Disclaimer: I don't own anything

A girl and a boy sat in a car, driving down the dimly lit neighborhood street. The boy drove while his girlfriend of two years sat in the passenger seat, deep in thought. She did not know what she wanted and life or even where she was going after she graduated in the spring. Sure, she has the perfect friends and the most supportive boyfriend she could possibly have, but she still felt as though she was missing something.

She just couldn't handle the pressure from her strict mother, the scrutinizing stares and whispers she gets while walking through the hallway of her high school, and the inordinate punches and blows to the stomach she gets nightly from her step-father. It had all had gotten to her and lead her to believe life would just be easier for Troy if she let him go now. He didn't need her now constant jumpy demeanor. She used to be such a vivacious girl, but that all changed when her mother brought that horrible monster into their house.

This was it; she just could not do this any longer. She needed to let him go now, before something happened that would leave them both heartbroken.

"Troy, can you pull over, we need to talk to you." There they were. The six words no guy ever wanted to hear from his girlfriend. And it was after she spoke those words that silence briefly pervaded the car the two currently sat in.

"What's up, you have been awfully quiet tonight?" She felt the lump in her throat rise and her stomach tighten into knots. She didn't want to do this but her head kept winning, telling her this was for the best. She kept telling herself that this was how is should be. Troy did not need her profuse need to be held in his arms and her constant need to be told how much he loves her.

"I think …" She trailed off not being able to continue, discernible tears poured down her cheeks as she struggled to compose herself. "I think we should break up."

Even as fast as she had said it, Troy had understood every word. His heart shattered and his face became pallid as his brain processed what she had just said. He knew he could be obstinate at times, and he has his other flaws just as every other guy does. But he was nowhere near stupor, and he did not imagine her ever saying those words to him.

"What? You want to break up? Did I do something wrong?" His voice cracked and became insipid. It was as though she had just sucked all of the joy and life right out of him. "I know I am not always the perfect boyfriend. But I open doors for you, and I'm there when you need a shoulder to cry on. I never you tell you look horrible after you have spent the whole night studying, even though you never do. You always look beautiful to me, Gabriella. I love you so much, and I don't think I have ever done anything wrong to upset you. So please, please tell me what I did wrong and we can work through it."

Her heart broke as Troy pleaded with her. "My feelings and thoughts have changed. I'm sorry, I think it is for the best I love you, but I just can't handle this anymore. Too much is going on right now, and I have been pushed to my breaking point. I'm so sorry." She half expected him to start yelling at her, or beg her not to do it, but all he did was silently nod as tears slowly rolled down his cheeks.

"If that's what you want." He pulled out a folded photo, worn and weathered, from his wallet and placed it in her hand, then gently closed it into her fist. "I take this with me everywhere, but I want you to keep it."

Unknown to the two heartbroken teenagers, another car came swerving down the road. Weaving in and out of the lanes it moved closer and closer to Troy's small beat up truck parked on the side of the road. Gabriella heard squealing tires coming from behind the truck; she quickly turned around to see what the commotion was.

"Troy! Look ou-" but before she could finish her sentence, the swerving car had slammed into the truck and everything went black for the two young adults.

Many hours later Gabriella sat in the hospital waiting room with her mother and Troy's parents. Her usually emaciated frame was now morbidly thin. It had been hours since she had moved or spoken to anyone. She was still in shock from the events that had happened later in the night. She could not believe that she was sitting in the waiting room, while Troy's life was on the line. How could she have escaped that truck with only a minor concussion and a few scrapes and bruises? What had he ever done to deserve this? If anyone should be hurt, it should be her. She was the one who thought that letting him go would be best for both of them. But now she knows that it was worst thing she could have possibly done.

A doctor walked out into the room a few moments later; his scrubs covered in blood. Gabriella's mind went into overdrive. She didn't want to hear the words that were about to come out of this man's mouth. She didn't want to hear them; they would only shatter the small piece of her heart that was left.

"I'm sorry, we couldn't save him." Gabriella had broken down the second words left the doctor's mouth. She slowly slid down the wall. She couldn't believe that her boyfriend, her one true love was gone. The boy that had always been there for her was never going to come back. She would never hear his voice or see him smile. He would never get to follow his dream of playing for the Lakers. And most importantly, she would never get to tell him that she loves him one last time.

Sobs continued to fill her body as she remembered the picture Troy had given her only hours earlier. She composed herself while carefully pulling it from her pocket and unfolding it with care.

Gabriella broke down once again as she read the one sentence on the bottom of the photograph. She never knew that one sentence could cause her so much pain. She cried to herself as the events from the day came crashing down on her in the hospital waiting room. The only thing on her mind was the one sentence written on the bottom of the picture Troy had given to her…

Without your love, I'd die.

Author's Note: I have not written in soo long, but I wrote this for an English assignment and loved it. So please review and tell me what you think :)