"That is definitely not the ring for Gabi, Chad," Troy rolled his eyes as Chad held up a tacky Hello Kitty diamond ring. The afro-haired college student sighed as he looked pointedly at Zeke, Ryan and Jason for help. They had been at the shopping mall for almost two hours and neither or them had eaten since arriving. They were all getting moody and restless as Troy scanned the jewelry store one last time. He let out a long breath of disappointment before shaking his head. His four friends groaned as they followed after him.

"Troy, c'mon! We've been here for hours! It's the mall," Chad made a disgusted face at his mention of their location. In front of him, Zeke and Troy rolled their eyes while Ryan and Jason just nodded in agreement with Chad.

"I am asking Gabriella to marry me, Chad. Everything has to be perfect. Especially the ring."

"Well, one thing's for sure," Ryan deduced and the other four raised their eyebrows at him. He waved his hands dramatically around his head. "You ain't going to find Gabriella a ring here, Romeo."

Jason looked confused for a moment. "His name is Troy, Ryan." His statement was met by a few groans. Knowing he had missed something, Jason shrugged and continued, "Ryan's right. We've been here for three days, Troy. If you haven't found one you like here since the time we arrived, I doubt you're going to find one you'll like now."

"You're right, Jase," the dirty-blonde haired man grumbled. He looked away from the jewelry store one last time only to find his friends already walking towards the exit of the mall. His eyes lit up as he spotted something across the street. "Let's try that store across this mall, shall we?"

His request was met by more groans.

Lucille Bolton had never seen her son so nervous or occupied before. Sure, he had been nervous for his first game, occupied with the thoughts of leaving high school but never had she seen Troy so nervous and distracted that he started pacing behind her and Jack while they were sitting on the couch. She shared a confused look with her spouse before trying to stop her son from burning a hole through the carpet.

"Honey?" Blue eyes met brown as she spoke. "Want to tell me and your father what's going on?" she asked concernedly and glared at Troy when he looked like he was uncertain on whether he should tell her or not. The youngest Bolton gulped before going to stand in front of his parents.

Nervously, he announced, "I'm going to ask Gabriella to marry me."

A proud smile split onto her aged face and Lucille jumped from the couch to hug her son, congratulating him as she planted kisses on his face. She had liked Gabriella the moment she had heard her husband and son talking about her, even if the things they had said about her were negative on one side and positive on the other for a while. Troy did little to stop her and he grinned as he hugged her back, not aware of the emotions his father was experiencing for a while.

Jack gulped and blinked. His son was going to ask Gabriella Montez to marry him. Jack had not liked Gabriella when she had first arrived at East High but his dislike for her had changed into one of fatherly affection once Troy had started dating her. She was a positive influence in his sons' life and Jack had realized a long time ago that Gabriella was Troy's Lucille. But if he had known of their fate so long ago, then why was did his stomach hurt at the thought of his son getting engaged?

Because he felt like he was losing his son. Again.

"Dad?"

The worried expression on Troy's face melted away any unpleasant feeling Jack was experiencing. Gabriella might have been Troy's soul mate but Jack was his father and Troy would forever want his approval. Jack smiled softly as he stood up and clapped his son on the back.

"Sure she's not too good for you?" Jack teased his son. Troy narrowed his eyes at his father playfully, having gotten over his insecurity when things involved Gabriella a long time ago.

"You mean like how Mom's way out of your league too?"

Lucille let out a hearty laugh.


That night, Troy sneaked into his parents' room while his father and friends crowded in the living room to catch a game together, something they had been doing since high school and hadn't stopped. His mother was on the bed, going through a photo album.

Upon hearing her bedroom door creak open, she looked up and smiled when Troy joined her on the bed. The two Boltons sat there for a while, looking through pictures of their days as a family together in comfortable silence, something they both hadn't done in a while. Both mother and son knew that talking would just distract them from their journey down memory lane.

Twenty minutes later, Troy was helping Lucille put away the albums.

"Hey Mom?" Lucille turned around and raised her eyebrows at her son. Troy raised up two pictures. "Do you mind if I keep these?"

Lucille shook her head, smiling at the pictures Troy had chosen.

One was a photo of the Wildcat gang together a day before graduation. Troy had his arms around Gabriella's waist and they were both smiling happily at one another. Chad and Taylor stood beside them on their left, Chad's arms protectively around his girlfriend's shoulders and Taylor was leaning her head comfortably on the afro-haired teenager's chest. On the right of Troyella, Ryan stood in the middle of Sharpay and Kelsi, the two most important girls in his life. His hand was interlocked with Kelsi and both him and the petite composer were looking at each other lovingly. His other arm was linked with Sharpay. The female blonde twin had her other arm linked to Zeke who looked pleased yet surprised. Jason and Martha stood right at the end, smiles on their faces.

