Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.

A/N: So, I hope the last chapter was okay. I only have one or two more left in me, so I'm starting to wind down the story. I hope you guys enjoyed it. I know it might seem like Gabriella's moving on too quickly with Ryan, but to clear that up, the last chapter took place in late April/early May. This chapter takes place in May, a few days after the last.

Enjoy!

BREAKBREAKBREAKBREAK

"Gabriella!" Ryan called, quickening his steps until he caught up to her.

"Hey, Ryan," Gabriella said quietly, not turning her head to look at him but continuing to walk toward her next class.

"Listen, Gabi, I was wondering if you maybe wanted to grab some coffee after school, you know, after we work on the song."

Gabriella sighed lightly, pulling Ryan to the side of the hallway.

"Ryan, I know I was the one who asked you to kiss me. It's just-"

"Just?" Ryan prompted, the smile on his face falling slightly as he listened to Gabriella.

"It's just-I don't know if I'm ready to move this fast. It's still to soon. You understand, don't you?"

Ryan nodded, forcing himself to smile.

"Of course, Gabi. I shouldn't have expected you to get over it so quickly. I'm sorry."

"No, Ryan, it's not your fault," Gabriella said, reaching out to take his hand. "If anything, you've helped me. You've helped me take another step toward accepting this and putting it in the past."

The warning bell rang, startling the two teens as they realized that they were going to be late for class.

"I'll see you later, Ryan," Gabriella called behind her, hugging him quickly before hurrying down the hallway toward her class.

"See you," he replied, turning the opposite way to head to his own class. As he walked down the hall, he mentally berated himself for being so open with Gabriella and expecting her to do the same.

BREAKBREAKBREAKBREAK

Sharpay sat in a seat at the back of the theater, watching as Ms. Darbus conducted a drama class. She herself currently had a free period, and she was using the time to mull over her thoughts in the solitude.

"Sharpay?" The quiet voice next to her startled her, making her turn around to face the speaker. Zeke was crouching in the aisle, his hand braced against the side of her chair.

"Zeke!" she said happily, remembering to keep her voice low so as not to disturb the class.

"Do you want to take a walk?" Zeke asked quietly, reaching forward to take her hand. He helped her out of the seat and the two walked out into the hall, letting their feet lead them without a destination in mind.

"So, how have you been?" Zeke asked, his fingers intertwining with Sharpay's as they walked. "I haven't really been paying attention to you lately."

"I'm alright," Sharpay said, pausing before amending her answer. "Actually, I haven't really been doing that great."

"Understandable," Zeke nodded, turning his head slightly to look at her. "I think you have the right to be shaken."

"It's just-it's been hard, you know? I mean, I was there. I watched it happen, and it's something that I'm always going to carry with me."

Zeke nodded, pausing his steps as Sharpay stopped, turning to face him.

"It just seems like everyone's already moved on. Ryan's chasing Gabriella like she's the greatest thing since sliced bread, and it just makes me wonder if he was even affected by the whole thing."

"I know what you mean," Zeke nodded, looking into Sharpay's eyes. "It seems like the whole school's already forgotten him."

Sharpay turned away, wiping at her eyes to try to hide the tears pooling there.

"I haven't forgotten," she whispered, falling into Zeke's embrace. He rested his head on top of hers, holding her in his arms as she sobbed quietly. "I see that day every night in my dreams. I can't forget."

"I'm sorry I haven't been there for you," Zeke whispered, hugging her close. "I'm sorry I've been wrapped up in my own thing."

"It's just-Ryan promised he'd be there for me. He promised he'd help me through it," Sharpay sobbed, burying her face into Zeke's shoulder.

"It's okay, now," he replied, rubbing her back comfortingly. "I'm here now, and I promise I'm not going to leave you."

BREAKBREAKBREAKBREAK

Kellie sat in the passenger seat of Jack's car, waiting for him to come out of the house. He had refused to tell her where they were going, merely telling her to wait in the car. Sighing, Kellie leaned her head against the cool glass of the window, trying to ease the pounding headache that was making itself known to her.

Suddenly, the front door swung open and Jack came out, carrying a duffel bag in his hands. He walked to the car and tossed the bag in the trunk before walking back to the front and getting in beside his wife.

"Are you going to tell me where you're taking me?" Kellie asked bitterly, glaring at her husband.

"You'll find out soon enough," Jack said, his heart breaking as he looked at his once vibrant wife. Kellie's hair was limp and dirty, being that she hadn't washed it in a few weeks. She was dressed in sweatpants and an old T-shirt, the clothes hanging off her now skinny frame. She had every appearance of a woman who had neglected her own well-being, drowning herself in alcohol and sorrow.

Kellie didn't answer him, merely returning to her former position, staring blankly out the window. After thirty tense minutes, Jack finally slowed the car, pulling into the parking lot of a large, white-hospital style building.

"Where are we?" Kellie asked apprehensively, eyeing the building warily. Finally, a sign on the front became visible, and her complexion paled considerably.

"Kellie, you need help. I'm only trying to help you," Jack pleaded with her, seeing her reaction as she realized he had brought her to a rehab facility. "I know this has been hard for you. It's been hard for me. But I can't lose you, too. Please don't make this any harder on me."

Tears were falling from Jack's eyes by the time he finished, blurring his vision. Kellie blinked back tears of her own as Jack pulled up to the entrance, finally understanding the pain she was causing her husband.

"Please, Kellie, do this for me," he whispered, reaching across the center of the car to grasp her hand. "Please."

BREAKBREAKBREAKBREAK

Gabriella sat at the piano next to Ryan, her fingers slowly picking out notes as Ryan wrote them down on the notepad in front of them. She paused for a moment, her fingers freezing on the keys.

"Gabriella?"

"Huh? Oh, I was just thinking for a minute," she replied, shaking her head slightly.

"About what?"

"Just about graduation. And about college."

"Can you believe it's only a month away?" Ryan asked, trying to make small conversation with her.

"Don't remind me," Gabriella whispered, closing her eyes and resting her forehead on her fingertips.

"So I heard the announcement about you being valedictorian," Ryan said, trying to change the subject. "Congratulations!"

He was startled, however, to see tears spring up in Gabriella's eyes.

"Or not. Gabi, what's wrong?"

"It's just-I remember this one day last year, when I pretty much failed a math test. Troy took me out for dinner later that night, and he cheered me up by telling me that it didn't matter, I was going to be valedictorian anyway. I hadn't even thought about it since then."

"Oh," Ryan said, apprehension dawning on his face.

"I know he'd be happy for me," she said, turning to face Ryan. "But it just seems bittersweet now, you know?"

"I do," he replied, reaching forward to brush the tears from her cheeks.

"We should get back to work," Gabriella said quickly, shaking her head and turning away from Ryan. "We need to have this ready by graduation."

"Gabriella?" Ryan whispered, tipping her face back towards him.

"Ryan?"

"I love you," he replied, looking into her eyes for an answer.

"What?"

BREAKBREAKBREAKBREAK

A/N: So, that was interesting. I hope you guys liked it anyway.

Reviews greatly appreciated, as always!

P.S.-I posted this yesterday, but I'm not sure it worked right so I re-posted it. Sorry if that confused anybody.

Coming in Chapter 14: One month later…graduation…how's Kellie doing…what's going on between Ryan and Gabi?