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A/N: Alright I just want to take this time to thank my reviewers from last week before posting this double chapter post today. fantasticalicious xX, xo-ChaylorGGQueen-xo, baby2ludaris, googoogrl007, kuropie, bluecasey95, khadijah, look at the stars, and Yellow-queen18. Thank you all for you reviews I truly enjoy reading them. I hope you all enjoy this double posting today…Chapter Eight is probably my favorite chapter out of the entire story right now. I hope you all enjoy this double chapter post and please remember to review.

Chapter Seven

Chad walked into Troy's office and watched as his best friend walked around his office humming and tapping his foot to only a song that he could hear. Smirking he leaned against the doorframe and watched not wanting to let Troy know that he was there. Still humming Troy turned around and looked at Chad, jumping in fright Troy dropped the file he had in his hands and placed a hand over his chest. "What da hell man." He snapped, as he watched Chad been at the waist and hold his stomach as he laughed. Chad wiped his eyes as he was a few tears fell from his eyes.

"Nothing man just enjoying…the show." Troy narrowed his eyes at Chad and shook his head for a moment before going over to take a seat in one of the two chairs that were facing Troy's desk. After calming his beating heart, Troy went and sat down behind his desk and looked at Chad. "So what's got you happy anyway?" Chad asked as he reached out and picked up a picture frame off of Troy's desk. The picture was of Troy and his parents during his draft day. Troy reached out and took the picture back and then looked at his friend.

"Nothing really."

"I bet it has to do with a certain Taylor McKessie." Chad said with a knowing smile as Troy blushed and took the picture frame back. "So you mind telling me what happened after the party."

"I drove her and Lucas home."

"No smartass…did you and Taylor have a talk…maybe a kiss…hmmm." Chad asked smiling at the immediate blush that made its way up Troy's neck. "Naw, she didn't kiss you did she, cause if she did you go into a diabetic shock cause it be so sweet." Rolling his eyes Troy mocked Chad and leaned back in his chair.

"Well if you must know-."

"I must." Chad said leaning forward in his chair watching Troy as his eyes got a faraway look in them.

"She and I…well never mind nothing happen."

"You're such a bad liar." Chad exclaimed with a shake of his head, as he leaned back in the chair he was sitting in. "Can you please just tell me the truth cause it really is painfully watching you lie."

"Alright then fine…Taylor told me that she thought we still had a chance." Chad smiled and nodded his head as he reached into his side clip for his phone. "What are you doing?"

"I'm about to send out a mass text so everyone will know." He said, Troy leaned over his desk quickly and grabbed the cell phone from his friend's grasp and closed it setting it on his desk and then looking at him for a moment.

"Are you out of your mind? I don't want everyone in our business."

"What are you talking about…everyone wants to know," he said as Troy stood up and walked outside to the gym where he went into the equipment closet and started talking things out for the P.E. class. "Come on man we're all rooting for you guys and I know they would want some updates."

"Chad please man just don't do it alright…me and her haven't even talked like we said we would…we have a lot of things to go through." He murmured as he tossed out a bag of dodge balls.

"What? You can't be serious…all you two need to know about one another is that you love each other…it's as plain as day. I mean Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder could see."

"Don't you bring Ray and Stevie into this." Troy said as he closed the closet back up. "Don't bring them into it." He said as he tried to keep a straight face, but when he looked at Chad who literally trying not to burst out laughing, he couldn't handle it. Both of them started laughing, Chad smiled and shook his head.

"You really need to stop doing that…acting like you know Ray and Stevie."

"Hey I met Stevie once…he was a huge Sacramento King fan." He said with a shrug, "Can't say the same for the Phoenix Suns."

"Ha Ha Ha…you aren't funny. But seriously dude you know you wanna let everyone know this little bit of news."

"No, I don't want to let anybody know anything." Chad frowned at his best friend and shook his head, as pointed a finger at him.

"You shouldn't keep all that happiness to yourself." Troy shrugged and headed back towards his office, Chad followed him and watched as Troy reached onto his desk and picked up his cell phone tossing the cell phone back to his curly headed friend.

"Chad, you aren't going to call anyone cause I am going to keep all this happiness to myself you understand." Chad frowned at his friend's answer but nodded his head reluctantly as he looked at him.

"Fine…fine man I won't tell anybody." He said, Troy nodded satisfied with his friend's answer and then he looked at him for a moment and then sighed. "But if anything happens between you two, you better tell me."

"Of course Chad." Troy said with a shake of his head. "So what exactly are you doing here anyway?"

"Nothing much I just came to give you the names of the rising eight graders who will be freshmen next year here…I thought you'd want to know who I thought would be good for the JV team." Troy took the papers from Chad's hand and sighed.