The other picture was one of just the Boltons and Montez ladies. It had been their first family dinner together. Lucille's eyes stranded to the image of Troy and Gabriella's interlocked hands and smiled at how they fitted perfectly well together. Noticing his mother's view was particularly on Gabriella and him, Troy gulped as his insecurities over asking Gabriella to marry him consumed him once again despite the fact that Lucille was smiling.

He had vowed that he would only ask Gabriella to marry him when he got the blessings of everyone who was important to Gabriella and him. It was what he wanted and what Gabriella would have wanted to. And so far, he had gotten only his parents and the gang's blessings. What if his mother was having second thoughts?

"Mom?" his eyes shone with worry and Lucille looked confused for a moment. "You're okay with this, right? With me asking Gabriella to marry me? I mean you like her enough, right?"

Lucille laughed, relieved that her son still thought her opinion important. "Troy, I loved Gabriella and accepted her when you and your father started talking about how much she changed you. I know how happy she makes you."

Troy let out a sigh of relief and wrapped his mother into a tight hug. Lucille buried her head into his shoulder as tears swarmed her eyes. Her baby boy was getting married. Sure, he hadn't even asked his girlfriend yet but Lucille was absolutely certain of Gabriella's answer.

Finally, they let go and Troy brushed away the remaining tears on Lucille's face gently with his thumb.

"Have you gotten the perfect ring yet?"

"No," the younger Bolton ran his hands through his hair and a grimace crossed his face as he remembered his fruitless trips to the many malls he and his friends had gone to and the dates he had missed with Gabriella.

Lucille chuckled and took a blue velvet box out of her pocket and handed it to her son. She watched as his blue eyes widened and his breath hitched in his throat. "Breath, son."

"It's…"

Perfect. Absolutely perfect. The diamond on the silver wasn't too big, nor was it too small on the silver band that Troy knew would fit Gabriella's finger.

Troy hugged his mother one more time.

"Thanks, Mom."

Maria Montez had always liked Troy Bolton. He was polite, caring and respectful and he loved her daughter with all of his heart. He always put the people he loved before him, an action that made Gabriella love and worry about him more. So, when he came asking for her daughter's hand in marriage a few hours ago, Maria had squealed and hugged him to tell him that he had her blessings.

It had pleased her that he had asked for her permission. Daniel would have approved of Troy and Maria was certain that her late husband would have even given Troy suggestions on how to propose. Troy made their daughter cry, smile and laugh. He was always there for her no matter how busy he was himself. Yes, Gabriella was definitely going to be happy with Troy.


Three days later, the former Wildcats and their families gathered at the Bolton household to have their annual summer barbeque, a tradition they started the summer before graduation. For the whole day, the girls had acted upset with the boys and their glares were mainly aimed at Troy.

The guys watched as the girls pushed Gabriella out of the group and towards them.

"You're hiding something from me, Wildcat, and I want to know what."

Troy's eyes widened at Gabriella's unexpected confrontation. Movement around them stopped as she raised her eyebrows at him and Troy gulped. He reached his right hand into his pants pocket and resisted sighing in relief when he felt the texture of the soft velvet box.

"He's not cheating on you, if that's what you mean!"

Troy groaned at Chad's defensive outburst and Gabriella looked at him with in panic.

"You're cheating on me?!"

"Of course he's not, Gabriella," Zeke smiled softly at her before nodding at Troy. Beside him, Ryan and Jason mimicked his actions before hitting Chad on his head together. Sharpay, Taylor and Kelsi watched on in confusion.

Placing a tender hand on her cheek to calm her down, Troy grinned at her as he slowly went down on one knee, only aware of Gabriella's reaction and not of the surprised gasps and squeals the other girls had emitted. Slowly, he took the velvet box out of his pocket and held it out to her.

"I was supposed to take you to a fancy restaurant but I guess this will do," he shrugged and Gabriella's brown eyes shone with love and tears for the man in front of her.

"Troy…"

But he wasn't going to let her speak. "I love you, Gabriella Montez. And I will always love you. That's all I need to say before I ask you something, alright?" he looked at her and she just nodded mutely as he opened the velvet box to reveal the ring. "Will you marry me?"

She gave him the smile she wore only for him. "Yes."

Troy grinned and slipped the ring onto her finger.

"I love you too, Troy." She pressed her lips against his in a gentle kiss as their friends and parents cheered and celebrated around them. Troyella wrapped their arms around each other once they broke apart and looked on as the people they loved celebrated with them. The proposal was perfect.

A/N: Definitely not my best but please still review! I'm doing the proposals now so which couple do you want next? (: