August 25th

We're the best of friends

And we share our secrets

She knows everything that is on my mind

Ohhh...

Lately something's changed

As I lie awake, in my bed

A voice here inside my head

Softly says


I walk into the airport, a heavy feeling in my stomach. Today is the day, August 25th, that Gabriella Montez, the love of my life, (but she doesn't know it yet,) will go to the east coast to get her degree in chemistry. Why not here in Albuquerque? Why not with me, I mean ever since Twinkle Towne everybody has been saying that we would make such a cute couple (I know! They said that about Chad and Sharpay too, so it can't be that much worth, can it?) and that we had such great chemistry, do I need to spell it out for you? C-h-e-m-i-s-t-r-y, yes, exactly, the subject she wants to get her degree in. And for crying out loud she needs to go to the east coast to do that. Well I needed to be a good friend and say that it was okay and that everyone would be okay and that we could always contact each other by phone, email, IM and so on. But right now I wish I wasn't a good friend and told her that she had to stay here. With me. I mean she knows everything about me and I know everything about her. Even though she just doesn't know that I love her. Yeah, you heard right, I love the freakin' girl that needed to go to the east coast to get her degree in chemistry. I gotta stop before I turn mad and start repeating myself. The fucking east coast. This is fucking screwed up.


Why don't you kiss her

Why don't you tell her

Why don't you let her see the feelings that you hide

She'll never know

If you never show

The way you feel inside


Sometimes I'm wondering if I'm not going mad. That shouldn't be too weird with me hiding my feelings since Twinkle Towne, yeah I know; a year and a half. And this time I'm planning on telling her, even though the chance she'll hear it is small, because I pretty much freaked out before I have a chance to and I have a feeling that this time there will be no difference. I do hope though that I can find the courage to say that I love her, and then just hope she'll say it back, even though that is gonna be screwed, because we'll be apart by well a few thousand miles. This won't go well. Not at all. Because in the end it's a lose-lose situation, isn't it? If she loves me, we will know that we love each other, but we'll be both on different sides of the country. If she doesn't love me, well then I'm just plain screwed. And heartbroken. This is a bad idea. A really bad idea.

"Dude, where the hell are you with your head." Gabriella! You stupid doofus! Serious Chad, grow some brains! Ow man, I have it bad, I even scolded my best friend (in my head, but still!).

"Yeah, Troy where are you dozing off to?" Oh god, not Ryan too!

"Nowhere guys, I just hate to think that I can't go to Gabriella randomly anymore." Don't start crying Bolton! Don't! We have the girls to do that for us, don't we? Stupid voice in my head, why don't you just SHUT UP?!


Oh, I'm so afraid

To make that first move

Just a touch and we could

cross the line

And every time she's near

I wanna never let her go

Confess to her what my heart

knows, hold her close


"So, I guess we're here then." Taylor says. The girl just did the thing that if I was a girl (I'm not exactly sure if I would've loved Gabriella, still), crying. Silent tears are dropping of her cheeks, and, of course, Ryan is in no time there (he kinda has a crush on her).

"C'mon, Tay-Tay don't cry, you make me feel absolutely bad!" Yep, that was her, the love of my life, Gabriella Montez and her angelic voice, thick with emotion. I hate to see her like this. I sigh softly and wait for the next girl to say something, it's like a tradition.

"Well, you better feel bad, leaving us here with no one to handle Bolton!" Wait! What?! EVANS!! Ella (my nickname for her) giggles and my heart melts. Never knew that could happen. Oh, wait, it happens all the time. So this time I'll let it slip. I see Evans looking at me like I'm crazy (because for once I didn't react, go me…). I try to smile, but it doesn't exactly work.

"Sorry Evans, I'm not in the mood to argue with you, and after all Ella is gonna leave and that's already hard enough." Evans sends me (I think I'm dreaming! Please! If that is true, let me wake from this nightmare by Chad's foot in my face and my face smeared full with make up, because the girls couldn't sleep and thought it would be funny, please! Everything to let this be a horrid nightmare where Ella leaves for four years and I didn't tell her that I loved her! Everything! I will even try and not mock my little brother! I'll learn how to cook! I'll do the laundry! Please, I'm begging you!) a sad smile and says,

"Bolton, who are you and what have you done with the Troy Bolton that we all know, I can't exactly say love, sorry." I glare at her. Ryan sends me an apologetic look probably to save his sister and I just shrug it off.


