not3: Chapter written by vanessatroyellasupporter

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CHAPTER SIX- Brithday Party

Troy rang the doorbell and waited patiently for somebody to answer.

Inside, Gabriella asked Chloe to open it. "Chloe, can you go get that while mommy sets the table?"

Chloe ran to the door and opened it to find Troy standing there.

At the sight of his daughter, Troy was temporarily speechless.

"Hello," Chloe said.

Troy bent down to her level. "Chloe, it's daddy. He's brought you something."

"Daddy?"

Gabriella heard this from the kitchen and rushed over to the door, but she didn't see Troy there, for he went to get the bike. "Daddy? Chloe, who are you talking to?"

Troy appeared with the bike that Chloe was just admiring hours earlier. "Chloe, your mommy wanted me to drop off her present."

Chloe ran over to the bike and was spilling with happiness. "Thanks mommy!"

It was Gabriella's turn to become temporarily speechless.

Troy smiled as he saw the look of joy on his daughter's face.

The anger Gabriella felt towards Troy momentarily melted. "But, Troy…what?"

"Gabriella, umm," Troy rubbed the back of his neck, "I made a mistake, a huge mistake with leaving you…"

Gabriella smiled, feeling a lot better knowing that Troy acknowledged his mistake.

"Not only did I make a mistake with leaving you, I probably am the biggest jerk in the world," Troy continued, rambling.

"Troy…"

"Leaving you when you were pregnant, when you needed me most…"

"Troy, it's oka…"

"No. No, it's not because, that day I lost the love of my…"

Troy stopped due to the sound of another car pulling up.

Chloe was still sitting on the bike, wondering how to ride it.

"Chloe," Gabriella said, "go inside the house. Uncle Zeke should be getting the cake on the table."

Suddenly excited, Chloe ran inside, yelling "Uncle Zeke! I'm ready for cake!"

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Outside, Sharpay got out of the car and saw Troy talking to Gabriella.

Gabriella took a step closer to Troy. Troy lifted his arm to put around her shoulder, but put it down when he saw Sharpay walking their way.

"Troy! I thought you told me that you were hanging with the guys?" Sharpay said, trying to hide the fact that she found the note about Chloe's birthday.

"Well, umm…"

Sharpay turned to Gabriella. "Hi, Gabi!"

Gabriella cringed at the sound of her nickname coming out of Sharpay's mouth.

Sharpay didn't notice. "I heard that it was your little girl's birthday today," Sharpay looked around, "Where is she?"

"She's inside." Gabriella quietly answered.

"Ohh, come. I wanna see the little sweetie." Sharpay walked in, pulling Troy in with her.

Gabriella followed them in, knowing that this was going to get interesting. She brought in the bike and placed it next to the door.

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Zeke was in the kitchen, putting the final touches on the cake's frosting.

"Uncle Zeke! Is the cake ready?" Chloe shouted as she reach the table.

"Yes, Chloe. The cake is ready. I'll bring it to the table. Can you go get Uncle Chad and Aunt Taylor?" Zeke said, carefully balancing the cake in one hand.

"Okay!" Chloe ran off upstairs and found Taylor reading a book. "Auntie Taylor. It's time for cake."

"Okay," Taylor said, prying her eyes away from the book.

"Auntie Tay, do you know where Uncle Chad is?" Chloe asked.

Taylor got up. "Chloe, go ahead downstairs. I'll get Uncle Chad."

Chloe, without hesitation, ran downstairs.

Taylor smile turned upside-down when she heard the sound of Sharpay's voice drift up from downstairs. "Chad!" she yelled to the room next to her, "Major trouble downstairs!"

Chad appeared in the doorway. "What's the trouble?"

"Sharpay is downstairs," was the only answer Taylor had to give for Chad to understand.

"We'd better get down there then."

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Chloe reached the bottom of the stairs when Sharpay saw the little angel running down.

"Chloe!"

Chloe jumped, a little surprised that this stranger knew her name.

"Chloe," Gabriella said, "this is Sharpay. You know, from Wal-Mart."

Chloe still didn't remember.

Sharpay bend down and give Chloe a kiss on each cheek. "How old are you turning?"

"Six," Chloe quietly answered.

"Wow, you're growing up so quickly, aren't you?" Sharpay got up and walked over to Troy.

Chloe ran to the table, scared.

"Sorry about that. Chloe just gets scared when she meets someone new," Gabriella said, hoping Sharpay wasn't offended.

Sharpay smiled lightly. "No, it's okay. I wish I had a kid. You never told me who the father was. Who is he?"

"Umm…"

"Cake's ready!" Zeke shouted from the kitchen.

