A/N: I didn't really like this chapter but it has to be here. So...check it out. Don't own HSM

Chapter 35 – Forgive him

Carlos opened the door and swung the baseball bat violently, making Sharpay leap back. "Who're you?"

"Uh…I'm Sharpay. Is Gabriella here?" She asked unsurely.

He smiled and nodded. "Gabby!"

Gabriella slowly walked down the stairs and frowned. "What's with the baseball bat?"

Carlos shrugged. "She could've been a robber." He defended.

She raised her eyebrows and folded her arms, eyeing Sharpay suspiciously. "A robber that knocks on the door?" She turned back to Carlos. "Go and help Mom."

Carlos sighed. "Fine. But, if she was a robber, this totally would've worked." He replied nonchalantly as he walked into the kitchen.

Gabriella stepped outside, shutting the door behind her. She folded her arms defensively once again and licked her lips. "What do you want?"

Sharpay shrugged. "I came here to apologise. I know it doesn't make things any better and I don't deserve your forgiveness…not that you'd want to forgive me. I just wanted to let you know that."

Gabriella nodded. "Well, thank you. You look really good, by the way."

Sharpay smiled. "Everyone's saying that. I guess, I only just started appreciating true beauty. Plus, I'm still grounded. The only time I leave the house is to go to the church and Ryan has to come with me."

Gabriella sat down on the step and Sharpay joined her. "You go to the church?"

Sharpay nodded. "Yeah but I'll tell you about that later. I need to tell you something."

"What is it?" Gabriella asked quizzically.

Sharpay paused for a minute, debating about whether to tell her about Troy's dance lessons but decided against it. "Troy's in love with you. I don't know what happened between you two but he's sorry."

Gabriella sighed and stood up. "Did Troy set you up to this?"

Sharpay stood up and raised her eyebrows. "No. I just came from his house but he doesn't know I'm here. He fell asleep while doing maths homework."

Gabriella giggled. "Yeah. He doesn't really like maths."

"I know." Sharpay said softly. "Look, all I'm saying is that he needs you. He hasn't bullied anyone in the three weeks you've been here. He's a better person and miserable without you."

Gabriella rolled her eyes and shook her head. "So? You think I don't know that? And I don't want to leave but I have to. Besides, it's his own idiotic fault. He knew how much it meant to me!"

"What?" Sharpay asked in confusion.

Gabriella sank back down to sit on the step and bit her lip. She felt Sharpay sit beside her once again and wrap an arm around her. "He broke my heart. It's so frustrating! The second I feel like I belong here and I'm enjoying myself, something happens. Something that tears me apart!" She groaned in annoyance, burying her head into Sharpay's shoulder.

Sharpay rocked her back and fore. "Shh…Hey, hey. Listen, maybe…maybe you and Troy just weren't meant to be…" She trailed.

Gabriella laughed and pulled away. "I wish. But, we are. Don't ask me how I know because I'm really not in the mood to explain."

Sharpay laughed slightly, removing her arm. "So…what are you going to do?"

"Continue with my plan!" She said indignantly.

"Which is…" Sharpay rolled her hand, signalling for her to continue.

"Which is to ignore Troy until the project…or at least until I think up another plan." She admitted in defeat.

"Okay, this may sound like I'm my old self but I'm telling you this for future reference. You stink at thinking up plans!" Sharpay exclaimed. "Why don't you just forgive and make the most of the potential week you have together."

Gabriella felt tears well in her eyes and she muffled a sob. "Because I can't. Not ever. Not even if I was freezing to death and he was the last blanket on Earth!" She said through gritted teeth.

Sharpay frowned. When Gabriella had first started at East High, it was clear she was confident but never had she seen a nerd be so…aggravated. "Sweetie, do you hate him?"

Gabriella took a moment before shaking her head. "I try to but I can't."

"Gabby!" A familiar voice yelled.

Gabriella and Sharpay both looked up to see Chad and Taylor running towards them. "Chad? Tay?" She asked in puzzlement, not bothering to get to her feet. "What's wrong?"

"Sharpay?" Taylor asked in disbelief when they were close enough. "Slumming?"

