LAST TIME-
Now that he was so close to freedom, seeing Gabriella was starting to scare him. Don't get him wrong, seeing her was the thing he wanted most in that moment. But it was so easy to think that she would wake up from the safety of his hospital room.
If he actually laid eyes on her unconscious form, with all the bandages he knew she would have wrapped around her, his confidence would most likely crash. He could pretend all he wanted that she was fine, that she was just sleeping. But in actuality, seeing her weak, frail and vulnerable would be his downfall.
To put it simple, Troy was afraid of his reality. He had the tiniest bit of fear budding in the bottom of his stomach and it was telling his that she wasn't going to wake up.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
It was a statement that defined who he was: Troy Bolton hated hospitals. But even hours after he was cleared to go home, he still waited in the place that held his fear. He was no longer feeling hate as he sat in a chair outside of Gabriella's hospital bedroom, but the strongest of many emotions. He contemplated them as he waited, his hand rubbing against the rough new scar on his right cheek.
Fear The Five
1. Denial.
It was a typical first feeling because it automatically brought him false hope. Troy had succeeded in denying the events of three days ago only for about an hour, enough for the pain medications he had taken earlier to ware off. It was only when the deep wound in his thigh and the slash across his chest started to ache that he fully accepted his predicament. His eyes would find her hospital room door, his mind finally accepting the fact that a beaten and barley living Gabriella lay on the other side. Denying his current situation, he figured, would only lead him deeper into the out-of-control spiral he was currently circling.
2. Frustration.
How could people expect him to be calm when his girlfriend might never wake up? It was the one question that made his fists clench, his knuckles white as his nails dug into his palms. It was killing him that the only thing he could do to help her was sit and wait, because in his eyes, that was doing absolutely nothing. He was the playmaker, what he said was the law. But his frustration was leading him into unfamiliar territory, making him second-guess his authority. He couldn't control life, he knew that, but how was punishing Gabriella, the most innocent girl in the world, anywhere close to being fair? That question, was the fuel of his frustration.
3. Anger.
Troy realized, as he sat in the uncomfortable hospital chair, that Ethan Montez had almost succeeded in taking away everything that had made his life worthwhile. The butterflies Troy would feel every time he saw her were gone and he wasn't sure if he was ever going to feel them again. He had been stripped of being the luckiest man in the world; it was currently no longer his title, just sitting and waiting assured him of that. Her father had almost extinguished everything her presence had brought, every feeling that Troy felt towards her had been jeopardized. Ethan Montez was the firewood to his fire, the source of his anger, fury, rage and wrath. If Gabriella Montez never gave him her signature smile ever again, his anger would consume him…and his friends would bare witness to the creation of a whole new Troy Bolton.
4. Misery.
It was a feeling he was currently up to his neck in. He recalled how the initial intake of breath had gotten stuck in his throat when he had been told that Gabriella might not wake up. Then began the tightening of his chest, which in turn prevented revitalizing air to pass through his system. He had collapsed to his knees, his hands running over his face. A strong sensation of drowning triggered the deepest panic that had ever possessed him. Desperately he tried to breath, tried to get the dull throbbing pain in his head to stop. It was then that he realized something; if Gabriella Montez never woke up…misery would be his company for a very long time.
5. Fear.
It consumed his dreams whenever he shut his eyes, even if the moment was only for a second. Because the fact of the matter was, what if she didn't wake up? What if he was never going to see her dark chocolate eyes again? Her innocent smile? It was a fear that dwelled in the pit of his stomach, reaching up every so often to encircle itself around his heart. Most importantly, the fear was giving him doubts. He questioned everyone who told him she was going to be fine, because how did they know that? Troy was afraid that if he believed, if he assumed that she would be ok, that it would only condemn her to an unbearable fate. Troy Bolton was afraid he was going to lose Gabriella Montez……Forever.
"Troy," his blues eyes shot up at the sound of his best friends soothing voice, "you have to calm down."
