a/n: IM SO SORRY IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO UPDATE!!!!
disclaimer: razzlefrazzle
Chapter 10: The Hero in You
Gabriella slowly walked over to Troy and leaned over to his ear.
"You promised you'd never hurt me," she said before running in the other direction.
Gabriella's mom came home right when Gabriella ran out of the mall. Gabriella was greatful she wouldn't have to spend another minute with Troy.
For the rest of the week Gabriella did her best to ignore Troy. Whenever he would make an effort to talk to her, she would calmly walk in the other direction. He would chase after her, but she didn't care. She acted as though he didn't even exist.
Troy pathetically tried to win back her trust. He would leave notes in her locker apologizing and trying to explain what happened, but Gabriella would simply toss them into the garbage without even glancing at them.
With the Valentine's Day Dance on Friday, Troy didn't know what he was going to do. It was tradition at East High, that each captian of every sport would have the first dance. Without Gabriella, his only choice was -
"Hey Troysiewosie!"
Troy groaned as a very perky Sharpay skipped over to him.
"Sharpay, I'm not in the mood," he mumbled walking away from her. Sharpay continued to follow him.
"Sharpay will you please, just leave me alone!" Troy gritted through his teeth. Sharpay giggled and shook his hair with her hand, then skipped away happily.
Troy sighed and headed over to the lunchroom and sat down next to Chad and his other friends.
"Sa Troy dwid you finda date 'or tamorrow?" Chad asked, taking a huge bite out of his sandwich. Troy raised his eyebrows and shook his head.
"I have no idea what you just said," he said taking Chad's sandwich out of his hand.
Chad swallowed. "I said, did you find a date for tomorrow?"
Troy gave Chad a confused look. "Chad...the Valentine's Day Dance isn't until Friday," he stated. Chad smacked Troy on the head.
"Ouch! What was that for!"
"You idiot, the dance is tomorrow!" Chad snapped, taking his sandwich back. "And don't touch my food!"
Chad hugged his sandwich and shook his head in disgust.
Troy's mouth dropped. "Tomorrow is Friday?!" Troy practially shouted. Chad nodded, stroking his sandwich.
"Dude...it's a sandwich," Zeke said, putting himself into the conversation. Chad gave Zeke a crazed look.
"This comming from the guy who asked for an Easy Bake Oven for his birthday," Chad spat. Zeke rolled his eyes.
"Not an Easy Bake Oven! A ManGrill200!" he shouted.
"Guys! Can we get back to the fact that I had no idea tomorrow was the dance?!" Troyed snapped. Zeke and Chad sighed in unison.
"Why don't you just go make kissy faces with Montez, and go with her? I'm sure she forgot the whole Sharpay situation," Chad suggested. Troy shook his head.
"I can't she's too mad at me. She won't even look at me," Troy sighed, slamming his head against his desk. Chad tapped his hand on Zeke's shoulder.
"That's what love will do to ya man."
The Night of the Dance
Gabriella stood, looking at herself in her mirror. She had on a strapless red dress and her hair was done up very high. ( For all of you Smallville fans, her hair looks like how Lana's did the day of the Prom) She smiled, even though she was heartbroken.
After her fight with Troy, she felt no regret saying yes to Ryan's invite to the dance. Regret was all she felt now, though.
"Honey, um Ryan's here," she heard her mom call. Ms. Montez wasn't very keen on Ryan, but she trusted her daughter. Gabriella gave a sad smile and headed downstairs.
"Why don't you look beautiful," Ryan smiled. Ryan wore black pants and a black jacket with a red hat. Gabriella thought it was weird that Ryan always wore a different hat.
"Thank you," she said softly. After saying goodbye to her mother, she followed Ryan out the door.
As they headed to Ryan's car, he put a hand on her shoulder.
"I mean it," he said with a wink. "You do look beautiful."
Gabriella knew it was only a compliment, but the way he said it sent chills down her spine.
When the two arrived at the dance, the first person Gabriella saw was Taylor. She had on a lime green dress and her hair was in a bun.
"Hey Gabriella!" Taylor shouted, running over to her. Gabriella smiled and gave Taylor a hug.
