A/N: I know I haven't been updating and I'm so sorry. but I've been distracted by youtube. I figured out how to make music videos lol. I'll put the url on my author's page.
disclaimer: don't own HSM
Chapter 2 – I want a boyfriend
Troy walked into East High the next morning with Gabriella chatting happily to him. She was still in her dress, unable to find a way to change her outfit. Troy's hair was ridiculously messy as he had overslept. He had a plain blue t-shirt on and some baggy jeans. He pulled his locker open and shoved his backpack in, only grabbing his chemistry and drama books before slamming his locker shut. "Brie, shut it." He hissed angrily.
"What did you call me?" She asked quietly.
"Brie?" He questioned uncertainly.
"Why?"
He shrugged. "Come on. I'll show you someplace where no one will see me talking to thin air." He grumbled before walking down the hallway and opening a door and walking up the stairs and out onto a rooftop garden. He turned to face Gabriella. "Here you go. Now I can talk without people thinking I'm a psycho." He sat down on the wooden bench.
Gabriella giggled and she sat down next to him. "Troy, please talk to Sharpay. Just, tell her that if she keeps eating honey, everything will be alright."
"What?" Troy asked in confusion.
"It's something between the two of us. Just us. Taylor, Kels, Martha and Ryan don't know so if you say that, she'll know that it's me talking." She explained seriously. "Please, Troy. I beg you."
He took a deep breath. "Okay. I will. At lunch."
"What is Shakespeare saying, Mr Bolton?" Ms Darbus asked the basketball player who was fiddling with his pencil, deep in thought. "Mr Bolton!"
"Troy." Gabriella whispered in his ear from her sitting position on the desk behind him.
Troy jerked out of his thoughts and jumped. "What? What'd I miss?"
The glass stifled their laughs and Ms Darbus glared at him. "What is Shakespeare trying to say through his eighteenth sonnet?"
Gabriella sighed. "That his lover is beautiful to him no matter what happens."
Troy repeated it and was thankful when the bell rang. He quickly grabbed his books and dashed out of the room before anyone could stop him. He shoved his things into his locker and saw Gabriella standing next to him. "So, what do I do now its lunch?"
Gabriella folded her arms. "Look, I won't force you to do this. But, it would mean a lot to me if you did."
Troy nodded. "I will do it. Because you're my friend and I want to find out what happened too."
She smiled gratefully. "Thank you Troy."
He closed his locker slowly and leaned his back against it. He stared at her for a while, taking in her beauty. She looked exactly as she did the day before but Troy thought she was beautiful. "Brie?"
"Yeah?" She replied.
He frowned to himself and shook his head. "Never mind. It doesn't matter." He pushed himself from the lockers and headed towards the cafeteria. He walked over to his table. "Hey guys, I won't be eating lunch with you today."
"Why not?" Chad asked curiously, standing up to face his best friend.
"Why not?" He asked stupidly. How could he not think of an excuse?
"You have some homework to finish." Gabriella put in.
"I have some homework to finish. You know, with basketball I've fallen behind." He repeated.
Jason raised his eyebrows. "You've fallen behind? You maintain a B average even when it's basketball season."
"Guys, don't ask questions. I've just got to sort something out." He explained quickly before running off with Gabriella behind him. He took a deep breath and slowly approached the table where Sharpay, Ryan, Martha, Kelsi and Taylor sat, looking sad.
"You don't have to do this." Gabriella whispered.
"I want to. I may not have known you for long but I want to know what happened." He whispered back. He made his way over to the table and shifted uncomfortably. "Uh…hi guys."
They all looked up and Taylor rolled her eyes. "Go away, Bolton. We're not in the mood."
Troy sat down and Gabriella sat next to him. "Don't make this any harder or more awkward than it already is. I want to know what happened to Gabriella."
Sharpay stood up angrily. "No! How do you even know her? Aren't you too busy flinging balls around?"
"Too bad he doesn't have any." Ryan grumbled, just loud enough for everyone to hear.
Troy sighed and stood up too. "Just hear me out."
"Don't worry. Tay, Ry, Kels and Martha can know as well." Gabriella told him.
Troy nodded. "You're going to think I'm insane but I can see Gabriella's ghost. I swear. She's with us right now and Sharpay? She told me to tell you to keep eating the honey. Everything will be alright."
Sharpay's face paled. "Who told you?"
"Gabriella. She wants to know what happened." He replied.
