Chapter Four

Over the next year and a half, Troy was always keeping an extra eye on Gabriella. He wanted to make sure that even though he was suffering that she was at least making it day by day.

She never spoke to him, though, and he was too cowardly to go up to her and apologize for that horrific night. His stomach still clenched whenever he saw her heartbroken face in his mind.

Although they never spoke to each other, their parents still did. Troy sighed. His parents were extremely upset with him.

On the night when everything changed, they had come home early from a party of their own to find their ballroom trashed by a bunch of teenager. Troy was drunk on a couch with a girl he couldn't remember the next day on his lap. He had drunk many a beer after Gabriella had gone. Not only that, but they had found out from Gabriella's parents what had happened to her.

Her parents had gone to the same party and were home at the same time to find their daughter drenched in spilled beer and punch. Sharpay had to explain what happened to keep Gabriella from getting into trouble. He was grateful for that because he already did enough to Gabriella.

In the morning, he had to help the maids clean up the mess in the ballroom. He remembered the door being opened and Gabriella as well as her parents coming in. She was cleaned up from all the beer and punch, and her head was down so that she wasn't looking at him.

His parents and the Montez family relocated to the living room so that his parents could apologize to Gabriella and her parents about what he did. He felt extremely guilty for this because he was the one who was supposed to be apologizing.

Over time, though, he watched as Gabriella grew from the shy girl he knew to a beautiful achieving woman. She was more open with her art, and she let people display them. Gabriella was rewarded with honors that most people in high school could never achieve.

During their last year in high school, he had found out from his parents that she had gotten a scholarship toward Oxford. He was saddened by this news. Oxford was in England. England was practically on the other side of the world. It was so far away.

Still, Troy couldn't be more proud of her.

He himself got a full-ride basketball scholarship to University of Albuquerque. He was suddenly regretting the fact that he didn't think to sign up for a school in England.

On the day of their high school graduation, he saw a shiny medal of a valedictorian around her neck. He was proud again.

The ceremony ended quickly, more quickly than he expected, and suddenly he was surrounded by a mob. Girls were crying and hugging him, and they were telling him to call and never forget them. He couldn't even remember most of their names. He felt bad for a moment but decidedly brushed the feeling away. He was never going to see any of those girls again. Might as well save them the heartbreak now. Many of his basketball friends bumped him in the shoulder and said that they would hang out sometime. He nodded absentmindedly while he went to go look for his family.

His parents and some other relatives were standing with the Montez family. Off to the side, he saw Gabriella crying with Sharpay. Her make up was starting to run, and her hair was slightly frizzy from the heat of the sun outside.

Troy thought she looked beautiful.

He somewhat knew what these feelings of deep longing were. Troy had developed more than feelings of friendship toward Gabriella in their years during high school, but he knew he could never act on it. She probably still hated him.

Suddenly, he realized that this was the last time he would probably see her. His own eyes began to water as he made a daring move toward her. Sharpay saw him, said something to Gabriella, and ran off to probably go find her family.

Gabriella turned around confusedly, and before she could run anywhere, he hugged her tightly. The tears were running freely, and he could feel her stiffen.

Please don't let go, he thought. I'll probably never see you again.

She must've come to the same realization because he felt her tears on his neck and her arms go around his torso.

Troy hadn't realized this until now, but she fit him. She fit every crook and cranny in not only his body but in his personality as well. It was a strange feeling, and he hadn't known what to expect.

He expected to drown with the knowledge of that feeling, but instead, he was floating in it.

I love you, he thought feeling the euphoric smile grace his lips. Please stay, with me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I ever hurt you. I love you.

He couldn't make himself say the words out loud.

"I…" he stuttered, but she beat him to it.

"Congratulations on the scholarship, Michael Jordan," she teased through her own tears. It was the longest sentence she had said to him in a while he noticed. He laughed through the tears and looked down to her face.

"Congratulations on Oxford, Einstein," he teased back.

They looked at each other, and she was waiting expectantly at him. She was waiting for his apology for that night three years ago. His tongue got tied, and his parents pulled him away for pictures. She looked sadly at him and shook her head.

He could practically hear the shattering of her heart once more.

They had dinner with the Montez family at a much-respected restaurant in town, and his chance of apologizing got stuck in his throat every time so he just made small talk.

Dinner was delicious, and everyone was talking happily. Troy and Gabriella kept staring at each other throughout the entire thing.

Once dinner was over, the tears returned, and his parents hugged Gabriella while her parents hugged him. They went outside to their cars, and Gabriella and Troy hung back while their parents talked. He was panicking by this point; he had to do something.

"I…" he tried once more.

"Troy…" she said interrupting him again. He couldn't help but be distracted by her angelic like voice. He turned to her and smiled sadly.

"Yeah?" he asked.

She didn't speak. Instead, she lightly touched his face, tracing his features. He automatically closed his eyes and leaned in to her touch. Troy felt the sparks and tingles as she caressed his face. He frowned and opened his eyes when she stopped. Why did she stop? It felt good when she did that. Troy looked at her questioningly. She looked determined.

Gabriella leaned up cautioning with her eyes. Her lips touched his, and his eyes couldn't seem to stay open. It was light and soft, but he felt shockwaves throughout his entire system. He had never experienced that with another girl before.

Too soon did she pull away, and he was in a daze. Their parents called them, and she ran over to hers while he stumbled over to his still shiny black Audi. He shook his head to clear it and looked over at her. Tears were running down her eyes, and she smiled at him.

"Goodbye, Troy Bolton," she called out to him and waved. He stared at their car as it moved away from him.

"Goodbye, Gabriella Montez," he whispered into the night long after they were gone. "I love you."