Troy walked through the door and could smell the pork chops sizzling from the kitchen. "Mom, I'm home," he called tossing his back pack off to the side.

She appeared in the hall and smiled at him "I'm in the kitchen, come tell me all about your first day and then I'll tell you about mine."

Troy rubbed his hands together, "will there be food?"

"Yes, I made your favorite."

"Awesome, I'm sold." Troy walked into the kitchen and took a seat at the table. "Made a friend today," he said watching his mom bring a plate over.

"Really, what's his name?"

"Eddie, well his real name is Edward." Troy took in a deep breath and his mouth watered with the excited delight as he looked at his plate. "I found him in my locker."

"Your locker?" his mother paused and let out a laugh, "Is that like slang for my neighborhood or something?"

"Nope, some guy named Aaron literary put him in my locker," Troy said wide eyed cutting into the pork chop. "He's like the football quarter back or something, anyway some kind of real hot shot."

"Sounds like he's a precious gift to society, please tell me you've never shoved people into lockers," his mother smirked as set her own plate down. "What about the girls, any of them nice?"

Troy took a moment to shallow his food. "No, lockers are for books not people and I don't know about that, girls all the same to me," he pause to shovel more food into his mouth, "you can put them in different clothes or different sizes but they all seem to be so…." Troy made a circular motion with his fork as he chewed.

"Not interesting," his mother filled in.

"Right," Troy shrugged his shoulder. "This cheerleader thinks she's like god's gift or something because she waves some pom-poms around I mean it might make you more attractive but it doesn't make you a better person," he said grabbing the ketchup and squeezing it out over his fries.

"You are your father's son," his mom let out a sigh and took a bite of her own food. After a moment of silence she smiled, "Your grandmother called she wants to see you tonight, something about her trash, she says she wants to take full advantage of her grandson who lives down the street."

"The women in my life are so demanding," Troy leaned back in his seat. "Did you get Dad's stuff unpacked yet?"

His mother's eyes fell down to her plate to avoid his. "No, I don't think I can without crying." She bit her lip and Troy could see her eyes water.

"It's alright mom, we'll do it together." His father was a U.S. Marine for the United States Army killed in the line of duty and rewarded the purple heart, leadership and medical assistance ribbons. His mother was a nurse in a home for veterans, his parents had met in school when she was studying nursing his father was on his way to becoming a paramedic.

"Well, I met this old man today who was just so," his mother pause and then looked up. "He flew planes and he knew all this fascinating stuff."

"Give him a sponge bath yet?" Troy smiled.

"Troy," she laughed and tossed her napkin down. "There's something in the mail for you, it had a college on it, and I put it in your room," she got up and walked over to the fridge to retrieve two cans of soda.

"Probably the scout," Troy picked up one of his fries. "I don't know what I'm going to do about this mess." Troy was the captain of the basketball team at his old school and before the news about his father, before the mortgage fall out and big move he'd been in position for a full scholarship.

"Like I said, I'm sure you'll figure something out, you're a smart kid, like your father," she placed the soda down and took a seat.

Troy nodded. "Or I could just kick back and live with you for the rest of my life?" He said leaning back in his chair. "Your cooking is awesome."

"I'll kill you myself; you have to much potential to just let it go," she said pointing her fork at him. "College is a lot of money mister and money is tight,"

"Alright, alright." Troy smiled as he sat up straight and ate another pork chop. "I'll call him tomorrow see what my next step is." Troy looked down at his plate, he hated lying to his mother, but he had no intention of calling the scout.

"Thank you, and don't forget to run over to your grandmother's house." She said picking at a piece of food.

"I won't, I won't."

Gabriella looked at the clock on the wall as she worked on her history assignment. "Hey mom, what's for dinner?" There was no response.

Gabriella got up from the table. "Mom?" She walked into the kitchen it was as bare as it seemed this afternoon when she got back from school only now an empty bottle of Vodka sat on the counter. Eddie was upstairs playing a video game and as she came into the living room she saw her mother asleep on the couch. Gabriella picked up the phone and dialed. "Hey Mario, yeah, … just the usual I'll pay with credit."

