Someone Like You

They'd been a couple once, a happy couple. Now she was consumed with thoughts of him – she needed to see him; she had to know if he still thought of her.

Gabriella Montez sighed deeply as she sat on her window sill and looked out of the window of her apartment, watching the snowflakes as they fell softly onto the ground outside. There were a million thoughts going through her mind at that present moment; thoughts of work and the article she needed to edit and send in to work, thoughts of her friends and there constant messages to go out with them, thoughts of what she should cook for dinner tonight but most of all she found herself thinking of the one thing that was never far from her mind - Troy Bolton.

When Gabriella had lived in New Mexico, she and Troy had been best friends. They'd known each other since Junior High and the chemistry between them was undeniable; they hit it off straight away and spent hours talking to each other and hanging out. They became 'joined at the hip' to quote an old saying and eventually and naturally, their relationship had developed into something more. They had become a couple during their sophomore year of high school and they were often known as the school's sweethearts or golden couple. It was natural for them to be together in the eyes of their peers – they were both attractive and got on well but most of all they had this vibe – a certain chemistry that no one could deny. They were a perfect fit and they couldn't have been happier.

They had continued to date through their college years even though they were thousands of miles apart. Gabriella had chosen Harvard for her college and had been accepted with a full scholarship for academics while Troy had chosen to go UC Berkley with the guarantee of a sports scholarship. Somehow they had made it work, of course it wasn't easy but they loved each other enough to know as long as they communicated regularly it would be fine. That was until Senior Year. The stresses of college and keeping a long distance relationship seemed to be taking its toll on both of them but for Gabriella, it felt twice as hard. Harvard had been her dream for so long and she always knew it would be hard but senior year turned out to be excruciatingly difficult and she thought if she was to complete her last year, some things would have to change. That change turned out to be terminating their almost 5 year relationship and it was a decision Gabriella had to live with every day of her life.

Gabriella shook her head, took in a deep breath to prevent tears cascading down her tanned face and sighed once more before sliding off the window ledge and padding into her bedroom where a suitcase lay open on her bed. The suitcase had sat open and empty for days but the unfilled luggage was soon filled with various contents as the brunette made her mind up about visiting her hometown. For a while her mind had been plagued with thoughts of her ex-boyfriend and how his life seemed to be moving on from the news she heard from home and she knew she needed to see him and satisfy her desires and quell her ongoing thoughts. Maybe it wasn't right to pry into the life of the person's heart you once tore apart and practically stomped all over but her mind wouldn't rest – she needed answers. Seeing her family too would be a bonus, for a while they'd begged her to visit but excuses had always been made.

Landing in Albuquerque, Gabriella noticed how it hadn't changed, not one iota. It was still the same old humid town with beautiful surroundings that made her smile every time. As a light breeze swept around her she sighed and for once it was in contentedness. Nothing beat the feeling of returning home and being in the place you once loved more than anything. Snapping out of her daydream, Gabriella looked around and spotted her mother running toward her, waving frantically as though she wouldn't notice the crazy lady practically dying to hurl herself onto her daughter.

"Mija I miss you dearly, you must come home more often" Mrs Montez stated firmly as she hugged her daughter tightly outside the airport doors. Anna hated her daughter living so far away but she knew you had to let your children live their own life and she was extremely proud of her daughter, if not a little worried.

"Okay Mami, I get it, I should come home more" Gabriella squirmed her way out of the death grip her mother held her in and instead hugged her father tightly. She'd always been a daddy's girl and that was where her and her sister differed – her older sister was much more a mommy's kind of girl.

The ride home consisted of her mother talking nonstop about what had been happening in town lately and how much she had missed her youngest child – completely oblivious to Gabriella's inner turmoil. Gabriella had murmured agreements out of politeness when necessary but for the most part had remained quiet and thoughtful as she stared at the passing buildings outside the car window. She loved her family but she had only one real intention for this trip and she knew it.

After settling in, Gabriella decided on taking a walk around town, she couldn't bear to be smothered and surrounded constantly by her family no matter how much she loved them. She was currently walking down a street that had become such a large part of her life as a teenager; it was a main street in town and held coffee shops, ice cream parlours and the likes the whole way along it. She smiled sadly at the memories that flashed through her mind, this had been her friends and hers favourite haunt. Now it was overrun with other groups of teenagers who considered it their favourite place in the world – at least for now, she thought.

