For the first time since they had all met at the summer camp, it was quiet during dinner time. They had all decided to crash at Troyella's cottage

"So, who's Kyle?" Brandon asked at dinner that night. Boy, if people thought it was quiet before, now the room was dead silent. Still deciding that his friends needed more time, and thinking that it would make all of them feel better if Brandon was punished, Ryan glared at his son.

"You're grounded when we get back to Albuquerque, got it?" he said, trying to keep himself calm. For the first time ever, Brandon Evans did not protest. Instead, he looked down at his plate, knowing he deserved anything that would be thrown at him.

"Whoa, did somebody die or something?" a weak but cheerful voice say as she headed towards the dining table. Mikayla got up.

"Faith Bolton! You're not supposed to be up!" Mikayla scolded her best friend as she helped her to the table. Faith sat down and then crossed her arms.

"And who said that?" she asked. Gabriella decided to answer this time.

"The doctor did," she said sternly. Faith rolled her eyes and turned to Zeke.

"Uncle Zeke, can you please pass me the tuna salad?" she asked sweetly as though nothing had happened for the past few hours. After getting her salad, the table turned quiet again. Faith finally had had enough.

"Okay. I've had enough! What's going on? Why is everyone so quiet?" she asked, frustrated at everyone's behavior. They looked at her as if she had grown two heads.

"Faith, you almost died!" Brandon said, totally confused at her behavior.

"But you saved me! Shouldn't you guys be happy that I'm alive?" she asked. Troy looked at the young girl in front of him.

"Faith, of course we're happy you're alive," he said.

"Then why are you guys acting as if somebody died?" she asked, exasperated at her family's behavior. Gabriella slammed her hand on the table and pushed her chair back.

"Faith! I cannot lose you! I've already lost Kyle and Preston! I can't lose you too!" she said. Faith finally lost it and mimicked Gabriella's actions.

"Why does it always come to this? Why is it that every time either of us hurt ourselves, it leads to Preston? PRESTON'S DEAD, MOM!" she shouted. Gabriella froze and so did everyone else. Faith, however, was not done and oblivious to the people in the room.

"Where was he when I graduated from elementary school? My first date? My first break-up? My first day of high school? Somewhere in the clouds according to you! Yes, he was there for me but I hardly remember him! He's a person from our past, Mom. Why can't you just let him go?" she asked.

"Because I loved him," Gabriella said, trying to keep herself calm.

"Then what are you doing? Why are you getting married to Blake?" Faith asked, all her anger at her mother for the past year finally coming out.

"Faith, why are you always asking me that question?" Gabriella asked, fed up at her daughter.

"Because you say that you loved Preston. How can you love Blake? If I didn't know you any better, I'd say you were after his money," Faith said, looking at her mother in the eyes. Gabriella's eyes widened at her daughter's rudeness.

For the first time ever, Gabriella Montez slapped her daughter. Faith looked at her mother, shocked. Troy held Gabriella back while Brandon went to Faith's side.

"You don't love him, do you?" Faith asked. Gabriella looked at her daughter.

"Faith, I didn't mean-"

"Save it, Mom," she said before running out of the cottage.

High School Musical – This is True, This is Fate

Faith Montez had no idea where she was going. After running for what seemed like a few minutes, she realized that she had been running to the other side of the pond where she had nearly died. She pulled out a locket from her pocket. (A/N: Hey, that rhymed! LOL!) She opened the locket and stared at a picture of Gabriella, Zeke, Jason, Kelsi, her, Mikayla, Brad, Paris, McKenzie and a certain green-eyed boy. He had jet black hair and his eyes twinkled.

"I miss you, Kyle," she said and before she knew it she was crying her eyes out.

High School Musical – This is True, This is Fate

"I'll go after her," Andrea said. Brandon followed her.

"I'll come too," he said. Ryan stopped him.

"Oh no, you don't. You go, Andy," he said and nodded his head towards the direction of the door. Andrea nodded and raced out of the cottage. Brandon looked at his father and then tried to race for the door. Chad stopped him. He held out his arms. The door was still opened. Brandon pulled out a chewing gum from his pocket and threw it to the right side. Chad caught it, leaving the left side unguarded. Brandon ran out of the door. Taylor slapped her hand on her forehead.

"You idiot," she hissed. Chad shrugged and ate the chewing gum. Ryan was about to go after Brandon but Gabriella stopped him.

"She needs him," Gabriella said before being hugged by Troy and burying her head into his chest. Ryan turned to Jason, Kelsi and Zeke.

"What does she mean?" he whispered. Jason was hugging Kelsi, who had tears in her eyes, while Zeke was looking at anywhere but his friends. The three shrugged, moving uncomfortably in their seats.

High School Musical – This is True, This is Fate

"Hey, sis," Andrea said as she sat beside Faith. Faith smiled at Andrea.

"Hmm… Sis? I like the way that sounds," she said. Andrea nodded. Faith sighed and laid her head on Andrea's shoulder, just like sisters did when they wanted comfort.

"Faith, who's Kyle?" Andrea asked. Faith froze and then handed over the locket to Andrea when she got back to her senses.

"Jason and Kelsi's adopted son. He passed away last year. He drowned in a swimming pool. He was supposed to be teaching me how to swim," she told her 'sister'. Andrea smiled sympathetically at her and hugged her. Faith sobbed harder.

"We had only been together as a family for one year and fate decided to tear us apart. He would always call Kelsi 'Mom' and Jason 'Dad'. McKenzie was delighted to finally have a brother. Brad treated him like his own elder brother. He was always protective of me, Mikayla and Paris. He was a great cook too. Always helped Zeke in the kitchen," she said.

"Were the two of you together?" Andrea asked. Faith laughed.

"That's what everyone thought but the answer's no. We were just friends who loved each other as a family. I was closest to him. He'd be eighteen tomorrow," she said and started crying again. Faith felt another pair of arms around her and she looked up into the eyes of Brandon Evans.

"What do you want, Evans?" she asked harshly and struggled. Brandon let go of her and sighed.

"Look, Faith. I'm sorry," he said, sounding really sincere. Faith looked at him, shocked and then smiled softly.

"It's okay. Besides, I kinda owe you my life," she smiled at him softly, her brown eyes twinkling. Brandon studied the brunette in front of him. She was beautiful.

"Truce?" he asked and held out his hand. Faith nodded her head and hugged him instead.

"Truce."

Andrea smiled to herself.

"Ah, young love."

High School Musical – This is True, This is Fate

"Wow." That was the only thing that came out of Chad's mouth while the others had gone silent. They had all just been told about Kyle. Kelsi had tears streaming down her face. Jason and Zeke looked at Taylor and Chad worriedly. Seeing the expressions on their friends faces, the two elder Danforths smiled softly.

"We're not mad at you two for not telling us," Taylor said. Chad nodded. Being the second one to get back to her senses, Alan hugged Kelsi to comfort her, which soon resulted in a giant group hug that the gang used to do. The remaining teenagers were looking at their parents and aunts and uncles in either amusement or looking at them weirdly.

"Hey, Chad, you wanna do the honors?" Troy asked. Chad nodded.

"WHAT TEAM?" he shouted.

"WILDCATS!" the rest of the gang shouted back.

"WHAT TEAM?"

"WILDCATS!"

"WHAT TEAM?"

"WILDCATS!"

"WILDCATS?"

"WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER!"

"After all these years and we still got it," he said while grinning. At the exact moment, Faith walked in with Brandon and Andrea.

"Whoa, you guys are having a party without inviting us? That's mean!" she said, chuckling to herself. And then, she turned to her mother.

"Mom, I'm so sor-"

"I know," Gabriella said, smiling softly and holding out her arms so that Faith would hug her.

"So, you guys made a truce?" she asked when she finally let her daughter go. Faith and Brandon nodded their heads and smiled at each other.

"Truce." They said together.

A/N: Sorry for making Faith a bitch at the start of the capter... Everyone has their bad side... Troyella romance in the next one and a fight! Don't wanna spoil it so, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Don't forget to review!