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The boys are back, hey
The boys are back
The boys are back...gonna do it again
Gonna wake up the neighbor hood
The boys are back, yeah
The boys are back
Climbing up the walls, any time we want
The word is out, the boys are back
The boys are back
Back to save the day
The boys are back, oh yeah

-- The Boys Are Back, by Zac Efron and Corbin Bleu (High School Musical 3 Soundtrack)

I woke up the next morning to the feeling of something on my face, and an empty spot next to me. I groaned and pulled whatever was on my face off. I soon figured out it was a post-it note. I blinked my eyes to read it.

Call the firehouse when you wake up. I love you, and don't worry, I'll be fine. Troy.

I rubbed my eyes and sat up before looking over at the alarm clock. 10:48. "Don't tell me what I'm gonna do when you're not even here," I mumbled to myself, getting out of bed and stretching. Always the defiant one, I took a long hot shower first, and got ready for the day before calling him. I dressed in a pair of dark skinny jeans, and a light medium blue top that had straps and big faded white flowers on it that reached the top of my jeans. Along with that I wore a long silver chain with a G hanging off it, my promise ring, white heels, and put my hair in soft waves. It was almost noon when I called.

I had to talk to Dan for a few minutes, which I didn't mind. I love Dan, he's really nice, and at times acts like a father of sorts to Troy. He's the guy Troy will call if he needs a real, serious opinion. When Troy answered the phone he was laughing. "Hey," he greeted mid-laugh, and a shout was heard in the background. They're like a bunch of middle schoolers down there. "You're up late."

I smiled because he was laughing. "I woke up more than an hour ago, I got your note, though," I replied, playing with my long necklace. "Nice way for me to get it," I told him sarcastically.

"Whenever I write one and put it some where else, you say you didn't see it. At least you saw this one," he responded. "I wanted to you call so I could see how you were, I wanted to talk to you last night, but I was just so tired," he added.

I nodded even though he couldn't see me. "I know, Troy," I assured him. "You can't even try to convince me you're going to be fine when you get home, me and Sharpay are going shopping," I reminded him, sighing.

"What do you mean try and convince you, I'm a very persuasive person," he defended. "Do you think Sharpay can have you home around seven thirty anyways?" he wondered. "I was thinking maybe we can stay in, I can make dinner, and we can make a date out of it," he explained.

"Yeah, I don't think we need five hours to shop today," I told him. It can take Sharpay more than that sometimes.

I heard someone else talking to him. "No. Fine. Brie, Tommy says hi," he told me, and I laughed a little. "Actually, everyone says hi, and Nick told me to tell you that if your sisters ever get divorced to send them his way," he added. "I told him they're both happily married, but he doesn't seem to get it. He found a picture of your family in the apartment and thinks your sisters are hott," he went on.

"Tell them all I said hi, and that Nick he can have fun with that fantasy," I replied and listened as he relayed the message to the firehouse.

"I gotta go, babe, okay? I love you, and I'll be fine so don't even worry about me," he told me.

I took in a deep breath. "I love you too, bye," I said before hanging up. When three rolled around, I had texted Sharpay and she was fine with being home by seven, and I was talking to Damien, my gay friend from Florida, on the phone. "Damien, just because I didn't remember Angelo's name doesn't mean I don't care that you guys broke up," I was telling him when Troy walked in the door with Tommy, Landon, and Nick behind him. I smiled at Troy and his friends then payed attention to what Damien was saying.

"Yes it does, you don't care about me and my life ever since you and your Greek God got back together. Not all of us are that lucky, you know," Damien replied, and I kissed Troy on the lips before going into the kitchen.

"Damien, you're avoiding the subject of me telling you why Angelo broke up with you," I told him, sitting on a stool and watched the guys talk about work or something. "And stop calling my boyfriend hott, it's weird when it comes from a guy even though it's true," I added, and Troy looked up at me, so I smiled at him.

There was a pause from Damien. "It's not weird, it's a complement, you have a hott boyfriend, you should be proud. I have no one, Shyanne didn't even call me when she got engaged, she called you before she called her mother," he replied.

"You don't have no one, you have me and all your friends, and I'm Shyanne's best friend, so of course she called me. She did call you, you were the forth, hunny, be proud of that," I told him. "The only reason Angelo broke up with you because well, Dame, you're clingy," I confessed, and he gasped. "Don't do that, you are, the day I met you you slept in my dorm because you didn't want to leave," I reminded him.

"That is another complement. You're so amazing I didn't want to leave your presence, love," he responded. He's Australian, and only moved to the states when he was thirteen, so he still has the accent. "If I'm clingy, why am I only finding out now?" he questioned.

I shrugged even though he couldn't see me. "I don't know, I didn't really mind. You left me alone eventually, you're just clingy at first, it stops after a while. You just didn't get to that point yet with Angelo," I explained to him. "So, screw him, he didn't see how amazing you are, go find someone who does," I ordered. "Get dressed up, go to your favorite gay club, and bring a boy or two home with you," I suggested. "It's fun, and if you see Angelo, ignore him and flirt with someone while he is watching. And when you finally meet the man who you want to be with, you are now aware of your clingyness, so you can stop it before it happens," I finished.

"You are wonderful, a true goddess," Damien cooed to me. "I love you, and have to go, I'll call you tomorrow and tell you how my night went. Bye, love," he said and hung up.

I closed my phone and faked a pout. "Why does everyone hang up the phone before I say I love them too?" I asked, and Troy got up to come over to me.

Once he made it to me, he closed the wooden curtain so his friends couldn't see us. "Maybe because they already know you do," he guessed before kissing me. I opened my legs so he could walk into them and get closer to me. I looped my arms around his neck when he bent down to kiss me easier, and held him close. When we finally pulled apart in the need for oxygen, he rested his forehead on mine. "Do you need to check me over for injuries?" he asked. "I'm fine you know, nothing bad happened at work today."

