Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay - Otis Redding (which the lyrics even fit half way well too and that I just totally nailed the whistle solo on:))

Two and a half months after becoming a couple, Troy and Lily were incredibly happy together. Sharpay was ecstatic, Taylor was happy about it, and Kelsi didn't let her opinion be known either way. That confused Troy, but he let it slide. He needed happy after so long of not having it. However now he was freaking out.

Breathe in. Breathe out. It won't be a big deal right? It's just an interview…with one of the biggest music magazines out there… but that's beside the point. Hopefully.

"You okay Troy?" Lily asked, touching his arm, making him jump.

"Um, I think so. I haven't really ever done an interview…let alone one that the interviewer is following me around for a day, in an amazing city I've never been to before." He said, watching as Taylor grabbed the back of Chad's sweatshirt so he didn't fall off the cable car that was taking them to Fisherman's Warf where they would then walk a short distance to Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco.

"Chad I want hot chocolate too, but can you try not to jump off a moving vehicle?" Zeke asked, helping Taylor and jerking back into his seat.

"It's the best chocolate in the US, can you blame me?" He replied trying to lean out again to look at something they were passing.

"maybe you should get him a leash Taylor, you know like the little kid ones?" Troy said, making Lily laugh. Man did he love that laugh.

"Come on, we're here." Lily said jumping off the cable car. "Ok, if anyone gets lost, just keep going that way." She said pointing, "You can't miss it."

Twenty minutes later they had made it to the square, just in time to meet the interviewer.

"Dion!" Lily suddenly yelled and took off running towards a man who's picture could have been next to the definition of 'tall, dark, and handsome' in the dictionary, and jumping into his arms.

"Maybe you should find out more about him before you get too carried away." Taylor said lightly touching Troy's hand, which he then realized was in a tight fist. It had been awhile since he had been jealous apparently since he hadn't even realized it before Taylor. He glared at Sharpay as she tried not to laugh at him.

"I didn't know you would be here!" Lily said happily, smacking the man's arm lightly.

"Well I didn't know either that my Little Lily was the manager of the hottest new band of the year." He said smiling widely, hugging her again.

"Trust me, their popularity has nothing to do with me." She laughed.

"Don't keep selling yourself short." Ryan said as they all approached Lily and Dion. Troy picked his pace up a bit and wrapped his arm around Lily's waist once she was within reach.

"Troy Bolton." He said holding his hand out. Dion took it and shook it, smiling.

"Dion Belmont. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Lily has told me so much about you, not to mention what I've heard about you in the media." He said happily.

"Troy, this is my cousin. He's actually the vice president of the magazine company. Oh! Sorry guys, and these are the Wildcats, Sharpay, Zeke, Chad, Taylor, Ryan, and Kelsi." Lily said wrapping her arm around Troy's waist. "Who's doing the interview then?" She asked, looking to see if she had missed anyone with Dion.

"I am. I miss doing interviews, plus I hardly see you anymore. I must admit though the person who was supposed to be doing the interview isn't exactly happy with me." Dion chuckled. "I think she has a crush on someone." He said looking knowingly at Troy who was doing his best not to blush. However, he was more focused on the fact that this man wasn't competition.

"How about lunch in Union Square? It will be a bit more crowded, but more fun. We can come back for hot chocolate tonight." Lily asked happily.

"How long have you all known each other?" Dion asked, pulling out a voice recorder.

"We all met in elementary school." Taylor replied as she ate her salad.

"You've been friends for that long?" Dion asked in surprise.

"Ha, definitely not." Sharpay snorted. "The majority of us hated each other until our junior year in high school."

"What happened to change that?"

"Excuse me." Troy said standing up from the table and walking away. Was he crazy? Could he handle this? He went to the bathroom and splashed water on his face in an attempt to prevent the tears that suddenly wanted to pour out of his eyes.

"Suck it up Bolton." He said starring at himself in the mirror, but being interrupted as someone came into the bathroom. He took a deep breath and walked back out of the bathroom.

"That's an amazing story how you all were brought together." Dion was saying as Troy sat back down at the table.

"You okay?" Lily whispered in his ear, looking concerned.

"Yup, just fine." He replied as their food was delivered.

"Where to next? Haight and Ashbury? There's an amazing record store there. To see the Golden Gate Bridge? To get some sourdough bread?" Dion asked smiling as they walked out onto the extremely busy street.

"How about the bridge? Don't you have a van?" Lily asked, turning to Dion.

"I'll go home real quick and get it."

"You sure you want to finish this interview Troy?" Kelsi asked quietly as they all started walking to look at the huge nearby Disney store. "You don't look to healthy…."

"I need to do this…. If not for me, for Lily." He muttered back.

"I'm guessing you don't want to hear this Troy, but I think you need to hear this…." Kelsi said before trailing off and taking a deep breath. "You don't look at Lily the same way you looked at Gabriella, in fact you look at Taylor the same way you look at Lily, as one of your best friends, not as a girlfriend."

He turned to her shocked, people pushing past the two of them as he tried not to let what she had said soak in. He couldn't handle hearing that, especially not today.

"You coming Troy?" Taylor asked, holding the door to the store open for him.

"Oh, yeah, sorry." He said walking in. Did he really look at Taylor and Lily the same way?

