Author's Note--So I realize that some of my readers for this story are upset that Anna died. I didn't do it for the fun of it or anything. I fully came into this story knowing from the beginning that Anna wasn't going to make it. I know I've hinted in previous chapters that something wasn't quite right with her and her health, and I know that a lot of you guys thought it was unexpected for her to die, but it's going to fit into the story. It really will; and I'm fully backing up my original idea for this. I'm not going to budge on bringing her back to life. Also, I'm not going to stay away from the whole death thing. People die and I know that not a lot of stories on this fanfiction have people dying halway through the story, but I like for my stories to be different. And I think it's a big bonus for you guys to be feeling upset because that at least means that I'm doing something right as an author by making you guys feel something when it comes to this story.
However, I do want to say thank you to whoever did review last chapter. I know Anna was a great person and mother, but it really made me even more sure of this event when I saw everyone who took their time to review.
Thanks.
Cassie opened the door wider.
"Come in Troy."
Troy was confused when he had heard Cassie use his first name, but then again he shouldn't have been that surprised as after all, she was married to his biological father. Troy stepped inside the house that was kept perfectly clean. The house had a cold feeling to it as he could tell that Cassie probably spent almost all her time when she's home perfecting it. That or she hired someone to do it for her.
Troy walked up the stairs like Mrs. Cross had instructed. Pictures aligned the wall as the shadows clouded his line of vision. Troy couldn't help but look at the pictures of the smiling people. He passed one of a younger looking Jason standing in between a smiling Cassie and Andrew. Troy had to push the thought of 'that could've been me' out of his head as any man like Andrew who could just leave his first born child and start a new family wasn't worth getting to know.
Troy looked around as the upstairs hallway made a giant U shape. The stairs were right in the middle as Troy turned left to make it to Jason's room. He passed other various rooms while he noticed briefly a certificate hanging on the wall that was dedicated to Jason who had apparently gotten straight A's one school year.
Troy found the last door in the hallway and took a deep breath. He had known after dropping off Gabriella at the hospital that he couldn't just impose on Carlos and make himself at home down there, but he did know of another boy who could do exactly just that.
Troy hesitantly knocked on the door. He had planned to go over to Jason's house. He just didn't know what he was going to say to get him moving out the door to Gabriella.
Troy was almost scared when his hand went for the doorknob. It was midnight; he didn't expect Jason to answer if he was a heavy sleeper. Troy lightly pushed the door open and let his mind adjust to the dark room that had the hallway light shining into it now.
There were posters on the walls of basketball players, various trophies on shelves with little kids on top holding basketballs, and then on the bedside table next to Jason was a picture of Gabriella and him. Jason was crouching down on his knees in front of a brick wall with Gabriella standing directly behind him, her hands encircling around his neck as her side of her face was pressed up against his own. They didn't look that much younger than what they were right now.
Troy almost snorted at this picture in distaste. He wondered how Jason ever screwed a girl with a picture like that right next to his bed. How could any girl sleep with him as that picture just looked at them. But then again, Gabriella had a whole bulletin board of her and Jason, and Troy had to wonder if that's what scared other guys away; the pictures showing that Gabriella and Jason might not be so platonic as they say they are.
Troy stepped into the room and quickly turned on the bedside table light, and then shut the bedroom door. Jason didn't stir as his covers were pulled halfway up his body and he was laying on his stomach. Troy rolled his eyes as Jason didn't move an inch. He looked around the floor of the room and noticed that his room was about the same as his with clothes thrown around randomly.
Troy picked up a towel by the very edge and hit Jason with it. Jason still didn't move as Troy hit him harder now.
"Get your ass up Cross." Troy muttered as his half brother turned over. Troy didn't want to get to the point of where he would actually have to touch his bare skin to get him up. There was just something weird about doing this.
Jason had gone to bed around ten o'clock. He had left at about the same time that Zeke, Sharpay, Taylor, and Chad had from the club. Troy and Gabriella had stayed a little bit later as they were busy talking to the band. When Jason got home he went upstairs to crash. He had actually enjoyed himself. When Chad invited him to go along he didn't know what to expect. Chad had never actually specifically told him who they were going out with, and when he stuck around at the club he actually thoroughly enjoyed himself. He got to meet new people who he had only seen or heard about at school.
