Title: Rebuilding Foundations

Summary: Sequel to Have Faith. Ashley is starting to return back to normal, but when Troy decides to go to camp, will she cope? And how will her feelings influence Troy in his college choices?

Disclaimer: I wish I did, but I don't.

Chapter Title: Helping Her Out

'Daddy, Troy won't push me!'

'Troy, push your little sister.'

'But I'm busy, Dad! Can't you do it?' 12-year-old Troy said – he wasn't actually doing anything, he just couldn't be bothered to push Ashley.

'Troy!'

'Ugh, fine. You so owe me for this.' Troy said, getting up.

'I don't owe you anything. She's your little sister; it's your responsibility to protect her and look after her just as much as it is mine. One day, your mother and I will be gone and you'll have to care for her.'

Troy knew how much his family meant to him really, and jogged over to his little sister and grabbed the back of the playground swing, ran backwards and let her go.

'Troy…' After a few more swings, he heard her naive voice. 'What did Daddy mean when he said he and Mommy will be gone one day? Are they going to move away from us?'

Troy looked down and stopped the swing. He came round to the front and looked at her. 'Ash…all you need to know right now is that I'll always be here for you.' He went back round and started to swing her again. 'No matter what.'

Ashley pushed herself off the ground of her own accord with her feet grazing the concrete. 'No matter what…' she whispered. 'Yeah right.'

She kept swinging slowly, not really kicking herself high above the ground. Her hands tightened around the chains until her knuckles went white. There were footsteps behind her.

She bent her head. 'Go away, Troy. I don't need you.'

'I'm not Troy. Or, at least, last time I checked I wasn't.' Ashley spun round and caught sight of a bright green fedora.

'Oh, hey Ryan.' She turned back. 'Sorry about that.'

She was happy it wasn't Troy, but at the same time she was unhappy he hadn't come after her.

'What's wrong?' Ryan asked, coming to sit next to her on the other swing.

'I…' Ashley couldn't help but stare forwards at the slide. '…Nothing. It's nothing.'

'Doesn't seem like nothing. I don't need you isn't usually how you'd greet a person.'

'Oh. That.' Ashley said innocently. 'It's just…Troy's going away to camp for eight weeks, and he didn't tell me, and I heard him talking to Chad and Shane through the door, and I want to be happy for him, but I can't, and I don't want to hold him back, and I'm babbling, aren't I?'

'Yeah, little bit.' Ryan laughed lightly. 'Look, Ashley, I'm not gonna try and lull you into hating Troy, but I'm not gonna try and make you love him either.' Ryan sighed slightly. 'All I'm gonna say is that you're not holding him back. If you were, he wouldn't have taken that offer. He would have declined it because he was too caught up in your emotions. So don't think you're holding him back, alright?' His words were somewhat harsh – however the look of realisation on her face made him feel better about his advice.

Ashley looked to the side to glance at his face, her hands unclenching on the chains. '…But how come he couldn't tell me?'

'Troy was probably just not sure how to tell you, because the balance of his emotions and your emotions just isn't…'

'Balanced?'

Ryan grinned. 'Yeah. He wants to go to this camp because he's good at it, and you don't want him to go because you'll miss him. It's understandable, you know, it's human nature.'

'But…how will I cope? Who will I go to? What if something happens when he's gone?'

'Tell you what…' Ryan turned on his side to look her just as he had done to him. '…I'm sure Sharpay won't mind; she loves you…'

'Where you going with this, dancer boy?' Ashley raised one eyebrow.

'Hey, I resent that.' Ashley's other eyebrow raised to make a disbelieving look. 'I sing as well.' Ashley's face broke into a grin. 'What I was thinking…our mom and dad are out of town…' he made sure his mention of parents hadn't offended her but she didn't seem too fazed. '…me and Sharpay could look after you while Troy's in Cali.'

Ashley's mouth dropped open. 'No way?'

'Yeah, I guess it could happen. But, don't get your hopes up; I don't know whether Sharpay will say yes, I don't know whether my parents will say yes, I don't know how long they're going for…etcetera.'

'I know.' Ashley looked away briefly. 'That would be great.'

'Yeah, I'm sure it would.' Ryan grinned.

