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Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of High School Musical, as Disney owns them. I only own the ideas of the characters of Connor, Ava, Taylor, Jeremy, Liam and most of the minor characters. I also own the name ideas of Mrs. Bolton, Mrs. Montez, Mrs. Baylor, and Mr. and Mrs. McKessie.

Chapter 12: No Happy Ending

Several weeks went by after Gabriella met Jeremy. She soon found herself talking with him nearly every day after picking Connor up from school. She learned several things about him. For one, he was a native of Pueblo, Colorado, and had only moved to Albuquerque this year after being offered a great deal by the school district in town. He was one of the only male elementary school teachers in the area, which was very much desired. He had two older brothers and a younger sister, who was a year younger than Gabriella. His father had died when he was 17 years old of cancer, and his mother had remarried recently. He was very open with his emotions, which was a quality that interested Gabriella. Most men she knew tried to keep their emotions hidden, unlike Jeremy. He claimed that a second grade teacher had to be emotional, which made Gabriella laugh at his attempt at covering up his sensitivity.

At first, Gabriella felt awkward and unsure of her budding friendship with this man. For one thing, he was her son's teacher. That in itself reeked "off-limits." Also, she felt attraction to Jeremy. She knew that every mother—married or single—ogled the 27-year-old 2nd grade teacher. He was the definition of tall, dark, and handsome. He had naturally wavy, chestnut-colored hair that seemed to shine in the dimming sun. His tender eyes were pools of green that glistened whenever he laughed heartedly. His six foot two frame was lean, yet Gabriella could see that he was a muscular man. His attractive physique only added to the mounting reasons why she could not become interested in Jeremy. Yet, that was not the main reason; Troy was.

It was approaching the two-year mark since Gabriella had last seen Troy. The image of him graduating from basic training and smiling his broad, confident grin sent shivers down Gabriella's spine. His presence around her was so real, yet so distant. He wasn't there every night to sing her to sleep, but she could see him in her children. The way Connor tried to calm down his younger siblings, or the way Ava confidently took charge of a situation, or even the way Taylor smiled his toothy smile proved to Gabriella that Troy was still with her, even if it had to only be through her children.

Troy's parents were always present also. Gradually, they had begun to move on with their lives. Although they both still hoped, they were also realistic. They knew that the possibility of Troy returning home, after being basically declared everything but legally dead, was a long shot. Gabriella was struggling to adopt their practical logic, but she still hoped…

"You know that new museum that's opening next Friday?" Jeremy questioned Gabriella one day in mid-December during their usual after-school chat.

Gabriella nodded thoughtfully as she remembered back to an article in the paper about the new American history museum that was opening up. She was planning on taking her children to the museum in the near future, as time and finances would allow.

"What about it?" Gabriella questioned as she glanced over at the school playground, where Connor and Ava were playing at to make sure they were all right.

"Well…" he started as he looked at his feet mustering up courage to continue. He glanced up at Gabriella's waiting face. He sighed and continued. "The school had a raffle drawing for tickets to the opening—and I won two tickets to it. It's kind of a big deal—the opening. It's semi-formal with a dinner and a private showing. The whole dressing up and smoosing doesn't really appeal to me, but I'd love to just go through the museum with a private tour…" Jeremy glanced up at Gabriella's curious face. After seeing that she wasn't frightened away by the dressy occasion, he quickly continued. "The thing is…I don't have anyone to go with. I'd ask one of my coworkers, but most of the teachers are married women, and I'd hate to stir up any controversy," Jeremy joked as he pleadingly looked at Gabriella's face.

Gabriella could see that he was mustering up the strength to ask her to the opening. He was as nervous a teenage boy who was asking out his first date. She spoke up. "So…you're wondering if I'd be your date?"

Jeremy nervously nodded as he searched Gabriella's blank expression. He tensed up and began to backtrack. "It's not like it has to be a date. It can be more of a 'just as friends' deal."

Gabriella paused as she thought over the situation. They were friends, something that she didn't have a lot of these days. Complicating their friendship with any sort of relationship would be disastrous. She didn't want to hurt Jeremy's feelings—or her own. Let him down easy, Gabriella mentally decided. "Jeremy, I was thinking about taking my kids to this museum…"

"But, you still could!" Jeremy interjected loudly, causing some other parents to glance over at the duo. Gabriella blushed embarrassedly at the attention. Jeremy also seemed flustered with the situation.

