Tuttiflutey630cyber cookies and a sparkly star to you, my 200th review!!! –throws streamers- And in answer to your question, yes – on very rare occasions, patients can develop a permanent state of Alopecia (hair loss) after losing their hair from chemo.

Glad you all enjoyed the last part, thanks for all the awesome reviews! Sorry this took me a couple of days – I kept getting called into work when I sat down to write, and then when I finally was ready to post we had an electrical fault in our house that blew out a power point so dad had to switch the power off to fix it, but when he flipped it back on he tripped the wiring and half our house was left with no power for a day and a half! So that sucked!

Anyhooo, it's all better now I hope, so here is chapter 15. You'll have to wait till the next one for Gabi's return to school, because I got carried away writing this part. But you WILL find out about Sharpay and her weirdness. Will it be righted? Read on...

(With a huge thanks to my ballet buddy Em for her brainwaves, many of which were used in this chapter!!! And Em – I still have a front door, so far so good!!! Hehehe)

Charli xox


Chapter 15

Troy lifted Gabriella's head off his chest and cupped her face in his hands, looking her square in the eye.

"Gabi, we've been through this – I would still love you if you looked like my great aunt Gladys – yeah, and I mean whiskers and all. I love you for you – who you are, not how long your hair is."

"But Troy..."

"Uh uh – no buts', Ella-Bella. I love you because your smile lights up the room. Because you crinkle your nose when you laugh. Because you can solve a Diophantine equation in like, zero-point-two of a second. Because you always take the time to have a conversation with my great aunt Gladys, no matter how much her breath smells like stale garlic. Because you find such wonder and joy in life. Because you know me better than anyone else ever has. Because you're Gabriella and no one else even comes close."

Gabriella was giggling through her tears.

"...Ella-Bella?" she raised an eyebrow, a hint of a grin on her lips.

Troy laughed. "Yeah, well...Bella means beautiful and – in my books – the girl sitting right in front of me is the truest example of the word. Now come here," he said, extending his arms and pulling her back into his chest.

"Troy?" her voice was slightly muffled by his shirt.

"Mmhmm?" Troy responded.

"Do you even know what a Diophantine equation is?"

"Uh...well, no. But it sounded smart."

Gabriella giggled. "It's ok. I love you anyway. And thanks."

"Why are you thanking me?"

"Because you're Troy. No one else even comes close..."

HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM

The following day was Friday. Troy left for school early, and took a detour via Gabriella's house.

"Troy Bolton, aren't you supposed to be at school?" Maria joked as she opened the front door.

"I'm on my way, I promise!" Troy held his hands up in defence. "I left early especially – I even got up as soon as my alarm went off," he finished proudly.

Maria laughed as she followed him through to the kitchen, where Gabriella was sitting up at the breakfast bar picking at a bowl of fresh fruit and muesli.

"Goooood morning," he sang happily, as Gabriella looked up and smiled.

"Hey! This is a nice surprise!" she giggled as he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

"Just thought I'd drop in and check on my favourite girl before school. How you doin' this morning anyway, Miss Montez?"

"Yeah, good," Gabriella replied, nodding her head. "I have an appointment at the hairdresser's at 10am."

"Yeah?"

"Uh huh. After the mess we had to collect off my pillow this morning, mom and I decided it would be easier to manage if my hair wasn't so long," she explained. "So mom made an appointment and I'm going to get it cut to my shoulders."

"Well, I reckon that'll look gorgeous," said Troy.

Gabriella shrugged. "We'll see. I also have a clinic appointment at 11.30am to have my blood counts checked. If they are good, Dr Zamitt reckons I might be able to go back to school next week, even if it's just for the mornings."

Troy's eyes lit up. "That's great news!" he exclaimed.

Maria smiled at his excitement. "Gabriella's so ready to get out of the house, aren't you Gabi?"

Gabriella nodded. "Mom is having a meeting with Principal Matsui and the school board next week to enrol me in the Homebound Program as well, so I don't fall behind. I'll be in classes on the days when I feel good, but I'll also be tutored at home."

"That's so good to hear, Gabs – I'm so proud of you!"

"Thanks!" she beamed. "Oh hey – Kelsi called last night, she said that some of the gang are up for a visit tomorrow if I was up to it. I'm so excited!"

Troy nodded. "She was talking about it at school yesterday but I forgot to tell you. They've got together a whole heap of all our favourite DVD's and are planning a totally chilled out afternoon."

"Sounds great!" Gabriella sighed happily. "Do you know if Sharpay's going to come? I haven't heard from her since..."

"I'm not sure baby," Troy replied honestly. "I'll talk to everyone at school today and see what's happening. They are going to be so excited to hear about your big comeback on Monday!"

"Alright, Mr Bolton," Maria cut in after she looked at the clock. "Time for school – don't make me call your mother!" she joked, guiding him towards the front door as Gabriella laughed into her breakfast.

"Bye Gabi!" he called over his shoulder. "I'll be back later tonight!"

"Go to school, Troy!" Maria joined in Gabriella's laughter as she returned to the kitchen. "Oh Gabi, don't ever let that one go."