"This isn't funny, Troy," I replied. "I worry about when you leave if I'll ever see you again, and you are just joking about it," I stated, annoyed, and unlooped my arms from around his neck.

"Because I know you'll see me again," he told me. "This is why we're staying in tonight, we're going to talk about all of this, okay?" he said, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear and I nodded. "Oh, you should know, you're looking really sexy right now," he informed me, causing me to smile. "I'm gonna change, go kick their asses in video games for five minutes," he suggested, and kissed me again.

I went out into the living room to find the guys playing video games, and discussing something. "It's true," Tommy insisted, and looked up at me. "Gabi, were you a cheerleader in high school?" he asked me as I sat down on the couch.

I laughed. "Uh, no," I answered. "I hated cheerleaders, and they hated me," I assured them. "When you date the hottest guy in school, a lot of girls hate you," I clarified.

"Ha!" Landon said from the ground where he was sitting. "I told you, not all hott girls were cheerleaders just because Tanya was," he told him. "My girlfriend wasn't," he stated.

"Troy was the hottest guy in school?" Nick questioned, laughing a little.

I nodded. "Damn right," I said with a proud smile and nod. "A lot of girls hated me, especially the head cheerleader," I told them. "I almost got into a lot of fights," I added as Troy walked down the hall wearing a dark blue button up that was left open with a white v-neck t-shirt underneath, and blue jeans along with black shoes.

"Over what?" he wondered, sitting down in the middle of me and Tommy.

"You, apparently you ruled high school," Landon answered, pressing a button on his controller intensely. "Damn it, Tommy!" he exclaimed as Tommy laughed.

Troy chuckled and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "I loved when you poured a bottle of water on Becky and told her bitches were supposed to melt," he told me, and I shook my head at him with a smile.

"I didn't do that, Sharpay did, I was about to slap her," I corrected him, kissing the edge of his mouth. "Tommy thinks that the only hott girls were cheerleaders," I mentioned, leaning into Troy.

"Do you still have that t-shirt with my last name on it?" Troy wondered, ignoring what I said about hott girls and cheerleaders, I'm assuming because he knows it's false. "I liked that shirt," he commented to himself, pushing his hair out of his eyes.

I thought about it for a second. "I think it's in a box at my mom's, actually," I told him just as the front door opened and Zeke walked in. "Hey," I greeted and he nodded.

"Have fun today, Sharpay's in one of her moods," he informed me, and I groaned as Troy laughed.

"Thanks for the warning," I replied, and kissed Troy on the lips. "Mm, miss me, okay?" I told him, and he just kissed me again.

"Always," he said, and I smiled. "You really should find that shirt," he remarked as I stood up.

I nodded. "Uh huh," I muttered, picking up my black purse and threw it over my shoulder. I bent down and kissed him one last time. "You guys have fun playing video games and talking about your sex lives," I told them, and they nodded. "Love you," I said looking in Troy's direction, but everyone said it back to me, including him, making me shake my head. "Bye." I rode the elevator down, put my sunglasses on before I went outside, and saw that Sharpay was parked in her new Audi right out front. She got rid of the pink convertible. "Hey, Shar," I said with a smile, and she glanced at me.

"Hi," she replied, and peered back at the road. She has yet to start the car.

I raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Uh, I thought we were going shopping," I said, and she looked over at me.

"Oh, just because I'm blond the only thing I want to do is shop? Maybe there is more to me than that. Of course, all Zeke thinks I am good for is being a bitch," she told me. Wow, verbal attack.

I turned in my seat. "I know you aren't only good for shopping, there is more to you than that, and I know Zeke doesn't only think you're good for being a bitch," I informed her, pushing my aviator sunglasses on top of my head. "We just planned to go shopping because I wanted to get some shoes and a purse or something, and you wanted lingerie," I reminded her.

She scoffed. "Yeah, because I'm really going to need lingerie. Zeke's never going to want to touch me again," she mumbled a reply, and I got really confused.

"Okay, Shar, I'm going to need a little info if I can help you out here," I said, crossing my legs.

She looked over at me, and I saw that tears formed in her eyes. "I went to the doctor's today," she started,and my worry meter shot through the roof. "They tested my blood, and he said I was fine, the added on 'oh yeah, you're pregnant, congrats' how is that congratulations?" she asked, a tear fell from her eye. "I'm two and a half months pregnant, and I didn't notice. I'm not married, I don't know how to be a mom, what will mymom think?" she rambled on to herself, crying. "How do I tell Zeke? This morning he was talking about opening up his own restaurant, how do I tell him he can't because he's going to be a Dad?"

"Why wouldn't he be able to just because your pregnant?" I responded. "Sweetie, this isn't the end of the world. You may not be married but who cares? Your parents will accept it eventually, and your going to be a great mom," I assured her. "When did you even get pregnant? And how didn't you notice not getting your period almost three times?" I wondered.

She shrugged. "Zeke came out an visited me in New York before school ended, I am starting up my own business, I've been busy. It's not exactly a secret that me and Zeke have been going at it lately, either," she told me. "God, how do I tell him? You have experience in this," she said.

"Yeah, in miscarriages, don't ask me for advice," I replied. "Here is what we are going to do. I'm going to go back up to my apartment, send Zeke down here, and you're going to tell him that he is going to be an amazing Dad, because you're going to be the best Mom ever," I told her. "Then, you are either going to go home, or out to get food to talk about it, okay?" I finished, and she nodded, wiping her tears.

I pulled her into a hug and she laughed into my shoulder. "Why do we always do this in cars?" she asked, making me laugh too. "Thanks, Gabi," she said when we parted.

