Always!

Chapter 3- The Friendly Affair

"What? What did you do that for?" Jack shouted gently rubbing his jaw.

"You asked for it!" Chad shouted back. Troy looked from one to the other. Chad; his best mate was the one who punched him. Troy was too slow.

"I can't believe you hit me!" Jack exclaimed.

"He said you asked for it…coz you did. Talking about other girls in that way when you're with the girl we consider to be our little sister, you should be ashamed." Jason said walking away.

Zeke shook his head at Jack and followed Jason out.

"Don't you ever talk about something like that again do you hear? Coz believe me, you'll get more than one thump in the jaw!" Chad hissed. He walked away still shaking his hand.

Jack looked at Troy, who was staring at the bar. He didn't know what to say or do. Finally he looked up at Jack.

"You gonna say something too? Punch me? Knee me in the balls? Tell her?" Jack asked sipping from his beer.

Troy looked at him and shook his head; walking away to where the others had left. Jack smirked as he watched Troy walk away.

………………………………………………………………………………...

Troy slouched on his sofa. Chad sat opposite him on the coffee table.

"I'm sorry dude." Chad said.

"Huh? For what?" Troy asked eyeing Chad suspiciously.

"For losing it. For punching that jerk. I was out of order." Chad sighed.

"Believe me, I was about to. How could he treat her like that? What has she ever done? She doesn't deserve it." Troy put his head in his hands.

"You're my best mate, my brother. So, I'm gong to tell you this. If you had never ended things, you guys would still be together, that Jack guy would only ever be her lab partner and you could be living with her, you could be engaged, you could have had everything you've ever dreamed about but, you let her go." Chad said walking to the kitchen of Troy's apartment. "Imagine it." Chad sighed.

Troy could imagine it. He could see it clearly in the back of his mind. It was just he couldn't quite reach it. To him it felt like running but not making any distance; it felt like running on a tread mill hoping to get some where but, you can only put one step next to the other instead of in front.

"If only you didn't end it." Chad said walking back in the room. "I'm heading out, see ya tomorrow." Chad grabbed his coat and walked to the door. "Oh, and think about It." he said before leaving.

It was all Troy could do. Think about it. Think about what they had, what they still could have had, and what their future could have been. If only, he hadn't ended it.

Flashback.

"Are you breaking up with me?" came her whispered, shaking reply.

"I'm sorry. But, I think it's for the best right? It makes sense for us Gabz. I can't be the one to hold you back."

"But you wouldn't be holding me back!" she cried.

"You and I know that I would. You need to concentrate on your studies. Like you said in our first summer together: we might find our place in this world someday but, at least for now…we need to go our own way." He said a few tears falling from his eyes.

She smiled. "I understand. Thank you Troy for opening my eyes to something new. I'll see you around." She said engulfing him in a hug. "I'll love you-Always." She whispered.

Troy watched as she ran away; hunched over with tears. It was then he realised he'd made a mistake. But, she would never take him back.

End of flashback.

"Idiot!" he mumbled to himself. Troy walked towards his room and layed on his bed. He grabbed his pillow and placed it on his head. "Ahhhh!" he screamed into it.

………………………………………………………………………………

The next afternoon…

"Hi Jack." Aleesha smiled walking towards the living room.

"Hey Al." he smirked.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing." He smirked again. Jack stood up and made his way towards where Aleesha was standing.

Aleesha grinned. "I think…I'm going to kiss you." She whispered seductively in his ear.

"Go ahead." He said placing his hands around her waist.

"But what about Gabi?" she asked shocked.

"What about her?" he said as he crashed his lips onto hers. Aleesha eagerly kissed back. She wrapped her legs around Jack's waist and he carried her into his room. The room he shared with Gabriella.

She layed on top of him not breaking the kiss. She eventually leaned back and threw her shirt on the floor. As she did this he removed his shirt. They went back to kissing.

"I'm home!" Gabriella called through the apartment.

She carried her grocery bags into the kitchen. After dropping them on the counter she walked down the hall. Heading for her room.

Gabriella gasped. Her friend and boyfriend were kissing topless on her bed. Gabriella grabbed the closest thing to her; which happened to be a glass trinket box, and she threw it at them.

Smash. It landed right to the left of them. They quickly pulled apart and stared at Gabriella.

"Gabi! It's not hat you think!" he said standing up and slowly approaching her.

"Why do all cheating guys say that?" she asked back away from him.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

It was then that Gabriella noticed something. She wasn't even crying. Surely a girl would cry over a guy who had cheated.

She turned and ran.

Gabriella bolted out of the door and ran down the street as fast as her legs would allow.

Even if se didn't love him the way she should have it still hurt…a lot. He cheated with her best friend. A friend she'd known all her life. Sure, they had drifted apart a great deal because Gabriella had moved away. But, no matter what they had always tried to keep in contact; phone calls at least once a week, an e-mail every now and then. And now, for her to do this, it tore Gabriella apart.

Gabriella wasn't sure how long she had ran for but it seemed like hours to her. She came to stop when she realised she had no where to go. Going to Taylor's would be intruding on her and Chad's time. Zeke and Sharpay were going through a little rough patch. Jason and Kelsi had their little baby. There was no where for her but…no, she couldn't go there. Could she?

Gabriella walked briskly to his apartment. Once outside the door, she knocked.

No reply.

So, she sat the steps. Waiting for him to return home. Waiting for Troy.

What did you think? R&R!!!