The following morning, well late morning as it was a Sunday, Gabriella picked up Tessa and Taylor with Paul in the car before they headed over to Chad's house where they had agreed several hours ago in the early morning to meet after everyone had a chance to sleep. Troy had spent the night at Chad's and was waiting for the other four when they finally arrived.

"Hey everyone, morning Brie," greeted Troy as he gave them a smile, wincing at the pain as he stretched the injury at the side of his lip a little in the process.

Gabriella gave him a comforting smile before she kissed him lightly on the lips, avoiding both of their injuries, before taking his hand and following him inside the Danforth house. Jason had been picked up by his parents earlier that morning but Zeke and Chad were in the kitchen making a small brunch, well Zeke was cooking with Chad sitting on the counter watching. They waved hello to everyone, Chad showing some surprise when Taylor walked through the kitchen's entryway.

"Hope you don't mind but Tay is one of our best friends and she was way concerned after her older sister told her about what went down this morning," explained Gabriella. "Guess college gossip mills aren't any slower than high school ones."

Chad nodded his head and put a smile on his face. "It's cool, welcome everyone," responded Chad. "Zeke here is almost done. Why doesn't everyone grab a plate and we can talk about everything over food? I know those of us with a hangover think that's a great idea."

Tessa murmured her agreement louder than everyone else, earning her a sympathetic look from Gabriella and Taylor, who patted her back and helped her sit down, somewhat amused by their best friend's refusal of taking her sun glasses off inside the house.

After everyone had some food, they sat down at the Danforth's large dining table and ate the food in silence until Taylor broke the silence. "Great food Zeke! Anyone tell you that you are an amazing cook?"

Zeke shyly smiled back at Taylor. "No, I just put stuff together at times like this when food is a real necessity to survival. Thank you though Taylor, that means a lot."

"Speaking of survival, how'd your parents react when they saw you Gaby?" asked Tessa, speaking for the first time in a while.

Gabriella guiltily looked away from her friends, choosing instead to look at the ceiling while she said, "They didn't. I snuck up the tree in our backyard and into my bedroom from the balcony last night after I dropped everyone off, including sneaking you Tessa into your house with Paul's help after you passed out in the backseat. This morning, I threw on this baseball cap that I knew would cast my face in shadows and said bye to my mom really fast before leaving to pick everyone up."

Paul shot her a questioning look, which Gabriella ignored. "So what are you going to do after this little gathering? You can't hide those injuries forever. Maybe it's best that your parents know," stated Zeke.

"You would think that but you don't know everything. If they find out about this, there will be consequences and I don't want anything to happen to jeopardize what I have now," replied Gabriella, looking at her friends first and lastly at Troy, who steadily held her gaze.

"I'm sure your parents would understand. It's not like the fight yesterday was your doing. Chucky will vouch for that since he was the only nonbiased party there that is sober enough to remember the real events. Unfortunately, Troy and I can't say anything because it would always be brought up that we were a bit under the influence by that time. Of course, you and Paul were completely sober but I don't know if they would put much stock into what you yourself say unless your parents really trust you a lot," said Chad.

"Well they usually do except for when it comes to this," returned Gabriella.

"Umm, I hate to ask this but where was I during this whole fight?" asked Tessa, frustrated that she couldn't remember much after flippy cup except for patches of things.

Troy, Chad, and Gabriella exchanged a look before Chad laughed. "You seriously don't remember? You and Zeke were, umm, hooking up," explained Chad, causing both Zeke and Tessa to look at each other before quickly looking away, both blushing. "Like kissing and stuff, nothing farther than that. I promise we stopped you two before you found the stairs."

"Great," mumbled Tessa, looking at her plate. "Now you all think I'm a slut."

"No!" jumped in Zeke. "Not at all Tessa, you were drunk and so was I. It happens."

Gabriella nodded her head in agreement. "No one here thinks that Tessa. And not to be 'it's all about me' but I don't think that the people there who saw you and were sober enough to remember will talk about you two when they have the brawl between East and West high at a college frat party."

After some thinking, Tessa smiled a little. "That does make me feel better, you are absolutely right!"

"So, what's the game plan with how to handle Riley and Alicia both before they strike again?" asked Paul, interested in what the group had to say on this.

