All of you had good ideas about where Troy is. I guess the bus ticket gave it all away. Now is the time to see if your right!

Chapter 10. You Can Go Home Again

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Gabriella awoke the next morning to the beautiful view of mountains rolling past the bus windows. She sighed as she thought of what she would say to Troy once she found him.

"Lake Tahoe coming up! Final stop is Lake Tahoe ski lodge!" the driver said on the intercom.

Gabriella gathered up all her things and got ready to exit the bus. In a few minuets the bus came to a stop and she, along with several others, got out in front of the ski lodge.

When she had gotten her bag and had a look around she started off for the main town. She knew that Troy couldn't stay only at the ski lodge. It took her a good half an hour walk to get there. But when she did, she didn't regret it.

The place was beautiful! There was a line of stores and shops on one side of the street, and on the other side was the gorgeous blue lake. Gabriella smiled at the view, but her smile quickly faded away as she remembered

Troy. Gabriella walked along the shore line a little ways knowing that's where Troy would more than likely be.

She was right.

About a mile down the beach she came to some large, smooth rocks on the water's edge. On one of the larger rocks was the sad figure of Troy, or what was left of him.

He was wet, mud covered, and without shoes. He was hugging his knees to his chest and shivering as he stared at the lake.

"Troy!" Gabriella yelled as she ran to him.

"Gabriella?" Troy coughed weakly lifting his head.

Gabriella ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him despite his poor state.

"Troy, I'm so glad I found you! I thought I'd lost you forever!" Gabriella said as she continued to hug him.

"I'm glad you found me too." Troy said as he pulled Gabriella off him. "But I don't think you really want to hug me with the condition I'm in right now."

"Your right. Hang on. I have some extra money. I'll get you some new clothes." Gabriella said as she started off for the shops she had seen earlier.

"Hurry up! I don't know how much longer I can wear these clothes before they disintegrate!" Troy yelled after her.

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Twenty minuets later Gabriella returned with a new pair of jeans, a t-shirt, sneakers, and a burger which Troy was especially thankful for.

After he had changed and ate they sat back down on the rocks.

"We better hurry." Gabriella said. "The bus for home leaves in an hour. I already got you a ticket."

"I'm not going home." Troy said skipping a small rock across the surface of the water.

"What?"

"You heard me. I'm not going home. I don't want to cause anymore pain than I already have."

"But, Troy, you can always get a new job. And your mom doesn't blame you a bit." Gabriella said sitting down beside him.

"It's not just the job." Troy said getting up.

"Then what?" Gabriella asked confused.

"My mom didn't tell you." Troy sighed.

"Tell me what?"

Troy took a deep breath.

"When I got home the afternoon I lost my job, we got a call from the state prison."

Gabriella knew dead well that Troy's dad was there.

"My dad died two days ago after an inmate stabbed him with a piece of glass."

"Oh, Troy!" Gabriella said as she ran over to him.

"Why did that have to happen! Especially to him!" Troy said angrily as the tears started to come.

"Troy, you know it wasn't your fault." Gabriella said as she continued to hold him.

"I just wish this whole situation would have never happened." Troy said sitting back down on the rocks.

"Well, it did. And it's over know. There was nothing either of us could do." Gabriella said as tears came to her eyes as well.

"But I'll never get to see him again! We're lucky that the prison agreed to pay for the funeral." Troy said clinging to Gabriella.

"I know just how your feeling right now. My dad died of a stroke when I was ten." Gabriella said softly.

"He did? I never really heard you or your mom talk about him." Troy said looking up.

"We don't. It's not a pleasant memory." Gabriella sighed. "It took us a while to get back on our feet too."

"Wow. I guess we have more in common now than ever." Troy said slightly smiling.

"And we'll have even more in common if you decide to be strong and get through this. Besides, don't you think that's what you dad would want?" Gabriella smiled.

"You're right. Come on, we don't want to miss that bus!" Troy said getting up.