A/N: This is my first attempt at HS Musical fanfiction and my first attempt at fanfiction in general for a very long time so please be kind. I do not own the characters from HS Musical and this story is for entertainment purposes only.

The first chapter will skip around a lot because I'm setting up the main plot. I have no idea how many chapters this will ultimately be so please be patient with me.

Life After High School

Chapter 1

"Emily Catherine Bolton," the beautiful young girl with dark curly hair and deep blue eyes strode across the stage in her red and gold cap and gown. Troy Bolton, the girl's father, who was sitting in the audience, glanced up at his wife Gabriella. She smiled bravely at him but a small tear trickled down her cheek. Troy brushed the tear away with his thumb and kissed her softly on the lips.

"Gross." Their 15-year-old son Cameron who was sitting next to them commented. Troy and Gabi laughed and held hands through the rest of the ceremony despite the protests of their adolescent son. Today was a milestone for their first-born and for them as parents. They had so many emotions pride, happiness, and sadness to know that their little girl was all grown up and was going off to college in the fall.

Later that evening Emily went to a graduation party and Cameron went out to shoot some hoops at the park with friends. Troy and Gabi found themselves all alone in the apartment. Gabi stood in the hallway looking at all the framed pictures of Emily and Cameron all along the wall. So many memories- the years had really flown by. She sighed deeply as she felt her husband's strong arms circle her.

"You are such a great Mom." Troy said resting his chin on the top of her head. "I always knew you would be. I mean look at her," he pointed at Emily's senior picture, "Look at what a fabulous daughter we have- and so much of her is you." He turned her around to face him and kissed her. "I can't believe she's going to college in a few months. The house is going to be so different without her here. I wish she would have went to a local college for the first year and lived at home- so we could have had a little longer with her."

"What and deny our daughter all the fun experiences in college that we had?"

"That's exactly my point. I don't want her doing in college what we did. I don't want her having THAT much fun." Troy gave her a sexy grin.

"You're impossible." Gabi gave him another kiss. "I love that you are so protective of our daughter."

"And I am madly in love with you," Troy said as he leaned into give her a very passionate kiss. When they broke away Troy raised his eyebrow up and said, "Let's go have some college fun what do you say?"

"I say that sounds like a really good idea." His wife said as they walked hand in hand into their bedroom.

Three months later………

Troy, Gabi, and Emily are all standing her dorm room at New Mexico University. Troy had just finished bringing in the last of Emily's boxes from the trunk. Gabi was sitting on the edge of Emily's bed trying to hold back the tears that she knew were just going to come at any moment. She had been so emotional the last few months she just didn't know that there could be so many tears to cry in just 3 months time.

Troy and Gabi stayed for a while and helped Emily unpack some of her things. They stayed long enough to meet Emily's roommate Claire who seemed like a very nice girl who would get along well with Em.

At last Troy said the words she had been dreading all night, "We better get on home." Gabi nodded her head she knew they had a 3-hour drive to get back home. She went to Emily and gave her a huge hug.

"Aw Mom. I love you and try not to be sad." Emily said sweetly. Then Troy came over and gave her a big hug too. "Bye Daddy I love you."

"I love you too Emily. Study hard and make us proud."

"I will."

"And don't mess around with boys."

"DAD-" Emily just rolled her eyes. "If I do you think I would tell you?"

That sent them all three into peals of laughter as Troy and Gabi walked out of the dorm to their car.

They were quiet for most of the trip each lost in their own thoughts. Gabi had her hand resting comfortably on Troy's knee as he drove.

As they reached the Albuquerque exit Troy asked "Do we need to stop and pick up Cameron?"

"No, Chad said he could stay the night with Kevin."

"Okay sounds good." They pulled into the garage and the silence of the house greeted them as they opened the door. Neither of them were prepared for how empty the house felt. Emily's laugh was in every room, every hallway. Troy dumped the keys on the table by the door and flopped down on the couch. Gabi sat down next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. They were both so sad but neither of them wanted to talk about it. They stared at whatever basketball game Troy had on not really paying attention to the score.

When they decided to go to bed as Gabi lay down next to him Troy grabbed her hand gently and asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I just really miss her. The house just feels so different- like it changed- like it got older right along with Emily and with us." Troy nodded. "Also I can't believe how calm you stayed today. You were the one freaking out all summer about sending her off to college and today you were as calm and cool as I have ever seen you."

Troy squeezed her hand; "I knew I needed to be strong for you. Besides, we've raised a great daughter and she's going to be so busy with all her pre-law classes she won't have time to meet too many boys."

"Where there's a beautiful girl there are bound to be handsome boys." Gabi smiled.

Troy gulped "Okay NOW I'm worried." Gabi laughed as she leaned over and kissed him.

"Good night love." She turned out the light and they both went to sleep hoping the very best for their daughter.

Two months later….

Gabriella lay on the couch covered with a blanket. Her stomach had been really upset for the last few days she had probably caught that horrible flu bug that had been going around.

Cameron came in the house with his best friend Kevin Danforth dribbling a basketball. "Hey Mom" he hollered, "Do we have any snacks?"

"Check the fridge there was some yogurt in there earlier today."

"Yogurt?" Kevin looked at his friend. "Seriously your Mom buys you yogurt for snacks? Where's the chips and dip? Sodas? You know Man food."

Cameron bounced the ball up against the wall. "We can go raid your fridge if we don't find anything in mine."

The two teenagers stood in the kitchen for a few minutes rummaging through the fridge. The noise of the basketball and their laughing was uncharacteristically getting on Gabriella's nerves. She had a pounding headache and her stomach felt like it needed to be emptied again despite the fact that there was nothing actually in it. Finally she could take it no longer "Cameron Troy Bolton!" She sat up a little too quickly and glared at him, "Can you please stop with all the noise? You are getting on what's left of my very last nerve."

Cameron immediately set the ball down on the counter and Kevin just stood there in shock. The boys had never heard Gabi even raise her voice. "Dude what's up with your Mom? Let's go to my house." The two boys left quickly and Gabi ran to the bathroom.

When Troy came home from work he found his wife still on the couch. "Gabi, are you still not feeling well?"

"Yeah I wouldn't get too close- you don't want to get sick with the big game coming up next week." She smiled weakly at him. "I snapped at Cameron today- I actually raised my voice at him and Kevin. I feel really bad."

Troy just looked at her, "I'm sure he's okay honey, people say things they don't mean when they don't feel good. Besides think about all those times you snap at me during that time of the month and I always forgive you don't I?" He smiled at her.

A sense of horror spread over Gabriella as the realization hit her. She was late. LATE. She hadn't been late in 16 years- when she found out she was pregnant with Cameron. Surely that wasn't possible at her age, was it?

To be continued…………..