"Hey Taylor, who's your date?" she asked looking around. Taylor gave a weak laugh and scratched her head.
"The boy I wanted to go with, didn't ask me," she confessed, eyeing Ryan. "Hey you didn't tell me Ryan asked you!"
"Don't change the subject! Anyways, Chad's probably just shy," Gabriella giggled. Taylor's mouth dropped about ten feet.
"I do not like Chad!" Taylor gasped. Gabriella rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "Uh huh, whatever...is um...he here?"
Taylor knew exactly who "he" was. She nodded and pointed to a shaggy haired boy talking to Zeke.
"Do you want me to keep him away from you?" she asked, patting Gabriella on the shoulder.
Gabriella shook her head and headed back over to Ryan.
"Come on, let's go inside," Ryan smiled. Gabriella nodded and gave an uneasy smile. Tonight would deffiently be interesting.
2 Hours Later
"I think there are all of five sober people here!" complained Gabriella to Taylor. Four the past few hours, practically everyone at the dance had discovered the drinks were spiked. The teachers didn't do anything about it, so practically every teenager at East High was acting like an idiot.
Once Ryan got to the punch bowl, he ditched Gabriella leaving her stranded with Taylor. "Let's just go home," Taylor sighed, linking arms with Gabriella. Gabriella looked sadly over at Troy. She watched him all night. He didn't talk to anyone or dance with anyone. He just sat at the same table staring into space.
"Hey-ey baby, w-where ya goin?" Gabriella heard a voice slur. She turned around to see Ryan, obviously drunk.
"Home," she snapped , gripping onto Taylor. Ryan laughed. An evil, malicious, disgusting laugh.
"Oh b-b-but the paaaaartaaay has just st-started!" he managed leaning on her. Gabriella squeezed Taylor's arm.
"Go. get. Chad," she whispered. Chad was one of the few sober people here and she knew he could take care of Ryan for her. She refused to even ask about Troy, even though he would kick his ass for her.
Taylor nodded and headed over to Afro Boy.
"Ryan, you're drunk," Gabriella said pointing out the obvious. Ryan laughed again and pulled Gabriella closer to him. Gabriella prayed Chad would get here soon.
Suddenly Ryan's grip got firmer and he started pulling her towards the men's room.
"Get off of me!" she shouted trying to pull out of his grip. Flashes of Andrew danced in her head making her cry.
"Sh-shut u-u-up!" he slurred. He slapped her across the face and Gabriella began to cry even harder.
Everything from there on happened so fast. All of a sudden Ryan was on the floor and Chad and was standing over him. He looked furious. Suddenly the whole dance went dead silent. From the corner of her eye, Gabriella saw Troy stand up.
"She said get off!" he shouted, pulling Ryan back up with one hand. Troy was now running over in that direction.
"Ch-chill dude!" Ryan spat. "I was just - "
He was cut off by Troy's fist in his face. "Don't you EVER touch her again!" he roared. Gabriella had never seen Troy so angry before.
Teachers had started to walk over to the fight, but everyone ignored them.
Ryan shook off the punch and lunged at Troy. Troy punched him again in the eye and pushed him to the ground.
"If you ever touch her again, I swear you'll wish you were dead!" Troy shouted.
"Mr. Bolton, Mr.Evans, Mr. Danforth, and Ms.Montez, I will have to ask you all to leave!" Ms. Darbus interupted. Ryan answered by passing out, and Troy, Gabriella, Chad and Taylor slowly made their way outside.
"Uh I think I'm going to head home. Are you going to be okay Gabriella?" Chad asked, patting her shoulder. Gabriella nodded and said her goodbyes to Chad and Taylor.
"Gabriella did he hurt you? Because if he did I swear I'll -"
"Troy...I'm okay," Gabriella whispered giving him a weary smile.
"Gabriella you know I would never let anyone hurt you right?" Troy asked. His face was still red from anger.
Gabriella's smile got a little bigger. "I know Troy."
Without thinking Troy pulled Gabriella into a big hug.
"Gabriella, I love you."
OHHH Troy said I love you! how is Gabriella going to take that?