I nodded. "Don't worry about it, I owed it to you anyways," I mentioned with a small smile. "I'm going to get him, and he won't totally freak out, I know he won't," I reassured her, getting out of the car. I went back upstairs, and to me and Troy's apartment. "Hi, everyone," I greeted, putting my purse on the bar before going over to Zeke and yanking him to his feet. "Okay, my friend, you are going to go downstairs, get in your girlfriend's car, and listen to what she says. If you make her cry in a bad way at all, not only will I put a stiletto through your eyes, Troy will beat your ass," I informed him, and he looked over at Troy. "Don't look at him, he has no choice, he'll do it. Now go," I urged, shoving him out the door.

"Uh, Brie, why am I beating Zeke's ass?" Troy questioned from the couch as I walked by him to the windows.

I opened one and stuck my head out of it. "Because I said so, when you know the reason, you'll happily do it," I replied, craning my neck to see Sharpay's Audi. "Why do we have to live on the top floor?" I asked in a whine, and felt Troy pull me back in. "I was doing something," I said, putting my hand on my hip.

"Yeah, and now you're telling me why I might beat Zeke's ass," he told me, putting his hands on my sides.

I grabbed his shirt and pulled him to me so his ear was at my mouth. "Sharpay's pregnant," I whispered in his ear, and let him go.

He blinked a second. "Then, yeah, I'll probably beat his ass if he makes her cry," he stated, and I smiled. I have a good boyfriend. "Why do you and Sharpay always tell each other before your boyfriends?" he wondered, scratching his head as I closed the window.

"I was different, I was in high school, she is perfectly capable of doing this the right way," I replied, kissing him on the cheek. "I'm not going to intrude guys day, I think Vince has a Val problem to talk about, AJ has a girl down the street to ask out with my help, and I have two new nephews to see, along with the older ones," I told him, and began to walk backward towards my purse, and he followed. "So, I'm really going to go now, I'll be home at seven thirty." I kissed him, and he wrapped his arms around my waist.

"I love you," he muttered and kissed me again.

I pulled away. "I love you, too," I replied, grabbing my purse.

"I wish you could stay," he mumbled against my lips as we walked to the door, well I walked backwards. "But, you have to go so I can get the apartment ready," he told me, stopping at the door. "Romantic date and all, our apartment is a mess, I have to do something with it."

I smiled and ran a hand down his chest. "If you needed it clean, you could have told me on the phone. I would have cleaned up today," I responded, stepping closer to him. "What are you making for dinner, anyways?" I asked, cocking my head to the side.

"That is for me to know, and you to find out. Go, have fun with your siblings," he encouraged, opening the door. "And, don't come home until seven thirty," he told me, kissing me one last time before pushing me out the door. "I love you!"
he shouted through the door, making me smile. I yelled it back and went on down the hall.

First, I went to my mom's, only to figure out she was gone, along with Richard. So, I hung out with my brothers, and Belle, and my nieces and nephews. I talked to Vince about Val, convinced AJ to finally ask the girl down the street out, and went to see Serena. Robbie and Ana were out, they haven't left town yet, and Serena loved the company. Apparently she was about to kill Ana. I got a phone call from Kelsi, and talked to her for about an hour and a half. Ryan got a small part on Broadway, and we all couldn't be more proud of him.

I came home around seven twenty something and found a clean apartment, the coffee table with pillows around it, and candles on it. The place smelt of garlic, and I followed the smell into the kitchen. "You're early," Troy stated, seeing me immediately. He left the pot of spaghetti sauce he was stirring and greeted me with a kiss.

"And you're perfect," I replied, noticing the clean kitchen too. "How did you clean everything up in like four hours, plus make dinner?" I wondered, linking our hands together.

"I even cleaned the bathroom," he said, and I kissed the corner of his mouth. "Tommy owed me some help, so he did the living room, and some of the kitchen while I did the laundry and the bathroom, then finished the kitchen, and made it look romantic," he informed me. "I started dinner some where in all of that," he added.

I nodded. "Well, because of all of this I'm going to do something nice for you at some point this week," I told him, and he grinned.

"Like what?" he asked, stepping even closer to me so our chests were touching.

I shrugged. "I'm sure I'll think of something," I answered just as a timer went off and he went over to the oven while I walked over to a stool and sat down. "Do you need help with anything?" I questioned, crossing my legs.

He shook his head, turning the oven off. "Nope," he assured me, looking over the speghetti sauce, noodles, and garlic bread. "It's all done. What you can do is go out the the living room and sit down on one of the pillows," he told me, ushering me out of the kitchen.

I faked a pout while I lowered myself onto a comfy pillow and waited. Troy first brought out two glasses of wine because this is a romantic dinner, then two plates of spaghetti with meatballs along with a plate of garlic bread. "You're the best boyfriend in the whole entire world, you know that right?" I asked as his hand slid onto my thigh and he shrugged. "No, you are," I insisted before kissing him. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me, Brie," he replied, squeezing my thigh gently. "I like doing this stuff for you, I like making you smile. I guess the guys would call me a pussy for saying that, but I don't care," he told me. "No," Troy said half an hour later.

I nodded. "Come on! I've wanted to do it since I was five," I reminded him, grabbing one of the last noddles off my plate. "Please," I pleaded, sticking my lower lip out.

"Give me this," he groaned, taking one end of the noodle and put it in his mouth. I smiled, and sucked the noodle into my mouth until my lips met Troy's. The noodle broke apart and I pulled away from Troy to chew.

"Aw, not we are like Lady and the Tramp," I cooed, kissing Troy on the cheek.

He smiled. "You done?" he asked, gesturing to the plates. I nodded and grabbed the last piece of garlic bread. "Stay here, I'll bring this in," he told me, getting up and brought in all the dirty dishes. I finished my bread and was sipping the wine when Troy came back out. He went straight to the stereo, and put a CD in. He walked over to me as the song started and held his hand out. I recognized the song as me and Troy's song, I'm Yours by Jason Mraz. "Come here," he urged, and I took his hand. He pulled me close and started slow dancing with me around the room.

