June 6th, 2010: 3:30 PM
Jack and Kay sat in the front row. They were talking as all the kids got called up to accept their diploma's.
"Is Troy next?"
"No." Jack sighed. "How many times are you going to ask me that?"
"As many times as it takes to see my kid graduate." She looked over a couple heads and saw that Troy was third in line.
The graduation was held outside because it was so nice out. And since the trees were blooming late, it seemed perfect for an outside graduation.
"Troy Bolton." The principal called Troy up.
"Oh my gosh, there's my baby!" Kay squeezed Jack's hand.
Troy did sort of a fake smile as he shook the principal's hand. He accepted his diploma.
The principal did a little speech for Troy. "This young man has accomplished a B+ average overall, and has exceeded standards in our football team. As a Freshman, he was elected Captain of the football team, and the main running back. But the coach switched him to Quarter Back, and he has exceeded expectations. He will be going off to New York State University with a full sports scholarship. If he makes it there, he will become a member of the New England Patriots."
Jack and Kay both stood up, clapping as Troy stood with the crowd of people. "I couldn't imagine how this day would come out, and it's been so wonderful already." Kay smiled up at Jack. "Our little boy's growing up."
Jack sat back down with her. "He's not our little boy anymore, Kay. He's a grown man."
As the graduating class was dismissed, Troy walked up to his mom and dad with his diploma in hand. He hugged both his mom and dad, then handed his diploma to his mom for safe keeping.
"You've done great Troy. We're really proud of you." Jack hugged Troy again. "Just wait until you become a Patriot's player."
Kay looked at Jack. "Should we tell him who we saw today?"
Jack nodded. "I think he'll be pretty happy." He got out his phone.
"Did you meet a player or something?" Troy said as he took his gown off and straightened up his tie.
"No, but we met a diehard fan for the Patriots."
"Oh, that's cool." Troy folded his gown and cap off and handed it to his mom."
"You'll never believe who the fan is."
"Who is it?"
Jack turned his phone to Troy. Troy saw a picture of his dad, his mom, and a little blonde haired boy. He took the phone.
"Awh, a little boy likes the Patriots?" He smiled. "I hope I have fans like that if I become a Patriot player."
"That's not just any little boy." Jack smiled.
"What do you mean?" Troy seemed a little confused.
Kay became a little excited. "That's your son, Troy."
Troy stared at the picture. "That's Griffin?"
His mom nodded.
"Oh my god... " Troy looked at his mom and dad. "He... He's so beautiful... God damn, he looks just like Gabriella... " Troy laughed with a couple tears in his eyes.
Kay and Jack both laughed. "He's got your straight hair." Kay ran her hand down Troy's hair. "And he's got your beautiful eyes."
"Go to the next picture." Jack said.
Troy flipped the picture. It was of Griffin alone. "He's standing up! He's normal!" Troy looked at his mom and dad, then back at the picture. "And oh my god, he's so much bigger! He got tall!"
"There's one more that I think you'll like." Jack looked at the picture with Troy.
The next picture was of Gabriella and Griffin.
"The two people that I love more than anything in this world... " Troy shook his head. "Gabriella is still so gorgeous. She looks more older and more sophisticated. And even more beautiful. She lost all the weight from having Griffin, too."
"She wanted us to tell you that she is really happy for you." Kay wrapped her arm around Troy. "I think she still really loves you, but she doesn't want to hurt Griffin by putting him in that situation again."
Troy sighed. "I understand why she doesn't want to hurt herself and Griffin."
"Come on sweetheart, let's go to home, okay?" Kay dragged Jack to the truck. "Take as much time as you need, okay?"
"Okay." Troy said, still staring at the phone.
Troy sat there, staring at the three pictures of Griffin. He wanted so desperately to meet Griffin again and see Gabriella again.
"God, I just want one day... One day... " He set the phone down and stared at the crowd of chairs.
"I think you got your wish."
He turned around.
"Gabriella?"
"Hi Troy." Gabriella said.
"Oh my god... " Troy was speechless.
She hugged Troy tightly. He hugged her back, then pulled away. He stared at her from head to toe, immediatly starting to break into tears.
"You look so amazing! You're taller and so much more beautiful!"
"Thank you." She smiled at him. "I need to talk to you about something." She sat him down on the chair. "If the courts or child services figures out that I have contact with your family, I'll be arrested, be put in jail, and have Griffin taken away from me forever. You can't speak of this to anyone, Troy. Not even your parents."
Troy's eyes watered. "Why can't I just ask for rights back, so I can see him?"
"We have to get married and stay married for a year for you to get atleast joint custody of him. But I think there's another way."
"What is it?"