There was a cough at the entryway and everyone looked up to see Chucky standing there in a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. "Morning everyone," greeted the older guy before he grabbed a plate, piled on food, and sat down at the table. "I dragged myself over here so you guys could hear the latest so yes, I am eating your food."

Chad expectantly looked at his older brother. "Well?"

"Oh, sorry," mumbled Chucky after swallowing the bite of the waffle he had just put in his mouth. "So the deal is that Riley was supposed to still be in Colorado through today but he got word of this huge party from, no one other than herself, Troy's ex. Sammy was complaining this morning that the party got ruined because her sister must have big ears and a big mouth. From what I can put together, Alice or whatever her name is must have listened in on Sammy's conversation in which Sammy was telling her best friend about the party while Sammy was at home. What Tom and Sammy could deduce is that Sammy's sister called up Riley and told him about the party as she wanted to see him, a crush maybe, but ended up getting more than just seeing him when he finally arrived at the party. Sammy swore she saw her sister earlier on the night but shrugged it off as she didn't see her for a time after that. I'm guessing here but I think Sammy's sister saw the group of you guys together and called up Riley to make sure he was coming, giving him the bait about Troy and Gabriella being together to lure him there. Is she the vengeful type?"

Troy nodded his head. "I think she is. In fact, I'm a bit surprised she didn't strike until last night. I mean she tried to embarrass me to get me to go back to her but that was it for a while."

"Then she could have been waiting for just the right opportunity. If she knows Riley at least well enough to have his number, she must have known about his interest in Gabriella here and of course everyone knows that you, Troy, and Riley have been at it since you were young guppies at the high schools, fueled by the rivalry. What she did was put an accelerator on a fire that has already been burning," concluded Chucky. "So there you have it, the biggest yet roughest sketch you are going to get as to how it all came together last night. Of course, Tom has no clue I overheard all this since I feigned sleep on the couch when he and Sammy were eating breakfast. I guess they didn't get the partying done they wanted after Riley plus crew crashed."

"Thanks Chucky for coming over and telling us. This helps fill in some of those holes I at least had in trying to figure out how everything happened last night," said Gabriella, giving the older guy a grateful smile. "You know, you're pretty cool. Are you sure you're Chad's big brother?"

"Hey!" protested Chad. "I'm cool too!"

Chucky ruffled Chad's hair. "I think the terminology is special little bro, as in special ed!"

The gang laughed at Chad's expense, grateful for the lightening of the mood. Once all the food on all the plates was gone, including the few pieces of bacon Troy snagged off of Gabriella's plate, the discussion turned back towards what they could do, now that they knew the threat was back, especially because the truth was out about Troy and Gabriella.

"I don't care who knows and what danger it brings, I'm not breaking up with you Brie so don't even think about it," stated Troy, seriously looking at his girlfriend. "I know you well enough by now to know that you are thinking of protecting me in doing that but I'm telling you that I wouldn't be protected, I'd be heartbroken."

Gabriella gave him a surprised look at this. 'Wow, he can't read my mind now can he?' she wondered before she answered him. "If that's truly how you feel, then we won't do it."

"So you were really thinking of that," accused Troy.

Gabriella gave him a small shrug before she said, "Well yeah. Troy, even before we started this whole thing, I always expressed to you that your safety mattered way more to me than being able to call you boyfriend. Now, if nothing else, that feeling of wanting to protect you from everything is even stronger because I love you."

Troy couldn't help but smile at Gabriella. He reached out and gently ran his thumb over her bruised cheek before he leaned in and made the distance between their lips non-existent. After a short time, he pulled back from the kiss and grabbed her left hand with his right while intertwining their fingers together. "I love you too Brie."

"GAG!" shouted Chucky, Chad, and Zeke at the same time, interrupting the trance Troy and Gabriella had been in for a few moments there.

"Dude, did you forget we were even here?" asked Chad.

Troy sheepishly looked at Chad. "Sorry, that happens every once in a while, we sort of…"

"Start looking at each other and forget anyone else is in the room. Yeah, I've seen it plenty of times," expressed Tessa with a grin. "It's cute but I can see how immature basketball boys would be disgusted by some signs of affection."

The girls laughed as the three boys stuck their tongues out in response. "Exactly Tessa's point. Immature!" stated Taylor with a roll of the eyes.

"Oh be quiet McKessie. Just because we aren't brainiacs doesn't mean we aren't mature," argued Chad.

"Oh really Danforth? So how would you explain sticking your tongue out like chimps in response to what Tessa just said? Or how would you explain putting bubble bath solution in the fountain during spirit week so the fountain overflowed with red and white bubbles also a result of you adding red dye in the water before hand? My list of evidence could go on and on," responded Taylor.

Chad just looked at her, shocked she knew all that, while Chucky laid a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. "You best concede defeat here lil bro. Looks like Taylor knows her stuff."

"Well it would make sense since she's on the scholastic decathlon team," mumbled Chad.

"Wait, you know stuff about me?" returned Taylor. "I'm shocked!"

Zeke and Troy just chuckled at this. "Guess you both have a lot to get to know about each other and what each other knows about you," commented Zeke. "Troy must have a big influence on everyone because I don't think either of you would have ever bothered to converse before and yet you two know quite a bit of each other."

Chad and Taylor both shot a look that could kill at Zeke, who immediately shut up. "Well I think it's great the social walls are breaking down that separated the groups before," added Tessa. "It's just too bad we can't do more about these rivalry walls."

"The social walls at East are far easier to break than the rivalry walls between East and West," pointed out Gabriella. "This is evidence here. I mean yes, there are those of us here who are best friends with or dating someone from the opposing school but you don't know many more groups like this. They're rare."

"Which is why I say as an outside party that you guys should fight to preserve this and your individual relationships. Not many people recognize what you have at your ages, in fact some don't even in college," answered Chucky. "Now don't quote me on this because I will not be held responsible for anything that happens in the future but remember, true friendships like what you all share today come only so often."

"See Chad? This is why I said your brother is so cool. He's got maturity and wisdom with the ability to have lots of fun," stated Gabriella with laughter twinkling in her eyes as Chad made a face at her.

"You're just lucky I like you so much Montez otherwise Troy would have dumped your behind by now," retaliated Chad.

"Oh yeah? Well Troy could end his lifelong friendship with you too if I wanted to so there," returned Gabriella.

Troy rolled his eyes. "All right kids, enough fighting over what you could have made me do in the past. You are both wrong. I'd never give up my best friendship with Chad just as I don't ever want to give up what we share Brie. There, now both of you back in your corners."

Chucky chuckled at this. "Man, you do have a way to settle a situation down Troy. Speaking of, how are the injuries? I see you have a new bandage on your forehead."

Troy gingerly touched the bandaged area that covered a part of his eyebrow and some of the area above. "Yeah, thankfully the blow I got to receive this injury wasn't hard enough to do any more damage than this, otherwise I would have had to have gone to the hospital and then my parents would have been notified and let's just say I wasn't in the best condition to explain it all earlier this morning. Everything else that's hurt still hurts but I'll get over it."

"Speaking of parents, don't you think you need to face them sometime soon with the truth Gab?" asked Taylor, seeing the worry appear on Gabriella's face during Troy's talk of his parents. "Your mom really cares for you."

"Right, but she'll fly off the handle to see me like this only a few weeks after Riley's last attack. I barely got out of that one the way that I did, I know I won't when she sees this," replied Gabriella.

"What are you talking about Gaby? What's going to happen?" pushed Tessa, realizing that this was as close as they would all get to getting Gabriella to reveal what has really been going on with her, what she has been so expertly hiding.

Gabriella looked over at Paul, who just blankly stared back at her. "I can't tell you yet, I'm sorry. Maybe we really should go and get home after all," said Gabriella, getting up and picking up her plate. "Thank you Chad for having us over and thanks Zeke for the killer brunch. I'll see you all later?"

Troy immediately stood up and placed his hand on Gabriella's shoulder with a little pressure to make Gabriella look up at him. "Hey, if you don't want to talk about it, you don't want to talk about it. You don't need to answer anything to us if you don't want to," stated Troy. "I'm sure everyone here would rather have you here with us than drive you away in our quest to know the truth."

Gabriella looked a little longer into Troy's blue eyes and sighed. "I think maybe Taylor's right, maybe it is the time to talk to my parents about everything. Trust me, I want to tell everyone what is going on but I just can't," said Gabriella, looking away from Troy to look around the room at their friends, ending by looking at Troy once again. "I'm sorry."

