A/N: Hello everyone. This is the last chapter. I have decided after writing this chapter that pretty much all the ends are tied and everything seems complete. Thanks for all the reviews on every single chapter. I'd like to thank all the dedicated readers who have been with me since the first chapter (I sound like I just won an award!). I am planning on writing another HSM story soon, so if you like my writing, than you might just check up with me now and again to see if I have the story finished. I am trying something new this time, and I'm going to write the whole story before hand so I won't be keeping the readers waiting forever. Here's the final chapter of "How Could This Happen to Me."

Chapter 14

Recap: Gabriella kept her head respectfully bowed as she processed past all the people, but something caught her eye so she looked up slightly. There, in the very back was a young man. He was wearing a black suit and was looking straight at Gabriella. He was in a wheelchair. Gabriella blinked and looked more closely at him. It was Troy.

Gabriella stopped dead. She couldn't believe that Troy was there. Mrs. McKessie saw him and squeezed Gabriella's shoulder. She didn't want to stop the procession, so she kept moving her crutches until she got to the back. She gave Mr. and Mrs. McKessie a smile and went towards Troy, who was in the corner with his parents and Gabriella's mom. Gabriella realized where her mother had been the whole time. She was at the hospital getting Troy ready. Gabriella was so grateful. She dropped her crutches and wrapped her arms around Troy's neck. He embraced her and kissed her cheek. Gabriella then got up and grabbed her crutches from her mom, who had picked them up from off the ground. They then followed the procession and proceeded out into the gathering area, and then out the door. Troy wheeled himself the entire time. Gabriella knew how independent he could be.

They watched together in silence as Taylor's casket was loaded into the back of the hearse. Troy had his arm around Gabriella's middle, and with his other arm, he tenderly stroked her hand as she cried. He couldn't believe that this was happening. He watched Chad lift the casket into the back of the hearse and close the door. He held the handle with his unbroken arm (his right arm) for a while, looking as if he wasn't sure if he should let go of it. He finally did and turned away. He caught a glimpse of Troy and Gabriella, so he walked over towards them.

"Hey, man," Troy held out his right hand to Chad as he neared them. Chad took it and gave him a slight embrace.

"How ya feeling?" Chad asked his friend solemnly. Troy just shook his head 'yes' and gave him a small smile.

Chad returned it and said, "Troy, I'm sorry about all this, I really am."

Troy gave him a confused look, "Chad, you have nothing to be sorry for. You didn't plan for this to happen. It's not like you wanted me to be in a coma or Sharpay to be paralyzed, and I know for a fact that you didn't want Taylor to die. You loved her."

Chad looked down. He didn't know what to say. How can Troy be so forgiving? He asked himself awe-stricken.

"We better get going. I'll see you at the cemetery, okay?" Troy said to Chad.

"Yeah, alright," Chad responded. He nodded at Troy's parents and Ms. Montez and gave a weak smile to Gabriella. He then turned and left.

Troy's mom then said that they would have to get going also. Gabriella went with Troy because she didn't want to be away from him. Jack and Cara helped Troy out of his wheelchair and into their small car. Gabriella then slid next to Troy in the backseat and they rode together in silence for the rest of the way. Gabriella couldn't help but remember the last time that she and Troy rode together in the backseat. Troy realized her anxiety because she was quivering, so he slid his arm around her shoulders and held her.

Soon they got to the cemetery. Mrs. Bolton insisted that Troy was to stay in his wheelchair, so he reluctantly got into it and wheeled himself towards the place where Taylor was to be buried.

The same minister who was at the church continued his droning about God's loving grace and tying in Taylor into every few sentences. He finally concluded by blessing the burial place and saying a prayer. Mr. and Mrs. McKessie got up and said their final goodbyes to their daughter by placing a small item that they remembered her by on her coffin. Soon the rest of their small family said their goodbyes. Than, the students who came to the funeral, each came up, one by one, and said their goodbyes. Many placed a single, long stemmed flower on her coffin as they passed by. Troy abandoned his wheelchair, much to his mother's disapproval and went with Gabriella to get into line. Chad followed them and stood by them in line. Sharpay was a few persons ahead, so when she caught sight of the trio, she turned around her wheelchair and wheeled herself back to them so she could wait in line with them.

As they were waiting in line, Sharpay turned in her wheelchair towards Chad and whispered, "Chad, I'm sorry for treating you the way I did. I want to let you know that it might take some time for me to heal. But you need to know that I'm going to try my best to come to terms with everything."

Chad just nodded and said, "You have every right to be mad at me. I didn't expect you to forgive me all at once, so I understand."

They all were silent for the rest of the wait, until they got up to the casket to say goodbye. Since they didn't have any flowers to put on the casket, they just stood there, holding up the line. Gabriella couldn't make out the words to say goodbye. Instead she clung onto Troy and cried. She finally whispered a final, "Goodbye." She then turned and maneuvered herself towards her mother. Troy followed slowly. Cara noticed that he was looking pale so she wanted to take him home. Gabriella wanted to leave also, so they said their goodbyes to the McKessies and left Taylor's burial place. We didn't even stick around to see Taylor being lowered into the ground, Gabriella thought to herself miserably as she neared her mom's SUV. We sure are rotten friends.

Before Gabriella got into the SUV, she slowly turned to get a last glimpse of the service. Chad was standing by Taylor's coffin with his eyes fixed on the polished closed casket. She then saw Chad reach into his left pocket and pulled out something small. Gabriella wasn't sure what it was so she tried to get a better look by coming closer. The small object caught the sun, and she realized that it was a ring. She watched Chad hold it in his hand and staring at it meaningfully. He then tenderly held it out and slowly placed it on top of Taylor's coffin. Gabriella realized she was holding her breath so she slowly exhaled. She now knew that Taylor could finally rest in peace now that everyone was at peace with himself or herself.

A/N: That's it. That's the end. I might just write a sequel if I am persuaded to, but I'm not planning on it. Right now, I'm going to write another story, but if I am begged and pleaded to, I just might.