"I'm in pieces Chad," Troy put his face in his hands, the rough gauze wrapped around his left forearm rubbing against his face. "Who you see right now, this image, its just scattered pieces without her. I feel like I'm being ripped in all different directions because she's not here to keep me together. She's the only one who can keep me whole; she's the only one Chad."
"Troy," his hands went to Troy's shoulders as he knelt in front of his friend, "She's going to be okay."
"How do you know that?" his blue eyes looked up from his hands, "I don't know how long I'll be able to last feeling like this. It just hurts, ever since I woke up its done nothing but hurt." he placed a hand over his heart, clenching the fabric of his t-shirt, "God, my heart."
"I'm not going to pretended like I know what you're going through, because I don't," Chad grip tightened on Troy's shoulders, "the only thing I can tell you is," Chad's arms wrapped around his friend, "You have to have faith. Because if you don't, how are we?"
"I'll try," he whispered into his friend's curly hair.
"That's all I ask," Chad said pulling away. "I can't stand you feeling guilty for what happened."
"I don't feel guilty," Troy denied more out of surprise than defense. How could Chad know that he felt guilty?
"Dude, I'm not stupid," Chad gave him a sidelong glance. "We've been like brothers since preschool. I can see it in your eyes."
Troy gave a sad smile; he couldn't hide anything from Chad. Either it was that or he was so blatantly obvious with his feeling that anyone could tell he was coming apart. Troy hand never felt like this before. Having no motivation to do anything except site outside her hospital room and wait. Truth be told, he hadn't actually gone in to see her, doing that, he convinced himself, would be his downfall. Chad must have seen the hesitation in his blue eyes, because his friend's voice was laced with sympathy.
"You haven't seen her since you woke up. Since you got cleared to go home." his voice was low. "Be with her now, it'll make both of you stronger."
"I'm afraid of seeing her vulnerable, because if she's vulnerable, there's a chance she might not wake up." He confessed, his eyes fixed on her hospital door. The room scared him, "As long as I'm out here, I can picture her being fine in my mind."
"You can't outrun reality," Chad's voice was pained. "No matter what condition you see her in; she's still your Gabriella."
"I know," he took a deep breath, his eyes still fixed on the door.
"Troy," Chad's strong hand was on his shoulder again, "She's completely alone in there. She needs you now more than ever."
He took a deep breath, his blue eyes closing, "Ok."
He stood, taking the two steps to the hospital room door. It was something he hadn't been able to do in hours, and standing in front of the room that held Gabriella's fate scared him to death. He now realized why he had been so tired waiting, the room had been draining his energy for the past four hours. He reached out hesitantly, taking a sharp intake of breath as his hand wrapped around the aluminum of the doorknob. The cold of the metal crawled up his forearm, spreading itself across his chest, almost as if the room itself wanted his soul. He shook the feelings away, biting back his fear as he turned the knob and entered.
The beeping was the first thing that penetrated his mind and his eyes automatically went to her EKG monitor. He took five steps into the room and froze. His eyes had found what his mind had been trying to deny, Gabriella's unconscious form in the hospital bed. He fought the strong urge to turn back around and walk out, but instead of walking out, he walked forward.
He was done leaving her.
An IV was stuck in her arm; a bag of dark red blood hanging next to it and a breathing mask covered her face. His blue eyes caught the gauzed wrapped around her should, showing just above the collar of her stark white hospital gown. He slumped into the chair on the left side of her bed, the window across from his showing the setting sun. His hand quickly and unconsciously reached for hers. He took a deep breath as he intertwined his fingers with hers, the first smile he had shown in days forming on his face.
Besides the steady beat of her heart, Gabriella looked as if she were only sleeping. But he knew she was in danger. Like he knew that there was a reasonable sized hole in her shoulder and a smaller one in her lower back. He didn't dwell on the thought, his eyes locked with her passive face.
