My breath hitched in my throat as I watched everyone pile into the room, unaware of my presence. It was like back in elementary school, and you're returning from recess with all your friends. Everyone is still energized from all the playing and focused only on their group of friends. No one was aware that I was there until someone called their attention away from their little group.

"Hi, guys," I gave them a little wave.

One by one, they were stunned into silence when they turned to see me standing by C.J.'s bed just out of the dawn's light. Their eyes bugged out in shock as they stared at me like I was some ghost. Zeke was the only one not giving me the bug eye with a stunned expression. Zeke lowered his gaze to avoid mine, and I knew we were in trouble.

Taylor was the first to find her voice. "Gabby, why are you here?" Taylor asked.

I gestured toward C.J., "I came to check on C.J."

Ryan smirked with anger, "I didn't realize you cared so much."

That hurt.

But I couldn't blame them.

"Why wouldn't I care," I reasoned, trying to control my voice. "We're still friends."

Kelsie huffed, folding her arms across her chest, "Eight out of nine of us never had problems keeping in touch, and one of us ghosted everyone for three years. Could have fooled me."

I knew that I deserved that, but it still hurt. None of them were hiding their anger, and that didn't surprise me.

"Sorry," I apologized, "I did what I thought was best."

Sharpay rolled her eyes, "best for you, and I'm supposed to be the selfish one. But apparently, I'm a shining star compared to you."

Zeke winced, shutting his eyes. This wasn't going well.

I dropped my head in guilt. Everything they were saying was true, and I knew it would hurt, but I didn't expect it to hurt as much as it was. Or to feel as guilty.

Sharpay's eyes lit like a Christmas Tree as something dawned on her. She gave me a death glare at me, not even bothering to hide her anger, "you," She scrawled, lunging at me in full fury.

Zeke lunged for her and grabbed her arm, holding her back as I stumbled back, startled by her sudden outburst. I continued to slowly back away, watching Sharpay struggle against Zeke's grip. I wasn't sure I ever saw Sharpay so angry, not even when I accidentally auditioned for the school musical and no one but Zeke was doing anything. My foot hit the back wall, and I realized I had nowhere else to run. My entire body stiffens into a board.

"Sharpay, I get you're angry," I reasoned in a shaky voice, "but we're both grown women. Maybe we can sit and talk about this."

She uttered a growl-like scream, making my stomach churn, "you're the one Zeke was hiding."

I couldn't hold back a whimper of fear as I prayed that Zeke would be able to calm her down. My heart rate was picking up fast. Nothing was registering in my mind aside from Sharpay's sudden anger.

Zeke groaned, pulling Sharpay back. "Baby, take it easy. We're all angry with Gabby, but you don't need to tear the place down."

"I'm not going to sit by and let the home wrecker steal you from me," she shot back angrily, stunning everyone.

I flinched when Sharpay lunged at me again. Zeke pulled her back again, this time into his arms. Sharpay groaned as she struggled to break free from Zeke.

"Sharpay, take it easy," Jason said when he found his voice, "I've known Zeke my entire life, and he's been one of my best friends for just as long. If there's one thing I know about him, it's that he's an honest guy."

"That explains why he's been lying about the home wrecker for months," Sharpay yelled.

Kelsie pushed her glasses into place and stood taller, "Sharpay a little louder. I don't think all the patients on this floor heard you yet; I know that C.J. certainly didn't."

Sharpay whipped her head around to see C.J. sturring in his sleep. None of us moved as we waited to see if C.J. would wake up. He continued to stir for a minute before finally settling again. We all breath a sigh of relief.

"Baby, remember what I told you," he reminded her, "even if I was secretly talking to her, she's happily married and has kids. I'm not interested in her, and there's no way she's interested in me."

I cleared my throat, "Sharpay, I know that after what I did, you guys probably don't really trust me…."

She huffed before interrupting me, "trust you; news flash, I only trust my friends. Which you've proved to us you're not."

Ouch.

That was harsh, even for Sharpay.

I forced a smile to mask my guilt and heartache, "anyway, how can I prove to you Zeke and I are only friends?"

There was silence as Sharpay thought about her answer. She eventually stopped struggling against Zeke's grip, so he let her go. She folded her arms across her chest, still giving me the dagger eyes.

Her tone was dead serious, "remember the summer before our senior year and the entire East High student body came to work at Lava Springs? Before you left after you quit, you came to yell at me."

I gave her a slight nod, wondering where she was going with this, "yeah."

She took several steps forward, sending everyone adult in the room on high alert. "You basically told me my selfish actions would have lasting consequences unless I changed and started making amends for them. Well, from where I'm standing, it looks like it's your turn to start amending your actions. You can start by telling us why you ghosted us."

I shrugged, "I had some things I needed to work through…that I'm still working through."

"And you couldn't talk to us about it?" Chad asked, failing to suppress the anger in his voice, "we were your friends. Taylor was your best friend, and Troy was your boyfriend. If you couldn't test us for some reason, you could've trusted Troy and Taylor at the very least."

Chad was right. They were all my friends, but I've always been closest to Troy and Taylor. At the very least, I should've trusted them if no one else, and I didn't. Part of me had always regretted it and wished that I had.

I hung my head and shut my eyes, refusing to let my emotions get the better of me. This would not be like when I saw Zeke again, and I didn't know what else to tell my friends besides giving them a long over-do apology.

Zeke cleared his throat and took it upon himself to explain, "look, I get you're all angry; it's not like we all don't have secrets. Granted, Gabby could have handled it better, but she was just afraid of what would happen once we knew her secret. She had been hurt by people she thought she could trust before."

I appreciated Zeke for trying but could tell from the angry look on everyone's faces they weren't letting this go so easily. Ryan narrowed his eyes at me with a frown. His gaze wasn't killer daggers like Sharpay's, but it was still enough to send a chill down my spine.

"We're not your other friends," Ryan stated.

"We're us," Taylor started to point out.

"And you should've trusted us," Chad finished for her with less anger than before, "especially Troy."

They were all right and had their points. Their hurt and anger were apparent in their voices and on their faces. I knew an apology would not work, and I didn't know what else I could do. What else can I do to start making amends for hurting them?

The vibration of my phone snapped me from my thoughts. My hand automatically went to my pocket, but I froze. Was now a good time to answer it?

Zeke's eyes met mine. He nodded slightly and tapped his phone. "You should check your phone; it may be important."

"No," Taylor corrected him. "She should leave."

A lump formed in my throat as the words cut through my heart like a knife. In that moment, I realized that this might be what I'd been afraid of all along. No matter what I did, it wouldn't change anything. In my desperate attempt to keep my friends, I might have lost them for good. My heart sank.

Knowing I was not welcome around them, I started to leave. My body tensed as I used every ounce of energy I had to hide my shaking. I felt like my fears were confirmed when none of them stopped me. My stomach hardened, making me feel nauseous. I let out a breath and reminded myself not to show how much their words hurt.

I stopped in front of Kelsie and whispered, "are you still feeling under the weather?"

She studied me for a moment as if trying to figure me out. She cleared her throat and pushed her glasses into place again, "why would you care? The fact that you ghosted us already tells us how much we all mean to you."

Another strike to my heart.

My hand absentmindedly went to the note in my pocket. Crumbling it like it was trash, I left without another word. Before I made it to the end of the hall, a single tear trickled down my face. I stopped as soon as I rounded the corner, and the tears started coming. Standing with my back to the wall, I lifted my chin as the tears came like a waterfall.

I knew seeing my friends again would be challenging, but I didn't imagine it would hurt this much. It wasn't their anger or words that struck me; it was the thought that I might have lost my friends whether I'd told them or not. It was my worst fear, and I felt like I was in a cloud of darkness.

After a good cry, I remembered Zeke's message.

Zeke: Talk later

A feeling of warm hope washed over me, feeling like the message was a bit of sunlight in my cloud of darkness. Sniffling, I smiled, hopeful that Zeke was still my friend. Wiping my tears, I pocketed my phone and returned to Melody's room. As I waited for the elevator, I tossed the crumbled note for Kelsie into the trash can by the elevator.

It had been a week since I ran back into all my friends except for Troy. I haven't seen them again since, and they haven't reached out. I had thought about trying to talk to them again but decided against it.

Zeke hadn't talked to me either. I would check for new messages every day and be disappointed every day. As each day passed, I grew less hopeful that Zeke would talk to me again. The only reason I still believe he wanted to speak to me was because I told him last week that Troy couldn't be Melody's blood donor. I was beginning to wonder if he was still my friend.

On this particular beautiful sunny summer afternoon, we were enjoying the afternoon out on the open grassy area with Rowan, mom, Truett, and Melody. Truett's recovery has been going better than expected in the last week. After just a few days, he was able to walk again. We were hopeful that he would fully recover and be left with nothing more than a scar from the cut.

Melody has had a few scares over the week, but she was slowly on her way to recovering too. She hasn't been able to walk again yet, but we can tell she's gradually getting there. She's still on a high dose of antibiotics along with her usual meds, but she'd show significant improvement. She's recovering at her own pace, and we're hopeful she will get there in her own time.

Melody giggled as she crawled after Truett. It has been Melody's mode of transport for herself since she realized she couldn't walk. Not once had it bothered her that she couldn't do what she used to, and she was in no rush to. It was almost like she knew she would be able to again without us telling her. Melody never ceases to amaze me with anything she does.

Truett stumbled forward, and Rowan caught him before he could lose his balance falling face flat. He continued to race ahead with a cheeky smile. He wasn't at all afraid; it was almost like he knew he wouldn't fall because Rowan or mom would be there to catch him.

"Mind if I take a seat," I turned my head, coming face to face with Zeke.

"Please," I agreed, scooching over to make room for him.

We sat in silence, watching Melody and Truett play together. There was something on Zeke's mind. After a minute, I decided to break the silence.

"So, how is C.J.," I asked, not taking my eyes off Melody. "Is he ready to be discharged?"

"He still has a concussion, so he's quite ready for discharge," Zeke informed me, "but he's making the most of it here. Are Melody and Truett doing OK?"

