A/N: This is the last chapter of this story. I'm pretty sure I'm doing a sequel, but I don't know how long it will be before I actually do that, but look for it anyway. Uh, well...that's it. Thanks! R&R! -Mac

Disclaimer: I don't own High School Musical or other related related characters and storylines.

Chapter Four

Our Past, Our Present And A Possible Future

Gabriella strolled out onto an enclosed patio to get some fresh air. They had been talking for what seemed like hourse. Besides the nine of them, many people had already left the reunion. Gabriella leaned against a railing and stared up at the stars. She took a deep breath and sighed. The night was almost over and nearly all her fear about coming seemed foolish. In all areas but one...Troy. She still wasn't sure what to do about him.

"Hey. What are you doing out here?"

Gabriella turned to see Troy walking toward her. "Just looking at the stars."

Troy copied her position against the railing, and looked to the sky as he spoke. "Reminds me of the opening night of Twinkle Town..."

"...The party afterward." Gabriella finished his sentence smiling.

"You remember?" Troy asked, looking surprised.

"Don't look so surprised." Gabriella responded. "It was a special night. I remember everything about it."

"Really?" Troy replied.

"Yeah." Gabriella nodded. "Everything..."

Gabriella fell silent and Troy did as well. Gabriella looked back up at the stars and sighed. She looked at Troy with her head tilted.

"So...everything, huh?" Troy stated.

"Yes." Gabriella answered, exasperated. "We talked about the first time we met, the way we thought our lives would be without one another and..."

Gabriella trailed off. She remembered everything about that night and a hundred others. What they talked about, what the sky looked lik, what they did... Everything. The thing that stuck with her about that night--those nights--was that sometime during those nights he almost kissed her. Ninety--nine percent of the time, Chad interrupted. The open night of Twinkle Town was no exception. Just seconds from kissing her and Chad showed up. And yes, Gabriella remembered very well.

"And...what?" Troy prodded.

"'And...' I remember, very well, nearly every word we said." Gabriella lied. She wasn't ready to admit anything that could have changed their relationship.

"You're lying." Troy commented and chuckled.

"Yes I am." Gabriella admitted, "How did you know?"

"I just..." Troy began, "Know you."

"What do you remember about that night?" Gabriella questioned, changing the direction of the conversation a little. It got the attention off of her.

"Same as you. I remember asking you what you were thinking about, and I remember you avoiding answering." Troy responded.

"But I did answer." Gabriella added. "I told you I was thinking about what life would be like if we had never met. I told you how lost I would be without you."

"And you told me how good my life would have been without you." Troy said. "I told you I would rather be nothing and have you in my life than to be all of those things without you."

"Word for word." Gabriella whispered.

"What?" Troy questioned.

"Word for word." Gabriella repeated louder. "You said that, word for word."

"You really do remember everything about that night, don't you?"

"Yes. That night. The night we met. The callbacks. Every special memory...I remember." Gabriella exclaimed. "I remember."

"Me too." Troy nodded.

After a moment of silence, Gabriella spoke up again. "I almost didn't come tonight."

"Why?" Troy asked.

"A lot of reasons. But mostly..." Gabriella paused to take a deep breath. "Because of you."

"Me? Why would I stop you from coming? How would I stop you from coming?"

"I was just afraid of being here, of seeing you, being around you and everyone else."

"Why were you afraid?"

"Because I already felt guilty. I lost touch with all of you and it was my fault. I didn't want to face everyone."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"Because I especially didn't want to face you."

"I don't understand."

"Put it this way." Gabriella began. "You were excited to come back, to see everyone, right?"

"Yeah, a little."

"That's because you still talk to them, you still see them, you don't feel like an outsider." Gabriella responded. "I, on the other hand, disappeared from all of your lives I spent ten years without all of you. I feel disconnected."

"So, being here should be a good thing. You can get reconnected and..." Troy trailed off as he thought of something. "Unless you don't want to get reconnected?"

"That's not it." Gabriella shook her head. "I feel like I've missed so much and I can't make up for it. You don't know how bad it hurt to lose all of you--even if I let it happen. I can't go through it again."

