A/N: If you cry easily get some tissues.

Disclaimer: I don' t own HSM/2

Curveballs

Gabriella's POV

"There's been an accident," Coach Gunnerson solemnly said.

The way the tennis ball fell out of Chad's hand, it felt like it was falling in slow motion, like the world just suddenly stopped spinning.

"As you know, the 4 girls, Michelle, Carly, Kathleen, and Ashley were chosen to compete in a worldwide competition at France. Their plane was found crashed near Spain." Principal Matsui explained.

I felt my insides churn and I felt like I was going to pass out. No, they not dead, I-I just saw them yesterday I have a photo to prove it, they were alive, they can't be dead.

Even through all this I never shed I tear, I felt like I wasn't human, I mean 4 of my best friends died, Died, and I can't cry for one stupid second. It wasn't because I didn't miss them, I just couldn't cry.

No ones POV

Sharpay if you said one single word to her she'd start to bawl, Kelsi locked herself in the music room finishing the song her and Michelle wrote. Taylor hid behind her books but when she was alone, she'd cry her eyes out. Gabriella locked herself in her room, just staring it the off white walls. It had been a week since the accident, the campus was dead. There were no games, no laughing, and no Michelle, Ashley, Kat and Carly. The guys immersed themselves in games playing in the abandoned courts. No one spoke a word about the accident. It was like it was taboo. If anyone saw these people last week and saw them today they wouldn't recognize them. They had dark circles around there eyes, they shuffled when they walked, and they hardly spoke. The once rowdy group had turned into zombies.

The four girls sat in the middle of Carly and Ashley's room. Nothing had been touched, everything had been left they way the previous occupants had left it.

"It should have been me," Taylor whispered.

The remaining 3 girls sat up at Taylor's statement. "If I had just worked I bit harder I may have gotten the chance and it would have been me in the plane not them" Taylor broke out in tears. The girls just hugged each other and cried.

Gabriella sat in the middle of her room (the dorms are like suites, almost) she stared at the pictures posted on her bulletin board. The photo was taken I day before they left for France. The eight girls were smiling and laughing. Even Gabriella was in the picture; the girls insisted she join them. Another photo was one of Ashley, Kat, Carly and Michelle in the airport, giggling over one of Carly's blunt remarks. There were many more like these pictures, they were posted all over the board. Gabriella felt rage build inside her. How could they leave her, leave the gang? She stood up picking up the bulletin board throwing it with as much force as she could against the wall. Her legs went numb as she hit the floor, as she helplessly cried. All the tears building up since the accident were streaming down her face. She felt two arms circle her waist as she cried.

"Shh…" Troy soothed. Gabriella turned around, burying her face in Troy's shirt.

Gabriella searched through her mail, with puffy eyes. She came across a letter, which held her results of the art school.

"Hey, you ok?" Troy calmly asked.

Gabriella hid the letter under the stack of mail as Troy asked her.

"Yeah I'm fine" Gabriella nodded.

"Well, I gotta go, Chad might try to make another pizza pop in the microwave, which means I have to clean up the blown-up first try." Troy joked. Gabriella faintly smiled. Troy pecked her lips and left the dorm. She grabbed the letter and sat on her bed. With shaky hands she opened the letter.

Miss Montez

We are pleases to inform you, that you have been accepted. We look forward to seeing you in our spring semester

Troy and Gabriella lied under the blossom tree in silence, just absorbing each other's presence. Gabriella turned around facing Troy.

"Troy" she faintly said.

"Yeah" he whispered.

"Do you remember yesterday when you left? I got my letter from the art school. I've been accepted." She whispered.

"Really, that's great" Troy smiled.

"But, it's in Los Angeles" Gabriella frowned.

"Oh," Troy said dejected. He couldn't help but feel like a child who just been scolded.

"I just-I don't know I mean I love it here, but with what's happened, I feel like I need a change." Gabriella explained.

"I see" Troy said. "Well, I'm proud of you"

"Really?" Gabriella asked.

"Yeah"

"Well then I have to go pack" Gabriella sighed. She couldn't help but feel sad because Troy hadn't asked her to stay.

Troy sat alone under the tree. He sighed and ran his hand through his sandy locks and sighed. He wanted Gabriella to be happy even if it meant hurting himself emotionally.

I think this is my longest chapter I've written and I'm quite proud of it, except it made me sad to write it.

On another note Happy Birthday to my brother, Terry.

-Kathryn