A/N: Hey guys! How are YOU all doing on this fine fine day? COUGH COUGH…well me, I'm not too good. Sicksore throat. Yuck. Well enough about me, what about this chapter?

Haha. I won't lead you guys on too long about this. I just thought that, this chapter I will try to make as long as possible, but I really don't know how I can do that. But I'll try! Okay enough blabbing, ON WITH THE STORY:-)

PLEASE R&R!!!!!!!!!!

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Chapter 16: This Is Just So Awkward

Gabriella gasped. It was Troy. "What are you doing here?" She asked him in a daze, but he completely ignore her, his gaze fixed angrily on her boss.

"WHAT did you say to me?" Her boss spat out at Troy, and then she turned to Gabriella and hissed, "I thought I told you to keep your little 'friends' out of here? That's another dock off you're pay check, and you're lucky I don't FIRE you…"

Gabriella looked at Troy wide-eyed who looked as mad as hell. He glanced at Gabriella's frightened face, and motioned for her to take a stand. Gabriella just nodded as she stood tall and looked her boss straight in the eye,

"No."

Her boss, who was glaring deeply at Troy, suddenly turned around to face Gabriella again, with an angered expression on her face. "What did you say to me? Oh little missy, I swear, one more smart alecky comment, and you are FIRED. I don't care how good you are…" Her boss blabbed on.

Gabriella and Troy both started laughing out loud, causing her boss to look at them both with an amused expression. "What do you think is so funny, Ms. Montez?" She asked her bitterly, walking away. "Get to work and get that filthy guy out of here. He doesn't belong here" She barked and headed off.

"No" Gabriella repeated but this time she added, "I quit."

Her boss turned around, this time with a more shocked and bewildered expression on her face. "What? You can't quit!" She yelled, running over to her best worker. "You're the best one here!"

Gabriella just glared at her. "Well you should've thought of that before you started treating me and Troy badly. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have had enough courage to stand up to you, so you better thank him. I'm outta here" She spat out, before turning around to walk out of the building.

"I can sue you, you know!" Her ex-boss yelled after her, "For destruction of justice!"

Gabriella turned around with a quizzical expression and walked back up to her. "I could definitely. But you can't. You know why? Because I don't work for you anymore" Gabriella smirked at her, as she took off her lab coat and badge and thrust it in her ex-boss's hands. "Have a nice life."

And with that, Gabriella turned and walked straight out of the building. Troy followed shortly but not before giving the lady one last nasty glare.

The boss just stood there and gawked at the place that Gabriella just once stood, holding her lab coat and badge like a moron. A few minutes later, Rachel started to walk out the building with a box of stuff.

The boss finally snapped her attention off of the spot, and noticed Rachel walking out of the building. "Uh, excuse me. Just WHERE do you think you're going? You still have to work! And where are you going with that box?" She barked, causing Rachel to turn around smiling.

"I quit too. These are my friends, and I've seen how you've treated them. So I'm going home, and I'm taking mine, Gabriella's, and Taylor's stuff with me that I've packed up" She said grinning confidently.

"You can't take Taylor's stuff! She hasn't even QUIT!" Her now ex-boss yelled furiously, and looked at her like she was ridiculous.

Rachel just raised an eyebrow. "Wow. You aren't that smart are you? After Taylor hears about what you've done to Gabriella, she'll quit in a flash…best friends come first" She told her flatly, before walking out the door just like Gabriella and Troy did.

That also left a very angry, and bewildered boss behind. Ha.

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"How do you think everything's going down there?" Sharpay asked everyone, who were all sitting around lazily. Troy had left a few minutes ago, after rushing straight out the door after hearing the news about Gabriella.

"I don't know, but he's not real happy after hearing about Gabriella" Chad said not smartly. Everyone just looked at him weirdly.

"No duh clueless" Taylor joked around, as everyone started to laugh at Chad. Chad just glared at her, as he shook his head. "You hurt my feelings Taylor" He pouted like a child.

Taylor rolled her eyes. "God Chad, you sound just like you did in High School. Grow up, will you?" She told him, as he chuckled.

"With Chad, that will NEVER happen" Kelsi added which made everyone burst out laughing again.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, which quickly got everyone's attention, causing them to jump. "I wonder who that is?" Sharpay asked, as she got up to answer the door.

To her surprise, she most likely didn't want to see the person that was on the other side of the door. Or should I say the two people that were on the other sides of the door. Jason and Zeke.

Sharpay's mouth dropped open, which soon turned into a glare. "What are YOU two doing here?" She asked softly but angrily, as she avoided Zeke's eyes especially.

