Hey I'm back with another chapter; sorry it took me so long. About that promise about updating every Sunday well, I tried my best to keep it, I updated Maria Montez last week but it's become really hard and I hate making promises I can't keep so my new promise is I'll update as much as I can. Before I start I would like to give a huge shout-out to 'Emma' for giving me the best review I've ever received! I promise to work harder on the grammatical stuff!

When she's upset hug her tight and don't let go.

East High's Scholastic Decathlon team had just finished their championship match (a/n I don't really know a lot about those events so I'm sorry for anything incorrect) making them the smartest school in the country. Gabriella who finished the tie breaking question, winning the match for her team was anything but jubilant like the rest of her team. Everyone had come to support her except one person, the person she wanted there the most. She took off her lab coat, hanging it on a hook and raced out of room into the school's hallway. She didn't know the way around so she just wandered around until she saw a bench in front of what seemed to be the nurse's office and plopped down. Soon footsteps where heard in the empty hallway and a pair of strong arms wrapped around the petite girl. She sighed and leaned into the person.

"She didn't show up did she?"

"Is it that hard? She didn't even have to come for the whole match, she could have came at the last minute and I would have been happy. But no she couldn't leave 5 minutes early to see one of the most important moments of my life?" She tried wiggling out of his arms but he just held on tighter and ran his hands up and down her arms. He knew when she was in this mood if he let her go she might do something dumb, like punch her legs or the floor. Gabriella usually had the most self control of anyone Troy knew but when she was this disappointed something in her snapped and she lost it.

"Troy let me go I don't want to be here right now!"

"Shh Gabi just calm down, you can't take this out on yourself…or anything else"

"Troy just let me go damn it!" She screamed. If anyone else heard Gabriella curse, they would probably run to the shelters thinking the apocalypse was near. Troy was the only one who had ever seen her in a state like this but he knew what was coming next. Three, Two…One.

Gabriella let out an annoyed grunt of defeat.

"What else am I supposed to do?"

"Come on just breath" Gabriella did as she was told and relaxed a bit.

"Troy she promised" She sighed, the anger now replaced by sadness.

"I know she did Brie, I know she did. But I bet she tried her best." A silence overcame the two teens.

"You know he promised too"

"Who?"

"My dad, he promised he would always be there for me, he promised he would never leave and what happens? He meet some blond chick (a/n no offense to blonds) dumped my mom and went off to New York. He-he didn't even say goodbye"

"I'm sorry" Troy didn't know what to say, Gabriella never talked about her father and now that he knew what happened, he was heartbroken. He had two loving parents who loved each other and couldn't imagine what it would be like to not have one there.

"He did teach me a good lesson though. Never trust anyone…because they'll always let you down in the long run. Troy," she asked gently "Just let me go." All he did was shake his head and held on tighter. Even though he was holding on Gabriella felt no pain, his embrace was stern but gentle.

"Gabi do you honestly believe that because of your dad's dumb mistake that you should leave the people that care about you in the dark and deal with all these problems on your own?"

"It's worked every other time in the past."

"So let me get this straight, when you're upset you stay quite and don't tell anyone that you're hurting, even people who can help?" Gabriella smirked.

"What people?"

Gabriella was a sweet charismatic girl but the reason why she didn't have many friends in her old school was because she was hurting everyday. She was afraid if she got close to someone she would get her hopes up and they would put her down, just like her father had. Then she would really be all alone. If she let no one in then at least she couldn't get as hurt. Right? That was on thing Gabriella hated, feeling weak, feeling vulnerable but the closer she got to Troy the more she became, it was something new to her, trusting someone and she wasn't sure if she hated it or loved it. Ever since her father she had never really tired.

"Well that's all going to change; I want you to trust me Gabi. If no one else will help you I will, I'll always be here for you I'm not perfect I might make mistakes but that's normal. I want to help you Gabi, I love you." Gabriella sighed, a single tear rolling down her face which was softly kissed away. (A/n ok sorry to kill the moment but just to be clear he didn't kiss the tear he kissed her.)

"Always?" He cupped her face in his hands so they locked eyes, neither blinking and strongly stated,

"Always."

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Call her at 12:00am on her birthday to tell her you love her

[NOTE: These is when Troy and Gabi were just friends)

"Gabi I just couldn't live without you. That month I was away from you showed me how much I need you. Would you make me the luckiest man alive and marry me?"

'You know when the sun forgets to shine, I'll be there to

Hold you through the night, we'll be running so fast we can fly tonight.'

Gabriella was shaken out of her dream by her cell phone ringing. She groaned and leaned over to her nightstand, knocking down a picture frame and her alarm clock in the process. She grumpily picked up the phone without looking at the caller I.D and spat into the phone:

"Whoever this is it better be pretty freaking important! I was about to become Mrs. Ryan Sheckler!"

"Still dreaming about that pretty boy?" Asked an amused voice on the other line. Gabriella immediately lost her attitude and smiled.

"What do you want Bolton?"

"Oh I just wanted to wish my best friend a happy birthday."

"What do you mean it's…12:01. Troy you remembered?"

"How could I forget?"

"But I never told you…"

"Oh yes you did, remember 7 months back, we were in detention and Darbus needed to know everyone's birthday for some calendar, December 14 if I'm not mistaken. Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"Well I never really liked birthdays." Troy could practically see Gabriella frowning and immediately knew what he had to do. The line stayed quite for a few minutes.

"Troy, are you there?"

"Yep I'm here"

"What are you doing?"

"I'm coming over"

"What no, you can't do that it's almost 1 in the morning! Troy I won't let you in!"

"Well you're going to have to, because I'm already here." Gabriella spun around and even in the dark she could make out Troy's slim figure outside her balcony doors. She sighed and hung up the phone, walking over to the doors and opening them.

"So what did you say about not liking birthdays?"

"You heard right. At all my other schools I didn't really have friends or anyone who would really care about my birthday. My mother was always away on business so she could take holidays off so I decided birthdays weren't really important, it's just another day of the year." Once she was done she plopped down on her bed with Troy right behind, wrapping his arms around her. To anyone else they would look like a couple but to them it was just a normal friendship thing.

"You don't know how wrong you are Gabs, it's the day you blessed the world with you presence." Gabriella was both touched and amused rolling her eyes.

"Okay Troy, what movie is that from?" Troy chuckled wrapping his arm around his friend's shoulder.

"Hey it's true, you're my best friend and if no one else is going to make your birthday special I'll just have to do it myself."

"Troy you don't have to do that."

"You're right" He said leaning over and kissing her cheek.

"But I want to."

"Okay Wildcat, but for now you need to get home and get some sleep." She smiled giving Troy an appreciative hug, while taking in his warm scent.

"Fine fine, kick me out, that doesn't change anything." She rolled her eyes again playfully.

"Get out." He smiled and gave her one last wave as he climbed down the balcony and out of her yard. She knew this would be a birthday she would never forget.

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Sorry this chapter was so short but I tried my best! By the way the first person to name the title of the song and artist of Gabi's ringtone I'll have a special surprise for you but please don't just leave that in a review, they inspire me!

Lots of Love,

Tiff