He squeezed my hand softly as we moved, and I smiled. "You know, I love that we're one of those adorably cheesy couples," I confessed, letting him take the lead. "I'd rather be one of the happy couples then the one who fights twenty four seven," I told him.

"Yeah, me too, looking up cheesy lines to say to you is kinda fun also," he replied, and I smiled. "We have to talk about it, you know, " he added, and I avoided eye contact. "I remember the first time I ever saw you," he informed me. "Chad had been telling me about his best friend named Gabriella, but I'd never seen your face. He never showed me any pictures, just said that you were awesome, and I was going to love you as soon as I saw you," Troy started to tell me. "I don't know if he knows how literal he was," he told me, as he continued to move me around the room. "I met his friends, I don't know, Sharpay seemed a little too intense for me, so I really wasn't into her, but Chad kept reminding me that I hadn't met you yet. I figured that since you were one of Chad's best friends you were some tomboy I really wouldn't care about. I was so nice, right?" he went on. "Then I heard this voice calling out Chad's name, and I don't know, it was just something about it, he smiled and ran out to see you. Then he called me over. When I saw you, damn," he commented, smiling.

I shook my head at him. "I was still a major geek when we met," I reminded him.

He shrugged. "I didn't think so. You were wearing these dark jeans, and a white t-shirt with a black zip up hoodie over top. You looked so beautiful, and when you saw me, you blushed. I immediately thought 'I have to get to know this girl' and I don't know, maybe it could have been love at first sight, the cheesy side of me is saying yes. I'm surprised I didn't tell you I love you on our first date, we did move kind of fast," he mentioned, and our dance was slowing, our song was over, and some other one was playing.

"Our first date was fun though," I told him. "We went to The Spot for dinner, and then to a movie, and I don't remember anything about the movie because all I could think about was the fact that you were touching me," I admitted, and he chuckled lightly. "I like that we moved fast because we never really had an awkward period. We went from me trying to ignore my feeling for you, to being together, to being in love, and I wouldn't change anything," I said. "I might have toned down on the drama, but other than that, it was perfect," I corrected.

He smiled, and pulled me over to the couch. He sat down on it, and tugged me down so I was straddling his lap. Taking advantage of the position, I took off my shoes, and my jewelry and put them on the table next to us seeing as the coffee table still housed a million candles. The candles were now the only light in the room. When I was done, he slipped his arms around my waist. "Brie, nothing is going to happen to me," he stated right off the bat. "We live in Albuquerque, not New York City, and there is more than one firehouse in the area, not just mine. We don't even just respond to fires. There are car accidents, things like that, and false alarms. Even if things do get out of hand, I have a whole team behind me, helping me, they won't let anything happen horrible to me, just like I won't let anything really bad happen to them," he told me. "You don't have to worry, I don't like that you do."

"I don't want to either, I just- I can't lose you again," I whispered. "You're my everything, and it was hard living without you the first time, and I can't do it again. It's different now, we're different, we're better. When we broke up in college, it was hard, and I felt like crap everyday, especially after what happened to me. But it was different knowing you were still out there somewhere, you had a chance to be happy, and have a life, if I'm without you now it will be because.." I trailed off and cleared my throat. "I can't do it again, Troy, I won't," I stated.

"You're not going to have to," he assured me, running a hand through my hair, and left it at the back of my head.

I shook my head and rested my forehead on his. "But something has to go wrong," I said in a weak voice. "You're perfect, we're perfect, I've never been so in love Troy. I mean, in high school what we had was amazing, but it's different now. We're older, we live together, we share everything, and you're the other half of me. That's cliche, but I don't care, it' true, Troy, so something has to go wrong. If we aren't going to break up or let anything come in between us, then something like this has to happen," I told him.

"You think that two people can't just be perfectly happy together without something happening?" he questioned in a low voice.

I nodded slightly. "With the world how it is, yeah. We haven't exactly had the easiest relationship with all the drama we had in high school, and really, have you seen the divorce rate?" I asked.

"What does the divorce rate even have to do with us? We're not married," he reminded me. Yeah, I know, I'm not retarded. "We had drama in high school, but babe, it's high school, you're supposed to," he told me. "You're right, what we have is different, and better than anything I've ever felt before, and I didn't think that was possible in high school. Nothing is going to happen to us or me just because we're happy. I'm not going to let anything take me away from you, I'm going to be here until we're one hundred something and lived our lives to the fullest," he said.

"So, you think we're going to end like The Notebook did?" I wondered with a small smile.

He shook his head. "We aren't going to end in death, we still have the whole afterlife thing to do," he replied, and I smiled. He pressed his lips against mine in a heated kiss, and slowly layed me down on the couch on my back, while I took his shirt off.

We woke up the next morning on the couch, the candles out, blankets over us, and the sun shining through the windows. "We really should remember blinds when we do this," I mumbled into Troy's chest and buried my face in it. Troy just stayed quiet and ran a hand up my bare side. "What are you thinking about?" I asked, creaking my eyes open to look at him, he was already looking at me.

He smiled. "Your skin in really soft," he answered, making me laugh. "What? You asked, that was what I am thinking," he defended. "What time is it?" he questioned, looking around the a clock. He reached over and grabbed my phone to see. "It's twelve," he said, putting my phone back down. "We waste half the day every time we sleep in," he groaned, stretching.

"Just think of it as we live half the day at night," I rephrased, causing him to smile. "I was thinking, I should ask Zeke to teach me how to cook," I informed him, and he raised an eyebrow. "Well, I suck, and eventually, in a couple years, I'll have to go all domestic when we have kids," I told him.

He kissed my neck. "Do what you want, but you won't have to go all domestic when we have kids, I like you the way you are," he replied. "Plus, they'll have me, and a phone to order takeout," he teased, and I rolled my eyes.

"I think I might like cooking," I said seriously. "And, I talked his pregnant girlfriend down from a Sharpay style crying and sad fest, he owes me," I added.

