Faith Bolton walked up to the stage as her Ms. Darbus called her name. It was the Lava Springs Talent Show and she was one of the contestants. She looked at the audience.
Her best friend and boyfriend, Tyler Danforth, smiled at her encouragingly while her other good friends cheered for her. Her good friends included Sylvia Baylor, Chad Danforth Jr., Cameron Evans and Kelly Cross. Kelly's twin brother and Faith's other good friend, Jackson Cross, was playing the piano.
Her godmother, Sharpay Evans Baylor was looking at her with a smile on her face. Zeke Baylor, Sharpay's husband, was smiling at her encouragingly. Her godfather, Chad Danforth and his wife Taylor McKessie Danforth were cheering for her very loudly. Ryan Evans and his wife Melissa Harper Evans were raising their wine glasses at her. Jason and Kelsi Cross were cheering with Chad and Taylor. Finally, her eyes met the person she had worked so hard on the talent for, her father, Troy Bolton.
"I would like to dedicate this song to my mother, Gabriella Maria Bolton. I worked really hard on it and I hope you like it," she paused, and looked up at the sky. "I hope you like it, Mom,' she whispered. Troy looked at his daughter, pride evident in his eyes.
She started to sing.
Sha la la la la
Sha la la la la
You used to call me your angel
Said I was sent straight down from heaven
You'd hold me close in your ah-arms
I love the way you felt so strong
Memories came flooding into Troy and Faith's mind while she sang that song. They both remembered Faith's first day of kindergarten with Gabriella.
"Mommy! I don't want to go! I'll miss you!" Faith Bolton cried as she held onto her mother's leg. Troy chuckled and Gabriella glared at him.
"Angel," Gabriella began, in the soothing voice she specially had for Faith. "You'll be fine. Don't worry."
"But Mommy! Uncle Chad said there'd be bullies!" Faith tried arguing with her mother. Gabriella and Troy shared an 'I'm-gonna-kill-Chad-look'.
"Angel, if anyone bullies you, you tell the teacher or Daddy or Mommy, okay? No one bullies the Boltons, right?" Gabriella asked. Faith giggled and wiped away her tears.
"Mommy, why do you always call me Angel?" she asked her mother, her blue eyes twinkling.
"Because you were sent straight down from heaven. You're my little Angel and you always will be," Gabriella replied. Troy smiled to himself. God, she's perfect, he thought.
Gabriella hugged her daughter and Faith happily hugged back. Troy joined in. Faith turned to her father.
"Daddy, only Mommy is allowed to call me Angel, understand?" she asked him, a little too fiercely. Troy stifled a laugh. She was so cute.
"Then what do I call you?"
"Squirt." Troy and Gabriella laughed as their daughter said it innocently, not knowing what it meant. Gabriella hugged her daughter again and together, the three Boltons went to Faith's pre-school.
I never wanted you to leave
I wanted you to stay here holding me
As Faith sang the next lyrics, she remembered the day she had lost her mother. The end of the perfect family she had.
Troy held his daughter's hand as they ran to the registration counter and banged his fist on the counter worriedly.
"I'm here for Gabriella Bolton. Please tell me she's okay," he said as fifteen-year-old Faith had tears in her eyes.
"According to reports, Mrs. Bolton is in a critical state. She only has a few hours left. She's in room 313," the receptionist told them. Troy took off without thanking the receptionist, forgetting his daughter was with him.
"Thank you," Faith said for her father and the receptionist nodded sympathetically at her. She ran after her father.
The sight of Gabriella lying in the bed made Faith want to cry. There were machines all round her and she could see a scar on her mother's face. Her mother's eyes were closed, but not the way they were closed peacefully when she was sleeping. Gabriella Bolton had her eyes closed as if she was disturbed about something.
Then, Faith saw something her father did that was scaring her. He was crying. Her father, Troy Bolton was crying. The very man who had always been the strongest one in the family was crying.
A few minutes later, Taylor, Sharpay, Kelsi, Melissa, Chad, Zeke, Jason and Ryan burst into the room. They were all together at Zeke's restaurant when they had heard about Gabriella.
"W-What h-happ-pened?" Taylor stuttered.
"A d-drunk dr-driver knocked G-Gabi down," Troy explained as he wept harder. The girls cried and the boys had tears in their eyes, threatening to fall.
Gabriella's eyes fluttered open. She looked around the room and remembered what happened to her before she blacked out. Somehow, in the state she was in, she knew she had little time left.
"M-mom?" Faith stammered. Everyone stopped crying and looked at Gabriella. She smiled at them. It was amazing. Even in her death bed, her smile seemed to have eased up the tension in the room.
"I-I h-haven't got much time," she started and as soon as she said it, the tears began falling again. No one wanted to argue with her and give themselves false hope.
"Troy, take care of Faith, Protect her, love her, and care for her that she wouldn't miss me too much," Gabriella said. Troy wept harder.
"That would never happen, Ella. She loves you too much to not miss you. I can't do this without you, Ella. Don't go," he said. Faith wept and Ryan wrapped his arms around her. Gabriella lifted her hand weakly and wiped the tears away from Troy's eyes.
"You'll do fine. I promise," she promised. Faith wept harder and Gabriella waved for her to sit down beside her. Getting the message, the other adults left the room, leaving the family of three together for the last time. It was going to be a family of two soon. Trot walked to the side of the door and knelt down weeping. Gabriella turned to her daughter.
