AN: So, so, sorry. I know I said it was going to be up in a day or two but life happened. And it didn't help that after I wrote the second chapter, I decided that it was not the direction I wanted it to go so I did a massive re-write. By massive, I mean, I pretty much re-wrote Part Deux so sorry if it took awhile to get this out. There's a change in POV's so I hope its not too confusing. First its Gabriella's POV and then Troy and then back to Gabriella. Enjoy.

Dislaimer: I don't own anything.

At the End of the Day - Part Deux

I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not cry.

I repeat this mantra over and over again in my head while I sit in my fifth period Government class. For the first time, I did not pay attention to whatever Mr. Smith was saying. I didn't even take notes. For the past 45 minutes, I just stared at the window and repeated the certain situation that happened in the rooftop garden. Gawd, if Taylor could only see me now. She would start thinking that something must have been very wrong with the world.

Duke University. He wants to go to Duke University.

Every since the summer before senior year, Troy and I have talked about our future. Not just his and then mine, but our future. As crazy as this may sound, despite the fact that we've been only dating for three months at that time, we knew that what we had was something special. We had nights where we just stayed up, talking about our dreams and where we saw ourselves in ten, twenty years. And in those nightly conversations, we've always managed to insert the other person in our future plans. From colleges to the places we wanted to live in, it's always been, 'Troy and Gabriella this, Troy and Gabriella that'.

And for the life of me, I don't understand why I reacted the way I did. I knew that there was a possibility that we wouldn't be able to go the same college, even a college in the same state. We've always known that there might be a chance that he could go to a college in a different state while I was in another. I've always known.

Gawd, this is pathetic. We can handle this. Lots of people are in a long distance relationship all the time. We can make it through this slight bump in the road. Troy and I can make it.

I am jolted out of my reverie when the end bell rings. Collecting my things, I head to my locker to get the project I had to give to Mrs. Kapowski. Upon opening my locker, a daisy sits atop my books and right then and there, I nearly started bawling.

I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not cry.

Instead of being elated at Troy's sweet gesture, all that goes through my head is the fact that if he's in Duke, he won't be able to do this anymore. He won't be able to get on his car and visit me in Yale. He won't be able to just surprise me after class because NYU is just two-hours-tops away from Yale. He won't be two hours away from me if he goes to Duke and my earlier resolve of making a long distance relationship work slowly crumbles. By this time, some tears manage to escape and I hastily wipe them away. I must be PMS-ing or something because this flip flop-ing emotion isn't me.

I sigh and take out the books and project I needed to turn in and head straight towards Mrs. Kapowski's class – without stopping by the bathroom of course, I couldn't very well present a project looking haggard and tear-stricken.

I don't understand it, one minute we were fine and the next, at the mere mention of Duke University, and she gets pissed. What the hell just happened there?

I'm currently at my PE class but knowing Dad, he manages to turn everything into an 'impromptu' basketball practice. So here I am, working on my free throws – and failing miserably at it I might add.

"So, you and Gabs got into a fight huh?" I hear Chad ask as he picks up the ball that I unsuccessfully shot.

"What made you think that?" Am I that transparent?

"Well, not to insult you or anything but your game goes down whenever something happens between you and Gabs. Remember junior year with me and Taylor's 'Operation TGIF' debacle and you couldn't play to save your life. Or the summer incident when she temporarily broke up with you for like a week. Or that time when -"

"Okay, I get it. I get it. But let's rewind for a second here, 'Operation TGIF'?"

"Yeah, every secret agent needs a code word. You can't just explicitly say it," he gives me a 'Duh' look and continues, "so I named it 'Operation Troy-Gabriella In Finito'. See, had I not made up that acronym, then you would have easily known." He smirks.

"Chad, you do know that infinito is just one word and that it means infinite in English? So basically your plan is to keep me and Gabriella together forever?" I raise an eyebrow.

"I knew that," he scratches his neck and looks everywhere but me, "it was my plan all along. I mean, look at you two now, still happy and lovey-dovey as ever."

I give him an incredulous look and say, "Right."

"So, what happened?"

"Duke happened."

"Ahhh, so you finally told her. Took you long enough."

"What do you mean, 'Took me long enough'. I was trying to take it all in. I didn't think it was going to be such a big deal."

He looked at me and this is one of those times when I knew that I was getting serious-Chad and not joking-Chad. "You knew it was a big deal, that's why you were bidding your time and kept putting off telling Gabs about Duke."

"Okay, so I subconsciously knew that it was going to be huge but I didn't expect her to get mad and then starting throwing our plan in my face." I look at Chad helplessly.

"Ah, 'The Plan'. Well, for one, you knew that it was going to complicate the whole NYU-Yale thing you guys got going on. Two: Gabs didn't even know about Duke. To her, you totally sprung this Duke thing on her, no hints or mentions of this particular school when you were talking about your future so I understand why she got upset."

"You've been hanging out with Taylor far too long buddy. Her intelligence is rubbing off on ya." I grin knowing deep inside that whatever Chad said a moment ago is true.

He jokingly punches my shoulder, "Whatever, dude. So what are you going to do? I mean, this is Duke. You've always wanted to go to Duke since forever."

"That's the thing, when I think of where I want to go, I don't see a specific university. All I see is Gabriella."

"Damn, you're getting sentimental and all girly on me." He makes a funny face, as if he's puking.