"Sharpay who was at the d…" Kelsi started as she also came up to the door, but paused when she saw Jason and Zeke standing there. "What are they doing here?" She asked, crossing her arms.

Jason looked at Kelsi with a pleading look, just before Sharpay glared it through. "I don't know, but they were just getting ready to leave. They're not welcome here" She said rudely, grabbing Kelsi by the arm and started to pull her inside to shut the door.

Sharpay was about to shut the door completely closed, a big strong arm stopped it, and she looked up to see Chad standing there. "Look guys" He said, his conversation pointed at Kelsi and Sharpay, "Why don't you just let them in? I mean, they came all this way to talk, and don't you think they deserve at least that?" He tried to get them to reason.

Kelsi sighed, and walked inside without a word or exception to anyone. Sharpay huffed and nodded, and briskly passed Chad but not before stopping briefly to whisper, "Fine. But if you think we're getting back together with those two, you're crazy."

Chad sighed, and turned his attention to the two guys who just stood there completely confused. He tried to give them a grateful smile as he moved out of the doorway so they could walk inside, which they hesitantly did. "Glad to have you back dudes" He said nicely.

Jason and Zeke just smiled at him and gave him their manly hugs as they looked around the house in amazement. "Nice house dude" Zeke pointed out, as they all walked over to the couch.

"Thanks. Me and Taylor live here" He informed them as he took a seat on the couch next to Taylor, who was just more surprised that he was still friends with Jason and Zeke.

"Yeah we heard you two got married, congratulations man" Jason congratulated him, and Chad just nodded back in 'thank you' form.

Sharpay crossed her arms and glared at the two boys who she now treated like strangers. "How'd you hear that?" She asked skeptically, hoping they haven't done any snooping.

Jason shrugged. "Ryan told us back up in New York" He replied, like it wasn't such a big deal. "We are really happy for you two" He also added to Chad, trying to lighten up the mood a little bit with a warm smile.

"Don't ever talk to my brother again. You're a bad influence on him" Sharpay scolded to them, leaning back with her arms still crossed.

Zeke pursed his lips, as he looked awkwardly around the room. They all sat there in silence for a few moments, most of them not knowing what to do. Chad just sent a 'cool it' glare towards Sharpay's direction, which she just rolled her eyes at.

Taylor leaned over to Chad and whispered, "What's wrong with her?"

Chad just went on talking to Taylor, totally forgetting that Jason and Zeke didn't know that Taylor had lost her memory, "Yeah well. Her and Zeke and Kelsi and Jason went out in high school And uh…they left without a particularly 'good' goodbye from the two girls" Hey tried to explain the best as he could.

Jason and Zeke just exchanged confused glances. "Uh-if you don't mind me asking, why wouldn't Taylor already know that?" Zeke asked a little weirded out.

"If you would've stuck around longer in New Mexico, instead of running off, you would've already known that" Sharpay snapped at her ex-boyfriend, her obvious hurt flashing in her eyes.

Kelsi, noticing how much her friend is really hurting, sighed and said, "Shar calm down. He didn't know; at least give him time so Chad can explain everything" She tried to calm her down, but all Sharpay did was look away.

Chad sighed. "Well Taylor um-had a little accident when we were on our honeymoon in Hawaii and um…she slipped on a bridge and fell and hit her head. Later on in the hospital, we found out that she lost her memory, all the way back to shortly before Gabi arrived at East High" He told them, without letting them know of the pain in his voice.

Jason and Zeke had surprised and shocked looks on their faces. They both looked from Chad, who was now staring off into space, and to Taylor, who was looking down at her hands, and could tell that they were both really hurting about this.

For a while, they all just sat there in silence, the two guys really not knowing what to say next. "I'm sorry we didn't stick around" Zeke finally said out loud, everyone looking up at him in surprise.

Zeke didn't notice though, because he was too busy directing his eyes on Sharpay, who was finally staring him back, straight in the eye. "I really wish we could've. If I could change anything I would" He said, his voice directed on Sharpay.

Sharpay gulped and looked him seriously in the eye, before finally giving up and turning away. Zeke just sighed and stood up, knowing that he probably wouldn't be able to change her mind about talking to him. "Well as much as I'd like to, I think I should be heading back to the hotel now. I'm getting tired. Jason, are you going to stay or come with me?" He asked, now looking at Jason.

Jason quickly looked at Kelsi who was avoiding his eyes, and sighed as he turned back to Zeke and also stood up himself. "Yeah dude, I'm coming with you. I'm starting to get kind of jet lagged" He joked, and even Chad laughed at that one.