An hour later found the group at across the bridge looking at the city from a ledge and Troy not noticing anything, his brain still a bit preoccupied with what Kelsi had said.

"Take the picture Taylor!" Chad yelled, pretending to fly, one foot still on the ground, with the bridge in the background.

"Chad, you can totally see your foot on the ground. Do you really want it?" Taylor asked, exasperated with him.

"Yes! It's suppose to look cheesy."

"What exactly happened to her?" Dion asked Troy quietly, making him jump.

"Who? Lily?" He asked, confused, his mind still on Gabriella.

"No, the girl who left you behind." Dion replied, sitting next to Troy on the bench. Troy sighed, he really didn't want to have this conversation.

"She said marry me now or we're through. No warning or nothing. We had always planned on getting married but, not until we were out of college." Troy replied attempting not to let his emotions get the better of him.

"When did she leave?" Dion asked as Lily came to sit next to Troy as she laughed at Chad who had fallen over from his flying pose.

"We were both sophomores in college. She was going to study abroad in London the next semester and said she didn't want to leave without being in a fully committed relationship, which apparently meant marriage to her. Three years of dating apparently meant nothing." Troy replied quietly. Why was he telling Dion all of this? He hadn't even told Lily all of this, or really much of any of it actually.

Dion whistled lowly. "Three years and she suddenly decided that you had to get married or not be together at all? You still haven't heard from her?"

Troy didn't have a clue that just six words would break him. You still haven't heard from her? He shook his head, trying to fight back the tears, looking at his shoes, hoping that would help.

"Do you think that she'll ever contact you?" Dion asked, apparently not realizing that Troy wasn't up for answering anymore questions.

Troy couldn't hold it back anymore and broke down into tears in front of a hundred tourists, his girlfriend, her cousin, and his best friends.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Lily asked as he answered his hotel door to find her in front of it. The tour of San Francisco and interview had been cut short after his breakdown. It didn't help that he had flat out refused to talk to anyone else after that. He moved aside so Lily could come in his room.

"Um, I talked to Dion…. He said he wouldn't put any of the last part of the interview in the paper. I didn't figure you really wanted it there."

My goodness. She really was the perfect woman and manager. What would he do without her?

"Thanks. I'm sorry about my breakdown. I must have looked like a blubbering fool." He said sitting on his bed and patting the spot next to him.

"You're welcome." She said quietly, sitting next to him. They sat in silence for a minute before she turned to look at him. "That's not all I have to say."

"What else?" He asked, taking note of sadly that she looked like she was about to burst into tears. He put his hand on her cheek trying to comfort her. Apparently he had done a great job at screwing up everyone's day.

"Troy? I don't think we should be together anymore. You are obviously not over her and if she comes back, I really don't want to stand between you. You are still in love with her. " Lily said, looking at him, her tears starting to fall. He was frozen.

"I know how hard you try to love me instead, but you just can't do it. You really are an amazing boyfriend. I don't blame you at all, but I just don't want both of us to keep pretending that this is working. I still want to be your best friend though. Please tell me that we will be still." She continued, tears still falling as she grabbed his free hand.

His hand dropped from her face and he looked at his lap. He admired her for going this long in the relationship, he really did but he didn't want it to end. She was right though, he wasn't over Gabriella. He desperately wished and pretended he was though.

"I'm sorry Lily." He said slowly, looking into her eyes as she sniffed. "You're right I tried so hard…" Great now he was crying too, apparently once in one day wasn't enough. "Do you ever think we can ever have a chance to be together?"

"How about we try talking about it again after you win your first major award. See how you're doing then" She said smiling slightly, wiping away her tears.

"What if I never win an award?" He asked, panicked at the thought.

"You will. Trust me. Are we still friends then?" She asked, still crying, but slightly happier looking.

"I can't lose you now." He said, reaching over and hugging her. "Of course."

Neither missed the fact that much of the tension they had been feeling for the last few months was gone between the two of them was gone.

Sorry once again that it took me longer than it should have to update. I have good excuses though, first off I had spring break and one of my best friends was also home for it. Second excuse, tons and tons of homework. My third excuse…. The building my mom works-er worked burned down. Talk about stress! Do you have any idea how weird it is to be in a building one day sitting across from your mom at her desk, then the next see a fireman walking on what use to be the desk the next day, and later going back and noticing the desk is completely gone and only the frame of the chair you were sitting in is there? Incredibly weird and surreal. We even found out by accident that the building had burnt down. A friend had called to tell us something then said "Did you know (insert name of building) burned down last night? Isn't that weird?" My mom got dressed and was at work in record time after that phone call…. Fortunately she got most of her paperwork. She is however pretty upset that my birthday present ended up burning up… but really? After all that I could care less about one birthday present. I went with her to look at the rubble and she pointed to where it was and told me I could look if I wanted (yeah right!). Forth excuse…. Went to San Fran a couple of weekends ago (which is probably halfway obvious by this chapter lol). I figured since I was there I might as well write a chapter that happens there instead of trying to write it after not being there for awhile. Gotta love the Palm Centro phone… having Word on your phone is soooo nice :D FIFTH excuse…. I really couldn't seem to get this chapter to where I wanted it. I'm still not happy with it, it just seems choppy, but I promise that it's going to be getting a lot better after this chapter.

If you can tell me where I got the name for Dion Belmont, I'll name a character after you (well, the first person to get it right) later on in the story.