"You don't have to." Troy said, putting what he thought to be a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Gabriella shivered and pulled away from his touch. "I will"

"Why?"

"It's hard to be around you." Gabriella answered.

"Me or all of us?" Troy asked.

"Both." Gabriella responded. "But you especially."

"What did I do?"

"You're just being you, that's what you did. I went through it once, I won't do it again."

"Losing me?" Troy frowned, she was confusing the hell out of him.

"No." Gabriella said simply.

"Then what?"

Gabriella stayed silent. They both stood, not moving, staring at each other. Gabriella wasn't sure if she could answer that question and if she could, how she would. Troy waited for her to say something, anything.

"You almost kissed me, on the opening night of Twinkle Town, outside on the grass in the backyard, at the celebration party. You almost kissed me. But Chad interrupted." Gabriella repeated adding to her comment. "That's what I was going to say, but at the last minute I changed my mind and lied."

"Are you changing the subject?" Troy replied.

"A little." Gabriella admitted. "You almost kissed me. Why?"

"Why?" Troy repeated.

"Yes. Why?"

"I...well, I..." Troy stuttered.

"Don't remember?" Gabriella asked, but Troy didn't respond. "Would you rather I tell you why I wanted you to?"

"You wanted me to?" Troy asked.

"The thing is...back in high school I was kind of, sort of in love with you."

"You were what?"

"In love with you."

"You were?"

"Yes."

Troy took a deep breath, "I was too."

"You were in love with yourself?" Gabriella joked.

"Gabby, I'm being serious here. I was in love with you." Troy replied.

Gabriella answered a moment later, "I knew that."

"You know?" Troy exclaimed, "I mean, you knew?"

"Not that night. I found out just before graduation." Gabriella said.

"How?"

"Chad."

"I knew I never should have told him. He's never had much of a tolerance for alcohol. It was the night you drove him home, huh?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"The drive home that night was really tense. I was sure something big had happened. But when I asked and you brushed me off, I let it go." Troy explained, "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I wasn't sure if it was true."

"I meant about how you felt about me." Troy shook his head.

"Why didn't you say anything to me?" Gabriella countered. "Why did I have to find out from Chad?"

"Right, me too." Troy agreed with Gabriella's implied answer. He had been scared too.

They were quiet for a long time. They didn't look at each other. They just glanced up at the stars every once and awhile. It was a big admission for both of them, and it wasn't even the largest they could manage. Troy sighed and turned to Gabriella.

"How could you leave, how could you walk away knowing what you knew?" Troy questioned.

"Fear. I didn't want things to be complicated. I was afraid it would make things complicated." Gabriella answered, "We had already come to terms about all of us separating for college, it would have made everything even harder. I wouldn't have been able to make myself leave."

"So it made it easier to drop out of our lives?" Troy replied.

"That's not what I said."

"It's what it did, though, isn't it?" Troy said. "You didn't say anything because you didn't want to be attached."

"You don't know how hard it would have been if I had to leave almost immediately after we got together. I wouldn't have been able to." Gabriella explained, her voice full of emotion.

"We could have made it work."

"You say that now, but back then I don't know if we could have."

"Did you not have any faith in me back then?" Troy asked.

"Of course I did!" Gabriella exclaimed. "It was just hard. I wasn't ready for it. It scared me that I could feel so...intensely for someone."

"It scared me too." Troy agreed, "Do you ever wonder what life would have been like if we had been together?"

"All the time." Gabriella laughed. "It was one of those regrets you carry with you, because you can't take it back."

"I really miss having you in my life Gabby." Troy sighed. "I didn't realize it until I saw you again."

"I miss you too Troy." Gabriella smiled.

"Here's a crazy idea...why don't we stay in touch this time?" Troy suggested.

"That's not crazy." Gabriella responded. "I'm just sorry I lost touch in the first place."

They fell silent once again, but after a moment Troy broke the silence. "Gabby..."

"Yeah?" Gabriella responded.

"Never mind." Troy shook his head.

"What is it?" Gabriella tilted her head as she observed the slight tinge of pink that rose in Troy's cheeks. "Tell me."