Ashley looked away silently, seeing a boy heading towards her. She was about to glance away but he was staring straight at her. He walked over with a little girl behind him. 'Hey, excuse me, but could my little sister use that swing?' he raised one eyebrow, obviously fed up with the little girl beside him.

'Oh, sorry. Sure.' Ashley got up, and Ryan mirrored her movements. The boy rolled his eyes at her, gesturing that he was bored. 'Hey, I know what it's like.' She said quietly.

'You got a little sister?' he said hopefully, as the girl climbed on, grinning.

'No, I was the little sister.' She said, smiling and walking off, waving to Ryan.

The steady ticking of the clock was getting on Chad Danforth's nerves. He'd never been a fan of silence – that's why he hated the library. So when the silence was broken every second with a loud tick of the clock, he couldn't help but grit his teeth. He really wished his brother hadn't followed Troy when he ran out. He'd got a phone call earlier to say that if Ashley didn't come home soon, he'd ring the police.

Suddenly he heard the doorbell ring. He figured it was probably Troy or Shane or Ashley – since none of them had taken keys. As he opened the door, he looked down at the head of wavy blonde-brown hair and smiled. 'Oh God, Ashley, I'm so glad you came back.'

'Yeah, me too.' She said quietly, not moving an inch.

'Come on.' Chad stood to the side to let her in and followed her to the front room, closing the door behind him.

'So, where's Troy then?' she said quietly.

'Out looking for you.' Chad said, sitting on the couch.

Ashley rocked on her heels as she tried to figure out something to say. 'So…how are you?' she said, mentally cursing herself for such a stupid train of conversation.

'Troy nearly has a search party out looking for you – I should go call him.' Chad said, ignoring her question. He got up and went into the kitchen, taking out his cell phone.

Ashley sighed and slipped off her shoes and climbed onto Chad's warm seat, curling into a ball. She could feel the tears stinging her eyes, so she wiped at her face and buried her head in her arms.

'Okay, I'll be right there!' I take off running down the street, slipping my cell into my jeans pocket.

I don't know what to do now – Ashley is so fragile, and just as she's getting better, I go and leave her again. I hate to be so selfish, but I know that my dad would want me to do this if he were still here.

God, I miss them so much. I know I'm lucky in a way – I did get 17 years with them, 4 more years than Ash did. I just can't help feeling jealous of Chad and Gabriella and especially Ryan and Sharpay, seeing the twins have both their parents. Sure, they're not always around, but at least they're still alive.

I'm not really sure what I'm going to say to Ash when I see her. I'm sorry? Where do you want to go? Where do you want to stay when I'm in Cali? Do you want time to arrange something with Gabriella and her mom?

I get to the house and knock – hoping Chad will answer. Sure enough he does, and I nod and walk in. He tells me he's told Shane and that he has to go home now. I smile gratefully at him and let him out.

'Ash?' I call out through the house.

'In here.' I mumble, hoping that he hears me. I don't want to yell right now.

He walks in and I look up. His face crumbles at the sight of me and I want to run just so that he doesn't have to look at me.

'I've been out looking for you.' He states.

I decide that it's probably easier just to say it now rather than later.

'I'm sorry.' My little sister blurts out.

My eyebrows rise. 'Huh?'

'I'm sorry.' She repeats. 'I was being selfish.'

'No, no you weren't.'

He sits beside me and wraps me in a hug, rocking me back and forth.

'I'm sorry – I didn't mean to come across so bratty; I just…I'll be fine without you…'

'Oh, sweetie, it's okay.' I lean my cheek against the top of her dark blonde curls and smile.

'No, it's not…' She looks up at me. 'I'll be fine – Ryan said I might be able to stay with them while you go to Cali.'

'That's good.' He hugs me tighter. 'You will be alright though?'

'I'll be alright.' She clarifies. I'm not totally sure whether to believe her but I decide not to push it.

'I'll be alright.' I say, nodding.

I won't be alright though – I love Troy; he's the only person in the whole entire I can trust with my life. What if I can't make it without him?

I know I've taken ages with this, but it's now half term so I am able to write more. I'm starting to take some GCSEs even though I'm in Year 9, and it's really taking up a lot of my spare time. I'm going to the beach tomorrow, and I'm seeing my best friend on Wednesday, and hopefully my baby cousin on Thursday, so I'll try and update loads of stories today. :D Hope you liked this chapter; please review!

Hugs,

Cassie x