Paul got up out of his seat as he and Gabriella rinsed off the dishes and utensils before putting them in the dishwasher, appearing once again in the dining room. "Tessa, Tay, do you need a ride home?"

"If they want, I can drive them home," offered Zeke, finding that he actually didn't want to see Tessa leave so soon.

Taylor and Tessa exchanged a look before Tessa replied, "Thanks Zeke, I think we'll stay unless you need us Gaby."

Gabriella shook her head. "I don't think even you Tessa can help with what I'm about to do. I'll talk to you all later, okay?"

Taylor and Tessa got up to hug Gabriella good-bye before Troy followed Paul and Gabriella to the front door. Paul stepped out onto the porch to give the couple some privacy as Troy wrapped his arms around Gabriella's back, pulling her into a strong embrace between his arms and his chest. "Are you sure you are going to be okay?" asked Troy, mumbling into her hair.

"I'm not sure but I know that this is something I have to do," responded Gabriella. "It's been too long in coming. Just, whatever happens, remember that I love you all right Troy? I really do."

From somewhere unknown, Troy got a scared feeling that he was going to lose Gabriella as soon as she walked out that door. He tightened his hold on her as Troy tried to shut out that feeling. "I love you too Brie. Gabriella, you really do have my whole heart completely," returned Troy before he pulled away to kiss her with all the feelings he had.

After Gabriella reluctantly pulled away, Troy placed the baseball hat he had taken off before he held her in his arms back on her head, kissing her uninjured cheek. He watched as Gabriella left the Danforth's house and walked with Paul to her car and eventually drove away.

"Of all the stupid, teenage things to do, I cannot believe you even tried to hide all of this from us!" yelled Stephen, beyond angry to see the bruise on Gabriella's cheek and small cut at the corner of his daughter's face, as well as simply knowing about the bruise on Gabriella's stomach. "What were you thinking?"

Gabriella winced at her father's tone, not knowing whether she should speak now or not. 'God, this conversation could have been a whole lot better if he hadn't come home early from his trip. Mom would have at least listened to me,' thought Gabriella, rethinking that idea though as she saw the upset look on her mother's face.

Annette looked back at her daughter, not angry but very upset by what Gabriella has endured without telling them. "Gabriella, what we are trying to say is that if someone is hurting you, regardless of the pain, emotional, psychological, or physical, we want to know. We can't help or protect you if you don't tell us," said Annette, who then shot a pleading look at Stephen to calm down. "I think what your father and I are trying to express here is that we are concerned, that's all."

"No, that's not all!" returned Stephen, still using a loud voice that reverberated through the house. "I want you to stop seeing this boy of yours too! He is obviously no good for you if he can't protect you from this idiot at school and he is well beneath you and you know it!"

Tears gathered in Gabriella's eyes at these words. "No Daddy, it's not Troy's fault and I love him! Why does everyone insist that I need to be protected? You two, Tessa, Troy, Paul, everyone seems to think I need protecting and that I'm some little infant who can't protect herself. Well how am I ever going to learn if you keep treating me this way?"

"Those bruises sure don't look like you've learned anything at all," returned Stephen, his face still red with his anger. "I've been too lenient with you so far Gabriella and I think that I have no one else to blame for that but myself. You have lived your life the way you wanted to but now it is time to live it my way, the way it should have been lived a while ago. You are to never return to West High, you'll get a tutor, and you are to never see Troy again, do you hear me?"

"You can't do that!" responded Gabriella, getting up on her feet, angrily wiping away at her tears. "That's not fair!"

Stephen shook his head and started pointing a finger at Gabriella. "No, what's not fair is what you are doing to me and your mother, worrying about you being gone until early in the morning and then disappearing only to show up with these injuries! If I had known any of this was going on as long as it has, I would have pulled you from that school ages ago and we would have…"

"Would have moved, right? This is exactly why I have been hiding everything! I don't want to move, I don't want to leave my friends here, I don't want to leave Troy!" expressed Gabriella, her own voice getting louder as the argument continued. "You don't think I know those words would have come out of your mouth Dad? I knew, that's why I haven't said anything. Why can't you just let me grow up and be my own person, a normal teenage girl?"