"I...well I still..." Troy started. "I still kind of, well, have feelings for you."

Gabriella completely stilled. She didn't move at all. Her eyes widened slightly as she slowly turned so she was fully facing Troy. Troy turned as well, looking her directly in the eye. He had a questioning look in his eyes. He was waiting for a response. He had taken a big step, admitting that. He put himself on the line. She needed to say something.

"Gabby..."

"Troy, you couldn't possibly..."

"Don't tell me how I can feel." Troy shook his head.

"But you don't really..."

"You're still doing it."

"I'm sory. I just...I don't know what to say." Gabriella sighed.

"No, it's fine. It's alright. You don't have to say anything." Troy started to ramble, turning away from her.

"No, Troy, I didn't mean it like that." Gabriella replied. "I just meant...it's just really hard...to tell you...that I, I still kind of have feelings for you, too."

"You do?" Troy said, surprise evident in his voice.

"Yeah." Gabriella nodded.

"Wow." Troy stated, blowing a breath out in relief. He looked out straight in front of him, but he didn't--couldn't--focus on anything.

"I know." Gabriella agreed.

"So what does this mean?" Troy asked, finally looking back toward her.

"I don't know." Gabriella answered, "What do you want it to mean?"

"I don't want to lose you again. I don't think I can let you go without being afraid that I'll never see you again." Troy said.

"I don't want to lose you again, either." Gabriella agreed.

"So that means..." Troy trailed off.

"That means...it means I'd very much like to be with you. If you'll have me." Gabriella replied.

Troy stepped closer to her and caught one of her hands in his, lacing their fingers together. "Of course I will."

Troy pulled Gabriella closer to him. He let his other hand come to rest against her cheek. Gabriella hesitantly gripped his shoulders with her hands. They both smiled as they leaned closer together. Just before their lips met, Chad's voice caused them to pull apart slightly.

"Hey guys, what's going on out here, you've been gone for a long...oh!" Chad came in to them view and he stopped in his tracks when he realized what was happening. "Sorry."

Chad disappeared back into the building Troy laughed, "I really think he does that on purpose."

"Why would you say that?" Gabriella asked.

"Because one person cannot have that bad of timing still after ten years." Troy replied, and Gabriella giggled.

"It's not his fault. He's just a little unlucky." Gabriella commented.

"I'm wondering if it's him with the bad luck or me." Troy said.

Gabriella shook her head, and laughed lightly, "You're not unlucky."

"You're right. I'm not." Troy smiled and dipped his head down quickly to capture her lips--leaving no time for interruptions.

Troy pulled her tighter against him as he deepened the kiss. Gabriella's arms slowly wrapped themselves around Troy's neck. After a momen or so they pulled away--immensely satisfied. Troy brushed away a stray lock of hair, that had fallen in Gabriella's face, and tucked it behind her ear. They quietly returned to the banquet room. As they walked in they found everyone standing to get ready to leave.

"Are you guys all leaving?" Troy asked.

"Yeah. I have to get back to Kylie." Ryan answered.

"I've got to open early tomorrow." Zeke responded.

"Open?" Gabriella frowned.

"My restaurant. Didn't you know? I opened it a couple of years ago." Zeke explained.

"I didn't know." Gabriella replied. "That's amazing."

"Thanks." Zeke nodded.

"I was thinking that we should go for an early lunch tomorrow before everyone leaves. What do you think?" Taylor suggested.

"That sounds great." Sharpay agreed.

"Yeah." Kelsi nodded.

"So what do you say...Zeke's place at noon?" Jason replied.

"I don't know where it's at." Gabriella piped up, as everyone nodded in agreement to Jason's suggestion.

"I'll show you." Troy offered.

"So, sounds good." Chad said.

"Yeah." Taylor agreed, "So see you all there?"

"Yeah." Ryan answered and everyone else nodded.

Gabriella smiled as they all began to move toward the exit. She laughed to herself as she watched everyone talk amongst themselves ast hey headed for the parking lot. It reminded her of what they had been like in high school. It was as if nothing had changed.