You Are the Music in Me

Chapter 8

His World

Hey guys! I haven't updated in a long time and I am still receiving story-alerts and stuff for my stories and that makes me happy even when I'm really upset. So thank you so much!!! I'm putting this story on hold for awhile because I have a lot of schoolwork to do. So those of you who really enjoy it I'm sorry but I know you understand. Once again I want to thank my big sis 4ever Si for checking this over for me. So here it is….

Gabriella was anxious and confused. She bustled around the kitchen in frenzy, cleaning and polishing her way through everything and anything. Troy still hadn't awoken yet, so it gave her plenty of time. "Um…let's see…I can't… but he's… I love…it's not…I wish…WHY!" she screamed, throwing down a nearby stack of books. More tears followed. She collapsed onto the floor.

"Gabi…are you okay?" A familiar voice asked from the doorway. Gabriella squeezed her eyes shut. She wanted to say everything is okay; she wanted to just run into his arms and pretend last night had never happened.

"No, Troy. I'm not okay."

"Are you still…um, sore? I'll make breakfast if you want and you could just go back to bed."

"I wish I could do that." Gabriella she murmured desolately, "but I can't." She turned to look at him, her heart convulsing. The confusion and misunderstanding etched in her lover's eyes made her regret what was coming next.

"Troy… do you love me?" The young woman asked.

"Of course." Troy stated offering her a soft smile. "Why would you even question that?"

"I saw ET this morning Troy. I heard what you said to Chase, about claiming me once and for all. What's the deal Troy!! Am I really just a prize?!"

Troy felt sick. "What are you talking about?" he asked, even though he already had an idea. Gabriella turned on the TV and played the clip again, which she had recorded.

Troy listened as his angry voice played over the speakers. He gulped and took a deep breath. "It was on ET?!" he asked. It was impossible. No one was around when he and Chase were "chatting"… unless….

Troy didn't know how to handle the situation, how could he even...it wasn't as if...he sighed, "Look Gabi, I love you so much babe and I want to clear things out. So I'll just go back to the hotel and leave you alone for awhile. I'm sorry." He said. With that he grabbed his wallet and his keys and left. He ran past Henry and straight into the elevator. There was a lump in his chest. He really cared about Gabriella. She was his world. It was fate that they were reunited after so long and it killed him to think that it would soon be over. He scanned through his phone quickly and found the number he was looking for. He dialed it furiously.

"Hey Chad, is Taylor there?"

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"Wait…so you really said those things?" Taylor queried. She sat on Chad's sofa looking at Troy seriously. Chad joined her almost instantly and put an arm around her. She shrugged it off.

"Yeah… but I didn't say it that way. Chase approached me earlier that day and said he would leave us alone…if…" He played with his fingers, embarrassed. He didn't want to actually say it. He could feel his cheeks burning.

"If you had sex with Gabriella?" Taylor said simply.

"Uh, yeah." Troy admitted surprised. "How do you know? Did you watch ET?"

"No… but it sounds just like Chase. So you got caught up and agreed to do it."

"Yeah." Troy agreed. "I was going to do it eventually but Chase's comments pushed me."

"Well. I'm going to see what I could find out about this so-called 'anonymous' source." Taylor said, standing up.

"Where are you going?" Chad asked.

"I'm going to Marcus Enterprises." Taylor stated grinning. Chad's eyes widened.

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Taylor stood outside Marcus Enterprises in which Chase and his brother TJ owned. She took a deep breath. She hoped her disguise worked. A brown wig had been secured onto her head. She wore glasses and bright red lipstick. She carried a notepad and a pen. A tape recorder hid in her pocket. She looked around one last time and walked in. She was a reporter from E! News and she wanted the latest scoop. That was the alibi Troy had come up with. She took another deep breath and walked towards the main desk. You're an actress, and you know confidence is everything, she thought to herself, if you believe it then so will they!

"Hello." She said to the receptionist in a thick British accent. "I'm here to see Chase Marcus. I'm from E! News UK and I'd like to speak to him."

"Do you have an appointment?" the receptionist asked.

"Um, I believe so."

"What's your name?"

"Betty Jane Johnston." Taylor lied. The name sounded so fake to her she wanted to laugh. But she held firm.

"There is no one by that name on our appointment list." The receptionist droned. "So please leave and come back when an appointment has been set up."

"But I… um, can I use your bathroom?" Taylor stuttered helplessly.

"That is the oldest trick in the book." The receptionist said. Taylor frowned as the woman continued, "Do you think I'm stupid? Please leave." With that she turned to another guest. Taylor took a few steps towards the door. Then after checking the receptionist's focus she darted into the corridor behind the front desk. She pressed the elevator button. The light flashed on, the elevator was all the way at the 29th floor. No way was she waiting for that. She opened the door to the stairwell and made her way upstairs. She was just about to reach the 4th floor when she heard a familiar voice.

