'Gabriella...I'm sorry.' Troy mumbled, with Gabriella in his arms

'Troy. I can't do this. This means goodbye for good!' She said, sobbing crazily.

'Gabriella, you love me, right?'

'More than life itself' She said, between tears.

'Then nothing can keep as apart, right? We'll find each other someday, and keep in touch throughout it.' He said, wiping her tears away with his thumb. He gave her a long, lingering, passionate kiss. The very last kiss that they would share...

Gabriella sighed. No matter how hard she tried to forget the Troy had moved away, he was..he was gone. No more Troy waiting at her locker every day, no more Troy kissing her, no more Troy giving her hugs when she was sad. No more Troy to make everyday seem worthwhile. A tear prickled through her eyelashes, and gently dropped down on her Maths homework. The teardrop blurred up one of her questions, but she didn't care. Not anymore.

She rested her head on her hands, her elbows on the table. Of course, lots of guys asked her out once Troy had gone, but the hole in her heart hadn't healed yet. No, it would be there forever.

She was hanging on the very last thin thread she had that would keep her from depression. Tomorrow was the very last day until Christmas Holiday...and nobody was there to play the act of 'Loving Boyfriend', or to give her that precious present he gave her every year. Gabriella took out the fresh batch of Christmas cards, and scrawled lucky 'oh-so-famous' phrases like 'Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year', or 'Wish you have a Happy Christmas. God Bless you'. Another tear dropped down, but she quickly dried it up so it didn't smudge any of the writing. She sighed, and dropped her head, and rested it on her arms, then resumed her old position, her head in her hands again, and began to sing softly..

'This Christmas card is so...'

Gabriella finished the song sorrowfully, crying, each sparkling tear rolling simultaneously down her cheeks. She collapsed on her bed, lying on her pillow, which was tear-stained. She wrote down the lyrics of the song she had made up just now, and wrote down the melody. It took a long 40-minutes to get it all done. She had decided she was going to sing it for the East High Christmas Talent Competition. Not that she cared.

Suddenly, her phone rang, blaring the music of Lindsay Lohan's 'Over'.

'I can't live without you, can't breathe without you, I dream about you, honestly-'

Gabriella flipped up her phone, and Sharpay's perky tone rang from the receiver.

'Hey Gabs!' Sharpay said brightly.

'Hi, Shar' Gabriella muttered.

'Feeling down? Come on! Let's hit the local indoor pool!'

'Uh, no thanks.'

'Aw! Come on! I'll drag you up from bed, then I'll lend you some make-up!'

'No, Sharpay, seriously!'

But Sharpay had already hanged up, and Gabriella didn't bother phoning her again. She would probably be already telling Taylor about it.

Around approximately 12 minutes, she heard a clank clank clank of Sharpay's new pink glittery high heels, and the clomp clomp clomp of Taylor's unfashionable trainers going up the stairs.

They opened the door with a bang, and then saw her on the bed, and the Christmas cards and lyrics on her table. Gabriella looked a sight. She had dark bags under her eyes from stress and unhappiness, and her hair was messed up.

Taylor and Sharpay instantly walked towards Gabriella.

Taylor searched for her wardrobe for something to wear. She chose a black tank top, and some fashionable colour-faded jeans.

Sharpay looked over at the chosen outfit.

'No way. Chose the black crop top. It's better than the tank one.' She muttered.

Taylor swapped the tank top for the cropped one, chose a swimsuit for Gabriella, and Sharpay put some colour on Gabriella's white cheeks, and smudged on some eyeshadow.

'Oh, darn! I left my red mascara at home...Tay, do you know if Gabs has it?' Sharpay mumbled, brushes stuck in her mouth.

'Here,' Taylor said, shoving the red mascara in Sharpay's hand. 'Its mine.' She added

'Nice colour' Sharpay complimented.

Gabriella just sat there. It didn't matter if she had been made up with the best make-up artist in the world, she would never look happy. She didn't smile, and she looked tired.

Sharpay added the finishing touches, and moved on to her hair. She brushed it throughly, and tied it into a French Twist. Then, Gabriella stumbled into the bathroom to change her clothes.

'Guys, is it okay, if we pop over to Kelsi's for a while? I'm entering for the EA Christmas Talent thingy, and I want to rehearse.' Gabriella said quietly, walking back to the room in the designer cloths.

'Sure. Have you signed up for it, though?'

'Yea, I have. Sharpay, are you doing it?'

'Ya! Duh. There are going to be some recording artists there! I might get a record deal!' Sharpay said excitedly.