"Don't worry mom," Gabriella replied. "I don't plan on it."

HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM

Sharpay Evans paced back and forth across the floor of the music room.

Monday.

She was coming to school on Monday.

What would she do? What would she say? How should she act?

So many thoughts span through Sharpay's head that it hurt. In the past, she had only had herself to worry about – as far as she was concerned, no one else was important. But now – for the first time – she had friends. Real friends. And she was beginning to realise that, underneath her self-absorbed exterior, she actually cared about them.

For Sharpay, the overwhelming sense of shock, fear, concern and the most surprising to her – compassion – she felt when she heard of Gabriella's diagnosis was completely foreign to her and she had no idea how to cope.

But the biggest thing in all of this was the fact that Sharpay was just plain scared. The thought of losing one of the only true friends she had scared the hell out of her, and she couldn't face that fear.

So she had done the only thing she knew how – avoided the issue. She wanted nothing more than to see for herself that Gabriella was doing ok. She made sure she overheard enough of Ryan's conversations that she was regularly updated on their friend's condition, but it wasn't the same. She wanted to hug her and tell her she was there for her...but how could she find the words?

Sharpay was torn from her thoughts when Troy entered the music room.

"Hey – Ryan said I might find you here."

"Oh...yeah...rehearsing for...stuff, y'know..." she trailed off.

Troy shrugged. "Yeah...well, I just wanted to let you know that the whole gang is going to visit Gabi tomorrow. We've planned a bit of a movie-marathon and we're just checking you'd be there."

"Oh...uh...I don't know, I think I..."

Troy narrowed his eyes. "I know Gabi is really keen to see you."

A flash of guilt crossed Sharpay's face. "She said that?" she asked timidly.

Troy nodded.

"Oh..." she managed to whisper.

"Sharpay – what's going on?"

Suddenly, all resolve the blonde had was gone. The emotion of the past couple of weeks that she had bottled up inside her came flooding out, and right there – in front of Troy Bolton - Sharpay Evans crumbled. Troy stood – frozen – as the renowned ice-queen sat on the floor in front of him and cried her heart out.

"Hey...Sharpay, what's...please don't..." Troy squatted beside her and patted her back awkwardly.

"Gabi..." Sharpay sobbed. "Oh Gabi...Troy she's going to think I hate her! I don't, I promise...I just...I'm so scared Troy, I am so scared now we are all finally friends that I'm going to lose her and...I just feel so bad that she's going through this – she doesn't deserve it, Troy! And I've been so horrible to her over the past year and...and..."

"Hey," Troy soothed. "Firstly, Gabriella knows you don't hate her. Secondly, she doesn't hold anything against you – she knows what is in the past is in the past. She's forgiven and forgotten. And it's ok to be scared – I am, Gabi is...but you have to find a way to get through it – you can't push people away because you are afraid of losing them. Wouldn't you rather spend time with Gabriella now than regretting it later if something...if something did happen down the track?"

Sharpay looked up at him, her eyes glistening with tears. "I...I...yes..."

Troy nodded. "I thought so. Shar, it's not too late – Gabi would love to see you tomorrow. And I think it would do you good to see her too, and realise how well she is doing at the moment...So – what do you say?"

HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM

Sharpay had agreed to visit Gabriella with the gang the following day, but – whilst on her way home from school – she suddenly knew what she had to do.

She had to face reality there and then.

This epiphany was the reason Sharpay now found herself standing on the Montez's front doorstep, nervously rocking back and forth on her pink sparkly heels.

Gabriella was standing in front of the full length mirror in the corner of her bedroom, turning from side to side, corner to corner, trying to look at her new haircut from every angle possible. The hairdresser had done a great job, she had to admit. Even if she had cried on and off for the entire time she was in the chair, watching the pile of brown curls grow at her feet.

Her hair now sat on her shoulders, still curly as ever, styled in a way that completely hid the few thin patches that had begun to appear. It wouldn't stop it from continuing to fall out over the next few weeks, but it would be much easier to handle.

The hairdresser had been so patient with her, explaining everything she was going to do before she did it, and making sure Gabriella was comfortable.

Gabriella turned away from the mirror as she heard her mother's voice calling up the stairs.

"Gabi – visitor!"

"Coming mom," Gabriella replied, smoothing her hair one last time and shuffling out of her room and down the stairs.

"Troy, I thought you weren't...Sharpay!" Gabriella stopped at the foot of the stairs as she looked up and saw the blonde girl standing in the entrance.

"Gabi..." Sharpay whispered, the great speech she had spent the entire trip from school rehearsing in her head disappearing.

"Shar, it's so good to..."

"Gabi, oh my God...Gabi...I'm so sorry..." before Gabriella knew what was happening, Sharpay had rushed forward and gathered her into a hug. "I'm so sorry..."


Yaaay, Sharpay has finally opened up, AND gone to visit Gabi! Next up, for REAL this time – Gabi returns to school, and someone will make her feel good about herself when she's struggling to accept who she is. Please pleaseplease review! I love it when people tell me what they enjoyed about a chapter!

Charli xox