A/N: Well, finally the new chapter is up! ;) I'm not sure you'll like BUT…well, I like it so…deal with it :P

Thanks SO MUCH to those of you who have reviewed (14 reviews only with that chapter. WOW!) or added the story (or myself) to their lists. These gestures mean the world to me! :hug:

And though I'd love to dedicate this chapter to everyone, the truth is that I'm going to dedicate it to my TH's followers because I've been having some personal problems and they've made sure I was okay. GIRLS: I laugh a lot with you all and seriously, your support showed me on a daily basis is one of the most preciated treasures I have now…so girls, this is for you! :big_hug: I promise this "torture" is almost over, ok? Don't worry ;)

Anyway, stopping now with my rambling; here goes chapter 21. Enjoy! :)

With Troy...

Troy arrived at his apartment in less than the supposed time he needed to arrive. He'd been driving like a crazy person, but he didn't care; he needed the cocoon his apartment was, the shield those four walls provided him, because he felt as if someone had punched him. His body was shivering; it was as if he was in the middle of the Antarctica so cold he felt…because that wasn't his usual coldness towards the world but as if his veins had frozen and so his insides were full of snow.

The person he cared for the most, the love of his life, the most beautiful and precious thing he had…had betrayed him.

Because what Gabriella had done, to meet with Susan behind his back, had been a betrayal, a fucking betrayal he didn't think he deserved; why would want Gabriella to meet with her? Why Gabriella had been so private about it? If she didn't have anything to hide, why she'd been so fucking silent and had been acting without him knowing? He didn't understand; he'd thought they shared everything, but it seemed he was the only one following "those rules", because Gabriella had ignored those same rules, acting alone and not having in mind his feelings.

Banging the door violently, he stepped inside his apartment noticing how a fluency of heat surrounded him just from the very beginning; he was mad, he was furious, the rage he was feeling was overcoming his body and he had no strength to think objectively…but in the safety of his apartment, those bad feelings released their hold on him a little bit.

His brain, however, couldn't stop to replay the hug he'd witnessed between Gabriella and Susan; he only could see them hugging as if they were long time friends instead of mere acquaintances…and that bothered him, because he couldn't recall a time where he had introduced them. As far as he knew, they only knew about each other because of what he told them.

But what he'd seen was far more than the relationship two mere acquaintances had: the image of Gabriella stepping out of the building where Susan's office was, laughing and talking animatedly with the woman was the most confusing thing.

When the fuck did they meet?

Where the fuck did they meet?

For how long they'd been meeting behind his back?

He never introduced them; in fact, he was almost sure he had barely talked about Susan with Gabriella. Of course Gabriella had seen Susan when they went to Lucy's burial, but even then he didn't introduce them. He hadn't thought for a moment than those two women could meet…he hadn't wanted to. Because what he had with Gabriella had been too important for him to allow any stranger in the circle; he didn't want anyone interfering in their relationship…not even when it was a little fucked up…not now, when things were running smoothly for them.

Gabriella and Susan were two people that shouldn't have met ever; both were important in his life, but because of two different reasons: Gabriella because she was the love of his life, and Susan because she was the key to his freedom. And he denied to himsled that Susan meant more; he would never admit that, lately, his relationship with Susan had changed. He wasn't ready to think about that; Susan was his tutor, end of the story…or so he thought.

Entering in his room, the first thing he saw was a picture of him and Gabriella, with his arms wrapped tightly around her waist from behind and leaning down to kiss her cheek, while Gabriella had her head tilted up and her fingers intertwined with Troy's. Stopping dead in his tracks at the sight, a flash of Gabriella's face when he'd left her invaded his mind making him wince.

Because not even when their relationship had been "weird" and he had to leave her, her face had been so full of tears; because not even then, her body had been shaking as violently as it did when he'd left her in front of Susan's office; because not even then, her eyes had begged him to stay the way they'd done some minutes ago. Gabriella's face was the mirror of a broken person, and though he was mad at her, he couldn't help but feel her pain too. The only one thing that could break Troy was a miserable Gabriella…and not only he'd seen her that way but he had been, also, the cause of her misery.

