Hey everyone! I'm really excited because we have a COLD day over here! It's way below zero! Since mid-terms are next week, I don't know when I'll be updating again. So, Enjoy!

I'll Email You

Chapter nineteen

Goodbye

Troy tossed his bags into the back of Will's truck the next day. He sighed as he looked around and went back inside, making sure he had everything. Zeke was sleeping on the family room couch, tired because he stayed up all night watching some kind of cook off. Will was taking a shower and Troy was now left with nothing else to do, considering he couldn't email Gabriella because she never emailed him back and he knew she probably wouldn't. Smelling a familiar recipe, Troy walked into his kitchen to find his mom cooking at the stove, humming softly to herself.

He tiptoed behind her, grabbing her arms, laughing as she jumped, being unaware of his presence. She turned around and swatted her son's arm, eyeing him in a mom-like annoyance.

"Troy, what did I tell you about sneaking up on me?" She asked as she let her heart rate settle as he leaned against the counter.

"I'm not allowed to sneak up on you because you'll have a heart attack." He said with a nod, sighing with a laugh.

"I think you're mistaking me for your father, Troy. This heart is flawless." She said with a smile, going back to the boiling spaghetti sauce on the stove.

"Speaking of hearts," Troy said as he dipped his finger into the sauce, tasting the perfection. "Do you think I'm doing the right thing?" He asked.
"Well, I don't know how that has anything to do with hearts, but I don't think it's up to me to tell you if you are or not." She said to him, shrugging.

"But you're supposed to tell me these things, you're my mom." He said, looking at her desperately.

"Well, if you want great advice don't go to your mother, go to your friends. They're the ones who are going to be affected by this a lot more."

"Well, I know that you won't be missing me." He said sarcastically.

"You know what I mean." Mrs. Bolton said with a raise of her eyebrow.

"The thing is, mom, is that they'll all tell me to stay." Troy told her, sighing.

"Why?" She quizzed him. "What's making them want to convince you to stay when you want to leave for California? If this is making you happy, shouldn't you go?"

Troy nodded slowly, staring off into the kitchen in front of him. He turned to look at his mom who was watching him and he crossed his arms over his chest as he continued to lean against the counter.

"They want me to stay for Gabriella." Troy admitted to her.

Mrs. Bolton nodded as a smile appeared on her face.

"So this is where the hearts come in." She said to herself, continuing to smile.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Troy asked as he grinned, looking at his mom.

"You're in love with Gabriella, honey." She told him.

"Mom, I am not!" He protested, looking at her in disbelief. "That's so weird! I mean, she's my best friend. How is it possible to like your best friend?" He asked her.

"Well, considering she's not Zeke, I think it's pretty possible." She told him.

"I'm not." He said to her seriously.

Mrs. Bolton rolled her eyes at her stubborn son.

"Have you talked to her about it? Maybe she can tell you what she thinks about this." She asked him.

"Nah." Troy said with a shake of his head. "We haven't talked since I told everyone I was going back to California."

Mrs. Bolton sighed and shook her head, stirring the creamy sauce in the pot. Troy watched her as she stayed quiet and he cleared his throat after a minute or so.

"What's wrong?" He asked her.

"You can't lose Gabriella, Troy." She said as she kept her eyes on the sauce.

"I won't, Mom." Troy told her as if it was simple as that.

"I hope you're right, sweetheart." She said as she sighed. "I really hope you are."

Troy creased his eyebrows together, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair. Why was his mom so worried? It's not like a friendship as strong as his and Gabriella's could be destroyed. And that's what he thought as he left the kitchen. But his mom knew that he never considered that they might fall for each other and that was testing their relationship. It was determining if 'Troyella' would still exist after he left.

***

Gabriella threw on a black t-shirt after her shower and she quickly brushed out her hair, slapping on some hair gel to keep her curls from flattening. Her room was spotless as she made her way to her balcony windows. She had spent all morning cleaning up the house and now she was looking out at her front yard, seeing Sharpay, Chad, Charlie, and Taylor standing on the sidewalk, talking, about what or who, she didn't care. She was stalling, as if it wasn't obvious already, and she paced the width of her room quickly. She heard Sharpay's laugh and she stopped by the window once more.

