So Close, But Yet So Far.

"I need to find you.

I gotta find you.

You're the missing piece I need

The soul inside of me

I need to find you.

I gotta--"

Troy turned the radio off abruptly, sadness and guilt pulsing through his veins. He hated this; hated it all. Hated that everything he saw, heard, felt had a connection to the one person that had been on his mind for the last seven months. The one person he wanted, but was too stupid to keep. The one person he couldn't find. The one person he needed. Gabriella Montez.

It was silly really, but his mind was always drawn to her. When he worked; when he worked out; even when he walked down the street on the sunny days, which were few in Chicago. Today, it was raining. Once again. The pellets of water dropped onto the panes of glass in his bedroom, running slowly down and dripping off the edge of the window sill. The action repeated, and repeated.

He stared down at the cup of coffee below him, left forgotten. It was hard to concentrate now. Every day he found it harder and harder. Chicago had been a very big mistake. Thinking he'd be able to let go of the guilt that filled him, by moving, was something he now regretted. It only made her more poignant in his mind.

"Troy!" Jason voice, suddenly excited, came from his bedroom. He exited his bedroom, his bare feet trailing across the carpeted floors of the hall, until he reached Jason's room, which was very untidy. After manuvouring himself through the piles and piles of junk, he found Jason sitting on his bed, with his laptop open, grinning like a cat that got the cream.

Jason looked up, his smile still suck on his lips. "Guess what I've found?" He was literally jumping up and down, the bed springs groaning.

Troy, exhausted from the work he'd been trying to do, but had obviously been distracted, ran one hand over his forehead, trying to heal the fast coming headache. "What Jason?"

Jason's green eyes looked brighter than they had ever been since they had moved from New York. They dazzled Troy's eyes, and he had to keep blinking. Jason turned the computer around to face Troy, and he felt his mouth fall open. "I found you… Gabriella!"

Troy grabbed the laptop, the wires nearly disconnecting. It didn't matter that his eyes were nearly welded shut with sleep. It didn't matter anymore that his head was so messed up and painful. Gabriella, was on Jason's computer screen, and that was the closest he'd ever gotten to her in these past seven months. If heaven was like this, he thought, it'd be so good.

"How did you find her?" Troy exclaimed, mentally slapping himself for not thinking about this before. Trust Jason, possibly the most stupid person, to find her first.

Jason grinned, now very smug. "Well, I thought, since you've been so miserable, I wanted to help. So, I looked her up. Turns out, she'd an artist. Quite a respected one at that. And that's where I found this,' Jason pointed a long finger at the logo resting on the top corner of the screen with pride. ' It's her official painting site, or whatever. It's run by her 'manager' or someone like that. This is your connection." Jason finished proudly.

Troy was literally gob smacked. He'd given up hope in finding her, and just when he thought it was all over, this happens. The best surprise of his life.

Jason scrolled down the page, highlighting the contact numbers with the mouse. He glanced at Troy, Troy's eyes wide with anticipation and shock. "Take the chance, Troy."

Jason, sensing he would want some privacy, left the room. Troy lifted himself onto the bed, his eyes glaring at the screen. Finding his phone, he typed in the number, hesitating, before pressing 'call'. He was one step closer already.

The annoying ring lasted too long, but just when he was about to hang up, the phone on the other end lifted.

"Good morning, you've reached 'Picture Perfect'. My name's Leslie, how can I help you?" Troy rolled his eyes down the phone at the (longer than necessary) introduction. Then he remembered it was his turn to speak.

"Eh, yes, hello. I think you stock Gabriella Montez painting and such." Troy inquired. His voice was higher than normal, but he put this down to nerves.

Leslie's no bored tone droned through his ear. "Yes, we do."

Troy tapped his leg, trying to hold still. "Are you the manager, who, eh… manages all her stock and has direct contact with her?" In all honesty, he had no idea where this was going. He didn't have a clue about how much contact they had with her, if any at all. This could be a lost cause.

"Yes, I am. I have contact with her. Are you hoping to buy a painting, Sir?" He heard Leslie sigh.

By now, eh was getting annoyed by her tone. "No I'm wondering if you can give me her contact number, please."

Leslie groaned. "I'm sorry Sir, we're not allowed to give any of her details to any potential buyers."

He grew impatient. "But I'm not a potential buyer. I have no interest in buying any of her paintings, I just want her number!"

Leslie, it seemed, tried to remain calm. "Sir, if you aren't buying anything, I am unsure of why you are phoning."

Troy slapped the bed in frustration, wishing it was Leslie's face instead. "I've told you what I want. I want her number. Please." He added, trying to gain control.

"And I'm going to tell you again, Sir, that I cannot give you it."

He threw his head back. "Her email, an address? Anything?"

"Sorry Sir, we can't give any details." At least this time she sounded quite sorry.

He was beginning to get desperate. "But I'm her… boyfriend." He lied.

He heard her snort, but she covered it up with a fake cough. "Well then. You should probably know how to contact her without our help, Sir."

He screamed in annoyance. "Okay, thank you for your help. Goodbye."

He pressed the 'end' button with a lot of force, enough to make the button pop out of place, but fortunately it didn't. He sighed, letting his head drop into his hands. Why did everything have to be so complicated? His tear ducks wetted. So close but yet so far. The door creaked open, and his head rose to find Jason leaning against the doorway, a sad expression on his face.

"No luck?" Jason asked.

He shook his head. "None."

Jason padded over to where Troy sat, patting his back for comfort. "At least you tried, you know. It was worth a shot, I guess."