Chad and Taylor appeared from upstairs as soon as Zeke yelled this. They looked at each other.

"This might or might not be pretty," Taylor said.

"Agreed," Chad answered.

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Zeke was bringing over the plates when Chloe ran over to the table with a scared look on her face. "Chloe, what's the matter?"

He placed the plates on the table and went over to her. "Chloe? You okay?"

Zeke looked up and saw the room fill with most of his friends and two unexpected ones.

"Zeke! We're ready to see the masterpiece you made," Taylor said, walking in with the rest.

Zeke got up when he saw Sharpay walk in. "Sharpay, is that you?"

Sharpay didn't hear him. She stood next to Troy.

Zeke suddenly became silent. He walked out of the room.

"Was that Zeke?" Sharpay asked.

"Yeah…" Taylor answered.

"Well, I'll go get him. This cake looks so marvelous," Gabriella said, "I don't wanna cut into it." She walked out the room to get Zeke, but was stopped for Zeke reappeared.

"Thanks, Gabi." Zeke smiled, still looking at Sharpay.

"Chloe. Are you ready for cake?" Gabriella asked, sitting next to her daughter.

Troy looked, the pain swelling up inside him. "That's my child. I should also be consoling her. But…"

Chloe's head shoot up and her eyes were aglow. "Yes mommy, I would love to have some cake."

Everyone, including Troy and Sharpay, gathered around the cake. The tiny fires danced atop the six candles.

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday, dear Chloe

Happy birthday to you!

Chloe listened, her heart giddy and happy, and blew out the candles as soon as they finished the song.

Everybody cheered as the glow in the six-year olds eye's shone even brighter.

Gabriella helped her daughter cut the cake and gave her the first piece.

Chloe hugged her mom and whispered, "Mommy, I love your birthday present."

"Chloe, the bike isn't from me."

"No, mommy. I mean, letting my daddy finally share my birthday with me. That's the best thing anyone could get me."

Gabriella pulled away and looked at Troy. Troy, whom she still loved deep inside her heart. "Zeke, can you cut the rest of the cake and hand it out? I'm going to head outside and clear my mind."

"Okay."

Gabriella walked past everyone and went out the door.

Sharpay walked up and got a piece of cake, typically against her diet.

Troy, seizing this opportunity to give his gift to Gabriella, followed her out.

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"Gabriella, what are you doing out here alone?" Troy asked, opening the door.

Gabriella quickly looked away. "Just thinking."

"About what?"

"Just about…about…about the past."

Troy put his hand into his pocket and reached for the small box inside. "Gabi, if I may call you that?"

"Troy, what happened? What are you doing here?" Gabriella turned to face Troy.

"Gabriella, I know that I've made the most horrible choices of my life like leaving you when you…"

Gabriella giggled, "Troy, you said that."

"Oh, yeah," Troy rubbed the back of his neck. "Umm…"

"Troy, is everything okay?"

Troy pulled out the box in his pocket. "Gabi, um, Gabriella, I'm sorry for about the millionth time today, but…just open it."

Gabriella took the box from Troy, opened it, and inside was a marvelous necklace with a gold heart pendant. But it wasn't any necklace. Troy had it engraved.

"Gabriella, I'm sorry for being an idiot, but I realized that I love you with all my heart."

"But Troy, what about Sharpay?"

Troy glanced in the window. "Looks like she's better off without me."

Gabriella looked in and saw Sharpay and Zeke finally talking to each other after the so many years apart.

"Gabriella, I'm truly sincere. I'm sorry." Troy kicked at a pebble at the ground.

"Troy, stop because I forgive you. Just don't…don't…"

"Gabi," Troy ran over to her, "Gabi, just don't do what?"

"Troy, don't leave me alone. Do you know what Chloe just said to me?"

"What?"

"She just told me that this was the best birthday ever. Because her daddy was here. Troy. Her father."

Troy thought about all the birthdays he missed. "Gabi, I'm sorry."

"Sorry again for the millionth and first time," Gabriella said.

Troy took the necklace from her and wrapped it around her neck. "No, Gabi, I'm sorry for the millionth and second time. Please…"

Gabriella's heart fluttered as she felt his hand softly touch her neck and clasp the necklace. "Troy?"

Troy stepped back and looked at her. "Gabriella, could you ever forgive me?"

Tears were forming in her eyes. "How many times do I have to say that I forgive you?"

Troy reached up and wiped a tear sliding down her cheek. "Once more." He brought up his hands and pulled Gabriella in for a kiss.

Gabriella closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of his breath as his lips drew closer.