Ever since her parent got a divorce last year her mother had been out of control, gone were the family dinners that were at the dinner table every night and the packed lunches that use to wait for them every morning before school. Now Gabriella looked down at her blond hair, she gotten her hair bleached and her spray on tan was smudge under her eyes. Gabriella hated her father, he left them and as far as she was concerned he didn't exist. Any man who could walk out on his family and just leave them in this condition was not a man. Walking upstairs she knocked on Eddie's door. "Hey Eddie?"

"Doors open,"

Gabriella walked into the green painted room. "Mom's passed out on the couch again and there's an empty bottle of vodka on the counter."

"Should we put her to bed?" Eddie paused his game and stood up.

"I just need to get her upstairs, then I need you to wait for the pizza, I ordered the regular," she said twisting her hands.

Eddie turned off the game and followed Gabriella, "No problem," They made their way downstairs and got on either side of their mother. They both stood in silence as they survey their mother on the couch and distance to the stairs.

"Does this spray on stuff come off?" Eddie asked.

Gabriella nodded. "I'll give her a bath and put her to bed."

"Strange, she doesn't even look like mom anymore." He said ducking his head under her arm to lift her.

"I know," Gabriella got the other arm and they lifted her with a grunt off the couch.

"Hey kids," it was slurred as their mother kind of opened her eyes.

"Hey mom," Eddie said as they walked towards the stairs holding her up right.

Gabriella frowned from the smell of her mother's breath and way she was leaning so that the drool hanging from lip was landing on Gabriella foot. "Come on mom, we're going to get you washed up," she said in a gentle voice.

"You guys are great kids," she said with a sad expression, "Thank god your father didn't run that out of you."

Gabriella nodded and Eddie let out a breath as they got up the stairs a step at time. "A little to the left Eddie,"

"You got her?"

"I got her," Gabriella pushed and Eddie pulled as they made it on to the landing.

Eddie helped get their mom into the room and helped Gabriella remove her shoes and jewelry. "I got it from here," Gabriella smiled. "Make sure you throw out the trash alright,"

"I will, see you in a bit." Eddie left the room and closed the door behind him. Gabriella went to work on undressing her mother and getting her into the bath tub.

Eddie walked outside the back door and towards the dumpsters by the garage, as he lifted the bag he turned around to Troy coming down the way from Old Lady Bolton's house.

"Hey," Eddie waved and Troy jogged a bit to get there.

"Hey," Troy threw his bag in the dumpster. "You live here?"

"Yeah, you're related to Mrs. Bolton?"

"She's my grandmother, I moved in down the street, she says I have to come by twice a week to take her trash out." Troy shrugged his shoulders. "She makes really good cookies so I'm not all that mad about it."

"Cool," Eddie placed his hands in his pockets and then looked back at the house. "You busy?"

"No, not really she's watching wheel of fortune." Troy shrugged. "You?"

"I'm playing the new call of duty on my Xbox,"

"Oh man, that's sweet, I still gotta find and unpack mine," Troy shrugged. "I haven't had a chance to play the new call of duty yet."

"Want to check it out?"

Troy looked back at his grandmother's house then at Eddie. "Sure," he said with a shrug. "Let me just run and tell her I'll be next door."

"Awesome, my sister ordered a pizza."

"Sounds like a plan," Troy gave him a high five and walked back into the house to inform his grandmother.

About half an hour later Eddie and Troy sat at the foot of Eddie's bed both entranced in the game, the pizza box at their side.

"Oh my god did you see that?" Eddie exclaimed as he began to shoot at the enemy.

"Look at this Zombie," Troy leaned to one side with and stretched for a slice of pizza and propped it in his mouth.

"Dude hand me a slice man."

"Sure," Troy leaned over again and this time his eyes were distracted from the game and pulled towards the brunette standing in the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest, in a pair of black sweats and red east high t-shirt. Her brown eyes glared down at him in anger.

"You got to be kidding me?" she said tapping her foot.

"Wow," he responded causally, "You actually look like a normal person without the get up."

Troy handed the slice to Eddie and heard Eddie pause the game, "Hey Gabs this is Troy Bolton his grandmother lives next door."

Gabriella let out a breath. "I know who he is," she said walking into the room. "What the hell is he doing here?"

Eddie nodded slowly and looked at his game controller. "I figured it'd be alright if he came up to check out the game?"

"And what? Hijack the pizza and blast that infernal racket you guys are playing?" Gabriella looked behind her and then back at them. "Mom just got to bed, and I am trying to work on my paper."