It was like a whole new world was being opened up to him. But along with the whole new world; he was tired. And him being tired means that he's a heavy sleeper who's usually grumpy when he gets woken up. So when he opened his eyes slowly and saw that Troy was standing above him, and was in fact the reason why he was waking up at midnight he let out a small chuckle indicating just how worn out he was that night.
"This has got to be some joke." Jason mumbled as his one hand rubbed at his eyes to clear them from their sleep. He expected Troy to be gone when he reopened his eyes, but no such luck as Troy just stood there rolling his eyes.
"Very real Cross." Troy informed him quietly.
"What are you doing here? And more importantly, how did you get in?" He sat up more comfortably in his bed as the covers rolled down his body even more; showing off a little strip of his red plaid boxers.
Troy opened his mouth to talk, but then closed it. A solemn look taking over his already brooding face. He hadn't thought this far ahead. But, however, he figured he could've just blurted it out. Told Jason the quickest way possible as to try to save Gabriella from the pain as soon as possible, but looking at his half brother in the moment, it was a lot harder than what he anticipated. Even though they didn't get along; it was still hard to tell Jason that his second mother was gone, and that their dad was the one who took her to the hospital.
"Obviously I'm not dreaming or you would be someone else." Jason mused to himself before smirking at Troy and narrowing his eyes. "What the hell are you doing here? Did MY dad let you in? You know, just because Gabi and you are dating, doesn't mean that we're buddy-buddy right now." Jason pointed out. "Which also means that you don't really have the right to come over to MY house and wake me up."
"Oh my God!" Troy complained. "Do you ever get tired of hearing yourself talk?" He asked. "I KNOW it's your house. I KNOW Andrew is YOUR dad. And in fact, I couldn't care less about him."
"Well then what the hell has your panties in a bunch that you have to come barging into my room to wake me?" Jason exclaimed as his blood started to bubble. He didn't like being confused, and that was what Troy made him.
"I didn't come barging into your room. And if I did then you wouldn't have heard me since you were fucking sleeping." Troy pointed out.
"That's what normal people do at midnight." Jason shot right back like he was a stubborn ten year old. Both brothers glared at each other as Jason was the first one to break the uncomfortable silence. "What the fuck do you want?"
"It's about Brie." Troy mumbled as his whole demeanor changed.
Jason allowed a puzzled look to cross his face before blinking it away for a blank expression instead. There was something about Troy's tone that scared him. "What about her? Is she okay?"
All of a sudden wondering how Troy got into his house in the first place left Jason's mind. Hating his half brother left his veins as he sat up straighter and swung his legs over the bed and to the ground. He reached the floor with his hand to collect his black sweatpants with their school's name on the front left hand side.
Troy waited for Jason to slide on his sweat pants. He knew that Jason knew something was up now with Gabriella and it was very bad. Troy didn't even have to say anything else other than 'It's about Brie', and that just proved how much Jason cared for her as it was late at night, and he was getting dressed to probably get ready to go find her.
"I mean, she knows that you're herer? Did you guys get into a fight or something?" Jason asked as his mind was completely blank on the fact that Troy was his half brother. He just needed to know what Troy meant by what he said.
Troy swallowed as he looked down at the ground. It was a lot easier to look down at the ground than at Jason's expecting eyes. "Not exactly…"
Jason nearly ran to his closet as he took out a red sweat shirt and started slipping it on. His words were muffled by the thick material, "She's okay, though. Right?"
"Physically? Yeah." Troy mumbled again guiltily for knowing what was wrong with Gabriella and prolonging it for Jason. He really didn't mean too, but there was just something about telling someone that their second mother died.
"Bolton!" Jason's anxious voice rang throughout his room. "Troy...throw me a bone here. You can't just come over into MY room and tell me that something is wrong with my best friend. So you either tell me the easy way, or I'll make it extremely difficult for you." He threatened.
Troy had to wonder if Jason would be making threats after he found out about Anna. Probably not as Troy didn't even know if Jason would fully comprehend the situation throughout the shock of the horrible news.
"I'm sorry Cro--Jason." Troy couldn't let his distaste that was slowly dissipating for the other boy get in the way of this news.
Jason didn't know if it was because of being tired that made him even more nervous and worried about Troy in his room, but he knew he didn't like Troy's tone as it made his toes curl in the spot.
"What would you need to be sorry about?"
"Brie's down at the Coroners Office with Andrew and Coach Montez." Troy explained slowly.
Jason didn't care about his dad at the time. "But where's Anna?…" Jason let the sentence linger in the air as it slowly dawned upon why they were down at the Coroners Office so late.
Troy watched as Jason's mouth closed slowly, his eyes wide with fright. His hands were slowly shaking; matching his trembling finger tips. His eyes closed for mere seconds before opening to reveal glossed over eyes. Troy didn't know whether to just leave or to stay and try to confront him even more.
Something inside of Troy--whether it be the brotherly instinct that would always be within each boy, even if they both denied it all the time, or just the fact that Troy wasn't a heartless bastard who would leave someone at their time of need--he stood his ground.
"I'm sorry Jason." Troy apologized.
"Don't be." His raspy reply came after seconds of hesitation. "You didn't know her. It's fine."
"I might not have known her like you, but I did live next to the Montezs for about eleven years now. I know it's not the same, but…you know, if you need to talk…" Troy trailed off as that sentence rolled off his tongue awkwardly.
Jason busied himself by going over to his dresser to retrieve his car keys. "Thanks, but I don't do that. I'm fine."
Troy's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Okay, um…Brie doesn't know that I told you. So she's gonna be surprised when you show up down there."
Jason still had his back turned towards Troy as he pretended that he was fiddling with one of his basketball bobble heads that he had near his other little trinkets that had collected over the years.
"Right. I um…" There was nothing left to say between the two brothers. "…thanks."
Troy nodded his head even though Jason couldn't see. "Okay, so…I'm gonna go."
Right before Troy could leave the room, Jason turned back around. "Troy?"
"Yeah?"
"Why did you tell me and not stay with Gabi like I would've done?" Jason asked as he tried his hardest to keep the tremble out of his tone.
Troy took a silent deep breath. "Because she needs you right now. She believes that you can make everything better."
Troy swore he could see a silent tear fall down one of Jason's pale cheeks.
"…thanks Troy."
"For the record Jason? I don't believe you." Troy stated softly. "What you said just now about not telling me and staying with Brie? I think you would've done the right thing."
"How would you know I wouldn't just be my usual selfish conceited self?" Jason shot back.
Troy gave him a small smile. "Because I don't think Brie would be best friends with a selfish bastard."
The two brothers shared a small matching smile.
Gabriella was waiting for her dad as it had been close to forty minutes since she arrived. She was beyond tired. She was beyond upset. She was beyond reason as she just couldn't fathom why God would take away such a perfect human being who did nothing on Earth besides help other people.
She sat curled up in the uncomfortable chair as her dad was busy sitting straight across one of the three secretaries filling out the last of the forms. The Doctor had come out to talk to them about what had happened, and Gabriella couldn't help herself but to somewhat blame her dad and mom that there were chances something might show up unexpectedly and take her life if no one was able to treat her.
"Gabi?" A husky voice questioned quietly as it was in that mere whisper that she was able to tell just who that voice belonged too. His dad had gone home just ten minutes earlier after the doctor left them to mull over the consequences of the aneurysm.
"Jase?" Her voice came out weak.
Jason knew Gabriella wasn't the kind of girl to cry in public. There were only certain exceptions, but even when she's down at the city's coroners office where her mother's body was located, she still didn't shed a tear in front of him.
"Hey Buddy." He tried to keep his tone at least a little light hearted for his best friend, but he couldn't as he nearly collapsed in the chair next to her. His arms engulfed Gabriella as she did a complete ninety degrees in her seat to be facing him with only the armrest in between their bodies. "I came as soon as I heard."
"Your dad told you?" She asked in a higher tone than normal. Tears were on the brink of her eyes again, but she wasn't that kind of girl to willingly let her emotions get a hold of her. In a lot of ways, she was like her mother.
Jason hesitated, but she didn't notice as she had one of her hands wrapped around the middle of his back, and the other was entwined with his neck. Her short finger nails digging slightly into the soft skin; but Jason couldn't feel as he chose to block out all other emotions and thoughts that didn't have to deal with Gabriella's hurt and pain.
"Yeah." It wasn't a lie as Jason left the house after Troy. But he knew he couldn't just show up and be the way he was around Gabriella. He needed time to collect his last sane thoughts so that he could be just that little bit stronger around her; even though he wasn't doing much better than she was. But as he parked his car in the parking lot, he just sat there. He took in the various people that actually showed up in that part of the hospital building. It was almost too depressing to watch. Right when he saw his dad leave the building, he noticed that he was talking on his cell phone. It was then Jason pulled out his cell that was put on silent and saw that he had one new message. So in ways, his dad did tell him.
"He came home, and here I am." Telling Gabriella that Troy told him would just complicate things to a whole new level.
"I'm sorry I didn't call." Gabriella whispered as to control the tears gathering in her eyes. She closed her eyes again as her face stayed stationed in the side of Jason's neck.
Jason would've laughed if it was any other situation that his best friend was thinking about him before herself. "That's okay."
"No. No it's not because…'cause…I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know what I'm feeling. I don't know how to act when you find out one of your parents is never coming back." She finally broke. The sobbing in her kitchen with Troy was just a pre-show as she just lost herself in Jason's arms.
She was sick of feeling this way, and it was only the first night.
"I don't understand." Sharpay whispered from her spot in the Baylors' basement.
"What's there to understand?" Taylor asked. "It's simple really. Her mom had an aneurysm where the tumor used to be in her head; the doctors didn't find one because sometimes they're not detectable, and now…" Taylor trailed off as she leaned her head down onto her hand that was propped up by the armrest of the couch she was sitting on. Her depressed tone taking over her body.
"I just…the funeral. I don't understand." Sharpay was close to tears. "I've never been to one before."
The five kids in the basement--Zeke, Sharpay, Taylor, Chad, and Troy--were silent as they could hear footsteps from up above. They knew it wasn't Zeke's parents as it could only be the sounds coming from their two other friends.
"It's complicated baby." Zeke whispered before Gabriella's soft voice could be heard as Jason and Gabriella started waking down the steps.
"It's crazy over at my house. We have family flying in left and right."
"It'll get better. I promise." Jason reassured as they came into view.
Gabriella froze next to her friend as she took in the extra two people in the room. When Jason told her that they were just going over to Zeke's house for a little studying since she had missed two days of school and a lot of work, Gabriella thought that he just meant that only Taylor, Sharpay, and Zeke would be there. Not that she minded Chad and Troy being there, but she hadn't seen Troy since Wednesday night.
Gabriella's and Troy's eyes locked as they seemed to block out everyone around them. Even after losing her mother Troy decided that Gabriella still looked like the most beautiful girl he's ever seen. Even just wearing tight fitting jeans and a cotton t-shirt she still looked great. He didn't mind the little bags under her eyes indicating that she hadn't slept for a while. He didn't care that her eyes were a little red from the crying. He was just glad that she came out of her room for some air and to hang out with her friends.
Gabriella's breathing became shallow as she studied her boyfriend in front of her. Here she was, looking like some crazy person who hadn't had a decent sleep in quite awhile, and he's looking like a God with his perfect hair, smile, and eyes. She hadn't been avoiding him long enough for him to know it yet, but the truth was, she just didn't know how to act. He was there when she found out. He held her on the kitchen floor when she couldn't handle it anymore. Then he just disappeared that night, and she understood, as no one wanted to be around waiting to hear the bad news.
"So, should we start the studying?" Chad's voice broke through as Gabriella flinched a little coming out of her stare and forced a small smile on her face.
"Yeah, that's why we're here, aren't we?" Gabriella asked as she walked first to join the small circle of her friends around the coffee table where other school books were.
"Gabi…" Taylor started, but Gabriella shook her head. She knew Taylor well enough to know that she just wanted to say some comforting words; hoping things would get better.
"Don't. It's fine." Gabriella looked at her with a sickly sweet smile on her face. Anyone who had an I.Q would be able to tell that was fake. "Really."
Troy watched Gabriella's stiff movements as she swiped her hair out of her face and put it in a messy high pony tail. Jason was one step behind her with his hand on the small of her back.
"Seriously, Jase, I'm fine." Gabriella insisted as he backed off a little and took a step back. "Now are we going to start, or what?"
"I could use some help with math." Troy spoke softly as someone had to get the ball moving.
Gabriella turned to look at him again as he was sitting on the couch with Taylor; a cushion in between them both. She thought it would be more awkward than this. He had seen her at one of her weakest points in life, but with the way that he was softly smiling at her like it was so natural for him to be there, everything seemed okay in that moment.
"Okay. I hear that there's a test on Tuesday." She grabbed Troy's trig book off of the coffee table and sat down right next to him. She put both of her feet underneath her as Troy went to the page that he was having trouble with.
Jason and Chad broke up into discussions about the up and coming game that was going to be taking place on Tuesday night; as Zeke, Sharpay, and Taylor started on their own homework. Everyone in the moment pretended that nothing was wrong. That the two brothers in the room were getting along fine. That Sharpay wasn't still skeptical of Troy being around Gabriella. That the girl sitting next to Troy Bolton didn't just lose a mother.
Everything was perfect for them in their own imaginary world.
Gabriella stood in front of her mirror in her bathroom connected to her room. She just stared as she was in her pajamas for the night; consisting of a navy blue t-shirt and plaid boxer shorts. She just stared at her reflection in the mirror. She seemed different as her intrigued eyes scrutinized herself down to the last freckle showing.
Her awkward fingers reached out delicately to trace the contours of her face. She started with her head shape, slowly moving to trace her eyes, nose, and barely parted lips. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding as her other hand was tightly gripping the white marble counter edge.
Hanging out with her friends was a great distraction for what was to come in the next day. But now that she was alone and her dad was out with his parents and her mother's parents arranging the last details of the funeral for the next day, she was home to an empty house. Her aunts and uncles were staying at close motels that were located within twenty minutes of her house. So she at least didn't have to worry about putting up a show around them too.
She even managed to fool Jason as she constantly had to tell him that she was fine, but she did it nonetheless. It just made it easier on everyone if she was fine, and so she didn't need anyone believing otherwise that she wasn't okay. As long as she had these moments where she was along to wallow in her grief, then she would be okay. She wasn't that type of girl to draw attention to herself by causing a scene with her tears.
So that was why she missed school Thursday. She stayed inside her room; away from the rest of the world that was moving on without her. She went through spurts of time where she would be just laying there, looking up at her ceiling, and then spontaneously just burst out into silent tears. She couldn't stop the tears from running down her cheeks as memory after memory flashed through her mind. Things she didn't think she ever would remember played through her mind helplessly.
When Friday came about, she was all cried out. She busied herself by cleaning out her closest. She thought she was done with the whole tear thing. She had lasted more than ten hours without her eyes getting wet. But when she saw the blue shirt that her mom wanted her to wear for Wednesday night, she felt like she was put back into Thursday's self as she just let the tears run freely down her face.
Gabriella pulled her finger tips away from the cold glass mirror. She finished splashing cool water on her face before making her way into her room. It was already getting kind of late for her dad and grandparents to be out, but there was a lot of last minute things to take care of.
It was the rustling of the tree outside of her window that startled her as she was a lot more jumpy nowadays. She quickly walked over to the door when Troy's body became clear. When she opened the door he was standing there with a blank expression on his face. He looked at her through saddened eyes that hadn't changed in the past three days.
