Hey everyone! Thanks for your reviews, a lot of you have been asking what I'm going to do with my other stories…It's literally been years! I am so so sorry I just became busy and simply didn't get around to getting back on track with them. There are a lot of them and I don't think I'm going to have the time to update them all, which ones do you guys like the most? If you help me choose I might update one of them!

Troy looked down to tighten his ankle strap, but when he looked up, the girl was gone. He scanned the beach and saw no one. He looked toward the water and saw a wave engulf the girl. He ripped his ankle strap off and sprinted into the water. By the time he got there, he had to duck underwater to find her. He resurfaced 3 times and no luck. He then felt something at his feet and as quick as a flash he swam down and saw her. He heaved her to the surface but with the amount of now drenched clothes she was wearing it was almost impossible. All her had to do was keep her head above the surface, and somehow, he successfully made them to the sand. He immediately started CPR, and quite quickly, she spluttered water out of her mouth and rolled to her side coughing her lungs out. "What the hell?!" she mumbled.

"Are you oka-" he stopped dead mid sentence when he saw that he recognised her. "Gabriella?" Her head snapped around the looked at him in fear.

"Troy Bolton?" she squinted her eyes and suddenly looked furious "you IDIOT!" she yelled.

"What do you mean?" he said softly, Troy was one of the quieter students, never really stood up to anyone…in fact, he was even picked on by Gabriella's boyfriend.

"Why did you do that?" she snapped again.

"What are you doing out here Gabriella?" he asked, more concerned about the fact that she wasn't simply coming here for an afternoon swim.

"N-nothing" she stuttered, leaning up on her elbows and wiping the sand from her cheeks.

"Did you just try to drown yourself?" Troy asked softly. She didn't respond, but Gabriella's silence answered his question. "What for?" he asked.

"Yeah what for right? What for?!" She snapped as they both stood up "Gabi Montez, the luckiest girl in the school with the nicest hair and the nicest skin, she's so smart, she has SO many friends and a REALLY hot boyfriend" she went on sarcastically, clearly pissed off at how the other students saw her. "Gabriella mustn't have any problems, she's simply PERFECT!" she yelled, flapping her arms up in the air, flicking drips of water in Troy's face. "Is that how you see me?"

"Well I don't really know you, but I always thought you were quiet" Troy said, actually shocking Gabriella.

"Quiet? But I'm the most popular girl in the whole school remember?" she replied, pressing the tips of her fingers to her chest "why would I be quiet?" naturally, Gabriella just started giving Troy shit, but then he sparked her interest "why do you think I'm quiet?" she asked a little more calmly.

"I see you at the lunch tables sometimes, just staring into space when all your friends are talking and laughing. Sometimes in class there are times you just don't answer any questions or even look away from your desk. I don't know, just stuff like that"

"Listen Troy Bolton, I'm going home now, you tell anyone about this and next time I'll take you in there with me" she said pointing out to the ocean.

"Next time? Gabriella I think you need help, or at least a ride" Troy suggested after taking a few steps after her, but stopped in his tracks when she turned around and snapped at him, once again flicking water from her soaking her in his face.

"Look, there is a reason I don't give away any of my issues at school. Because I don't want to be saved. No one can help with this, no one. Do you hear me?!" she yelled, slightly pushing his chest and quite shocked at how hard it was! She walked off and reached in her pockets to find her keys, but… "shit!" they must've came out in the surf.

"I'm going to give you a ride is that okay?" Troy asked.

"Fine, but if you ask any kind of question in your car I'm opening the door and getting out, understand?" she said, earning a nod from Troy.

That night, Troy lay on his bed and pulled out the East High Year Book. He skipped straight to the individual photos and looked for her. He lowered his head to get a closer look when he found her photo.

"My god" he whispered. She was so beautiful. Just like she said on the beach, perfect hair and perfect skin and a damn gorgeous smile. He looked underneath her name and read her list of extra curricular activites.

Cheerleader (captain)

Equestrian Club

Diving (Middle School Champion)

Soccer (Team Captain)

Photography Club

Astrology Club (Founder)

And the list went on. Troy continued to read what her "Life Goal Statement" was.

"To find peace" is what she had said. Everyone else must've thought that Gabriella just wanted to be happy in life, but after what Troy had seen earlier, he knew that she wanted to find peace in death, not life. Gabriella Montez wanted to die, and even though Troy didn't even know her, he just didn't want to let it happen.

