As you probably know, I made a collection of oneshots and songfics as one story and put this in it. Well since it got no reviews, I've decided to post it as it's own seperate story again! Hope you like it (if you haven't read it yet).
...Troy's POV...
How could this happen to me? Why was I so stupid? Why were you pulled away from me just like that? What did you ever do? I was the asshole of the situation. It should've been me. It was my fault.
You were the most beautiful thing that I ever laid eyes on. You had the softest skin that I ever touched. The eyes that sparkled whenever I said your name. Oh God, your eyes. They were so full of pain before...it happened. The party. The damn party. The night that changed my life forever. The night you left.
I couldn't stay here. I needed to move. I needed to see you. Or at least see the spot that represented your existence. I grabbed my car keys and dashed out to my car, trying to hold back the tears that shouldn't even exist yet. I didn't get to the hard part, so why was it so hard to open a door?
Driving. Driving through tears wasn't the safest thing in the world, but at least I was escaping the hardest memories to deal with. I blinked some of the tears away, but that just caused a large lump to form in my throat. Nothing could keep these stupid tears from falling. But I didn't let them escape yet. I saved them for you. For our time.
Here I am. I finally arrived. Do you feel me here? Can you tell that I came to see you? Can you hear my voice calling your name softly? Can you stand to see me as much as I can't? Especially after what happened between us? Do you remember?
…One Month Ago, Nobody's POV…
Gabriella screamed in pleasure as her friend Chad lifted her off her feet and threatened to dunk her head in the bowl of possibly spiked punch. The gang was at a party on a Friday night and were all having fun, except Troy. He seemed to be lost in thought about something. He seemed dazed and confused. Everyone tried to cheer him up constantly, but he just responded the same to everyone.
I'm fine.
When it seemed that he had enough, he pulled Gabriella aside and locked them in a closet. Ignoring her protests and questions, Troy took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He silenced Gabriella with a hand and started "Gabby, we need to talk."
Gabriella asked "About what? What's with you just pulling me from my fun?"
"I think we should break up."
Gabriella looked taken aback. Her eyes widened as she stuttered "W-what? Why? I thought everything was going perfectly! What happened?"
Troy answered calmly. "I don't...I just...I don't think we're from the same universe. I'm the basketball jock and you're the smart decathlon winner. Don't you see something wrong with that?"
Gabriella immediately answered. "No! And I thought you didn't either!"
Troy snapped "Well I do! I see the stares that people give us when we walk down the hallway together holding hands!"
Gabriella yelled "Just ignore them, Troy! That's what I do!"
Troy replied "I tried but I just think that we're better off apart. The school isn't happy, so why should we be?"
Gabriella cried "So you're going to break up with someone that you love because of some judgmental bastards?!"
"I never said I loved you!" Troy shouted. As soon as those six words left his mouth, he instantly wanted to take it back. He immediately realized his mistake.
Gabriella stood there staring at him. Her eyes started to water as she looked down at her feet, trying to catch the breath that she clearly lost. "Oh." she whispered.
"Gabby, I didn't mea-"
"It's okay, Troy." She murmured. She wouldn't let him see her tears. It wasn't an option. She was strong.
"But I-" Troy tried.
"Troy, it's okay." Gabriella reassured. They stood in an awkward and uncomfortable silence for about ten minutes before Gabriella whimpered "I want to go home."
Troy defended "But the party's not even over yet."
"I don't care, Troy! I want to go home!" Gabriella screamed, tears now streaming down her face.
Troy, close to crying himself, nodded and slowly walked out the door, having Gabriella follow him. Saying goodbye to their friends, the now broken couple walked out to Troy's car, getting in and shutting the door. To avoid another awkward silence, Gabriella took out her iPod and pressed play on a random song. Troy breathed deeply and stuffed the key into the keyhole.
As the two sped off towards the Montez house, Troy saw out of the corner of his eye Gabriella writing something down on a piece of paper. He longed to read what his now ex girlfriend was writing, but decided to focus on his driving.
About five minutes passed and Gabriella was writing and erasing like mad. Troy was about to ask what in the world she was doing, but Gabriella piped up "Troy, stop the car."
Troy, confused, quarried "What? But we're not even close to-"
"Troy, just stop the damn car!" Gabriella once again exploded.
Troy stepped on the brakes while Gabriella ripped her seatbelt off and stepped outside the vehicle. She finished up what she was writing and folded the letter up.
"Gabby, what are you doi-"
"Troy, our anniversary is in a month and one week. Go to my stone and look under the black rose on that day."
"What? What are you talking about?"
Gabriella walked to the front of the car and pointed to an oncoming car that was swerving on the road. Gabriella turned around one last time and said "I love you, Troy. Never forget that."
Troy's eyes widened as he screamed. "Gabriella!"
But it was too late. The shattered glass was now stained with blood.
Her blood.
...Troy's POV...
Coming here is weird. No matter how many times I've set foot on this ground, it always seems like a new experience. Like it's my first time.