"Because you aren't a normal teenage girl Gabriella Felicia Anna Lauren Montez! And you Paul, how could you let all this happen?" demanded Stephen, addressing the fourth person in the room for the first time in half an hour since they had arrived home.

"I'm sorry sir," responded Paul, looking down at the ground. "I tried to protect Gabriella where I could but she made it clear to me she would rather try to fight her own battles. After the first time I saw it happen, I tried my best to protect her from Riley Sutton but I obviously wasn't good enough."

Before Stephen could lay into Paul, Gabriella screamed, "Enough! Dad, this is exactly what I'm talking about! You don't ever listen to me! I asked Paul to stand down the first time he saw things, I called him off because Riley is the type of guy who relishes in the more trouble he can create. I was trying to handle him on my own so it wouldn't get so out of hand. Why can't you just leave me alone to live my life the way I deem it to be lived?"

Stephen stared at his daughter for a few moments while he tried to calm himself down, knowing the yelling match would get the family nowhere. In a much calmer voice he said, "Listen Gabriella, I'm only saying what I am to try to protect you from the likes of this Riley boy at your school. If the circumstances were different, I'd have no problem with you living life the way you see fit but you know what is going on, you know what your future holds yet you insist on living so very reckless and endangering yourself bodily as well as your secret that you wanted to keep."

"That I wanted to keep? You and Mom practically mandated that I keep it!" argued Gabriella. "Sure my friends may be shocked but they wouldn't shun me for it, at least I hope not."

"Yet you can't tell them because if they know, someone else will know and everything will be lost," countered Stephen as he quickly approached Gabriella. "Listen, I'm only trying to pro…to keep you safe. There is a lot at stake here, there's a lot to be lost, and the biggest loss to me would be losing you Gabriella, don't you see? You are my only child, my dearest daughter. I'd be lost if your mother and I lost you in some stupid petty high school rivalry or what have you. I know I don't show it as well as your mother but I love you daughter, I really do."

Seeing the love in her father's eyes was the undoing of Gabriella as she felt herself wrapped in her father's arms. Annette also came over and joined the little family hug while Paul made a quiet exit from the room and house, leaving the family to this special moment.

After some tears and a little longer in each other's embrace, the family pulled away and looked at each other, realizing for the first time that Paul had left. "He's always very discreet like that," commented Gabriella, wiping away a tear as Annette did the same. "So what am I supposed to do now?"

"The summer is coming up and that's the time we promised we would return," stated Annette, looking at Gabriella as they both took a seat on the couch together. "I know you don't want to hear this but I agree with your father about taking you out of West High. We can get you a fine tutor so you won't fall behind."

"But doesn't that let them win? All those idiots who have been terrorizing me, especially Riley? Out of all the reputations I've developed over the years, I do not want to leave West being known as the coward slut," stated Gabriella, a serious look residing on her face.

"Coward slut?" asked Stephen, shocked the second word came out of daughter's mouth. "Do we have something else to talk about Gabriella?"

Gabriella shook her head hard. "No, they just branded me that because I was the subject of the Troy and Riley fight a few times. It's just typical high school Daddy except that this time I'm not a title like Brainiac or Popular Girl."

Stephen and Annette both looked at each other relieved. "Well, I can certainly see where you are coming from but it's clear you'll be in constant danger if we continue to let you go to West. I don't know if it would be much better if we let you transfer to another school either, a school like East," said Annette. "Besides with it being only a few weeks more before the end of school, it wouldn't make sense to have you transfer now. I think the best choice then is to have a tutor from now on and we can consider options in the fall."

"So that means we're coming back then in the fall?" questioned Gabriella, excitement in her voice for the first time. "This visit isn't permanent?"

Annette shook her head. "It never was intended to be permanent unless something drastic changes. Remember, my promise to you that I made the first day you went to West? No more moving? I can't help the visits and everything that has happened since then but I'm trying to at least keep that one promise."

Gabriella launched herself into her mother's arms, just so completely happy to hear those words. "Thank you!" exclaimed Gabriella, giving her mom a big hug before pulling back. "Now, can we please negotiate about me seeing Troy?"