"Speaking of Sharpay, shouldn't you have called her last night or something?" he asked, and I shrugged.

I flattened my hand out against his chest. We're still on the couch, duh, and he's on his back while I'm on my side leaning into him with the back of the couch behind me. "I figured her and Zeke would be busy talking, I'll call her later today," I responded, and he nodded.

"I know your miscarriage is behind us, and it happened for a reason, but do you ever think about how different our lives would be?" he inquired, and I nodded slightly. "We would probably be married already, it would have been after you had the baby so you could plan it the way you want it, we could have gone to colleges close to each other, maybe even the same one, you never would have gone through what you did, so we never would have been apart. It would have been hard though," he said, and I nodded again. "Really hard, a kid during college, and all."

I bit my lip. "Yeah," I agreed. "For a little after it happened I would image a baby with your eyes and hair, but my nose and mouth, and it hurt. But we can have a baby like that now, not that one of the babies we have after we get married would ever replace our first one, you know, but I guess what I'm trying to say is we'll make beautiful babies," I rambled out, and he smiled lightly.

"I want at least one to have your eyes," he said, and I smiled back at him. "We need showers," he stated, and I nodded in agreement. Troy took a shower first because, well, we raced to it, and he beat me. "Your turn," he murmured in my ear, and I felt his wet chest against my back that was covered by one of his button up shirts that I put on.

I faked a glare before turning around. "Don't talk, Mister, you actually won the race, you're supposed to let the girl win," I reminded him, trying not to be completely taken by his glistening chest and floppy hair that I adore.

He grinned. "You take forever, I'm in and out in five minutes, you can go in now, babe," he replied as the phone rang in the other room. "Do me a favor, wear that when you get out," he said before backing up towards the door so he could go get the phone. I just shook my head at him and made my way towards the bathroom.

When I finished dressing I had put on a pair of blue skinny jeans, a white baby doll top that could pass off as a really short dress, but I am not that slutty, the top had straps and slightly ruffled layers flowing down to the tops of my thighs. I put on a pair of white flats, some beaded bracelets, my promise ring, and pulled my bangs back into a hair tie at the back of my head. I went out into the leaving room to look for Troy, but I didn't find him alone. I instantly smiled. "Oh, my God!" I exclaimed, getting excited. "Oh, my God, Chad!" I yelled, and he stood up before I threw myself at him in a huge hug.

"I missed you too Ella Bella," he told me as we pulled away, but I just hugged him again.

"You're here!" I said happily hopping up and down. "Is Taylor here? Where is she?" I asked quickly.

Chad laughed at my eagerness. "Sorry, El, just me, Tay had to work, but she sends her love," he told me.

I just hugged him again. "I'll call and yell at her her later. I missed you," I told him, and he hugged me back. "How long are you here? Why are you here? Are you staying with your parents or-" I was stopped by Troy's hand coming over my mouth to shut me up.

"Thanks, dude," Chad said, and I glared before removing Troy's hand.

"Why don't we sit down, then maybe he can answer some of your questions," Troy suggested, pushing me towards the couch, Chad following.

I pouted and sat down in the middle of them. "Sorry for being excited about seeing my best friend after like a year and a half, which is your fault by the way," I accused looking at Chad.

"My fault? We all got together many times, you were the one who couldn't come because Troy was going to be there," he reminded me.

"That's not the point, you could have come to California," I told him, and felt Troy's arm wrap around my back with his hand settling on my thigh.

Chad watched Troy's movement before talking. "Yeah, uh, you have no idea too weird it is to see you two actually together after two and a half years," he admitted. "It's a good weird, but it's still weird," he added.

"Get used to it. Are you going to answer her questions, or make her ask them again?" Troy responded, pulling me even closer to him.

Chad shook his head. "I'm here for about a week, I'm here to see you all and my parents, and I'm staying where ever we fall asleep drunk at tonight," he answered with a grin on his face. "Come on, Hoops, it's tradition, we gotta go get drunk," he informed him.

Troy glanced at me. "Don't do that boyfriend look, you know I don't care if you get drunk and go to bars, just don't get all horny on me when you get home," I told him. Chad laughed, and Troy kissed me. "I'm not going to go and watch you make an ass out of yourself though, get home safe," I mentioned.

"I'll call a couple of the guys, we'll get Zeke, Tommy, Nick.." he kept listing off, smiling with Chad as they planned their night. I've heard stories of their wild nights, and I'm not sure if I'm ready to witness them. There have been drunken fights, karaoke, dancing with each other, shaving half of Chad's hair off (which pissed off Taylor), getting arrested, and sleeping it off in a jail cell for the night. I'm sure soon I'll go to one and be amused, just not yet.

"Speaking of, I'll call Preggers," I commented getting up, and left Troy to explain to Chad. I went into the kitchen and grabbed my phone on the way.

"Zeke, don't touch that!" Sharpay answered the phone, making me confused. "I'm not due for like seven months and the man is trying to baby proof the apartment," she told me, and I laughed.

I heard a crash in the living room and opened the wooden blinds. "Don't break anything you two, or I'll kick your asses," I warned as they rolled around on the ground wrestling. "Chad appeared this morning, and they're acting like five year olds," I told her, and she squealed loudly.

"Chad's here, babe, Chad's here!" she yelled on her side. "He wants to know if they're going out tonight," she said.

I rolled my eyes. "Yep, you wanna come over while they drink the night away? I can invite Amelia, Diane, maybe Tanya if you promise not to kill her, you're hormonal now, you never know," I suggested as Chad called Troy a name in the living room.

"Yeah, just make sure she doesn't piss me off," she replied, and I nodded.

"We have to call Taylor and yell at her for not coming down with Chad, too," I added. We said goodbye and as I was hanging up, the boys walked in. "Have fun ruining the living room?" I asked as they got drinks.

