Already Over

by: LunarEclipse360

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to this movie.

(A/N: I'm releasing this now because I wanna see how people react to it. It's only the first chapter so don't expect the angst to be strong. I just wanna know if you guys like it or not and if there's anything I should change)

Chapter 1

It was an early Monday morning in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Everyone was asleep, getting a nights rest in preparation for the new week. Everyone except Troy Bolton, who laid awake staring at his ceiling.

He had school in a couple of hours but he could care less. Every time he closed his eyes, images of his mother flashed before him. Nightmares of the day he lost her, plagued his mind and haunted his sleep. He hadn't slept in days, minus the nights he spent unconscious after one of his father's drinking purges.

He didn't want to see her face again. He didn't want to remember that day he lost her. Memories of her equaled heartache for him.

It felt like only five minutes that his alarm clock went off but it was really four hours. He had stayed awake for four hours, not closing his eyes for one second. He reached over and hit the snooze button before rolling out of bed. He walked into his bathroom and turned on the shower. He carefully shed his night clothes, wincing whenever his hand brushed over a bruise. To any person it would look like he'd been in a lot of fights but those bruises were from a different reason.

He climbed into the shower, letting the warm water beat down on his bruised and battered body. Every drop felt like a brick landing on his flesh. He winced, trying to ignore the pain that was now going through him. He got out minutes later and went back in his room to change.

He walked out of his house ten minutes later, knowing his father had already left. Troy didn't mind when his father left him behind. He'd rather walk then be in the same car as him. As he started towards the direction of his school, a car horn stopped him and he turned around. A blue Hyundai pulled up next to him and he smiled when he recognize the figure sitting behind the wheel.

"Need a ride?" came the voice of Gabriella Montez, one of Troy's closest friend. He nodded and climbed into the passenger seat.

"Thanks Gabi"

"No problem" she said and sped off.

The car ride was silent, as was many periods of time Troy spent in Gabriella's presence. She'd gotten used to it but it still bothered her. He'd been like this since the day his mother died and he seemed to be getting worse. She glanced over at him, the silence unnerving her. She wanted to say something but was afraid of the one-word answers that dominated his vocabulary as of late.

"So how was your weekend?" she asked, trying to start up a conversation.

"Fine" there it was, the one-word answer.

"Did you do anything?"

"No"

"So you just stayed home?"

"Yea" she was getting fed up with this. She knew there was more to be said but he just refused to say it.

"Troy what's wrong?"

"Nothing"

"There must something wrong if you keep giving me one-word answers"

"Nope"

"See there it is again." Troy sighed and looked at Gabriella.

"Gabi nothing's wrong seriously"

"Well then you could have said that instead of 'nothing'" Troy shook his head and turned his eyes back to the passing scenery.

Gabriella pulled up to East High and parked her car in the student parking lot. From there, she and Troy walked into the school. Gabriella still had a foreboding feeling that something was wrong with Troy, he just didn't want to say what it was. Gabriella let it go when she spotted her best friend, Taylor McKessie approaching them.

'Where's Chad?' Troy asked himself and looked around

"Hey guys."

"Hey Tay" Gabriella said and smiled

"Hey" Troy said, still looking around for his bushy haired friend. "You seen Chad?" he asked Taylor and she shook her head.

"Sorry but no. I haven't seen bush head"

"Why do you call him that?" Gabriella asked, curiously

"Cause his hair looks like a bush" Gabriella giggled and Troy turned his attention to her. Every time she giggled, laughed or smiled, his heart would beat faster than it already was.

"Well have something to do before homeroom so I'll see you two later" Gabriella said and walked away.

"Bye Gabi" Taylor said as Troy's eyes followed her down the hallway. Noticing his look of longing, Taylor walked up to him. "Why don't you just ask her out already?" she asked and he turned to her, a look of pure confusion written across his face.

"What?"

"Don't play dumb with me Troy. Everyone knows you have a thing for Gabriella."

"So what if they do?"

"Ask her out already"

"Why should I? She probably doesn't even feel the same way about me so there's no point in it."

"God you two are oblivious. She likes you Troy. She likes you a lot."

"Then why won't she act on it?"

"Because she, like you, is oblivious to what's right in front of her face."

"Whatever"

"Fine don't listen to me but one day both of you are going to regret holding this back. Later Troy" Taylor walked away, leaving Troy to his thoughts.

Before the accident, he was going to ask Gabriella out but now he couldn't. There was just too much going on in his life. Too much, he thought, for her to handle. Troy sighed and walked to his locker.

-

-

Free period came in a flash and Troy found himself on the roof, staring into the open. Footsteps brought him back to the present but he didn't turn around. He already knew who it was.

"Hey" Gabriella said as she walked up next to him.

"Hey" he said and turned to look at her. "What's up?"

"Nothing. I just thought you would be practicing in the gym with your team" he looked at the ground and she cocked her head to one side. "Why aren't you down there?"

"I just don't feel like it today"

"But you love basketball"

"I did."

"What happened?"

"I don't know. Maybe it means I'm growing out of it" he kept his eyes ahead of him, refusing to look at her.

"You sure there's nothing wrong?"

"I'm sure"

"Troy look at me" he turned to her, his eyes connecting with hers "tell me there's nothing wrong"

"There's nothing wrong" he said and she searched his eyes for answers but Troy had grown accustomed to hiding his feelings. He wasn't as readable as he used to be. She sighed and gave up, for now she had to believe him.

"I'll believe you...for now. Just promise me one thing"

"Anything Gabi"

"Promise me that you won't let whatever's going on change you"

"I promise" she smiled and his heart skipped a beat. Their moment was ruined by the bell and the two ran back downstairs.