Disclaimer: I do not own the High School Musical franchise

Chapter Twenty-One: You're Gonna Miss This

You're gonna miss this

You're gonna want this back

You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast

These are some good times

So take a good look around

You may not know this now

But you're gonna miss this

- "You're Gonna Miss This" Trace Adkins

Troy dug around in his pockets for his keys before finally giving up. Banging on the door, he forgot there could be a sleeping baby inside. "What?" Gabriella asked as she threw the door open without looking to see who it was. "Troy? What happened?" As soon as she asked the question she knew the answer.

"I hope I didn't wake Allie up, I just, my keys, and I ran here." Troy explained as he came into the room.

"You ran here from your parents' house?" Gabriella sighed and pulled him over to the sofa, "Let me get you some water." She pushed him down into a sitting position and watched him out of the corner of her eye as he tried to catch his breath.

"He died this morning." Troy stated flatly. "He died and I wasn't even there."

Gabriella set the water glass on the coffee table and took his hand, "I'm sure you had a reason."

"I was visiting Caroline." He whispered. "I got home and then my parents walked through the door. They'd been at the hospital to see a doctor. He just died."

Gabriella wrapped her arm around Troy's shoulders and pulled him close, pressing a kiss to his temple, "He'd be happy you were with Caroline. He'd want you to let him go peacefully. You know he'd be suffering if he woke up and wasn't himself." She whispered.

Troy nodded his head and pressed his face into her shoulder as he cried. She just held him and rocked him. "I don't want to feel this anymore. I thought I wasn't lost and now I just, I don't even know."

Gabriella gave him a squeeze, "I promise you it gets better. I promise that." She sighed, "Why don't you go take a shower, and I'll have something light to eat when you get out?" She suggested.

"I'm not hungry." He whispered.

"Okay, well a shower will still feel good." She didn't press the issue.

Reluctantly, Troy stood, "Alright." He whispered as he made his way into their bathroom.

HSMHSMHSM

Gabriella glanced into their bedroom, the shower was still running, "I just don't know if it would help or hurt at this point." She admitted into the phone.

"I know, but we want to do something." Kelsi pleaded

"Anything we can. Maybe we can drop dinner off?" Jason suggested.

"Or watch Allie so you can deal with him?" Ryan offered.

Gabriella sighed, "Jason, shouldn't you be with Emma?" She asked.

Jason cleared his throat, "We broke up two weeks ago."

"What?" Three voices simultaneously screamed into the phone.

"How didn't we know this?" Ryan snapped.

"I didn't want to make it a big deal. Apparently, Emma has only told Shar and Nicole and she asked them not to tell anyone. That's what Shar told me. That's why the girls aren't talking to me." Jason explained.

Gabriella let her head drop to her hands. She felt tears welling up. She didn't like Emma, but she didn't want to cause her any pain. And she knew how Emma felt about Jason. It was completely obvious. That boy had stolen her heart, much in the same way Troy had done to her, "Jason, if this is,"

"If you finish that sentence I'm going to come over just so I can smack you." Jason threatened, "Not that I approve of hitting women." He amended, "But don't be stupid. You didn't cause this. Emma's insanity caused it."

"But she was like this before Troy and I started dating."

"While that may have highlighted the issue, Ryan and I both had issues with everything before then. And Emma and I have been rocky in the last six months anyhow. This isn't the first break up we've had." Jason admitted.

"What?" Echoed through the phone again.

"We've broken up twice six months. Over the bullying and her obsessive need to control everything." Jason told them, "So this isn't your fault, Gabs. Just take care of Troy and call us if you need anything."

Gabriella nodded even though he couldn't see it through the phone, "Thanks, Jase. And if you need anything just call us." She heard Jason disconnect and sighed audibly.

"I had no idea they'd broken up at all in the last six months." Ryan admitted.

"No one did. What you guys does echoes around the school." Kelsi told him, "No one knew anything was wrong at any point."

"They're good actors." Ryan shook his head.

"Jason's a very private person." Gabriella surmised, "He must've wanted to keep things quiet until he was sure about them."

"Whatever the case is, he's right about one thing, we're here. Just call us." Ryan agreed.

