OMG!!! So, I've never gotten so many story alerts so quickly before!!! You guys are amazing!! So, ya, keep up the reviews, I totally appreciate them all!!!! So I'm sorry, I wanted to upload way sooner, but I'm just so busy with work and all, so ya. I'll try and the get ch.3 out today too!!

2. Coward

Troy slowly made his was up the long, dark pathway to the brown door that laid right ahead. He could wait to see her again. She would cry, that much he knew, but he had to stay strong. If he were to start crying, he would never be able to stop.

She swung the door open and stared at the figure in front of her. Her son. Her one and only son, Troy, was back.

" Hey, mom."

Troy had to grab the post next to him as he tried to keep his balance while his mother threw herself into his arms. She was crying hysterically. He tried, with all his might, to hold back the tears that were lingering behind his eyes.

After a couple of moments longer, she stepped down and took a good look at her, now, 23 year old son. He had grown up so much. His once long hair was now longer, covering part of his right eye. He had grown much taller, probably about 6'5" now, and had much broader shoulders. Troy was a man now, and looked awfully a lot like his father. She sniffed a couple of times before smacking him, playfully.

"Hey, what was that for?"

She smiled her sweet motherly smile. "That's for not calling or visiting." All that didn't matter now though. He was home for Christmas and that's all that mattered

Troy managed a small smile before answering. "I'm sorry, mommy."

"Ya, you better be, now let's get you inside. You've come a long way haven't you?"

"Um, ya." He tried hard to not remember where he had just come from.

"Are you hungry, thirsty, anything?"

He smiled. "Actually, I know it's late, but.."

"No, no, go ahead. You can have anything you like."

Troy smiled big. "I've really missed your signature cucumber sandwiched. You know, the ones you used to make me when I was little?"

His mother really did make the Best cucumber sandwiches in the world. It may be a simple sandwich, but when it's made by your very own mother, it tastes all that much better. She always seemed to put the perfect amount of mayonnaise and salt on them, with the perfect amount of cucumber slices.

"Of course." She stated, obviously thrilled that her son remembered his favorite foods she used to make him. So he hadn't completely forgotten her.

She made her way over to the refrigerator and pulled out the cucumbers and mayonnaise. "So, what brigs you here?

Troy sat down at the kitchen table and looked away. He had mentally forgotten about Sharpay and the highly interesting first meeting of her secret lover. His cheek still hurt from the slap she delivered right across face.

He took a deep breath and sighed. "Sharpay…broke up with me." He couldn't bring himself to mention Sharpay's secret lover. He would have lost himself completely, and now was not the time to cry. Not yet, at least.

She put down her knife and headed over towards her depressed son. She knew they had been in love when they ran off together, and she knew her son well enough to know that break ups were just as hard for him. She hated seeing him like this.

"What happened, hunny?"

He hesitated. "She…stopped loving me, I guess." He sighed. Sharpay was his first real love ,and he'd be dammed if she was the last. He cringed in pain as his mother softly put her hand on his burning cheek.

"Wha- what's wrong? Did I hurt you?"

"NO, no, she…she slapped me, right across the face. It still hurts, I guess."

"She, hit, you?!" Her voice was filled with shock and confusion. "Troy, hunny, what did you do?"

What did HE do?! He did nothing wrong, but he still wasn't ready to tell her the truth. He decided to just lie. He could tell her later. "I…screamed at her for wanting to leave me. I may have called her a few names." He sighed. "I love her, mom, I still love her."

She put her arms around her growingly pained son to try and comfort him. What could she say? Were there any words to comfort him in this state, besides, 'everything will be o.k.'? Sorry wouldn't men the rapidly growing whole, but it was a start. "I'm sorry, Troy."

"It's not your fault." It was all his fault. How could he have let this happen? He was pathetic. All he could do was turn away from his mother. He needed a moment to think. "I'm gonna go and use the bathroom." He got up, leaving a worried mother to think about what she would say next.

