I am so uncontrolibly sorry!! I know i haven't updated this story in over 3 months! I had that problem with getting to my stories for a logn time, and then I've had such bad writers block I've cried many times. I've been putting bits and pieces of this chapter together for soooooooo long, so don't hate if it seems mis-matchy. again, SO sorry about the logn wait. but don't worry, I'm not discontinuing the story and it's still not over!! love jenna
Ryan started kicking things in his house. He was so angry; angry with Gabriella, angry with the world, angry with the people who left him, angry at his parents, and angry at himself. He knew he shouldn't have said all those mean things to Gabriella. He was just so . . . angry. But he couldn't help it. He was going through so much now. I mean, he lost his sister and her boyfriend who was also his best guy friend on Christmas Eve. His parents, even when they just lost their daughter, were still as distant as ever. And it seemed like no one in the town cared about the fact that two of their favorite kids were dead. Weren't people supposed to always be calling you saying how sorry they are, and bringing over casseroles every other second? Ryan always hated that part of someone's death, but at least now it would show that he isn't the only living being that cared about this.
"Your not the only person, Ryan," Ryan thought he heard a soft voice whisper. He actually thought it was a person saying this right next to him, but his common sense told him it was only his continence. He wasn't going to go crazy thinking he heard voices. He already had enough going on.
The doorbell ringing snapped Ryan out of his thoughts, so he walked from the room to the front door. He opened the door and standing there were Chad and Taylor.
"Ryan!" Taylor said, immediately enveloping her friend in a tight hug. "We are so, so, SO sorry!!"
"Thanks, Tay," Ryan said, eventually hugging her back.
"I just can't believe it! They were so young! It's so sad," Taylor was saying. "Where's Gabriella?" she asked once she pulled away.
"She, uh, was just here. But she said she had to leave to go home." Ryan half-lied. She was just here and left, but he had no idea in hell where she could be now.
"Is there anything we can do?" Taylor asked.
"It's ok . . . well, actually, there is one thing you could do."
"Just name it man," Chad said.
"Could you two, um, stay with me? For a little bit? Gabriella can't be here this second and Shar is, and Troy, um, and so you're all I have left."
"Absolutely Ryan. I'm just gonna go call my mom." Taylor said, walking into the kitchen.
"How are ya, you know, holding up man?" Chad asked uneasily. Even though he and Ryan were buds ever since the "I Don't Dance" incident, but Chad wasn't ever too close with Sharpay.
"Not great." Ryan confessed. He watched as Chad lowered his head and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "But I mean, it's not like I'm supposed to be jumping off the wall all happy, right?" Ryan tried to joke. Chad didn't move. What was wrong with Chad? Then it hit Ryan.
Troy. Chad and Troy were the best friends ever. They knew each other since they were four, and were basically brothers. And now their thirteen year friendship basically disappeared. Chad lost his best friend.
"I'm sorry about Troy." Ryan said. Chad looked up with glossy eyes. Ryan was a bit taken aback at the fact that Chad Danforth was holding back tears, but understood why there were tears in the first place. "How are you holding up with that?"
"It's just, I mean, I've known Troy for so long; we were best friends. His parents said they thought of me like a second son. And now he's . . . gone. forever. I'm never getting my best friend back." Chad said.
"Me neither." Ryan said. Troy said he was his other best friend, and Troy was his. So he lost his new best friend, and his old one. "I'm not getting either of my best friends back."
Chad's eyes widened his eyes a minute. He felt really guilty making Ryan feel sorry for him about this predicament, when really it should be the other way around.
"I'm sorry to, Ryan. I really am. I know I was never that nice to your sister, but that doesn't mean I didn't like her, or didn't think we were friends." Chad said.
"Thanks man." Ryan said, putting on a small fake smile. Taylor walked in, saving the two from an awkward moment.
"Ok, I called my mom. And I called Gabriella to come over." Taylor said. Ryan's face dropped.
"Gabriella?" he squeaked. He may have acted like a tough-guy when he yelled at her, but now he was damn scared of what she might do. But he was still first and foremost mad.
"Yeah, she shouldn't be going through all of this alone!" Taylor said. "She lost her two best friends!"
"Yeah, why should we all be together trying to comfort each other, and just leave her standing even though she's going through the same thing?" Chad agreed.
"Y-yeah, I guess." Ryan said. Just then, the doorbell rang. It was Gabriella already. "I'll get it." Ryan said, walking to the door.
When he opened it, he saw Gabriella's puffy red eyes and tear-stained cheeks.
"Taylor called me." she said quietly.
"Yeah, she just said." Ryan said. He looked Gabriella over, and knew she shouldn't have to go through what he was giving her. He wasn't really mad at her, just everything else in the world. He sighed. "Gabs, can I talk to you?" Gabriella nodded.
Ryan stepped out of the door and closed it.
"Look, I'm really sorry. I'm just so . . . angry at everything, and I took it out on you. I shouldn't though, because you're really the only person who truly understands what I'm going through, because you are going through it too. You were right there with me when we got the call; you cried all night with me; you came back after leaving and promised you'd never leave. I don't want to lose you. We lost Troy, and we lost Sharpay. I can't lose you too, Gabs. I love you, I'm so sorry."
More tears were falling from Gabriella's eyes, but she smiled. It was all she needed to hear. She walked up to Ryan and embraced him.
"I love you too, Ry." She said, rubbing his back.
"Please don't leave me. I need someone. I need you." Ryan said, inhaling the scent of her hair; strawberry peach.
"I know you do. We both need each other. And I'm not going anywhere." Gabriella said. They stayed in their hug for another few minutes.
"I think Taylor and Chad are wondering where we are." Gabriella piped up.
"Yeah, I guess we should get back and you know, talk about a . . . funeral." Ryan said, slowly pulling away.
"I'll be right there with you, Ryan. Don't worry." Gabriella said, slipping her small hand into his bigger one. They smiled and walked back into the house.
"There you two are!" Taylor said, sitting next to Chad on a couch in the living room, as Ryan and Gabriella walked in. "I was beginning to think you were never coming in!"
"Everything okay?" Chad asked.
"Everything's fine," Gabriella said smiling as she and Ryan sat down on the loveseat.
They were all silent for about five minutes.
"I know I need to prepare a funeral," Ryan finally spoke up. "But I can't do it alone."
Gabriella placed her hand on top of his. "We'll help you."
"Yeah, totally." Chad said.
"Every step of the way." Taylor said.
"Thanks guys." Ryan said.
They all talked about the funeral for the rest of the day, and Ryan held Gabriella's hand the whole time. He knew this journey was going to be hard, and just get harder as time went on. But he had her there.
And that little voice in his head was smiling, because it knew he knew he wasn't alone. But the voice wasn't in his head, it was someone very special telling it straight to him.