"I'm sorry," Jeremy said after a long pause. "I shouldn't have even asked. It's just that…we've gotten close over these past few months. I don't have a lot of friends in Albuquerque yet, and I really haven't had time to date around."

Mentally, Gabriella was dissecting the circumstances. What if he expects something more? Am I ready for a relationship? She thought cautiously. Gabriella felt her mind do a one-eighty and shunned her cynical thoughts. It's just one date, it's not like I'm getting a big commitment out of him, she argued. Before she could think, she quickly responded to his last statement. "Jeremy, don't panic! I'll go with you…just as friends?" The last statement was really more of a wary question in order to clarify her intentions.

Jeremy exhaled in relief. "Thanks. I felt like I was about to have a heart attack."

"Why would you do that?" Gabriella shook her head in fake-disapproval as she halfway turned to Ava, who was tugging at her shirt. Gabriella quickly settled an argument on who can get to use the big slide. Ava went away happy that she got to use the slide her brother had claimed. Gabriella glanced up at Jeremy warily. He seemed impressed, yet tense as he watched little Ava run with all her might back to the playground.

"You make me nervous, Gabriella," he said bluntly as glanced back up to her chocolate eyes. The gaze was warm, but intense.

"Me?" Gabriella responded in a surprised, high-pitched voice. "I didn't know I could have that kind of effect over someone."

Jeremy chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "You have no idea."

Silence swept over the pair, both entranced in their own separate thoughts. The tension was very thick, something that both confused and stirred up emotions in Gabriella that she could barely recognize.

Gabriella finally broke the silence. "So…are you renting or buying your tux?"

Jeremy half-smiled as he kicked the dirt near his feet. "Neither. Believe it or not, I actually already own one."

Gabriella raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Really? Did one of your major teachers' conferences require such formal attire?"

Jeremy laughed heartedly, his eyes glistening with amusement. "No, nothing like that. I actually bought one for my brother Brandon's wedding. I was the best man, so I had to dress the part, I guess."

"Oh," Gabriella nodded with a slight smile. Mentally amused with his obvious distaste for tuxedos.

Jeremy gave her a furor look. "Like you'd like to wear one of those penguin suits!"

Gabriella shook her head in disagreement and gently pseudo-sympathized. "I'm sure it's just as tortuous as a corset, panty hose, high heals, and a lace up dress. Not to mention the hair-do and nails…Oh! And the bra…"

"Okay, I get the picture!" Jeremy exclaimed as he held his hands up in surrender.

"I thought you'd see it my way," Gabriella smugly smiled. She turned to once more check on her kids and saw that Taylor was half-asleep in his stroller, while Ava was trotting back towards her mother and Jeremy grumpily. Connor was following her with a smug look on his face.

She turned towards Jeremy and motioned for him to look over at the three children. Both laughed at the sight.

"I think you should get them back, before Ava decides to tear someone's head off," Jeremy said with a chuckle.

Gabriella made a face as she turned to her kids. "Time to go home, kids. Say goodbye to Mr. Wilkes."

Connor waved and Ava cheerfully called, "Bye-bye Mister Wilkey!"

Gabriella grinned at Jeremy as she pushed Taylor's stroller along and walked towards the crosswalk. She turned one last time before she crossed the walk to watch Jeremy turn to walk inside the school. She couldn't erase the ache in her heart as she watched him turn away. She began to wonder if she had more than friendly feelings for her male friend. She knew that he meant a great deal to her. He had become a huge joy in her life—a joy that she hadn't had since…well Troy left.

Gabriella dismissed the feelings in her mind and tried to reassure her head's desires. He's just a friend.

She couldn't stop thinking about Jeremy throughout the rest of the evening. What does this 'date' mean? Shewondered. She tried to rationalize that it wasn't a date, but she knew that she looked at it that way. It was a date. Jeremy wanted it to be a date.

She did too.

She wondered if she could explore her feelings for Jeremy. Could she? Should she? What was the right time to stop grieving over someone? Was there a set time? If there was, could she forget her feelings for Troy?

