Troy sat in his chair, behind Gabriella, in homeroom, looking at the time. God when will this class end!? Troy thought. He kept looking from Gabriella and then the clock again. Troy gave up and placed his head in his hand, gazing at Gabriella. He couldn't help but smile. Today's the day; I tell her how I feel! Troy thought. The bell rang and Gabriella walked out of class, Troy racing to catch up to her. "Hey Gabriella! Wait up!" Troy called out. Gabriella's heart skipped a beat, as he heard his voice. "Yeah?" Gabriella asked. "Um…I was just wondering…if you wanted to walk home with me?" Troy asked. Gabriella smiled. "Of course! That would be awesome!" Gabriella exclaimed. Troy smiled. "Ok, so…Ill meet you at my locker after school." Troy said. Gabriella nodded. "Ok, sounds good." Gabriella said, and went to her next class with Taylor.
Neither Troy nor Gabriella could concentrate in their classes. They were too caught up in their love life, dreaming of each other. Troy couldn't take his mind of
off Gabriella's award winning smile, while Gabriella dreamed about Troy's breath taking, ocean blue eyes. When the bell rang for 6th period, Troy raced out
of his Social Studies class while Gabriella dashed out of Biology. Gabriella power walked to her locker, and put her books away, and walked to Troy's
locker. Once he was in view, she smiled as he held a light red rose in his hands. "Hey Troy." Gabriella said, walking up to him. Troy grinned eagerly. "Hey…
Oh this is for you." Troy said, almost forgetting about the flower. He handed her the flower slowly. Gabriella shot him a soft smile and took the flower, savoring
the moment. Troy and Gabriella walked down the main hall in the school and finally left the building. "Hey, before I take you home, I wanted to take you
somewhere." Troy said. "Ooh where?" Gabriella asked, eagerly. "Somewhere…I can't say though." Troy said. "Why not?" Gabriella asked, dumbfounded.
"It's a surprise!" Troy said. Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She muttered. Troy laughed. As they were walking, Troy thought it was a bit quiet so he
started a conversation. "So...how was school today?" Troy asked. Oh way to go. How stupid was that!? Troy thought. Gabriella giggled. "It was ok. Very
boring though." Gabriella answered. "Yep...same here." Troy said. Gabriella and Troy looked at each other and burst out laughing. "You need a new way to
start conversations." Gabriella said. "Hey, Im working on it!" Troy defended himself. Gabriella laughed once more. They continued to talk about school and
walk down the streets of their neighborhood. After about 10 minutes Gabriella stopped. "My gosh, where are you taking me?" Gabriella asked, rubbing the
souls of her feet. "A place." Troy said. They kept walking down the street and turned the corner until Gabriella smiled. "Hey, to make this trip faster, ill race
you down this street." She smirked. "Uhh are you sure?" Troy asked, not wanting to get her in danger. "What are you, chicken?" Gabriella asked, imitating a
chicken. Troy glared at her playfully. "You're on Montez!" Troy smiled evily. Gabriella threw her heels off and ran down the street; her heels in her right hand,
as Troy was running next to her, making her feel safe. Gabriella stuck her tongue at him, before she dashed her way down the street, leaving him in the dust.
Suddenly, there was a turn coming up, and Gabriella sped around the corner. "Hey ok you win!" Troy said, trying to catch up to her. "Haha you-" Gabriella
stopped dead in her tracks as she looked ahead of her. Troy was a little behind when he noticed her puzzled face. "Gabriella wha-" Troy stopped when he
heard the sound of a horse-powered engine, coming closer and closer. He looked over to see it headed straight for Gabriella. "NO! Gabriella!" Troy yelled.
He dropped his back pack and sprinted for her. He was too late though. The car honked and honked, but wouldn't stop. The car had crashed into Gabriella's
gut, sending her into the air. "GABRIELLA!" Troy screamed at the top of his lungs. He heard a crunching sound as she landed on the hard concrete. It all
happened too quickly. Troy stood there, frozen solid. Tears were trickling down his face softly, as he walked closer to the helpless body that lay before him.
He collapsed in front of Gabriella on his knees and observed her bruises and gashes on her once beautiful body. Troy lightly pushed Gabriella. "Gabi…please
Gabi…please wake up!" Troy cried. Gabriella's eyes fluttered open. She winced in pain. "T…troy?" she said in a whisper. Troy half smiled. "Wh…what
happened?" Gabriella asked, in a sort of moan. "Don't worry your going to be ok." Troy promised. But not all promises are kept. The driver who hit Gabriella
called the hospital. Just as the ambulance arrived it started to rain. Troy shielded Gabriella from the water droplets coming down on her. Troy cried as he held
on to Gabriella for dear life. He wrapped his jacket around her, and gathered Gabriella in his arms. He closed his eyes. "Please let Gabriela lived." Troy
whispered. Troy was soaked with water and tears as he sat on the concrete, holding Gabriella in his arms. Gabriella wouldn't take her eyes off of his. Their
eyes were locked together for a long moment. Suddenly the man in the car came to them. "The ambulance should be here in a few minutes." He said. Troy
nodded, as more tears flooded down his cheeks. "I am so sorry Gabriella." Troy whispered.