She shook her head. "No. You're making fun of me. Of her. I will not do it."
"Shar, what is he talking about?" Taylor asked.
"Gabby and I have this thing. And when life gets tough, we say to keep eating the honey, and everything'll be fine. We say that because we both love music and music to the ear is like honey to the bee. Basically it's saying that life will work itself out if you keep listening to music." Sharpay explained. She continued in a quieter voice. "And no one else knows about it."
Troy took another deep breath and walked around to Sharpay and touched her arm. "Exactly. You have to tell me. And her."
Sharpay swallowed hard. "If she's here, where is she?"
Troy pointed to the empty seat next to Ryan. "Right there."
Ryan's eyes widened. "Next to me?"
Troy nodded. "You probably think I'm lying but if that's the case, I still want to know. I don't care what you say, she's my friend."
Ryan stood up slowly, his eyes trained on the seat beside him. "And you say you can see her ghost?"
"Tell them that I wish they could see me." Gabriella said timidly.
Troy nodded slightly.
"Why are you nodding?" Martha asked in confusion.
Troy chuckled slightly. "She told me to tell you that she wishes you could see her."
Sharpay walked around the table to the seat next to Ryan's and Troy watched as Gabriella turned to face her. "Gabby?"
Some tears rolled down Gabriella's cheeks as she looked at Shar. "I'm here." She whispered.
Troy rushed to Sharpay's side. "She said that she's here."
Shapay's lip trembled. "I'm sorry."
"How did I die?" Gabriella asked, getting to her feet.
"She wants to know how she died." Troy repeated.
Sharpay turned her head to Troy. "She's not dead. She's in a coma."
Troy approached the information desk in the hospital. Behind the desk was a blonde girl with a nametag that said 'Rose'. "Uh…Excuse me? I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of Gabriella Montez's room?"
"What relation?" She asked politely.
"Tell her you're my boyfriend. They won't tell you anything otherwise." Gabriella explained.
"I'm…her boyfriend." Troy mumbled.
Rose nodded in approval. "Room four-oh-three. Go down the corridor, third door on your left. She's on life support. I'm sorry but the doctors don't have much hope for her."
Troy nodded hesitantly and walked down the corridor until he reached the destined room and slowly walked inside. His eyes fell on an unconscious Gabriella. She had an oxygen mask on and wires attached to the side of her head and her chest. "Oh my gosh." He whispered.
Gabriella choked back a sob. "I'm not dead."
Troy breathed out softly. "I'm sorry." He paused slightly until a thought struck him. "I've got an idea. Hold on." He walked over to the unconscious Gabriella and sat down on the bed.
"What are doing?" Gabriella asked incredulously.
"Just hold on." Troy exclaimed. He turned back to the unconscious girl and swallowed nervously. He reached out slowly and tentatively took her hand, squeezing firmly.
Gabriella's breath hitched in her throat as she looked down at her hand, clenching it and unclenching it. "I feel you." She whispered.
Troy turned to her. "That's what I was hoping for."
Her brows furrowed as she lifted her head. "The nurse said the doctors don't have much hope for me. What does that mean?"
"That you have the chance to wake up or not." A voice said from the door.
They both lifted their heads to face the door. There stood a tall woman in a smart white suit with short black hair that complimented her outfit. "Who are you?" Gabriella asked.
The woman sighed as she walked into the room. "Gloria. I'm an angel. I got sent here to clue you in. You're not dead. But you will be if they take you off life support. They'll do that if you don't wake up within a month."
"So, how do I wake up?" Gabriella asked.
"You have to find the thing that you've always wanted but never had." Gloria replied.
Gabriella frowned and turned to Troy. "Any ideas?"
Troy shook his head. "Don't look at me."
They both turned back to Gloria but found that she'd gone. "Okay, what did she mean?"
Troy shifted slightly, his hand still grasping her own. "Well, what have you always wanted?"
Gabriella thought and sat on the chair next to the bed. "I always wanted a dad."
He furrowed his brow. "But, how are we going to find you a dad?"
"That's the thing. We can't. And I can't become a doctor in a month!" She exclaimed.
Troy sighed as he stared at their interlocked hands. "Brie, have you ever had a boyfriend?" He whispered, his eyes never leaving their hands.
Gabriella frowned. "Well, no. My Mum said I'm a hopeless romantic. Wanting a man that doesn't exist." She giggled slightly.
"Then maybe that's it? Maybe you need to find a boyfriend." Troy suggested.