"I already know them, man."

"Okay so you got me…I just came by so I could hear about you and Taylor." Troy smiled at his friend and shook his head. Stepping back into his office he sat the papers down and then looked at his friend.

"Thought so…well anyway thanks for the papers." Troy mumbled shaking his head for a moment before sighing. "You better go I have a class in like five minutes." Chad nodded and then walked towards the doors. He called out over his shoulder at Troy who was currently setting up for his class.

"You better tell me if anything happens with you and Taylor." He said his only reply was Troy's laughter as he left the gym.

3 weeks later…

Taylor had been working at East High for about two weeks now as the Chemistry teacher, her classes range from Chem. 1 all the way to Chem. 5 which was like taking a college course. She had just dismissed her class and sat down in her chair giving off a huge sigh of relief glad that the next class was her planning period otherwise known as her free period. Lucas had adjusted nicely to life in New Mexico she practically had Olivia to thank for that. While Jason being true to his word had brought both her and Lucas a nice size two story house near her parents' home. She and Troy had hardly talked sent he had dropped her at her house that night after the party, of course they talked in passing but it was never on the topic they both knew they needed to discuss…the one thing that even now seemed to haunt them. Taylor jerked her head up as someone knocked on her door. Looking up her brown eyes instantly locked with Troy who was standing in her doorframe with his hand raised ready to knock again. "Oh I'm sorry were you trying to get a nap." Moving the papers into a neat pile on the side of her desk she shook her head and smiled warmly that him.

"No, I was just thinking…and thanking God I have free period now." Troy chuckled and walked into the room fully closing the door behind himself. Walking through the aisle to her desk he looked around her room, and nodded his head in approval.

"You really made this room your own."

"I try…besides I don't want the room to be boring…then it might make the whole class think they're in some type of prison...you know, that's exactly what you and Chad used to say back in the day when we were here." Troy looked around and smiled before leaning forward.

"Want to know a secret," he waited till her eyes brighten before speaking. "Chad and I just thought school period was a prison no matter how decorated the room was." He said finishing it off with a laugh, while Taylor giggled and just rolled her eyes at him.

"You and Chad were so goofy back then." She said

"Yeah, but you loved that." They both paused and looked at one another awkwardly. Clearing his throat Troy rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "I shouldn't have said-."

"No its okay, Troy."

"No I really shouldn't have said that I know you don't want to rehash this right now and I'm sorry." He mumbled backtracking towards the door as he talked. Taylor watched him for a moment and shook her head.

"You don't have to go." She exclaimed loudly, Troy stopped moving and froze his leg poise to take another step back. Taylor looked at him for a moment before shaking her head and looking down at her hands that were sitting on top of her desk. Not looking up she spoke so softly that Troy had to strain to hear her. "Troy, you don't have to go." Nodding his head he looked at her for a moment trying to judge where her emotions were. "Please just stay." She said finally looking up into his blue eyes. Troy looked at her for a moment and nodded his head unsure of what to do. Walking forward cautiously he looked at Taylor and could see that she was well on her way to breaking down.

"Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't have asked you if I wasn't sure." She whispered looking up at him for a moment, Troy's heart broke as a tear escaped her eye and fell down her cheek. Stepping forward he reached out and gently brushed the tear away with the pad of his thumb. Overcome with emotion, Taylor reached up and grabbed his hand pressing the side of her face into his palm. Closing her eyes she breathed in deep trying to calm herself down, but being this close to Troy and not telling him what had been bugging her for the past few weeks was weighing on her. She knew she needed to get everything off her chest and she needed to do so now.

"Tay." He whispered as he moved around her desk and came to the side of her, she looked at him for a moment before trying to smile at him. He gently brushed her hair out of her face with other hand. "Tay, what is it?" he asked hoping it didn't have anything to do with her ex-husband.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have cried." Kneeling down so he could look her in the eyes, and placing his hands on either side of her face he looked at her for a moment and shook his head. He couldn't stand seeing her like this, he never liked to see Taylor shed a tear and when he had never forgiven himself for making her cry years ago right before they left for college.

"Don't be, Taylor just tell me what's wrong." He could see her eyes water up and he knew she was breaking down. "Tay, please just tell me." She shook her head as he wiped her tears away.

"Troy, I…oh god," she paused and placed her hand over her mouth while she looked into his sea blue eyes. "I…I missed you so much and I am so tired of putting things off." She whispered as she looked at him. "I am so tired of avoiding this…of avoiding us."

"So am I." he whispered voicing his feelings as well, she looked up at him for a moment and smiled weakly before saying her next sentence.

"I think it's time that we really sat down and had a talk…a talk about us."