A/N: My sincerest apologies! I am so so sorry it took me like a year and a half to update, life has been hectic and my muse for this story just kind of died! But here you are! The LAST chapter of Changing, which is almost more like an epilogue...so it's completely short and I know you're probably like what the hell? It took you so long to write this! Well like I said, my muse has been no where to be found and I just got a new job...that's never fun! Lol ENJOY guys!

Gabriella seriously considered bolting. She felt her eyes water in shear happiness that something like this could happen to her. A wonderful, gorgeous man falling for her. She wasn't sure if she wanted to deal with the situation right now or stay on the steps to wait for Troy to waltz back up and run into her. She heard Troy's parents gasp audibly and she wished to eavesdrop more.

"Troy, oh honey..." His mother said tearfully, "We are so sorry we judged you. I'm so happy for you and proud of you!"

She tuned the rest out, confusion racing through her body. Did her really like her? His speech seemed like it truly came from the heart, but maybe it was a falsity? She heard footsteps, loud and fast coming towards the steps. It looked like she had no time to bolt any longer.

When Troy hit the steps he started taking them two at a time, until he looked up to see a contemplating Gabriella.

"G-gabriella?" He stuttered in surprise, "How long have you, um...been standing there?"

She gave him a small smile, "A while."

"What did you hear?" He asked her, his mouth in a straight unemotional line.

"Well I went to go find you and I heard arguing in the kitchen, so I decided it wasn't a good time, but when I started to go back up the stairs I heard your little, uh 'speech'."

"Oh." He stated simply. Gabriella started freaking out internally, did he not really mean anything he said? Of course he didn't, he was just a sex-crazed player. She let out a dejected sigh and started to go up the rest of the steps without another word spoken between the two of them. "Wait, Gabriella."

He followed after her, both of them plopping themselves down on his bed. "Sorry, Troy. I really didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, I know you probably didn't mean anything you said. Don't worry you don't have to explain it to me."

"Oh Gabi," He sighed gently, running his hand over her upper arm. "I did mean it, I swear. I'm really just disappointed you found out this way. It held zero romance, you basically found out from my mother."

Gabriella busted with confusion, but when it finally sunk in she grinned at Troy happily, "I really don't care how I found out Troy. I'm just really glad that I did."

"Really?"

She didn't even bother answering, she just closed the space between them pushing his lips to hers suddenly. They moved their lips together passionately for a while, losing their thoughts in the kiss. It was as if everything was put into place, everything piece of drama the pair had been through disappeared. There was the unspoken truth that they were together and that everything was finally good, perfect.

"I really like you Miss Montez."

"I didn't realize," Gabriella giggled softly as her forehead rested on his, "I really like you too Mister Bolton."

"You better, Babe." He stepped away from the petite brunette and softly grasped her hand in his. "What Troy Bolton wants, Troy Bolton gets."

She laughed loudly, "You are such a loser."

"Yeah, but now I'm you're loser."

Later that day the new couple went for a walk, silence overcoming both of them as they contemplated the events of the past days. Troy thought deeply about who he had been before. The hot, popular, bad boy...did any of those labels really matter? They might make you feel better about yourself in the moment, but in the end what did it truly mean? Absolutely nothing. He wanted to be himself for once. She brought that out in him. The nice Troy Bolton who was begging to come out finally showed itself when Gabriella showed up...he was so overjoyed that she saved him.

Gabriella was thinking the same way Troy was. She also wandered how one person could so fully change the way you are so quickly. She didn't feel like the same person anymore. She was no longer a stereo-typical loner who was smart and rather quiet. No, She no longer even considered her self remotely close to that kind of person anymore. She wasn't loud, she wasn't quiet. She wasn't a dork, but she wasn't popular...

She was simply, Gabriella.

And that's what really matters.

0o0o0o0o

Might do a companion one-shot to this sometime soon What do you think?