Hey ! For the start: Thanks to everyone who decided to read the story and reviewed. I'm glad the readers like it. And I hope I did a good deal on the first chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own HSM

Rated: T (strong T, for extreme tragedy, depression, swearing words and maybe later sexual content.)

Genre: Drama/Romance

Couple: basically Troypay; and Chaylor ( if you want to count in the memories from Troy's past)

Summary: look – Trailer (hehe)

Memories - #... #the memories will not come all at once – he'll remember back from time to time (ex. They should marry on the ship and there isn't a memory of that in this chapter – that'll come later)

Ok, that's about it for explanation – So start reading!! Enjoy! And send reviews!!

Reminiscence Veil

The reddish color of the sun setting at the end of Horizon. The tunes mews gave from themselves somewhere in the distance; sound of short waves hitting the shore in a rhythmical repetition. The presence of a gentle summer breeze.

Nothing seemed to bring out an emotion in his blue eyes. His deep blue sapphires; now overspread with cold, when they where staring at the sunset. His feet plastered to the ground; he could feel the small-grain sand through the sole of his sneakers. The breeze tickled every hair on his exposed arms. His breathing was quiet and calm as though he had stopped to breathe completely. Nothing seemed to touch him; on the inside not at all. But his mind wandered. It wandered constantly and right at that moment on the shore of the beach it wandered to that day. 18th June. The junior basketball state championship. One of the best days of his life.

'Troy! ...Troy!' The words resounded somewhere in the back of his head when his mind drifted away.

#"Dude, Wait up!" Zeke yelled, for the third time calling after the figure of Troy walking down the hallway, trying to finally reach him. The voice of his friend reaching his ears, Troy slowed down and glanced over his shoulder; a smile as he almost tripped over a backpack on the floor, before reaching him.

"Troy-" He said, catching his breath and attempting to sound sarcastic at the same time. "-You - making - an effort to avoid me? …I mean, Shelly told me about that time in the janitor's closet with you-" A big grin spread across Troy's lips – typical for him to say something like that. Zeke was a hopeless fool – on and of the basketball court. And a fantastic baker – no wonder Shelly fished him on dry land, but for a fish on land-he never looked happier.

"Nah- …I'm just…a little stressed." Troy rubbed his temples and sighed heavily. Zeke threw an arm around his shoulders and smiled, as they continued their walk.

"You? The East High King?...Don't tell me you're nervous about the game?" Zeke mused; Troy took a big breath of air.

"Actually – Yes." He paused, thinking for a moment. "The East High King?" He asked bewildered. Zeke, his eyes on Troy's face, raised an eyebrow.

"Why exactly am I the King?" Zeke snorted, at Troy's comment.

"Hello! You're Troy fucking Bolton!"

"So……?" Troy was kind of confused. Lately he's heard the name; it seemed as though as if it were spreading like wildfire – The East High King? Why again?

"So, that fact makes every girl in school wanna be with you……and every guy be like you."

"Oh yeah?" Troy chuckled and scratched the back of his head; it was funny how Zeke said it. So obvious. God, what a reputation. Zeke smiled, fixing the backpack on his shoulder.

"Yeah." #

The sun had already set; the breeze had transformed into a chilly wind; the sea had ceased, picturing a perfect poise state. His eyes reflected a dark color, similar to his soul, his conscience, his being. He could see the first stars start to gather; a routine they have to repeat every night, whether they like it or not. That night was different. It was perfect. A gazillion, bright dots supplemented the pitch black background; plastered one by one, almost geometrically correct…

#…The shabby, stripped brown-beige blanket was not the most comfortable, but the only one he could come up with in such short time. His hands burned for a moment when he drew them across the fabric, whilst hoisting himself up into a sitting position to look at her. She was beautiful. She was perfect. She changed the garments she wore to the championship game though, before he took her out – he didn't tell her it was a picnic under the night sky that he planned and she dressed up so nicely. A baby-blue, sleeveless dress, he saw her wear only once before. He smiled; he was smiling even more on the inside. He couldn't keep his eyes of her, as she still gazed at the stars. He didn't have to wait long. As if she felt his eyes on her, she turned her head to meet his eyes. His sparkly blue eyes.

