College Struggles

Summary: The gang go through tough times at university with family illnesses to secrets as to two members accused of cheating. They are all attending UCLA and all the girls will be sharing an apartment just as the boys will. Someone's dad gets ill and causes them to withdraw from the gang and hurt the ones they love the most. One person's mom is killed just weeks into starting. How will they cope? Two people are helping each other out but with the amount of time they are spending together their other half's start to question them. Will they all still be friends by the time they've finished? Who will suffer heartache and will the pressures of being so different finally get too much?

Sequel to School Trip & School Chaos

A/N: Hey sorry for the delay in updating. I made this chapter quite long to make up for it though. Thanks for the great reviews for the last chapter. Please go read and review ZacFan91's story High School Musical a Troyella story. She needs reviews so please read and review for her. Anyway here's the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing except the plot, Annabelle and Aaron.

Chapter 9

The next morning Gabriella woke up and felt Troy's arms wrapped around her. She turned around and smiled as Troy stirred at her movements.

"Good morning." Gabriella whispered as Troy's eyes adjusted to the light in the room. He smiled as he kissed her.

"Good morning to you to." Gabriella smiled before a loud banging was heard on her door.

"Gabi you up yet?" Sharpay yelled as Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"Yes Sharpay what do you want?" Troy pulled Gabriella closer to him and started to kiss her neck as Sharpay continued.

"Will you please open your door? I don't like talking to doors." Sharpay asked as Gabriella giggled.

"I would but I'm kinda busy right now." On the other side of the door the penny dropped in Sharpay's mind.

"Troy leave Gabi alone and both of you get dressed NOW!" Gabriella giggled as she and Troy stopped.

"She better have a good reason for making us stop." Troy said as he pulled his boxers back on.

"This is Sharpay we're talking about. She's probably lonely and decided to get everyone else up." Gabriella said, as they both got dressed.

10 minutes later they walked out to see all the girls sitting there.

"Good morning Troy, Gabi. You two have fun last night?" Taylor asked with a smirk on her face.

"Defiantly." Troy answered confidently wrapping his arms around Gabriella.

"Too early guys." Kelsi said.

"Who cares what time it is. Oh and Sharpay, Taylor you two need to be here this afternoon because we have something planned and Kels, Belle, its up to you whether you stick around." Gabriella explained, as the other agreed not questioning their motives.

"I'm going to go I'll see you all later." Troy left kissing Gabriella as he walked back to the boy's apartment. The girls all immediately turned to Gabriella.

"So Troy spent the night huh?" Annabelle said digging for information. Gabriella rolled her eyes at them as she went straight back to her room. "They are so cute together."

"I know. They have definitely had their fair share of problems though." Kelsi said as Annabelle sunk in her seat. "We know you didn't mean any harm." Kelsi quickly stated noticing Annabelle's reaction.

"I know. I still feel really bad though. If I ever see Aaron again I will kill him perfectly even if I have to wreck my favourite outfit to do so." The girls laughed but noticed Sharpay was all quiet.

"Thinking about Zeke?" Taylor asked as she walked over to where Sharpay was sat on the couch. Sharpay just nodded. "I can't stop thinking about Chad either. Gosh we are pathetic aren't we thinking about those to lunk head basketball idiots." Sharpay let out a small laugh as Taylor referred to the boys by how she used to in High school.

"I know it sounds stupid but I love him. I never a few years ago would have ever gone near him but now being away from him for so long is hurting. No one has ever loved Sharpay Evans for Sharpay Evans before. It's always been because I was the ice princess some people wanted to bag her. Zeke was the first person to see through that and still love me." Sharpay started crying as Gabriella walked out her room. She immediately sat down on the other side of her as Kelsi followed. Annabelle walked to her room and dialled a familiar number on her cell phone.

With Troy

Troy walked into his apartment and was immediately bombarded with questions from Chad.

"Where were you? Did you spend the night with Gabriella? How was it? Did Taylor mention me at all? How is she?" Troy was taken back by his sudden outburst.

"Whoa dude slow down. Yes I did stay with Gabi last night. No you aren't getting any details. No Taylor didn't mention you and she looked upset still." Troy answered. Chad just sulked back to his chair where Zeke was already sitting next to him with a sad face when Jason came out.

"They still not figured a way of getting the girls to forgive them?" Jason asked as Troy shook his head. They then heard Ryan's cell ring and then stop assuming he had answered.

"Come over here." Troy said to Jason as he approached Chad and Zeke. " Ok me and Gabi have come up with a plan and I would say it's your last chance to get your girls back. What you have to do is be at their apartment this afternoon at 3pm. The girls will be there too," Troy explained to them. They agreed as Ryan came rushing out his room.

"Hey Ry, What's up?" Jason shouted.

"I'll be back later." He yelled back as he walked out the door. The boys all gave each other a confused look.

Back with the girls

The girls were all comforting Sharpay. They had never seen her so weak and vulnerable. All the girls just sat there and let her cry for as long as she wanted before there was a knock on the door. Annabelle rushed to open it.

"Thank you. She's through there." Annabelle instructed Ryan who walked in. Ryan looked at his sister and his heart went out to her.

"Hey Shar." Ryan softly spoke as Gabriella moved out the way for him to sit down. As soon as he put his arm around her she leaned into his chest and cried. "I'm gonna take her to her room." Ryan told the others as he picked her up. The girls smiled sympathetically at them.