It was in that moment that Troy Bolton confessed everything.
"I thought I could get through this on my own if I just kept telling myself to be strong. That if my strength grew, yours would too," he clasped her hand tightly, his face dropping down to face the floor, "I hadn't realized that you were my strength all along. You were what had kept me going. Why I wake up in the morning, why I tolerate school, it's all because of you. But without you, I now realize how much I've lost, how much of my life means absolutely nothing without you."
"You make sense of who I am Gabriella. You're the only person who knows who I really am, you're the only one who ever will," he gave a sad smile, his mind thinking back. "The first time we met, you remember? You said when we sang together that I wasn't the basketball guy, the playmaker, or the popular guy. You said that I was just a guy. But you were wrong. I wasn't just a guy to you; I know that now because you weren't just a girl to me."
"It's funny," he set his elbow on the side of the bed, taking her hand in both of his, "that you can go through life smiling and laughing, believing that your living it to the fullest, but it's not until you stand with someone different, yet so similar to you, that you get this overwhelming sense of belonging. You can't really expect it, because life isn't predictable, but when you stand in each others presence, your heart starts going and you get this feeling that I can't explain," he paused and smiled. "Like nothing else matters but the moment."
"Whenever I was around you, I felt like that. Felt like I belonged, like being with you was, is, my purpose in life. And I didn't understand it at first, because I was popular, and I thought that's all I needed to make life great, to make high school bearable. But I was wrong; because I didn't need anything or anyone else but you to make my life complete."
"And its kind of cliché, because I've seen it so many times before, and yet I still hadn't realized," he paused, his eyes shifting to her EKG monitor as he held back tears. "That the most important person in your life is usually the one right in front of you, and it's not until that person is no longer around that you realize their significance. When you can't see their smiling face or hear their uplifting laugh that you realize just how much you've lost." He gave up holding the tears in and let them fall, "That you don't realize what you have until it's threatening to be gone."
He took a deep breath, his eyes closing, "What I'm trying to say is, I love you. I can't picture my life without you. So that means I can't do this on my own. I've tried so hard to make this pain go away, but I'm coming to you in pieces, and you're the only one who can make me whole. You can't leave me here alone."
"I need you."
He waited, his hand tightening dangerously around hers. He would give anything to see her chocolate eyes in that moment. Anything for her to smile and laugh and just open her eyes, telling him she was going to be ok. He let his head drop to the floor, wishing that his life was a movie. That it was written in the scrip that she would open her eyes at the perfect moment, that she would assure him that she would be fine. He was brought back to his miserable life when someone knocked on the hospital room door.
"Can I come in?" Troy's head jerked up as the door opened. Sharpay gave him a sheepish smile as she entered. He sniffed; his hands moving up to wipe the tears from his face.
"Yeah," he cleared his throat, "Come on in."
She walked forward, but it wasn't the confident walk he was so used to. He cocked his head to the side slightly. She was fidgeting with her hands, her walk hesitant as she kept her gazer on the ground. He could tell she was deep in thought about something, and the thoughts were bothering her.
"Anything?" her voice was soft as she asked the question, her blue eyes trained on Gabriella's passive face.
"Nothing," Troy stated, shaking his head.
An awkward silence settled over the small hospital room.
Sharpay cleared her throat before Troy could break the silence, and then informed him randomly, "I got accepted to the London Centre of Contemporary Music in England."
Troy was surprised at the information, "What?" he stammered, then continued, "I didn't know you applied there." She nodded her head slightly. "When do you leave?"
"A month," she answered, her eyes shifting down to her fidgeting hands.
"Graduations in two weeks," he stated, surprised.
"I know," she answered turning her head to look out the window.
"Why are you leaving so soon?" he asked.
"I have to get a few things in order over there," she answered her eyes looking up to his face. "Like an apartment. I'm also going to need a car."
"England," he mused, "That's really far away Sharpay."