I nodded, and there was more silence between us. We both had something we wanted to know, and neither of us was willing to ask first. I was pretty sure I knew what Zeke's question was about, though.

"So, is everyone still furious with me," I whispered, giving in.

Zeke scrunched his face and nodded, "unfortunately, but I have talked them into keeping the run-in from Troy. I know it's not a fix, but I hope it helps."

I smiled, feeling a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. "It does, thanks." I pulled him into a hug.

"Just give them some more time," Zeke assured me when we pulled apart. "they won't stay mad forever."

I wasn't feeling so confident, though. There was so much that Zeke didn't know about me. That none of my friends knew about me. If Zeke knew even one of the secrets I'd been hiding, I wasn't sure he would be singing the same toon.

"I hope you're right." I sighed, "I'm sorry I caused you more trouble, and thanks again for being Melody's blood donor last week. You saved her life."

Zeke shrugged, "I was kind of already expecting trouble when I agreed to be secret friends. Plus, I'm glad I could help. Anyway, I wanted to thank you for last week. I know it was you who talked to Alexander. I've wanted his autograph forever; now I have his autograph and his book too."

I smiled a little, "it was nothing."

Silence again. I fiddled with my bracelet, trying to calm my nerves. After last week I knew it was only a matter of time before Zeke asked.

"Zeke, after last week, I know that you know who Melody's dad is," I decided to stop beating around the bush and rip the bandage off, "I know that's what you really want to talk to me about."

Zeke seemed to be really far away, watching Truett and Melody. "Did you run because you were pregnant? Was that the secret?"

I shook my head, "I didn't know I was pregnant when I ghosted everyone. I only found out after I left."

"And you didn't reach out after you found out because of whatever secret you still have," I wasn't sure if he was stating or asking.

I nodded anyway. "I've thought about reaching out countless times over the years, but every time I feel like I can finally get over my fear, I chicken out again."

Zeke picked his head back up. "Do they know that Troy is their dad?"

I turned to my little girl before answering. Rowan had her in her arms and was tickling her. Melody had such a big cheeky smile that I could see her top and bottom front teeth from where I sat. I smiled, seeing Melody's happiness and knowing she was OK. That was all I wanted as a parent.

"Melody doesn't know exactly who he is, but she kind of knows about him from the stories I occasionally tell her. She kind of understands that he doesn't live with us and that he's far away," I know that I didn't explain very well. So I tried again, "Basically, she understands as much as a typical two-year-old without her dad around all the time does. Now that she's getting older, she's starting to get to the age where she's noticing and asking more. I talk to her about Troy when she asks, and she understands as well as you'd expect a two-year-old to."

Zeke seemed to understand what I was saying, "And True?"

I blew a raspberry. That is one hole I would have a tough time getting out of. Where do I even start to explain?

"Uuuuhhhh," I took a deep breath and let it out, "Troy isn't True's dad."

Zeke looked at me like I'd told him something crazy. "How is that possible? Aren't they both two?"

"Well, technically yes….but…..uuummmm…th they…." I stuttered, struggling to find the right words.

"Are they step-siblings," Zeke guessed.

I chuckled a little, "good guess, but no. They're not siblings."

I could see the confusion appearing on Zeke's face. I held my breath, waiting to see what else he'd ask. "So they're not siblings, but he calls Javy dad. I'm confused. Javy is True's dad, right?"

I nodded, "yes, and no, I'm not his mom."

Zeke rubbed his temples, "I feel a headache coming on. I'm just going to file this under stuff I don't understand about you because of your secrets before I actually get a migraine."

I chuckle a relieved kind of chuckle, "that's a good idea, and sorry for all the secrets."

He smiled, "no worries, so I take it Javy doesn't mind you talking about Melody's dad."

I shook my head, "he's not the jealous type. Who I talk to and what about is my choice. He only cares if it could somehow harm our family in any way."

Zeke turned back to Melody and Truett. We were silent for a minute before Zeke said, "Gabby, I think Troy should know about Melody."

My eyes widen, needing a moment to find my words, "Zeke, you can't tell Troy," I stuttered.

He turned to me, "then you tell him."

I shut my eyes, "Zeke, if I could, I would have done so three years ago."

He frowned, "so you can't tell him, and you don't want me to tell him."

I hung my head, knowing I was asking a lot of Zeke. This wasn't the same as not telling Troy about me. This was much bigger, and Troy did have a right to know.

"I know it's a lot to ask, but please," I begged, "please don't tell him."

"He has a right to know," Zeke answered, "he would want to be there for his daughter."

I bit my lip, fearing I might be asking too much of him. "I promise I'll consider telling him," I pleaded, desperate to keep things from changing. "In the meantime, please don't say anything. He should hear it from me even if he has a right to know."

Zeke sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He stood and started to leave without saying a word. I noticed the hurt in his eyes and face as I watched him go. He was hurt that I'd put him in such a difficult decision.

I stared in the direction Zeke left in and thought, somehow, I'd managed to hurt all my friends. This time I'd really screwed up. I just lost what little chance I had of Zeke still being my friend.