Why don't you kiss her

Why don't you tell her

Why don't you let her see the feelings that you hide

She'll never know

If you never show

The way you feel inside


"I'm gonna miss you, sis!" Chad says to Ella while hugging her, the tears starting to fall some more from the girls; I can't exactly blame them, can I? I mean they're girls! Okay, wrong thing to say… they'd be pissed if I said that out loud.

Now it's Ryan's turn, I feel nauseous, serious I do. I shouldn't have stuffed myself this morning because Gabriella is leaving. Oh god, help me!

After that it's Jason's turn and he just hugs her.


What would she say

I wonder would she just turn away

or would she promise me

that she's here to stay

It hurts me to wait

I keep asking myself


Everyone said their goodbyes, now it's only me left. I hate it. I do. I mean, after the triple win, we almost kissed. After the premier of Twinkle Towne, I figured I loved her. But I was scared and I know, that right now, I'm gonna get paid for it by not telling her. I need to stop. I need to stop rambling and kiss her. Like that stupid song from the Little Mermaid, that's a must at party's and a nightmare for my heart. So right now, for the first time in my life, I start to stutter. Great.

"Uhm… s-so th-this i-i-is g-g-g-goodb-b-b-bye." I don't know why but I think this is the day for firsts because I start to tear up, too.

"Yeah, I guess, but temporarily. I mean, I'm coming back. Every holiday and Thanksgiving a-a-and Christmas, but I don't want to lose you, because you're the best guy a girl could wish for." She takes a breath and I'm looking at her, not knowing what to say or do, for that matter. She said (please don't tell me I'm dreaming, please don't tell me that) that I'm the best guy a girl could wish for and that she doesn't want to lose me. You heard that too right? Right?

"I don't want to lose you either, I mean you're the best that happened to me since I got voted team captain in Junior year." I got my voice back just to say that and I'm not regretting it. Okay, maybe the 'since I got voted team captain in Junior year'.

"That means a lot, Troy. It does." I should stop thinking of what to say more often and just say it. Good moment to start.

"But it's true, I mean, you know me better then any other person, even better then Chad and I've known him since pre-K. I want you know that I- that I- that I lo-"

"Gabriella! You need to check in!" Great timing, Ms. Montez! Really great! Not!

"Just a minute mom! I'm saying goodbye to Troy!" Okay, that is creepy! Why did Ms. Montez send her a knowing look?

"So what did you want to say?" DON'T YOU DARE TO FREAK OUT NOW, BOLTON!! YOU'RE GONNA REGRET IT!

"Maybe I can better just show you." Yes! You rock! Listen to the voice in your head Bolton! Good idea!

"O…kay…" I take her hand and lean in, hoping that I won't regret this later. I softly touch her lips with mine and at the same time I slip a ring around her finger. I'm so sneaky, I know.

She pulls away and stares at me with an unreadable expression on her face. I think it's time to talk right now. Or ramble, however you put it.

"I wanted to do that since Twinkle Towne. I know it's a long time ago but I just freaked out every other time before and, well, I was just scared to get rejected. And I know I should've done this waaay before and get a chance to get rejected, but all I want to say is; Gabriella, I love you."

Okay, now I'm getting freaked, she doesn't say a thing.

"Please, just say something, please!" She opens her mouth and says,

"I love you too, but how are we going to this long-distance thing?" Wait… did she just say that she loves me too? Oh god, oh god, I'm going to freak! I think I need to wait for that because she just asked me something about how to make this work… I already thought of that before. When I was optimistic enough to believe that she would say yes.

"We can work this out, we can. I'm sure! If I can find time, I'll fly to you. And you'll come here every holiday, so we see each other then, too. And I'll call everyday!" If she says that we can't make this work then I'm gonna freak!

"Maybe we can do this. As long as I can call too!" Thank god, she's okay with it!

"Of course! The more, the better!"

"Oh and before I forget, why'd you give me your championship ring?" I expected this question. I did, especially because I shove it on her finger.

"Because I want you to keep it safe for me."

"Okay I will." This is going to be hard, but we'll make it through, I'm sure of it!


Troy and Gabriella stayed together for a year, they decided to stop until they graduated. They met again 5 years later and got married in Vegas a few weeks after that. They are happily married now and have 3 kids, a boy and 2 girls.


Why Don't you kiss her (tell her you love her)

Why Don't You tell her (tell her you need her)

Why don't you let her see

The Feelings that you hide

Cause she'll never know

If you never show

The way you feel inside


A/N Song by Jesse McCartney: Why Don't You Kiss Her.