Chad nodded. "Yep," he assured me, and I stuck my tongue out at him. "So, you two are back together, Sharpay's pregnant, Robbie and Ana are here, you have two new nephews, a new brother, and Lucy hates you, yeah, nothing happens in Albuquerque," he muttered.

"You've known we are back together, I've had two new nephews for days, you've already met AJ and love him, and Lucy doesn't hate me anymore," I replied. "Oh yeah, while you all become slobbering idiots, Sharpay, Amelia, Diane, and Tanya are coming over," I told Troy. Well, I have to ask them first, but they'll be okay with it.

He smiled. "Aw, babe, you joined the wives club," he joked, and I smacked him in the stomach.

"I'm not a wife," I reminded him, and he raised his eyebrows.

"Dude, don't walk into this one, me and Tay do all the time, it ends in yelling with a 'grow up Chad!' I'm tellin' you," he warned him. "Is it that hard to see than we don't want to get married yet?" he asked.

Troy lowered the bottle from his lips. "Speak for yourself, man, I'm waiting for the right time. You want to marry Taylor, your just afraid of married life, you watch way too much t.v.," he told him.

"Yeah," I agreed, giving Chad a look. "I think it's cute you guys act like you haven't been apart for the past couple years," I cooed.

"Damn straight," Chad agreed, slapping Troy's hand. "The boys are back." I know as much as Troy loves Tommy and the rest of his friends, Chad will always be his number one best friend, just don't let Tommy know that.

-

I walked out of my bedroom the next afternoon to find six or so men passed out in my living room. I guess they had fun last night. I had woken up at nine, took a shower, and got dressed in a pair of blue ripped skinny jeans, a white top that has straps and small black spaced out pattern of budding roses. The top is fitting, showing off my curves, and has a low dipping neckline with a couple buttons going down my bust. I put my hair in manageable curls, and finished the look with platform heels that are white. It was around eleven something when I was done in the morning, I take my time, I start work soon, I won't have this leisure time soon.

I walked over to the windows, and opened the blinds, making them all yell out in groans. "Wake up, boys, because you all probably have very angry girlfriends or wives at home, and Zeke, yours is pregnant," I told them, and they all ignored me. "Get up before I call them, and the come and get you," I warned, and they are groaned in agony some more.

"Brie," Troy said from the couch, his face looked like he was in pain. "It hurts," he told me, curling up in himself. I my eyes softened and sat down on the edge of the couch with him. He instantly put his head in my lap, and I ran my hands through his hair.

Tommy looked up from the floor. "Unfair, he has a girlfriend to make him feel better," he said, covering his eyes.

"You have one four floors down, go see her," I reminded him, and Troy groaned again.

"She'll just make me feel worse," he told me, and I laughed. She will, she told me she will last night. "Troy, I think you broke some ribs, man," he added, holding his chest.

Troy didn't respond and just kept his head buried against me. Most of the guys were now making a move to get up, and home. "Ella, you've known me longer, make the Chadster feel better," Chad pleaded from the ground next to me.

"Fuck the Chadster, he slammed me against a wall last night," Troy said, looking kind of green. I love the man, but I will not be thrown up on, this is a new outfit.

Chad shrugged. "You threw me on the pool table right after, and broke it," he reminded him.

"Later, guys, I'm taking these four home," Gavin said from the door, waving with four miserable men behind him, and Tommy called after them just as Zeke sat up.

I tried to hide a laugh. "Zeke, why do you have LeBron written on your forehead?" I asked, and Troy smiled from my lap for the first time.

"He kept telling Gavin to take him to LeBron because Gavin grew up in Cleveland," Chad answered for me. "I so call shower first," he added, getting up.

"Dick!" Troy yelled after him, then groaned from the loudness.

Zeke stood with a wobble and almost fell. "I have to get home, Sharpay is going to be pissed," he told us, trying to rub the permanent marker off. "Bye."

As soon as he was gone, Troy looked up at me. "Babe, I don't feel so good. I want to throw up, my head is pounding, that light is really fucking bright, and my whole body hurts because everyone took turns beating my ass last night," he told me, frowning.

"What do I look like? Your mother?" I asked, and he whined. "Sorry to tell you, Troy, but we have to go over my mom's," I informed him, and he started shaking his head then stopped because it hurt. "Uh huh, Troy, you are going," I stated.

"Brie, I love you, but no I'm not. There are little kids, loud brothers, and dramatic sisters, uh uh, I refuse," he replied.

I raised an eyebrow. "We have to, my mom called last night and I made the mistake of telling her Chad is here. She wants to see him, I told her you might not be up for it, then she went into how she gave birth to me and the labor took seventeen hours. I can't say no to the labor story," I explained. "Troy Bolton, if you ever want to see me naked again, you will go because if you don't she bitch at me for not making you two coming, you are going, final word."

"You don't have to be totally naked for- fine," he sighed after my mean look.

"Troy, now!" I said loudly, and he shook his head, not budging to move outside. I pushed hard, but nothing happened, and he kept shaking his head. "Troy Bolton, go outside!" I exclaimed, moving around to the front to pull him.

He tried pulling me back in the house. "Bright, staying inside," he said like a five year old. I glared, and finally he let me pull him outside. He groaned and his hands covered his already sunglasses covered eyes. "I'm never going to see you naked again, more like the other way around," he mumbled, rushing to the umbrella so he was out of the sun. My sisters laughed at his obvious hangover. "Uh, stop laughing so loud!" he told them. "Geez."

"Be nice, they aren't the ones who went out last night, got drunk, and then got beat up by all his friends," I reminded him, and he looked at me with his sunglasses on, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't like the look on his face if I did. He's never in a good mood when he has a hangover. I know from the occasions he goes out with Tommy and Zeke, it's not often but it happens. "At least I'm not hormonal and pregnant when you come home," I added, kissing his cheek.

Serena glanced at me. "I'm sorry, who is pregnant?" she questioned. Right, no one knows.

