Gabriella Montez was sitting on the bench at the park. She watched the little children play and smiled thinking how easy life had been for her when she was a kid. Her father had been there with her.

"Hey," a voice said and Gabriella looked up.

"What are you doing here?" she asked the handsome blue-eyed teenager standing beside her.

"Looking for you," Troy Bolton answered.

"What do you want from me?" Gabriella asked in a shaky voice.

"I heard you were in town," Troy said. "I wanted to see you."

"Well, you've seen me," Gabriella said getting up. "Goodbye."

"Ella, wait," Troy sighed grabbing Gabriella's wrist.

"Let me go, Troy," she said pulling her hand free.

Troy watched as Gabriella ran towards her car. She got in and struggled to insert the key with struggling hands. Troy rushed over to his motorbike and pulled on his helmet. He followed Gabriella as she drove out of town towards the countryside. Finally, she stopped and got out. She glared at Troy.

"What do you want from me?" she shrieked.

"I just want to be here for you, Ella," Troy said. "I would have stayed with you the entire summer, but, you ditched me."

Gabriella looked away from Troy. Troy and Gabriella had gone to Europe, together to look for Gabriella's father who had left when Gabriella was twelve. Troy had got information that Mr. Montez was in Europe. He and Gabriella had travelled together and they had found Gabriella's father. Mr. Montez was a rich man. They had gone to the mansion he lived in, but, he had refused to see her. After that, Gabriella had ditched Troy and travelled through Europe on her own, hooking up with random guys as she went.

"Who cares if your father didn't want to see you?" Troy said. "Who the hell is he not to want you? Who gives a damn about what your father thinks?"

"I do!" Gabriella exclaimed. "I care about all of it, Troy. He's my father. Even if he is the richest man or the poorest man in the world, even if he's an alcoholic or something – which he's not – he's still my father, and I want him in my life."

"Ella," Troy began. "I don't know how to say this, but, he didn't want to see you. He doesn't want you in his life, even if you want him to be in yours. He doesn't want you. I know this is probably killing you when I say this, but, it's the truth."

Tears flowed down Gabriella's cheeks as she looked up at Troy.

"Why?" she whispered.

"I don't know," he replied hugging her close to him. "Maybe, it's because he doesn't know what a great girl you are. Either way, it's his loss. He doesn't know what he's missing."

Gabriella did not say anything. They stayed like that for a few minutes.

"I would have stayed with you, you know," Troy told her softly. "You didn't have to feel ashamed or anything because your father didn't want to see you. I would have been there for you if you hadn't suddenly left."

"Why do you care so much?" Gabriella asked softly, looking up at him.

"Because, I love you," Troy said, simply. "And, I would do anything for you."

"What?" Gabriella asked in surprise.

"I love you," Troy repeated.

Then, before Gabriella could say anything else, he leaned down and kissed her. Gabriella wrapped her arms around his neck as she responded to the kiss. She had lost one man in her life, but, she had gained another one, who would always be there for her.

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