"What?" She asked him innocently; she didn't like it very much when someone stared at her. Although he often told her, that it was because he couldn't get enough of her, she still didn't feel comfortable with it. He crawled closer to her, without a word and leaned on his knees just before her. Her eyebrows furrowed; quite confused with what he was doing, but she stayed as she was, leaning against her palms. He couldn't wait any longer; he waited for the moment long enough. Rubbing his sweaty hands dry on his jeans, he reached into his pocket and finding the object, he enclosed it, his fingers recognizing its sharp corners. As he pulled it out, flat in his palm, he placed it in front of her eyes. She was smart; it didn't take her long to figure out what exactly it meant. Her eyes infatuated with the object in his hand, her mouth hanging wide open – just the reaction he hoped for.

"Gabriella Montez," He breathed out, opening the small box. "I want nothing more then to be yours forever……Will you marry me?" Her eyes glazed over. Tears threatening to spill from them, but didn't make it that far, for her lips spread into a smile and she looked at him.

"I'd love to." She whispered, when he put the diamond ring on her finger. Finally. He was smiling. He couldn't wait any longer. #

Troy glanced at his watch. 3.42 am. Damn, he'd been up till early morning again. His eyes hurt – his heart even more. He almost couldn't see where the sandy shore ended and the ocean began; he couldn't see much, but he was just thinking anyway. He sighed and moved his feet, making his way to the car. His shoes sunk in the soft sand, when he thought about the ride home. It would take him about 40 minutes and he hoped he wouldn't fall asleep behind the steering wheel.

The day after, about noon, he parked his car in front of St. Claire Montgomery Hospital and turned off the engine. He didn't like hospitals; it was something he disliked from childhood on. He disliked the smell of chlorine in every room; he disliked the constant white color; he disliked the quiet…. He counted everything he disliked about hospitals as he walked to the doors, which opened automatically for him to step in. Another thing he disliked about hospitals. He started down the entrance hall, when his mind took over again. He hated this. And he hated the memory.

#There were not many people on the second story below deck anymore. Just some faint figure here or there ran eventually pass him, desperately grasping onto the way leading her to liberation. Troy only glanced every now or then, with the hope the corridor he came down was still there.

He had to find her, he had to bring her on deck. He had to make sure she would leave the ship. He had to.

Dammit, the lights kept going on and off, flickering every half a minute. The last thing they would need would be the power going out completely. He could hear voices through the ceiling above his head; some distant cries; hundreds of feet rushing, hundreds of shoes beating against the either wooden or metal material. Cold sweat stuck to his forehead, sending stings of pain through his skull, when he continued sprinting down several halls.

His shoulder got a forceful shove, his eyes a glimpse of a familiar face, as somebody ran into him.

"Troy." He heard the well-known voice behind, one hand on his upper arm, when he turned to look at his frightened and relieved friend.

"God." Chad breathed, and patted Troy's chest lightly "Thank God, my friend……Come on." He said and pulled Troy after, but before he could move him from his spot Troy pulled his hand away. Chad looked at him somewhat confused, but clearly not in the mood for this kind of stuff.

"Dude?...What are you doing?" He asked bewildered, trying to grab his sleeve again, Troy obviously not willing to.

"That's the way outside. Just follow the corridor to the stairs on the right." Chad's eyes focused on the hallway for about a mere second, turning back towards his best bud. His facial expression was impatiently getting angrier by every word leaving Troy's mouth.

"You seriously have the nerve to put it up with me, if you think I'm gonna let you back here."

"Look, I have-"

"Don't play the hero, Troy! ... There are enough opportunities for that, but this is not it!"

"I lost Gabriella. She said she had to get her parents, but I can't find her anywhere." Troy stumbled with words.

"And the first place she'll go will be upstairs." He tried to reason him. It was the only thing to do, but Troy wouldn't give up.

"Chad-"

"She's a smart girl, man." Chad cut him off. "Don't be suicidal."

