Again I DO NOT own HSM just the plot. The locations is a real place in Indiana and the schools are real schools. This will be another split POV between Gabriella and Troy. Enjoy

{Troy's POV}

After the game was over with we were on the bus when Morgan came up to me and said, "See it wasn't too bad and next week when we are home I bet we will be even better."

"Yea you were right as always Morgan." I said then turning to Justin and Chris saying "you guys are staying over tonight still right?"

"Yea we are is that ok with your parents." Chris answered for both of them and I just nod. As we were going to put the stuff up in the control room I feel my phone vibrate and when we get to the car I look to see that Gabriella sent me a couple of texts throughout the game and just now. Shit not a good sign that I didn't reply to the messages I better call her. I decided to ignore the texts and call her she answers on the fourth ring.

"Well look who finally decides to contact me back" she says upset

"I know I'm sorry and I'll explain later why my phone was off but for now and we just put a pin in it?" I asked hoping she'll agree

"Yea ok. So how was the game both from a basketball point and your broadcasting point?" She asked

"It was ok on announcing got some things to clean up on but overall good. Basketball wise we beat them 60-48." I said contemplating adding anything else

"Well its good they won. When will I be able to see the game on TV"

"Midnight or soon after. Look Chris, Justin, Morgan and I are going to hang out tomorrow how about you come by Shapiro's around 12:30 and I'll explain the phone and any other questions you may have for this friendship to continue." I say finally deciding that this can't wait, and that if we are going to start dating then she has to know sooner or later.

"I don't know I didn't really give a good first impression to Justin and Chris what if they don't like me."

"I explained to them what happened and they are fine so please come?" I pleaded knowing if I had time to sleep on it I would probably chicken out on bringing it up later.

"If you are sure they will be ok then yea I'll come."

"Ok great I'll see you tomorrow around 12:30." I hung up not really believing what I just set myself up for. I turn to Chris and Justin and say," so I invited Gabriella to hang out with us tomorrow and I'm going to tell her about sophomore year.

"Dude are you sure you're ready to tell her what happened to your dad and to you personally. I mean it took you three months before you told me and Justin only knew because you and him were basketball managers together." Chris said and honestly I wasn't sure but I knew it was something that was going to come up eventually.

"Well you know that we are going to be there for you and I can help answer her questions if it get to much for you man." Justin said.

"No Chris I'm not sure but now is a good as any and thanks Justin. I just need support cause you know it'll be hard to get through."

"No problem Troy and I'm sure Morgan will help too. We are all behind you and are going to be there no matter what." Chris said as we pull into my drive. All I know is tomorrow a few of my deep secretes will be on the table

{Shapiro's 12:25}

"Ok she'll be her in five minutes how are you holding up Troy?" Morgan asked. I just look at her with a 'how the fuck do you think' she sighs and says, "look I know it's not ideal but you are right here she will find out sooner or later so might as well get it over with now when you aren't going out than have this come up and you look like you are hiding something. From what Chris told me her trust level is really low for new relationships so this is a good first step."

I sigh and close my eyes to regain composure and just say "yea I know it's something that I have to do just doesn't mean I'm looking forward to it. It's still really hard even now a year and a half later." She gives me a sad smile and gives me a hug.

Just then Gabriella walks in looking nervous. I stand up and meet her at the door and say, "hey did you have any problems finding the place?"

"No I came here a few times with my family. Troy are you sure that your friends are going to forgive me for what I said yesterday because if I was them I wouldn't forgive me that easily." She said getting more nervous, and I just look at her sigh.

"How about we meet Morgan first then I'll re-introduce you to Chris and Justin." I said signaling for Morgan to come over and meet us. "Gabriella I would like to formally introduce you to Morgan Perry, Morgan this is Gabriella Montez. Gabriella here is nervous that your boyfriend and my color guy will hate her for what she did yesterday." I explain why I didn't want the others there yet and she laughs.

"Gabriella first nice to meet you second it's about time someone talked to Chris and Justin that way. I think I was the last one to do that and look I'm dating Chris and Justin and Troy are like my big brothers you will be fine." Morgan says and I could see that Gabriella is breathing easier so I have Justin and Chris come over and they were all smiles shit these idiots are going to do something stupid I bet. I look at Gabriella who tenses up and I just give her a small smile before I say "Chris, Justin I would like to formally introduce you to Gabriella Montez so how about we get in line and eat." I said praying that they wouldn't say anything stupid and Morgan was giving Chris a look that told him to not even think about whatever he was thinking.