She gave a small laugh, "Yeah, but I figure that I've done so much damage here that I should start over," she paused and found Troy's confused face. "I've tried to ruin so many good lives here."
"Sharpay, what, you didn't," Troy tried to change her thinking.
She laughed again, "You don't have to be nice Troy, because I certainly haven't," he went to argue, but she stopped him, jogging his memory. "The winter musical. Your summer job. I actually did succeed in breaking you guys up, but like always, you found each other again." Troy shut his mouth and turned back to Gabriella. "What you and Gabriella share, Troy, only comes around once in a lifetime. It was foolish of me to try and keep you two from happiness just because I couldn't find my own."
He gave her a sad smile. The statement, however; only made his heart shatter into more pieces. It reminded him of all the moments he and Gabriella had shared together.
FLASH
New YearsHe took a deep breath, staring into her dark chocolate eyes. He then smiled, sticking out a hand, "Troy."
The smile she gave him made his heart beat faster and his cheeks burn red. He almost melted when her hand grasped tightly around his, "Gabriella."
FLASH
First Period, East High
He waited after first period, his foot pressed back against the wall. Chad exited, passing him, the Jason. His heart stopped as he saw her. He pushed himself off the wall, nearly sprinting to her form.
"Hey," he grabbed her arm delicately, almost melting at the feel of her under his hand.
"I don't," she was smiling, her eyes bright.
"Believe it," he finished for her.
"Well me," she was still smiling.
"Either," he finished for her again, then asked "But how?"
"Well, my moms company transferred her here to Albuquerque." she paused and smile, the dimple in her cheeks showing, "I can't believe you live here. I looked for you at the lodge on New Years Day."
"I know," he whispered, pushing her arm slightly as they started to walk, "we had to leave first thing."
"Why are you whispering?" she asked him with a smile, eyebrows raised.
"What?" he whispered, then straightened, clearing his throat, "Oh, well, my friends know about the snowboarding," he paused again, leaning closer to her as his voice lowered, "umm, I haven't quite told them about the singing thing."
"To much for them to handle?" she asked jokingly turning to smile at him.
"O, no, it was cool," he smiled, inclining his head to her. "But you know my friends, its ahh, not what I do," he paused. "That was like, a different person." He went to continue but Gabriella cut him off, walking to his left towards another hallway.
He smiled before following her. It was going to be an interesting year.
FLASH
Roof, East High
"I saw the way you treated Kelsi at the auditions," she stated, walking behind him and towards the bench, "Do your friends know that guy?"
He gave a hopeless laugh, "To them I'm the playmaker dude."
"Then they don't know enough about you, Troy," her voice was soft as she sat down on a bench. "At my other schools, I was the freaky math girl. It's cool coming her and being," she paused, shrugged her shoulders and smiling, "Anyone I want to be." The smile tuned innocent as her eyes brightened, "When I was singing with you, I just felt like, a girl."
He turned to her, a small smile crawling on his face. He pointed to her, "You even looked like one to."
She laughed and he sat down next to her on the bench.
"Do you remember in kindergarten," she asked, turning to him, "How you'd meet a kid and know nothing about them, then ten seconds later you're playing like you were best friends, because you didn't have to be anything but yourself."
"Yeah," he agreed.
"Singing with you felt like that," she confessed, still smiling.
He smiled too, then following her, confessed. "Well, I never thought about singing, that's for sure," he paused biting his lip, "Or you."
"So you really want to do the callbacks?" she asked blushing.
"Hey," he licked his lips and clapped his hands. "Just call me freaky callback boy."
Her laugh made his insides melt, and she gave him the smile he could stare at for hours, "You're a cool guy Troy," she paused and shook her head. "But not for the reasons your friends think, and thanks for showing me your top secret hiding place," she smiled again and he turned to her, "Like kindergarten."
The bell rang and they both gave exhausted sighs. He grabbed her hand unconsciously, leading eh down the stairs of the roof and back to reality.
