So here is a new story I've been kind of working on. If you've read any of my other stories, this one is really different. It has a lot more mature stuff in it. In this one there will be suicide, teen drinking, some depression, and rape included in various points in the story. So that makes it sound like a crazy story, and none of these things will be in detail or anything (I don't think I'm all that good at the details) but just so you know.
I know that for previous stories I posted them pretty quickly, but those were stories that had already been written, whereas this story I'm still working on. I only have the first five chapters done so far. This one will be going a lot slower (if I continue it) than the others just as a heads up.
Hope you guys all enjoy it! :) -- Kay

"Okay, I'll call you tomorrow to see what's going on for the rest of spring break. Love you babe!" Gabriella said to her boyfriend as she got in her car. She waved and backed out of the driveway and began the journey back to her house. Her phone began to ring and she looked at it sitting on the passenger seat. She slowed down for a red light and picked it up noticing that it wasn't Troy as she had expected. Her best friend Taylor's name was flashing on the caller I.D. screen.

"Hey girl, what's going on?" she asked.

"Gabs? I'm sorry… I don't want to do this anymore. I'm so sorry," Taylor replied.

"Tay what are you talking about? You didn't even do anything,"

"Gabi, I want to take it back. I want to fix things. I just…,"

"What the hell are you talking about; you're freaking me out Taylor. Where are you?" Gabriella questioned.

"I'm at home. Please hurry. I'm just so sorry"

Gabriella could tell Taylor was crying by the way her voice was cracking. She turned her car in the direction of Taylor's house and hung up her phone. She pulled in Taylor's driveway and slammed the car door as she ran to the front door. She didn't even bother to knock before running in the house and screaming her name.

"Taylor!"

She heard a noise coming from the bathroom upstairs and stomped up the stairs and ran to the bathroom where she finally found her friend. She looked down to see her friend lying on the bathroom floor. Everything finally started to make sense. The phone call, Taylor apologizing to her over and over again, wanting her to hurry. She kneeled down next to her friend trying to hold back the tears that were quickly forming behind her eyes.

"Tay… I'm here now. It's okay, you're going to be okay. Just look at me, you don't need to say anything just watch me and don't close your eyes." She managed to get out. She dug inside her purse looking for her cell phone to call an ambulance. She pushed the numbers 9-1-1 out on her phone as quickly as she could with her shaking hands.

"9-1-1 emergency, how can I help you?" the surprisingly cheery voice answered.

"I need an ambulance now, my best friend just tried to kill herself. Please hurry,"

"What's the address?"

"756 Pinedale Ave. I don't know how much longer she can hold on," Gabi said hysterically.

"An ambulance is on its way sweetie, just stay on the phone with me until they get there. Try to keep her awake and focused if you can."

"Taylor, look at me sweetie. You're going to be okay now, they're coming. We'll all make sure you're gonna be okay too. Me and Chad and Troy and everyone else we'll sort this all out together," she told her friend, all the while trying to convince herself.

She heard sirens in the background and the door bang open one floor below her.

"Up here!" she screamed. "They're here now," Gabi said to the operator still on the line.

"Okay, they'll do the rest then, Bye," the operator hung up.

Before Gabriella had time to think about what was happening to Taylor one of the Paramedics ushered her out of the room. She was sitting on the steps by herself for what felt like an eternity before they finally brought her out of the bathroom on a stretcher to take her to the hospital. The paramedics told Gabriella they would not have room for her in the ambulance but that she could follow behind them in her car and meet them at the hospital.

Gabriella walked to her car and began the long drive to the hospital. On her way she wondered what she would do if her best friend didn't make it. She pushed the thought away quickly trying to be positive. She finally arrived at the hospital and parked in the small emergency entrance parking lot. Rushing into the hospital she found one of the paramedics helping Taylor. She spotted one standing near the registration desk and made her way over to him.

"Do you know if she's okay?" she demanded.

"They're trying to stabilize her now, but I can't make any promises."