"Gabriella we might have gotten off on the wrong foot but I just want to say hello and don't worry about us today we both have things to be sorry for. Let's just enjoy each other's company." Chris said and I look at him with a shocked expression while he just grins sheepishly. After we get our food the question that I have been dreading since she stepped foot in the door reared its ugly head and it was asked not by Gabriella but by Chris.

"So Troy not that we don't like meeting new people and new friends but why don't you tell us what you asked us here." He asks with a million dollar smile. My facial expressions go from shocked to giving him a death glare then turning to Morgan silently telling her that she might need a new boyfriend soon.

"Yea Troy I'm glad to be here and all but couldn't this have waited till Monday to meet your friends." Gabriella said and I just put my head down and took a deep breath.

"Gabriella the reason I asked you here today is not to meet my friends they are here for moral support for me and help answer any questions you may have. I have something to tell you and it is better if you don't interrupt because it is still hard for me to handle, but I'm going to tell you why I had my phone off and why I am good at relationship advice." I say and she looks at me with bug eyes before nodding signaling to continue. "Ok so the relationship thing started fall of sophomore year…"

{Flashback Carmel High School Troy's POV}

I was walking down the hallways getting ready for the game against Terre Haute North looking for my stunning girlfriend of a month I find her talking to my friend Juston.

"Hey beautiful how are you this morning?" I ask placing a kiss on her cheek.

"I'm ok just ready for the week to be over after tomorrow." She says as we walk to her math class while I have a math class right beside hers.

"So am I going to be able to talk to you more than texts this weekend?" I ask hopefully her parents didn't like her dating so we have kept it mostly to in school not wanting to upset her. It wasn't my first choice but at least I get to spend time with her.

"Sorry honey I have a camping trip with my dad this weekend." She says a little sad.

"Ok I'll see you after class." I said walking in to my math class getting ready for the school day to be over with already so I can get to football practice today. Normally I'm not looking forward to practice but Thursdays are mental practice days where we are only in shoulder pads and helmets with gym shorts and then have a team dinner afterwards. We talked as I waked her to her psychology class about our weekend plans "Well we play Terre Haute North at Carmel Middle school's field for some reason and then Sunday my dad and I are going to the Colts game vs the Ravens." I said excited about going to watch the Colts play at Lucas Oil.

"That sounds fun I wish I could come with you." She said as we hit the door of her class. I walked to my gym class wishing that we could actually spend time out of school and go out on a real date but for some reason she doesn't want to so I leave it alone. After gym we share lunch together. I walk up to get a salad and water along with an apple and pineapples. She says she's not hungry but I know she'll eat some pineapple. Lunch she seemed off a bit and I asked her if she was ok and she just assures me that she was fine. We walk together to her locker she has health while I have social studies. "So I'll see you after class to walk you to Spanish?" I asked and she was spaced again, but I shake it off kiss her cheek and hoof it to class. In the middle of class I get a text that says the words that no one wants to hear 'we need to talk after class'. After the bell rings I rush out of class and catch her by her locker and say "you want to talk what's up" I say trying to think of anything I have done wrong in the last month that would bring this on. "It's nothing go to radio class." I look at her like she's crazy and say "no you needed to talk so talk I can be late to class." She shakes her head and just says to go. I reluctantly leave and go to radio, and when I get there my friend Chad comes up to me and says "Dude I'm so sorry."

"What?" I asked confused and his look goes from sympathetic to shocked and he mumbles "oh shit". He takes off across the room but I am in no mood for shit an hour before I go to practice I finally corner him and say "now what the fucking hell are you talking about?" I asked a little pissed. "Dude she's breaking up with you. She was supposed to do it at lunch but obviously she didn't." he says and I just look at him dumbfounded and just walk back to my seat not talking to him or anyone else for the rest of the day. At practice I sucked and the weekend became one of the worst in my short life.

{End of Flashback}

I look at her and she took everything in for a bit before saying, "I'm sorry that happened." I laughed as did everyone else, "Don't be after I got over myself I realized it was for the best. I couldn't be there 100 percent so it hurt yea but I can use that to help others." She smiles and then after talking a bit of her pastrami on rye asks, "So that explains the relationship advice but what about having your phone off last night?" I and Justin tense up, and Chris and Morgan wince knowing that this is why I needed them here. Gabriella looks around and says, "What you did says that you wanted to talk about it. If its really bad then forget it I don't want to push you." I sigh compose myself while Justin says, "It's not it is just a really hard story to get through for all of us." I thanked him for speaking up took a deep breath and started in on the story.