"Yeah, that's how I felt on the plane with Taylor on our way home from Hawaii" Chad agreed, as he stood up and walked with his friends to the door.

"Me three" Taylor called, as she hurriedly entered the foyer where the door stood. Tyalor stood next to Chad, and looked at Jason and Zeke and smiled. "It was nice seeing you guys again, hope you come back soon!" She encouraged them.

"Will do Taylor. See ya Chad" Jason nodded towards his friend, and he nodded back.

"Later dude" Zeke also said, giving Chad a manly hug, followed by Jason. He then turned to Taylor and said, "Take care. Will you?"

Taylor smiled. "Will do."

After Jason and Zeke had left, both Taylor and Chad sighed together as they went back and sat down with Sharpay and Kelsi who were both sitting on the same place on the couch where they were when they had left, with the same blank facial expressions plastered onto their faces.

"Sharpay-did you really have to be like that to them?" Chad asked her, knowing very well that she had gotten out of control earlier.

Sharpay just stood up suddenly, and glared Chad down. "Well how would you feel if your ex that you loved very much when you broke up with them, suddenly turned up in Albuquerque again expecting me to forgive him right away?" She asked him bitterly, impatiently tapping her foot waiting for his reply.

Chad sighed and groaned. "Come on Sharpay. He wasn't expecting you to forgive him right away. He apologized" He replied, and Sharpay opened her mouth to say something but Chad beat her to it, "And don't say that, that wasn't an apology because you guys were staring at each other, and you of all people should know that."

Sharpay just huffed and looked at the floor for a minute. She then realized something and quickly ran to the door and grabbed her keys. "Sharpay…where are you going?" Taylor asked.

"I'll be back" Sharpay said as she practically ran out the door.

Chad stared at the door for a moment, trying to process where she was going, but then finally just shook it off as he turned towards Kelsi, who was still sitting there quietly, staring off into space.

"Kels-are you okay?" He asked her, taking the empty spot on the couch and sitting down.

She just nodded, but Chad wasn't convinced. She finally sighed loudly as she stood up and rubbed her eyes. "Listen guys, I think we can all agree that this has been a rough day. I'm just going to go back to mine and Sharpay's apartment and rest while I try to figure a few things out. Tell Sharpay that I went home, okay? Bye" She told them straight up, before grabbing her own keys and leaving the house quietly.

Chad sighed as he looked to Taylor, who looked troubled. "I really didn't know things would get this bad" She told him truthfully.

Chad just smiled faintly as he pulled Taylor close to him into a hug. "Don't worry Tay. Everything will be okay, just trust me" He told her, and she nodded.

By now, she completely figured out that she could trust Chad with her life.

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Gabriella stood against the wall on the outside of the building, and let her breath even out. Wow. Who never thought that standing up to your boss and quitting your job, felt so good? But now…what do I do about Troy? She asked herself in her thoughts.

A few seconds later, she heard footsteps that she thought were Troy's and sure enough, Troy rounded the corner and almost bumped into Gabriella along the way. "Whoa didn't see you there!" He told her, "Are you okay?"

Gabriella smiled as she stood up straight and stopped leaning against the wall. "Yeah I will be. Thanks you know. For everything in there" She told him, smiling. She then gazed out into the sun, not really knowing what to say next.

It seemed like no one did, and for a few moments they just stood there like that. Finally, Troy had rounded up the courage and the nerve to confront Gabriella over the subject of 'them', "Look Gabi. I know you probably don't want to talk about this right now, but…" Troy trailed off, hoping she would get what he wanted to talk about it.

All Gabriella did was nod, and finally looked into Troy's ocean blue eyes. She then realized then and there her real feelings. She sort of gasped to herself, which caught Troy by surprise and confusion.

She smiled faintly. "Yeah it's fine Troy. How about we go back to my place…I-I need to tell you something" She hesitated, knowing for sure she was going to do this.

Troy gave her a curious look as to what she wanted to tell him but he just nodded, as he told her, "Okay then. I guess we'll just drive in separate cars there then" And she nodded as they both separated.

What awaits them?

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Whew. I'm done with that chapter! I really do like this story, and I'm glad you guys are enjoying it! At this time I'm not sure how many chapters are left, but when I do I'll let you know:-)

So yeah…what awaits Troy? What does Gabi have to tell him? Hmm…I'm feeling all bubbly just writing this, can't wait to write the next chapter! Haha, and then also, what's gonna happen with Kelsi, Sharpay, Jason, and Zeke?

Or Taylor?

Stay tuned:-)

PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!