"I know this is all we've been talking about lately, but um," I tell my sister, Sierra and Tony at dinner later on that day, "I ran into Troy's mom and sister at the grocery store earlier today."

Leana wiped her mouth and her hands and pushed her plate away. She was done with her tacos and she looked like she had an opinion about this. Or at least something to say, for sure. "Please tell me you talk to them and didn't leave right away."

Wow, does she think I'm some bitch? Okay, no, it's a fair thing to say. Because I have done it before. "I actually did. I had a full on conversation with them."

Sierra looked impressed, Tony didn't have much of an expression but I knew he probably had an opinion and Leana looked... happy.

"Was it like old times?"

Not exactly. "No," I tell her, shoving some rice in my mouth, "I mean, it wasn't as awkward as I thought, but you could definitely feel a sense of like, I don't know how to word it, like, yeah, I was the ex girlfriend."

Sierra laughed and also finished up her taco. "Well, you are, so that's not that weird."

"It is because she was literally like another mom to me. There have been dozens of times where I laid on her couch in pain and she'd make me tea, soup, you name it. I was so close with her... and his sister."

Leana looked happy about it. Like it was a step in the right direction. And I guess it is. Letting go of everything. "I'm just happy you didn't see them and turn around and hide."

Okay, that was ONE time. And I was with Lucas so I REALLY, REALLY did not want to talk to her. It would have been the most awkward thing, ever.

"Leana, that was one time and it was just Patricia then and Lucas was with me, so no," I explain to her, "it was different this time. Like, they've finally come to terms with it and so have I and I don't know, it wasn't all that bad."

She smiled and then took a quick sip of her lemonade, "I haven't talked to her in a while, how is she?"

"Good," I shrugged, "they're going to California tomorrow."

Tony laughed out loud and when no one else did, he quieted down. But actually, I laughed, too. It was funny. I was rethinking going with Kendall, but I just ended up saying no and then I find out that Troy's going? I mean, it's funny. What are the chances? At the same time?

Leana and Sierra both looked at us weirdly.

"What?"

Tony turned to Leana with a mouth full of rice, "She was supposed to go with Kendall."

Wow, my brother-in-law listens and remembers things better than my own sister and best friend. What bitches.

"Oh, that's right," Leana remembered, finally. "Wow, what are the chances of that? I doubt you guys would have seen each there, but still. I know that place is, umm..."

No, I gave her a look to stop right there. Yep. It's an important place to us. People don't understand. First I love you there, lost my virginity there, had the most surprising pregnancy scare, celebrated two anniversaries there... there were just SO many things. It sucks. Because it's so beautiful there.

Everyone got quiet for a minute.

And I knew this was the right time to tell them. I took a deep breath because it was actually huge. "I think I'm going to talk to Troy."

As predicted, everyone's eyes widened. Leana's the most because I've been so hard on her, so sure that I didn't want to talk to him at all. That I just wanted to shut him out and live my life and let him live his.

"You are?"

I nodded at Sierra as I pushed my plate away, "Um, yeah, I think so."

Leana finally showed some emotion. There was a smile on her face and I'm sure she was thrilled with this. "I'm proud of you."

Hell yeah. I'm pretty proud of myself, too. "I just want answers. I thought I didn't care, but him being back here, so many feelings have come rushing back. Feelings of hate, feelings of not hate..." I know they catch my drift, "and really, I just want a better answer as to why he broke up with me. Because his bullshit answer of it being too hard with the distance is not okay with must have happened. And if I want to move on with my life completely,
I need to know. And after talking to his mom and sister, I realized I'm not okay with this.

"Well, good," Sierra smiled at me, "I always felt like there was so much more to the story, so hopefully you guys get everything out there."

Me, too. Me, too.

Our friend David was having people over for a BBQ so thought it would be the perfect time to talk to Troy.

Obviously, this isn't what I really want to do, but I need closure. I know I do.