Gabriella awoke to the agonizingly high pitched scream of her alarm clock. Wearily, she rolled over and slammed her hand on top of the clock to shut it up. 4 a.m. glowed off the screen as she moaned. She had forgotten to switch the alarm off after being fired as a life guard at the Lava Springs, resort and Spa. They were finally through with a quite, but stubborn Gabriella Montez. There was no need to be there anyways. All her friends had left for college; even the man, whom was her sole reason for taking the job in the first place, had gone away. She would deny it time and time again, but Troy Bolton, the school's superman, amazed her. It wasn't his looks, or his charm, or his basketball skills for that matter; it was the Troy, whom she believed to have only come out for her. Gabriella would never forget their first real encounter, but that story will come later.

An extremely tired and annoyed Gabriella slowly pulled herself out of bed and headed towards the bathroom. It had been months since she was able to enjoy a nice long hot shower. She was going to enjoy her first real day off, even if it killed her.

Her body shuddered as the piercing cold water hit her naked frame, slowly turning warm. She could breathe, finally. There was no, 'Gabriella we need you' or 'Gabriella, where are you'. It was just her and her shower head.

She let the hot relaxing water hit her body for a while before cleaning up and getting ready for the new day. There was just one thing she had to do.

Troy sat up and looked around. The room looked exactly as he had left it 2 yrs ago. He had been tossing and turning all night long. The pictures of his old high school buddies stared down at him. Troy felt as if the people in the pictures would jump out of their frames and haunt him in his sleep. They were all gone. All of them, and it was all his fault. The sight of his old friend hurt him. He was supposed to have taken care of him, but in the end, killed him. Troy would never forgive himself.

It was time. He needed to see his friend one more time. Troy had gone to the funeral, but missed the burial. There was no way in hell he was going to watch his best friend be lowered into the ground; not when it was his fault. Troy grabbed his car keys and headed out the door. He was going to see Chad.

Troy arrived at the grave yard around 6 a.m. The sky was lit up with a b right orange and pink color as he made his way towards Chad's grave. He just stood there, staring at the tombstone ahead of him, daring him to read its contents. Troy couldn't help but let out the tears that had been taunting him all morning.

"Chad, I'm so sorry. This was all my fault. You'd still be here if it wasn't for me. Please, forgive me." His legs buckled as he fell to his knees. Troy couldn't help but cry. Being a basketball star had been Chad's dream since kindergarten, and Troy had that dream. He really didn't deserve it; he was a coward. "I'm so sorry buddy. You were always looking out for me but I never looked out for you. I'm sorry." He willingly looked up at the sky, hoping, praying, that he could see his best friend one more time. "I love you man."

"You two had the best friendship anyone would ever know."

Troy just kneeled there. That voice; that soft innocent voice. He had heard it before, countless times. Gabriella Montez. She was Chad's girlfriend, well was his girlfriend till a week before the accident when she became his fiancée. They had been in love, their was no doubt, and he destroyed that.

Troy slowly stood up and turned around. Blue meeting brown for the first time in 5 years. He smiled. "Gabriella Montez."

"Troy Bolton."

Wow, he had definitely changed since high school. He was hot back then, but now, it seemed as if he had just stepped out of a magazine. His blue shirt lightly touching his stomach, revealing his abs, the sleeves rolled up just past his elbows. The dirty blonde hair slightly covering his right eye, causing his trancing blue eyes to pop out, daring you to loose yourself in their stare. He was smiling at her. She shivered at the very sight. "Long time no see."

"How are you?"

How was she, well, how was she? Her 3rd attempt at a real relationship just ended, she lost her job, and, her fiancé was still dead. She was just peachy.

"I'm alive, yourself?"

"Well, I'm better now." He'll tell her later, maybe.

Gabriella looked over at Chad's grave. She walked over and placed a single red rose on top of it. God how she missed him. Everybody keeps telling her to let go, to forget, but what they don't know, is that she can't. She's tried to move on, she has, but Chad was her everything, then he just left with no warning. She couldn't even say good bye. When she walks down the street, she can still see Chad's face on every face, toying with her emotions. It's not fair. He'll never go away.

