The next morning when she came down for school her father was in the kitchen. She stopped in her tracks at the sight of him staring her down. The next thing she heard was the loud slap of the magazine on the table that brought her crashing back into reality.

"Would you care to explain?"

"I don't know do you want to tell me why you paid Julliard off?"

"Do not change the subject Gabriella," Her father said pointing to the magazine. "Explain now."

"He was bringing my keys back, and thanks to you our front yard was filled with reporters."

"Your keys?" Her father arched a brow, "and why did he have your keys?"

"Because, we were at a party, I had one beer and a reporter showed up. I left with Martha and Taylor, later on he brought my jeep home." Gabriella crossed her arms. "For the record. I could have made it into Julliard without your help."

"Gabriella I was just trying to help," he said placing his hands on his hips.

"No, you were trying to manipulate me, so that I would come live with you in New York," Gabriella accused.

"Gabriella things like this are going to happen a lot," he said pointing to the magazine, "You have got to be more careful!"

"Why because you're the only one who can be in the magazine? You finally figured out that what you do affects our lives too?" Gabriella shot back. "No shit Sherlock It's alright for you to come in and fuck everything up by splashing our names on the cover of magazines left and right as your former life but heaven forbid I get a cover you didn't?"

"That is not the issue you here and you know it. Gabriella, I am your father and I do not want boys coming in and out of your room at all times of the night!" he said lifting the magazine. "Especially by way of window."

"Or what?" Gabriella grabbed her back pack. "Here have my phone, my money, my keys, it's all the crap you give me so I can look the other way anyway right? Here's a tip if you wanted to play concerned father you should have kept it in your pants four years ago. But you didn't so any respect I had for you is gone and any that might be left is hanging by a thread and you can forget about Julliard or me ever going to New York I rejected the early admission."

With all the items on the kitchen counter her father watched as she turned to leave the room. Eddie walked into the kitchen as Gabriella was leaving.

"Nice move," Eddie murmured towards his father, "Father of the year."

"Commentary isn't necessary," his father said running a hand through hair.

"What did you expect?" Eddie asked looking back at him with a shrug, "Did you really think you'd come back into our lives drop you flashy new wife on us and things would go back to normal?"

"No."

"I find that hard to believe," Eddie shook his head as he watched Gabriella leave the house, "You know maybe we have other things going on in our lives beside you. Ever stop and think about that?" he said as he followed suit after Gabriella.

Eddie raced down the street to catch up with sister it was a matter of time before he was able to end up in front of her. "Gabriella I'm really sorry,"

"About what you didn't do anything?" Gabriella said wiping a tear from her eye.

"You got kicked off the squad, you've been in the paper, about dad, about Julliard. Damn it just stop Gabs." He held up his hands and Gabriella stopped and looked at her younger brother. Eddie grabbed his side and took a deep breath. "I've been so in my own world because of all this crap and yours is falling apart."

"Eddie I'm fine," Gabriella said looking around the neighborhood to watch people going about their morning.

"No you're not, I know you wanted him back more than anyone," he said getting his breath back and standing straighter. "I know that's why you wanted to go to Julliard so much."

Gabriella looked at the ground and a tear ran down her cheek, "Seems pretty stupid huh?" she said biting her lip.

"Do you know how many times I wished that he would come back, that none of this would have ever happened and we could just be normal like before," Eddie let out a sigh. "Gabriella we're a family, you're my big sister, what you did back there." Eddie looked back at their house. "You gave up your car, your phone, your college, that dream that things would ever go back. That means a lot. For both of us because wherever you go or stay I'm right there with you," He said holding his arms out.

Gabriella felt tears burning her eyes as she looked at Eddie, "I didn't want to cry," Gabriella wiped her eyes again.

"I would," Eddie said in a low voice. "I really don't see how you're holding it together."

Gabriella came forward and dropped herself into Eddie warm embrace. Gabriella cried a little into his shirt and Eddie slowly let his hand rub her back.

"We're not alone." Eddie smiled as he hugged his big sister tighter.