Gabriella continued to reminisce in her mind about her teenage years until she found her feet halting as she heard a familiar voice float along with warm breeze that accompanied the blazing sun. The voice – so sweet yet strong – she would know anywhere. That voice was the voice she had heard in her head so many times over the years and had wished so many times to hear it out loud. Her heart was racing as she turned around and caught sight of the boy or man more specifically, who she had loved for so long and who she had let go. He was outside a coffee shop, talking animatedly on his phone and he was more handsome than ever; his blonde her had darkened to a light brown but was still cut in that shaggy lazy way he had always sported and he was definitely more toned. The very sight of him made her feel faint under the intense heat and she found herself falling to the floor as her shaking knees, buckled underneath her.

"Miss, Ma'm, are you okay?"

"Hey, Miss, can you talk to me?"

"Lady..."

There were people all around her asking if she could hear them but her mouth was dry and her voice could not be found as she thought of the man talking on his phone just metres away from her. She found herself being dragged to her feet and sat on a bench and she prayed to every God and Idol out there that he would not see the commotion and find her. She thought how it was so typical of Troy to do something like that, he'd always been the one to help out others and she'd loved him for it. He wasn't afraid to stand up for others and he enjoyed helping those in need more than most teen guys would. Yet, right now Gabriella found herself wishing he'd lost that trait or at least was too preoccupied to notice as right now wasn't the time for reunions.

"Miss, are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah Lady, you took quite a fall then..."

Gabriella snapped back to reality and a blush rose to her cheeks as the situation replayed itself in her head. "Uh, yeah, I'll be fine. I just felt a little faint with the heat but I'm fine now, thank you"

The strangers nodded before dispersing to get on with their daily lives and Gabriella sucked in a breath before standing cautiously to her small feet. Running a hand through her soft curls she walked on down the street, not daring to look back but thinking about how Troy had always laughed at her for being such a klutz; she never seemed to be stable on her feet and she knew he'd smile now if he knew she hadn't changed. Thinking about her former boyfriend and seeing him again only affirmed the feelings she had harboured for so long inside of her and it felt like a knife inside of her, being twisted over and over. She knew she was selfish for even thinking of him these days and she knew she should have moved on so long ago but she couldn't, part of her always wondered if he still loved her too.

"I'm home..." The beautiful Latina called wearily through her childhood home as she made her way inside after her walk. The shelter of her home made her feel better; safe from the cruel world, as though she was a small child.

Anna Montez walked into the sitting room and stared at her daughter; she looked dishevelled and pale. She knew her daughter well and she knew something had happened and she only prayed she hadn't done something stupid. "Dear whatever is the matter with you? You don't look yourself at all"

Gabriella rolled her eyes and cursed her mother's sixth sense; she'd always known when something was wrong and it had been a problem many times during her teen years. "I'm fine Mom, I just felt a little faint in the heat - it's been a while since I've been here" The lie was almost foolproof but still Gabriella felt the scrutiny of her mother as she flicked through the channels on the TV.

"If you say so honey, but you know you can talk to me, right?"

"Yeah Mom, sure"

Gabriella didn't want to talk about her problems especially not the problem of being totally and utterly in love with a man who was settled and had everything he could ever want. He had everything she had never been able to give him – stability, a happy relationship and marriage. She'd run off when things got too stressful and had put her career before the love of her life and their relationship but now he'd found someone who wouldn't do that. She knew she was supposed to be happy for him, she was supposed to okay with him finding someone knew, she was supposed to be over him, she was supposed to be happy and settled herself but that was just a lot of supposed too and nothing else.

The next few days Gabriella found herself firmly tied up in family commitments but by the weekend she had escaped from the confines of the house and had walked through the streets with one destination in mind. She needed to see him now before it completely killed her; she had to know if he still loved her like she loved him before she left to go home.

The house he lived in was large and a house he had always talked about them living in when they had been young and convinced they would spend the rest of their lives together. How naive you could be as a teenager; the world lay before you and you were convinced life would turn out the way you wanted it too. If only it was so simple.

Taking a deep breath she knocked on the blue door – blue had always been his favourite colour even though most people had been convinced it was red after East High colours. Those were the type of things only she knew about him; while the rest of the world took little notice, she'd noticed every little detail about him. As the door opened to reveal her former flame, she found herself at a loss for words – what was she supposed to say to the man she loved more than anything in the world but let go so carelessly?

As Troy opened the heavy door, he half expected to see his bushy haired friend standing their looking sheepish at forgetting to take his jacket with him. What he didn't expect to see was the girl he had once loved more than anything, standing there and his face contorted into shock as his mind tried to catch up. "Gabriella?" The words were more of a question than a statement as he took in the beautiful girl before him.

"Um, Hi Troy"

Troy held the door open and gestured for his ex girlfriend to come in and thanked God that his wife was out of town for work this weekend. The atmosphere was tense and silent as the pair sat opposite each other in the living room. Troy had no idea why Gabriella was here and Gabriella was scared to open her mouth for fear of saying all the wrong things. This was not the way either had envisaged their relationship becoming; distant strangers who could barely make eye contact let alone form a friendly conversation.

Gabriella stared at him for a while in the silence, studying him closely and she could tell his features were more defined now; he looked slightly older – in a good way. He was even more handsome up close and as she met his eyes, she hoped he could read what was behind them. She wanted him to know how much she loved him, how it had never been over for her and it still wasn't. The feelings she contained inside of her all the years – the love, the yearning, and the passion – threatened to spill out of her as he searched her mocha orbs with his azure ones.

"What are you doing here Gabriella?" The statement was neither welcoming nor cold; it was simply neutral – almost indifferent.

Gabriella bit her lip as she looked at him, she'd never expected a welcoming greeting but she'd never expected indifference either "I'm sorry for turning up like this Troy, for turning up out of the blue...but I had to see you"

Troy looked bewildered for a second and a flash of anger passed through his eyes "Why? Why did you have to see me, why now after all these years?"

"I-I don't know. I wanted to see you for so long but I couldn't face it but I just had to do it now before I regretted it"

"Why, Gabriella? What do you want?"

Gabriella bit her lip once more as she rung her hands in her lap; she knew he was angry at her and he had every right to be but it cut through her like a knife. "I just needed to see you Troy, I had too. That's all I wanted" She knew this was a lie because what she wanted was him.

Troy sighed as he watched the girl in front of him. He sensed she was omitting something but he wasn't going to push her. It was one thing he'd learned about her during their relationship – she would always tell you things in time, pushing her never helped. "Okay. How have you been Gabriella?"

"Okay, I guess. Just busy with work and stuff..." The reply sounded lame; this was the part where she was supposed to share how great her life was, how she had a great job, a great boyfriend and an all round great life. That however would be the biggest lie of all because besides the fact she did have a good job, everything else in her life sucked. She wanted so desperately to tell him how her life was nothing without him but she could read in his face that he wouldn't reciprocate those kinds of feelings and this stung.

"Oh yeah, I heard you had a good job at a newspaper. It was always your dream so congratulations, I guess"

Gabriella nodded briefly as a gesture of thanks "How about you then? I heard you've done pretty well for yourself. You and Chad went into business, right? And you look like you've got a great wife" The latter part came out quieter than first and a lump formed in her throat as she gestured to the framed photo on the fireplace.

Troy smiled as he thought of his business and his wife. It hadn't been easy when Gabriella had left him; he'd wanted nothing more than to hurl himself of a bridge and forget about anything else but in the end Chad had pulled him through and he'd learned to move on. He met his wife two years later and somehow they were perfect together. He'd never dreamed of falling in love again or being half as happy as he had been with Gabriella but he'd been wrong and now he had a beautiful wife and a thriving business. "Yeah, we opened a physical therapy centre for people of all kinds and it's doing well. As for my wife, yes, she's amazing. I honestly never thought I'd love again but she's everything I could ever want now"

The tears welled up in Gabriella's eyes and she couldn't stop them as hard as she tried; this wasn't what she wanted to happen. Troy was supposed to still love her and sweep her into his arms once more but now that dream was shattered and reality hit harder than ever before. "Um, could I use your bathroom?"

Troy nodded and pointed her in the direction of the bathroom before throwing his head back and letting out a long sigh. He was far from stupid and he knew she had been trying desperately not to cry. He hadn't meant to make her cry and he realised now that him talking about how happy he was with his wife had set her off, he could tell she still harboured feelings for him and he felt guilty. He knew he had nothing to feel guilty about in reality but no matter how much she'd hurt him, a part of him would always care.

