Okay, change of plans, here's the final chapter. I actually don't mind it (for once). I know it doesn't really tie up all the loose ends, so if anyone wants to write a epilogue for me they can, btu I'm not writing one. Sorry, again, but it's just getting too hard to remember what these characters are supposed to be like when I have so many others crowding my brain.

Disclaimer: NO!

The front door banged open, and Troy and Gabriella both jumped apart, blushing and wiping away tears respectively. There was a moment of awkwardness as they both stared at each other sheepishly; where exactly were they now?

The single word that slipped form Gabriella's mouth answered that question.

"Stay."

It wasn't an order- it was a question. A quiet, desperate request from somewhere deep in her heart. She needed someone to stay with her.

Troy nodded and stood, shooting her a quick, but true smile, as he slid open her balcony door and slipped outside, pulling it closed behind him. Gabriella rushed over and drew her curtains shut, just making it back to her bed as her mother arrived at her door.

"Gabi, you're here."

For a moment Gabriella was stumped, where was she supposed to be? Then she remembered her note. "Yeah, the thing that I needed to get done happened faster than I'd thought."

"Oh, okay." Her mother paused, a concerned expression on her face. "Is everything alright?"

Gabriella nodded quickly, forcing herself not to glance at her balcony behind her. She shuddered at the thought of Troy leaving.

"Are you sure, you look a little pale."

"I've been sick," Gabriella shrugged, searching for a way to get rid of her mum whilst still sounding polite.

Elena nodded slowly, then smiled a little and turned to walk away. Her daughter tried to disguise a sigh of relief by coughing over it.

The moment Gabriella's mum was out of sight, Troy opened the door again and bounded back into her room, rushing over to close the other door before sitting by Gabriella on her bed. He stared at her, his eyes piercing through hers.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded stiffly.

"As in actually okay, or just, not not-okay?"

"I'm fine, Troy." Gabriella muttered, refusing to meet his searching gaze.

His expression shifted to confused.

"Your boyfriend just dumped you."

"I know."

"And you're fine?"

"Yes."

Troy raised his eyebrows.

"Then why were you crying?"

Gabriella paused, sneaking a glance at Troy whose eyes were still trying to catch hers. She looked away again quickly, feeling her cheeks heat up at the intensity of his gaze.

"I don't want to be alone."

"You're not." He reminded her, somewhat awkwardly.

"Not like that. I mean, Josh was always sort of there, someone who I could talk to and be with and everything, even when he didn't want me there."

"I've always been here."

Both of them looked down at Troy's words. The truth in them was much too obvious.

"But it's different…" Gabriella insisted in an undertone, wringing her hands nervously.

Troy shrugged and almost smirked. "Not really, at least for me it isn't. Maybe for you it is."

Gabriella looked up, startled by the sudden change in atmosphere. Troy's eyes were burning with blue flames.

"Troy…" she began uneasily; painfully aware of how much she wanted to believe what he was saying.

He interrupted her. "I'm tired of subtlety. We've been dodging around something like this happening for way too long. I've liked you like this for way too long. And now finally you like me back, can't we just settle with that and be happy?"

"It isn't that simple, Troy. What about our families and friends-"

"They'd love it."

"And Josh?"

Troy shrugged.

"He's out of the picture now."

Gabriella groaned at his arrogant tone.

"Troy, when did you become so vain and uncaring?"

"I'm not being vain or uncaring, I'm being what you need, which is honest. Seriously Gabi, we've been hiding from each other for years now. Can't we just be a little more open for one night?"

"This would be the second night, actually."

"And that first time we got so close to the truth, but then ended up with an even stupider lie."

"You mean our circles?" He tone was almost light. Almost as if she suddenly realised what a joke is had been, the idea of them running in different circles.

"Yeah. I think it's suffice to say that all of that circle stuff just made it worse."

"Maybe not."

Troy looked questioningly at her, trying to figure out what she meant.

"Well maybe we were actually right about a bit of that circle stuff, we're running in a circle, getting more an more distant from each other until we're at opposite sides. But then, after that point, we can only get closer."

"How much closer?"

Gabriella's eyes widened. Troy leaned in towards her, his lips a hairs breadth from touching hers.

"I wasn't actually talking about physical closeness."

"But it's got to help, right?"

Troy smirked before brushing his lips over hers.

It wasn't even really a kiss, more of a tease. But it had the hair on the back of Gabriella's neck standing on end at the electricity that soared through her body at the single touch. It was too much t bare.

"Troy, I just got dumped by Josh. I can't do this right now."

Troy chuckled, his face still dangerously close to hers.

"Why did he dump you, may I ask?"

"Because-" Gabriela broke off, and bit her lips at Troy's expression. He knew he'd won. "Because of you."

"Exactly."

Neither of them was conscious of leaning forward, but both were conscious of the sudden feeling that overcame them the moment their lips met.

It was just so right. As if long ago, someone or something had decided for them to be together. Had decided for them to kiss like this, so amazing and wonderful that it felt like the first time ever. It felt perfect, as if suddenly everything that had happened before didn't matter.

It didn't matter that Gabriella's mum was so close, and could at any time walk in on them. It didn't matter that they had different friends and did different things. It didn't matter if everything else in the world meant that they couldn't be together. All that mattered was the fact that they were together, and the oblivion from anything else that ever mattered to them that came with that.

It was right, it was meant to be like this.

Eventually they separated, their breaths fast and sharp, but smiles plastered on their faces. Why hadn't they been like that before?

"Still feel alone?" Troy murmured, smirking.

"Not nearly as much." Gabriella answered, moving her arms to around his neck. "But you have to promise me something."

"Anything." Troy's eyes flared with sincerity. She knew that she could trust him.

"Don't leave me, okay?"

His smirk returned as he pulled her closer, crushing her body against his.

"Never."

And their lips met again.

Aww!!! If you liked this please trying reading I Want as well (but I know most people have already read that), because it is immeasurably better and also HSM. If you like my writiing in general, I've recenrtly starting writing for Twilight and would love some feedback on those ones, especially the one that doesnt have any reviews. PS I'll Never Forget You is going to be a short story, so it might be worth reading too.

Thanks to all of those who've stuck with this as it skowly got worse worse, and I really am sorry for stuffing it up. It's really put me off writing stories. Also, thanks for making this my second most popular story ever, it means the wolrd to me that 107 people would go to the trouble of sending me a comment about this. I worked it out that if this had had as many chapters as I want, divided by the average number of reviews per chapter for this, it would've beaten I Want by heaps, which is a fantastic credit to all of you reviewers!

Thanks again. Sorry again. Awaiting an epilogue written by a fan!