Gabriella was clueless, and desperate for an answer. Little did she know, that she would soon receive it.

Later that evening, as Gabriella and her children watched the dim sun setting on her patio, she received a call on her cell phone. Gabriella quickly reached for her phone out of her dark, jean pocket and looked at the caller ID; she saw that it was her best girlfriend, Sharpay Evans.

"Hello?" Gabriella asked excitedly as she jumped slightly in her seat. A call from any of her friends was a real treat, especially from Sharpay, who was extremely busy these days. She had taken over Ms. Darbus' job after retiring, but had later received a job as a drama director for a dramatic-arts school in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was her dream job, because it was the highest rated drama program in the state.

"Gabriella? How are you? How are those rugrats?" Sharpay asked enthusiastically.

Gabriella chuckled to herself and quickly responded. "I'm doing fine. The kids are doing great. Connor's loving the second grade. Ava's recently discovered that she loves anything that crawls. And the most exciting news: Taylor has officially taken his first steps," she gushed ecstatically.

Sharpay cooed with delight. "I knew that kid would be running about by the time I'd see him next."

Gabriella laughed, but reregistered Sharpay's sentence in her head. "By the time I'd see him next"?

"What do you mean?" Gabriella asked hesitantly. Realization poured over her. "You're coming to town?" She felt her excited voice vibrate through the phone in a high-pitched shriek.

Sharpay giggled as she responded. "Yep! I'm coming next Friday!"

"Really?" Gabriella exclaimed with glee. "I can't wait to see you! I haven't seen you since Zeke got out of the hospital! It'll be just like old times."

"Yeah, just like old times," Sharpay weakly responded. Gabriella noticed the tone in Sharpay's voice change, which made her a bit wary.

"Is everything alright, Shar?"

She heard Sharpay sharply exhale into the phone and then some crackling noise on the other end of the line. Sharpay then spoke. "Hey Gabi? I've gotta get off the phone now. I'm using up the minutes on my phone. You'll be the first stop I make when I get to Albuquerque, okay?"

Gabriella nodded hesitantly. "Alright…I'll see you next Friday."

"'Kay. I'll be there!"

Gabriella sighed as she heard the other line click. She hung up perplexed by Sharpay's strange call. Why is Sharpay driving down to Albuquerque? And during the school year? She asked herself as she sunk into her chair on the patio. She watched Taylor struggle against the baby gate that blocked off the two narrow steps to the grass as she mused over her confusion.

Sharpay had been her rock during the week that followed the car accident that claimed her best friend Taylor McKessie's life. Right after the accident, Sharpay was more concerned with Gabriella's emotional state than the fact that the accident took away her ability to walk. Sharpay had later told Gabriella that she was trying to focus on anything but her disability. Gabriella was taken aback by this extra-ordinary measure of generosity and friendship, but never thankful for it, either. Sharpay had changed dramatically from the self-absorbed teen she had met during the spring of her sophomore year, to the mature, generous woman she was today.

Just thinking of Sharpay's kindness, brought Gabriella to tears. She didn't deserve any sort of friendship from Sharpay. After Troy woke up from his coma that he slipped into after the car accident, Gabriella all but ignored Sharpay. She became sucked into her dependant relationship with Troy, and became less of a spunky individual who cared about her friends and into more of a clichéd teen that cared only of her boyfriend, and blew her friends off. She was so blinded by her own problems, that she couldn't see how the reality of Sharpay's situation had begun to settle into Sharpay's psyche. She had suffered so much more than Gabriella could even dream of. She couldn't image never being able to walk again.

It had all come to a head her senior year when she became pregnant. Her stupidity and naivety was unbearable to think of. How could she have thought that she could just ride off into the sunset with Troy and her new baby without any troubles? What had happened to the practical, smart young woman that she used to be? It was no wonder that her friends barely called her. She brought every bit of anguish that had happened to her on herself.

The tears that had glistened her eyes earlier had now begun to stream freely down her face. Connor, how was happily playing with his toy cars with his younger sister, had glanced up at his mother. He immediately appeared worried.

"What's the matter, Mommy?" Connor asked as he jumped up from his miniature cars.

Gabriella weakly smiled as she motioned for Connor to come near. She carefully pulled her son onto her lap. "Do you remember my old friend, Sharpay?"