"Sharpay," I answered, and put my attention back on Troy. "I made you feel better, I let you cuddle up to me, gave you Advil, and made you hangover food," I told him.

"Speaking of," he said, and I shook my head. "Brie," he muttered, and I responded with an 'uh uh' making him pout. "Baby," he tried, but I refused. "You're pretty," he complemented, but I looked unfazed. "Please?" he pleaded.

I sighed. "Fine," I finally agreed. He smiled wide and scooted his chair so it was up against mine, and layed his head on my shoulder. My hand acted on instinct, and started running through his hair because I know he likes it. My sisters were looking at me with their 'aw' faces on. "Shut up, apparently it helps him feel better," I informed them, but still had that damn face on.

"Twoy!" Benny yelled, running up the steps, and Troy winced.

I caught Benny before he collided with Troy. "Hunny, Troy isn't feeling well, he'll hang out with you a little bit later," I assured him, and his bottom lip started to tremble. "Don't do that, I can't say no to that," I ordered in a nice voice. "You know when you have an upset tummy, and Mommy makes you feel better by holding you?" I asked him, and Benny nodded. "It's kinda like that, I'm making him feel better," I explained.

He poked Troy's shoulder anyways. "Yeah, buddy?" Troy asked in a low voice.

"Feel better, Twoy," he whispered, kissed him on the nose, and jumped down, causing me sisters to really say 'aw' this time.

I sat back more, and Troy scooted even closer. "You better play with him later," I told him, my hands threaded into his hair.

"I will once my head stops pounding, and maybe my ribs feel better," he replied just as my brothers came up from the basketball court. "Oh, God," he groaned under his breath. My brothers are always loud.

"That woman is trying to kill me!" Chad exclaimed, walking out onto the porch ten minutes later. He went to his parents before coming here. I guess he is done. Troy groaned again from Chad's loud voice. "I've never heard that many Chaddeus' in one conversation," he informed me, sitting down next to me. "'I told you to come see me before you went drinking Chaddeus' or 'Maybe if you had told us all you were coming down here I would have seen you before you became a blubbering idiot, Chaddeus'. She yells at me more now that she did when I actually lived here," he vented.

I laughed. "It's okay, my mom yells at me more now than she did in high school," I told him,

"I do not Gabriella Carmen!" she yelled from the across the yard. I looked at Chad with a 'see?' look.

"How is the big fireman over there feeling?" Chad questioned. Chad gets hangovers, they just don't last that long. So he feels pretty much fine right now.

Troy picked his head up. "Don't talk to me, Chaddeus," he ordered, rubbing his eyes under his sunglasses. "And you're paying for the pool table," he added.

Chad shook his head. "Dude, you threw me on it, not the other way around, you're paying for it," he responded.

"You slammed me against the wall, making me throw you on the pool table, so you should pay for it," Troy disagreed.

Felix laughed from the other side of the table. "That sounds like a fun night," he commented, picking up his drink.

"I personally loved when all those firefighters started kicking your ass, that was fun," Chad told us. "And when you broke Tommy's ribs, that was tickling," he added.

I held my lips together. "Tickling?" I laughed, even Troy chuckled a little bit. "You are hanging out with Taylor way too much," I mentioned.

"She's my girlfriend, of course I hang out with her," Chad replied, defensive. "Of course, I haven't much these past couple weeks, she's been working a lot lately, you know," he told us.

I patted his hand gently. "She just started working as a nurse, of course she works a lot," I replied to him. "Troy works a lot too," I said.

"Hey! You see me plenty, babe," Troy spoke up, and I saw myself in his mirror aviators. I know I see Troy a lot, his schedule is pretty flexible, I was trying to make Chad feel better. I could see that he looked sad that Taylor works a lot. That's just like Taylor though, to throw herself in her work as soon as she starts. She'll calm down in a couple weeks and become herself again. "Speaking of, I work the night shift tonight, damn it," he muttered, annoyed.

I smiled turning to Chad. "Good, then me and Chad can catch up, because I would rather have a movie night and hang out rather than get drunk," I told them. "So, have fun at work, babe," I said to Troy, and he shook his head while rubbing his temples.

"Dude, how do I let you talk me into getting drunk every time we are together? I seem to always forget this part," he asked, pulling his sunglasses eyes and I saw how sensitive his eyes were. They were all red, and he had his eyes almost closed.

Chad shrugged. "Because the getting drunk part is fun," he responded, taking a drink from Marcus who handed him one.

"Which bar did you guys go to?" Lucas asked, putting his feet up on the table, but my mother quickly pushed them off.

"Wait, it began with a M," Chad thought aloud. "Mitchie's or something," he said.

Troy slipped his sunglasses back on. "Mickey's," he corrected, and Chad nodded. "Well, we started there. We got kicked out of a lot of places, after that was Jango's or something, and then I was too drunk to remember where," he told us.

"Yeah, what I remember clearly though was those girls who followed us from bar to bar, and that blond who kept hitting on you all night," Chad informed us, causing my brothers to go 'ooooh' like fifth graders.

I looked at Troy. "What blond?" I questioned, acting like one of those annoying girlfriends.

"Yeah, Chad, what blond?" Troy asked, looking past me and to Chad. "Brie, don't look at me like that, I don't know what he's talking about," he insisted, and I responded with a 'uh huh'.

"You got nothing to worry about, Ella, he actually compared you to her all night, it was hilarious," Chad told me. "You won out in favor each time he said something. He was like 'you're blond, I don't like blonds. Gabriella has dark hair' stuff like that," he quoted. "I loved when you recited that poem you handed into your English class senior year," he said. "The one were you rhymed senior class with Gabriella's sweet ass," he explained.

I started laughing. "I forgot about that, didn't you get an A?" I asked as he slithered his hand into my lap, and I wrapped my arms around his.

Troy nodded. "And a detention," he confirmed. "Best poem ever, your ass is great," he assured me.

