Disclaimer: I do not own High School Musical, how many times do I have to say that?
Troy Bolton has read a lot about love in his short lifetime on Earth.
He was first exposed to it through fairy tales about princes and damsels in distress, about witches and talking animals. But the ending was always the same, the prince and the maiden lived happily ever after and the wicked witch got what she deserved. Love was a wonderful thing into those books, it cures everything and it makes everything fine.
When he became teenagers, he read Romeo and Juliet, Tristan and Isolde, Orpheus and Eurydice and realise that love isn't as easy as it seems. It brings about death and heartache. It destroys families and rips apart lives. It causes pain and suffering. They still love each other, but there is no happily ever after for then.
When history enters his lives, he finds that love has been destroying lives for thousands of years. Antony and Cleopatra, Helen of Troy and realise that love not only destroys lives of people around them. It can cause wars, millions die and whole countries can be ruined. Love seems like a weapon now, destroying everything in its path.
Troy Bolton is now dressed in black, standing on the podium, gazing down at the faces before him. All of then were dressed in black, some were crying, some had a vacant expression on their face, as if they could believe that this was really happening.
He gazes at his friends. Chad was holding Taylor, tears streaming silently down both of their faces. Gabriella was holding onto Ryan, or Ryan was holding onto Gabriella, it was hard to tell, their shirts were wet and their eyes were puffy. Zeke and Martha were consoling both of them, although they themselves had trouble holding back their tears. Kelsi and Jason were staring at the coffin, unable to believe that this was really happening. Everyone of them loved she in their own way, but there would be no happily ever after for them...
He finished his eulogy. It was crap, no words to describe how he felt about her, how much he loved...no, loves her. He walks up to her coffin, he can't believe that it was all ending here. She would never become the star she wanted to be, he would never be able to hear her laugh, see her smile again. They would never get married and live happily ever after...
Troy Bolton gave a bitter smile and tears rolled down his cheeks. He should have known better, he has read a lot about love, so it should come as no surprise to him that they would never have a happily ever after.