A/N I DON'T OWN ANYTHING! Also sorry for the long wait. I've been focused on school work and now I'm fighting off a cold so that's why. Enjoy this chapter.

After lunch Gabriella stirred a little bit.

"Gabriel," she whimpered. "Gabriel come home."

"Shhh Brie it's all right." Troy soothed.

Gabriella opened her eyes and looked around. "What happen?" she asked.

"You fell asleep." Troy answered.

"I'm sorry. Are we in trouble?"

"No we got fifteen minutes to get to our next class. I was just about to wake you."

"Ok, why do you guys seem like you're up to something?"

Troy sighed and looked at the others.

"What happen to your cheek?" Chad asked.

"My cheek? Nothing."

"You have a bruise there."

Gabriella reached up and touched her cheek she gasped when she saw the napkin covered in her makeup.

"I uh…I was rushing this morning and I ran into the door."

"Gabriella we know you can't lie. Tell us the truth."

So many thoughts were running through her head. What would happen if she told everyone it was her father? Would he father go to jail? Would Gabriel come home? Would she end up in foster care? She could just blame it on Hunter, that wouldn't be lie. It also wouldn't be the truth. Plus what's the worst Hunter could do to her?

"It was Hunter. He thinks he can bully me now because Gabriel is gone."

"Did he threaten you?" Troy asked looking back at her.

"Yes."

"We will make sure he doesn't hurt you again. That's a promise."

"Ok, now come on. I don't need another detention."

Everyone cleaned up and headed to their next class.

During free period Gabriella and Troy were hanging out In the gym. Jack walked in.

"I've got bad news. I did everything I could. I used every excuse I could think of. I can't get you out of detention. I'm sorry."

"That's all right dad. Thanks for trying."

"I'll hang out though. I'll give you a ride home Gabriella once you are done."

"That would be great Uncle Jack thank you."

Jack just nodded and left. Gabriella sighed. "I hate this."

"I'm sorry I wish there was something I could do."

"You already did. You got yourself detention just to help me. I am so thankful for that."

"Maybe something will happen and Gabriel will have to stay behind too. Maybe you will both be home at the same time."

"I doubt that will happen." Gabriella muttered.

Her father was going to kill her once she got home.

"Do you want to call him now?"

"No, he's busy."

"I'm sorry Brie. I wish there was more I could do."

"You did everything you could. That's enough."

Troy just sighed. He did everything he could to help Gabriella so why did he still feel so helpless?

After Gabriella's last class she headed to meet Mrs. Darbus. She knew she could just leave and skip it but that would result in a house call, then her father would really beat her. She made it to her homeroom class and the guys were already there.

"Good you are all here. Now follow me." Mrs. Darbus said.

Everyone walked out until they reached the theater room.

"No here is how it's going to work. I am going to give you each an assignment. As soon as you get it done you may leave. If you leave before the job is done you will fail my class. Now Gabriella I want you to paint that moon. Troy and Chad you will staple those leafs onto the tree. Zeke and Jason you two will fix the broken lights above."

"That's not fair Mrs. Darbus you gave Gabriella the hardest job and she has to do it alone. You gave us the easy job and a partner." Troy said.

"Deal with it Mr. Bolton. Now everyone get to work."

Gabriella sighed and headed over to the giant moon that was taller than she was. She couldn't believe she had to paint that whole thing by herself. She would be here all night. She grabbed the sliver paint and started to paint it. Troy watched her and sighed. There was nothing they could do to help her.

"I have a phone call to make in my office. Don't think about leaving till you're finished."

Mrs. Darbus left. Troy ran over to Gabriella and grabbed the brush from her.

"Go, if you leave now you can still make it home."

"What?"

"Mrs. Darbus won't be back for a while. They guys and I will paint this then when she comes back just say you left once you were done. Go, go home now."

Gabriella nodded and headed out of the room. She had just about reached the exit when someone stopped her.

"I hope you finished that moon Ms. Montez."

"I wasn't leaving. I was just going to the bathroom."

"You better be Ms. Montez I don't think you're father would be very happy with a house call."

Gabriella nodded and went into the rest room. She sent Troy a text.

Darbus is on her way back. Get back to your own work. I'll be there soon.

Once she finished in the bathroom she went back to the others and continued to paint the moon. She sighed as she worked. She knew her father was getting mad and it would only be a matter of time before he texted her. She was in huge trouble tonight.

After a few minutes her phone vibrated in her pocket. She looked up at Mrs. Darbus to see her grading some papers so she took out her phone and looked at the message.

You're late. I want my dinner on the table in one hour if it's not you are in for the beating your life.

Gabriella sighed and looked at the moon. She got as high as she could but she couldn't reach the top.

"Mrs. Darbus is there a step stool or something I could use to reach the top of the moon?" she asked.

"The only one is the one Troy is using looks like you'll have to wait till he is done."

Gabriella sighed. Troy stepped down and brought it over to her.

"Here I can wait."

"Thank you." She told him.

She grabbed the can of paint and the brush and climbed up to the stool. She continued to paint the whole moon. Finally she was finished.

"Very good Ms. Montez you may go."

Gabriella rushed out of the room as fast as she could. She didn't even wait for Jack she ran out of the school and got to her house as soon as she could. She rushed inside and her father was waiting by the door for her. His arms were crossed across his chest and he tapped his foot.

"Where were you?" he asked?

"Sir, I am so sorry my last class ran late" Gabriella lied.

"Well I have been waiting almost two hours for you to get home!" Greg yelled.

"I am really sorry Sir, please don't hit me please" Gabriella begged.

"Oh no, begging won't work. You disobeyed me. You need to be punished."

"Please Dad I'm sorry. Please daddy don't hurt me."

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME DAD!"

He slapped Gabriella across the face and she fell to the floor and then once she was down his kicked her in the ribs. "You are useless you know that. You can't even make me dinner. You're so useless. I can't believe I got stuck with you. Your mom should have taken you with her. But she didn't want you either."

"What?"

"You mom and I have always liked Gabriel better than you. You were just a mistake. You mother should have taken care of you before you were born but Gabriel was happy to have a little sister. So we kept you so I'm stuck with you."

Tears filled Gabriella's eyes as she listened to her father. He had stopped kicking her and was now just verbally abusing her.

"Sir, please stop. Master please I'll do anything please just stop it."

"Hmm I like the sound of that. Ok new rule. You are to call me Master, nothing else. You are my slave and you are to do as I ask. Go it?"

"Yes, Master."

"Good now go make me some dinner."

Gabriella got up ignoring the pain and went into the kitchen. Once she was finished with dinner she let her father eat while she went into the bathroom. She lifted her shirt up and saw they were bruised all over. She sighed and let her shirt fall down. She had become very pale and dark circles had formed under her eyes.

"Who is that?" she whispered to herself.

She sighed and decided to take a hot shower. After the shower she gathered her brother's things and took them over to shack. She put on some of her brother's clothes and went on the couch to sleep. She shook as the cold winter air kicked it.

"Gabriel I love you. Please don't ever stop loving me."

She closed her eyes and cried herself to sleep.

The next day every man to pass Gabriella or even just rub up against her made her flinch. She was up half the night crying and the other half of the night shaking. She was so tired and so sore He friends knew something was up but she didn't say anything.

"Come on Gabster. Cheer up, Gabriel wouldn't want you to be this unhappy." Chad said.

"I can't help it Chad. I'm sorry." Gabriella answered softly.

"Ok, how about this? Either you cheer up on your own or the tickle monster will make you."

"Tickle monster won't work Chad. It never does."

"This time it will." He reached out and tickled her ribs she flinched and whimpered. "Stop it!" Chad pulled his hand."What happen?"

"Nothing that hurt."

"It wasn't supposed to hurt. It was supposed to tickle."

"Nothing will tickle anymore. It will only hurt."

Gabriella closed her locker and walked off. Chad was left there confused. Gabriella headed to her next class when she crashed into Zeke.

"Hey Gabs." He greeted.

"Hey Zeke." She said softly. "Sorry I crashed into you."

"It's ok. You look like you were really deep in thought are you all right?"

"I'm just thinking about school. Are you ready for class?"

"Yep, if you are."

Gabriella just nodded. Gabriella was quiet which confused Zeke because normally Gabriella was more involved in math class. This time she just stayed quiet. After class was over they met up with the others. They were just talking like normal and Gabriella was just standing there being quiet when she had this sudden need to be held.

"Troy…"

"Yeah?"

"Will…will you hold me?"

Troy took her into his arms holding her tightly to her chest.

"Is everything ok sweetie?"

"I needed to be held." She cried.

"She was really quiet in math today." Zeke answered.

"Yeah and she been really skittish today."Chad said.

"Baby we've all noticed this change in you. You're worrying us. What's going on? Troy asked rubbing her back.

"I need to be held. I really needed to be held." She cried.

"It's all right sweetie. I've got you. You're safe." Troy soothed.

He just looked at the others. Something was not right and it was more than just her missing her brother. Something else was wrong and they were going to figure out what it was. The others created a circle like around Gabriella and rubbed her back.

"We're all here Gabriella. We love you and we just want to help you but we can't do that unless you talk to us. What's going on?" Zeke said.

"I just needed to be held."

"But why? What caused this suddenly need?" Chad asked.

"I don't know. I don't know. I just need to be held. I need to be held. I need…I need to be loved." She said whimpering the last part.

"Baby you are loved. You are very loved." Troy said hugging her tighter.

"I don't feel loved anymore." Gabriella said as she buried her face into Troy's chest and cried.

She didn't feel loved at home anymore. Her father treated her like a slave and told her every day that he hated her. She just needed to know that someone out there still loved her.

"We all love you Gabriella. We all love you very much." Chad said. "Don't you ever think you aren't loved."

"What would happen to make you feel unloved?" Troy asked.

Gabriella just cuddled into Troy not answering him. They all hugged Gabriella hoping to help her feel loved. They were all worried though why wouldn't she feel loved? What was going on that caused her feel like this?

A/N next chapter Greg starts turning Gabriella against her brother. Will he ruin any trust Gabriella has in her brother? Will the others ever figure out what is going on with her?