"Yeah man. I cannot believe it either. It totally worked. Bolton's getting the boot today." Taylor smiled. Chase Marcus himself was standing by the door smiling arrogantly, his PDA by his ear. Taylor pulled out her tape recorder and began recording.

"Yeah, so I went over to the apartment during that idiot security guard's lunch break and waited by the door. Then that bastard Troy was there and I pushed all of his buttons. Plus I recorded the whole thing! I know… totally genius. And Bolton didn't suspect a thing!! What a dumbass! Yeah. So anyway, I edited it and sent it to ET this morning and then spread my sad wittle stowey about how big Twoy Bowton thweatened me." Chase went on, totally oblivious. Taylor stood there silently holding the recorder as close as she possibly could to Chase without him seeing it. All of a sudden Taylor's wig fell to the ground.

"Wait dude, I think someone's there." Chase whispered. He pressed 'END' on his PDA and walked forward. At the same time Taylor reached down and grabbed her wig. She began to run. She had gotten enough evidence.

"HEY YOU!!!" Chase yelled, seeing her face. He took off after her. Taylor ran as fast as she could without tripping. She burst through the stairwell door and through the lobby. The receptionist dropped her donut to the floor dumbfounded. Chase picked up speed bursting out of the main entrance behind Taylor. What he would do when he got his hands on her!! He cursed loudly and noticing the blank stares that were aimed towards him he faked a smile and went back inside.

Taylor caught her breath easily and jumped into the black car beside her. Chad looked at her relieved. Troy looked at her expectantly.

"So, did you get the evidence?" he asked.

"I most certainly did." Taylor answered triumphantly. She smiled and handed her boyfriend the tape recorder. With that they drove off, heading for her and Gabriella's apartment.

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Taylor, Chad, and Troy walked into the lobby of the apartment building. Taylor pressed the elevator button and held out her hand. She wanted to give the tape recorder to Troy so he could explain. Chad strolled over and rummaged through his pocket for the recorder. Taylor waited impatiently.

"Hand it over." She growled. Chad started throwing things out of his pockets. 100 dollar bill, car keys, Sidekick, crumpled receipts. But no tape recorder. He turned bright red and looked up at Taylor.

"Ummmm." He mumbled.

"Chad Danforth!" Taylor yelled absolutely enraged, "How could you lose it?!" People in the lobby turned to stare. Taylor pulled both Chad and Troy into the elevator and the doors closed. Taylor turned her furious eyes off her boyfriend and pressed the button for her floor. After staring at it for awhile she turned back around. "How could you lose it Chad? We only took like 10 steps from the car into the lobby!"

"I'm so sorry Tay. I don't know where it is. " Chad said apologetically.

"All of that for nothing?!" Taylor moaned. Troy was disappointed but he wasn't angry at Chad. He was angry at himself. Angry for letting Chase manipulate him. He should have been smart enough. Why did he let Chase's words get to him? The elevator dinged announcing their arrival at the floor. Henry was nowhere in sight. They stepped out and slowly headed towards the door. Taylor opened it and let Troy in ahead of her. Chad motioned to follow him but Taylor closed the door.

"No…let them talk." She said. Chad nodded and they waited patiently in the hallway.

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Troy stepped inside and gulped. How was he going to explain himself? Gabriella was sitting on the couch. It looked as if she'd been there since he'd left.

"Gabi…I'm really sorry… I know I made a big mistake but I…." He was cut off by the harshest sentence he'd ever heard.

"Troy…I don't want to see you anymore." Troy felt his heart stop. "I deserve better than what you've given me. I wanted to believe that after all this time you were the same guy you used to be… the guy… the guy who loved me. But I was wrong."

"Gabi…I don't think you understand." Troy began.

"NO!"Gabriella's voice pierced through the air. "I understand fully well. I am not your doormat. I am an independent woman and I will not just sit here and let you walk all over me. Goodbye Troy Bolton. See yourself out before I have security do it." Her eyes were fierce and intense and Troy saw she meant every word. He wanted to kiss her and take back everything that happened but he couldn't. He turned and walked to the door. He took one last remorseful look at her and stepped into the hallway. Taylor opened her mouth to ask what happened, but the heart broken look on Troy's face said it all. Chad enveloped his best friend in a hug.

"I'm sorry man. But hey, the sun's shining, the grass is green, and you're not dead right?" He said, instantly regretting his words. Troy shook his head sadly. As long as Gabriella wasn't his, he was dead. She was his world and his life. So without her…there was no Troy Bolton.

Ooooohhh...the plot thickens. Tell me what you think and plz plz plz review!!!! Thanks. DGurl:Dxx