It was always the same. He would come home late and make up some excuse about how practice ran late or some other lame excuse. But Gabriella knew better. She's seen the hickeys on his neck, she sees through his lies. Afterall, they've been together since junior year of high school. Today was their 7 year anniversary and once again Gabriella had been stood up. She sat at the table sipping her wine all alone. A tear slowly slid its way down her cheek as it finally sunk in that Troy was once again going to be home late, if he comes home tonight at all. Gabriella had planned this night out wanting it to be perfect, she wanted to win back her boyfriend who seemed so distant as of a few months ago. She had bought a new dress, new lingerie and had taken about three hours to put on her makeup and do her hair perfectly for him. She had bought candles and expected him to come back home and sweep her off her feet into their bedroom where they would make love all night. How could she have been such a fool to think that he would remember their 7 year anniversary.

Gabriella let a sigh escape her mouth as she blew out all the candles and walked upstairs to their bedroom. She took off her dress and the lingerie underneath it and put on Troy's wildcat shirt from high school. She lay down on the bed and sighed again. Gabriella knew Troy was cheating on her, she saw him with a girl once pushed up against his car making out but she just ran to Sharpay's house and cried her eyes out and didn't confront him about it. Her friends keep telling her to break up with him for the pain he's causing her but she loved Troy too much to let him go. It would kill her inside if Troy and her broke up so she just decided to put up with his cheating and pretend nothing was wrong. She did confront him about coming home too late but that just ended in a huge argument which drove an even bigger wedge between them.

Flashback

"It's 1am Troy, practice couldn't have gone this late could it?" Gabriella said with her hands on her hips. She wanted to appear confident but inside she was really shaking from fear from what Troy could say and do next.

"It's none of your business what time I come home." Troy said flatly.

"None of my business Troy? I'm your girlfriend! I was worried about you! Of course it's my business what time you come home!" Gabriella yelled, she was now slowly getting angrier and that fear inside of her was slowly fading away. How dare he say that it was none of her business!

"Jesus will you stop being so clingy all the time!" Troy yelled right back at her.

"CLINGY?! I would hardly call that clingy! I never question your whereabouts or say anything when you come home very late but you've been doing it for the past month now and it's worrying me!" Gabriella shrieked.

"JUST SHUT UP GABRIELLA! I DON'T NEED YOU TO WORRY ABOUT ME, YOU'RE SO ANNOYING SOMETIMES! Troy was breathing heavily now from how loud he was shouting.

"Excuse me?" Gabriella said her voice full of hurt.

"Just fuck off Gabriella." Troy said glaring at her with so much power that Gabriella felt herself shrinking inside. He had called her Gabriella. He never called her that, it was always Gabi, Ella or Brie. But now that Gabriella thinks about it, he hasn't called her Gabi, Ella or Brie for a long time. She stepped back with hurt and pain written all over her face and ran upstairs to their bedroom and shut the door. She let the sobs come out as she lay down on their huge King Sized bed. Her heart was breaking slowly...

End of Flashback

She started to cry even harder, what happened to them? Why did Troy start cheating? Had the fame of being a famous basketball player gotten to his head? She remembered how they were in high school and college, they were so perfect together and so in love back then. It hurt to look back at those memories and know that the present was far from it.

Flashback

Gabriella was sitting on Troy's lap in a park. They were silent just enjoying each others company. They had missed each other so much over the week since they only get to see each other on the weekends with Troy at Berkley and Gabriella at Stanford. Luckily they found this park, it was halfway between both their schools and they would always meet up here on the weekend.

"I missed you so much Brie." Troy dug his face into his girlfriend's hair.

"I missed you too Troy." Gabriella sighed. Suddenly she stiffened.

"What's wrong?" Troy said, concern lacing in his voice.

"It's just, what if something happens? What if you find someone else at Berkley and leave me..." Gabriella trailed off.

"Wha-Don't you trust me Ella?" Troy said, a little bit of hurt evident in his voice.

"Of course I trust you Troy, its just sometimes...I don't know maybe I've been reading too many silly books." Gabriella shook her head to shake the thought of it out.

"Are you worried I'll go back to my old ways again?" He raised his eyebrow. Gabriella nodded. You see before he met Gabriella, Troy was a player. He hooked up with a different girl every week, but that all changed when Gabriella entered his life. He found out what love was. He found out what it was like to love someone so much that being away from them for an hour made the insides of him long to see her. He found out what it was like to love someone and have that love returned. He found his soul mate.

"You have nothing to worry about Ella, this may sound really cheesy but I love you. I am who I am because of you. You are every reason, every hope and every dream I've ever had and no matter what happens to us in the future, everyday we are together are the greatest days of my life. I will always be yours, never doubt that Ella." At that Gabriella smiled and kissed him.

End Flashback

She cried for a good 30 minutes before she let unconsciousness take over her.

Troy was kissing a random girl at a pub against the wall when his best friend grabbed his arm and yanked him out of the girl's grasp.

"Chad, What the fuck?!" Troy said surprised. Chad didn't respond, he just kept dragging his friend until they were outside of the pub. Then he turned to him with anger burning in his eyes.

"This has got to stop Troy." Chad said harshly.

"What has got to stop?" Troy said confused.

"HOOKING UP WITH RANDOM GIRLS, SLEEPING AROUND THATS WHAT'S GOT TO STOP! YOU'RE WITH GABI REMEMBER?! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO HER!?" Chad exploded his breathing started to get faster as he was fuming.

"Woah chillax man I'm just having some fun and besides Gabriella doesn't mind. She doesn't satisfy my needs enough." Troy said casually.

"Will you listen to yourself?! She doesn't satisfy your needs? What has gotten into you Troy? Has fame gotten to your head? You need to wake up man! Gabi is like a little sister to me I can't stand seeing her get hurt by my so-called-best-friend!"

"Just relax Chad, she doesn't care otherwise she would have said so." Troy said shrugging his shoulders.

"Do you even know what today is?" Chad said lowering his voice a bit. Troy shook his head. "Today is you and Gabi's 7 year anniversary!"

Troy felt a pang of guilt inside of him but brushed it off, he was here to have fun, besides Gabriella would get over it. "She'll get over it man." And with that, he walked back into the pub to find that girl he was making out with. Chad shook his head. Couldn't Troy see the way he was changing? Couldn't he see the pain and hurt and sadness on Gabi's face? He was blinded by fame and needed to wake up, but how?

It was her freshman year of college and she let out a sigh of relief as she opened the door to her dorm. The day was finally over. She missed Troy so much and wouldn't be able to see him until the weekend. Her heart longed for him. She sat on her bed and began to take off her jacket when her roommate walked into her room and sat on her bed.

"Hey Gabs." Brooke (Portrayed by Blake Lively) greeted warmly.

"Hey Brooke, what's up?" Gabriella smiled. Brooke was her roommate, she had beautiful blonde curls and blue eyes. She was one of the prettiest girls she knew and she was so friendly and nice Gabriella felt really lucky to have her as a roommate.

"Well I found this letter when I came back from class and it's addressed to you." She said handing Gabriella the letter. Gabriella looked over it and instantly recognised Troy's writing on the envelope.

"Thanks." Gabriella smiled.

"No problem." Brooke started to stand up. "I'll just leave you to it then." As soon as Brooke was out of the room, Gabriella opened up the envelope and unfolded the letter.

Dear Ella,

This weekend is the championships game between Berkley and U of A. I was wondering if you could wear that jersey that I got especially made for you to it. It would mean a lot. I miss you so much and I can't wait to see you this weekend.

I love you. And i don't just say it out of habit. I say it to remind you that your the best thing that ever happened to me and no matter how far we are apart, you'll always be in my heart.

Love your Troy xx

Gabriella smiled to herself. She was so lucky to have Troy.

Suddenly Gabriella shot up from her bed. She was dreaming of the past again. She furrowed her eyebrows and rubbed her eyes then looked at the empty spot next to her on the bed. Troy still wasn't home and it was 2am already. Gabriella let out a sad sigh. How could she live like this? She knows her friends are right and she knows she should leave him. But she couldn't find the courage to confront him after how it ended last time. She had to do something though, she had to confront him. She needed to be a strong woman. She needed to stand up to herself. A small smile crept up onto her face. When she woke up in the morning she was going to confront Troy, she was no longer going to be the shy and afraid Gabriella, she was going to be confident and strong.

A/N: How do you like the first chapter? Review for the next chapter xx