I walked over to the familiar setting stained with stone. I took a deep breath and strolled over to one in particular. Yours. It didn't occur to me until after I looked at it that I was crying. I finally let the tears escape me and meet with the outside world. Never in my life have I felt so ashamed. So alone. All you wanted to be together, and slapped it in your face. It's my fault.
Just as I was walking past a stone memory, I winced as my finger brushed against a twig. I could feel the blood trickle down my finger. I didn't care. It was from the scar. The scar I got last month. The scar of you. You made sure that it was there when you... left. When you left me. I still can't believe you're gone. I don't believe you're gone. At least for good. I could see your face in the road and your hair in the leaves. I could hear your voice calling me in the wind. As the wind. You were haunting me with your past existence. I hate it.
…No One's POV…
Troy woke up with a throbbing head and numb limbs. He could feel eyes boring into his skin, but he couldn't get his open enough to see who was staring at him. Finally, he gained some strength and opened his eyes, only to see his family and friends looking down on him. Mrs. Bolton cried "Oh, thank God!"
Troy groaned. "What's going on? Where am I?"
Chad answered. "You're in the hospital. Some dude found you on the road with some car squished on top of yours. You're lucky to be alive, man."
Suddenly, it all came flooding to Troy. The party, the accident.
Gabriella.
"Where's Gabriella?" Troy asked. He needed to apologize to her and tell her that he was a jackass. He needed to say...
"She's gone." Sharpay whispered. Everyone's eyes dropped to the ground as though they were ashamed of something.
Troy scoffed "Oh, she got out already? Okay, I'll just get up and-"
"No, Troy, that's not what we mean," Chad corrected loudly, "she's gone. She didn't survive the accident."
Troy stared at him for a while before bursting out into laughter, earning strange looks from everyone in the room.
"Oh, Chad! Oh God, that's a good one! Seriously, where is she?"
Sharpay, furious at his reaction, screamed "YOU THINK THAT WE WOULD JOKE ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS?! WHAT THE HELL, BOLTON?! YOU'RE SO STUPID!!! YOU'RE GIRLFRIEND'S DEAD AND ALL YOU DO IS LAUGH AND JOKE?! I SWEAR, IF WE WEREN'T SO CLOSE TO SECURITY, I'D-" She was stopped by Zeke holding her back and whispering soft words in her ear. She just collapsed in a fit of tears in his chest.
Troy froze. His friends were telling the truth. He finally realized why he dreamt of blood and death for the past week. Week?
"How long have I been in here?" Troy croaked, still overwhelmed by the fact that Gabriella was gone. For good.
"A week," Chad answered, "You were in a coma since Friday night. They found a huge piece of metal lodged in the side of your head. Say hello to your new scar."
Troy's mouth dropped in shock. He had been out for a week? How much had he missed? He didn't care about that right now. He needed to ask more questions about her. About Gabriella.
"What happened to Gabriella?" Troy asked softly. He could tell that this would be a long conversation.
No one spoke up for a while until Sharpay whispered "She... she was killed on impact. They found her body mangled between the two cars. Her neck was shattered and she lost more than half of her blood. It was a really big car. The driver was killed, too. You were the only one who survived." She heard Taylor let out a sob behind her. Chad wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. It was hard for everyone to talk about.
Troy felt numb inside. His vision went blurry and his head started spinning. It all came like a crashing wave.
She was gone. His sweet, precious Gabriella was truly gone forever. He never even got the chance to say goodbye. He could still hear her crying in his ears. Those words. Those six, stupid words. I think we should break up. How could he be so selfish? What did the school matter to him? All that mattered to him was his first love, and he blew it. All because of some judgmental bastards.
"Get out." Troy whispered.
"What?" his father asked cautiously.
"I just...I need to be alone right now. Leave. Now." He couldn't look at any of them. He needed to drown in his own misery.
"But, Troy-" Chad defended.
"ARE YOU HARD OF HEARING?! I SAID GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!!!" Troy exploded.
With that, the entire group sighed and shuffled out of the room. Taylor lingered for a few seconds before whispering "You're not the only one who lost someone they love, Troy. Remember that."
Troy stared at the wall in front of him for a few moments before breaking down in a fit of uncontrollable sobs. With every tear that escaped his blue eyes, he felt more and more guilt rise onto his shoulders.
"I never said I loved you…"
How could he be so stupid? Of course he loved Gabriella. She was his world. His rock. His everything. And now everything was gone. All because of him. It was all his fault.
Letting out a scream to no one, Troy felt his heart's shattered pieces beat ten times faster and his body coat in sweat. She was gone. His precious Gabriella.
Gone forever.
...Troy's POV...
I looked down at my bloody finger. The scar was still shaped like a heart, just like it was in the hospital.
The letters were still there.
A while ago, I scratched the letters "GM" in the center of the heart, trying to remember the epic tragedy that ruined my life. I changed since then. I became someone who didn't look anyone in the eye anymore, afraid that I might get too attached and lose them forever one day. After all, why do you think I'm mourning your loss so much?
Walking over to the spot was murder. I knelt down on the damp ground and stared at the faded writing on the stone.