FLASH
Gym, East High
The basketball was rough in his hands. He exhaled and shot, hearing the swish of the net moments after.
"Wow," her voice broke through his thoughts over the bouncing of the ball. He turned and smiled as she opened her arms wide, "So this is your real stage."
He gave a small laugh, "Yeah. I guess you could call it that." She motioned with her hand that she wanted the ball and he gave it to her, "Or it's a smelly gym."
He watched as she lined up, smiling as she bit on her tongue in concentration. She bounced the ball once, catching it, and then shot.
"Whoa," he smiled as the clean swoosh sounded in the gym, "Don't tell me you're good at hoops too."
She went and picked up the ball, then turned to face him, "you know, I once scored 41 points in a league championship game." She cocked her head, waiting for his response.
"No way," he stated shocked, placing his hands on his hips.
"Yep," her arms tightening around the basketball. "And In the same day I invented the space shuttle and microwave popcorn." She smiled, when he rolled his eyes and looked away.
"Microwave popcorn," he gave a fake laugh, reaching for the basketball, "very funny."
He took another shot as she spoke, "I've been rehearsing with Kelsi."
"Me too, and um," he looked at her, holding the basketball under his arm, his voice turning serious, "By the way, I missed practice, so if I get kicked off the team it should be on your conscious." He went to shoot again.
Her head cocked backwards and she sent a hand to her chest, trying to defend herself, "Hey, I wasn't the one who told you----."
He canceled his shot, holding the basketball in his right hand as he tilted his head to the side, a smile on his face, "Gabriella, chill."
She sighed, realizing he was kidding. She let her shoulders drop as she lunged for the basketball. She grabbed it and faked right, scooting backward and away from him.
"Hey, that's traveling," he pointed out as he perused her, "No, that's really bad traveling."
He hooked his arms around her waist as she let out a small squeak. He lifted her up and off the gym floor, spinning her around as she laughed. She was light in his arms and he couldn't help but smile.
FLASH
Backyard, Gabriella's House
He had to redeem himself, so he reached for his razor, flipped it open and held it to his ear.
"Hello?" her voice was soft, hurt. And it killed him that he was the cause of her pain.
"What you heard the other day, none of that is true. I was sick of my friends riding me about singing with you so I said things I knew would shut them up," he was out of breath, but he had to convince her, he had to get her back, "I didn't mean any of it."
"You sounded pretty convincing to me," his eyes shot up as the light in her room turned on.
He made his way towards a tall tree, the branches shooting up to end right at over the balcony. He hesitated for only a second, "Listen, the guy you met on vacation is way more me than the guy who said those stupid things."
"Troy the whole singing thing is making the school whack," she argued, "you said so yourself, everyone's treating you differently because of it."
"Maybe, that's because I don't want to only be the basketball guy anymore. They can't handle it, that's not my problem, its there's." It was really difficult scaling a tree while having a conversation, but he knew he had to pull it off.
"But your dad," she pointed out, her voice giving up hope.
"And its not about my dad," he argued, a branch slapping him in the face, "This is about how I feel, and I'm not letting the team down, they let me down," his voice turned confident, "So I'm going to sing, what about you?"
"I don't know Troy," her voice wasn't confident like he was used to hearing.
"Well, you need to say yes," he paused, sighing mentally as he made it over the balcony boarder, "Because I brought you something."
"What do you mean?"
"Turn around," he kept his face passive as she turned. He dropped the cell phone from his ear as she made her way towards him. He took a deep breath as she opened the glass door.
"This could be the start of something new," he sang, "It feels so right to be here with you, ohhh," he continued as she gave him the smallest of smiles, "And now looking in your eyes, I feel in my heaaaart, the start of something…new." He spoke the last word as her eyes threatened to water.
"It's a pairs audition," he held up the sheet music, holding his breath as she smiled and nodded her head, stepping closer to him and onto the balcony. She took the music from his hand and walked past. He let out a breath and turned to follow, his eyes locking with hers. She was back and he could finally start living again.
