This story is based on the song The One You Left Behind – Billy Gilman.
Chapter 1 It's Now or Never – Elvis Presley
It had been three and a half years since they met. He didn't understand why she was suddenly springing this on him. It just didn't make any sense. Sure he had thought about it, but why now or never? He didn't want to do it the way she wanted.
"What?" He asked, completely confused.
She sighed before speaking, "Troy, I want to get married before I spend a semester abroad! I don't want to leave knowing things might not stay the way they are between us."
"So you want to be newlyweds living in two different countries?" He replied, even more confused now. If they got married and she didn't go away it would still be problematic. They went to two different colleges already!
"That way this couldn't ruin our relationship." She replied enthusiastically.
"Gabriella, nothing could ruin our relationship. I drove all the way from Albuquerque to California just to see you for prom. The only reason I'm in California is because you're here. We don't even live in the same city and we're still going strong." He replied quietly as he sat across from her at the small kitchen table in his apartment that he shared with his roommate that had left them alone for the night. He had cooked her dinner with many phone calls to Zeke to help him through.
"Troy I'm spending the summer here working, but after that from September to December I'm gone to London! I want to be in a fully committed relationship with you while I'm in London!" She replied, starting to tear up.
"I thought that was what we were in now." Troy replied, looking at her incredulously.
"We're just boyfriend and girlfriend right now Troy. That's where we've been for the past three years. I want to be more than just that."
"I don't understand. I love you, I want to marry you. Just not this way and not yet. It doesn't make any sense at all Gabriella! Don't you see that? I want to plan the perfect wedding, have a honeymoon, not just waiting in line at a chapel in Vegas and getting married by a guy dressed like Elvis! I want to talk to your mother first! We couldn't even live together for another two years at least without wasting a ton of time and money on gas and driving to school."
"I don't care if we waste money Troy! I love you and I want to be married to you before I leave. " Gabriella said, wiping her tears away with her napkin.
"Gabi…." He replied. What was with her? How could she do this to him?
"It's now or never. Either you let me walk that door forever or marry me." She replied standing up.
"I don't even get time to think about it?" He replied now getting angry and standing up also. "Gabriella we're only 20!"
"Now or Never." She replied grabbing her purse and keys.
"Gabriella!" He said walking over to her and putting his hands on her shoulders, stopping her from opening his door. She looked up into his eyes.
"Now or never." She repeated, the tears starting to leak out again, but not just out of her eyes, his too.
"I love you but I can't do this right now without a good reason. I will willingly marry you after we graduate. I will even propose right now, you can come out with me to pick out the ring. I'll get my keys and we can go now." He replied.
"Goodbye Troy." She replied, kissing his cheek, and walking out the door. He watched her get in her car and drive off, not believing what had happened.
Two hours later he was still standing at his window watching the parking lot when his roommate came home.
"Troy just do it. Hit the green button. It's not like you haven't talked to her before." His roommate Gordon said nudging him as they sat next to each other on their couch. Well Gordon's couch that Troy used more than he did. Either way, the coffee table was Troy's.
Troy sighed, was about to push it but chickened out again. Gordon moaned and grabbed the phone.
"Hey!" Troy said, horrified as he watched Gordon hit the call button and hand it back to him.
"It's ringing." Gordon replied smiling getting up and going into his room.
"I'm sorry, this number has been disconnected-"
He hung up. This couldn't be happening. He called again. Same result.
He rushed to his computer, got on instant messenger just to discover her screen name was no longer on his friends list. She was no longer on anything online. Not on facebook, myspace, and her email didn't work anymore. She hadn't given Troy her mom's new cell phone number either that she had gotten a few months ago.
"Where you going?" Gordon asked as Troy opened the door, keys in hand, only his socks on his feet.
"Stanford. She deleted all of my ways to contact her online and shut off her phone." He replied, slamming the door.
As he slammed his fist against her apartment door, he looked down at his feet and noticed he was missing a sock. Wow, he was desperate enough not to realize he only had one sock on, not to mention not shoes?
"Hey Troy." Leslie, Gabriella's roommate said opening the door. "You okay?"
"Is Gabriella here?" He asked, not even bothering to answer her question.
"Uh no, she left for London last Saturday." Leslie replied, the confusion plain on her face.
"What?" Troy asked shocked. She had left the day after she had given her ultimatum.
"I thought you knew." Leslie replied slowly, "She told me that you were coming to visit her next month."
Troy fell to the ground and hugged his knees.
"Troy? You okay?" Leslie asked again, bending down to get on his level.
"She left me. I didn't think she would actually do it. I didn't think she would leave this early, let alone block all ways of contact between the two of us." Troy said, then thought of something else. "Do you have her new cell number?"
"What do you mean new one?" Leslie asked, still confused. Troy just pulled out his cell phone , put it on speaker, and dialed her number.
"I'm sorry, this number has been disconnected…."
"What!?" Leslie screeched and walked back into the apartment, Troy following. They went into Gabriella's room, to find her bed, dresser, and her cell phone. Sitting on top of it.
"What happened?" Leslie demanded in tears. She and Gabriella had become very close, almost closer than Gabriella and Taylor.
"She told me that we had to get married before she left or we were done. She didn't leave an address did she?" Troy replied sinking down on her bed.
"No, no she didn't." Leslie replied as Troy joined her in crying.
"Congrats Troy!" Squealed Sharpay hugging him as he stood there in his cap and gown.
"Thanks." He replied smiling slightly. The rest of the gang had come to see his graduation seeing as his school had gotten out later than the rest of theirs.
"We're all graduated now!" Taylor said excitedly, jumping up and down, then hugging Chad.
He watched as the rest of them chatted around him happily before he decided to speak up, rather loudly. "Has anyone heard from Gabriella?"
His reply was a sad chorus of no.
"How about we go get lunch?" Jack Bolton asked, coming up behind them with his wife.
"Let's go!" Shouted Chad, getting a head start to the car.
"Hey Troy?" Kelsi asked, as stopped walking to walk with Troy who was walking alone behind everyone else.
"Yeah, Kelsi?" He replied, taking off his gown.
"You know what I think would make you feel better?" She asked, smiling slightly.
"What?" He asked, willing to try anything. Nothing had really cut it for him for the past two years. Although he had done remarkably well considering he had lost the love of his life.
"I think you should write a song about it. Makes me feel better to do that. I'll help if you want." She replied.
"What if I write the lyrics and you write the music?" He asked, immediately thinking of what he should put.
"Ok, you want to email it to me then?" She replied, noting he seemed a bit happier.
"Well it depends on how fast you can write the music. I bet I could have it for you in a few hours." He replied, getting his phone out and starting to write.
"Wow, uh ok. Wasn't expecting it that quickly." Kelsi replied shocked.
Forty five minutes later during their lunch Kelsi was handed a napkin with not a large amount of lyrics, but they got the message through loud and clear.
"You know good idea Kelsi. This might be the only way I'll be able to get a hold of her. Not like I'll make the big time though." Troy said laughing and rolling his eyes as he passed her the breadsticks.
So I had a ton of homework to do, and once again, my muse wouldn't shut up. Seriously, you have no idea how much homework I have, but I couldn't let this idea go away. I know I have around 5 other stories I haven't finished, but I had 70% of this story thought up in about 5 minutes. Like I said, it is ridiculous how much my muse was shouting at me. Please review, I appreciate it. - Star
