Title: We Belong
Genre: Romance
Summary: She has been his friend since her family moved when she was four. She had grown to love him when she turned sixteen and it hurts her to see him with other girls. Can Gabriella have the guts to tell Troy how much she feels about him or will it be too late?
--
Gabriella Montez stood by her locker, waiting for his friend of fourteen years. She won't consider her relationship with him as "best friends" even though she knew everything about him. It's fine for her to call him a "friend" but best friend? She'll die first before she can say that he is her best friend. For all of her life, she's chasing him secretly. No one knew about her feelings except her parents, friends and even his parents.
Looking at her left, she saw him. The only one that she wished to be hers, but who is she kidding? He's taken and the whole world knows that. She noticed that he had stopped walking and talked to the person he's been with about something she always knew what. He's walking towards her and she hated how he does it.
"Hey, Ella." That nickname he always use every time they will see each other and the nickname reserved for him to use. "How's my favorite best friend?" he asked.
"Hey. I'm fine and can you stop calling me 'best friend'? It will be fine if you will say it without the 'best' part." Gabriella replied as they started to walk down the hallway.
"But why? We've been friends since we were four and technically, we're best friend since the day after we met." He said looking at her. His eyes staring back at her own pair.
Those eyes she wants to get lost every time is looking at her. But there is something she doesn't want to see – the look of friendship. She wished to the star that maybe someday, those eyes will look at her with a look of love not with a look of friendship. And to her dismay, it won't happen because those eyes are reserved for a special girl that he's been with for the past one and a half years.
"I know that we've been friends since we were four but I'm not your best friend, Troy, Chad is." She said looking ahead of her. She wants to end this conversation as soon as possible. Because the more he looks into her and the more she wants to stare back at him, the more pain she's going to bear.
He smiled and replied, "Fine, if that's what you want. But remember, Ella, you're still my number one friend."
She just nodded her head in reply. She had refrained herself from looking at him and see that smile that taunts her. That smile caused her to fall in love more for him.
As the two walked down the sidewalk to Gabriella's house, Troy had held her hand that sent sparks inside of her. She wished that he felt it too because there's no denying that she wanted him to feel it.
Stopping at the front porch, Gabriella turned to Troy and smiled at him. "Thanks for walking me home."
"No problem." He said and smiled back at her. "We're still on for tonight, right?" he asked for the third time that day.
She giggled, "Of course, we are. That's the third time you asked we that question."
"Just making sure of it. You might ditch me later on."
"Ditch you? Hello. We're having our daily Friday movie nights here at my house, how can I ditch you?" she asked.
"Don't know. There are possibilities that you don't want to continue our Friday movie nights, that's why I'm making sure of it."
Gabriella chuckled, "Oh, Troy. You really think I will do that?" She shook her head, "Don't worry, that will never happen. I'll see you later, okay?"
"Okay." He replied and she kissed his cheek before entering the house.
Closing the door, Gabriella leaned her back against it and closed her eyes, the picture of Troy popping up. She had tried to ignore the feelings she has for him but she can't.
Walking to the living room, she saw her parents holding some papers and their visa lying on the table. Her parents hadn't noticed that she's home.
"What are those?" She asked, making her presence known in the room. Her parents looked up at her and then changed looks at each other.
"Take a seat first" her dad, Henry said. Gabriella took a seat opposite her parents.
"These papers are your records of transcript from East High." He said and Gabriella had a puzzled look on her face.
"Wait, are you telling me that we're moving again?" Gabriella asked, knowing that it will lead to some moving and stuffs.
"I'm afraid to say we are." To say Gabriella's shocked, afraid, sad, she's not. She always wanted to know when they will move again so that she can prepare herself for the new culture she's going to belong to in a matter of days.
"When?" She asked.
Her mother decided to cut in. "Two days after we get our plane tickets. You're not mad we're moving again?"
Gabriella shook her head no. "I'm not mad. Actually, I'm looking forward to moving again months ago." She said truthfully. She had hoped that her parents got what she wanted to tell when she said she's not mad or anything.
"If I tell you that we will be moving million miles away from this place, are you still going to move with us?" her father asked.
"I will. I know it's time for me to let go. Forget about the past and move on." She replied looking down at the floor. You can tell by her voice that she's having a second thought about it. "Where are we going to move?" she asked looking up to her parents.
"Philippines. We will be living there until you graduated college and then we can move back here." Henry said, not so sure of the decision of moving again.
Gabriella stayed silent. She's debating with herself is she really wants to move to a different place with a different culture from the one she knows until she grow up.
