A/N: Okay guys. This is going to be a more serious fic than my other two. I am aware that there are other stories that deal with this topic, but it is something that I hold very close to my heart. It has given me new morals, and I am who I am today because of it. I have worked extremely hard on this story and I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone or anything related to High School Musical.

Still There for Me

Ch. 1

"Promise me you'll always remember. You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."

-Christopher Robin to Pooh.

"Dude," Chad Danforth yelled at his best friend and his girlfriend as they climbed the narrow aluminum stairs of the bleachers. "Captain, over here!" he cupped his hands over his mouth while he spoke and then stood and started waving his arms frantically.

"Well," Gabriella muttered as she stood behind Troy to let him enter the bleacher row that Chad was seated in with the rest of the Wildcat's basketball team seated close by. "I guess we found him." She kept her fingers locked with his as they made their way to were the rest of the basketball team was cheering obnoxiously.

"Hey man." Troy grinned as Chad grabbed his hand and pulled Troy against his chest, slapping his back with his other hand.

"Dude, you ready to get your last homecoming crown at East High?" Chad grinned, glancing across Troy's body at Gabriella who was leaning against her boyfriend so that she could hear the exchange between the two.

"Yeah man, it's time for the king to step down!" Zeke Baylor grinned from Chad's other side and leaned in towards Troy, slapping his hand into the lighter boy's for the first time since they'd arrived.

"We'll see." Troy shrugged and turned to Gabriella with a small smile. Gabriella slung her arm around Troy's neck and pulled him closer to her and cupped his chin with her other hand. Pulling his head to face her, Gabriella smiled and pressed her lips to his in a loving kiss.

"Before we start today's festivities," Mr. Matusi's voice rang out as he stood in the center of the field facing the bleachers currently filled with all four grades at Easy High school with a cheery smile on his face. "It's time to announce the homecoming kings and queens of two thousand eight!" he yelled and was met with a roar from the bleachers.

Troy gripped Gabriella's hand and leaned in towards her so that she could hear him over the roar of the crowd. "Ready?" he questioned as the principle began announcing the freshman and sophomore kings and queens.

"You know," she started as a loud burst of applause rushed over the crowd as Mr. Matusi announced the king of the junior class, a boy that happened to be a kid on Troy's basketball team. Gabriella knew he was pretty close with Troy as they were neighbors and the kid even had a pretty good chance of getting the position of captain the following year.

"I never thought I'd ever be a homecoming queen," Gabriella giggled as Troy wrapped his arms around her shoulders a pressed a kiss to her temple. "And I never thought that I would ever be the homecoming queen two years in a row!" she yelled as the queen was announced for the junior class and Mr. Matusi moved over to the seniors.

"And now, for the senior class…" Mr. Matusi smiled and the entire crowd spread along the rows of bleachers set up on the football started clapping their hands in anticipation. "This is your last homecoming here at East High," he announced into the microphone, and a variety of noises was heard among the senior class, some excited to be ending their high school career, some not so excited.

"The queen of the senior class of fall two thousand eight is…" he opened the envelope at a tantalizingly slow speed, evoking groans from throughout the senior class. "Gabriella Montez!" Gabriella felt Troy squeeze her hand before releasing it while the other seniors jeered and shouted for her as she made her way down the stairs.

"This is it man!" Chad yelled to Troy as they watched Gabriella accept her crown, laughing slightly as Mr. Matusi accidentally dropped it as he went to place it on her head. Biting back laughter, Gabriella turned to the crowd and waved, evoking another round of applause while Mr. Matusi was handed the next envelope that contained the name of the king.

"Okay, okay." Mr. Matusi yelled to quiet the senior class so that he could proceed with the events of the pep rally. "Without further ado, the king of the senior class for this fall is…" he made a drum-roll sound into the microphone to which the senior class began booing him.

"Troy Bolton!" he yelled, and as Troy stood, the rest of the seniors stood as well, many reaching out to slap his hands as he passed them on his way to the football field. Standing next to Gabriella, Troy accepted his sash and crown and pulled Gabriella to his side as he turned them to face their fellow classmates.

"Come on princess." Troy nodded towards the bleachers and led his girlfriend back to their seats, his arm still firmly wrapped around her shoulders.

"Hmmm…queen, actually." Gabriella grinned and pointed at her crown as they took their seats. Troy grinned and took off his own crown, examining it carefully for a few minutes. Shrugging, he placed it back on his head, patting down his hair to make sure none of it was out of place.

"You're hair is fine Wildcat." Gabriella yelled as she shook her head. Troy laughed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders again, pulling her body closer to his as he leaned back in his seat.

"Just making sure." He yelled as the pep rally began with a pie eating contest. The crowds started roaring once more as a member from each grade took a seat at a large table complete with a key lime pie placed at each seat.

"Looks like we still need a senior," Mr. Matusi yelled as the seniors began glancing around at each other and random names were being thrown out from different people volunteering their friends.

"Danforth!" one of the guys from the basketball team yelled and Gabriella suddenly found the entire senior class chanting Chad's name as he glanced around blankly.

"Chad Danforth," Mr. Matusi yelled as Chad turned to Troy, a confused look on his face. "Come on down Mr. Danforth." The principle grinned as Zeke and Troy began shoving Chad from his seat and forced him to stand, and a loud cheer erupted from all around them as Chad made his way down to the table.

"Oh my gosh!" Gabriella yelled as she latched her hand onto Troy's arm and watched in amusement as a bib was tied around Chad's neck and his chair was pushed closer to the table.

Once all of the contestant's hands had been secured behind their backs, they glanced at Mr. Matusi for the staring signal. "The rules are simple," the principle yelled out as the crowd quieted. "No using your hands, and whoever can finish the entire pie the fastest- wins!" he yelled and no sooner had he finished announcing the rules when the deafening roar of the hundreds of East High students began cheering.

"On your mark," Mr. Matusi yelled as the contestants lowered their heads so that their mouths were inches from the whipped top of the pies. "Get set…go!" he yelled, and Gabriella immediately burst out in a fit of giggles as she watched Chad devour the pie.

She wasn't sure what he thought of key lime pie but by the way he was eating it, he didn't seem to have a problem with it. "I have never seen him it pie that fast." Troy laughed as well as he watched his best friend consume what seemed like the entire pie in one bite.

"And the winner is…" Mr. Matusi watched as Chad and the junior contestant who were neck and neck tried to out eat each other. "Chad Danforth!" the seniors stood as Chad burst from his seat and pumped his fists in the air, not one bit embarrassed that he had whip cream and bits of key lime pie spread all over his cheeks and chin, and even a little bit in his curly hair.

Troy and Gabriella laughed as Chad grabbed a towel from one of the teachers and began cleaning himself up after receiving his ribbon for first place. Running up the bleachers, Chad took his seat beside Troy and showed off his ribbon, nodding at his friend.

"See," he grinned and pinned the ribbon against his shirt with a wide smile. "We're both winners!" Troy shook his head and turned his attention back to the football field where the next event was being set up.

"Whatever dude," Troy shrugged as Gabriella grabbed his hand and laced their fingers together with a shy smile. "I'm still the king." he turned to Gabriella who met him with a kiss.

"That you are Wildcat," Gabriella latched her other arm onto his and leant her head on his shoulder as the relay began. "That you are." She sighed, thinking her life couldn't get much better.

A/N: So, I know nothing major happened and I didn't give any hint as to what's about to happen. But just hold on- it's coming!