She'd had quite enough. Sharpay's general annoyance and plots to get Troy, she expected. But she never thought that Troy would change the way he did. Making promises, then seeming to forget them right after they were spoken. Instead of spending times with the friends he'd had since first grade, he went around shooting hoops with college representatives and wearing cheap-looking Italian shoes. What was wrong with him? Whatever it was, she knew she couldn't take anymore of his nonchalance about his rapidly changing attitude.

That summer night, which seemed to chill straight to the bone, she told him her side of the story. How much he'd changed.. and he hadn't even realized! "I'm done here," she proclaimed, running to the employee locker room, not wanting to accept the tears forming in her eyes. He'd pleaded with her, asked why she was leaving, practically begged on his knees for her to stay... yet he never promised to change. His world was crashing down around him, and he stared blindly ahead. Probably too preoccupied with thinking about college and those big-shot basketball players he'd buddied-up with.

But she knew she couldn't stay the same. Slightly shaking fingers clutched at the clasp at her necklace. The one thing that symbolized so much love and happiness, so much hope for the perfect summer... maybe even the perfect kiss. But it didn't matter now. She clumsily unhooked the necklace and placed it in Troy's hands. "I've got to go my own way," were her final words to him that night, before running off without looking back. Luckily her mother had driven up just a minute or two before. She hastily unlocked the door to the van and climbed in, careful to keep her face turned away from her mom.

Even then, she knew something was up. "What's wrong, dear? Anything happen today at work?"

"I quit," she said simply. "Now let's just go home."

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" her mother persisted.

"Just take me home... please," she added, brushing a few stray tears from her flushed cheeks. She'd done it. The decision was made. Oh, but why did it have to hurt so much?

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"Gabriella, phone for you!" her mother called, holding the cordless phone through her open doorway. Gabriella slowly got up from where she'd been lying on her bed, and grabbed the phone. She sighed softly before placing it to her ear, hoping beyond all hope that it wasn't Troy.

"Hello?" she said tentatively.

"Hey, it's Ryan. How have you been, Gabriella? No one has heard from you for a little over a week, so I wanted to see how you were doing."

How sweet of him. Ryan always seemed to know how to make her smile. And it was more than just the crazy outfits he loved wearing.

"I just haven't been feeling the best," she said, which was certainly true.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked gently.


Sorry, unintentional cliffhanger there. The bell for class was about to ring. Anyway, review please. )