Groaning, Troy let his body fell onto the mattress of his bed. His mind was telling him to forget everything about Gabriella, but his heart couldn't do that. His heart was attached to Gabriella's in the most intrinsic way; her heartbeat was a mirror for his, and to know she was suffering was murdering. But he couldn't bring himself to her, not after what his eyes had seen; maybe he was being irrational, he didn't know, but the sight of Gabriella and Susan hugging had been enough for him to damn all the heavens.

Turning his head to the left, Troy watched the "Memory Wall" and something there made him to stand up and walk closely to the wall: his mother. The only picture he had where she appeared alone…but so fucking happy at the same time. Her smile was wild, and her blue eyes were twinkling as if there wasn't tomorrow; he wanted to be like that too. He wanted to feel this happiness his mother radiated from the old photograph, he wanted to feel the freedom love and happiness brought to human's lives.

But now that was impossible.

And it was impossible because the only one thing that could make him this happy was Gabriella.

And it was impossible because he'd broken up with Gabriella.

And it was impossible because, in the bottom of his core, he knew he'd let his brain won over his heart for too many times already; he knew this time things wouldn't be back to normal for sure. He couldn't blame Gabriella for that, and he wasn't about to, but he also knew the petite and traitor brunette had been the reason for his current misery...like always, it was as if a war was taking place inside his head: a part of him wanted Gabriella back, the other, wanted to be as far as he could from Gabriella.

A piercing noise broke his train of thought.

Retrieving the phone from his pocket, he looked at the screen and saw Chad's smiling face, but he didn't want to talk at the moment and so he left the annoying item beside his body on the mattress; he needed some time to register everything that had happened, so he let the call die by itself. The continuous beeping was exasperating, but he didn't care, he would put his phone in silent mode once Chad's call ended and so he wouldn't be disturbed.

Stripping off of his clothes, he left his phone still ringing on the bed and went to the bathroom to shower; some hot water would do some good to his muscles, sore and tensed as hell, and would help him clear his mind as well.

With Chad and Taylor...

"He doesn't pick the damn phone up," Chad groaned. "That boy is stupid…"

"Have you called your mom?" Taylor asked softly. Chad shook his head and she continued. "Go call her then. My parents are on their way and I'm sure your parents would like to be here too…"

"And what about Peter?" Chad asked in a petite voice. "I'm not capable to call him giving him the news…"

Taylor sighed and pulled Chad's head on her shoulder, kissing his temple. "Let your mother call him…" Chad sniffed and Taylor wiped his cheeks, though hers were also wet. "She'll know what to say…"

"I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here beside me now…" Chad murmured.

Taylor pecked his lips. "Well, you don't have to worry about that."

"Thank you," Chad whispered.

"You're welcome baby," Taylor said sniffing a little. "Go call your mom and I'll try to reach Troy, ok?"

Chad had called Taylor from the ambulance and she was already at the hospital when the ambulance had parked beside the emergency doors. After a long hug where Chad had cried part of the tension he felt away, he had explained everything to Taylor who, in a bit, realized about how fucked up everything was and took control seeing how destroyed Chad was.

She was afraid for her best friend; her situation seemed to be serious, and from Chad's description of what had happened, they were lucky Gabriella wasn't dead yet. Knowing how much Chad loved Gabriella, it'd broken her to know that he'd seen everything, that he was a witness of maybe the reason of a fatal destiny. She couldn't even imagine what she would have felt, apart from a tremendous horror, if she had seen what Chad had seen…but she had to be strong for him, because he needed her, and he needed her strength.

Though she wasn't sure if her strength would help him because she felt as if someone had punched her in the gut; the unknown scared Taylor to death…and if you added that they didn't know if Gabriella would make it or not…well, to say she was about to pass out would be the understatement of the century.

With Troy...

Stepping out of the shower, Troy went to his room and put on a pair of clean boxers and a shirt. When he was about to turn the volume of his phone off, the item rang again. Looking at the screen, this time he saw Taylor's smiling face, but he wasn't ready to face them yet.

However, something clicked lightly in his brain.

Taylor had never called him.

Maybe something had happened…but no, they probably wanted to arrange things between him and Gabriella…and he didn't have the body for that at the moment. Putting the phone on the nightstand table, Troy nodded once, as if he was convincing himself that ignore them was the right thing to do and stepped out of his room, closing the door behind him so the beeping arrived at him muffled, and went to the kitchen to prepare something for his dinner.

His heart was telling him that something wasn't right…and he would have been worried if not because his brain found quickly the answer: he had broken up with Gabriella, of course something wasn't right.

Troy decided to forget about them and Gabriella for a while. She didn't deserve more of his time; she had messed up and she should be the one calling him. If she wasn't doing so, that fact showed how little she actually cared about him…so then he wouldn't be the one worrying about her. And he didn't want to be so. He'd be cool and okay without her.

'Keep dreaming Bolton…' He thought.

From the kitchen, he noticed the beeped had stopped and rushed to his room, turning off the phone before it rang again and the temptation to know what was all about overcome him. He would talk with them in the morning.

With Chad and Taylor...

Gabriella's phone began to beep from Taylor's bag and she reached for the item. "Maybe it's Troy…" She muttered to Chad who had his eyes closed, letting the tears fall freely.

"I don't think so," he sighed wiping his cheeks.

"It's Susan!" Taylor exclaimed shocked. "What should I do?"

"Answer her," Chad said. "Maybe she's talked with Troy…"

Taylor nodded and cleared her throat once. "Hello?"

"Ops, you are not Gabriella," Susan giggled. "I'm sorry I've must dialled wrong. Sorry."

"No, no," Taylor sighed. "This is Gabriella's phone…"

"And how come is not Gabriella the one answering?" Susan asked bewildered.

Taylor reached down her hand to grab Chad's. "Because…" The lump in her throat made impossible for her to talk.

"What happened?" Susan asked truly worried by this girl's voice, now.

"We're at the Michael Sinnai hospital," Taylor whispered.

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes," Susan said quickly just before Taylor heard the click of the end of the call.

"What did she say?" Chad asked quietly squeezing Taylor's fingers.

"She's coming," Taylor answered as quietly as him.

Chad nodded and the couple stood in silence once again, holding hands for dear life. "Why haven't they said anything yet?" Taylor said in a low voice looking at Chad with an afraid face after some minutes. "They should have told us something by now…"

"They've told us they'd come and talk with us whenever they knew what's happening with her," Chad said engulfing his girlfriend into a tight hug when she began to sob. "Babe, I know you're worried, but Gabi is strong. She'll be okay…"

Taylor couldn't help but feel a pang of regret ran through her; she'd know Gabriella for some years now, and she was her best friend, but Chad knew her since…forever, and still he was the one comforting her. "Sorry but…"

"I understand," Chad gulped loudly and then took a deep breath. "But you see how Gabriella will be okay…" He murmured sighing when he felt Taylor nodding against his chest.

"Chad! Taylor!"

The couple turned their heads and, without thinking, threw themselves to each of their mothers, breaking in sobs at the mere contact with them, who tried to calm their children as best as they could…having in mind how bad and ugly the situation they were in was.

After a while, both teens calmed down. "Have you called Peter?" Chad asked his mother.

She nodded. "He's coming…"

"What has he said?" Taylor asked quietly from her mother chest.

"I've told him Gabriella had been in an accident and that she has been brought here," Diandra cleared her throat. "He's worried as hell…"

Chad's body shivered again and his eyes burnt because of the tears he was holding back. He didn't want to cry more; he didn't want to feel so lost, so afraid of what could happen to Gabriella. But the feeling of the guilt he was feeling overcame him. "I'm sorry, so so sorry…it's been my fault…" He said gasping for air.

"Son," Chad's father said placing his hands on Chad's shoulders locking his eyes with his and trying to calm him down. "You have nothing to apologize for; it's been an accident and no one is blaming you."

"But I should have been looking at her…" Chad said breaking in sobs again. "I should have been beside her…"

"Baby no…" Taylor began rubbing Chad's tight softly. "It's been an accident and…"

But she couldn't end because a sudden bang stopped her. "Diandra!" All the six heads turned to look at the man running towards them almost in hysterics. "How is my baby? Tell me she's okay! Where is she? What's going on with her? Tell me!"