END"She's going to be ok." Sharpay close voice pulled him from his thoughts.
"How can you be so sure," he asked his voice soft. "When I don't even know myself." The next thing he knew, Sharpay's hand was wrapped tightly around his and she was kneeling next to him.
"She's going to be ok," Sharpay paused as he looked up into her eyes, her voice strong. "Because Gabriella knows what she has here, she knows how much she means to you, and she's not going to leave you."
He gave her a questioning look and she stood up, "I overheard you talking to her before I came in," she confessed and gave an apologetic smile, then asked, "Was it true?"
He looked to her, and then whispered, "Every word."
"Then I envy you Troy Bolton," the statement surprised him, "because you've found the one thing I haven't," she paused, a smile forming on her face, "True Love."
Troy's hand unconsciously tightened around Gabriella's, a small smile forming on his face. True Love, he hadn't really thought about calling it that.
"That's why I'm going so far away," the blond drew back his attention, "I want to find it Troy, and though I hate to admit it, you apparently aren't my type, because I've never felt that way around you. I love you as a friend, don't get me wrong, but you're already taken." she gave a sad laugh. "I have to get away, start over and get a clean slate."
He gave her a surprised smile as he contemplated the current conversation. Sharpay Evens was no longer the Ice Queen. She was a friend. A good friend.
"I've spent so much time ruining lives," she paused, her eyes staring at the floor as she thought back on the past. "That I figured I should finally complete one, you know?"
"Sharpay," he tried to think of words, but couldn't. "I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything, I'm just glad you listened," as she turned to go, it hit him. Sharpay Evens was saying goodbye and after all she had done to him, he didn't want her to leave. It was the first time in three hours that he let go of Gabriella's hand as he stood up. Sharpay turned as she heard him get up, but wasn't prepared when Troy wrapped his arms around her.
"I don't want you to go," he whispered into her shoulder. It was the truth. Now that one of his friends was leaving, being alone was coming extremely to close, "It seems like I'm loosing everyone."
"You aren't loosing me and you aren't loosing her," he could hear the reassurance in her voice, "I'll come back, its only collage, and she'll wake up soon."
"But how----." She cut him off as she pulled away.
"Don't start that again, Troy," she gave him a sidelong glance, "You have to have faith." She gave him a little push back towards his chair.
"Everyone's been telling me that," he grumbled as he plopped down into the uncomfortable chair.
"You should be listening to them," she tilted her head, one eyebrow rising as she smiled, "A person like this only comes to you once in a lifetime; you need to hold on and protect her."
"But that's just it, I didn't protect her," he shut his eyes, recalling the feeling of leaving her to rot in that damn basement. How his heart had torn in half when he had seen her still body. He hadn't protected her.
"Troy," Sharpay's voice was almost angry. "She's here, not stuck in some secluded cabin in the woods bleeding to death with her son of a bitch father," she spoke stronger as she walked towards him again, placing a delicate hand on his shoulder. "You brought her back. You didn't give up on her. You saved her," he went to argue, but she put up a hand, "You protected her."
"How is this," he stood from his chair, his arms opening wide, "protecting her?"
"Would you rather her be down there?" the blond pointed straight down to the ground.
"No," he replied sitting back down.
"You need to stop blaming yourself for what happened," he could hear the aggravation in her voice. "You didn't leave her."
"Yes I did," he whispered.
"Don't be silly." she was getting impatient. "You didn't leave her."
"YES I DID!" he bellowed, his voice cracking. She backed away and gave him a questioning look. He just shut his blue eyes, standing and turned away.
"Troy," she was hesitant, "What are you talking about?"
"I left her Sharpay!" his voice cracked again. "When we were in the basement, she was hurt. She told me to get away, so I left her."
"You left to get help," she was fighting a loosing battle.
"But I still left her!" he wasn't seeing reason. "And when I came back, like I promised I would, she was so…looked so…" he was shaking his head, the memories hurting to much. "There was blood everywhere, God; I really thought she was dead. The way she was just staring off into nothingness." He was crying, he was crying in front of her.
To say that Sharpay Evans was out of her element would be an understatement. She had no idea how to handle the current situation. So, she did the only thing she thought would help. She walked forward and wrapped her arms around the shaking body. She was surprised when he hugged her back, tightly. Troy was sobbing into her shoulder; she could feel the tears soaking her cloths.
"Breath, breath," she patted and rubbed his back awkwardly. She had to get him to calm down. "Troy, it's not your fault."
"How is it not?" she could barley understand the words.
"What happened three days ago was completely out of your control," she paused as he took a deep breath, "Gabriella owes you her life."
"She doesn't owe me anything," his hands went to wipe away the last of his tears. He was finally getting a hold of himself.
"How can you feel so guilty, yet not accept the fact that you saved her life?" Sharpay's eyebrows were raised.
"Because her life wouldn't have been in danger if I hadn't---," she cut him off, her voice turning annoyed.
"Don't you dare say you put her in danger," she took a controlling breath, lowering her finger from in front of his face. "Her father was the one that put both of your lives in danger."
"I didn't get her out of there unhurt," he whispered.
"You got her out of there alive," Sharpay countered as she dragged him to sit back in the chair. Her right hand wrapped around Gabriella's while her left moved Troy's forward. "I really don't think this whole breakdown is because you're mad at yourself for leaving," she paused as her amber eyes locked with his blue ones, "You're scared that she won't forgive you for leaving."
His eyes were downcast when he answered, "…yes…"
"Then I say you're stupid, Troy," she didn't bother to hide the anger in her voice as she stood up and walked away from him.
"What the hells that supposed to mean!" he was standing as well, and Sharpay smiled. At least the old Troy was back.
"What I meant to say," Sharpay corrected herself, taking a deep breath, "was that I think you know the answer and you just can't understand why."
"What?" he looked at her as if she was speaking a different language.
She rolled her eyes, Boys, and then explained. "You know that she's going to forgive you, because that's just, Gabriella, but you can't understand why, because you "left her" and didn't "get her out in one piece", so how on earth can she forgive you? Am I wrong?"
"…no…" he answered, taking his seat for the second time.
"Then, this is something you have to understand, Troy," she took a step forward. "No matter what you did in the beginning, whether you think it wrong or not, in the end, you got her out of there alive, and that's all that matters."
She watched as he sat in silence, she could see the raging battle going on in his head. Sharpay was floored at how he could blame himself for so much but accept so little in return. He gave the slightest of nods after a few minutes and she backed away towards the door.
Troy's eyes shifted to the door as Sharpay paused, "I'm telling Ryan about England tomorrow," she paused again, and then turned back around, "Don't tell the others, I don't want me leaving to be a big deal. I don't even think the news would get a reaction out of them, maybe just a small cheer," she gave a laugh and turned back to leave.
"Sharpay, thank you," he watched as her long blond hair spun as she turned, "And I hope you find what you're looking for, in England," His voice was soft, his head giving the slightest of nods as he locked with her amber eyes.
"And I hope you hold on to what you have," Her amber eyes brightened as she gave him a reassuring smile, "She's something special, Troy."
"I know," Troy turned back to Gabriella as the door closed.
He smiled and took her hand in his, getting ready for another long wait, but he had a renewed confidence, coming from the most unexpected place. And as he sat in the bleach white hospital room, he realized that anything really was possible.
The renewal of his life just had to start with Gabriella waking up.
.-.-.- Insert Content Music -.-.-.
(Review! I have nothing against people who like Troypay parings; I just don't like writing them. I think Sharpay has more potential to be a really good best friend, because it's so unexpected, then a girlfriend. But that's just me.)
