You would have to carry a wheelbarrow out of this place if you want to carry my apologies for being this late. Just a note to inform everyone: This stroy is nearing it's end...

Disclaimer: I do not own High School Musical ...or the The Shilla hotel

Chapter 11:

Leah looked at the floor of her red, white and blue dotted carpet. Her eyes shone. She shifted on her bed, slightly moving in the curtains that hung from metal bars. Gabriella and Troy sat across from her, at least fifty feet away from each other, unable to bear each other's presence ,just barely. The DC sun bombarded the room, coming in and taking the place of any unnatural light. It was the only light that existed her room. It gave a view of her sorrowful face and little of anything else. It was like those old summer days , in the 1600s, where there were no light bulbs and the wooden lodged houses lighted up with only what the sun provided them.

"I didn't choose this , you know." she said ,quietly. "I didn't deliberately want to be the first daughter. ," her voice had broken, now. "I didn't choose this life!"

The ego flames had stopped Troy and Gabriella from comforting her, just because they hated each other. They sat there looking at her in pity.


Gabriella grimaced at the memory and fell back onto the black leather seats, in the taxi. It was raining in Korea, no more like pouring. The streets were full of lazy vehicles, traveling at three miles per hour and exhaling black gas that drifted into the air. Troy sat beside her ,caressing her hand which did lay intertwined in the middle of them.

Los Angeles was now in their past. Long gone and forgotten except for one thing. A new trust. Leah was alive. They had seen her, and spoken to her but her figure was extremely painful to look at. There were dark circles under her eyes, multicolored bruises painted repulsively along her arms,her cloths were stained with blood and her face with scratches and cuts of all sizes. Although, the minutes with her were minute, the message was passed along to Gabriella and Troy clearly well. Leah had given up hope on life. She wanted to die. Leah was welcoming death , she was inviting any thing that would lead her on the path strait to death. Leah's life was now equal to the pains before death.

It was in the Airport terminal that they had saw Leah. Sitting there like another citizen of California. Before they could even get closer to her, the next train emptied out and Leah was gone.

'Seoul Korea' was etched on the wooden bench Leah was sitting in. Like the other times in Mexico, Toronto, Chicago, and Osaka they sped off to Seoul, not even for a second worrying about their belongings except their handy-dandy Jansport backpack.

Now, they were just getting in Seoul, Korea. Losing hope by the minute, starving for the past who knows when days and emotion filled. Gabriella and Troy had barely spoken to each other, yet their teenage hormones seemed to do a lot of it. It seems though, their work pushed everything to the side. At night, or simply put 'When they slept' , their dreams caused them sweat and a lot of persuasiveness. Gabriella didn't give anything to her self, she was putting off the thing that really needed most of her attention but she can only do so much putting off. Time always comes.

Troy ,on the other hand, couldn't sleep nowadays...er.... nights..whenever he tried sleeping. The thoughts overwhelmed him. The only girl that he'd touched was one that threw herself at him but Troy was smart enough to know not to catch everything that is thrown. Gabriella was different , caught up in work and others, like him. It took no time for Troy to realize that Gabriella and him could be well as best friends while they hated each other. Troy never found any reason for his sleeplessness. It was starting to get on his nerves.

Gabriella stepped out of the taxi, closing her eyes briefly while her body adjusted to the rain droplets that instantly soaked her hair. She inserted her hand into Troy's awaiting one and followed him up the stairs to a tall building, a hotel.

'The Shilla' , in black letters, was scripted on everything in the building. The pillows, blankets, television set, computer, bathroom soaps, and everything else that was in it's building. After checking in, Troy and Gabriella went to their designated shared room, with one bathroom and two twin beds. There was marble tile flooring that made it easy to slide across it and over to the window that gave Troy and Gabriella a perfect view of all of Seoul. Instead of seeing the vast urban area, Gabriella plopped onto her bed and stared at the ceiling. She let the tears fall, as unconsciousness took over her.

Gabriella spooned her potato dumplings , picking up the same ball and dropping it again. It has been over a week since the two reached Seoul and they reached no new instruction from Jack and Carlos. No text message, phone call or riddle that shared remotely of where to go. So Troy and Gabriella stupidly sat in Seoul , rarely speaking to each other. Both ordered food but most of it would go into the trash. Tears were shed even for Troy. Living like this, so far away from home made a new ache carve out in their heart. One that needed a family to subside, one that needed love but neither of them knew that love was just locked away where they kept. They didn't know love could be as close a the bed five feet away from yours.

Gabriella stood up and hurriedly tried rushing out of the dining area. A new swell of tears sprouted in her eyes.

