A/N: My first ever one-shot. The song in this is "Butterflies Don't Lie" by Kaci Brown.

Disclaimer: Own nothing. Sadly, not even Zac Efron. sigh

Butterflies Don't Lie

East high bustled in excitement as people ran up to one another on the last day of high school. Many were lined up at a table in the corner, receiving their yearbooks and running up to others right away, getting them to sign it with pointless messages.

I glanced up from my lunch as someone I didn't know came up to me and asked me to sign their yearbook. I quickly forced a smile and nodded. I quickly grabbed the pen and wrote a quick note along the lines of 'you awesome' and 'never change' with my messy signature following it. I smiled at them as I gave it back and they ran off to someone new.

You walk by and my heart beats

A thousand times at once it seems

And every time you look at me

I have to tell myself to breathe

With just a smile you capture me, and I start to melt

Emotions then take over me like I've never felt

After a minute I glanced up again and I completely froze. There stood Troy, smiling his million dollar, platinum, model worthy smile. My heart stop for a second before it pounded about the pace of a million drums. My breath caught in my throat and I stared wide eyed at him as he walked over to me. I felt my heart drown, but not once did the pounding stop. All I could hear was the sound of my heart, drowning out the rest of the world. I could only see him and his heart-warming smile. I began to feel dizzy and I just realized I had stopped breathing completely. Scolding myself, I breathed in deeply as he jogged up closer.

My stomach did a twist and I felt nauseous. The butterflies were fluttering again.

"Hey Gabi, will you sign my yearbook?" Troy asked, with his smile still in place and I couldn't help but nod.

"Only if you sign mine," I said thinking quickly.

Troy and I had grown apart awhile back. It all began when he began going out with Amber and I was completely crushed. That's the only way to describe it. I remember how much I had cried when I had found out. And soon, Troy and I had gone from best friend status, to almost just mere acquaintances. But we would always think of each other as best friends and always be there if need be. It was hard, for the most part, since of these darn butterflies wouldn't stop.

I was quickly snapped out of my thought as Troy handed me his yearbook. I reached out to give him mine but as I handed it over to him, our fingers just touched and I felt my heart sour. Flutter. Flutter.

I could tell me heart each time

It isn't love, you're just some guy

There's nothing there and what I feel

Is in my head, it isn't real

But I can't deny, can't even try

Cause I know inside, butterflies don't lie

I cursed myself as Troy walked away and I quickly fell back onto my chair and slumped down.

I don't like him. He's my friend. That's all.

This can't be love. It can't even be close. It's not right. He has a girlfriend.

I sighed as I opened his yearbook, and to my utter surprise, all the pages were blank. Troy, basketball king and ruler of the school hadn't got any signatures yet.

Maybe, I thought, maybe, just maybe, he wanted me to be his first signature.

But as I thought about it, all my hope dwindled away as I shook my head and grabbed a pen from my bag.

As I was about to begin writing, the bell rang through out and people began to head out of the cafeteria and to class.

I closed Troy's yearbook and got up quickly, rushing to my next class.

I sat in my room, staring at the blank page in front of me, trying to decipher what I was going to write. I wanted it to be perfect. This would be the last thing Troy would remember me as we were both going off to college.

I tapped my pen and tried to think of what to write. What to write…?

Is there a chance you could be mine

If I let you see inside

Or do you love somebody else

Should I keep this to myself

I could risk a broken heart by telling you the truth

Or I could keep my secret safe and when I see you

I sighed and lent my head back. My eye just caught glance of the picture on my bedside table and I closed my eyes, trying to get the image out.

It was of Troy and me, right at the end of the musical. The same night my world came crashing down. The night he met Amber.

The worst thing about her, was that you couldn't hate her. As much as you tried it was impossible.

I could tell what Troy saw in her. She was perfect. Piercing, green eyes. Blonde hair. She was nice and kind. She was smart. She was artsy. She was everything.

I took a shuddery breath.

It was impossible for him to feel the same thing for me. He was in love with her. I remember that first date they went out on.

He had told me, when I asked how the date had been, he had said 'it was alright'. And my heart had jumped for joy, thinking it hadn't gone at all good. But then Taylor came into the picture.

She informed me that in guy talk, when he said that, it meant it was amazing but he wasn't ready to talk about it.

I could tell me heart each time

It isn't love, you're just some guy

There's nothing there and what I feel Is in my head, it isn't real

But I can't deny, can't even try

Cause I know inside, butterflies don't lie

It's not love. It can't be love. I felt tears prick at my eyes and I quickly brushed away a stray tear, and began to write.

Once again there you are

Anxiousness, nervous heart

Butterflies fluttering

Can only mean one thing

I slowly walked to Troy's, reminding myself to breathe. Just breath,

I walked up the pathway toward the front door and knocked on it, praying for no one to be home.

My heart pounded loudly in my ear, and there they were again. The butterflies. Flutter. Flutter. Flutter.

The door soon opened as I was about to breath a sigh of relief that quickly caught in my throat.

"Hey Gabriella," Troy said, smiling.