The sound of a loud engine came to a rumble besides them and Gabriella looked over Eddie's shoulder to see Troy looking at them both from the driver's seat. "Any one need a ride?"

Eddie looked back at Troy. "Thanks Bro," he said with a nod. Grabbing his sister's hand he led her to the truck and opened the door. "Ladies first,"

Gabriella smiled and jumped into the truck moving in so she sat by Troy. Eddie followed and shut the door behind him.

Later that afternoon Troy sat in the art room alone working on a sketch for the college administrator who was coming by in another half hour and so far he was pleased with all his work on display and grateful for Mrs. Gruff giving him a chance. Troy looked at the door as the sound of footsteps approached only to be disappointed when it was some random person. Gabriella promised she would come by, unless last night was a dream and he actually left after getting her signature and in some odd way dreamt the rest of it.

Troy let out a sigh, this Aaron and Stacy thing was messing with his mind. On the one hand he wanted to just throw the game and hope Stacy would just get rid of the photos on the other hand he wanted to tell Gabriella about it before he made the decision. Troy looked at the door again and saw no one; maybe it was better off this way?

He was just Eddie's friend, just some guy in the hall. Someone totally unrelated to her who would never be able to hurt her. Troy looked back at his sketched princess as she clung to the bed post sobbing in dismay. Troy's fingers reached out to soften her hair to push the charcoal around making her hair just as fluid as Gabriella's.

Looking away from the portrait he looked around the room at all his fairy tale like creations all, the broken winged tree nymph, the strong warrior princess on side saddle spinning her mace for attack, all around him were the many different images of one girl. He had to tell her about it, he had to tell her about the pictures, it wasn't going to be easy but she had every right to know about them.

Meanwhile Gabriella sat in the balcony looking down at the stage. She let out a sigh and dropped her feet to the floor as she leaned back in her chair. Looking down at the note book she read over the words she been playing with. She hadn't written a song in a while for years in fact since her dad left. Whipping her cheek she sniffled as she looked back at the notebook. "The higher we fly the harder it feels when we hit the ground." She sang softly to herself. Gabriella bit her lip as she looked back down at the stage. A few weeks ago she had it all figured out, now she didn't have a clue about what she was going to do about her future. Looking over at the clock she let out a sigh, she promised Troy she'd be in the art room and she had every intention of meeting him there she just didn't know what she was going to say when she got there.

There was a sound from the hall and Gabriella ducked down in her seat shielding herself from being seen.

"God, you're such a fucking asshole," Stacy said playfully hitting Aaron on the shoulder.

"But I'm an asshole you like to fuck," He said reaching around and placing both hands on her ass.

Stacy let out a sigh and Gabriella ducked down further so she was now on the floor of the balcony. "God I just hope that jerk throws the game, then everything going to be a piece of cake, your scholarship, our popularity, all the money and fame, we'll have a house by the beach, I'll be covered in diamonds. Meanwhile Gabriella will be in some 2nd rate job," Stacy said leaning her head back as Aaron began kissing her neck.

"Can we not talk about Gabriella or Troy?" Aaron said with annoyance "God the whole school is talking about that fuck tart."

Stacy let out a laugh, "Aww come on for a basketball star he's pretty stupid, he actually thinks we have naked pictures of that little stuck up ex-girlfriend of yours. Guess he doesn't know her as well as we do."

Gabriella perked up as she strained to listen really hard covering her mouth to stop her own breathing.

"Less talk more making out," Aaron said shifting his hands up her shirt.

"Please do you really need me to get into it to get off?" Stacy jumped up onto one of the chairs arms. "I'm not wearing my spanks just make it quick alright Sharpay is so bitchy about practice."

"You know you use to try a little harder when I was with Gabriella," Aaron said unzipping his pants, "I mean, at least you pretended to enjoy it."

"Yeah well you're not with Gabriella your with me now, and I let you fuck me."

There was silence and Gabriella put her hands over her ears not wanting to hear what she was hearing. Gabriella was still in the dark of the balcony as she listened to the muffled sound of Aaron and Stacy as they had sex.