Shit. They were here.

In the back of Will's car, sat two surfboards; an additional one that wasn't there when they first met him. Gabriella whimpered as she realized it was Troy's and she continued to pace the room, humming as she became nervous.

Sharpay smiled at Troy and Will as she stood next to Zeke who was now greeting her. Charlie glanced up at Gabriella's bedroom window and back at the group when he didn't see her. Taylor and Chad smiled at them as the group talked, savoring the few minutes they had left before Troy and Will had to leave to catch a plane. Troy faked a smile as they talked, wondering where Gabriella was and why she wouldn't want to say goodbye to him.

"Don't forget us." Taylor said with a smile as Will told them they only had five more minutes to stay.

"How could I?" He asked as he gave Taylor a hug, closing his eyes as she whispered to him.

"I'll take care of her, Troy." She said, separating from him as Sharpay stood carelessly on the sidewalk.

Troy looked over at Sharpay, smiling softly as she stared at him.

"You know, I am somewhat responsible for getting you and Zeke together. You can at least hug me for that." He said to her, watching as her pursed lips opened in response.

"Fine, but only for that reason." She said as she walked up to him, hugging him softly. "I hate you." She told him.

"Zeke, she's hitting on me." Troy told him as she glared at him.

"I bet she is." Zeke chuckled as she came back to his side.

Chad smiled at him as Troy looked over at him.

"I'll miss you, Dude." Chad said as he hugged Troy, his soft side showing as he became emotional.

"Are you crying?" Taylor whispered to him after he separated from Troy.

"No." He gulped, sniffling.

"I'll talk to you later, Troy." Zeke said as he hugged him, smiling at his best friend.

"Alright, man." Troy smiled. "Convince her that I'm not a complete ass." He said, gesturing towards Sharpay.

"I'll try." Zeke laughed, patting him on the arm.

Troy looked awkwardly at Charlie and waited for him to say something, but he only stuck out his hand to shake Troy's.

"It was nice getting to know you." Troy said with a nod, shaking his hand.

"You too." Charlie nodded.

The group turned towards the Montez's front door when they heard it open and to their surprise Gabriella was just stepping onto the porch, walking slowly over to them as if debating with herself if she was going to run back into the house. She kept her eyes on the cement and finally looked up when she realized she was standing between Sharpay and Taylor.

Troy tried not to notice, but being her best friend, he did. Her face was pale and the way she was having a hard time looking at him made his stomach hurt. He swallowed the lump in his throat, thinking of something to say.

"I don't know what to say." He told her, feeling his heart sink because when he heard her say that to him when they first met, she was so excited that she could barely stand, but now he was saying it and he was sad, he was weak.

"I guess we can just say goodbye." She replied. "To get it over with."

Troy nodded and noticed the tears falling from Taylor's eyes as she watched them. Chad was holding her hand securely and Zeke was rubbing Sharpay's back as she looked even madder compared to minutes before. Charlie looked down at the sidewalk, observing the rocks in between the cracks in the cement and Will sighed, stepping away from the group slightly.

"Bye." She said to him simply.

"Bye." He nodded, watching as she squirmed.

She nodded, biting the inside of her cheek, having nothing else to say. Troy rubbed the back of his neck, breathing in the summer air. Gabriella turned around, needing to go back inside and she stopped when she heard Troy.

"I'll email you." He said quietly.

She felt her lip trembling and she closed her eyes as she answered him.

"I'll try to reply." She said, hearing Taylor's soft gasp as she jogged towards the front door, forcefully pulling the door open and running up the stairs and into her room.

She watched from her balcony doors as Troy and Will walked to Will's car, and her waving friends, all experiencing different emotions. She put a hand over her mouth as she let out a soft cry and she slowly started to sink to the wood floor, the car with the two perfectly polished surfboards pulling away from her house. She started to cry as she lay on her floor, the sun beating down on her from the doors.

Troy's heart pounded as he sat in the passenger's seat. The car stopped at the stop sign at the corner and he looked in the side mirror, seeing Gabriella's balcony clearly in the reflection, only this time, she wasn't there waving goodbye to him. This time, she wasn't there at all.

Like it? Review!

Much love,

unknownbyhim22