Heya, Im not sure about this chapter! Let me know what you think! By the way, read 'Never Let Go' by 'runninequalslife'it's amazing! And check out her other stories as well! Izzy xx

Disclaimer: I don't own HSM, Cinderella Story or Pretty Woman

Gabriella felt as though a thousand knives had been plummeted into her stomach, she couldn't breathe. He couldn't have a girlfriend. This was not fair! She was meant to be his girlfriend. He was hers.

!Gabriella?? You okay?"

She hadn't noticed Troy walk up behind her. She noticed the way he looked at her with real concern in his eyes, the way he talked to her as if he was talking to her as if she was the most precious thing in the world. A small flicker of hope ignited in her stomach, but then she noticed the beautiful red-head stood a few metres away. She would have to face the facts. Troy wasn't her boyfriend, he never would be. He was in love with this other girl. And she would have to be happy for them. But it was hard. In some ways she felt let down, she felt as though she wasn't whole anymore. As if there was a part of her missing.

"I'm fine Troy, I just spaced out for a minute." Said Gabriella, in a small voice. "Nice to meet you, Mia. But I have to go."

She turned and left the room fighting back tears. As she rounded the corner she ran slap bang into Chad. She gave him a weak smile and tried to walk past him but he held onto her arm.

"Gabstar, what's up?"He asked, concern written all over his face.

Gabriella cracked. The tears ran down her face, the sobs erupted from her throat and she crumpled. Chad caught her before she hit the floor, pulled her into an empty classroom and just held her while she cried. Around ten minutes later he couldn't take it any longer, normally when someone cried they started to quieten down, but Gabriella just wasn't stopping. In fact her sobs were getting louder and his shirt was getting wetter.

"Gabstar, you have to tell me what's wrong!" He said his voice full of fear. "Please Gabby; do you want me to go find Troy?" He knew that they were best friends, if she would tell anyone what was wrong it would be him.

"NO" Gabriella shouted

Chad was shocked. He didn't know what to do. He had one of his best friends in utter hysterics and he could see no logical reason for it. She wasn't physically hurt.

"Do you want to tell me what's wrong?" Asked Chad

"I'm sorry. I can't!" Gabriella replied.

Chad was bewildered.

"Okay then. Do you want to skip the afternoon and go back to my place and watch movies and eat chocolate?" Chad asked. His mum and dad had split up when he was three and he lived with his mum and three sisters. He knew that when a woman was upset one of the quickest ways to cheer them up was a good chick flick and a bar of chocolate. "My sister must have some good chick flicks and I know where mum hides her chocolate stash"

Gabriella smiled through her tears. She had always gotten on well with Chad, probably better than she did with Taylor at times. She knew that he had lived with women all his life and probably knew how their minds worked better than she did!

"Yes please." Gabriella said weakly. She never skipped school but she thought that she'd make an exception, just this once.

Three hours later, Gabriella and Chad were curled up on Chad's couch. They had watched 'A Cinderella Story' and 'Pretty Woman', and eaten enough chocolate to last them a life time. Gabriella had cheered up considerably.

"D'ya know what Chad?"

"What, Gabby?"

"Thank you. You have been a great friend over the past few hours. I really needed someone I could turn too and wouldn't ask loads of questions, like Sharpay or Taylor, but who would just cheer me up. I was upset earlier because Troy had a new girlfriend. It sounds so silly, but I wasn't ready to hear that. The truth is i...I love him. Please don't tell anyone Troy, I don't want him to find out. I was just so upset, I didn't need that. Not today..."

"Of course I won't tell anyone Gabby, but it's been obvious for weeks! And what's so special about today?"

Oh no, she hadn't meant to say that. No-one but her mother knew that her father had died, five years ago. Today. She thought she had been coping well. She hadn't thought about it at all since she woke up this morning. Her mother hadn't mentioned it at all this morning. She knew that Gabriella didn't like to talk about that horrific day. She would have to tell Chad. Not all of it but just a little.

"My father died. Five years ago today..."