"Take care of your Dad for me," she told her daughter and Faith nodded, holding back her tears. She had cried enough.
"It's okay to cry, honey," Gabriella told her daughter and Faith hugged her mother tightly. Troy went over and hugged the two most important girls of his life. He was going to lose one of them and that family hug would be the last they ever had.
A few minutes later, they let go and let the rest of the gang came in.
"You'll take care of them, won't you guys?" she asked the gang. They all nodded and they let the tears stream down their faces, even the guys. What else would they have done? Their little sister was going away from them, forever.
When there were no more tears to be shed, Gabriella closed her eyes.
"Gabriella?" Chad asked. She opened her eyes and chuckled.
"Not yet, idiot." Everyone laughed lightly. A few hours later, Gabriella Bolton was gone from their lives.
I miss you
I miss your smile
And I still shed a tear
Every once in a while
And even though it's different now
You're still here somehow
My heart won't let you go
And I need you to know
I miss you
Sha la la la la
I miss you
Troy smiled proudly at his daughter. She was so grown up. Beside him, he heard Sharpay stifle a sob and he looked up at the sky. God, how much he missed her. She had been his first true love and she would be his one and only. He loved her too much to let her go.
Faith looked up at the sky too. I hope you're proud, Mom, she thought to the sky silently and carried on singing, the picture of her mother's smile and the glow in her mother's face whenever she smiled in her head, keeping her going.
It had been different for the past two years without Gabriella. Her mother had always been there for her and Gabriella knew how to handle complicated situations. Her mother had been there for her for her first boyfriend, her first kiss and her first break-up. She missed her mother. A lot.
You used to call me your dreamer
And now I'm living out my dream
Oh, how I wish you could see
Everything that's happening for me
Flashback…(3 years ago)
"Mom, how did you know that Dad was 'the one'?" Faith asked her mother. Gabriella looked at the ceiling thoughtfully.
"Hmm… it just felt right being with him, you know? I mean, whenever we touch, I feel sparks. Whenever we kiss, I feel so alive. And whenever I'm with him, I feel so happy. Why?" she asked her daughter. Faith looked at her mother, trying to give her the innocent look. Gabriella smiled.
"Faith Destiny Bolton! I taught you that face and there is no way that you are getting past me!" Gabriella reminded her daughter. Faith sighed.
"I don't really know, Mom. I mean, I keep dreaming of having a great boyfriend and then husband. I want my love story to be like yours and dad's. You two are perfect," faith said. Gabriella hugged her daughter.
"Angel, your dream will come true. You're my dreamer, remember? Your love story will be just as great. Well, yours and Tyler's," Gabriella said, knowingly and winked at her daughter. Faith just smiled sheepishly, giving it all away.
End of Flashback
Faith smiled at Tyler. He had been the perfect guy. He was always there for her. Her mother was right. Her dream had come true.
I'm looking back on the past.
It's true that time is flying by so fast
Troy's, Chad's, Taylor's, Sharpay's, Zeke's, Ryan's, Melissa's, Jason and Kelsi's smiles couldn't have been bigger as they looked at the beautiful girl on stage. She was the exact replica of her mother except for the fact that she had piercing blue eyes like her father. She was more like her mother. She was quiet, studious and calm, unlike her father who always jumped to conclusions.
I miss you
I miss your smile
And I still shed a tear
Every once in a while
And even though it's different now
You're still here somehow
My heart won't let you go
And I need you to know
I miss you
Sha la la la la
I miss you
Tyler Danforth looked at his girlfriend and anyone could see that he was in love with her. The way he looked at her said it all. He knew how hard it had been for Faith this past few weeks, preparing the song and everything, but he was extremely proud that she had pulled through.
I know you're in a better place, yeah
But I wish that I could see your face, oh
I know you're where you need to be
Even though it's not here with me
Faith wiped a tear as she sang the bridge of the song. She really wished her mother was with her and that she could see Gabriella. Her mother had a glow in her face every time and Gabriella was loved by her students when she taught at East High. She could make anyone laugh and turn the tensed atmosphere in the room into a light one.
I miss you
I miss your smile
And I still shed a tear
Every once in a while
And even though it's different now
You're still here somehow
My heart won't let you go
And I need you to know
Of course, everything was different now. With Gabriella gone, the gang became closer and Sharpay, Taylor, Kelsi, Melissa, Chad, Zeke, Jason and Ryan looked out for Faith like she was their very own daughter. They knew it was their duty as they had promised Gabriella. Chad Danforth Jr., Cameron Evans and Jackson Cross treated Faith like their sister and were very protective of her. The girl best friends were like her sisters.
I miss you
Sha la la la la
I miss you
I miss your smile
And I still shed a tear
Every once in a while
And even though it's different now
You're still here somehow
My heart won't let you go
And I need you to know
I miss you
Sha la la la la
I miss you
(I miss you)
Faith ended the song with a bow and the crowd went wild. She smiled and said to herself, Mom would have been proud of me.
Chad, Taylor, Sharpay, Zeke, Jason, Kelsi, Ryan, Melissa, Tyler, Kelly, Jackson, Chad Jr., Sylvia and Cameron cheered the loudest, all of them having only one thought on their minds, Gabriella would have been proud.
Troy had become closer to his daughter and he was glad that she was dating a boy he and she could trust. He smiled to himself. Gabriella would have bee so proud of her.
Little did they all know the person they missed most was watching them.
I'm proud of all of you, Gabriella smiled from above.
A/N: What do you think? Please Review!