The floor under Troy's feet started to tremble – not that it was odd, until something shook the ship, making it rock to left and immediately sending Troy and Chad to the carpeted ground. His eyes closed at the impact of his body with the hard wood. His ears sensed something obtuse; unable to define from which direction or anything. His hands brushed across the carpet beneath him; one hand grazing along something wet. Wet and liquid. His eyes shot instantly open; his breathing suddenly hard.

"Chad." He barely got from his mouth, his throat terribly dry. "Chad, we got to get out of here." This time it was louder. "I think the water's reached this floor."

Troy brought his hand up to his face. He regretted it the moment his eyes landed on his limb. His heart started to beat unsteadily; his body heat began to rise. Water hadn't reached the floor. The liquid substance on his hand wasn't water. It was red and warm. Dammit, it was blood.

Troy jumped and sat up, his hands running across his body rapidly, searching for any damage, any injury ……Anything. He couldn't find any part of himself drenched in blood. His breath cooled of, his hands slowing down the scanning of his features. Panic was still to be felt in every hidden part of the ship – there is was again, the flicker, between light and darkness. He didn't feel stable, partly because of the swings the ship suffered. With the whizzing in his head, his thoughts, but quickly came to a conclusion. If that isn't his blood……Who's then? He didn't want to find out whose it was, because, he had more then a hunch. Damn, he was scared. Scared to look. Scared to move. And when a hand grabbed him by the arm, he was about to be confronted by what he already feared. 'Troy' A murmur, damp from the pressure in his ears. This isn't happening - #

'Troy." His eyes opened on command, to the stimulation of a voice really near; his hands gripped the plastic handles of the poor chair. The high temperature in his body was gone, replaced by the same cold drops of sweat on his forehead. He had to blink, to adjust to the picture. His vision becoming clear, he looked into the brown orbs of his friend. They were nothing like he knew them – kind and confident, sometimes a little chaotic, but recently……His eyes mirrored a tiredness and weakness Troy had never seen in them. It didn't take him, but it changed him. It changed his friend.

"Hey." Her sobered quickly, his rough voice tickling the insides of his throat, and straightened himself in the chair he was sitting in. "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty much fucked up." Chad tried to crack a smile. His skin was kind of…..pale – his dark color somewhat washed out. He looked skinnier than before and his every movement seemed to cost him all strength he had left. "They still won't let me do anything on my own." He hesitated; it may have been to think, it may have been to just catch his breath.

"But who am I to complain," He smiled. "I have a 24 year old hottie to escort me to the bathroom every. single. time."

Troy smiled just a second long, before leaning his arms on his knees, entwining his fingers together. He was really tired; he hadn't slept the previous night. He hadn't slept many nights for the last 3 weeks. He couldn't believe Chad had such a positive will towards life and everything that's happened. It was a dreadful feeling for Troy to see his best friend tied to a hospital bed like that.

"You can't fool me, man." Chad's tone of voice suddenly became serious and Troy lifted his head up to me his friend's worried one. "How are you?"

Troy sighed hardly, massaged his temples for a moment, clutching his hands together and looking at him.

"Awful." He whispered. "I haven't slept well and I'm quite exhausted-" Troy wanted to say more, but stopped when he saw the look on Chad's face. His eyes were tightly shut and his teeth pressed together forcefully. He was in pain. Troy was about to ask him what was wrong, when he noticed he was grasping his right leg through the covers. Or at least what was left from it…

# "Shit" Hissed Troy, seeing his best friend half stuck under a marble prop, which had obviously fallen over after them when there was that heavy inclination, in the process crushing Chad's lower leg. He coughed up horridly and tore his eyes away. So much blood. Troy looked at his leg again. God, It was horribly damaged. Troy never liked the sight of blood and then his friend's leg had gotten basically split in half, except for a tiny piece of bone, that hadn't got crushed. Chad winced and hissed painfully, catching his breath, as if he were running. Troy would never forget the expression on his face; and it was devastating. He didn't know what to do: the voices from the distance remained, the ships stability hanging by a small thread…

"O god." He almost cried. He had no idea what to do and he was panicking. He reached under the prop and touched the cold stone. Quickly breathing 3 times in and out he tried to lift it with all his might. Nothing. He repeated the same thing again. Nothing. The prop didn't budge for a millimeter.

