2 days later. Troy was released from the hospital. His mother and him were riding back to the house in the car, with shawn sitting in the back. "So, tonight, I'm making steak with the side of Macaroni and cheese, your favorite Troy." she smiled at him. Shawn cheered, "Yes! I love Macaroni and cheese." Troy frowned, "Mom, she's not there is she?"

Bethany sighed looking at shawn. Shawn bit his lip. Bethany looked at him, "Troy.. she isn't... she left back to the apartment with Cory.. she told me that.. she loved you, but she can't be with you right now... cause she can't bare you leaving her in a few months.."

Troy bit his lip, "S-So...she said it was over between us?" Bethany sighed, "Troy.. baby boy, I am so sorry-" "It's okay..I don't wanna talk about it." he turned to the window. his mother sighed turning her attention back onto the road.

**Run**

The next day was Tuesday. Troy walked down the halls with Chad. "So, you and Gabriella are really over? huh?" he asked as Troy was at his locker throwing books into it. "Yeah.. I..I don't know...I don't want it to be over." Chad sighed, "Dude, I'm sorry..I really am, but you can't let this eat you alive.."

He looked at Chad and then he saw Gabriella walking down the stairs with Sharpay. "She looks beautiful today." he murmured. "Dude snap out of it." as Gabriella walked by, their eyes locked, and they just stared at each other, then Gabriella looked away and talked with Sharpay.

"Helllooo..." Chad said, waving a hand in front of Troy's face as he watched his best friend watch the girl he loved walk away."Troy..earth to Bolton...hey, can I have your iPod?" Troy snapped out of it, "No chance in hell." "Hey, that got you back out of your stupor right?" "Stupor?" Chad shrugged, "eh, it's an English vocabulary word."

Troy sighed, "I just...I love her Chad." "I know, bro, I know...but give her her space. You are going to marines in a few months; after High School-" "yeah, don't remind me." Troy said, walking away from the lockers toward his class room. Chad caught up with him.

"On a lighter note...when I asked if I could have your iPod, I wasn't talking about what chances in hell I had of getting it, I meant what chances on Earth do I have?"

Troy rolled his eyes and walked into class and saw Gabriella. she was sitting in the seat that she sat since her first day. between him and chad. He sighed taking a seat infront of her. she just looked down at her hands.

Then Mrs Darbus came over to Gabriella, "Gabriella, may I speak with you?" Gabriella gulped but nodded, "Yes Mrs Darbus." Mrs Darbus sighed, "Gabriella I'm very very concerned for you, your grades are slipping, you have a D in my english class."

Gabriella sighed, "Mrs Darbus, I'm really sorry, but my brother his been having problems at school and..and I've been working, and-" "No exscuses, I want the essay written by tomorrow." Gabriella nodded, "Okay." she whispered.

She walked back to her desk, sitting down and looking straight ahead. Troy felt her eyes, but knew she wasn't really staring at him. "Okay class," Mrs Darbus said, "today we start an exciting unit in this class..." silence.

"Macbeth!" The students all groan, Mrs Darbus rolls her eyes, "Oh please, Shakespeare is culture; something you all need to learn-" more groans. "Oh...shut up." the teacher mutters.

Troy looked over his shoulder, Gabriella ran a hand through her hair and bit her lip. He looked to Chad, "talk ..to...her.." he mouthed, Troy shook his head, "not..yet..." Chad rolls his eyes, moves his lips to mouth something else, but Mrs Darbus scowls and clears her throat;

Everyone looks up. "Something you and Mr Danforth would like to share, Mr Bolton?" Troy smiles nervously and coughs twice into his hand. "uhm..no ma'am." "Then pay attention." Troy sighed leaning back in his seat. The Brunette beauty behind him never leaving his mind.

The bell rang after 50 minutes. The students rushed out into the hallway. Chad caught up with Troy, "Yo, dude, wait up." Troy turned to him, "Yeah." "dude read this text from Kendall, it's bad dude, really bad." Troy grabbed the phone from Chad and read the text message, Blake and the West High Knights are on our property. Blake wants to talk to Troy. Troy bit his lip, he growled, "that son of a- his the one that caused me and Brie to break up in the first place."

Chad sighed, "are you giong to go talk to him." Troy just ignored him and made his way by chad and walked outside of the front of East high where Kendall and some other players on the East High Basketball Team were talking with the West High Knights.

Troy pulled Kendall back and stood infront of Kendall facing Blake. "What in the hell do you want now blake? to make my life more misrable? well it worked, cause without her, my life fucking sucks."

Blake chuckled, "Hey Bolton, I just wanted to know, are you and Gabriella completely over, cause I mean she's pretty hot." then the other West High captain came into the conversation, "Yeah, we're did you get that pretty thing?" Blake chuckled, "Cause I would sure love to ask her out."

"You don't fucking touch her!" Troy yelled, jumping and reaching for Blake's throat but Kendall held him back tightly. Blake laughed, looking at Kendall, "that's right, keep the rabid dog on the chain...don't want anyone else getting bitten." Troy tried to shake Kendall loose, "I will fucking kill you!" He yelled, "Don't ever go near her! I WILL KILL YOU!"

Blake chuckled, "I don't think that's your choice anymore if I can be near her or not." "You mother-" Blake walked closer, interupting him, "See, you two are like, you know, how do I put this gently... not together anymore good for you? so she's on the market, and she's hot, so it's a great thing for me."

Troy tried to attack him but Kendall and Chad held him back, "Let me go guys!" Chad shook his head, "No! his not worth it..I'm not letting you waste a few punches over him."

