Aesthetically, the next morning was one of pure delight. The sun was shining in the bright blue 'typically-new-mexico' sky. The rising of the sun began a dance of fiery red and gold light, which drenched Albuquerque in poetic beauty. By all accounts it could not have been a better day, but for Troy Bolton, the day would shine on merrily, bitterly seeming to mock him and the storm he was facing.

As the sun crept further and further across the landscape, it reached the small gap in between Gabi's curtains, and shone harshly directly onto Troy's face. Not 5 minutes ago, Taylor had seen them, but Troy was not to know this. The light woke him and as he stirred into consciousness he felt a pair on arms around him. He smiled, thinking they belonged to Emma. But then he remembered she hadn't stayed last nite. He opened his eyes and found himself in a strange room. As he looked at Gabi next to him, he remembered everything. Shit. Troy didn't know what to do. He slowly and carefully climbed out of bed trying not to wake Gabriella, quickly dressed and silently left via the balcony.

20 mins later, a very confused Troy came through his front door. Anna was sitting in the living room reading the paper as she saw Troy enter.

"Hey, where did you go?" She asked

"Oh, just for a walk. I woke up early." Troy replied, thinking on his feet.

"Well, I hope you're rested enough. I spoke to the doctor this morning and he thinks you should go into school this afternoon just for a half day. What do you think?" Troy froze. He couldn't face school when he had so much going through his head. Ugh, he couldn't even think of how to excuse himself from it though.

"Yeah, fine, whatever." He said quickly avoiding his mother's eyes and quickly went upstairs to his room. As Anna heard his door shut she wondered what was up with Troy. She hoped it was nothing, but she wasn't going to just forget it.

Troy walked into school at lunchtime. He knew everyone would be in the cafeteria, so he didn't want to be there, but he couldn't remember anywhere else he could go. If last night hadn't happened, Troy would have been ready to come to school. I mean, he remembered everyone except his dad, and he was trying to get his life back. But normality seems far from where he was now, and every move he made took it further from him. He let out a deep sigh and pushed open the doors to the cafeteria. He saw Gabi and the gang on one table, and Emma by herself on another. He wanted to sit with Emma, but there was no way he could get to her without passing Gabi. And he didn't know what to say to Em either. He began to walk to her but, as he predicted, Gabi stopped him as he walked passed her.

"Hey Troy! What are you doing here? Here, come sit." She said cheerfully. He looked over at Emma, knowing she had heard, but she wasn't looking at him, and Taylor was giving him the hairy eyeball so he went and sat down with Gabi, unfortunately right in Emma's line of vision. As soon as he sat down Gabi gave him a kiss on the lips. He doubted that Emma hadn't seen it, but he certainly hoped so. She smiled at him and ran her fingers through his hair smiling at him. He gave a weak smile back, not wanting to complicate situations further.

"So the whole gang is going swimming in Chad's pool this arvo, and that includes you." She said. What, does she own me now? Troy thought.

"Oh sorry, I can't go." He replied. It was only half a lie: he really would be tired. But he also wasn't ready to neither forgive Chad for anything nor ready to give up valuable time to work out his own head.

"What? Boo. You have to!" Gabi whined.

"I can't ok. Just leave it, ok?" he said getting a bit angry. She got the picture and stopped pushing. The group was stuck in an awkward silence when the bell went, signalling free period. Gabi got up.

"Well, I am going to the music rooms with Kelsie for free period. Wanna come?" Gabi asked in a sickly sweet tone of voice.

"Ah, no thanks… I uh, have stuff… to do." Troy said lamely.

"Ok, well I'll see you in home room my sexy sweet boyfriend." She smiled and gave him a kiss on the lips again. He saw Emma look at them when she did this, a silent tear running down her face. She got up slowly and walked away. Gabi pulled back smiling and walked away with the gang in tow.

Troy looked everywhere for Emma during free period, until he realised he already knew where she would be. She would be in the very back corner of the library where no one else goes, immersing herself in the lives of the characters of books, the reading of whose lives she felt, was so much better than trying to live and work out her own. Troy half ran to the library which he knew would be near empty at this time, then made his way between the shelves to the very back corner. He saw her: her slight frame curled up on the carpet as she poured over a large leather-bound book. Troy approached her, looking down at the book. He knelt down across from her.