"Can I come in?" He asked in a raspy voice.
"Always." She stepped aside for him to enter, and then silently closed the door as she took the time facing away from him to take a calming breath. There was no use in getting worked up around him again.
"Today went good, yeah?" He murmured as it seemed to Gabriella that he didn't really know what to say either in their situation.
"Yeah. It went better than expected." She turned around and swore that his voice sounded farther away than what he was really. "It wasn't as awkward as I thought it would be."
"For us or in general?" Troy asked before he could stop himself.
Their eyes locked as both nearly took a step towards each other.
"Us. I um…sorry that I haven't been around lately." She apologized.
Troy took the giant two leaps between them and locked his arms around her neck. He looked her square in the eye as he bent to lower himself so he was at eye level with her. "Don't do that Brie. You don't need to apologize."
"I don't know what else to do then." She whispered.
"I should be apologizing if anything--" He was cut off by her lips on his. They still tasted the same. They still felt the same. They still made his heart beat faster and his stomach clench up in excitement. When she pulled back he looked at her like she was insane. "What was that for? Because if you're not okay with this, then--" He was cut off again by her warm lips on his. He would be lying if he said that he didn't miss kissing her and just talking about random things.
"Troy, I'm grieving. That doesn't mean that my lips stopped working." Gabriella cracked a small smile as their foreheads rested against one another.
"I just don't want to push you." He hushed.
"Come on. Let's talk." Gabriella lead him over to her bed as they both sat down. Gabriella sat near the head of the bed cross legged as Troy sat near the end of the bed with his back against the wall. "Now what were you saying about pushing me?"
Troy sighed lightly. "We don't have to talk about this if you don't want too." He offered as he looked down at his hands that were resting on his knees that had come up near his chest.
"I think being in a relationship requires that we talk about these things."
Troy knew that Gabriella was right. He looked at her as his eyes lingered on her perfect face. He would do anything for her in that moment; all she had to do was ask. "After your mom…you know…and you are really hurting--which is understandable." Troy added very quickly as to not offend her. "But when you're around Jason, everyone with eyes can tell that you at least have some hope in your eyes. You're happy Brie, and I really do believe you now when you say that Jason can make everything better for you."
Gabriella let his words linger in her mind as she switched her positions. She drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs for safety. "Is that what you really think? That I don't or won't need you anymore?" She finally asked in a timid voice.
Troy could sense the hurt in her voice as he quickly crawled over to her and sat right by her side. "Brie, I don't want you even more upset because of my stupid thinking. Please, just forget I said anything."
Gabriella looked Troy square in the eye. "The past two days I almost thought the same thing. Why should you get stuck within my problems when we've only been really going out for a week? I won't deny that I didn't kind of avoid you because I thought it would be too hard to deal with my feelings for you and my mom at the same time, but…"
Troy's hand that was resting on his knee was lightly lifted up by Gabriella's curious fingers. She ran her cold fingers over his warm ones; tracing the little lines that made up his rough skin.
"…Now I know I need you. Everything was hard before today. I could barely pull myself out of bed. But then today I thought would be even harder because around our friends, I'd have to act like everything was normal. But then I saw you." Gabriella swallowed the lump in the back of her throat. "And things just disappeared. It didn't matter that I had just lost my mom. Because even though Jason was with me, you were there too. I was sitting right next to you and you just…I don't know." Gabriella shyly looked up to see that Troy was staring intently at her. "All I know is that you made me feel better than what I've felt like lately, and you didn't even know it."
She took a much needed breath before looking him square in the eye again.
"I need you Troy Bolton in my life. Don't think otherwise."
Troy smiled as he loosened his body up and wrapped his arm around Gabriella's small body. She snuggled up into his side as she could hear his heart beating through his t-shirt.
"For the record Brie, I need you also. We've been spending so much time together that I can't even remember a time when we haven't talked. Isn't that weird?" He mused.
"No." Gabriella declared strongly as she wrapped both arms around him. She let her body slouch a little bit more as she was more so laying on the bed now rather than sitting on it. "Because I feel the same way."