Troy can see that Gabi is trying hard not to cry. Why can't she just let it go? She would feel soo much better if she just let it all out. Then the unexpected happened. As if she was reading his thoughts, she let it all out in one, swift, blow.

Gabriella jumped back. Had she just done that? She stared at Troy, wide eyed, as she looked upon the hand shaped red mark that was slowly appearing on his left cheek. He deserved it. He let her down. He left her when she needed him the most, but she couldn't ignore the sheer guilt that weighted her down. He stared back, confusion, anger and surprise evident in those piercing blue eyes.

"What the hell was that for?" How could she do that? It had been 5 years since they've seen each other and all she can do is hit him!

Anger rose deep inside her, taunting her, pushing her to her limits to kill Troy at the very moment. "Oh, don't act like you don't know!"

"What are you talking about?"

Troy could barely feel the left side of his face. That was the second time he had been hit in less than 12 hours. Did he really deserve it?

Was he really that dense? That he really didn't realize just how much more pain he caused everyone after leaving with Sharpay? "You're a coward Bolton. You are a disgrace to Chad's memory."

WHAT!?!? How could she say that? Chad was his best friend, practically his brother, and she says that he's a disgrace. "I thought you said we had the best friendship any one would ever know?"

She was yelling now, but she didn't care. "How could you just walk out on everybody like that, on Chad! We needed you, I needed you, and you just left." She couldn't help but sob. The memories of the accident came swirling back to her in one instant flash. The news of the crash, the weeks in the hospital, the funeral, everything.

"Gabriella…" No one had ever confronted him about his actions before. Not his mother, or, or. That was it. Every single friend he ever had was gone, and it was all his fault. "I didn't know…"

"Of course you didn't know, because you weren't there. You were a coward!" Gabriella never wanted to be so harsh or blunt, but, he anger that had been held in for so long was now getting the chance to finally surface, exploding into the sun. She convinced herself that it was for his own good. He needed to know.

Troy put his head down. He didn't deny being a coward. For years he had been convincing himself he wasn't, but that word had never been uttered by another voice around, or even at him. The word stuck at him, burning his skin. Troy couldn't help but look up and into Gabriella's eyes; those eyes, those chocolate eyes, staring at him, ready to strike for the kill at any moment. He had done this. It was his fault.

Troy stood there for a second, watching Gabriella cry. Enough was enough, he was going home. He turned around and headed back towards his car.

Gabriella stood up. "There we go. Typical Troy fucking Bolton, running away from his problems, again. You're pathetic."

Troy spun around on his heels. He didn't deserve this. She had no idea what he went through. Sure she lost her fiancé, but he lost much more than that; every one. He was alone, and she was calling him pathetic. Rage was surging through him as he stalked right up to Gabriella, his nose inches from hers. "You have no idea what I've been through!"

How dare he threaten her like that. She hit him hard on the chest and pushed him away from her. "No, Troy, I don't, because you left, you coward!"

Troy clenched his jaw. He was about to break and he knew it. He couldn't, not here, not now. Troy took a step back, turning away. "Stop it."

She started following him. What, you can't handle the truth, you coward."

He had to ignore her; just get into his car and drive away.

She pushed him from behind, crying hysterically. "Fine, you coward, run away like you always do, you pathetic piece of shit!"

Troy stopped. He let her hit his back for a couple of seconds before he spun around. 'ENOUGH!!"

Gabriella felt herself crumble, ripping into millions of tiny pieces. Her knees buckled, sending her into the cold, damp grass; she wept. Everything she held in, every piece of her heart that was stored away when he left was seeping through, testing her self control. She let it all out.

Troy just stood there. What should he do? What can he do? Walking away would solve nothing, yet, staying would only cause her more pain. More pain than he could possibly handle in one morning. He decided leaving was for the best.

"Why did you run?" Her voice was soft, forcing him to turn around and look at her, still kneeling on the ground.

