The next time she woke, she sat up almost immediately.

Her body shivered.

She wasn't in her bed.

Automatically, she bursted into tears.

"Gabriella, are you okay?" Troy grabbed one of her hands, looking into her eyes.

She stared back, her lips slightly parted, her bottom lip quivering, and her body shaking.

"Mommy... Daddy... " She sobbed.

"Awh, Gabriella- "

"They're gonna hate me... " She shook her head and buried her face in Marley's fur. "They don't want me there... "

"They love you more than anything, Gabriella... They're probably hurt that you left, but they also have to understand that you're hurt by their actions."

"They don't deserve it!"

"Honestly, they do. They're drug addicts. They have to realize that they're not only hurting themselves, but they're hurting you!"

She shook their head. "No! I did something horrible behind their backs, and they need to know- "

He grabbed her shoulders and shook her a little. "You listen to me right now, Gabriella Montez. They aren't going to know a word about this. They don't deserve to know."

And suddenly, she felt as if he was in control, and she couldn't do a thing about it.

"Now I can reassure you that nobody here will tell anyone. That's your choice, but you have to be careful who you tell." He looked out his window. "This neighborhood isn't safe by any means. This town isn't safe by any means. There are people out to get you, even if you haven't did a thing. You need to watch your step, and be informed before you make the same mistakes other people have made. Got it?"

Obediently, she nodded her head.

"Good. If you aren't careful, you're going to get yourself and our baby killed."

Our baby...

The words jumbled in her head, making her a little light-headed.

She always wanted a baby, always wanted to be a young mom.

A teen mom.

But, now that she was pregnant, she started to think about how her mom always stressed not getting pregnant and about using protection and "abstinence".

Fuck abstinence.

Fuck protection.

Fuck getting pregnant.

All she was out for was love. That's all she wanted.

She wanted to feel love by someone that she loved. She wanted a purpose in life.

She suddenly wanted her baby, wanted to be a mother...

But, would Troy be there for her?

That was the ultimate question.

"Did you break up with Ally?" Gabriella glanced at him, then back at Marley.

He sighed and shook his head. "I haven't said anything to her face-to-face. I told her friend, but not her... "

Gabriella sniffled and stroked Marley's fur. "You don't have to break up with her because of me. I'm not going to get between you. I just need somewhere to stay."

He bit his lip. "I don't know if I can really break her heart. She's so important to me. I really love her."

Sadness because to sweep through Gabriella's veins. "You don't have to. Please don't think that because I'm here, you have to break up with her. I want you to be happy."

Troy cracked a little smile from his face. "Well, thanks for caring... " He chuckled a little. "No girl that I've ever met really cares about me being happy. Even Ally... "

"Ally doesn't care about your happiness?"

"No, it's not that." He stood up and crossed his arms, walking towards his closet. "She's just always been distant. Always. She makes a lot of excuses. I can't really tell when she's telling the truth."

"Oh... " Gabriella played with Marley's ear. "I want everyone to find their eternal happiness. Always have, and always will. Whether that includes being married, or owning their own private veterinary practice, or even just spending time at home with their parents. Everyone should be happy. If you're not happy with Ally, then why are you with her?"

He turned towards his window, and shook his head slowly. "I don't know." She watched as his fingers trailed through his hair. "But I'll protect you. I don't care if Ally is my girlfriend or not. I'll protect you."

The afternoon sun beamed through his curtains and hit the front of his body directly. The front side of his profile was lit up very brightly, while the back was dark. She noticed how she felt nervous and awkward around him, because he was a senior and she was a freshman. He was a football player, an athlete, and she was a brainiac, a nerd... It just never seemed meant to be. She never thought anything of him before, and he never thought anything of her.

And now, barely two months after meeting him, she was pregnant with his baby, and they were both stuck in between two different lives, trying to decide what's right and what's wrong...

"Hey Troy?"

He continued to stare out the window. "Yeah?"

She felt a tear dribble down her face. "Do you want to keep this baby?"

For a few more seconds, his eyes stared outside, and then he looked at her. Both of their eyes met.

She could tell he was in deep thought.

"Honestly... " He frowned. "I haven't had a chance to think about that... "

She looked at her bruised arm, then let out a large sigh. "I want to keep it."

Once again, his eyes trailed off towards the window.

"I'm a senior. I play football. I'm one of the top athletes in the entire state. I have a full sports scholarship to play LSU football. In ten months, I'll be playing college football. I have a sexy freshman girlfriend and a reputation to protect... " He sighed and looked at the floor. "And now, I'll be a father to an innocent freshman's baby in eight and a half months. Does it look like I really need a baby holding me down?"

She shook her head. "Then you don't have to be a part of it. That's totally your choice. I've had it rough my entire life. My parents do drugs, I've been bullied by many people, and I've never been loved... I want this baby. This baby will be mine, and I'll have someone who actually loves me... "

"Your parents love you, whether you think so or not. It's just that drugs have gotten between you guys... "

She wish she could confirm his words.

But, in reality, she couldn't.

There was no way to tell whether or not anyone in the world had ever loved her.

And, it broke her heart to know that.

So silently, tears fell down her cheeks.

Tears that would soon become useless in her fight to be noticed.

To be recognized.

To be loved...