Blake laughed, "Well Bolton, it was nice talking to you, but we have to get going.. but if you don't mind, do you mind giving me Gabriella's number?" the rest of the west high knights laughed as their leader lead the way out of the East High courtyard.

**Run**

Chad ran down the halls, running towards the hall were Troy's locker was located. he jumped on him, and pushed him against the locker, "Dude! Guess what!" Troy rolled his eyes, "what chad?" Chad grabbed his shoulders bringing him down the other hall were Gabriella's locker was located, "I Think Gabriella's got a new boyfriend?"

Troy tried to look at her locker, but chad stopped him, "Don't look, Don't look." "How am I suppose to see-" "Just don't make eye contact, but look pass me and tell me what you see, are they a couple or just 'friends'" Troy looked over Chad's shoulder to see Gabriella giggling with a smile on her face, and the dude smiling at her making her laugh.

Troy sighed, "She looks so beautiful-" "I don't care about that, do you think their dating or not?" Troy looked at him, "I really really hope not..I love her so much.." he sighed, "I miss her chad..so much...I miss having her in my arms."

Chad sighed, "It's going to be okay buddy.. she broke your heart.. maybe you should move on, I'm just saying cause it looks like she has a new guy now.. so maybe you should get a new girlfriend.."

Troy glared at him, "move on?" Chad swallowed, "yeah.. well, if they aredating-" "They aren't" Chad sighed, "How do you know-" "I JUST DO!" Troy yelled, causing everyone to look at him and his curly haired friend.

Chad chuckles nervously, "Uhm..Troy lets go to the gym okay?" Feeling the stress and anger rolling off him in waves, he nods and grits his teeth. Allowing Chad to drag him to the gym.

In Art class, Troy was sitting in the back with Kendall as they were drawling. Troy's eyes looked over at Gabriella and the guy named Kasey she was hanging around with recently. he was whispering in her ear, she was giggling, and smiling.

Kendall looked at Troy, "Dude, just grow a pair of balls, and go over there and get her back, and don't take no for an answer." Troy sighed, "She won't take me back.. I know she won't..I hurt her.. and I..I do deserve this pain."

"Do you really wanna risk losing her to that guy? cause if you don't do anything, his going to be the one making love to her every night." Troy looked back at Gabriella and Kasey, and saw Gabriella's hand going through the back of his hair, and ruffling it up.

Troy sighed, setting down his paint brush and walking over to Gabriella, he heard parts of the conversation, "I mean it, Kasey, it doesn't look like a dog!" She was erupting with giggles, Kasey laughs, "It's a dog!" "No it's not! It looks like a tree with a tail!" "Oh, so you admit, it has a tail!"

Gabriella giggled "It's a tree.,.." Kasey shook his head, "Whatever you say, but it's a dog." "What ever Kase." Troy halted, Kase? She has a nickname for him? Really? Crap! It's worse than he thought...he's losing her..

Unless,"Hey ..Brie." He says, coming to her side and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Hey...Troy." He looks at Kasey, "What's up man?" "Nothing." Kasey says, dipping the paintbrush in paint and running it down the canvas.

Gabriella smiled at Kasey, "Kase, I think tree's are a darker brown then that." she giggled, he smirked at her, "I told you it's a dog." she shook her head, "nope." she said popping the 'p'.

Troy sighed, "Hey, umm.. Gabriella what are you painting?" he took a stool, putting it between Gabriella and Kasey. Gabriella looked at him, "umm a vase of flowers..." she said pointing to the finish painting infront of her.

Kasey looks over Troy's shoulder at Gabriella's painting, "Hm...I don't see it." Gabriella gasped, her eyes smiling. "You are so mean." Kasey laughed, Troy looked at her painting, "I like the rose in the middle."

Gabriella looks at him, "Troy...that's not a rose, that's a daisy." Troy blinked and then looked at her, "it looks like a rose." Kasey cleared his throat, "Gabs, I'm going to get some clean water." Gabriella nodded, "Hey can you get me some?" "Sure.." "Thanks Kase."

Troy watched him get up and leave and then he looked at Gabriella, crossing his arms looking at her. she looked back at him, he just smiled, she raised a brow, "umm so how are you?" he sighed, "I've been better... but it looks like you've moved on pretty fast."

"Exscuse me?" she said. he sighed, "Let's cut the bullshit.. you're dating Kasey aren't you?" Gabriella's eyes went wide, "Troy, Kasey is my friend-" "Boyfriend-" "No, My friend.. Troy his-" "I don't care..." she sighed looking away and getting up and putting up her paintbrush, "Look Troy, We're broken up, I'm aloud to see other people."

Troy narrowed his eyes, scoffing, "Gabriella...come on, face it, you miss me-" "Troy, I think you need to lay down." "No, I'm fine. I'm worried for you." "Me?" She asked incredulously, raising her brows. Troy leans against his stool. "Yeah, it's not healthy after a break up to move on so fast-" "First off, shut up just shut up and second-"

At that exact moment, Kasey showed up with the water, setting them down on the table, "here's your water Gabriella." And that's when the idea came to her, if Troy's jealous, hell, she'll make him so green he'll be a sour patch kid! "I can date and kiss whoever I want!" Shoving Troy out of the way, she grabbed Kasey by the shoulders and planting her lips on his.

The twist in Troy's gut was...well put it this way, he couldn't even ATTEMPT to speak as he watched the sight of her kissing ...Kasey. Damn him. Turning quickly on his foot, Troy walked back to his stool, picking up his backpack and marching from the class room.

Gabriella pulled away from Kasey, seeing Troy is gone. "What was that about?" Kasey asked breathlessly, she sighed, turning toward her canvas, "I'll tell you later.." "Gabs-" "Later, kase."