With Ryan and Sharpay

Ryan carefully placed her down on the bed as she regained her composure a bit.

"I'm sorry Ryan." Sharpay said as Ryan sat down next to her.

"Hey you never have to apologize to me. I'm your twin brother. No matter what I'll always be here for you even if you don't want me." Sharpay hugged him.

"You must think I'm being stupid. Crying like that." Ryan knew how much Zeke missed Sharpay and could now see Sharpay was finally admitting to missing him too.

"Have you tried talking to him?" Sharpay shook her head. "Maybe you should." Sharpay shrugged. There was a gently knock on the door. Ryan stood up to answer it. He saw Gabriella standing there and stepped outside.

"How is she?" Gabriella asked.

"Finally listening to her heart." They both smiled sadly.

"I'm going to tell Troy to get the others over here right now so they can all fix things." Ryan nodded as he walked back into his sister's room.

"You see this bracelet. (A/N: The one from school chaos) I always complained about the fact Gabriella got a ring and I only got a bracelet. You know I have never taken it off for a day apart from to shower because it reminds me that Zeke loves me." Ryan stayed quiet just listening to her talk. "He always told me that I didn't need a bracelet to prove he loves me because he promised to tell me everyday." Ryan just hugged her until there was another knock on the door and Zeke's head popped through.

"Hey." He said quietly noticing how upset Sharpay was. Ryan went to stand up but was pulled back by Sharpay.

With the others

Gabriella answered the door letting the other boys in. Jason and Kelsi went to her room while Annabelle went to hers. Chad walked over to Taylor as Troy dragged Gabriella into her room.

"Hey." Chad said as he sat down next to Taylor. Chad thought it was a good sign she hadn't immediately stood up.

"Hi." She said barely audible but Chad heard.

"Taylor, I know I have been an idiot but I'm really really sorry and I will do whatever it takes to make it up to you. I will even study a whole Chemistry and Maths book for you and then tell you everything in it if I have to." Chad was desperate and Taylor could see.

"Chad you'd just fall asleep if you tried to read a chemistry book or a maths book." Taylor smartly pointed out remembering the many times she had to wake him up during lessons because he fell asleep.

"I wouldn't if it meant you would forgive me quicker." Chad answered.

"I don't know if we are right together any…" Before Taylor could finish Chad put his lips to hers and kissed her. She was shocked at first but then kissed back. Chad pulled back a few minutes after.

"We are more than perfect for each other. I love you Taylor Leanne Mckessie." Chad said using her full name.

"And I love you too Chad Anthony Danforth." Chad smiled as he kissed her again.

With Kelsi and Jason

"Do you think things are going well?" Kelsi asked with her ear against her door.

"Well if they weren't we would here them shouting at each other now. Just relax everything will sort itself out." Jason reassured her pulling her back to her bed and kissed her. They carried on making out until Kelsi decided they should go check on Chad and Taylor. They walked out to see them making out so Kelsi knocked on Annabelle's door to show her what was happening too.

"Ahem." Jason said as Taylor and Chad pulled apart. "I take it you have made up."

"Yep." Chad answered smugly.

With Troy and Gabriella

As soon as Gabriella walked through her door, Troy pushed her up against it and kissed her.

"I missed you." He whispered as he kissed her neck.

"You only left about an hour ago." Gabriella stated as Troy moved back up to her lips.

"Yeah and I missed you in that hour. That's along time to be without you." Troy answered her.

"Well I missed you too." Gabriella pushed Troy back towards her bed making the most of their time together before their classes started in a few days where they knew they would see little of each other.

Back to Sharpay, Ryan and Zeke

Zeke walked in as Sharpay looked at him. She was refusing to let Ryan leave her. Ryan for once felt like his sister was leaning on him for support like he wished she would do more.

"Can we talk?" Zeke asked as Sharpay just nodded. "I'm really really sorry about what happened. I wouldn't have done anything you know. I love you too much to let you go or to cheat on you. You Sharpay Evans are my world. Will you please forgive me?" Zeke was pleading with her. He had made his way round her bed and was now sitting on the edge next to her.

"On one condition." Sharpay spoke up.

"Anything." Zeke willingly said.

"Make me some of my favourite cookies." Zeke smiled as he kissed her.

"I'll make you two lots especially." Sharpay smiled as she pulled him back down to kiss her forgetting about Ryan.

"Couldn't you at least wait for me to leave the room?" Ryan asked while walking out the room to see the others out there apart from Troy and Gabriella.

A few hours later the whole gang minus Troy and Gabriella still were in the living room just hanging out talking about their classes. The main apartment phone rang as Sharpay stood up to answer it.

"Hello?" Sharpay asked. "Yeah she is just one moment. Gabi, phone." Sharpay shouted as Gabriella and Troy made their way out her bedroom. The rest of the gang were in the living room talking. Taylor looked like she had calmed down from her earlier argument with Chad and was now sitting quite close to him. Sharpay was also sitting next to Zeke so from the look of it they were all at least talking again.

"Hello… Yes this is Gabriella Montez…OMG" Gabriella whispered the last part as she collapsed to the ground crying.

A/N: Cliffy. Who do you think was on the phone? What made Gabriella cry? Please review. Thanks!