Ever since that day in the park, he's kept his distance. He'd say hi and stuff, but that was about it. No, lie. I did have on conversation with him at Kimberly's birthday brunch later on. It was short and it consisted of him asking if I wanted a slice of cake and we kind of laughed about it because I've never passed up any kind of cake ever. It's my weakness. Cake is my all time favorite type of dessert. And so that was a nice moment.

And now we're here, at David's, he's across the yard from me, drinking a beer as he's flipping some hamburger patties on the grill.

I'm sitting here trying to find the perfect time to just talk to him.

I don't even know what I'm going to say to him. I don't know if I should straight up just ask him why he left, why he broke up with me, or just ease into it, start a civil conversation with him and then eventually talk about everything and somehow find closure, you know?

Whatever. I needed to use the bathroom so I got up, went inside and headed to the bathroom upstairs since the one downstairs was being remodeled.

When I came out, I saw none other than Troy Bolton waiting to use it, looking at a picture.

This is David's parents house. It's the perfect party house and they're always letting all of us over to use the pool and to grill and his mom has pictures all over the house. Family pictures. Pictures of David and his siblings. And pictures of all their friends.

And that's exactly what Troy was looking at. Pictures of us.

He looked over at me, I think surprised that I was the one in the bathroom, "oh, hey."

"Hi," I say with a small smile.

"Have you seen this?" He asked me, grabbing the picture frame and holding it up. "I forgot all about this day."

I couldn't really see what the picture was so I went towards him and grabbed the picture frame from him. It was all of us. Troy, David, Kendall, Chris, Will, Tessa, Caroline, Max, Kimberly, me, and so on. All of our friends. And we were all covered in mud. From head to toe, covered in mud.

It was a mud run Kendall's mom signed us up for because it was for charity and it helped kids with cancer. And so we were all for it. It was so fun.

"Well, I didn't forget," Troy laughed as I kept looking at the picture, "I just forgot about this picture and how over it we were because we were all so hungry and it was the last thing we wanted to do for ten minutes."

"Yeah," I tell him, still looking at the picture. And then a small laugh escaped from my mouth, "yeah, that was a good day."

It really was a good day. And we all looked SO happy in this picture.

I was on Troy's back, Kendall was on Chris's, and everyone else was around us, faking smiles since we were all so hungry. And even though they were fake smiles, that was one of the best days we all had together. And we all laughed so much.

Troy took the picture back from me and put it back where it was exactly and then turned to me. "Fun day."

"It was really fun," I put some hair behind my ear, "probably one of the best days of my life."

"Yeah..." is all he really said.

I'm not sure why that "yeah" felt awkward to me. Oh... fuck. I now remember why it was one of the best days of my life. We had agreed on this that day and that's probably why he responded like that. And I didn't even realize it. Shit. But it was one of the best days of my life. From start to finish.

The mud run was by far one of the best experiences, ever.

And the fact that I was able to do it with my best friends AND my boyfriend? Score.

Troy dropped me off after we had lunch at Kendall's around 3 and I showered and got ready because he was going to come back and we were going to go to his aunt's house for dinner or something like that. I don't know. I wasn't paying too much attention. I just know we were going somewhere together.

He picked me up at 5:30 and we were hungry again so I was happy that we were going to go eat.

But when I got in the car, he told me there was a change of plans.

"What? We're not going to your aunts?"

"Nah," he shook his head before reaching over to the glove department and opening it to take out an envelope. "Here."

What? Why's he handing me an envelope? I looked at him a little strangely, but took it anyway and carefully opened it because I'm so terrified of paper cuts. I carefully ripped it apart and looked inside. And I couldn't not believe my eyes.

No. He didn't. No way. How? These were SOLD OUT.

"What?" I turn to him right away, "babe. These were sold out. How... where... when? Are you serious?"

"Yes," he laughed, "my dad has connections. And you've always wanted to see her, so..."

My perfect boyfriend got me Carrie Underwood tickets. CARRIE FUCKING UNDERWOOD. My favorite singer in the whole world.