"I'm sorry," Eddie looked away from her and Gabriella felt her shoulders slump. Eddie never had people over; most of his friends were her friends by association. Gabriella looked at Troy and then back Eddie.

Gabriella features softened and Troy realized he was still quietly watching her like a creep. "I can leave," he said looking back at Eddie. "Once I get my Xbox up we can play live."

"You can stay," her voice soften and both boys looked back up at Gabriella.

"He can?"

"I can?" both boys at the same time looked up at her with fear.

"Just keep it down, I got a paper to work on," Gabriella shrugged. "And share the pizza," she added reaching down for a napkin and taking a two slices. "Don't be up to late, tomorrow maybe pajama day but I'm sure they'll frown upon those who actually try to sleep."

"Thanks Gabs." Eddie called

Eddie resumed the game and Troy instantly reached over and paused it again, "Not so fast."

Eddie was quiet for a moment and then took a deep breath "Look, she has a boyfriend."

Troy made a face and shook his head. "I know she does." Troy got up and wiped his hands on his jeans. "Does she know he's the one who shoved you into my locker?" Troy said pointing towards the door.

"I usually don't tell her that stuff?"

"Why not, I mean you don't have to take that kind of shit?" Troy said looking down at Eddie. "Especial from someone dating your own sister."

"Aaron is bigger than I am and last I checked, he's a senior and I'm nothing but a freshman." Eddie looked back at the tv screen. "It's easier just to wait until he graduates."

"No, it isn't" Troy rolled his eyes. "Come on, I'll back you up,"

"Gabriella loves Aaron, I don't want to hurt her," Eddie put down the paddle "It's better to stay out of it."

"And then what? They get married and you're picked on for life whenever her back is turned?" Troy tossed up his hands. "I not letting you do that, this is crazy,"

"I'm not like you," Eddie said with a shrug. "I not that brave, I'm not cool and if you haven't noticed my identifier is that I'm a no one."

Identifiers were something Troy knew a lot about. In his old school everyone had an identifier, Troy was the basketball boy. Identifiers were nothing but a prison cell. It pretty much labeled you as a certain person and you were stuck on repeat for the rest of your days. "I don't think you want that as an identifier?"

"Easy for you to say, I bet girls like you?" Eddie said with a shrug. "Trust me girls don't date the guy in the locker they date the guy that puts them in there."

Troy was quiet and he looked around the room, hands on his hips and that was when he saw it, the basketball in the corner of the room. "Do you play basketball?"

"Yeah, sometimes why?"

"You any good?" Troy asked formulating a plan in his head.

"I like it," Eddie said shrugging his shoulders. "You play?"

Troy clapped his hands together and smiled, "I'm going to get you on the basketball team."

Eddie looked up at Troy. "You got to be joking?"

"I don't joke about basketball." Troy pointed at the pizza, "Tonight we snack, tomorrow we start your training."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Eddie said as Troy took his slice of pizza.

Gabriella chewed on her slice of pizza as she sat in the dining room, her laptop on mute as watched the images on screen. Her father was lifting her up over his head, she was flying free in the air and smiling laughing as her father ran around the yard. Eddie was sitting in the baby pool with a boat he was playing with.

Gabriella smiled as put the slice down on the plate and brought her knee up to her chest. What she'd give to go back in time before all this happened to her. The screen moved as the camera shifted hands and her mother appeared on the screen, younger, a natural tan on her skin, her hair as dark as Gabriella's as she smiled and looked into the camera. More so into her husband's eyes. She was happier, motherly back when her parents were parents, before the money, the other women and the pain.

Gabriella wiped a tear from her cheek. Her parents both smiled into the screen as her father held the camera away to film them. Gabriella pause the movie and started at the screen. Looking at her plate of food she frowned in her sudden loss of appetite. The sound of footsteps startled her and she shut her laptop instantly and opened her history book only to see Eddie walk into the kitchen and then back with two sodas.

"Eddie?" Gabriella said before he disappeared.

"What's up?"

"Do you ever miss dad?" She asked in a quiet voice.

"Every day," Eddie shrugged, "but it's not like it matters, he's not coming back."

"You really think so," Gabriella said tapping her pencil on her book.

Eddie let out a sigh and the shrugged again. "I don't know Gabs, I wish I did." With that he walked out of the room and Gabriella was left with silence and her thoughts.