Forever

When you are a twin, and your other twin dies… do you still tell people you are a twin? Or do you say you are an only child? Are you like a heart on the outside, only hollowed out and empty on the inside like a locket? Do you go around pretending everything is alright when obviously it isn't? Do you follow your dreams, even though the one you were supposed to share them with never can with you? It doesn't make sense. Death makes a human realise mortality. People think they are immortal, until death hits. They think they can live however they want, treat people however they want… until somebody dies. That's when everyone realises that they aren't going to be here forever. Death is mortality.

Sharpay looked at the words before her, what she had just written down and shook her head to herself. The last sentence was so true, but things were always easier said than done, weren't they? She bit her lip, and lay down on the pillow. The blue sheets, the soft pillow, the scent of her twin. Her dead twin. Her heart was aching so much, no words could describe it. She wanted to take back all the times they had fought, all the arguments and just give him happy times and fun. She would never have that chance again.

"Sharpay?" She heard her mothers' voice at Ryan's door and looked up.

"Yeah?" She called and the door opened, her mother stood sheepishly in the frame like a schoolchild caught eating from the cookie jar.

"I didn't find you in your room; I thought you might be here." Her mothers' voice hung in the air; the air seemed so dead and quiet. It shouldn't be.

"Yeah." Sharpay said and sat up in Ryans bed.

"Don't you think its unhealthy to be spending all your time in here?"

"Not really."

"Well I do."

"Oh."

There was a pause, it was obvious to Sharpay that her mother was trying to be a parent, but there was no way that Sharpay was going to listen to her after all these years of her and her father not caring, not bothering with their children. It seemed that at a certain age they hadn't bothered to do things for them anymore at the thought they were old enough to take care of themselves. What a lie.

Her mother took a deep breath, "Come on Sharpay… out of Ryans room."

"Why?" Sharpay asked and looked over at her mother, who had aged considerably since Ryans death. Well she looked older anyway.

"Because I'm your mother, and I said so." Her mother tried to assert the authority.

"You never acted like it before." Sharpay muttered moodily and got up anyway, exiting Ryan's room and walking icily past her mother, into her own room just down the hall.

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"Gabriella, please say something."

Gabriella shook her head and took a step back from the boy trying to coax her into forming something of a sentence.

"Please, Gabi you know you have to."

Gabriella bit her lip, looking at his blue eyes, his brown hair. He wasn't who she wanted him to be.

"Gabriella…" The boy asked one more time, obviously defeated now.

"I'm sorry Troy. I'm really sorry." Gabriella bit back the tears now swelling in her eyes and turned from him, running as fast as she could away from him.

He didn't chase her.

Troy lay on his bed, his hands behind his head and his eyes directed at his plain ceiling. He took a deep breath, exhaling loudly. Everyone seemed to be so upset, of course they were… it was Ryan. It was odd what death could do to people, it could make the loudest and happiest person go sad and quiet. It could turn a daredevil into a mouse, metaphorically speaking of course. His heart felt heavy, like there was a nagging at it, like he should be doing something to help someone. Sharpay, Gabriella… they seemed to be taking it the hardest. Everyone else had been friendly with Ryan but they hadn't been close, they hadn't been in the inner circle. Not the way Gabriella and Sharpay had. He rolled off his bed and walked through the house silently, his father and mother in the sitting room with the door closed. He left without a word, going to the place he knew that a lost girl would be.

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"Need some company?" A voice came from behind her, Sharpay turned her head. She was sitting in amongst the rubble of the theatre, yet again. It had been her sanctuary as a building; it was her sanctuary even when all it was were the debris and remains of something great. The eyes she locked with were eyes she hadn't expected.

Still she nodded and made room in the ground for him to sit, "Sure."

Chad sat down beside her, his bushy hair barely blowing in the wind that swept Sharpays hair. "How're you feeling?"

"How would you be feeling?"

Chad weakened and nodded a little, "Pretty bad." He tentatively reached out and put an arm around her shoulders.

"I don't like people thinking they have to be sorry for me." Sharpay muttered coldly, "I don't want anyone's pity, I don't need it." She threw Chad a look.

Chad smiled softly, "I'm not here because I'm taking pity on you. I'm here because I'm your friend, and I'll help you through this just like any other friend would."

Sharpay smiled at his words, a weak smile but a smile nonetheless. "Thanks Chad." She murmured and he pulled her into him, she rested her head on his chest as they sat. The wind whipped up and around them, yet they were so sheltered.

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"Hey." A voice broke the silence that was Gabriella's bedroom; she was sitting on the floor beside her bed, looking at the floor in a daze. She looked up though and locked gaze with Troy.

"Hey." She muttered and he sat down beside her.

"Wanna go outside? We can go get a bite to eat at that place Ryan used to love…" He suggested.

There was silence for a while as Gabriella thought about it; it would probably be what Ryan would have wanted. He would have wanted them to all enjoy each others company instead of being alone and moping.

"Yeah, I'd like that." She said and Troy smiled, rising to his feet once more he held a hand down for her to help her up. Gabriella took it and looked at Troy gratefully as she stood up.

Which was how half an hour later they ended up sitting in one of the old shiny red booths at a café Ryan had always loved, they had known he loved the place since it had been the only place he liked to eat in. Gabriella looked at the menu, Troy looking across the table at her without her realising.

That was right when both Chad and Sharpay burst in, Chad had his arm around Sharpays shoulder and was trying to get her to smile, and Troy looked up in shock.

"Wow, I never thought I'd see the day you two hung out together, alone." He commented as Chad and Sharpay sat down. Sharpay beside Gabriella and Chad beside Troy.

"Well desperate times call for desperate measures." Chad joked and Troy laughed softly, the girls smiled weakly. Obviously any attempts at trying to cheer them up were failing rather miserably. Troys laughter faded and he threw a glance at Chad who shrugged.

Two hours later they were all leaving Ryans favourite diner, it had been incredibly odd to be there without him, his laugh, his bright blue eyes. Yes, he was dearly missed. Gabriella looked at the ground as she walked, she heard a voice from behind her.

"Gabi…" Troy said and everyone stopped, looking at him and Chad. Sharpay looked between the two.

"Gabriella, its not good to keep your feelings locked away." Chad said with a worried smile. Gabriella simply glared at him and walked past him. Sharpay looked at the boy sand shook her head slightly, following the girl.

Sharpay followed Gabriella all the way home, except Gabriella didn't go home directly. No, she went into her car and rested her hands on the steering wheel. Sharpay got into the passenger seat and closed the door behind her. Sharpay looked over at her and they remained in silence.

Eventually though, Gabriella broke it. "I think I was in love with him." A tear trickled down her cheek.

Sharpay stared at her, dumbfounded.

"Ryan. I think I loved him." She said once more and Sharpay nodded. Gabriella turned the keys in her car and reversed out the driveway. Sharpay looked at Gabriella and quickly put on her seatbelt.

Moments later they were racing down the road at a speed much too fast.

"Gabriella… where are we going?"

I amn't going to do reviewer bits here.. I will next time though so please don't think I'm not replying because I am! I love every single piece of feedback from you guys and I KNOW this has taken forever BUT I am trying my hardest, and I have just finished my school exams and am heading up into the next year so there will be harder work to do. I am so sorry this has taken so long but Serenity finally has a social life!

Serenity XxX