Troy looked back to the screen at the picture of Gabriella. He talked wistfully. "Yeah, but now I've got so close, it's like I'm not meant to find her again."

"If it's meant to be, you'll find each other."

For the first time that day, Troy chuckled. "You know, Jason. For someone so shallow, that was unusually deep."

Jason smirked, triumphantly. "I know."

Troy sighed, his back falling against the headboard of Jason's bed. Closing his eyes, he tried to flush away the mental images of Gabriella that had gathered there. The silence didn't last very long between Troy and Jason. The phone rang. Jason picked it up.

"Hello?"

Troy always though it was funny to watch people on the phone, trying to work out what the other person is saying. What they've said to make that person you could see either light up, or be crestfallen. It was a game he used to play as a kid but he found himself now, wondering who Jason was talking to, to make his smile so much. It couldn't be Kelsi, or he'd have been shoved out the room. Nope, he'd just have to wait.

He didn't have to wait long. Jason was off the phone in five minutes, his face so bright and happy. He let the phone drop out of his hand, and he laughed, throwing his hands into the air, and thanking the skies. Now he was utterly confused.

"Care to share?" Troy shouted above Jason's happy screams.

Jason turned to Troy. "We're going home!"

Troy's eyes bulged. "We're going back to New York."

Jason jumped up and soon had Troy in a huge bear hug. He'd never seen Jason so happy. "Indeed we are."

Troy smiled. Maybe Gabriella wasn't so far away after all.

A FEW DAYS LATER, IN NEW YORK.

The next few days dragged on for Gabriella. Because she was 'with child', they needed to keep her in for a little while longer, to check that her and the baby were perfectly okay. When she had fallen, she had landed slightly oddly, and that might have caused problems, but after three days, she was allowed to go back home. She was happy; she didn't like hospitals.

Sharpay came to collect her in the car. Gabriella smiled when she saw her and then realised how much she'd missed home. The normalness of it all. The routine. Her head was a mess, and being pregnant didn't really help. But being at home helped her get her head together and think things through more thoroughly. She couldn't wait.

Sharpay hugged her from where she was sitting. "Gabriella, I've missed you so much. The apartment just isn't the same without you really. It's too… quiet, I suppose. That'll all change soon though!"

Gabriella smiled at her friends enthusiasm. "That it will. I can't wait to get out of here, to be honest. It's sort of… stuffy."

Sharpay smiled, helping Gabriella up. "Well then, lets go."

With Sharpay's arm wrapped securely around her, they walked through the many white and long corridors, until they came to reception. She smiled when she realised that one of the nurses who had treated her while she was in, was standing at the reception also. After saying goodbye, and getting her well wishes, Gabriella turned to the receptionist.

"Going home, are we?" The receptionist asked.

Gabriella nodded happily. "Yes."

The receptionist ran around the desk, gathering various papers for Gabriella to sign. After hunting down a pen, she was presented with them, told where to sign, and Sharpay waited patiently at her side while she filled them in. Afterwards, Gabriella thanked the nurse, and turned around. She grabbed Sharpay's arm once more, and moved towards the exit.

When outside, the couldn't resist taking a huge breath of the fresh air. There was something so calming about the air that she breathed. She couldn't describe it, but after being cooped up for three days, even with the windows open, it was great to be outside again.

Sharpay pointed over the colourful sea of automobiles, to her own car. It was, as usual, the only pink car in the lot, and Gabriella laughed outrageously. She was led through the throngs carefully, her bump making it hard to squeeze past, but after a few extra turns, she made it. After settling into the car seat, she got excited about going back home and finishing her paintings. She'd never sell any of these, they were to special to her. She touched her stomach lightly, feeling her baby respond. Her and Troy's baby.

Troy had never really been good at waiting. So waiting for a spot to come up in the car park wasn't something he liked doing. Especially on his first day back at work. Back home. Thank God. He tapped his index fingers on the steering wheel. It would have been irritating to anyone else, but to him it was strangely comforting.

His eyes connected with the sight of a pink car reversing out and he sighed in relief. The wheels moved over the gravel ground until they were at the same lane as the pink driver. Who the hell had a pink car? He rolled his eyes. It was plainly obvious that it was a girl.

He stayed at the same position, waiting to know what way they would turn to get out. Would he be able to shuffle right in? Or would he have to reverse, then go all the way around again, to probably find it already taken? He sighed, hoping on the former.

The car came out of the spot completely. It stayed straight, probably debating what to do. And that's when he saw her. Her perfect face looking out the car, in his direction. Her cascading curls tumbling gently over the sides of her face. Those alluring brown eyes. Then their eyes connected.

She gasped. It was him. Him. Her stomach started to knot, clenching deeply, and as if the baby knew it was him, it started kicking. Hard. She rubbed her stomach, trying to stop the feelings his gaze was giving her. Oh God, what was she to do?

In the end, Sharpay decided for both of them. She turned around, the direction away from Troy's vehicle, and drove fast in the other direction. Troy didn't waste any time in following them to the exit. But it seemed like luck was never ever going to be on his side. As he raced in the pink cars direction, they got through the lights and he didn't. He slammed his hand on the brakes, before any damage could be done.

It seemed like, with Gabriella, things were always going to be so close but yet so far.

A/N; I'm pretty sure there aren't any spelling mistakes, but if there are, I'm sorry once again. Oh, I bet you all hate me now for doing that, and I'm sorry. In my heart, I wanted to let them meet for real, but that isn't in my plan.

So, the countdown begins. Yes, this story is, slowly, coming to a close. Only 6 more chapters to go.

But, for this chapter, please review.

(: