Just to clear some things up. This fiction takes place during the summer to Senior Year. Meaning, HSM 2 and 3 did not happen. I guess you can call this a alternative Universe fiction. BTW, Gabriella has been with the gang, mostly Taylor, since grade four. However, HSM 1 did happen, except Troy and Gabriella aren't official.

--

Part of the Family

--

Time for Good-bye

--

Gabriella stretched out of bed, yawning, her mouth wide open. After a long study-night with Taylor, she didn't get enough sleep. She only slept about six hours, instead of the eight necessary. Now, she felt sorry for Taylor, who probably arrived home late, well, early that morning. May be she should've asked her to stay the night. It seemed like a better idea than forcing her mother to drive Taylor home, who lived about half an hour away.

She bounded out of her room, rushing down the stairs. For a while now, Gabriella has grown worried every time her mother went out. Even if she went out for groceries or while Gabriella was at school. She just simply felt something was going to go wrong any minute. She didn't want to think negatively but that was all the signs she was getting. Lately, her mother was become scattered-brained and even clumsy. Gabriella remembered her mother to be different, always quick on her feet and poised. She was pretty sure her mother never spilled fries on the most popular girl of school.

"Mom!" Gabriella said, relieved that her mother was in the kitchen, sipping freshly brewed coffee. She took her seat, opposite her mom. "How are you feeling today?"

Her mother, Alice, laughed it off before taking another quick sip. "You ask me that every morning and I always feel fine." She never grew tired of Gabriella's worried question. She was patient that way. "Now hurry up or you'll be late for the bus."

Gabriella frowned and grumbled under her breath, "stop worrying about me, mom." Sure, it was the parents' job to care and worry for the kids but when Gabriella was positive she needed to worry for her mother, she was going to be the motherly figure. She pushed herself away from the table. "Be careful driving to the bakery, kay?"

Alice laughed again and waved her daughter away. "Oh, Gabriella, lighten up."

She scowled before heading back to her room to get ready. Why did her mother have to be so care-free? Why couldn't she worry more about herself than Gabriella? Gabriella felt that her mother was hopeless and selfless. All she cared about was Gabriella, her absent sons and the family bakery. Gabriella adored that bakery, it always smelled fresh and heart-warming. However, Gabriella felt that her mother needed more help around the bakery. She mostly did the work and Gabriella, Troy and Taylor would work for brief hours after school. And because of her love for the bakery, Gabriella felt that because of the bakery, something bad would happen to her mother.

No, she couldn't think that. She was just being overly cautious. Her mother was perfectly well to take care of herself. And whatever Gabriella was worried about, was nothing. May be she was just feeling worried over summer vacation then her mother's well being. Or being she was thinking of College and was worried about her mother being alone once that time came.

Whatever it was, Gabriella just needed to let it slid.

Once in her room, Gabriella opened her closet. While focusing on her clothes, shunning herself from her worries, she heard tires cry outside her window. Quickly, she ran over and window the window, sticking her head out to see what happened. A mother, rushing to take her kids to school accidentally ran over a squirrel in the process. She witnessed the mother step out of the care and panic over the dead squirrel. As quickly as she came out, she drove off, not wanting to be late. Still at her window, Gabriella looked at the dark animal, contrasting with the light grey road. She spoke a couple of words before heading back to the closet.

After picking a decent outfit, Gabriella went back to the kitchen, hoping to eat breakfast before the bus came. If only she had a car, she could leave later and still arrive on time.

"I'm going to work now," Alice said as she saw Gabriella reach on the last two bottom steps. She walked over and kissed Gabriella on the forehead. "I'll see you after school, along with Taylor." Alice walked to the door, hand already on the knob. "And Troy," she said, a small, serene smile following. Then, just like that she was gone.

Still being a tiny bit cautious about her mother, Gabriella walked over to the window, pulled the curtain slightly back and watch her mother slowly back out of the drive-way. When Gabriella saw her van no-more, she stepped back, taking a deep breath and praying that her mother would arrive to work on time and safe.

--

8:40am.

Gabriella entered the school, checking the time on her watch. She was positive, that at this time, her mother was already preparing to open the bakery. For some reason, the pit of her stomach was in pain, more like butterflies. She had nothing to be nervous about, this day nothing special was happening. It was a typical day of school with classes and lunch. Just to make sure, Gabriella dialed in the number of the bakery, humming with anticipation for her mother to pick up. After six rings, Gabriella found it odd that nobody has answered yet. Most times, Gabriella's mother answered on the third or fourth ring. But now, nobody picked-up.

Thinking to herself, she walked to her home-room, staring at the cell-phone in her hand. She passed by Troy and Taylor without saying a word. She was too focused on her phone. Where was her mother?

Ring Ring.

She jolted, frightened the phone suddenly rang in her hand. People stared at her, wondering why she still had her phone on. It was probably her mother calling and saying not to worry and she was fine and she didn't answer the phone because she was busy mixing some sort of batter. The number that popped into her screen wasn't the bakery number at all. It was a number she was never heard off. It was completely unknown to her.

She'll just pick up for the heck of it. "Hello?"

"Is this Gabriella Montez?" the voice asked. It was male and it sounded like authority.

"Yes," she let out meekly, oblivious to anything.

"Your mother-" Before he could say anymore, Gabriella froze. She feared the worst, the absolute worst. "Has been in a car accident. We are taking her to Albuquerque Hospital at the moment."

The world around her began to fall apart. The phone in her hand slipped away, headed straight for the ground. It seemed like time was standing still and nothing else mattered. Everything around her turned pitch black. She saw nobody. The only thing she saw was her mother's smiling face before taking off for work. It was like she was reliving the moment. It was like she was having a near death experience. It was like she was seeing her mother's life flash before her own eyes. All the feelings of worry were right and she completely ignored them and because she did, her mother was in a car accident and that squirrel...

That squirrel.

She snapped back to reality, hard. Gabriella reached for her phone but it was no where in sight. Beside her, she heard Troy speaking with somebody, voice sounding urgent.

"She'll be right over!" Troy said over and over again. "She'll get there as soon as she can!" Then he ended the call, staring at the Gabriella, eyes in a panic, his beautiful constructed face, sweating. He shifted his eyes away from Gabriella, passing her and heading over to Sharpay, who wasn't even paying attention. "Sharpay, you need to drive Gabriella to the hospital!" he said, voice shaking.

Sharpay gave him a look of disgust. "Why!?" she sneered, trying to get as faraway from him as possible.

"Her mother got into an accident and she needs Gabriella there for support!" He was shouting but his eyes were pleading for her to say yes.

She gulped, looking scared. Hesitating, she nodded. "Okay!" she exclaimed, getting up from her desk. "Ryan, tell mother I'm sorry for cutting class!" she ordered her younger twin, looking down upon him. She staggered to Gabriella, for some reason, losing her balance in heels for the first time. "C'mon Montez!" Sharpay said, grabbing Gabriella by the arm.

Gabriella followed, not caring about missing class. This was her mother she was talking about. Class and grades could wait. Her mother could not. If it was her time, Gabriella needed to be there before it was up and she prayed that God would wait for her.

"Gabriella!" Troy called, causing her to take a glance over her shoulder. "I'll be with you as soon as I can find my dad!" That was the last thing she heard because Sharpay was moving at cheetah rate.

"Hurry Montez!" Sharpay ordered, pissed that she was doing all the work. Alice wasn't even her mother. But she seemed more in a hurry than the daughter.

The two flew into her car. Sharpay shoved the key in and put sped off. Gabriella thought it was impossible to arrive on time. Tears began to stream down her cheeks and her heart was beating rapidly. Everything in her chest hurt. It was the most painful thing she was ever felt. It was triple the amount she felt when Troy said he didn't want to sing with her. Actually, you couldn't even compare the two feelings. The hurt was feeling now, was beyond words. Not even she could describe how she was feeling. It was too great to put into words. Not even genius could.

For what seemed like eternity, Gabriella finally arrived at the hospital. She bumbled out of Sharpay's car, even before it even made a full stop. She sped in, almost hitting patients along the way. Hitting the counter hard, Gabriella blurted out her question. "Where is my mother?"

The nurse got taken back and didn't know what Gabriella was saying. It was vague. "Who?" she asked, sounding clueless.

It pissed Gabriella off. "The one who got into the car accident!" she cried, gripping the edge of the desk with all her might.

A hint of fear flashed in the nurse's eyes. She turned her head to the paramedic that appeared beside Gabriella. No words were able to exit mouth. She tried her best but unfortunately it wasn't good enough. This was her first time for saying something like this. And even she was prepared for the news she was about to say.

Good thing for her that Gabriella understood it all. She melted to the floor, shocked. If she thought her world fell apart earlier than this must've been the end of the entire world. It was hard for her to comprehend and she couldn't accept the fact that her mother was, was gone. How could she? Nobody would be able too. Her face was buried in her hands but no tears were coming out. Everything that came out was a dry sob. She too felt, dead. Actually, it was worse. She felt like she was being tortured by an unseen force. For her, it was worse than anything humanly possible. Sheer and utter torture.

Sharpay ran in, heels in one hand as she ran in. She stopped a few steps away from Gabriella, knowing what had happened. "Gabriella," Sharpay spoke, her voice reminding Gabriella so much of her mother.

Then everything just came out. The tears and her sobbing rushed out of her. It was like a wave hit her and everything just had to come out. "MOOOOOOOMMMM!" she cried, piercing the hearts of everyone that heard her.

Making an attempt to comfort Gabriella, Sharpay took a couple of more steps to be beside her. Before she could even bend down, somebody pushed passed her and was already comforting her.

"Shh," Troy whispered into her hair, hugging her tightly. He kissed her head, trying to comfort her as much as possible. He knew nothing he would do would make her happy.

It was hard seeing Gabriella cry. He had seen it before but he's never seen this side of Gabriella. She was bawling, shaking and muttering inaudible words. His shirt was wet and her grip around his shoulders became harder but even if he was in pain, it didn't matter. He would do anything for Gabriella.

Anything.

-

-

-

Enjoy and please leave a review. Thanks. Oh and please read and review my other story. Sorry for mistakes. Just ignore them, I'll fix them later.

-Sarah