The very next morning, Gabriella was simply dreading the day, not only because of what Troy had seen, but that she didn't plan on being alive to see this day through. She just didn't have the energy to put up the façade again, but she knew she had to. She didn't want anyone to know she was dreaming of death. She pulled on her best jeans and prettiest top so she looked a little brighter and less drab. She lazily dabbed some pink blush across her cheeks and ruffled her hair to make it look less flat, and in no time at all, she once again looked like the happiest girl in the world, even more so after a quick application of shiny lip gloss. She was ready to take on the day.

Or so everyone thought.

Meanwhile, Troy still lay in bed, wide awake thinking only of Gabriella. What was it that made her think she had no way out? What could've happened to her? He knows it's probably none of his business, but he couldn't help but be the slightest bit curious!

SCHOOL

"Heeeeeeey Gabiiiiii!" Gabriella loved Sharpay, but she tried hard not to cringe at her upbeat personality and sparkling joy.

"Heeey Shaaar" she said in the same voice, in a less enthusiastic kind of way, but Sharpay didn't notice, just the way she liked it. Gabriella smiled and nodded as Sharpay went on her usual spiel about her boyfriend Zeke, but Gabriella tuned out almost immediately and Sharpay's voice and face was just a blur when she saw him walk past. Troy Bolton. His body language said that he was a shy, quiet kid, but he had no reservations looking straight at Gabriella.

Snap, snap, snap! Gabriella flinched when she hear Sharpay clicking her fingers in front of her face. "Earth to Gabi" she said shaking her head. "You okay hun?"

"Um yeah, I'll be right back" and as quick as that, Gabriella whizzed out of Sharpay's sight and yanked Troy by his hand into the nearest classroom. "Listen Bolton, I'm fine, what you saw yesterday isn't going to happen again"

"Gabriella I saw the smile you gave your best friend this morning, I'm surprised she couldn't tell how much pain was behind it. That smile looked like a chore not something natural. I have to admit, after saving you at the beach last night, I can see it all"

"See what?" Gabriella asked, biting her lip.

"That you're terribly sad, but there are so many things you should be happy about"

"SPARE ME!" Gabriella said before Troy could finish. She left and slammed the doors and Troy realised that was probably the last thing she wanted to hear.

During Troy's next class, all he could think about was Gabriella. He didn't once stare at the front of the class but instead out the window wondering what had happened to her and why she was like this. He didn't know whether to feel uncomfortable knowing he was the only one who knew the truth or whether to feel glad.

Meanwhile, Gabriella was doing the same thing, looking out the window thinking about Troy. She was actually thinking about how good looking he was, but what she was really concerned about was the fact that he could try and save her, and she didn't want him to. She didn't want anyone to know! In a fit of panic, she slammed her fist down on her desk, scaring herself and the rest of the class.

"Gabriella?" the teacher said, clearly concerned at her very uncharacteristic behaviour. She looked up and saw the whole class staring at her in disbelief and worry. Gabriella frowned, almost in confusion and shook her head slightly.

"Sorry", and without a second thought, she rushed out of the classroom, bursting into tears when she was out of sight. She tried to hold in her sobs so not to draw attention to herself. The closest place she could run to without anyone staring was the library. She slowed down to a fast walk and took a deep, shaky breath before entering as though everything was normal. She weaved quickly in and out of tables and shelves until she reached the very back of the library. She crouched down behind the very last, rather larger, bookshelf so she wasn't noticed. Maybe her feet were poking out, but that didn't matter, no one came down that far anyway.

Except for him.

Troy made his way to that very bookshelf, trying to find a book on antique furniture, but instead he found a small pair of feet poking out in the corner. He stared at them, his hand still attached to a book on the shelf, and wondered what to do. He knew it must have been Gabriella, but he didn't know whether it would be a good idea to speak to her…so Troy followed his heart and slowly took a few steps toward her. He poked his head around trying not to frighten her, but she was already looking straight at him. She was pale and shaking and Troy immediately crouched down so he was looking into her eyes. He instinctively placed his hand on top of hers, making her jump. Gabriella didn't know if it was a good jump or a bad jump.

"Let me guess, you're going to be everywhere now? I'm going to constantly run into you and notice you. Do u know how a-angry that makes me?" she asked, struggling to get her words out.

"Does anyone else know about this Gabriella?" Troy asked concerned.

"No" she snapped, "no one is supposed to know. And if it weren't for you then I'd be dead"

"Do you mind me asking why you want to die?"

"I don't mind, but there is no point in telling you. It's a terrible story and no one can help with it. Not one person" she said, looking him dead in the eye as if to say 'not even you'.

"There's always someone that can help you"

"You don't know what I've been through, what I've seen. Believe me, no one can help me"

And that's all it took for Troy to begin his mission on fixing Gabriella Montez and turning her desire for death into hunger for life.