The sight of her and the pain he had caused her was to much; he let some tears go, wetting his eyes. This was Gabriella, the girl he would have died for, and still would, crying because of him. Anger rose deep inside him. "Yes, Gabriella, I ran. That's what I'm good at, you said it yourself. I'm a coward, I'm pathetic, I'm nothing! I know that, you think I don't know that? Do you honestly believe I never even thought about Chad while I was gone? During every single basketball practice! Chad is with me everywhere I go. And do you think I forgot about you? Gabriella, I could never forget you!" He stopped for a second, calming down a bit. "Gabriella, I'm so sorry. I was young and scared."

She started laughing in between sobs. He couldn't possibly be serious. Troy Bolton sorry? Ha!

Troy stood there, slightly taken aback by her sudden amusement in this situation. He let all his feelings go, and she laughs at him! "Jesus, Gabriella!" He stood right in front of her as she kneeled on the ground, still crying. "I'm sorry, I'm fucking sorry!!" Troy felt his shield cracking, allowing the tears to fall down his cheeks. "I'm SORRY!!!"

Using all of the strength and will power she had left, Gabriella stood up and looked right into those blue eyes, now covered with tears. She had forgotten just how blue his eyes really were. Whipping some tears away, she stood up and placed a hand on his shoulder. Gabriella knew she shouldn't have said everything she had, and she had to show him she was sorry and really was happy to see him. All it took was for him to say sorry, and mean it. Her heart was now taped back together, all it needed to do was heal. She sighed. "Troy, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that, you're not a coward. Yes, you were scared, but all of us were. You just handled it differently, and I see that now. I completely understand why you left, you don't have to say it."

How could she understand when he didn't even understand? Troy had been scared, but not the scared that everyone else was felling. People were scared for the families of his teammates, and for him, having been the only one to make it out. He lost his father, his friends, everyone, and he was scared for himself. Everyone hated him, and he knew that, so Sharpay and him took off and left for California right after graduation.

Troy gave a small smile and turned his head. Two small arms made their way around him, pushing him to his limits of self control. She was hugging him. Why? Did she want him to cry? What Gabriella didn't know, is that Troy wasn't fully ready to cry for Chad and his friends. If Troy were to start crying, It would be for Sharpay, so he could finally let her go. She had been the holder of his emotions, and now, she was gone, and again, it was all his fault.

He lost it. She held him tighter as she felt the once strong Troy Bolton break in her arms. This was her chance to be strong, to show everyone she wasn't completely useless. Troy had been her best friend all through high school, with her having been dating his best friend. What she had made certain, was that she did still have feelings for Troy and she had to hold them in. Her feelings for Troy haven't been this strong in years. She loved Chad, she stills loves Chad, but she did have to let go, and Troy could be the one to save her. With every sob he let out, Gabriella couldn't help but give a small smile, knowing she had the old Troy back.

"It's good to have you back." She let him cry a little longer, until he was able to control himself and pull away.

Troy finally pulled away, slightly embarrassed at the fact he had full out cried in front of Gabriella. "I'm sorry." He sniffed while using manly ways to wipe his tears.

She smiled. This really was the old Troy Bolton. "Hey, real men can cry."

Troy couldn't help but feel happiness as he saw Gabriella's face light up. Her whole body seemed to glow, just as he had remembered. Gabriella always seemed to be able to light up a room with her presence, and make people laugh. She was beautiful, even with her tear stained cheeks. It really was good to see her again.

"Well, who say's I'm a real man?" Sarcasms present in his tone.

She smiled. "I really don't know, but, It helped didn't it?"

Troy tried to make himself look hurt at the remark, popping out his lower lip. "Aww, Gabi, you're so mean!"

She felt her heart skip at the mention of her nickname that only Troy was allowed to use. He had specifically given it to her freshman year. It's been 5 years since she's heard it.

The two stood there, smiling at each other for what felt like ages, before Troy felt his stomach rumble, an idea coming to mind.

"Hey, um, I'm kind of hungry. Do you want to go to breakfast with me?"

O.k, I know it's long, but There wasn't a good place, and I wanted their entire meeting in one ch. SOOOOO, what you think?????!!!!! Let me know, I LOVE your reviews, so ya. I'll hopefully have the next chapter out before the end of the day!! SuzzieD