A/N: Okay, so this is the first HSM story that I have published, so be nice, or cruel, you know, whatever. I love this song, I don't really know why, its not a too terribly happy song, yet its the most listened to song on my computer. Oh well, just a oneshot, love it, hate it, review. :)
Disclaimer: God I wish I owned HSM, if I did, I'm pretty sure I'd have Zac Efron (Get Well Soon, by the way!) tied up in a basement somewhere.
PS: The lyrics are in italics.
This time, This place
Misused, Mistakes
Too long, Too late
Who was I to make you wait?
Another airport, another goodbye. This was their life, and Troy could see from her ragged appearance that this wasn't working. She would stay with him, she would fight for him, but he couldn't ask that of her.
Troy held her hand in his, "Gabi…"
"I love you," she told him, "and I'll be here when you come back."
Troy closed his eyes, that made everything so much harder, "Don't be." Troy opened his eyes and looked at her a confused expression written all over her face, "I can't ask you to do this, live this life for me, you deserve better."
Gabriella started shaking her head, "No Troy, don't do this, please."
Troy was shaking his head as well, "It's not the right time for us." Troy looked up, "Maybe in the future."
Gabriella was still shaking her head, "No."
"I love you." Troy told her, "And I always will." Troy could see the tears dropping down her cheeks and he reached forward and pulled her in for a hug, her tiny body shaking with sobs, "I won't ask you to wait for me, but I will come back for you." Gabriella felt his lips press onto hers in one last sweet kiss and by the time she opened her eyes, he was gone. That I love you
Just one chance
Just one breath
Just in case there's just one left
'Cause you know,
you know, you know
I have loved you all along
And I miss you
Been far away for far too long
I keep dreaming you'll be with me
and you'll never go
Stop breathing if
I don't see you anymore
Troy walked into the airport and his eyes searched for the one person he knew wouldn't be there. It had been five years since he had last been in Albuquerque, why would she show up?
"Hey man," Troy looked over and saw the smile of his best friend, "good to see you."
Troy pulled Chad in for a hug, the two having missed each other, "She isn't coming."
Troy pulled back, "By choice, or force?"
Chad shook his head, "I didn't tell her."
Troy gave him a look, "Why?"
Chad took a deep breath, "Because she's getting married tomorrow."
On my knees, I'll ask
Last chance for one last dance
'Cause with you, I'd withstand
All of hell to hold your hand
I'd give it all
I'd give for us
Give anything but I won't give up
'Cause you know,
you know, you know
Gabriella stood in front of the mirror, admiring herself in her wedding dress. She would be getting married in fifteen minutes, and at that moment she wanted to be anywhere but where she was. She didn't wait for him, he told her not to, but she didn't actually expect him to come back for her.
Gabriella didn't know who to expect when he doorbell rang, but when she saw Troy Bolton, she knew that it couldn't end up well.
All the things he said; he only wanted what was best for her, he had to make something out of himself, he never stopped loving her. There had been yelling, crying, and in the end, she had kicked him out. But he had begged her to not do this, not to throw away what they both knew they had. And now, Gabriella was doubting everything.
That I love you
I have loved you all along
And I miss you
Been far away for far too long
I keep dreaming you'll be with me
and you'll never go
Stop breathing if
I don't see you anymore
"Fifteen minutes babe." Gabriella looked at her best friend standing in the doorway of her dressing room.
"I know."
Taylor walked into the room and shut the door behind her. "You know, Chad and I had an interesting guest at our house last night." Gabriella didn't respond, "You didn't know he was coming back?"
Gabriella turned to face her, "Five years, no letters, no phone calls, nothing. And Josh is a good guy, and he wouldn't leave me."
"Josh is a convenient guy." Taylor corrected, "You may love him, but you aren't in love with him."
"Why would he do this now?" Gabriella asked, "He had five years to come back?"
"You know why he's back." Taylor told him, "He went to college; he proved to everyone that he was good enough for you."
"I knew he was good enough for me, I knew, that should have been enough."
Taylor ignored her, "And as for timing, he didn't know you were getting married, Chad said he didn't know until he told him at the airport."