Connor nodded thoughtfully. "Uh-huh. She's the pretty one in the wheelchair, right?"

"Yes, that's her."

Connor nodded to urge his mother on.

Gabriella smiled slightly and began to stroke her son's light honey-brown bowl-cut that reminded her so much of Troy. "She's coming to town to spend some time with us. She'll be here next week."

"Oh," Connor replied as he examined his mother's face. He was always a sensitive boy, but even more so after his father left. Gabriella knew that he tried so hard to please her. She felt that this behavior was an attempt on his part to keep her from crying. It warmed her heart to know how considerate he was; yet it made her even more miserable. Her children could see through her façade and her measly attempts at normalcy.

As if Connor could detect her mixed feelings over Sharpay's arrival, he became extremely quiet as he carefully used his small fingers to wipe away Gabriella's tears. "Don't cry, Mom. Everything will be OK. I'll tell that Sharpay to go away."

Gabriella chuckled as she tenderly took Connor's hands away from her face. "No, that's alright Sweetie. I want Sharpay here."

"B-but she made you cry," Connor said a bit angrily. He had a confused expression on his face as he mused over his mother's intentions.

"No, she didn't make me cry," Gabriella replied carefully. She saw that Ava was coming nearer after being spooked but Connor's angry voice. Gabriella turned back to her son. "I made myself cry thinking about how good of a friend Sharpay is."

Connor's frustrated eyes relaxed. "Oh."

Ava, who never wanted to be left out of anything, began to pull on Gabriella's knee in attempt to climb up onto her lap. Gabriella chuckled as she pulled her daughter onto her lap. She then called Taylor over to join her crowded lap.

As she clutched her children to her lap, she began to tell them a story.

"Long ago, a princess was visiting a far-away kingdom called Colorado. She was attending a party in which she met a very handsome prince. This prince had a smile that could take the young princess' breath away. They fell in love, but the princess and the prince were only visiting this kingdom, so they didn't think that they would ever see each other again. They two had to say goodbye to each other, which was a very difficult thing to do for the princess.

"A few weeks later, a miracle happened. The Queen was transferred to a new kingdom called Albuquerque. That is where the princess found the prince again. They fell even deeper in love and met many new friends. However, they faced a difficult situation. One of their friends was in an accident. This friend went away to the ultimate kingdom in Heaven where she will live forever. This made the prince and princess very sad, and their friends were also sad. However, they all moved on with their lives. The prince and princess were so in love that they decided to get married. They had children. However, the prince had to go defend his kingdom from very angry people. He left the princess and his children…"

Gabriella felt herself trail off. She couldn't finish the story. It had no happy ending. She glanced down at her children. Taylor and Ava were fast asleep, while Connor's eyes were heavy. She decided to skip the horrible ending and put the children to bed.

A/N: A/N: Okay, so I have recently gotten into the Twilight books by Stephenie Meyer (who, btw, is a FANTASTIC writer and I hope to someday have even an ounce of her talent and vision), and I have decided that I will include more detail in my stories. So you readers are in for a treat; if you thought I was detailed before, I am going into over-drive with details.

And if you can't tell, I'm trying to correct some unresolved issues that were left in "How Could this Happen to Me" that weren't completely resolved in "Their Broken Road." I honestly think that I butchered the Sharpay paralysis storyline. I am so sorry for disappointing my readers. I plan on fixing most of these problems in this story, so I highly recommend that any fan of "How Could this Happen to Me" continue to read this story to some-what put closure to some hashed storylines I had going in there. Again, I apologize for that. I put most of my frustrations into Gabriella's inner monologue of this chapter. Most of her regret over being self-absorbed was my regret over not exploring Sharpay's or Ryan's or Chad's or even Taylor's parents' storylines. I think I was so focused on making a Troyella story, that I overlooked vital characters. If I could redo "Their Broken Road," I would have definitely have made it live up to its title. More than one character had a "broken road."

All right; that was my rant over my many regrets. If you actually read all of that, you deserve a big cookie! However, I would appreciate a review. If you could just click on that little button on the bottom left of your screen and type in a helpful review, I would absolutely love that. I gave you a long chapter, so the least you could do is to review it! Is the guilt trip working?