It's Kat again. This was one of the most complicated chapters for me to write. Will Troy be able to explain to Gabriella? Read to find out.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Will You Say Okay?/ Please Listen

Lunch, Cafeteria, Drama Table

Ryan was sitting at the table, listening to both their descriptions of how the plan went.

Sharpay was listening to Rachael's experience of kissing Troy.

"Is he a good kisser?"

"Sure is," Rachael replied.

"Do you ever think that they'll figure it out?"

"Hopefully not. I've made sure that Troy didn't see Gabriella at the door and you did tell Gabriella that Troy and I were a 'couple.'"

"Yeah."

"Then the rest of the year should go without a hitch."

"Hopefully."

Ryan was sitting there, listening and making mental notes. He was going to use this conversation and what he saw to help him explain it to Gabriella and Troy.

At Gabriella's side of the cafeteria, Gabriella felt so alone.

"The world outside is so cold to me right now, my heart is frozen in place and is wasting away."

She looked over and saw that Troy was whispering something to Chad and Taylor.

"What did I have to do to prove to you, that we were meant to be together. What did I have to say?

"How far away have you pushed my love aside? For how long your feelings you had to hide?

Gabriella sighed and walked to put away her tray.

"But today I guessed you proved that I thought wrong and my heart is empty my song entirely gone."

With one more glance back at the table, Gabriella walked away, completely lost.

Troy looked over just in time to see that Gabriella was leaving. "Guys," he said, drawing their attention to Gabriella, "she's leaving."

"Let's hurry, then!" Taylor exclaimed.

They all rushed to finish off their lunches, throw away their trash, and hurried to find Gabriella.

The Balcony

Now thinking of it as her new favorite hiding place, though obvious, Gabriella wondered up into the plant covered hiding place.

The wind was blowing a gentle breeze and the wind chimes played a simple melody.

Gabriella was starting to sink into the feeling of when she thought that Troy didn't care about her.

"I guess that it's true. Love isn't a fairytale," Gabriella whispered to herself.

Gabriella was highly into Vanessa Hudgens' music and the song "Say OK" perfectly described her.

"When it's not alright," she sang to herself, "When it's not okay/ Will you try to make me feel better?

"Will you say alright/ Will you say okay/ Will you stick wit' me through whatever/ Or run away?

"Let me know if it gonn' be you/ Boy you've got some things to prove/ Let me know that you'll keep me safe/ I don't want you to run away, so

"Let me know if you'll call on time/ Let me know if you'll hold me shine/ Will you wipe my tears away/ Will you hold me closer?"

With that last phrase, Gabriella broke again into a wave of tears.

Walking past the stairs to the balcony, Troy, Chad, and Taylor heard the sound of a voice floating down the stairs.

"Who's singing?" Chad questioned.

As soon as he heard her voice, Troy knew that it was Gabriella.

"That's Gabriella."

"How do you know?" Taylor asked.

"I know her voice anywhere. Hurry!"

They all ran up the stairs while Gabriella was singing and made it up there in time to hear her sing, "Will you wipe my tears away/ Will you hold me closer?"

Troy was moved entirely by this phrase of the song, he was captivated. He then saw her collapse into tears.

"Gabriella!"

Gabriella lifted up her head to see that it was Troy coming toward her.

"Gabriella, are you okay?" Troy asked.

Confused with why he was concerned, Gabriella answered, "Why would you care? You've got Rachael."

"No, what you saw was a misunderstanding."

"No, Troy. I don't want to hear it. I get it. You don't like me the way I like you."

"But Gabriella…" Troy tried to explain.

"No, I don't want to hear it." Gabriella got up and walked past Taylor and Chad, who were speechless that Gabriella acted this way.

Gabriella turned and said, "Troy, you won't be seeing me after school today. I've decided to drop out of the musical.

"But, Gabi. Let me explain…"

Gabriella was already down the stairs and out the door.

"Troy, we'll go talk to her," Taylor reassured.

"Taylor, I've got to do this, but first I'm going to drop out of the musical. There's no point of doing it if Gabi isn't doing it with me."

"Troy, man, don't do that…" Chad tried to talk him out of it.

"Guys, this is something I've got to do," and in the same manner Gabriella did, Troy left the balcony.

"Taylor, what should we do?"

"I'm going to follow Gabriella and you'll come with me."

"Alright, anything to help them."

They both walked down the stairs and started walking in the path that Gabriella would have most likely taken. But someone stopped them.

Ryan walked in front of them and said, "Guys, let me handle this. I'll tell Gabriella the whole story. I have some inside details."

They were confused, but they both were suspicious.

"Trust me. Sharpay and Rachael went too far with this trick. I only want to help," Ryan said with an honest face.

They both saw the look on his face and knew that he was telling the truth. Ryan wouldn't do anything like this. He's not totally like his sister. They may be twins, but they aren't the same person.

"Alright. We trust you. Do you need us to do anything?" Chad said.

"Do either of you see Troy later? If you do, tell him not to quit."

"Sorry but I don't see him. Do you?" Taylor asked Chad.

"No. Sorry, man."

"Okay then. I'll just make sure he doesn't quit today during musical practice."

"Thanks Ryan. This means so much to us," Taylor said thankfully.

"Same here, man," Chad said while giving Ryan a encouraging pat on the back.

"No problem. Sharpay has gone to far with this one. It's time I spoke up for myself."

With a look of reassurance, Taylor and Chad walked away to finish off the lunch period.

Ryan set off to find Gabriella and set everything straight.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Will Ryan be able to explain to Gabi? Will he be able to stop Troy from quiting the musical? Find out in the next chapter!