Hey everybody, so this isn't my normal couple of choice, but when I got the idea in my head it just seemed too good to let up and it practically wrote its self. I know that the story may seem strange and it's rather short but please bear with me and tell me what you thought!

Aishiteru is fuzzy romanjii (romanized Japanese) for a very strong I love you like an I love you forever/ I love you always type of thing, its supposed to be the type of "I love you" that you only ever say to one person. So then onto the story

Aishteru

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"Is everyone this lonely when they're in love?" Gabriella can't help but wonder as she walks down the hall with her boyfriend of five months. His left hand grasps her right carefully, as he right holds books for both of them. Everyone notices him when he passes, people call his name in greeting sometimes just to say, "Go wildcats!" Troy, always polite greets them all by name, sometimes stopping for small talk. No one notices her. She is merely and extension of the limb. Those who know her name don't bother to say it, and to everyone else she is not important enough to remember.

For most people she is the perfect girlfriend for the East High Golden Boy, beautiful, shy and smart. Her popularity is small enough to not disrupt his, but perfect enough to compliment it. Envied by girls and idealized by boys, they don't actually know her, except as "The girl thats dating Troy Bolton." Which is enough to make most jealous.

It's not that he doesn't love her, and she most certainly loves him, but she feels Troy is all she has. While he is basically the perfect boyfriend Gabriella can't help but wonder, "What's missing in this equation?" There is something left to want, even though her head tells her she should be satisfied, her heart isn't content.

Stopping at her locker, they finally let go of each others hands. As she spins the combination, Troy sorts his books from hers. Then with out prompting they places her books, in the correct order, on the top shelf and takes out her lunch. She closes the door and retakes his hand once more as they head to the cafeteria.

Smiling Troy hands Gabriella her lunch, "I'll buy milk for you okay?" She returns the smile with one of her own, and kisses him on the cheek, "Thanks Love." leaving Troy she heads to the table they that sit at daily. Third from the back, second from the right. Seeing the only person at the table Gabriella felt slight dread as she sat down, putting on a bright smile, "Hi Chad!"

He gave her an equally nice smile, "Hey Gabs whats up?"

Gabs, she hated being called that, "Not a lot the chem test was super easy."

"Oh," Chad's face fell slightly, "I thought it was really hard, even after Taylor tutored me."

"Oh..." After their exchange an awkward silence falls between them. Not for the first time she wonders how it got this way, after all they are dating each others best friends. Looking at him carefully Gabriella tries to recount the facts she knows about Chad. How could she know so little about someone she spent so much time with? Luckily Taylor soon sits down to oin them and the awkwardness vanishes. Troy joins them with a quick kiss on Gabriella's cheek, and once again everything returns to normal.

From her vantage point next to Troy she glances longingly around the cafeteria, the cliques ever apparent are scattered around the large room. Surely if she were on her own she could fit somewhere, the brainiacs or the choir group, or maybe even the drama club. Troy, hand on her leg, talks defense with Chad, and Taylor lover of chess, boys and all things strategy knows enough to give her opinion. Gabriella listens in and tries to follow the conversation in front of her, the jargon however quickly confuses her, and she tunes out once more to observe the cafeteria.

Singing with Troy was amazing, magical even, and she couldn't ask for a better boyfriend, or even dream one up. Troy is handsome, charming, listens to her. But sometimes, sometimes Gabriella wishes that the party on New Years Eve never happened. It's always hard to start at a new school, but even harder being pre-labeled. She didn't' even have a chance to be known before everyone knew her as Troy Bolton's Girlfriend. All this considered Gabriella can't help but wonder what a, "Troy free high school experience." Would be like, or even what would happen if she let Troy go. Sure she would be lonely, heart broken even for some time, bu the promise of a new beginning might counter that.

Gabriella shook her head, no need to think of things like that. She loved Troy too much to ever actually do that, and the future was full of endless possibilities. Thinking of the future Gabriella smiles the most genuine smile in a long time, this, after all, is only High School.

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As always comments and criticisms are encouraged

Peace!

DP