AN: Final chapter. Taylor's POV. Uhh again, its gets kind of confusing. But apparently I'm a confusing writer..

Disclaimer: Don't own HSM…. I only wish.

Taylor McKessie

Gabriella Montez is my best friend.

We have been friends for as long as I can remember.

I've been with her through many bad boyfriends, her grandparents' death and now her boyfriend's death.

I guess the more appropriate term for Troy would be ex-boyfriend.

Gabriella broke up with Troy for many reasons.

Troy was always so inconsiderate, they fought often and no one in Gabriella's life approved of there relationship.

I was sure glad when Gabriella decided to break up with him.

My happiness did not last long. Not at all.

I thought she would be sooooo much better off without that scumbag in her life.

More than there relationship broke. Gabriella broke.

She spent days upon days in her bedroom.

She refused to speak to anyone, eat anything, or stop crying.

The one day I finally managed to get her to let me in her room she flipped out on me.

I was too distracted by my broken friend on her bed to realize what she was saying.

She looked dead. Actually, she probably would've looked healthier had she actually died.

Once I notice Gabriella saying words rather than crying I focused.

"ITS ALL YOUR FAULT! WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME!?!?"

Harsh words.

Words I deserved.

She was blaming me for their break-up.

I would too if I were her.

I may not have seen it then but now it all makes sense.

She broke up with Troy because of all the pressure her friends and family were putting on her.

I was the worst.

Whenever she came to rant about some stupid fight they were having I would just respond by saying something along the lines of,

"That's what you get for dating such an idiot"

I would constantly cut him up and would never her let her talk about him.

I hated the bastard.

I guess it was jealousy.

Gabriella spent all her time with him.

I assumed 90% of it was fighting but I guess I would have known the truth if I actually listened to Gabriella.

She never really got over there break-up.

She walked around with no light in her eyes.

It was like she was just going through the motions.

Now she has a new boyfriend.

He is ideal.

I approve greatly and ask for information on their relationship from Gabriella often.

He seems like such a perfect guy to put that light back in Gabriella.

Maybe if I pushed my own fucking thoughts away again I would have noticed the truth.

Gabriella was slipping farther and farther.

At the time I was completely oblivious.

Now I look back and realize that anyone with eyes would have noticed!

Some friend I've been.

Troy died.

His death killed Gabriella.

Don't worry, she's still physically alive.

But mentally, and emotionally? There's no one there.

You should've seen her the day after she found out.

This is a mental image I will never be able to escape.

She was lying there, completely motionless.

Her eyes red-rimmed, blank, and empty.

Her arms holding her body so tight it looked as if she was crushing her ribs.

Her knees pulled up to her chin.

She didn't look alive.

I have never in all my life seen someone so lifeless and hurt.

I want so badly to understand her pain.

I know I would have to understand her love for Troy before I could understand he pain.

I have no idea how I'm going to do this. I have too...

I have to help my friend.

She needs to hold on.

When I go to see her it's not even like I'm visiting with a friend.

It feels like I'm going to visit someone in the mental ward.

I'm going to see her today.

She looks worse, if that was even possible.

She isn't motionless or empty this time.

She's the complete opposite.

Scared me.

She was shaking violently as sobs escaped from her lips.

The sound of the intense sobs made me cringe.

Her eyes… oh man her eyes.

They were gone, it was as if they became completely detached.

They weren't even red as she cried.

She hugged her self closer.

Curling into a tighter ball.

I thought she would squeeze herself to death.

You could tell she was trying to hold her self together physically.

It wasn't working.

Eventually she let go.

You could see it.

She arms loosened from her sides and her knees dropped.

The shaking and sobs stopped.

If I couldn't see her chest moving up and down slowly I would've surely thought she was dead.

It was too much for her.

I looked over and noticed a letter.

It was composed of many pages.

Slowly I reached over and grabbed it.

I read and re-read each words on the pages multiple times.

It was so confusing but at the same time it made so much sense.

I started to understand.

The way Troy's love for Gabriella was expressed on the page was so intense.

I have a feeling that the words didn't even explain half of their love.

"Gabriella? I'm sorry." I have said these words many times but today they completely different meaning.

It seemed as if Gabriella sense this new meaning.

She shifted careful not to hurt her now completely broken body.

"Sorry, what for?" Her voice, it was so sweet.

I was completely taken aback.

I had expected a much more pain-filled and hoarse voice.

"Everything. I didn't know the extent of you love for Troy or his for you. I never listened. I complained all the time about how he wasn't right for you and how he was just an ass. I see now that he is the only one right for you. The only one that has ever been right for you. I'm so sorry."

Now I was the one crying.

Confused? I know I am.

"Taylor… it wasn't your fault. It was no one's. Yes, mine and Troy's love for each remains to be comprehendible and yes I have been broken for a long time now. But you had nothing to do with this. This was all me. I brought everything on myself."

Now I was the one being comforted.

"I can't imagine the pain you are going through. The hurt you must feel in your heart and your entire body. How can you bear to add blame on top of all the pain?"

I asked about the pain…

Uh-oh.

The pain is the forbidden topic.

I braced myself for the crying, shaky, scary Gabriella.

She never came.

"I place blame only on who deserves it. And the pain? The pain is entirely unbearable. I'm surprised I've come this far. After I read that letter. I thought 'this is it. I can't take it anymore.' but then as I was crying and holding myself, I realized something. Something that may just change everything for me. I have spent months upon months clutching myself in a sad attempt to keep from falling apart. Today I clutched harder than ever possible. With force that probably left bruises. I realized that this wasn't helping anything. I was going to fall apart no matter how hard I held myself together. Then I thought 'Why are you trying so hard to hold yourself together?'. I didn't have an answer. It just seemed like the automatic thing to do. It wasn't helping anything. I was just getting worse. And the letter…. Did you read it?"

That was the most I had heard out of Gabriella in so long.

Everything she said made perfect sense.

"I did…"

"The last line… 'I don't ever want you to let go either Gabriella'. But I did anyways. I let go. I went over the edge. I always did that to Troy. I always did the exact opposite of what he asked. But when I let go… it was like it all made sense. It's hard to describe. Almost as hard as it is to describe my love for Troy. But when I let go I found that it is so much easier to grab a hold of something after you let go of it rather than trying to keep hold of it as it tries to slip away."

Most people would think she was talking gibberish.

You probably do don't you?

I don't.

Think about it.

I'll give an example. All metaphors aside.

Imagine you are trying to hold onto someone's hand. It is sweltering hot out and your hand and the other person's hand is getting all sweaty. Would it be easier to try to hold on the slippery hand or would it be easier to let go and allow the person the wipe off the sweat before you grab hold again?

It's quite possible that makes even less sense than Gabriella's version.

"I understand everything Gabriella. Really I get it now. I didn't before. I have one question. What is it that you are holding on to? What is it that you let go?"

I had an idea but I needed conformation.

"So many things put together. I'm holding on the Troy, I'm holding on to the person I used to be, the person that I vow I will become again, I'm holding on to my sanity, my life, and any chance there is for me to love again."

She's going to be okay.

The light, it's back in her eyes.

Her arms are finally by her side rather than around her body.

"You can do it Gabriella. I'm going to be here for you now. I finally understand. I will help you hold on with everything I have."

"That's just it! I used to say 'Maybes, wishes, hopes, and dreams mean nothing unless you have someone to help you'. Then I thought everything I hoped, wished and dreamed was never going to happen because I didn't have Troy to help me anymore. I thought Troy was the only chance I had to live again. But now, with you here I see. I see that Troy isn't the only one that can help me. I have you, and my mom and all my other friends and family. A boyfriend isn't everything, you can't sacrifice your whole life for a boy. You can give the boy everything but you have to be able to hold on to the others that matter. I see that now. You've always been here I just never noticed."

"But I haven't always been here! You tried to talk to me when you were dating Troy and I wouldn't take it. I wouldn't listen to you. I wouldn't let you tell me about anything that had to do with him."

"I don't care about that anymore. It's done. Troy will always be a part of my life. I will never love anyone the way I love Troy. If I can't love like that then what's the point in trying?"

It sounds like this bright patch in Gabriella's condition is coming to a close.

I won't let that happen.

What the point?

This is one I can answer.

"The point? There's definitely a point Gabriella. You may not be able to love anyone as much as you love Troy but that doesn't mean you can't still love them. You can and will find someone to give your love to. It won't be the same as it was with Troy but that doesn't mean it won't be worth it."

"I'm scared Taylor. What if I get hurt again? What if I can't handle it next time?"

She's crying again.

These tears aren't scary.

I can deal with these tears.

"Gabriella… I'm not going to say there is no chance you will get hurt again. But I know that if you do get hurt again I will be here to pull you through. You won't have to be able to handle it because I will help you handle it. Nothing will ever feel as bad as it does for you now. You are now so much stronger than before. And don't you dare say you are scared! What do you think about love?"

"I think it is the most amazing indescribable emotion anyone can ever experience. It makes you feel on top of the world. It makes you feel more than you ever though you were capable of."

"Then why are you so scared? Don't be scared. It's love. Simple, complicated, stupid and amazing. Love is everything rolled up in one. You will find love again and I will be here to listen when you do!"

"Thanks" A smile. She smiled for the first time.

"There are so many different types of love and so many different ways to experience it. Me and you… we are going to find new boys and we are going to find love!"

This is done.

It's all over.

Gabriella made it through.

She's going to love again and I'm going to be a better friend.

AN: So, this is it. I'm sure of it this time. This is the end of this story. Apparently I am not capable of writing a story longer than three chapters… o well… Anyways I guess the point of this story is that nothing is too complicated. You can handle anything. Also that Love comes in so many shapes and sizes that you should experience them all. There's Love Love (with a boy), Friend Love, Parental Love, Sibling Love…. And the list continues. So go out there and experience every kind of love you can find because LOVE IS EVERYTHING.