.

Gabriella caught sight of her wildly knotty, un-brushed hair in the glass of the oven door and giggled.

"Come here," Maria laughed as she stood up behind Gabriella and ran her fingers through her hair to smooth it out.

Suddenly she froze, looking down at her hands. Thick clumps of long, dark curls were tangled around her fingers. Gabriella felt her mother's hands leave her hair and turned around to face her.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Gabi..." Maria stammered shakily, looking down at her hands. Gabriella followed her mother's gaze until her eyes fell upon the clumps of hair.

"N...n...no!" she stuttered, her hands flying to her head. She ran her hands quickly through her hair and when she pulled them away, more clumps of hair came with them. "No, Mom," she choked back a sob.

"Gabi..." she extended her arm to comfort her.

"No..." Gabriella turned and rushed out of the kitchen, up the stairs, slammed her bedroom door and threw herself down on her bed. The loud bang the door had made reverberated through her head, making it hurt...but she didn't care.

All she felt was the ache deep inside her heart. Sobbing into her pillow, Gabriella let it all out – the sadness, the anger, the hurt, the fear. She knew that this would happen, but now that it actually was it felt so much more real.

She was a cancer victim.

Victim.

Gabriella hated the word. But she knew that once her hair was gone, that was how she would be judged.

The sick kid.

"It's not fair!" she yelled to no one in particular.

"Gabi, honey...can I come in?" her mother knocked softly on the door. When Gabriella didn't reply, Maria let herself in. "Oh baby," she sighed, rushing over the bed and pulling her heartbroken daughter into her arms, rocking her back and forth as she cried. "Gabi, I know it's hard, I know it hurts and I know that it is upsetting but you have to keep telling yourself that it will grow back. Plus, it's a sign that the chemo is doing its job."

"I know, Mom," Gabriella cried into her mother's top. "But it's just so hard."

"I know sweetheart, I know...but you are so, so brave and so very strong. You're dealing with things that no one should have to face in their life, no matter how young or old – and you're doing a beautiful job of it. It's ok to get upset and angry every once in a while...no one will think any less of you."

After around half an hour, Gabriella had cried herself to sleep. She didn't wake up until Troy dropped in after dinner time.

"Hi Maria," he greeted with a smile as his girlfriend's mother let him in the house. "How's our girl today?"

Maria gave him a sad smile and patted him on the shoulder. "She's a little fragile right now...she's had an upsetting day."

Troy's forehead creased with concern. "Why? What happened?" he was almost afraid of the answer.

"I'll leave it to Gabi to talk to you about it. She's in her room."

Troy made his way upstairs and let himself in to Gabriella's bedroom to find her lying awake, staring at the ceiling apparently deep in thought.

"What's on your mind, pretty girl?" he smiled at her.

At his words, Gabriella burst into tears. Pretty girl...she felt far from it.

"Oh Gabi – Gabi, don't cry! I didn't mean to...Ella, don't cry..." Troy rushed to her side and tried to wipe her tears with his thumbs.

"It's happening Troy...it's happening. I knew it would, but I wish it wasn't...It's making it all so real, Troy and...and I can't handle it."

Tears snaked their way silently down her face as she slowly ran a hand through her hair. Troy failed to retain his gasp when she held out her hand to him, chocolate curls hanging limply from her fingers.

"Oh El..." he fingered the lost hair gently, not knowing what to say. He pulled Gabriella to his chest and held her as her shoulder's shook.

"Troy..." she cried. "Will you ...will you still love me when I'm bald?"


Naaw Gabi! Can you hear Troy's heart breakin' for her? Next up, Gabi goes back to school for a bit. And who will make her feel better about herself when her self-confidence hits rock bottom?

Stay tuned and please review!!

Charli xox