Time Changes Everything

Fast And Hard

Troy could feel his legs shaking. He was sitting in his room, staring down at his red bedspread on his queen size bed. His eyes look up at the ceiling as he never really noticed the paint was coming off in the corners of the walls. His stomach was in a knot. It had been for the past seven months. He sighs and stands, not being able to take sitting anymore. His parents were at the hospital and they had left him home alone. He could barely stand it. Why couldn't he be there with them? Mr. Montez was practically his other father. He had every right to be there as they did. Troy begins to pace the floor. Somehow, this wasn't how he pictured his summer before freshman year.

He couldn't stand the thought of Mr. Montez in the hospital. He had seemed invincible to Troy, since he always had a smile on his face. Even when they found out seven months ago when his tests came back that he was in the late stage II of stomach cancer. The whole two household's worlds were turned upside down. Neither house could believe it. They knew he was sick for awhile, but they had tried to stay positive. After chemo and radiation, the cancer still hadn't gone away. Instead it had spread. This afternoon, the Bolton's had gotten a call saying that Mr. Montez had passed out. His parents had been at the hospital ever since. He hadn't gotten a call yet, and he wasn't sure if that was a good sign or a bad.

The garage door opens in the distance and Troy looks out his window to see his dad's car pull up. Troy's heart suddenly starts to beat faster. What if they wanted to tell him he didn't make it in person and not over the phone? Troy feels his heart flip as the door suddenly slams shut and he hears footsteps running up the stairs. Before he even knew what was happening, he suddenly had a petite almost black haired girl in his arms, crying into his shoulder.

Troy wraps his arms around Gabriella's lower back and pulls her closer to him. He was in pain, but he couldn't help but feel the familiar sparks that he always did when Gabriella was in his arms. He softly strokes her hair, not saying a word yet because he didn't want her to tell him the worst. A sudden warm wetness appears on his neck where he knew Gabriela was sobbing. He could feel his own tears in his eyes as he softly leans down and takes a deep breath. "What's going on?" He whispers even though they were the only two in the room.

Troy holds his breath as Gabriella's body shakes. "He's staying over night, and will be released tomorrow. He was awake when I left." Troy feels his breath release in relief. He feels a tear of happiness slip down his own cheek as Gabriella shakes again. "I was so scared." She says and clings onto Troy's neck tighter. Troy continues to stroke her hair.

"It's alright. Everything's ok." He whispers as she still doesn't move from his arms. "I was scared too." He tells her and she finally brings herself from his neck and her looks at her for the first time. Even though her eyes were puffy and bloodshot, her face was red and blotchy, and her mascara was running, he still thought she looked like the most beautiful fourteen year old in the world.

"Troy Bolton? Afraid?" She tries to make the situation lighter but the just shakes her head. "You must think I'm stupid for crying even though he's fine." She says and Troy continues to keep his hands on her lower back.

"Never." He responds and Gabriella sighs.

"You're parents are going to be home later. They're still with my mom." She says and wipes her eyes, probably trying to be strong. "But they thought I'd be better off here with you." She says and walks out of his grasp to sit down on his bed. "I can't stop thinking about if something went wrong."

"I know. I can't either." He says honestly and sits down next to her.

"It's been the longest three hours of my life." She says and rests her head on his shoulder. "But everything's ok." She whispers.