The blonde girl shook her head, laughing. "No. I came to make sure Gabriella was okay. I've just come from Troy's. I'm attempting to get her to forgive him for whatever he's done." She explained.

Chad and Taylor both knelt on the concrete in front of the step and their hands intertwined. "I don't think she can." Chad said softly.

"Well, can you at least tell her that Troy is in love with her? She just said that she keeps trying to hate him!" Sharpay exclaimed in frustration.

Taylor was kind of shocked by Sharpay's new attitude towards Gabriella but shook it off, concentrating on the matter in hand. "Gabby, don't hate him. He made a mistake, so what? You can't expect him to be perfect."

"I don't expect him to be perfect." She muttered, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. "I expect him to respect me and my home. Not to just throw it all up in my face."

Sharpay was beyond confused. She hated the fact that she was blonde, getting called dumb way too many times, but this time she couldn't hide her bewilderment. "Can we just pause for a second?" She asked quietly. "Alright, now will someone please explain to me what's going on because right now, I don't get it?"

Chad started to stifle some laughter, making Sharpay and Taylor glare at him. "What?" He choked out.

"What's funny?" Sharpay asked.

"You're blonde and you just said 'I don't get it'!" He howled.

Taylor and Sharpay immediately whack both of his arms.

"Ow!" He grumbled. "What is with the violence, women?"

"I know I'm trying to be nice but that can go in a flash!" She threatened, pointing a stern finger at him.

Taylor giggled and smiled brightly at Sharpay. "Three guesses who wears the pants in this relationship?"

Sharpay laughed and shared a high-five with Taylor. "Chad was always a pushover when it came to you."

Chad held his hands up. "As much as I hate to interrupt you too talking endlessly about the handsome me, where's Gabriella?"

The two girls finally noticed that the jock was indeed right. The space Gabriella had taken up earlier was now vacant. "What? When?" Sharpay stuttered, leaping to her feet.

Chad stood up and then helped Taylor to her feet. "I don't know. I was too busy getting beaten up by you two."

Sharpay and Taylor slapped his arms once again.

"There it is again!" He protested. "What did I do that time?"

Taylor rolled her eyes and turned to Sharpay, unable to believe she was about to take sides with her age-old enemy. "Sharpay, what were you and Gabby talking about?"

"Troy." She replied. "I was just saying how they should get back together, especially how she's leaving next Saturday."

"I know where she went." Chad proclaimed, pointing a finger up to the sky.

Chad, Taylor and Sharpay ran hurriedly up the stairs and up onto the rooftop. Taylor turned to her boyfriend and glared at him. "You said she'd be here."

"Well, it made sense to me." He muttered, looking at his feet.

"So, we lose our best friend, use a key to the school to get inside and then find out that your master plan wasn't right?" Taylor hissed. "And that's another thing, why do you have a key to the school?"

"Troy got me one cut from the one his dad has." Chad mumbled.

Sharpay pushed her way through the arguing couple and slowly turned in a circle, taking in the entire rooftop. "Oh, shut up, the pair of you." She growled, hands on her hips. Once the pair fell silent, she strained to hear it: faint sobbing.

"Do you hear that?" Taylor whispered.

Chad nodded and walked towards Sharpay. "She's here." He whispered. "See? I was right!" He grinned at Taylor.

She rolled her eyes. "Will you concentrate on the matter at hand?"

Sharpay turned to the railing and noticed the bench. She slowly walked over and knelt down right at the end. "Gabriella?"

Taylor and Chad rushed over and Gabriella leapt into Chad's awaiting arms. "Shh…Gabby, it's okay." He whispered into her ear.

"Why did you run off?" Taylor asked softly, speaking what was on all three teenager's minds.

Gabriella shrugged, clinging to Chad. She had tears streaming down her cheeks and her sobs were muffled against his shoulder. "It seemed like the right thing to do." She whispered.

"Did we say something wrong?" Sharpay asked worriedly.

Gabriella slowly stood up and shook her head. "No. I just needed to think. I don't want to forgive Troy." She turned to face them as they stood up. "But, part of me is nagging that I need to because I'm going home."

Chad rested and hand on her shoulder and smiled sympathetically. "Just do what your heart tells you to do."