Hey everyone!

This is my first shot at a HSM fic! I hope everyone enjoys it. I promise any questions that may come up will be answered in later chapters.

Dru

Trying to Matter

Chapter 1

The calm before the storm

The trees swayed softly in the warm, summer breeze as crickets chirped their evening song out into the quiet air. Water trickled gently over little piles of rocks into a wider stream just a few trees down. Gabriella stared up at the sky, shades of purple mixing in with light blues giving way to the softness and black of night. This was her hideaway. This was the beginning of summer.

Not a lot of people knew about her secret hideout. Well of course, no one but Troy. And Taylor. Maybe Chad. Okay so maybe the hideout wasn't so secret after all. But it was a hideout all the same. It made her feel exciting and sneaky having a place she could slink off to every now and then. Albuquerque wasn't exactly overflowing with calm places like this.

Gabriella let out a gentle gasp as a lost squirrel scampered over her bare feet and scurried up a tree. She pulled her legs in closer to her body, resting her head on her knees before letting out a soft, content sigh. She had run away. Although it really wasn't running away when no one was missing her. Her mom left her in the care of Taylor's family for 2 weeks while she visited a sick cousin in California. Gabriella didn't mind going but when Taylor's parents insisted that it wouldn't be any trouble having an extra girl in the house they both agreed it would be better. So technically maybe it was running away when she hadn't told Taylor where she was going to be. Gabriella's mind sure worked differently.

She didn't want to upset anyone. She just needed that little rush now and then. Sort of like when she'd get into one of those 'catch me if you can' challenges with Troy. She wasn't running away from him because she didn't want to be with him. She did. But it was more fun if he would catch her. More fun when she could feel him creeping up from behind her like a wild cat stalking its prey. Definitely more fun when he caught her and tickled her belly giving that low whisper in her ear. "Caught ya."

A smile crept across Gabriella's face thinking about it. But a twang of guilt quickly replaced her feeling of happiness. This happened every time she found herself feeling even the slightest bit happy. Kelsey. The accident. It had all happened just a few weeks ago. No one really knew what had happened. All they did know for sure was that it was raining. The road had been slick. And as quickly as the happiness faded away an overwhelming amount of grief came back to her and a tear cascaded down Gabriella's face, wetting her wrist. Kelsey was so sweet. She was beginning to become one of Gabriella's best friends. But it had all been taken away.

The moon had now fully risen and was shining brightly in the middle of the sky.

"Gabriella," a gentle voice called out to her from behind a few trees. She went to wipe at her tears but figured there wasn't any use. They had started and weren't going to stop now matter how badly she wanted them to. She recognized the voice and even though it had only uttered a simple word it was full of understanding and love. It wasn't judgmental. It wouldn't tell her she was ridiculous because of the way she was still feeling about her friend. She turned her head slowly but eagerly.

"Troy."

He was quick to kneel down next to her in the dirt. Troy was wary to touch her at first but once she set pleading, wet eyes on him he couldn't help but collect her into his arms and coo softly into her hair. He let her cry into his chest, wet tears clinging to his shirt.

"Gabriella…," he said in a sing-song sort of way after they were quiet for some time. He made sure he was gentle. He knew why she was crying. Because inside he was crying for all the same reasons. He nuzzled into her forehead and she stared at him, eyes still overflowing, and traces of tears still trailing down her cheeks. "You're thinking about her again." It wasn't really presented as a question but more of an understanding statement. Gabriella swallowed past the painful lump in her throat. The trees still swayed gently around them, crickets still chirping in unison in the darkness. No words could find their way out of her mouth.

"Do you want to come back home with me?" Troy whispered softly, gently tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. He could feel her nod against his chest. He stood up slowly and brought her up with him. "It's okay Gabriella."

For now, that was all she needed.