4. Troy

When I get to school the next morning all I can think of is Emily. I'm wondering how she is doing and I wonder what had happened to her, but my thoughts of her vanishes as I walk in to the boys room to find Gabriella coming out of one of the stalls.

"Gabriella?" I ask confused, not understanding why she is here. "Isn't this the.."

".. boys room. Yes Troy it is." she snaps at me. I'm not sure if she's mad or sad.

"Sorry." I say and she pulls down in her skirt for it to sit right on her body.

She storms out of the boys room, and Riley a junior comes out of the same stall as Gabriella.

I look confused at him and then at the door where Gabriella just disappeared and storm after her.

"Gabby wait!"

She walks faster so I run and grab her by the arm. I see her eyes have gotten all red and puffy.

"Talk to me!" I tell her but she just stares at me and says nothing.

"Gabby please."

"NO. Please don't tell anyone what you just saw, especially not Dani."

"Of course but Gabs please talk to me. You're not fine."

"Yes I'm fine." She says but I know she's lying. "Please just keep this hidden."

"I will, I promise." I tell her.

"Thanks Troy." She gives me a smile and then leaves, and to be honest I'm not sure what is happening. I know what I saw, but by the look on Gabriella's face it didn't look like what I thought happened actually happened.

I get hit friendly on the back. "Hey Troy you seen Kyle." Lola asks.

"Sorry Lol. I don't pay attention to my little brother."

"I know you say that, but I know you both love each other deeply."

I laugh. "Hey do you know what's up with Gabby?"

"No why?"

"She was just acting weird, and I thought since you 2 are friends she might have told you something."

"Nope I don't know anything, sorry."

"That's okay. You've seen Em?"

"No sorry. Are you okay Bolton?"

"Yeah why wouldn't I be?" I fake a smile.

"Your mind seems troubled."

"It's nothing. See you later. Tell my brother I said hi, when you see him." I leave her to go to drama class. Hopefully both Gabriella and Emily are going to be there, and to my luck they are, but Gabriella is avoiding eye contact, so I go to Emily.

"You okay?" I ask her, she looks in to my eyes and shakes her head. "No."

"What's wrong?" She rests her head on my chest and I can hear her sobbing.

"I'm adopted Troy."

"What?" I pull back and look in to her eyes again.

"I'm adopted. I figured it out yesterday. That's why I don't look like them. Either of them, not even Jere."

"You sure I mean.." She cuts me off.

"Yes I'm sure Troy. I wouldn't lie about something like that. I just don't understand why they never told me. I feel betrayed."

"Then who are your real parents?" I ask.

She looks me in the eyes. Like she hasn't thought of that before. "They probably didn't want me."

I wrap my arms around her. "Don't say that. Of course they did. There was probably a really good explanation. No one would be able to resist you."

She gives me a smile.

"Yay I'm doing something right."

She smiles again. "Yeah thank you."

"Think about it, you probably have two set of parents who love you deeply."

"Maybe you're right." She smiles at me again.

I turn around and look at Gabriella but she is still not getting eye contact with me. But at lunch I learn to know what is going on.

"How could you?" She asks me out of nothing.

I hear people whistling of us, and then she storms out of the cafeteria with tears in her eyes. I follow her.

"How could you?" She asks again.

"What are you talking about Gabby?" I ask and try to take her hand.

"Don't touch me!"

"What did I do?" I ask confused.

"You know what you did. You told the whole school what happened!"

"Gabby I have no idea what you are talking about!"

Tears fall from her eyes. "I thought you were different Troy, but you are just as bad as the rest of them!"

"Gabriella do you care to explain what's actually going on?"

She shakes her head in no. "Not that it's any of your business, but I'm a virgin!" she screams and runs down the hall. And I'm foolish enough not to follow. I walk back in to the cafeteria and I hear more noise than normal. Then people from my classes that I haven't talked to before start talking to me and I begin to understand.

I see Riley with a big grin on his face. I'm still not sure what he did to Gabriella earlier but I know what he has done now. He has told people that Gabriella threw herself at him, and that he had sex with her out of pity. Which of course people believe and thinks she is a whore.

It's kinda scary how fast a stupid rumor can spread throughout a whole high school. How people believe everything they hear is true. It's scary that in an instant your whole reputation can be ruined, that in an instant your whole life can change. Gabriella had never done anything to anyone, and still she was the one getting hurt. People would talk about her for a long time now, despite the fact that she didn't do anything. I feel sorry for her. Sorry for all of it. This shouldn't happen to someone like her.

I walked over to Riley and punched him in the face. Then I walked away and Daniella gave me a weird look. I heard footsteps from behind, but I just ran over to Dani grabbed her arm and then went outside with her. Before Riley or anyone else would punch me.

"What happened Troy!"

"I don't know!"

"You know something!" She told me.

I shake my head. "I promised I wouldn't tell and to be honest I'm not sure what actually did happen."

"But everyone thinks Gabby is a whore, why?"

"Because Riley told everyone that Gabby threw herself at him and that they had sex. He told everyone he's a whore."

"What?" She storms inside again and I don't follow. I already know what she's going to do. And I'm right the next time I see Riley I can't help but smile because of the 2 black eyes he has gotten.