As her watched her return from the bathroom, he noticed how different she looked these days. She had bangs now and her hair was slightly shorter than when they'd been together but she also looked tired and troubled and there was no glimmer in her eyes anymore. "Uh, would you like some coffee or water?"

Gabriella nodded briefly "Coffee would be good"

Troy nodded before making his way into the kitchen, Gabriella trailing closely behind him. The kitchen was large and spacious and the cherry wood kitchen furniture made Gabriella frown. Gabriella had always dreamed of living in a home that had a beautifully crafted cherry wood kitchen and Troy had just that and it hurt to know this all could have been hers; this whole situation could have been different had she not been so insecure and selfish.

The tension in the kitchen could be felt as Troy watched Gabriella wrap her hands around the warm cup and watched her thoughtful facial expressions. "So, I see you still like your coffee then?" His attempt at lightning the mood was probably not the best but he knew they couldn't sit in silence forever.

Gabriella smiled slightly "Yeah...I tried to give it up last year but I think I need it to survive by now"

Troy laughed remembering how she'd always had coffee when they'd dated – she needed it to be awake and functioning in the mornings. "You should have known that it would turn out bad – we tried to stop you drinking it during high school but you just bit every ones head off for an entire two weeks"

"Oh I remember that alright, I was a total bitch for two weeks because I was so tired. Sharpay was tame compared to me and poor Taylor got the brunt of it all..." The Latina trailed off as she thought about her old friends; she missed them.

"Yeah definitely but I think they enjoyed the bitchy side to you; it made for an interesting two weeks" Troy's blue eyes sparkled for the first time since Gabriella had seen him again and it made her smile, knowing that he still treasured their memories at least.

Gabriella laughed lightly as she remembered those two weeks in senior year "Yeah it was definitely interesting. So, do you still speak to any of the gang?"

"Uh well I talk to Chad still obviously and I see Zeke if I'm ever in LA but other than that not really" He sighed regrettably "I sort of wish I had kept in touch with the others though, we had some good times together..."

Gabriella nodded and tears threatened to fall once again as she thought of the past and the wonderful memories that she and Troy had created with the gang. "Yeah but you're still happy, right? I think that's what counts most"

"Yeah, I'm happy. So incredibly happy and I guess that's what's most important...how about you Gabriella, are you happy?" His eyes raked over the woman in front of him as he ended his sentence and he seen her fiddle with the cup in front of her while her eyes clouded over ever so slightly.

"Um, yeah, I guess" She shrugged before looking up at the blue eyes watching her intently. Her own brown pools locked with his for just seconds before she spoke softly once more. "I guess I better get going. I have to spend some more time with the family before I leave tomorrow..."

Troy broke his gaze before nodding in understanding at her. As she stood up, he walked her to the front door, where they stood in silence. Gabriella knew she had to leave now before she begged him to leave his wife and take her back – to forgive her and love her like he had done so many years before. She knew he'd moved on and he was happy now and that killed her inside – he didn't think about her nor did he still hold a torch for her like she did for him. She could see it clearly now, the numbness and ignorance was gone and reality was truly unkind as she felt the searing pain grip her heart once more.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Gabriella spoke sincerely "I hope you have a wonderful life Troy; I truly wish you and your wife the best" The words were hard to speak – it was like swallowing a bitter pill, a pill of self loathing and hate for herself.

Troy smiled genuinely at her as he dug his hands in his pockets "You too Gabriella. Enjoy your life and I hope you find someone who'll give you everything you want"

The brunette simply nodded at his statement as she turned to walk down the driveway; she could only hope she could find someone just like him to love her even if it did seem almost impossible to find someone just like Troy Bolton. "Oh, and Troy...?" She turned around as she called for him one last time.

"Yeah?"

Gabriella's tears finally fell from her eyes as she looked him in the eye one last time "Please, don't forget me"

Never mind I'll find someone like you

I wish nothing but the best for you

Don't forget me, I beg

I own storyline only - all rights to rightful owners. Song at the end is Adele - Someone Like You!(AWESOME - Check it out) PLEASE REVIEW! I hope you enjoyed it, it was just a simple ONESHOT I worked on a few days ago. Feel free to check my other stories out - I'd like it very much :)