'What song are you going to sing? Either you sing a song by a fellow student, or you write a song and give it to your friends to sing. Or, you can just sing your own song if you've got talent.' Taylor said.

'Er...I'll get Kelsi to write one for me' Sharpay said, uncertainly.

'Sing my own song.' Gabriella answered quickly.

'Wow, you're sure about it?' Sharpay said, a bit shocked.

'Sure, why not?' Gabriella retorted, and after that, there was silence. Gabriella was feeling better- Of course- Her friends had managed to take her mind of Troy. Taylor and Sharpay secretly 'High-fived' behind Gabriella's back, while she fetched the lyrics.

Gabriella rang the doorbell. After a quick thudding of someone running down the stairs, the door opened, exposing the beaming face behind it.

'Hey!' Kelsi said, seemingly happy.

'Wondering if we could rehearse for the EA Talent Competition.' Taylor spoke.

''Kay! Wait- Gabriella, have you got the lyrics and music done yet?'

'Yea, but I've only done the melody...'

'Its okay...and Sharpay?' Kelsi looked questioningly at her, arching her eyebrows.

'Wondering if you could have a song that I could sing?' Sharpay said.

'Sure! Come in!' Kelsi said, gesturing her hand towards her house.

Gabriella handed her the lyrics.

'Wow.' Kelsi said, astonished. 'Did you write this?'

Gabriella eyed Kelsi...

'Why?' Gabriella asked.

'Sure you didn't print it off the computer?' Kelsi asked, looking straight at Gabriella's eyes.

'Yea!' Gabriella said, rolling her eyes

'Wow. I didn't know you had such a talent. Anyway, can we go to my room? Cuz the pianos there.'

''Kay' Said the three best friends, simultaneously.

'So, is Gabi better?' Kelsi whispered to Sharpay.

'She's okay when we're around, but when she's alone she's really down...' Sharpay responded.

The girls took off their shoes just before walking into Kelsi's medium-sized room. The dreamy colours of her room greeted them- The pale blue-gray wallpaper, her orange-peach carpet, and her lilac bedsheets. On one side of the room, there was a gleaming ebony-black piano.

Kelsi headed straight for the piano. Tilting her head towards them, she said. 'Hang around. I'm working on Gabriella's piece first.'

Sharpay jumped on Kelsi's bed, ready to lie around the whole time. But Taylor had a better idea.

'Hey, Kels, is it okay if we use your indoor pool?' Taylor asked. Sharpay squealed. She hadn't thought of that! Gabriella's eyes were filled with tears, threatening to pour down...

Flashback

'Troy! Kelsi's pool is soo beautiful!' Gabriella said.

Troy smiled at her, and jumped in.

'Of course! Beautiful enough to eat!' That, of course, was Chad.

'Yuck. Thats digusting! Imagine all the chlorine...I have only limited myself to swimming 3 times a week, to keep my hair in perfect condition' Sharpay said.

'How can you bear it, Shar? Swimming is just irresistible in the boiling summer!' Troy said, popping his head out of the water, waving his arms and legs frantically to keep his head from ducking back into the dark bluish-black waters.

That was the coolest thing about Kelsi's pool- The tiles were blue-black, not turquoise like all the other pools. It was unique, and ultra-cool, because you're swimming in blackish water, like ink. And not to mention, the room was completely made out of one-way glass, so it was just like you were swimming outdoors. There were heaters, so you could feel warm when you came out, but make the pool cold as ice, as well as a jacuzzi and a sauna. Kelsi was wealthier than Sharpay, but was never big-headed about it. Sharpay was certainly jealous!

Gabriella slowly went into the pool, looking uncomfortable.

'The water's so hot! I mean, it's summer- we're already boiling!' Gabriella said.

The air was cool, the perfect temperature when she came out of the pool. She walked over to the controls, and turned the water 10 degrees lower, and happily jumped back into the pool, which temperature was beginning to turn cooler and cooler. This was where Gabriella became Troy's girlfriend, and it was also where they had shared their first kiss...

End of Flashback

Tears spilled down her cheeks, like gentle, soft, shimmering diamonds. Sharpay saw them. She felt tired, sad, and fake. But she had to stay strong. Stay strong for Gabriella. She blinked her tears away, and said in fake-happiness 'Let's go!' It was simple, for her, since she was a natural born actress...

The gang was falling apart without Troy. That was a fact. The main people who were holding it together was Troy and Gabriella. But they were so dependent on each other. Now that Troy was gone, Gabriella was hit by depression...And so, friendships broke apart, relationships didn't work out, and life...shattered into pieces for many people.