"Okay, I really don't want to hear about my sister's ass, thank you," Al said from down the table, next to Robbie. Oh, yeah, Robbie and Ana are still here.

"No one asked you to listen to our conversation, Al," I replied, resting my head against Troy's shoulder. "Why don't you go moan some wrong girl's name," I suggested, and he glared. My cell phone rang a second later, which made Troy wince a little. "Yeah, Shar?" I asked, opening it.

She didn't answer for a second. "How come I am throwing up so much? I'm like three months along, shouldn't I be passed that? Did you throw up that much?" she questioned.

"Uh, after I found out, but I think that was because I was freaked out. I don't know the answers to this stuff, Shar, why don't you talk to someone who has actually had a baby? Like my sisters, or your mom?" I asked, and she stayed quiet. "Sharpay, you haven't told your mom your pregnant, have you?" I questioned.

She let out a whine. "Can't I just do it when he or she comes out? Be like Mom, I was pregnant, but I'm not now, want to meet your grandchild?" she replied.

"No, Shar, you can't just not let your mother know you're pregnant," I told her. "What is she going to do? Disown you? You don't live off her money anymore, you have your own source of income," I reminded her. "Sharpay, you are going to tell her than call me later, goodbye," I ordered, hanging up the phone. "I think this might be the reason why I have more guy friends than girls," I commented while letting out a long breath. "They're dramatic," I stated.

Troy shrugged. "I don't know, I think Chad's dramatic like a girl." Later that night around eleven, Chad and I were getting movies together and making popcorn while Troy was getting ready for work. "I find it insulting that whenever I leave for work you are usually making out with me, and begging me to be safe, and this time all I get is a 'bye, babe, love you' out of you," he told me.

I sighed and got up off the couch to walk over to him, wearing plaid pajama pants and a white tank top. "Maybe it's because she likes me more," Chad yelled from the kitchen.

I looped my arms around Troy's neck. "Be safe, babe," I whispered before kissing him. Troy smiled against my mouth, and held me close while he kissed me slowly. "Call us tonight if you want, I'm sure we'll be up late," I said when we pulled away. "You're running late," I reminded him, looking over at the clock on the wall.

"I know," he replied. He kissed me again. "I love you," he said against my lips, and I kissed him.

"I love you, too," I told him. "Wake me up when you get home, okay? Take me to bed with you because I'm sure I'll fall asleep on the couch with Chad," I asked.

He nodded. "Sure, love you," he repeated, kissing me before he went on his way.

About four movies, two bags of popcorn, and a bowl of ice cream later, me and Chad were falling asleep on the couch, me on one side, him on the other. "Hey, Ella?" Chad questioned if I was awake as the t.v. played softly in the backgroud. I just groaned in response. "I lied, I lied about why I came out here," he confessed, and I sat up a little, a gesture that showed him I was really listening. "It wasn't just to see you guys, Tay and I, we're not doing so good," he admitted.

I sat all the way up this time, rubbing my eyes while I did. "What do you mean you aren't doing so well?" I asked.

Chad sat up too. "I mean she changed, maybe I changed, I don't know. We just aren't us. It's been like that even before we graduated and she was an intern at the hospital. She's working all the time, we hardly see each other, we don't say I love you before one of us leaves the house, we haven't had sex, which I guess is a guy thing, but it's not even that, we've hardly touched in weeks," he told me. "We finally talked about it last week, and decided we need some time to think about us. So she's in Connecticut, and I'm here," he finished.

"Why didn't you tell any of us, Chad? I'm here, Troy's here, any of us, we would have talked with you, maybe we could have helped," I said in the dark. "And what is the result you've come to?" I questioned.

"I don't know why I haven't told you, you were just so messed up because of things with Troy, then you were so happy with him, I didn't want to take that away from you. Sharpay's opening her own business, Ryan and Kelsi are busy in New York, Zeke is just plain busy with Sharpay," he listed off. "And I don't want to lose her. I love her, Ella, even if we've become a little distant that hasn't changed. I'm going to go home in a couple days and tell her that," he he answered.

I bit my lip. "Chaddy, I want you and Taylor together as much as the next person, especially since you two are the only constant that's always been in my life, but you know Tay, sometimes she let's the business side of her take over, she might tell you she's done," I said truthfully. "She might be letting the side of her that is totally focused on succeeding as a nurse tell her to stay focused-"

"And I'm a distraction, I know," he finished for me. "That's why I'm so scared to go back," he told me.

I tried to smile. "Everything is going to be okay," I assured him. "Come here, Chad," I said with my arms open and he crawled over so I was hugging him as we layed down. It wasn't weird, the boy has been my best friend for over ten years.

"Brie," was the next thing I heard. I was being shaked gently. "Baby, open your eyes, come on," Troy urged.

I opened my eyes to see Troy above me, and felt Chad behind me, plus heard him snoring softly. "Hi," I croaked, yawning.

"Do you want to come to bed, or stay with Chad?" he asked, crouching down next to us.

I wanted to stay with Chad, but he seemed perfectly fine by himself, and with his snoring, I won't get anymore sleep. "Bed," I answered, so Troy picked me up bridal syle, and Chad stretched out more comfortably. I can't sleep with Troy next to me now that I am awake anyways. Troy put me in bed, and stripped down to his boxers before getting in with me. "Baby," I whispered, and I saw him look down at me while he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "When ever you leave me, and I mean in general, to go to work or the store, whatever, tell me you love me, okay?"

He nodded. "Okay," he agreed. "I love you," he told me.

I smiled. "I love you, too." Tomorrow, I have to call Taylor and convince her not to break Chad's heart.

Eh, I guess I like this chapter.

My nephew was born! He's beautiful, and his name is Aaden Cole, I thought you should know. That's why it took so long to update.

REVIEW PLEASE, I NEED INFO ON WHAT YOU THINK!!

-- Kayleigh