"Can I ask you something, hun?" her mother's voice sounding in the room. Gabriella nodded her head for her mother to continue. "Is this about Troy that you said you're looking forward to moving again?"
"Yes, mom. I don't want to get my hopes up that Troy will love me back. It hurts me enough to know that I'm just his friend and nothing more." Gabriella replied in a hoarse voice.
Her parents gave her a sympathetic look. They have known their little girl's love at her friend. No matter how hard Gabriella keeps her feelings hidden, her family and friends always notices it. They're not blind not to see the way she always look at Troy whenever he's around or the way she gets lost in her own world with every mention of his name.
"Think about it, okay? You still have time to think about it if you're sure that you want to move with us." Henry said and Gabriella stands up from her seat.
"I will. I'll see you later." She said and walked up to her room. It's so hard to fall in love, Gabriella said to herself.
Gabriella holds a picture frame with a picture of her and Troy. Her arms wrapped around his waist and his right arm on around her shoulder as they both smile to the camera. It has been taken three years ago when she was fifteen. She remembered it so well like it was yesterday.
Returning the picture back to its place beside her bed, she sighed. If she kept on thinking about him, there's no doubt that she'll miss him more. Getting her phone beside her, she dialed a familiar number. It rang three times until someone answered.
"Hello?" the voice asked.
"Hey, Troy."
"Ella, you shouldn't have called. We will be seeing each other later, remember."
"I'm sorry but can we cancel tonight? I'm not feeling very well." She lied. She just wanted to get away from her feelings for a while. Get away from his presence.
"Oh, I see. Get well soon, Ella." Troy replied, disappointment lacing his voice.
"I'm really sorry, Troy. Maybe next time." She said ignoring the disappointment in his voice. "Bye, Troy."
"Bye, Ella."
They both hang up. Troy had a sad and a disappointment look on his face while on Gabriella, guilt shows on her face. She hated lying to him. But what can she do? Tell him that she doesn't want to see him for tonight because she'll be hurt more to know that she'll be leaving again and she will never see him for the rest of college years? She can't do that and she knows that she will never do that.
Looking at her phone, Gabriella typed a message and sends it to the two of her friends. They immediately replied to her and without a minute to spare, they are right in front of her bedroom door.
"What's wrong, Gabby?" Taylor asked as she sat down beside Gabriella.
"I'm sorry, Tay and Shar." Gabriella blurted out, making the two girls confused.
"Sorry? For what?" Sharpay asked a little confused.
"Don't hate me for saying this but we're moving." Gabriella said, her voice getting lower in every word she says.
"What? Are you sure about this, Gabby?" Taylor asked in a shock voice. They didn't expect her to make a decision early without the gang knowing.
"I'm sure. It's the only way to stop punishing myself from the feelings I have kept a secret for a long time. It's time for me to move on."
Taylor looked over at Sharpay as if trying to say something without Gabriella noticing. Sharpay nodded her head, getting the message Taylor wants to say.
"Gabby, if we say that Troy has the same feeling as yours, are you still going to stick with your decision?" Sharpay asked, hinting that she needs to think about her decision twice.
Gabriella sighed and looked down at her hands. "You guys, we've been through about this – Troy will never return the feelings I have for him. You can see how happy he is with his girlfriend. For once in my life, I tried to be selfish and for once, I got my heart broken." The tear she has trying to fight has now fallen freely down her face.
A knock on the door interrupted the three girls from talking and Gabriella quickly wiped her tears away.
"Come in" she said to the person on the other side of the door.
"Hey. I brought you your favorite double dutch ice cream with mini marshmallows. And I even brought some of your fav–" the person stopped mid-sentence looking at the three faces looking back. The two have a solemn expression on their faces and the one has a sad expression.
"Girls, can you leave Ella and me alone?" Troy asked, looking directly at Gabriella.
The two girls looked at their best friend and she nodded reluctantly at them. They left the room to give Troy and Gabriella a time to talk.
Troy walked over to the bed when Taylor and Sharpay left the room. He laid the things he brought on the bedside table.
"You okay?" Troy asked, putting his hand over hers.
Gabriella nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine." But the sadness in her eyes gives it away clearly that she is not fine.
"You're clearly not fine. C'mon, tell me what's bothering you."
That's what Gabriella hated the most. She can be so transparent in front of Troy – without him seeing her feelings – but with others, she can't.
"I know I can tell you anything but this one I can't tell you. Not right now."
"Okay. I understand about that. But whenever or wherever you are and if you needed me, you know how to reach me." He reminded her as he thinks of the past time they always lean on each other.
Gabriella nodded, "I know. Umm… Can I keep the ice cream?" she asked sheepishly.
Troy chuckled, "Of course. I'll be leaving now. Just call me if you need me, okay?"
Gabriella mouthed 'okay' back.
After Troy left the room, Gabriella sighed deeply. She reached over to her bedside table to retrieve the ice cream and DVDs that Troy brought her.
Scanning the title of the DVDs, she let out an amazed smile. Troy really knows what to get her to make her feel good. Even though Troy sleeps halfway of a chick flick movies, he knows what movies Gabriella loves to watch.
--
It has been 2 days, 15 hours, 30 minutes since Gabriella last made a conversation with Troy on a Friday night. She didn't attend her morning classes because it will be the last day she will walk the halls of East High.
Lucky for her, she didn't bump into anyone around the school. Although Sharpay and Taylor knew that she will be leaving, she still doesn't know how or what will she do to tell the gang, especially Troy, about her leaving.
The bell rings indicating the start of lunch. Students from different classrooms piled out at the hallway. Gabriella's friends are walking down the hallway when Sharpay and Taylor stopped walking, making the others that are following them bump into each other.
"Hey! Why did you stop walking?" Chad said. He's one of Gabriella's friends who she looks up to like a brother she wished she have.
"See for yourself, Chad." Taylor said, still looking at the person in front of them.
Peeking over shoulders in front of him, Chad walked to the side to see Gabriella cleaning out her locker.
"Gabriella?"
At the mention of her name, Gabriella looked at her side. She has a small smile on her face, trying to hide the obvious guilt she's feeling at that moment.
"Hey, guys!" She greeted happily, trying to hide the nervousness inside.
"What are you doing?" Zeke – Sharpay's boyfried – asked. "Why are you cleaning out your locker?"
Gabriella sighed. She cannot lie now or else they will keep on asking her why. She turned to look at Taylor and Sharpay. "Tay, Shar, can you guys do the honor of telling them?" she asked.
"Tell us what?" Kelsi, one of Gabriella's closest friends, asked.
Taylor and Sharpay looked at each other for a brief second and Sharpay decided to start to tell Gabriella's departure.
"She's leaving, guys." Sharpay said, trying to be strong though she knew she will breakdown any moment when Gabriella's departure will be mention again.
"WHAT?!" They all screamed, except for Taylor and Sharpay. Troy, on the other hand, had been so quiet since they saw Gabriella cleaning out her locker.
"It's true. She's leaving tomorrow." Taylor replied.
"Tomorrow?! Are you crazy?" Chad asked. He turned to the two girls, "And you knew it all along? How could the two of you hide it from us?"
Gabriella decided to cut in, "I'm the one who told them to keep it a secret for a while. You can all get mad at me for the rest of your lives but don't blame it to them. I know its wrong to not to tell you guys but it's my decision. For what the reason is, I can't tell you."
"When have you decided it?" Ryan, Sharpay's brother asked in an almost whisper sound.
"Last Friday. My family had talked to me about us moving and I decided to come with them because I know that it will help me move on from the past that I don't want to see anymore. It will only hurt me more if I attended college here for all I know the only thing that kept me staying here for this long is the reason for me to move away with my family." Gabriella explained as she swore that she saw the sadness in Troy's eyes when she glanced up to him.
"But Gabby, you don't need to move away for you to forget about the past. We'll all help you to forget about it." Ryan said.
Gabriella sighed, "You don't get it, guys. I have tried to move past from it but still I can't succeed. I appreciate that you want to help me but this is mine and I don't want any of you get involve."
"Okay. We understand but you will tell us sooner or later why you decided to leave." Zeke spoke up for the group.
Gabriella nodded her head and continues cleaning her locker. Silent covers the hallway as they watched their friend put up the last of her things in the box on the floor. As Gabriella closed her locker, Nicole walked to them and Gabriella gave her a sad smile.
"Hey." Gabriella greeted. "Can I talk to you, Nicole?"
"Sure." Nicole replied.
They walk away from the group about four meters away so that they won't hear what conversation the two will be talking about.
"Everything all right?" Nicole asked.
"Yeah, everything's fine. Just want to say that take care of Troy." Gabriella said looking down first then up to Nicole.
"What?" She asked confused on why Gabriella is saying that.
"I want you to take care of Troy. I can see how happy he is to be with you and I can't be happier for him. You should be lucky because he's still with you for the past one and a half years."
"Why are you telling me this, Gabriella?"
"You will understand soon but please take care of Troy for me."
"But Troy and I are not together." Nicole said to make Gabriella see that Troy's not taken by anyone.
Gabriella let out a small laugh, "Don't be silly, Nicole. I can see how he looks at you and to tell the truth, you look cute together." Inside, Gabriella's hurting to every word she says. "Please, Nicole? It's just a little favor and it will mean a lot if you agree."
Nicole has nothing left to do but agree. She doesn't want to do it but Gabriella asked her to it. She reluctantly nodded her head even though deep inside, her heart and mind are both screaming: 'don't agree with it.'
"Thank you." Gabriella said and walked to the others with Nicole following her.
"I should get going home. I still need to pack the rest of my things. I'll see all of you whenever I see you." She gave all of her friends a hug. She stood in front of Troy and pats his shoulder before leaving them. Disappointment on Troy's face shows and a single tear slip down his cheek.
--
At the cafeteria, the gang is having a quiet lunch. No one spoke as they entered cafeteria and sat down on their usual spot. Troy being the one to start a conversation every time they all got quiet let out a breath and chuckles a little. The persons that occupy the same table as him looks up at him like he was crazy.
"Gabriella's joking right? She can't be moving away when graduation is just around the corner." Troy said as if it was all a joke to him.
"Of course, she is." Sharpay said sarcastically. "Do you really think she will joke about something like this, Troy? Haven't you seen the look in her eyes when she saw us by her locker? Did it ever cross your mind why she's not in her classes this morning? What do you think, Troy?" she asked getting angry at him.
"You know what, Troy? I'm glad she's moving." Taylor steps in. The whole occupants of the table look up at her even Troy.
"What do you mean, Taylor? What is the real reason?" Zeke asked.
Taylor sighed, "Look, Sharpay and I promised not to tell any of you. There's nothing we can do now if she really wants to leave Albuquerque."
"Is it about something or rather someone involved to why Gabriella decided to move with her family?" Ryan questioned the two girls and looked at Troy when he said the word 'someone.'
"If we both tell all of you, do any of you promise that you won't tell it to Gabriella?" Sharpay asked, finally giving in.
The rest nodded their heads, except for Troy who's deep in his own thoughts.
"Ryan, to answer your question: yes, it is about someone that made Gabriella decided to move with her family. And it is the same person who caused her to change." Sharpay said in a low, normal voice so that no other students hear about their conversation.
"Troy's the reason why, right?" Chad asked, getting the reason why Gabriella wanted to move away.
Troy's head shoot up at the mention of his name, "Me? W-what do you mean about me?"
"Gabriella likes you, Troy." Nicole said. "I can read her like a book. Heck, all of the students here in East High can tell she's head over heels in love with you."
"I agree with Nicole, dude." Zeke said. "We can see the sudden change in her."
"A change she tried to do for almost a year to get your attention." Sharpay added.
"I didn't know…" Troy whispered.
"Of course you don't. You know why she hid it for a long time?" Taylor asked and he shook his head. "Because she doesn't want to get more hurt than she already is."
"What do you mean hurt?"
"Even if we tell you what it meant, still, you won't get it. All we know is that Gabriella has feelings for you." With that, Taylor and Sharpay, left followed by the others leaving Troy and Nicole alone.
Nicole looked at Troy before speaking up. "I don't want to tell you this but she told me to take care of you. I told her we are not together but she didn't believe me. She's being a martyr for her feelings and for you, Troy. Are you still that blind not to see the perfect girl for you?" She shook her head and stands up. "I had become good friends with Gabriella and to your own friends and I might say, I agree to your friends. Some day, you'll regret it – all of the things that have been given to you. You better think now, Troy, before it becomes too late." She left and Troy is left thinking in his own world.
--
"Ready to go?" Henry said, closing the trunk of the cab after putting the last luggage in.
"Yeah – just a minute."
"Okay." He replied and entered the cab. Gabriella turned to her friends who didn't attend school.
"This is it." Gabriella said with a sad smile on her face.
"You sure you're not going to wait for Troy a little longer?" Mr. Bolton, Troy's father, asked. He too and his wife didn't attend their work. They got close to the Montezes that they had considered each others child as their own.
She shook her head, still keeping the sad smile on her face, "Probably not. If he really wants to see, then he will come. I know he's not coming so it's fine for me."
At the same time with Troy at school. He couldn't concentrate well to the lesson the teacher is discussing. His mind is focusing on one person only and it is Gabriella.