Flashback Terre Haute North Gym

We finally make it to Terre Haute North after stopping for dinner at Arby's. I set up the camera getting ready to film the JV and Varsity basketball games. The JV game went fine with no problems as Carmel won 58-50. As the varsity players were warming up and I get a text from my neighbor. I open it up and my heart started racing 'why are there police cars at your house'. I looked at it she must have had the wrong person, but then again I wouldn't know since I never went home after school we left after the last bell rung. I texted back 'I have no idea what you are talking about'. She comes back with 'oops sorry never mind' but all I could do is think about it so I call my mom she answers after the fifth ring "Hey honey how's the game?" she asks I ignore it and say "I got a text saying there are cop cars at the house what is going on" she says "it's nothing for you to worry about" "Mom just tell me I know it's not nothing so what the hell is it." I say getting agitated and she sighs and says "your dad had to go to the hospital he had a heart attack." The blood drained out of my face and I had to grab a table for support as my dad was in the hospital and I was an hour and a half from him. I hung up with my mom but just stayed standing at the doorway of the gym not knowing what to do or what to say. Justin come up to me and looks me over.

"Dude what happened you look like you are going to get sick?" he asks and I was so out of it I just whisper, "My dad is in the hospital. He had a heart attack. I.I.I don't know what to do I'm an hour and a half away and this game doesn't matter anymore." Justin's blood drained from his face too he just walks off coming back with an assistant coach. By this time I'm sitting on the bench my head in my hands and just a blank look on my face. "Troy just stay here and go the locker room when needed and we'll get you back as soon as we can. I'm sorry you have to be here you are right this game doesn't matter to you anymore." I am still in shock and he walks away to talk to the head coach.

After the game we were on the way back and my head is just swimming with worry for my dad. We get back to the school and I find my mom at the parking lot and we head off to the hospital only to have my dad discharged ten minutes after we get there.

End of Flashback

After that I just get up and walk out of the restaurant not caring who sees me or who my company was. Talking about that memory still brings tears to my eyes and I'll be damned if anyone outside my family sees me cry.

{Gabriella's POV}

I sat there in shock. I could see Troy struggling but seeing him run out like that was new for me. "I'll go make sure he's ok Moran and Chris talk to her till I get back." Justin says and fallows the path that Troy took. I continue to sit there not really knowing what to say.

"Kinda puts him in a new light huh?" Moran asked me. I turn to her and finally finding my voice saying "when did that happen to him?" "Second semester sophomore year." I look at her and she nods "yea he had a shit year that year. I'm amazed that he has bounced back like he has. He, Justin and I have been friends forever and that is the first time I saw him look like complete and utter shit for an extended period of time." Chris said. I turn to him and say, "Is that why he has his phone off. So he doesn't have to deal with anything."

"Yes and no. He feels like there is nothing that he can do anyway so what's the point in having that happen to him again. He froze for twenty minutes when we went back down there for football and it took Justin assuring that it will be different this time around." I nodded my head and we ate in silence. "Gabriella is there anything else you want to know that Chris, Justin or I can answer because I think Troy is done talking for the day?" Morgan asked. I look at there for a minute before asking the obvious question "why tell me now or why tell me ever?" Morgan just looks at me and states in a matter of fact tone "he likes you he does want to date you, but he knows that you are fresh out of a relationship and he cares about you. He is thinking to tell you so if he asks you out and you two start dating there is no secretes between you guys, and you won't worry when you can't get ahold of him when he goes on road trips. I can remind him to turn on his phone after he signs off for you though. Here is my number and I will text you when he turns his phone on." I smile at her for saying that he does care about me and that he does want to date me. He let me in today and I am going to try my best to not abuse his trust that he has for me.

"Now Gabriella I have a question for you." Chris said. "Go ahead." I say and he looks me in the eyes for a minute before he says "I love Troy like a brother and there is nothing I wouldn't do for him. He made that first story sound not as bad as he was feeling. I don't want to see him have a repeat of sophomore year on any part of it so I have to say if you hurt him you will pay. My question is are you willing to accept this and treat him how he deserves to be treated, because we know for a FACT that he will do everything in his power to make sure you will not feel pain. Are you willing to do the same?" I look at Morgan and she has the same look as Chris does they both look serious and mean the words Chris just uttered. I look at him and Morgan and say "I would never willingly put him through any pain if I can help it." They both smile and we walk out of the restaurant Troy walks up and says "sorry for running out like that." I give him a smile and a hug saying "don't worry about it. I have to go but I'll see you Monday in government." I say bye to Justin, Chris and Moran as well. Walking back I go to thinking this week might get interesting.