Three months ago when they went on sale, I overslept and didn't end up getting tickets. And the one's on stubhub only went for one person or something like that and I was definitely not going to go by myself so I gave up. I gave up looking for tickets and came to the realization that I wasn't going to see her.

But cut to three months later, RIGHT NOW, I have them in my fucking hand. And the concert is TONIGHT. AT 8 PM.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," I tell him before leaning over and kissing him.

And then I got out of the car and went to change because I was so not dressed for a concert. AHHH.

Two hours later, we were waiting for her to come out and these seats were close to perfect for me. I never wanted to be in the pit because I didn't want to squished with people. But I also didn't want to be all the way in the back.

Well, we were in a fucking BOX. Right behind second section and I loved it. They were the perfect seats and we had our own space.

And even though Troy doesn't listen to Carrie Underwood like I do, he sat back and watched and enjoyed it with me.

It was the most perfect concert with the most perfect person.

"Thank you so much," I tell him later as we walk into my house, "seriously. That was the best surprise I could have ever asked for. I had so much fun."

"You're welcome," he closes the door behind him and grabs my hand and we walk to my living room. My parents are out of town actually so we have the house to ourselves, "I had fun, too."

We sat on the couch, I rested my head on his shoulder and kicked my feet up on the coffee table.

It's been such a great night. No. Such a great day. Seriously. From the mud run, to hanging out and laughing with all our friends covered in mud to seeing my absolute FAVORITE singer ever to now... it was all so perfect. The best day.

"Can you stay with me tonight?" I look up at him, "you know I don't like staying by myself... but you don't have to if you don't..."

"I'll stay," he says, also kicking his feet up, "you know I will."

I closed my eyes for a second and couldn't believe this was my life. I had such an amazing group of friends. I had the best boyfriend. and I had the best set of parents who trusted me enough to have the house to myself and to have my boyfriend stay over if he wanted to.

My life was perfection, pretty much, and I thanked God every single day for it. I really did.

"Oh my aunt called me today," Troy mentions, "if we do decide to go to San Francisco this fall, she said we are more than welcome to rent out her place. She'll have it open until August. So we have some time to think about it."

"That's so great," I look up at him, "it's all happening, huh? We are actually going to move out of Scottsdale."

"Yes," he says, "just have to wait for those acceptance letters in March. But I hope so. I can't wait to go to San Francisco with you."

And I couldn't wait to go with him. We're in January. We're basically four years in and we were going to move to San Francisco together in September if we get accepted to school out there. We love San Francisco and we love California. What better place than to finish our education than there?

But I was so in love with this guy that I would seriously go anywhere he wants to go.

"This has been the best day," I tell him.

"One of the bests," he corrects me, "unless you didn't think anything of our first time or the first time I told you I loved you."

I laughed and playfully hit him, "shut up. Of course. Fine, one of the bests."

He laughed too and then turned to me and kissed my forehead. "All the days I spent with you are the best."

"Cheesy," I tell him as I laugh. We're never cheesy with each other and we do it on purpose, but I know he means it. Isn't it so crazy to have so much trust in someone that you believe every single little thing they say? Ahhh, I'm such a lucky girl. "But ditto babe. You're just the best in general."

"Oh stop it," he laughed as he slouched down on the couch a bit more, "you're making me blush."

I laughed and just snuggled up against him and closed my eyes.

It was the best day. I couldn't ask for more.

"Sorry," I snap out of it and realize I shouldn't be here. "I can't do this."

"Do what?" Troy asks me with a small laugh, "talk?"

"Yes," I tell him even though it's not true. I shouldn't be standing here, reminiscing about all the good times we had together. About us. About how much I love him. Loved, I mean. I just... I can't. It's too hard. And I thought I could do it but I really can't. "Yes... I have to go."

I heard him call my name, but I didn't look back. I kept running down the stairs and to the back.

And when I saw everyone, I made up some bullshit excuse as to why I had to go and got the hell out of there.

It was harder than I thought it'd be.

Fuck Troy Bolton for making me fall so in love with him.