"So she could really… she might not pull through?" tears were beginning to form in her eyes once again as she asked the question.

"It's a possibility, yes," he said quietly.

Gabriella's shoulders began to shake with her sobs. She nodded to the paramedic to thank him as he told her to sit down while she waited to hear more. He promised her that he would let her know if any changes came about with Taylor's condition. For the rest of the evening Gabriella sat alone in the emergency waiting room lost in her own thoughts. Finally she recognized the young man she had talked to earlier coming her way. He didn't say anything as he came and took a seat next to her. Gabriella knew in her heart what that meant but was unable to accept it.

"We did everything we could…," he started.

"It's okay, you don't have to say anything more," she replied.

"I'm so sorry," he said covering her hand with his own. "I really thought she was going to make it at one point."

"Please, I don't want to hear anymore," she sobbed.

"Okay, I'll let you be then. I'm sorry," he whispered as he walked down the corridor.

Gabriella sat in the hard chair as she pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around her knees. She rested her head on her knees and her salty tears began to leave small wet patches on her jeans. After a few moments of quietly crying to herself she picked herself up and walked outside with a blank look on her tear stained face. She didn't even notice all the pitying glances she had thrown her way as she made her way to her car. Once she sat down in the front seat she took a moment to steady herself. After she felt as ready as she would ever be, she pulled out of the hospital and began the drive back to her neighborhood. Once she came upon the familiar streets, she made a split second decision in her mind that just about the last thing she wanted was to be alone right now.

She pulled up to his house and parked her car next to the curb. Slowly, she opened her car door and brushed away a few stray tears as she made her way up to his front door. Just after ringing the doorbell, she heard his footsteps as he bounded his way down the steps to greet her. She kept her head down as she heard the front door creak open.

"Hey Brie! I wasn't expecting to see you so soon again," he said.

Upon hearing his cheery voice, she once again broke down in tears finally letting them all fall out. Her knees buckled and just as she imagined falling to the stone porch she felt two strong arms catch her.

"Brie! What happened, what's wrong?!"

"Oh Troy," she sobbed unable to get anything else out.

Without another word, Troy picked Gabriella up bridal style and carried her small body into his house, kicking his door closed as he went. He carried her all the way up to his room before finally gently resting her on his bed. She was shaking from her sobs as Troy walked over and began rubbing her back.

"Baby, do you want to talk about it?" he questioned quietly.

Gabriella shook her head. After a few more minutes of crying while Troy rubbed her back she finally started talking. "She's gone Troy, she's not coming back."

"Who's gone sweetie?"

"Taylor," Gabriella whispered almost inaudibly.

"What do you mean she's gone?" Troy asked, clearly confused.

"She's gone. Dead. My best friend is dead," she said crying as she finally admitted it out loud.

Troy's eyes widened upon hearing this. "H-How?" he wondered aloud.

"She killed herself. I can't believe it. I never even saw it coming and she was my best friend!"

"Brie, don't even think about blaming yourself. Trust me when I say that if she actually did something like that, then it wasn't your fault. It wasn't anyone's fault. She was sick, I'm just sorry that we didn't know," he said.

"But she was my best friend. I should have known! I should have helped her! I should have saved her!"

"Gabs, don't do this. You know just as well as I do, it's no where near your fault," Troy attempted again.

"I have to go Troy," she said sitting up while wiping away her tears. "I have to go tell Chad…"

"Yeah. Do you want me to come with you?" he asked.

She nodded her head in response before being engulfed in Troy muscular arms. She melted into the hug for a few seconds before pulling back, afraid to get Troy's shirt wet from tears. She looked up to his crystal blue eyes to see that they were wet with his own tears that he was trying to hold back.

"Come on, I want to get this over with," she said grabbing his hand.

The two made their way out to the car and silently headed over to Chad's house to deliver the news to him. They walked from the car to his porch slowly, trying to put off telling him. Finally Gabriella forced herself to push the doorbell and wait for an answer. The door finally opened to reveal Chad's dad.