-Gabriella Anne Montez-
1990 – 2007
Beloved daughter, granddaughter, and girlfriend
Sweet ruptured light, it ends here tonight
As the words passed through my sight, I felt more and more tears gather into my eyes. I blinked them away and ran my hand through the dirt that concealed your heavenly body. You had to know. You had to understand how much I never meant to hurt you the way I did. I never would've imagined in my wildest dreams that this would be the outcome of our separation. I never knew how much you loved me. You gave your life for me. You saved me and sacrificed yourself. For that, I am forever grateful.
…No One's POV…
One month later, Troy found himself standing on the roof, staring out at the beautiful mountains that was Albuquerque. He walked with a limp now and he had a scar on the side of his head, but luckily his hair covered it. His most painful scar was the heart shaped one on his ring finger. Right where a wedding ring would rest. The skin was very sensitive around the scar and anytime he looked at it, Troy's heart fell deeper and deeper into the hole he was now living in. Other than that, he was fine. But inside, he was dead. He hasn't smiled in the past month, only when accepting the pity from others. Even Ms. Darbus gave Troy a look of sympathy. He didn't believe any of them were true. They were just trying to be polite, but if they really wanted to, they would leave him alone. Alone to think.
He felt a light tap on his shoulder. Not interested, Troy slowly turned around, only to look into Chad's soft brown eyes.
"What?" Troy asked flatly.
"Hey. Just came up to see how you were doing. Feeling any better?"
"Oh, yeah. I lost the one I love, I have a scar on my finger in her favorite shape, and I can't play basketball for the next year with this effing limp! Yeah, Chad, I'm peachy keen!" Troy exploded.
Chad looked at the ground in embarrassment. He hated when Troy got depressed, but he never saw him in so much pain. They've been best friends since preschool and even when his favorite grandmother died, Troy didn't cry himself to sleep each night or go on crash diets. He was getting skinnier and had large bags under his eyes. He was a wreck.
"Sorry. I just thought that we could go to Gabby's grave after school. You know it's your anniversary today. It was this day of last year that you two sang 'Breaking Free'."
"Like I don't know that."
Chad sighed. He wasn't getting anywhere with his best friend. This called for drastic measures.
"Alright. Well, Taylor and Shar are going to the graveyard after school today, so...you can probably meet them there. I don't know, but if Tay died, I'd visit her grave. I mean, if you really loved her-"
At that second, Chad found himself pressed up against the wall, staring into Troy's cold, furry-filled eyes.
"Don't you EVER again say that I don't truly love her. You have no idea what love is! You're probably just together with Taylor because you want to get in her pants! Don't ever say I don't love someone that's making me anorexic! Get out of my sight or I'll make scars on BOTH sides of your head!"
Chad was dumbstruck. He was diffidently angry at the fact that Troy was denying his love for Taylor, but technically, that was what he was doing. It was the only way he could think of though.
"Don't give up, Troy. You're stronger than this."
Troy just turned and closed his damp eyes. Taking his pain out on his best friend was his last intention, but he couldn't help it. He couldn't help anything anymore.
...Troy's POV...
This can't be any more painful. Standing here, staring at your merciless grave tore me to pieces. I could barely breathe. Never in my life have I been so helpless and drowned. It was surely something new to me, but wasn't what I expected when we first met. I believed that we would be together forever. We would lead a happy life filled with love and passion, not broken souls and depression. Maybe this was how God wanted it to be.
I reached down to your stone and took hold of a black rose. It smelled just like you. Soft and sweet. Like freshly picked strawberries. I always loved that about you.
As I held the rose to my nose, I felt something new come to play. I looked down at the black beauty and caught sight of something different. A folded piece of paper.
The piece of paper that you were writing on five weeks ago.
I slowly took it from the rose petal and unfolded it. Inside, I found not a long note, but a simple song. After reading over it, I felt tears rush to my eyes, ready to express my sadness. But I didn't let them. I simply looked up at the sky and smiled, whispering...
"Still holding my last breath. Just for you. I promise."
--
Hold on to me love
You know I can't stay long
All I wanted to say was I love you and I'm not afraid
Can you hear me?
Can you feel me in your arms?
Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself
Are all my thoughts of you
Sweet ruptured light, it ends here tonight
I'll miss the winter
A world of fragile things
Look for me in the white forest
Hiding in a hollow tree (come find me)
I know you hear me
I can taste it in your tears
Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself
Are all my thoughts of you
Sweet ruptured light, it ends here tonight
Closing your eyes to disappear
You pray your dreams will leave you here
But still you wake and know the truth
No one's there
Say goodnight
Don't be afraid
Calling me, calling me as you fade to black
Say goodnight
Don't be afraid
Calling me, calling me as you fade to black
Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself
Are all my thoughts of you
Sweet ruptured light, it ends here tonight
Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself
Are all my thoughts of you
Sweet ruptured light, it ends here tonight…
"I love you, Gabriella. Never forget that..."
REVIEW!!! Thnx :)
~Rachel :)