"Gabriella!" Troy called after her. She ignored his plead and made it past the tables and chairs filled with gaping people, into the lobby. Troy raced after her leaving his untouched plate behind. He found her running towards the main entrance so he galloped behind trying to dodge other visitors. Troy caught up with her soon enough, right outside the doors in the all too normal , pouring rain. They were drenched in a matter of minutes.

"Whats wrong?"

"Troy I can't just sit here while Leah is being tortured by some bastards," she said. "I realized this is really my fault. This , predicament. I don't have any hope left, and I hate my self for it". Gabriella stepped back and Troy followed. "What I do right now is probably now the best choice but the rest of my family is dead so I'd rather be with them than ruin my whole country's future". With that, Gabriella ran into the middle of water flooded streets.

It took a moment for Troy to realize what she was doing. She was running away. It took half a moment to realize how much she meant to him.

"A guy just doesn't know what he's got until she leaves". Troy heard it too many times , way too many times to have him withstand to hear it again. It was then , when Gabriella decided to end her life, that he realized how much he needed her to survive in his life. She was what held him up and gave him hope every time Jack and Carlos made another escape. Gabriella never gave him enough time to think , to let his temper release. Gabriella just led him right through it and let him work. Without her now, after one and a half months of living completely off of her hope and smiles , he may as well be dead.

Troy sped into the streets ,scooped her into his arms and ran to the other end.

"Never" he gasped. "try doing that again". Troy brought Gabriella's face off of his shoulder ,to face him and see those chocolate dots that he loved so much, but they were closed, blocking the free pathway into her luscious soul.

"Gabriella" he shook her. Seconds past and she showed no luck. Troy realized the negative temperatures they were standing in and the flimsy clothing she was wearing that were only suitable for spring time in Albuquerque. She was completely senseless and freezing cold. Afraid for Gabriella's life, Troy picked her up, again and ran back to The Shilla hotel. He carried them up the elevator and to their room. He laid Gabriella on her bed and gently stripped her soaking wet clothing off of her. After putting out the laundry, Troy marched strait to the room thermometer and raised the heating. Next, Troy took his own cloths off and put on his last pair of clean boxers.

He came into their room , from the bathroom, almost naked. Troy walked closer to Gabriella. She shivered harshly. Immediately, Troy's loving instincts kicked him in the rear. He jumped under the covers with Gabriella and held her naked body close.

Troy faced her and placed a lingering kiss on her forehead. Gosh, I love her...

Gabriella's eyes fluttered open. She moved to her side to face a bare chest. Gabriella gasped. Where was she? A party in Albuquerque where she had completely lost her senses and her virginity to some random high school drunkard? The thought made her jerk her neck up. An arm around her waist faltered. Daring to look back at the face, she set her weight on her side and shifted closer to the male body beside Gabriella. Her face brightened and relaxed when assurance came to her. It was Troy. Gabriella smiled and placed a kiss on his visible cheek but then the happenings that occurred ,before her prolonged sleep, came back to her. Her smile disappeared, fully. Memories came back too fast. Like a train and she was the one standing ,unknowingly, on it's tracks. Where the hell was she? She didn't die? Then, the train hit her.

Gabriella Montez was alive. Damn it! Alive, for goodness sake! Why? Because Troy had saved her.

Gabriella's eyes widened with terror and realization. Dang, this was another fairytale. The ones with Prince Charming, Princess and the big, purple dragon. But, this was life, though. This was her life. And God so help her, she was in love. In love , loved, taken, loving, whatever you call it; she had it and all of it. To make it more dramatic , listen to this, Gabriella Montez was in love with Troy Bolton.

Tears welled up and spilled through Gabriella's eyes. Water poured over as the emotion settled in her blood ,staining it forever. How could she be in love?!She didn't have time for love. Gabriella had the perfect career in front of her, working in the FBI! Gabriella couldn't and didn't have the desire to hurt anyone during her life. Loving someone would just make her life harder that it already is!

Troy altered slightly giving Gabriella a direct view of his face. Another actuality hit her, like a slap in face telling her to snap out of it. This was Troy Bolton she loved. Her Troy Bolton, the one that saved her, the one that was her FBI partner for life. He was the one. So, if Gabriella didn't have time for love; well then, she was just going to have to make time. Because I. Love. Troy. Bolton.

And thats final...


G.A.K , holy cheese and crackers , I swear I didn't think I would finish this today; November 25, 2008. It's a holy day! The day Laugh finally gets Chapter Eleven out!

By the way, I have a wheelbarrow of 'sorries' to share with all of you. Like I said before, this story was nearing it's happy ending. And don't worry it's gonna be nice and happy. You have my guarantee on that.

Anyway, again, sorry for the inexcusable tardiness. Review and tell me how much you hate me for putting this in SO late...

Love ya and Keep Smiling

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