"Troy, Gabriella, how are you doing?" he asked the two.

"We've been better. Would Chad be home?" Troy answered.

"Yeah, just a second," he turned around to face the stairs as he called, "Chad! Troy and Gabriella are here!" he faced them again and smiled before Chad came to greet them.

"Hey guys, what's going on? Wanna go out back and play some hoops?" demanded Chad, completely unaware of Gabriella's tears.

"Um Chad, yeah let's head out back, but we need to talk," Troy responded.

"Okay…"

The three close friends began walking around the yard to head to the back to have some privacy. When they sat down Chad faced them and finally noticed Gabriella's tears-stained cheeks.

"Gabi, have you been crying? What's wrong?" Chad asked.

At this Gabriella began crying once again this time hiding her face in Troy's shoulder for a few minutes.

"Chad…" Troy began.

"No Troy, I should tell him," Gabriella stated.

"Are you sure Brie?"

"Yes," turning to Chad Gabriella began, "Chad there was an accident tonight. Taylor called me and started rambling so I headed to her house. But I was too late. I couldn't save her. I'm so sorry Chad," she managed to get out before letting her sobs overcome and once again hid in Troy's arms.

"What do you mean you couldn't save her? What happened to her?" Chad whispered now completely serious.

"I'm sorry Chad, Taylor passed away tonight," Troy whispered with his head hung low.

Chad was silent as his eyes grew wide with this reality. He stared into space for a few minutes before letting his tears fall down his face along with Gabriella's. He stood up and walked to the railing of his back porch, letting his arms drape over the railing. Gabriella got up and walked over to where he was, pulling him to her in a hug.

"I'm so sorry Chad."

Chad nodded in response, which in a strange way made Gabriella feel somewhat better. Somehow she knew that it was his way of letting her know that he didn't blame her.

The three went back inside where they headed down to the basement. They said very little to each other, but felt the need to be with each other. No one wanted to be left alone to deal with this. Troy and Gabriella ended up calling home to tell their parents that they were spending the night at Chad's. Finally the two guys fell asleep on the couches, leaving Gabriella awake with her thoughts. She slipped out from under Troy's arm and quietly stepped out of the back door.

She was standing on her own looking at the stars in the sky lost in her own world. She let her mind wander back to the first few days of moving to Albuquerque where she first met Taylor. She was always amazed at how they became best friends so quickly. Now she would never again be able to walk through the door of East high along side her best friend. She would never meet up with her at lunch, never be scolded by Taylor for showing up to Decathlon practice five minutes late (which Taylor always knew she had been with Troy), never hear the familiar exasperated sighs at the end of the day coming from the locker next to her. She faintly heard the sliding door open and close behind her, but didn't turn to find out whom it was. He came and stood next her and draped one arm over her shoulders as they stood silently together.

"What happened?" he finally broke the silence.

"I don't know Chad, I mean I never ever saw this coming. If only I could have…"

"No, I mean how did it happen?" Chad interrupted her.

There was a pause before Gabriella spoke again.

"Are you sure you want to find out?" she spoke quietly.

"Gabs, I need to know."

"Okay… she killed herself. I'm so sorry Chad," she said as tears sprang up in her eyes once again.

Chad turned her around and faced her with his own tears in his eyes. He pulled her close to him as they both stood on his back porch crying for their lost friend in each other's arms. "I can't believe this is actually happening to us. It doesn't seem real."

"I know. I haven't really let it sink in yet. I don't really want to," Gabriella replied.

After a few minutes they both decided to head back inside to try to get some more sleep. They descended the stairs to the basement once again, where Troy was still sleeping soundly. Within moments they both allowed sleep to overtake them letting them go of the day they had just survived.

Okay, so that's the first one. Let me know if you think that I should keep going with it. I'm going to write it regardless, but if I continue to post it on fanfic is a totally different question. Let me know if I should keep going with it!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from High School Musical.