"Fairytales?" Emma simply nodded.

"Why fairytales?" There was a long pause before she spoke.

"Because in fairytales, you know everything is going to turn out exactly how you want it to." She ran her hands over the faces of the prince and princess in the booked, and traced the words with her fingers. Then she spoke again.

"You know, we grow up being taught stories of princes' and princesses overcoming all obstacles to get to their perfect 'happily ever after' ending. It's like we were taught that everything is suppose to always turn out ok. And stupidly we always believe it will, no matter how hard we try t convince ourselves otherwise. But people often miss that the most important line in a fairytale is not 'and they lived happily ever after', but that the story took place 'once upon a time in a land far, far away,' because in order to get to a fairytale ending, the story had to take place far from this world of pain and confusion." She stopped with a very pained and confused look on her face, tears in her eyes.

"Fairytales do come true Emma."

"No Troy. They're just make-believe." Running her fingers over the words once more she said: "No more than words on a page." With that she slammed the book shut, as though the book was wrong for brainwashing her into the hope of a happy ending.

"What's wrong Em? What's going on?" She raised her head and looked him straight in the eye.

"You tell me."

"Look, I don't know what's going on with Gabi. I'm not thinking straight. I-"

"You what Troy? What can you possibly say to excuse yourself from this?"

"I- I don't know. I just, I don't know what came over me."

"2 days ago, I gave myself to you. That really meant so much to me, the fact I trusted you that much. 24 hours later your in bed with your ex…"

"I know, wait, how did you know."

"The whole school knows Troy. And everyone is just laughing at me."

"Em, I'm so sorry, you mean the world to me and I really love you. It was a mistake, I don't know what I can do to make you believe me, I wish so badly that I could just take it back."

"Look Troy. It's my fault. You couldn't remember anything. You couldn't remember her, and what you felt for her. I shouldn't have jumped into your life and expected you to love me. I should have known that once your memory came back you wouldn't need me anymore and I would just fade away. You have your life back, your friends, and you have re-found a love that was real and pure, and not just due to circumstances such as those which threw us together. You chose her from everyone, you only chose me because I was the only one you could remember, and there was no other choice. I knew that, I know that. I just didn't think it would be so hard to let go. But I will, because this was how it was meant to be. I love you Troy, and I'm really happy for you. But it's ok, you can go now."

"No, it wasn't like that."

"Are you saying it didn't happen? Or are just trying to escape feeling guilty. Tell me then, say it to my face, that it didn't happen." Troy remained silent, unable to look her in the eyes, feeling so bad that he had made her believe he didn't love her.

"That's what I thought."

"Unbelievable huh?" Troy said resignedly.

"No," Emma replied, "It's totally believable. That's why it hurts."

It is often said that one person can never really know another: Their thoughts, deeds, and darkest dreams. Regardless of time spent together and secrets shared, we always keep a part of ourselves for our own. It often serves as a last line of comfort and defence: for it can sometimes be the only way we can protect ourselves from the mistakes of the past, and the only way we can ever forgive others for their's. 'It's ok, he didn't know how much it would hurt me.' Troy would never fully comprehend how much he had hurt Emma that day. For even girls who wear their hearts on their skin have things they hide in their heart: often from themselves as much as others. Emma began to turn to walk away.

"No Emma wait! Don't go please! Not like this. I need you!" Troy cried out desperately.

"I know Troy. And I'll always be here for you… as a friend."

"Only ever as a friend." Emma paused before she whispered so quietly she wasn't even sure he would here her, but she had lost her voice.

"That's all I have left to give." A tear crept down her face, as she turned and walked away.

Sorry its so short I graduated 2 days ago and life has been a bit hectic but you guys have been so supportive I had to post something  thanks so much for that support it really gave me the confidence to keep writing.

Next chap:

Jack confronts Troy causing his to do something very impetuous and irrational.

Troy attempts to fix things with both Em and Gabi.