Angel
Troy Bolton was happy, for the first time in a long time. He had never truly understood why everything wasn't enough for him… he was the most popular boy in school (a fact, not conceit), the captain of the basketball team, and could probably have any girl he wanted in East High. He finally knew, though, when he met her. Gabriella Montez. The way her eyes were full of fear and wonder and hope the first time they met had kept him feeling alive. And when he realized that her timid smile was for him, only for him… it made his heart soar. When he finally gathered the nerve to kiss her on the last day of school, he knew he'd found love for the first time in his life. What he didn't know was the heartache that came with it. Troy didn't know what to say to Gabriella, so he was avoiding her calls, afraid that he'd say something to make her fall out of love with him. But when you don't put yourself out there, share your heart one hundred percent… things are set in motion that are irreversible. Troy learned that too late.
Gabriella sobbed uncontrollably, her palm pressed hard against the glass of her mirror as she stared at her puffy red eyes. Troy Bolton had finally kissed her, but he hadn't called her in a week. And she knew why. It was a pattern that had repeated her whole life, preventing her from ever having kissed a boy before Troy Bolton that week before. "Freaky math girl" was more than just a title that followed her around; it was what she was. And she knew, no matter how hard she tried, she would never forget that, never leave it behind. Hands shaking, she sniffed heavily and picked up her cell phone, dialing Troy's number.
Troy stared at his phone as it lit up. He wasn't ready yet. He reached over and hit "ignore", flinging himself on his bed and breathing heavily. He wasn't used to this timid feeling. He wasn't used to failure. And he wasn't used to the way his heart felt.
She whimpered when Troy didn't pick up. Throwing her phone at the ground, she covered her face with her hands, sobbing loudly. The house was empty- no one would have cared if they had heard her sobs anyway. "Troy hates me. Everyone hates me. My mom doesn't need me." She whispered into the silence, feeling a pain so deep that it actually made her writhe in pain on her bed. Make it stop… she pleaded with herself. And then the smartest girl at East High lost all logic, standing slowly as the tears cascaded silently down her fallen face. She knew it would be better when she had done what she intended to do. She was broken, and no one needed her.
Troy awoke the next morning to his alarm clock. He had resolved the night before to stop by Gabriella's house and see how she was doing. Smiling to himself as he thought of her face, he biked the short distance to her house. Throwing his bike on the lawn, Troy walked up to the front door, which was partially open. Taking a deep breath, Troy stepped inside.
Angels are one of the saddest creatures. With such beauty and grace comes the darkest of all emotions. Troy had often seen statues of baby angels, weeping for the sins of the world. Never had an angel been so heart breaking and terrifyingly beautiful as the one suspended in the air before him. Her long black hair partially covered her face and her eyes were closed gently as if she were sleeping. The rope pulled tight around her neck and tied to the stair rail above left her body dangling freely, almost relaxed. Troy shoved his fist in his mouth and bit down hard so he wouldn't scream.
"Gabriella…" he whispered, tears falling from his eyes as his heart broke in two. There was no bringing her back… there was no way to undo what had been done. Gabriella had ended all her pain and confusion that no one had even known she'd had. As she had fallen, alone, in the darkness, she was an angel falling, all the sorrows and sins resting on her shoulders.