Author's Note: Please review and check out Baby-M-xo, she helped me a lot with this chapter and the story as a whole.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Hey There Gabriella

Chapter 9: What Was the Point?

By musiclover94 and Baby-M-xo

Last Chapter…

If she had restrained Troy from running away, he wouldn't be dead right now. At this thought, she broke down again, causing Stephen to cry. She cradled him, still sobbing. She needed help with Stephen, with everything. Her life was quickly spiraling down a tube that led to a never- ending pit of depression.

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Gabriella was cleaning the house fruitlessly, not being able to concentrate, when her doorbell rang. The whole house echoed with the sound, hollow-like, similar to her heart. She stumbled to the door and pulled it open. Sharpay was standing there. When the blonde saw her, she gave her a hug. Gabriella hugged her back resignedly.

"How are you doing?" Sharpay asked, sounding genuinely concerned for her friend.

"Horrible," she said truthfully, "Why are you here?" she asked, not rudely.

"I figured that you would need some help, with Tr…" she said, catching herself just in time. Gabriella ducked her head, covering her face. Just when she thought she had no more tears left…

Sharpay put a comforting arm around Gabriella. "It's ok, Gabi…the police always assume the worst when things like this happen…"

Gabriella just broke down into another tidal wave of sobs.

"Do you need help?" she asked kindly.

Gabriella nodded.

"With what?"

Gabriella paused a second, sniffling. "Stephen, I guess."

Sharpay walked a few steps until she was at her best friend's son's crib. She picked him up and started to sway back and forth.

"Gabi, I think you need to relax," she said seriously.

"I guess you're right," Gabriella said, sighing sadly. She trudged upstairs and flopped down on her bed. She picked up her phone from the oak bedside table and flipped it open: no mew messages. She went to her Contacts list and selected the number she had dialed so many times. She held the receiver to her ear and waited for the much sought-after voice of her husband. And once again, the electronic voice said that the number was out of range. She dropped her mobile on the comforter with a dull thump. Salty tears fell from her brown eyes onto her jeans. She didn't bother to wipe them away. What was the point?

Troy looked up at the cloudy sky. He was in Missouri. He looked back at the train he had just gotten off from Denver. He still had a ways to go until he was at Chad's, but he needed to take his time, sort things out, like what to say to Gabriella. He cut from the train station, through masses of people on their way to wherever they were going.

His feet landed on soft dirt in the forest preserve across from the station. He couldn't see the sky through the thick branches overhead. A few birds flew from one tree to the other, chirping merrily.

He set off in the general direction of New York City. The forest was awfully dark and he tripped over an exposed tree root more than once. A deer paused to look at him, her eyes almost identical to Gabriella's. He broke gaze with it grudgingly. Putting one foot in front of the other, he continued.

"Hello?" Chad said into the phone.

"Have you seen Troy? Hear from him?" Gabriella demanded shakily, holding back tears again.

Chad sighed, wanting to tell his 'little sister' the exact opposite. "I haven't heard anything, Brie. Didn't the police say he's de…?"

Gabriella started to sob again. Everyone was being so insensitive!

"Oh my god, Gabs! I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned it…"

Gabriella sniffed. She couldn't keep on sobbing at every mention of…him. "It's ok. I have to go," she lied.

"Ok. See you later," he said and hung up.

Gabriella dropped her cell on the bed and leaned back, a never-ending supply of tears falling onto her cheeks.

Author's Note: Horrible ending, I know. But please, please, please review!