"Calm down, Peter," Diandra said softly. "We don't know…the doctors haven't said anything yet…"

Peter stood up in front of his friends and her daughter's friends…too distraught to notice The Absence the whole group had already noticed but neither of them had pointed out. "How come? They should be here at least saying something…"

"Peter I…" Chad began trembling when he saw a father panicking for his daughter's wellbeing. "I'm sorry…it's been my fault…"

Peter snapped his head up to look at Chad. "That's not true Chad, if not for you, Gabriella would be in the middle of the street only God-knows-how. You've called the ambulance and thanks to your quick and good reflexes Gabriella has still a chance. Don't blame yourself Chad…" Chad nodded his head but remained silent, like the entire group did.

"I can't believe now we were going to arrange things between us…" Peter began talking lowly.

"Diandra!"

Peter stopped and everyone turned their faces to the door, where the sound came from. "Susan?" Diandra asked standing up shocked to see the woman there. "What are you doing here? Is Troy…"

Taylor and Chad interchanged a look when Troy's name was said but neither of them commented anything about it.

"No," Susan said gasping for air. "I'm here for Gabriella. How is she?"

"We don't know," Chad said standing up. "I'm Chad and that's my girlfriend Taylor."

"Nice to meet you, Taylor, Chad," she nodded at both teens. "Gabriella has talked a lot about you…" She said giving them a small hug trying to give them some comfort, seeing how bright and red their eyes were, and how their cheeks were all puffy from all the crying they had made.

Susan realized at that moment that Troy wasn't there, but she couldn't bring herself to ask for him. She didn't know why, but a weird feeling was increasing in the pit of her stomach; it was as if her own body was warning her to not ask anything related to Troy, and she decided to trust her instinct without a doubt when no one seemed to say anything about the boy.

Though that didn't make sense…at least with what Gabriella had explained her that afternoon in mind. Susan couldn't help but think that, with how much Troy loved Gabriella, it was weird for him to not be there. It just didn't seem right. But she couldn't ask; not until someone brought up his name or talked about him.

"Who are you?" A sudden question thrown at her snapped her out of her reverie.

"Oh sorry," she said blushing a little embarrassed. "I'm Susan, Troy's tutor."

"I'm Peter, Gabriella's father," he said shaking her hand. "May I ask how come you're here? Do you know Gabriella?"

Susan turned her head to look at Chad and Taylor and both shook their heads. Susan panicked because she didn't know what to say but, luckily for them, Diandra saved the day seeing the widened faces both teens and Susan were making. "I've called her because I couldn't reach Troy's phone…"

"Me neither," Chad said following his mother's lead. "He may be out of battery. He's told me he had to do some errands this afternoon...so we'll have to wait for him to arrive at his apartment."

Diandra nodded and turned to Peter. "Come here you," he said pulling the man towards a chair, leaving the teens and Susan by themselves. "You'll see how Gabriella gets better in no time…"

Neither Susan nor Chad nor Taylor said anything, but Susan lifted her eyebrow while looking at Chad, who shook his head discretely, hoping the woman would catch his drift; Susan nodded once signalling her understanding.

Okay, so something bad had happened, and she had the feeling it had to do with Troy. But she couldn't think more about it because, in that moment, the metallic doors opened and a man dressed in green appeared, stopping in front of the group.

"Gabriella Montez?"

With Troy...

The next morning, Troy awoke feeling as if someone had punched him mercilessly; all his body was burning from tension.

At first he was disorientated; shouldn't be Gabriella with him? But then the cruel truth fell upon his head. There wasn't more Gabriella for him…but his brain took the control again before the truth was registered completely by his heart, deciding he didn't care because she'd been the one looking for that with her acting behind his back. Shaking his head trying to erase everything about Gabriella his mind had, Troy stood up from his bed, not even once looking at the picture of Gabriella which was on his nightstand.

After a quick shower, Troy got dressed and took a quick breakfast…all the time looking at his phone. He still had it turned off…and thinking twice about it, he decided to let it this way for a little while…at least until he was at the school. He had to gain enough courage to do so, and maybe he'd gain it while going to the school.

Or so he hoped.

Part of him, his heart, was excited because he thought a call from Gabriella would wait for him, but another part of him, his brain, was afraid that there actually was a call from Gabriella waiting for him. And his brain was afraid because he wasn't sure if he would be able to "not cave" once he saw her; he was a goner when it came to Gabriella, and he wasn't sure about what the right thing to do was.

When he arrived at the school, making sure he was one of the last people there, he parked his car in his usual spot and realized that Chad's car wasn't in his.

Weird.

Going directly to his locker, where he expected to find Chad waiting for him, he saw no one was there waiting for him. This time, however, he let it go thinking that, maybe, Chad was at Taylor's locker.

But they weren't there.

Weird.

Looking at his watch, he realized the bell was about to sound; frowning, he couldn't help but wonder how come neither Chad nor Taylor were at their morning-usual-spots when classes were about to start.

Weird.

Deciding that, probably, they were already at homeroom, he went there...only to see how they weren't there.

Weird.

"Troy!"

Closing his eyes at that voice, Troy groaned inwardly. He didn't want to deal with that at the moment. But it seemed the other person wasn't about to let him go because, suddenly, a very cold hand touched his arm, and he turned around, shaking it off. "What the fuck do you want?"

His voice was the coldest, the harshest, the cruellest, the rudest he could muster, and he tried to convey all these same feelings in his look, so the other person took the hint that she wasn't welcomed at all.

"Well," Sharpay said flirtatiously. "Seeing you are not with the bitch you are supposedly dating with…I've thought that maybe you wanted some company…"

Troy froze and the rage he had been feeling against Gabriella became rage against Sharpay just when Gabriella was associated to the term "bitch". One thing was to be mad at her because of her betrayal, but another different, and very different story, was for him to let someone talk about her like that. "Shut. The. Fuck. Up." He said in a very low and menacing voice already going to his seat.

Just when Sharpay was about to answer him, Mrs. Darbus entered in the classroom. "Okay young thespians," she began dramatically, "let's see if someone is missing before we proceed with the announcements."

When he heard that, Troy turned his head instinctively to Gabriella's seat, looking for her. She wasn't in her desk yet…and neither Chad nor Taylor.

Where the hell were they?

The feeling of that something bad happened, which he'd assumed was the result of his break up with Gabriella that morning, intensified and Troy retrieved his phone from his pocket, turning the item on but in silent mode so Mrs. Darbus wouldn't freak out.

"Troy Bolton?" Mrs. Darbus asked.

"Yeah," Troy answered distractedly but also looking discretely his phone. In ten seconds, he saw he had 20 missed calls from Taylor and Chad; his eyes widened in alarm but he calmed himself when he saw he didn't have new messages on his voicemail because he thought this lack of messages meant that there wasn't any emergency.

A pang of pain crossed his heart when he saw he had not even one call from Gabriella, but he couldn't hold onto that thought too much because, just then, Chad was called, and Mrs. Darbus' voice had sounded strange.

"Chad Danforth?" When no one answered, Mrs. Darbus narrowed her eyes…before something clicked on her mind and her angry face became a worried and sad face. "Oh yeah, right. Neither Taylor nor Chad are coming today…"

Though Mrs. Darbus muttered the last part, Troy heard her. Not one of them was coming to school and the school already knew it.

That made things even stranger.

He waited for Mrs. Darbus to call Gabriella…but she missed her name. "And what about Gabriella, Mrs. Darbus?" He hadn't been able to help himself; he needed to know where Gabriella was…even though his action meant to show a little of concern, a little about his private persona to the rest of the class.

"She's not coming," the teacher answered with bright eyes and a broken voice but not adding anything more.

What the fuck!? Troy thought inwardly.

He needed to make a call…and he needed to make this call now. Standing up from his seat, Troy grabbed his things without a word and, in front of the bewildered expression of the teacher and his classmates, he opened the classroom's door and went to the rooftop garden.

Once there, he dialled Chad's number, already knew by heart and put the item beside his ear.

'Hey, Chad's phone speaking. I'm busy doing something so…leave a message and I'll call you back as soon as possible.'

BEEP-BEEP

Troy lowered the phone when the tone sounded and stared blankly at the screen.

What the hell was happening?