10 minutes passed and the ambulance put Gabriella in the stretcher. "Sir, may I join her?" Troy asked, wiping his tears. "Are you close to her?" The man
asked. "Yes I am...her boyfriend." Troy said. The man nodded, and let him in the ambulance. Troy sat on the cold bench beside the stretcher and intertwined
his fingers with hers. She squeezed Troy's hand firmly the whole ride. Troy sobbed the whole time, as he looked at Gabriella's pale face. As they were driving
to the hospital, they hooked Gabriella up to machines in the vehicle. The hospital was 45 minutes away, so they worked on her in the ambulance. Troy and
Gabriella kept their eyes on each other, ignoring the doctors. "How are you doing?" Troy asked. "Im ok." Gabriella answered. Troy nodded. "Please don't
leave me Troy." Gabriella whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek. Troy wiped the tear off with his thumb. "I wouldn't leave you for anything." Troy said,
comfortingly. Gabriella smiled. Gabriella started to breath heavier and cough. "Please hang in there Gabriella." Troy asked. Gabriella nodded. "I will try." She
answered hoarsely. After about 30 minutes, a man slid in his seat, next to Troy. "Sir…" He started. "We were examining her and…according to our current
records…we don't think she will last much longer." He said softly. Those words hit Troy, like a piano dropping on his head. Troy felt his gut drop at least 10
feet lower, even if it wasn't possible, it was for him. "No…there has to be a mistake! YOUR WRONG! SHE WILL MAKE IT!" Troy yelled. Gabriella
stared at them, and started to cry softly. Troy looked down on her, and grabbed her hand. They felt cold and life-less. Troy cried at the feeling of her cold
hand. "Troy…what's going to happen to me?" Gabriella asked. "I…I don't know." Troy answered. He hid his face in his sleeve and shed all of his tears in it.
Gabriella brushed his hair with his fingers. "Troy…Im still here." Gabriella whispered. Troy looked up at her, and out of nowhere kissed her cheek. Gabriella
looked a bit shocked. "Gabriella, there is something, I want you to know." Troy whispered. "What is it?" Gabriella asked. "I…ever since I have met you at the
lodge…I fell in love. Your curly brown hair, your chocolate brown eyes. You are amazing. You are smart, and beautiful. You have everything a guy wants in a
girl. I love you Gabriella." Troy said. Gabriella could have sworn her heart stopped. As Gabriella was about to speak, the machine was going crazy. Smoke
rised from the machine, the green line from the machine was going faster; Troy squeezed her hand tighter, as his face grew with fear. He ignored the rushing
doctors around him. Troy shut his eyes and prayed for Gabriella harder and harder and harder. "Move!" A doctor yelled. Troy ignored the man. He held
Gabriella. Suddenly, the line started getting much faster and then...a flat green line. Gabriella's eyes, closed softly. Troy felt her hand get colder. He opened his
eyes; the ambulance had finally arrived in the hospital. "Gabriella?" Troy called out giving her a light push. "No…" Troy whispered. "Gabriella please, please
get up!" Troy said softly. His tears were coming and staining his face again. "I will call her parents." A man said, as he exited the vehicle. "Please Gabriella…I
need you here…with me!" Troy choked out as he was sobbing. Troy sniffled and shook her some more. "Please Gabriella; hang on for a little longer I beg of
you! Stay here with me!" Troy sobbed. Troy squeezed onto Gabriella's lifeless hand for dear life. Suddenly, a man shoved Troy out of the way, to grab the
end of Gabriella's stretcher. Troy sat on the bench, and watched them take Gabriella away from him. He felt incomplete whenever his hand wasn't connected
to Gabriella's; He felt empty.
School was a blur for everyone. Troy wouldn't talk to Chad, Taylor, sharpay, Ryan, or anybody. They tried to cheer him up, but Troy had never smiled ever since that afternoon. Troy would do his same schedule over. Wake up, school, hospital, and home. It was as if Troy had no social life. Troy would miss his basketball practice to cry in his secret hide-out, where Gabriella and he would go everyday for free period. But all that changed. Nobody spoke to anybody for the past week at school or home.
3 days after the accident, Troy was sitting on the empty stage, having memories flood his brain of him and Gabriella; when they sang together and danced together. Troy threw his head in his hands and started to cry hysterically. Suddenly, the double doors opened revealing a small girl walking toward the stage. "Hey." She said softly. Troy didn't reply. "Troy, you need to talk somebody, sometime." Kelsi said softly. Troy just sat there, holding his head in his hands; sobbing. "Troy, please?" Kelsi asked again. "It was my fault." Troy said. "I wasn't quick enough." Troy whispered, hiding his face from view. Kelsi rubbed his back, as tears welled up in her eyes as well. "It was nobody's fault Troy. Don't blame your self." Kelsi said. Troy just looked up at her with tears flowing down his face. "You don't know what it was like Kelsi...seeing the love of my life...die in my hands." Troy said softly.
"Troy… the funeral, is in an hour. Are you coming?" Chad asked, walking in his room. Troy sat on his bed, looking across the room, in the mirror. He looked like a dead zombie… a lifeless zombie. "Troy, c'mon, were going to be late." Chad said softly. Troy slowly got up from his bed and grabbed an enormous bouquet of flowers he found in the store; he bought the largest, expensive one there. Without talking, Troy and Chad walked to his car, and drove to the grave yard.
At the funeral, Chad, Taylor, Kelsi, Jason, Zeke, sharpay, Ryan and pretty much everybody from E.H was gathered there. Troy sat beside Chad, on the end.
The preacher began talking about Gabriella; her love for everybody, her accomplishments, her goals. Gabriella's mother had made a speech about her
daughter after the preacher finished speaking. Finally, Troy was going to make a speech for Gabriella, as well as a song. Troy walked up on to the podium and
looked at the sea of people gathered before him. "Um…Hi, my name is Troy Bolton, and… I was Gabriella's best friend. And Id like to share some things I
love about Gabriella and how she made my life complete." Troy started. He sighed heavily before continuing his speech. "We met on New Year's eve. I sang
a song with her and felt…like a whole new person. Gabriella was my world. We got along great together. No matter what happened, she always had a smile
on her face, making my heart melt. She was the best, possible friend anybody could ask for. She didn't deserve to be hit, by that driver, speeding in the street.
But what hurts me the most is…knowing she can't go to college, or get a job or get mar-" Troy cut himself off and let some tears run down his cheeks. He
looked back at the audience. "Or not being able to see her get…married. It hurts me. I loved Gabriella. I know I was just her friend and all but I was planning
to tell her how I really felt before the accident." Troy stopped, and took in another deep breath, before looking at the audience again. "…The day that was
supposed to be the best day of my life…turned into a complete nightmare. I witnessed my closest friend and the love of my life's death, and to top it off. I
watched her die…watched her die a slow death... in my hands." Troy finished his speech. Troy looked at all the people he left in tears. Kelsi ran on the stage,
and handed Troy a microphone. Suddenly music began to play. Troy cupped the microphone given to him, and opened his mouth.
I know how it feels
To wake up without her
Lying here all alone
Just thinking about her
I can't believe
Her hold on me
It's something indescribable
I know she knows
But won't you please
Chorus:
If you see my girl
Just tell her I miss her smile
Tell her I'm counting the minutes
Gonna see her in a little while
I know when she
Holds on to me
She's the one thing that I could never live without
Oh, oh, oh, oh
And tell her I love her
Oh yeah, just tell her I love her
The way that she moves
You know what it does to me
And when I catch her eye
I can hardly breathe
Still can't believe
Her hold on me
She's just so indescribable
I know she knows
But won't you please, please
Chorus
Every time that I'm around her
I just go to pieces crashing tumbling to the ground
I'm so glad I found her
I know how it feels
Chorus
Oh yeah, just tell her I love her
Troy finished the song, and everybody applauded. Troy just smiled. After he left the podium, everybody lined up and said their good-bye's to Gabriella. Chad and Taylor placed two white roses by the picture of Gabi, Kelsi and Jason placed a teddy bear beside the picture of her, then Zeke and Sharpay placed 2 red roses by her bed. Ryan then placed some tulips on her bed. Troy was next; he looked in the big box that held the peaceful Gabriella. Troy let a tear fall down his face, landing on Gabriella's nose. Troy wiped it off quickly. He took Gabriella's fingers and placed the flowers he had bought for her and put it in her grip. He glanced at Gabriella's body once more. Bruises and cuts were seen all over her. Troy sobbed again in his sleeve, leaning against the box. He then sat up and looked at her again. He brushed her soft, pale cheeks with his hands, and bent down to her ear. 'I love you Gabriella.'