heyy peeps. sorry about how i take so long to update. i want to work on other things, and i get way to much writer's block! sorry again! please don't hate ryan in this chapter! or gabriella. things will get better later, i promise. but hey, you read what they're going through. anyway, hope you like and please review!! i LOVE your reviews!!! lol HAPPT HOLIDAYS!!! love jenna


Ryan started to stir. He didn't want to, though. He wanted to stay in dreamland, where his best friend and his sister were still alive. He fluttered his eyes for a moment, adjusting to his surroundings.

"Hey sleepyhead," a comforting voice said to him. Eventually his vision was clear and he saw Gabriella over him. He smiled.

"Hey yourself." He said. He stretched and sat up on the couch.

"How're you feeling?" Gabriella asked, stroking his hair.

"As good as I think I can get in a situation like this." Ryan replied.

"Understandable." Gabriella nodded.

"How bout you?" asked Ryan. "How're you holding out?"

"Eh," Gabriella sighed. "I'm doing fine. My parents wanted to know if you're still coming over for Christmas tomorrow."

"Sure. Just let me check with Shar-" he stopped himself. He realized he couldn't check with Sharpay. She was gone.

"It's ok, Ry." Gabriella said. "You wanna talk about it?"

"No, I'm fine." Ryan reassured her. But Gabriella wasn't to sure.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Positive," Ryan said.

"Because you know, Ryan, it's perfectly ok to feel like you need to talk to someone after losing your-"

"I said I was fine Gabriella!" Ryan snapped. Gabriella looked taken aback. Ryan never snapped at her before. Ever. In the entire time she's known him.

"Ok." She said quietly, looking down.

"Hey, you wanna go to the mall?" Ryan asked, changing the subject.

"Oh," Gabi said, "I kinda thought we could just hang here."

"And do what?" Ryan asked, chuckling a little.

"I don't. Just . . . be together." Gabriella said. Why didn't Ryan want to be with her?

"Gabs, we have all the time in the world to spend with each other. But the mall closes at ten." Ryan stood up. Gabriella gave him a weird look.

"Ry, are you comparing me to the mall?" she asked.

"Huh?" Ryan asked.

"Ryan, I think you are a little confused." Gabriella said, standing up as well. "We have all the time in the world to go to the mall. Why can't we just be together? Just you and me? We haven't had that in a while."

Ryan sighed dramatically, plopping back down on the couch. "Fine! So what are we gonna do?" he said rudely.

"Ry, what's wrong with you?" Gabriella asked.

"Wrong with me?" Ryan repeated. "Nothing's wrong with me! I'm fine for the last time, Gabriella! Now, do you want to hang or not?"

Gabriella just stared at Ryan. Ryan, her boyfriend. The boy she loves. Why was he acting like this? Was this all because of Shar and Troy? Because if it was, that's understandable. But if it was or wasn't, why wouldn't he talk to her about it? They always talked about everything, even before they started dating. That's just how close they were. So why was Ryan being so distant?

"Gabriella?" Ryan asked. Gabriella mentally shook her thoughts.

"Yeah, sorry." She said, slowly sitting down next to Ryan on the couch.

They sat there for a while, not saying anything. It would have been very romantic in Gabriella's opinion if Ryan was acting more like . . . well, himself.

"So . . ." she said after a few more minutes of agonizing silence.

"Yup." Ryan said, popping the "p". Sharpay always did that, Gabriella remembered.

They didn't speak for another few minutes.

What's wrong with us? Gabriella thought. There never used to be this much silence between us. We could talk for HOURS! We never ran out of things to talk about.

But that was before everything and everyone changed, she reminded herself. She sighed.

"So, do you have any idea when you think the funeral should be?" Gabriella asked out of the blue. Ryan looked angry at that.

"No, why would I do that?" Ryan asked annoyed.

"Well, I mean, you have to plan it out sometime, Ryan." Gabriella said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, well sorry if I don't want to plan out my sister and best friend's funerals." Ryan snapped.

Gabriella didn't understand. Why was he like this?

"Ryan, is there something on your mind?" she asked quietly.

"No, I have no thoughts in the entire world." Ryan said sarcastically. "Just like two other people I knew." He muttered.

Gabriella took a deep breath. "Ryan, I really think we should talk about all of this."

"I don't want to Gabriella!" Ryan cried.

"Yes you do." Gabriella said immediately. She never liked to argue with her close friends, or anyone really, but considering everything . . .

"You haven't talked about anything since it happened. All you, and I, did was cry. And yes, that's good. You need to cry your soul out during something like this. But you also need to talk about it, Ryan."

"Talk about what!" he said.

"Everything!" Gabriella was the one to snap this time. "How you feel! How this is effecting you! What's really bothering you! Why you're acting weird! Why are you pushing away the people who love you!"

"Why are you acting so weird Gabi!?" Ryan asked.

"Me!? Ryan, all I want to do is help you!" Gabriella yelled.

"Gabi shut the fuck up about that already! I hate how people either don't give a shit about Troy and Shar or they won't leave me the fuck alone, always asking me if I'm ok! I thought you of all people would know that! but I guess you don't!" Ryan shouted.

Gabriella looked him in the eye for a moment, hot tears filling her own. She jumped off of the couch, slamming the front door as she exited the house.

She walked hurriedly down the street back to her own house. The whole way, she let the tears leave her face, as she cried and cried. She was losing Ryan. She had to save him, even if he wouldn't let her.