"Well, they have to do a full background check on you and the people you live with. Then, they bring the dogs in your house and search the entire house. After that, they bring you and the people you live with for questioning. But before all that, I have to approve your rights, and I have to sign off full custody and split custody with you."
"Well, why don't you approve my rights to have joint custody? Here, I have a phone. Call them and tell them right now- "
"Troy... " Gabriella's eyes watered and she looked up at the sky. "I'm not approving your rights."
"What? Why not?"
"I can't trust you with my son." She looked over at him. "I'm not going to let you go out and party all night, and leave my baby in a crib at your house. I can't let my baby get close to you, and then be ripped apart from you and have a broken heart. If I let you be his father, you can't back out. Right now, he really doesn't know what a daddy is. He thinks that it's a person's name. That's sad, Troy. You made his life the way it is now, and he's not the one paying for it. You are."
Troy shook his head as tears fell from his eyes. "I want to be a father to my son, Gabriella. You don't know how much it broke my heart when you broke up with me. It killed me, Gabriella. Yeah, I cheated on you twice, and yeah, I didn't want any kids at the time, but it's just so different now. I have a good career ahead of me. I might be a pro football player for the Patriots, Gabi. I can afford and take care of Griffin. I can be there for him." He took one of her hands. "When you told me that you were pregnant, I wanted to fall off that dock and drown. But I didn't. I went out to a party, decided that I wanted to let my sorrows out, and I grabbed the first girl that walked out of the bar. I know that hurt you really bad. But I still was acting like a kid. When you had Griffin, I acted all responsible and I helped you feed him and play with him and do whatever you wanted me to do. I acted grown up. But I wasn't. I went out and partied with Harvey one night, and I found a girl and made out with her on the bar. I know that was your last straw. I know it was. And I didn't understand that. I took advantage of your trust and your love... And I feel horrible for it... When you broke up with me and screamed at me that day, I said some things I didn't mean because one, I was half drunk, and two, my dad was screaming at me too. But when you walked out that door Gabriella, my heart stopped beating. My lungs stopped breathing. My brain stopped thinking. And then I went and found Haylie, who was the first person there. I needed someone to love, but she wasn't it. And now... I've got the lady of my dreams sitting in front of me. I can't miss this chance, Gabriella. Please... Just come back to me." He kissed her hand, letting tears fall down his face.. "Please just give me another shot."
Gabriella turned her head, letting tears fall down her cheeks. She didn't want to leave him. She hated to see Troy cry. She knew that this was serious, now. She couldn't just run and hide Griffin in her bedroom.
She turned back to Troy.
She squated down in front of Troy and placed her hands on his knees.
"You didn't get to say goodbye to Griffin, and you didn't get to say goodbye to me when I left the last time. Now, this the last chance that you'll ever have to say goodbye to me. If you want to say goodbye to me, do it right now. This is it, Troy. I'm done, right here, right now."
He stared into her chocolate eyes, trying to find her heart. He couldn't find it there, because it wasn't there for him anymore.
"I can't say bye... I can't let you go... "
"I'm not going back to you... I'm not putting myself and Griffin through that... "
He looked away as tears fell from his face. He tried to think, and then turned back to her.
He grabbed her face in his hands and kissed her.
Gabriella cried the entire time during that kiss. She didn't want to let him go. She wanted so desperately to be with him and to raise her son with him. But she wasn't going to break Griffin's heart if Troy did something stupid again.
He pulled away. "I love you." He looked down and took his hands off of her face. "God, I love you so damn much... "
Gabriella looked into his eyes. "I love you too." She wiped a couple tears off of his face. "Don't cry, okay? I'm giving you a chance to live the life that you tried to live when you were with me. I grew up too fast, and you were still stuck in your teenage days."
"But I've grown up now... "
"That's what you said when Griffin was born." She looked into his Atlantic Ocean blue eyes one last time, stroked his medium-brown hair, and kissed his soft lips. "I love you and I always will, but we just weren't right for eachother. Go find who's right for you, Troy. You have a chance to forget about Griffin and I, and go live your life the way it was meant to be lived. Go do what you were meant to do. Go play football and find a good wife, and have kids with her. Just forget about us, okay? I love you more than anyone else in the world, other than Griffin. There's no words to describe what kind of roller coaster we've been on, from the time I was fourteen and met you to the time I was sixteen and just had my baby. You gave me a gift, and that gift means more to me than anything else in the world. That's why I'm doing this to you. I'm making the right decision for my son and I." She turned around. "Bye Troy." And she walked off to her car.
Troy sat there for an hour, crying. His mom and dad were still waiting. When he finally got in the car, he told his mom and dad that he didn't want to talk, handed his dad back his phone, and went home, where he stayed in his bedroom for days.
He was finally feeling what it was like to be lonely.