He had taken a stroll down memory lane yesterday when he got home. He then realized how much she means to him and the feeling that he fought just to say he doesn't feel anything for her. Boy, he was wrong. He already had feelings for her but he pushed it away.
Without any thinking, he stand up out of his seat and runs out of the classroom. His teacher yelling after him to come back but he ignored it – all that matters right now is to catch up with Gabriella before she leave.
Seven minutes, Troy's time is running. Tears have been forming at the lid of his eyes but he fights it back. He did not bother if he had put on the seatbelt or not. He's more focused on the time.
"I guess I'll see all of you in year's time." Gabriella said in a happy tone, trying to cover the sadness in her voice.
All of her friends are crying. When I say friends, the boys are included. They can't believe that their friend is leaving – the youngest in the group is leaving. They had shared wonderful moments together and they will never forget that. From all the times they pulled prank to one another, secrets they had shared, feelings that had grown, small misunderstandings – all of that they won't forget, especially Gabriella. She will never find any other amazing people than what she has now.
Four minutes.
Gabriella hugged all of her friends and Troy's parents. She sure will miss a lot. Not only her life in Albuquerque, all of what had happened for the past fourteen years of her life.
"Have a safe trip, Gabriella." Mrs. Bolton said as she pulled away from their hug.
Gabriella gave her a smile, "I will. And can you give it to Troy?" She asked, handing a folded paper out of her back pocket.
"I'll give to him."
Two minutes.
Walking to the side of the cab, Gabriella opened the door and looks back at her friends. Just looking at her friends makes her want to cry but she can't. If she cries at that moment, she knew that she won't be able to leave.
One minute.
Stepping inside of the cab, she sighed loudly. She never expected it to be hard. The driver started the engine and drives away.
Troy stepped out of his car when Gabriella stepped inside the cab. He quickly ran after the cab, trying to catch up.
"ELLA!" He shouted, as he keeps on running. He continued on shouting her name over and over again.
Henry ordered the driver to stop the cab and he turned to look at his daughter. "Face him one last time." He said to his daughter.
Gabriella looked at her mother and she nodded at her. She stepped out of the cab and Troy runs to her and hugs her tight.
"Don't go. Please, don't go." Troy said desperately, his voice breaking. He hugged her tighter not wanting to let go.
"I need to." She simply said.
Troy pulled away and puts his hand on her arms. "No. I don't want you to go. What about us? What about our past?"
"Our past is in the past. And for the 'us' part, it only happened in my dreams and it won't happen again." She stated, looking him directly in the eyes. "I'm tired of waiting, Troy. I don't want to wait forever." Her voice breaking at every word.
"You don't have to wait forever, Ella. I'm here now. I love you."
"'I love you' is not enough, Troy. You can't say you love someone without showing it. But sometimes, showing it is not enough to tell them you love them." She explained. "So I'm giving up my feelings. I'll try to forget that I had fallen for you."
"Ella…" he said in a desperate voice. The tears that he's holding back a while ago are now falling.
"Let me finish first." She started. "At first, I never thought that I'll love someone as I had loved you. I guess I was wrong at that time. I let myself fall for you without thinking 'are you the one that I've been looking for?' I never asked myself that question. I always thought you are the one. And guess what, I'm still wrong. Falling for a guy who's taken already – who's not dumb to fall for someone who is already taken?" She let out a chuckle. "Oh right – I remember I'm one of them."
Troy stayed silent. His mouth won't let him talk while his heart is commanding him to say anything to stop her from leaving but his body is not moving.
--
After a second of silence, Gabriella got out of Troy's grasp. "I need to go. I'll see you in year's time." With that she entered the cab and the driver drives away. Gabriella let her tears fall this time. She didn't bother to wipe them away because wiping them will make her remember how much she had hurt the one guy that he had love and practically still loving.
Troy falls down on his knees. Tears are running down his face as he watched the cab that has been parked there minutes ago drive away. His friends and family watches as he breaks down into pieces. His heart shattering into billion pieces down in the ground. If he can turn back to time, he will make the things in its right place. But he is not a miracle worker to that. He'll just let fate do its work and maybe, just maybe, he will see Gabriella again and in that time, he can prove to her how much he loves her.
--
A/N: I basically don't know how I will end it. My mind is starting to drift off as my eyes starts to close on its own. The second part will take longer for I have school and I must say, college is stressing me out. I can only write the second part if I have a free time and my mind is working to take me to my "imagine land." Right now, enjoy this first part.