Gabriella sighed and sat down in a chair, shaking her head, "I can't do this."
Taylor held out her car keys, "He'll be at my house." Gabriella looked up at the dangling keys and stood up, snatching them from her friend's fingers. Gabriella didn't bother to change out of her wedding dress or look back at her smirking best friend.
So far away
Been far away for far too long
So far away
Been far away for far too long
But you know, you know, you know
Taylor pushed open the doors to the church and walked up the aisle to the front. She stood in front of a blonde man who was dressed in a tux and staring at her curiously, "Josh," Taylor started, "I'm sorry."
Josh looked a mixture of furious and heartbroken, "She went back to him, didn't she?"
Taylor gave him a look, "Who?"
"Troy Bolton." Josh said and Taylor heard the church go completely still, "He's Ella's dirty little secret, he's the reason why she stopped every time, the reason why she never wanted to move in with me, the reason why she hesitated before saying yes to my proposal. I looked into her life, it isn't that hard to find."
Taylor gave him a look, "You looked into her life?"
Josh reached up and grabbed Taylor's upper arms, shaking her, "Tell me goddamnit!"
Chad appeared behind Taylor, "Let go of my wife." Josh dropped his arms and Chad put himself between Taylor and him, "For starters her name is Gabriella, and secondly, she did all that stuff because she wanted to be able to drop you the second Troy came back, and he has, and she just did."
"That little whor…" Josh didn't finish his statement as Chad's fist connected with the side of his face.
Josh stumbled backwards, falling to the floor, "God, I've wanted to do that for eight months." Chad said turning to Taylor, "Come on, I think we have a reunion to attend." Taylor smiled and grabbed his hand as the two ran out of the church.
I wanted
I wanted you to stay
'Cause I needed
I need to hear you say
Gabriella walked into the house, "TROY!" she yelled, pausing for a response, but not hearing one. Gabriella's eyes scanned the house and she didn't see any signs of movement, and then she heard it, a bouncing basketball. Gabriella walked over to the glass door that led to the back porch and noiselessly opened it.
Troy shot up the ball and missed. Groaning in frustration Troy retrieved the ball, "What are you doing?" Gabriella froze, he knew she was there, "She's getting married, why aren't you stopping it?" Gabriella relaxed, he was talking to himself. "She should be happy, she deserves to be happy."
"I was happy with you." Troy spun around to see Gabriella standing there, "We would've made it work."
Troy shook his head, "It was selfish of me to hold onto you like that."
"It was more selfish of you to break up with me like that." Gabriella told him.
That I love you
And I have loved you all along
"But I understand why you did it." Gabriella continued. "And I love you too."
Troy shook his head, "You have a fiancé, waiting for you."
And I forgive you
For being away for far too long
"And I'm willing to forgive you," Gabriella said ignoring him, "for five years of no contact, if you're willing to forgive me my fiancé."
Troy was staring at her, "Are you serious?"
So keep breathing
'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore
Gabriella began walking towards Troy, "Dead serious."
Believe it
"You told me not to wait for you," Gabriella said, "but I did anyways."
"I think your fiancé would disagree."
"Ex-fiancé," Gabriella corrected, still walking towards him, "and I no longer care what he thinks."
Hold on to me and, never let me go
Keep breathing
'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore
Troy's fingers laced through hers and Troy gripped tightly onto her hand, as though it was all a dream. "I…I…"
Gabriella nodded, "I love you too." Gabriella pulled her hand out of his and wrapped her arms around his neck, his hands falling to her waist, and she pulled herself up and pressed her lips onto his.
Believe it
Hold on to me and, never let me go
Taylor and Chad smiled at their two best friends making out in their backyard. Chad nudged her, "I always knew they would end up together."
Taylor gave him a look, "How?"
"Because Troy told me," Chad said, "he told me when we were seventeen years old, after the whole Lava Springs fiasco, one summer night when you two were having one of your girl nights, and he and I were hanging out. We got on the topic of you two and he looked at me, and said, 'I love her, and I'll never let her go.'"
Taylor smiled and looked back over at her best friends, "And he never did."