"Troy." Chad voiced himself for the first time. Troy breathed and tried again. Damn, the thing wouldn't move. He glanced at Chad, who still kept his eyes shut, a piercing scream escaping him.

"Don't worry……I'll get you out from under there." He glanced in several directions, down and up the corridor. "Help!" He shouted, on the edge of tears. "Help!" But nobody appeared. Nobody. He slumped down, pressing his eyelids together, feeling the first warm tears spill down his cheeks. This wasn't supposed to happen. Any of this wasn't supposed to happen. Troy thought he was experiencing some kind of horrible nightmare, when Chad's words brought him back to reality.

"No, no you won't." He mumbled, his teeth still pressed together. He was visibly in a lot of pain.

"No." Troy's heart shivered with every beat. "I will." Dammit, this was scary. He couldn't loose his best friend. Not like that. Not now. Chad looked at him for the first time, though barely.

"You'll have to cut me free." He breathed deeply. "You'll have to find something and cut it off." Troy just stared at him for a little while, the information sinking deep into his mind, to be forever imprinted in his memory. He was about to protest. Why was this happening to him? He couldn't do it. He wouldn't be able to. He was about to open his mouth, when Chad beat him to it. He knew he would stall and they didn't have time for that.

"You won't be able to move the darn thing……I'm either gonna end up stuck here, …… waiting for the water to reach me……or bleed to death." Damn; those tears stung in his eyes.

"I can't" He sobbed into his hand, he held to his mouth.

"You have to." Chad winced again. The pain was unbearable. Troy had to act now. "Troy, you have to." #

Troy was staring at the covered up limb intently; Chad saw that after a while and watched as he suddenly tore his eyes from it, and rubbed his forehead with his palm.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. Chad relaxed against the pillow, keeping his eyes on him.

"What are you sorry for?" Troy looked up at the question. "For saving my life?" He asked him, although he knew it wasn't about that.

"No,….You know I would never…" Troy stopped himself, he couldn't say it. Hearing it out loud would make it even harder. But Chad wasn't his best buddy for nothing; he knew his friend and he knew what he was thinking.

"It was not your fault, Troy." Chad's words were more than sincere; however Troy still couldn't look at him. The guilt was eating him inside out and what Chad said hadn't stopped it.

A light knock on the door brought both boys to pay it attention. The door opened, with a young, middle-tall, redhead popping her head into the room. She had a small nose and freckles decorating her cheeks. Before she stepped in, she greeted the two with a smile.

"Good day, Danielle." Troy heard Chad speak up. Danielle - the hottie, who escorted him to the bathroom every day, a few years older though. Troy gave only a small smile, when the nurse in training stepped closer.

"I thought you'd like something from the cafeteria." She said, reaching into her pocket. Chad grinned – food. At least that didn't change.

"Would that be…..Chocolate pudding?"

"Of course." She pulled one out and handed it to him. "I know you wouldn't go for vanilla."

Chad looked at the cup in his hand and raised and eyebrow at her. "One?" She rolled her eyes, pulling another one from the same pocket, placing it on the night-table.

"You should know me better." She said; when he plastered on a smug smile.

"I could get to know you better if you'd go out with me."

"We went through this before." She sighed, but smiled a little. "A: I'm not allowed to date my patients. B: I'm six years older. And C: I'm engaged." She finished, raising her hand, with a ring and turned to head out again.

"But-" Chad started, before she cut him off, when she opened the door.

"Goodbye, Mr. Danforth." And the door closed behind her. Troy turned to Chad, suppressing a laugh, when he saw his unsatisfied face.

"Did you hear that?" He murmured; sounding offended. "Mr. Danforth. Jeez." He fake shivered, opened the wrapping and dug in the cup a tablespoon, lying on the nightstand. He stared at Troy for a while, when after he took the other one from the table and threw the pudding, with another spoon to him. Troy, caught the items and offered him a thankful smile, whilst Chad, that had already a mouthful of pudding, managed to smile back.

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