"Definitely." Kelsi seconded his statement.

Gabriella paused, "Are you two together?" She asked.

She waited through the long pause, letting it stretch between them, "We're at Kelsi's house." Ryan finally told her.

"Uh huh, and what are we doing at Kelsi's house?" Gabriella asked.

"Focus on Troy." Kelsi ordered. "And call us if you need anything."

"Don't change the subject Kelsi Marie Neilson and I what I need is to know what's going on." Gabriella admonished her.

"Bye, Gabs!" Kelsi called out before hanging up the phone.

"The nerve." Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"What happened?" Troy asked as he came out of the bedroom in jeans and t-shirt, towel drying his hair.

Gabriella rolled her eyes, "Ryan is over at Kelsi's and they won't admit it's a date."

Troy smiled, "Stubborn the two of them are." He sat down next to her, "And I heard you yelling at Jason."

"Did you know he and Emma broke up two weeks ago?" Troy frowned and shook his head, "And that this is the third time they've broken up in the last six months."

Troy's frowned deepened, "I know Ems and I have had a lot of problems in the last year, but I can't believe she never told me."

"I'm thinking she never told anyone." Gabriella admitted. Gazing at him intently she said, "You have to eat something."

"I'm not hungry." He maintained.

"They offered to bring food by if you're craving something." She whispered.

"I don't know what to do." He admitted.

Gabriella sighed, "I'm texting Kelsi to get Mexican. It's your favorite." She picked up her phone. "I think you need to be around people and talk to people. I know I did and you always made me eat and so I'm doing the same to you." She laid her phone back down on the table once she'd heard a positive response from Kelsi.

HSMHSMHSM

"He's as good as he can be right now, Jack." Gabriella whispered into her phone from their bedroom.

"Is he going to stay there?"

"I'm not letting him leave unless someone drives him home and can make sure he actually gets there. I don't want him wandering." Gabriella admitted.

"He's bad, isn't he? He just took off and,"

"I'll get him home, Jack." Gabriella promised, "He needs to be with you guys."

"No, Gabriella," Jack interjected, "he needs to be with you and Allie."

"He can stay the night, but then he's going home. You and Lucille and Emma need him more than we do. You need your family together." She told him.

"Alright, I'll come pick him up tomorrow, say noon?" Jack relented.

"That's perfect, thanks."

"Thank you for taking care of my son." Jack told her honestly, "Lucille and I would be lost without you and Allie."

"We would be lost without him." Gabriella admitted before hanging up and joining Kelsi, Ryan, Jason, Troy and Allie in the living room.

"Jason was just explaining to us about the breaks ups." Ryan's eyes narrowed at his best friend.

Jason held up his hands, "I'm sorry, but it just seemed silly to tell everyone and cause drama when I only wanted her to calm down so we could get back together. I love her, I really do, but this year has just been different with her."

Troy shook his head, "No, you're just becoming a better man."

"What?"

"Come on you guys," Troy rolled his eyes, "they've been like this since we were in elementary school. Just ask Kelsi. They're bullies. There's nothing new to it, you're just now realizing how horrible it is."

Kelsi nodded her head, "It's true. Ryan, you even stole my glasses in third grade." She reminded him.

Ryan blushed and looked at the ground, "Yeah I didn't steal them to bully you."

"What?" Kelsi asked.

"Oh my God, Kels," Gabriella tittered at her, "in early elementary school when a boy picks on a girl it's because he likes her. Now can you two just admit you're starting to date or whatever?"

Kelsi looked at Ryan with wide eyes and then leaned over and impulsively kissed him quickly, "I had no idea you've liked me all these years."

Ryan grinned at her brightly, "I'm a fabulous actor."

Rolling her eyes, Kelsi picked up a pillow and whacked him with it, "Yeah, right."

Troy couldn't help but laugh, and for a moment, he forgot all the problems. He forgot that Caroline was still in rehab. He forgot that Dylan was dead. And then he remembered.

He glanced down at his phone. He could never text Dylan again.

Gabriella watched him go from laughing to silent in a ten second span. Reaching over she grabbed his hand and laced their fingers together, "It gets better. I promise." She assured him.

HSMHSMHSM

XOXO

MAS