"Real mature, dude. Real mature."

Chad just laughs and throws me the ball. "Seriously, Troy, just tell her what you just told me. You're Troy and Gabriella. That's all there is to it."

I grin and thank him.

The bell that signals the end of fifth period rings and we both head out to the lockers, but not before Chad says, "If you hurt her again, Troy, I swear, you're going to…"

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I'll get a severe beating from you and the guys. Who knew that you'll side with Gabriella over me, your best friend since pre-school?"

"This is Gabriella Montez we're talking about. She's like my little sister."

"And you're like the overprotective brother she never wanted." I mumble under my breath.

"Hey, I heard that jack ass."

Slamming the door behind me, I made my way up to my room. Cursing all the way, I shrieked when I collided against a hard body at the entrance of my room. Looking up, I see, none other than Troy smiling down on me.

"Hey. Sorry if I scared you."

I just shrug my shoulders and mutter a soft, "Its okay." Placing my backpack on the study table, I leans on the chair and inquires, "I thought we were meeting up at your place for the movie marathon."

"Yeah, well, I figured we could just have it here." Scratching his neck, Gabriella knew that Troy is nervous. Heck, this has been their first major fight since getting back together last summer.

"We need to talk." Both Troy and I say at the same time.

We both smile and he gestures for me to start first.

"I'm sorry I overreacted. I didn't mean to come off as this selfish and inconsiderate girlfriend and I just didn't know why the thought of Duke bothered me so much. I mean, I always knew that -" Before I knew it, Troy was in front of me, using his hand to stop me from talking some more.

"Have I told you lately that I love it when you talk really fast, especially when you're nervous?" He smiles at me adoringly.

"Nope. But seriously Troy, I just wanted to apologize. If Duke is your dream school, who am I to stop you."

"You're my girlfriend and that entitles you the right to be pissed and annoyed. I'm partly at fault here too. I should have said something before. I mean, I just sprung this up on you." He grimaced.

We both sit on the bed and just stayed silent for a few minutes.

Looking uncertain, I ask "So, what happens now?"

He looks at me and reassures me by saying, "Yale and NYU. That never changed, Brie. Just because I got into Duke doesn't mean that our plan will change."

I bite my lip and look away. "I heard that Duke has always been your dream school. Ever since you were seven and your Dad took you to a Duke basketball game, your heart was set on going. I don't want you to regret not going to Duke. I don't want you to look back on this and resent me for taking away your chance at going. I want you to be happy and we can do long distance. Sure, its going to be hard but we can make it, if we really wanted this."

"Brie, look at me. Look at me." Taking my chin, he directs my face towards his, our foreheads touching.

By now, I'm sitting on his lap and trying not to cry. I wanted to be strong and show him that I'm not a weak and selfish girlfriend who will use tears and pouts to get her way.

"Remember the first time we meet?"

Bewildered, I stare back at him and say, "Of course, as if I'll ever forget the first time I sang in public."

"You were wearing a blue wrap around cardigan. And you were sitting on the chaise, reading your book, oblivious to the party going on. Your beauty was the first thing that intrigued me, followed by the fact that you were so different from everybody there. It was a New Year's party and there you were, reading a book," He smiles and has this faraway look on his face, "And then I heard you sing, and I had known that I wouldn't look at you the same way ever again. Because in that three minutes that we were up there singing, you managed to do something no one has every done before: you captured my heart. And when I saw you again in East High," he grins and tucks a stray of hair behind my ear, "I knew it was fate."

I hastily wipe the tears that crawl down my cheek. Who knew that Troy Bolton was a romantic at heart?

"So you see, Duke may be my dream school but at the end of the day, you're what matters Brie. Not some fancy school or a basketball scholarship. You. Just you."

Overwhelmed, I surprised him by suddenly hugging and fervently kissing him, throwing both of us off balance where we carelessly land on my bed.

Minutes later, when the semi make-out session ended that found me straddling Troy's lap, I look down on him and whisper, "I applied to Duke, in case you forgot. I pretty much applied to every university out there."

"And you pretty much got accepted into each and everyone one of them," he looks up at me with a confused stare, "what are you saying? You're willing to go to Duke with me?"

"Before that little speech of yours, I was more than willing to let you go to Duke while I went to Yale. I mean, we could survive being thousands of miles apart. But I realized something just now, my future is with you Troy. Be it Yale or Duke, my future is with you. I don't care what university I go to. And besides, Duke has an amazing science program and -"

This time, I was the one who was surprised when Troy tackles me and flips us over, kissing me senseless. His fingers skimmed my skin underneath the shirt I was wearing and I close my eyes at the gentle caress. His lips grazed my cheek, and then my jaw line, my neck, all the while coming back to my lips time and time again.

"I love you, Gabriella," he stated, tenderly tracing my cheek with his thumb.

I smile at him and he returns an equally heart warming smile that got my heart skipping a beat. "I love you too Troy."

Unable to help himself, Troy kissed me again, brushing his lips against mine repeatedly in a sweet yet urgent caress that got both of us begging for more. It wasn't long before things got really heated and the only thing that held us back was the thought that my mom could easily walk in on us.

A few minutes later, laying on my bed, I was right next to Troy, my head on his shoulder and his arms wrapped around me.

I hear him murmur, "So, we're really doing this? We're really going to Duke."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Troy Bolton."

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