Stephen stared at his daughter's smiling face and knew he was going to end up giving in, even against his better judgment. "You really care for this boy that much that you would negotiate to keep the ability to see him? How are you doing though with keeping such a secret as who you are from him?"

"It's hard," replied Gabriella without missing a beat. "I won't lie about that but he does mean that much to me Dad that I would happily give something up for him."

"If that isn't true love at such an age, I don't know what is," murmured Annette as she looked at her husband. "I've seen them together more than you have and Troy Bolton is as good of a guy as Gabriella makes him out to be and I think he cares and loves her just as much as she does."

"But she's my baby girl," argued Stephen, giving his wife his full attention.

Annette laughed a little at this. "It's not like they are going to run off and get married, trust me," responded Annette. "Besides, if we don't let her have this, she'll just sneak around like her father did to see me. It's in her blood."

"Not funny," got out Stephen before he sighed. "Fine, Troy can stay in the picture if only to prevent secrets between this family. That's my negotiation with you Gabriella. You can continue seeing Troy if you want to but I don't want anything to go too far physically, all right? I'll agree to this if you keep that promise and agree no more secrets. You get hurt, you get great news, your mother and I want to know it all. Deal?"

Gabriella looked at her father with excitement. "Seriously? I am so up for that deal! And Dad, just to let you know, I made a promise to myself when I was thirteen that I wouldn't lose my virginity until I was married so you have no worries there. Thank you!" exclaimed Gabriella, hugging her mother and father both before she pulled out her cell phone, about to text Troy.

"Hold on, we still have some family discussion here. About your schooling," informed Stephen, gently taking the cell phone from his daughter's hands. "I really do not feel comfortable at all with you going back to West, are we clear?"

Gabriella bit her lip. "But what about trying to fight it out and being stronger for it?"

"There are some fights in life that aren't worth fighting Gabriella and this one is one of them. I know your pride may be hurt by the inability to show that you are strong enough to keep going back to that school with everything that has happened but with you being in constant danger from this boy, I'm not willing to risk it. It's clear to me you are not safe there. No more setting foot on the school grounds," stated Stephen, looking Gabriella directly in the eyes. "That's the other part of our deal Gabriella. I want your word to on this."

"But what about my stuff?" argued Gabriella. "I need to go back and get stuff from my locker. I can go in the middle of the day when there are classes or something. Please, I have important pictures and stuff there that I really want."

"Can't we just ask your best friend Tessa to get them or something?" countered Stephen.

"I guess but I would like to say good-bye to the place. I wouldn't feel like there was closure otherwise," said Gabriella. "Please Dad? I'll make sure Paul is with me if it makes you feel any better."

Stephen studied his pleading daughter's face for a few moments and looked over at Annette who nodded her approval of the idea. "Fine but Paul must be with you and you are to go when you know everyone will be in class. I'll be in communications with that principal over there to let him know we are taking you out and to give him a piece of my mind for not having stopped all of this sooner or even involving the police."

Gabriella guiltily looked back at her father. "Actually, that's my fault, why the cops haven't been brought in. When it got bad, when I came home with the injuries, I asked that there be no charges brought up against Riley."

"What, why?" demanded Annette, shocked at this piece of news.

"Because I figured if that happened, I would get it worse at school plus there was a chance of media news and I just didn't want that attention, I didn't think you would either," replied Gabriella. "I really was thinking of what's best for this family, honest."

Stephen nodded his approval. "I can't argue with that logic. All right, so it's settled then. No more secrets, you can still see Troy and your friends, we'll come back after the summer, and you are being pulled out of West High. Did I miss anything?"

Annette shook her head. "I think that is more than enough for right now."

Seeing Gabriella look at her cell phone that Stephen still held in his hands, he handed it back to his daughter, who instantly took off up the stairs towards her room to call whoever she was going to call. Stephen wrapped his arms around Annette and looked down into her dark brown eyes. "Did we just do the right thing?"

"We did the best thing we could have done in the situation," replied Annette. "I'm proud of you for not ruling with an iron fist like you did during those three weeks. Gabriella responds much better to you when you do what you just did, talking to her like an adult and giving her some leeway."

"I just hope none of this turns out to be a mistake," confessed Stephen, leaning his forehead against his wife's and just relaxing his mind after everything that was said and done.

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