"Hi," I greeted nervously.

"Well, come on in."

"Oh no," Gabriella quickly said, shaking her head. I quickly got the yearbook out and shakily passed it to him. "I just wanted to bring this back to you."

"Oh, well I'll go get yours quickly." And with that he quickly turned, leaving the door wide open and me standing there glancing around. He quickly came back and handed me my yearbook.

"Hey Troy?"

He nodded to me questionably, telling me silently to go on.

"Promise me you won't read what I wrote until tomorrow. Okay?" I asked him quietly.

Troy stared at me confused. "But why?"

"Just, please Troy," I pleaded with him and he nodded. I felt tears rush up and some began to fall down my cheeks.

"Gabriella?" Troy asked, concerned, but I just shook my head and he pulled me into a tight hug.

"Troy, I love you," I whispered into his chest.

"I love you too Gabi. You're my best friend." But that only cause me more tears to leak out.

He though I meant it as a friend. That's all he saw me as. That's all he'd ever see me as. I shook in his arms and I couldn't take the proximity any longer. I quickly pushed him away from me and as he stumbled to regain his balance, I turned around and shot off in the direction of my house. And all I could hear was the sound of his shouts calling after me, echo in the air.

Troy's Point Of View

I glanced after Gabriella as she ran away and every ounce of my body screamed at me to go after her but I couldn't seem to get my legs to work. I stood there, frozen to the ground.

I glanced down at my yearbook in my arms and questioned why she didn't want me to read it. But I knew I would listen to what she asked of me. So I waited. Waited anxiously for the following day to come.

I walked through my door the next day after a quick jog around the nationhood. I ran up the stairs to my room and was about to get some new clothes to take a shower when my eyes caught the sight of the yearbook.

I slowly walked over to it and sat down on my bed, grabbing the yearbook and pulling it up on top of my lap and flipping it open. There lay Gabriella's perfect script in front of me.

And with that thought, I began to read.

Dear Troy,

I hope you listened to me and aren't reading this until tomorrow. I just have to get something's off my chest, before I leave forever.

I want you to know, Troy, how much I like you. And you're probably thinking 'what is she talking about' or saying you like me too but the thing is you don't get it Troy.

When I say I like you. I mean it. With every ounce of my heart, my soul, I like you. Not just as a friend but as more.

And I wanted to tell you so bad for so long, but you were with Amber. And I couldn't destroy what you had with her. Because no matter how much it hurt me to know and to realize the truth, I still can't deny it.


Troy, she makes you happy. And I couldn't never be capable of taking such happiness away from you. If your happy Troy, then that's all that matters.

Troy, if you did listen to me, then you probably will never see me again. To make things easier on you Troy, I left. Just for awhile until I go off to college in two months. So no worries in letting me off easy. I'm already gone.

Troy, I want you to know how happy you made me. Every time you smiled, my heart should leap up. Every time you called me Gabi, and only you could, it made my breath catch in my throat.

And Troy, as much as I denied it, and as much as I wished it wasn't true, as much as I said your just some guy, but knew you were more than just that, I have to finally admit you gave me butterflies.

And you know what they say Troy.

Butterflies don't lie.

They just don't Troy. So I only have two things to say to you.

You were my best friend and you always will be. I'll miss you and I'll never forget you Troy.

And secondly, the most important thing. Something I wish I could tell you in person. But I know I can't.

So Troy, remember. Butterflies don't lie, and that proved the one thing I denied all along.

Troy, I love you. And I know I will miss you for all of eternity.

Forever yours,

Gabriella

I stared at the paged before me, scanning them over and over again. I didn't realize it but soon I began shaking my head in denial.

And then I saw a drop of water all onto the page.

I reached up to my face, soaked in tears. I took a staggering breath in.

No, I denied in my head. No this is all a dream. It can't be true. It just can't.

I quickly bolted out of the room and down the stairs, darting out the door.

I ran as fast as my legs could take me until soon I came upon a house all to familiar for me.

Gabriella's house.

I ran around to the back and stopped as I stared up at the closed balcony door. She was still in there, I reassured myself.

I ran up to it and hurriedly climbed up the side of it. No more than a minute later I was on top of it, my hands, shaking as I reached for the door. I slowly grabbed on to it and turned it, pushing it slightly before opening it all the way. And the sight before me sent me falling to my knees.

The room was utterly and completely empty. The bed was gone. The book always left in the room was gone. The little chair by the balcony was gone. All of it, gone.

And as I sat there, rocking back and forth on the ground, tears silently leaking out of my eyes, not caring if I was being weak, I whispered four words I wish I could have said to Gabriella.

"I love you, too."

I could tell me heart each time

It isn't love, you're just some guy

There's nothing there and what I feel

Is in my head, it isn't real

But I can't deny, can't even try

Cause I know inside, butterflies don't lie

And at that moment, Gabriella cried silently on the plane. Wishing with all her might, that butterflies did lie.

A/N: Tell me, what you think. My first ever and I might make a sequel. Not sure yet. Its all up to you! I don't really know. I don't mind either.