Gabriella Montez was the kind of student who helped people. She tutored in every single subject, and volonteered at places like dog shelters, soup kitchens and anywhere that needed her. She was involved in clubs like the Science Decathlon, and sports teams. She gave money to charity regularly. So why did all of this stop? She met Troy Bolton.
He was kind. He volounteered with her. He helped raise money, he adopted a dog from the shelter. They became inseperable, best friends. They were always together. They were a double package, and it was one or none. And her friends got jealous.
They warned her. They told her he would break her. He was only being nice to her face. He was going to hurt her so badly she wouldn't want to help anyone. She'd need help of others if she stuck with him. She didn't believe them.
Who would want to? When they left, he was standing there with her, holding her and making her feel okay. He helped her to pick up the pieces and start again. He told her she didn't need them, they were trying to bring her down so she wouldn't leave them. He stayed with her, so she believed him.
They were volounteering with the school play, and they got the leads. They made the drama club angry, and they made her cry. He held her again, and she loved him for it. She knew she was falling. But she only had him. She didn't have a girlfriend to laugh and giggle with. She realised she only had him. So she held on.
They stayed leads for the play, and sang in harmony as the drama club stood on the side. And they were in their own world. They just needed each other. They didn't need her old friends, or the drama club. They just needed each other. At the after party, they danced. She thought he felt it to. So they kissed.
They started dating, and she was happy. They didn't volounteer as much, they stayed at home, just being with each other. She took down old photos of friends, and put up photos of him and her. She'd sit and watch him, and she knew she loved him. So she told him.
She told him, and he said it back. She'd never been happier. So she stopped volounteering. She spent everyday with him, and they would just exist together, and stay in each others arms. When they weren't together, they'd talk for hours on the phone. He climbed her balcony so they could talk. They'd talk, and then he'd watch her sleep. She thought they'd be together forever.
They argued. One day they argued so badly she walked away. But he chased after her. He chased her, and they fell in love all over again. One glance was all it took. He promised to never hurt her again. She believed him, and they made up in a second. He lied.
He broke his promise. And she cried. He didn't chase after her this time. He was too busy at a party he told her he'd skip. She followed him there. She didn't like what she saw. He smiled at her. Amd she crumbled. She ran in tears, and he didn't come. He texted her. And with five words he broke her heart.
She didn't get out of the house for a month. Her mother got worried. Her old friends visited. She locked the door and ate once in a while. She got skinny. She felt dead. He never came.
She went back to school eventually. She was too thin. They bullied her. She had no one. So they got her when she was down. They made her cry. She needed him. She clung to empty air, needing his smell and his arms wrapped around her. She tried to hold herself, but it didn't work. He laughed at her.
When he laughed her heart broke even more. He'd stare down at her. It was a lie. He'd whisper. I never loved you. She lay there hurting, and he saw the pain in her eyes. No one noticed he was hurting too. They bullied, she broke, and watching her break further broke him.
He hated hurting her. His friends started to push him, so he got closer to her. He loved her. He hated how it had turned out, so he fought her. He wanted his feelings to go away. So he fought against how everything turned out. It wasn't how he wanted things.
She self harmed. She fell apart, so she self harmed. If she was hurting, maybe he'd want to help her. Only he knew. He saw the marks when he grabbed her wrist and her sleeve flew up. He was horrified. He hated what he'd done to her. So he did it too. And they hurt apart.
She died on the 2nd October. He went to the funeral, even when her mother screamed that it was his fault. He accepted it. He didn't want to hurt her. He hated himself for what he'd done. He was blamed at school. He didn't care. He knew what he had to do to be with her.
He died on October 15th. He left her a letter. He knew she wouldn't read it. But he didn't want to go without someone seeing it. Her mother came to his funeral. She knew he was sorry. So she cried for the two broken teenagers. His friends knew it was their fault. So they cried. They volounteered to save her memory. They did it to help the lost couple.
He met her at his funeral. She was watching as they lowered the coffin into the cold ground, putting him six feet under. He put his arms around her and explained. She nodded and took him back. They kissed, and held each other, watching the funeral procession. Her mother stopped crying when she felt the presence of the two teens together. The whole ceremony felt it, and they wished them the best. Gabriella and Troy walked into the distance. This time, together.
Dear Gabriella,
I never mean to hurt you. Well, truth is, I did. I started off with you to get my friends back. After a while it wasn't them. It was just us, and that was the best time I've ever had. It was better than all of my memories together. I truly am completely in love with you. I love you with all my heart.
I'm sorry.
Love,
Troy x
.~*I FORGIVE YOU*~.