He stood on his toes to see over the crowd in front of him

He stood on his toes to see over the crowd in front of him. The airport was unusually crowded, Gabriella hanging onto his arm to stay with him. "I swear Chad, if you told us the wrong loading gate, I'll strangle you."

His curly-haired friend gave him a sidelong glare past Taylor's shoulder. "The computer said Gate E3, that's where we're going."

"Who would have thought it'd be this crowded." Jason grumbled, pushing past a group of teenage girls swarming a rather attractive man.

"College does start in a week, we should have guessed." Gabriella sighed. She paused and looked back over her shoulder to the one man who didn't have a girl attached to his arm.

Zeke.

The tallest of their friends was not scanning over the tops pf people's heads. Instead, his eyes were downcast and every time he passed a couple, the shine in his usually cheery eyes would dull. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his zip up and his feet were dragging. To say that Zeke Baylor was depressed would be an understatement.

Sharpay leaving for college in England had sunk the boy into the deepest depression Troy had ever witnessed. How could the Ice Queen of East High have such an effect over someone? The fact of the matter was; she was no longer the Ice Queen. She was just a kid. A student. A friend. A girlfriend. Still, she did, on occasion, revert back to her old ways of being a little spoiled and expecting people to do things for her. But everyone around her was finally seeing her for who she truly was as a person. The whole ordeal between Troy, Gabriella, and Ethan Montez had really humanized her, and she had shown her true friendship.

Sharpay Evans was an ordinary human being.

"Found them!" Troy shouted over the nose form the crowded loading area. Zeke's downcast eyes automatically shot up, and the smallest of smiles spread across his face. Troy had caught the familiar form of a reasonably tall blond with over extravagant ear rings and the blond boy next to her, his head covered in one of his many famous hats.

Before Troy could get a greeting out to the twins, Zeke had pushed past him. Running, he collided with Sharpay's back and lifted her up from behind, his arms wrapping around her stomach. She let out a squeak, which turned into a laugh when she realized who it was.

"Zeke!" She turned around and jumped into his arms. Then, she glanced over to Troy. "I thought I told you not to come."

"You really thought we were going to let you leave without saying goodbye?" He shrugged, Gabriella smiling beside him.

Tears brimmed in the blonds eyes and she hugged Zeke again, finishing with a soft kiss. "Now I don't want to go." She admitted, a sad smile no her face.

"Don't you dare have second thoughts about this." Zeke touched his forehead to hers. "I didn't come here to change your mind. I wouldn't be a very good boyfriend if I had. I will support you no matter what, and if you want to go to college in England," he shrugged. "So be it."

"So noble." She kissed him again.

"You deserve this." He hugged her tighter. "I'll be here when you get back. Just promise me." He pulled away from her, locking with her eyes.

"Promise what?" She asked when he didn't continue.

He shoved out a sigh. "Promise me that you'll still be mine when all of this is said and done. No going off and falling in love with some tall English boy with an accent."

"Now you know I can't resist the accent." She cracked a smile.

"Not kidding." He glared down at her playfully. "I'm serious. None of that."

An important sounding man's voice sounded over the audio system. "Now boarding all passengers to London, England at Gate E3."

Sharpay looked up and let out a halfhearted sigh. She pulled away from Zeke, walking behind him to Jason and Kelsi. "Thank you." She hugged Jason, and then turned to Kelsi. "Keep up with your music girl. Maybe someday I'll be singing to it." Kelsi only blushed, hugging the blond tighter.

They broke apart and Sharpay turned to Chad and Taylor. She went through the same routine, muttering a small 'thank you'. Finally, it was Tory and Gabriella's turn.

She stepped forward. "I don't know what to say." She smiled at Gabriella. "I tried so hard to find an enemy in you, but instead, I got one of my closest friends." She hugged the brunette with all her might. "Thank you."

Gabriella laughed into her shoulder. "I don't know why you're thanking me," she pulled away, smiling. "I'm supposed to be doing the thanking. You kept Troy together for me during my slight absence. I couldn't have asked for a better friend than you, Sharpay. I'll miss you."

"Wow, that's a first. You, Gabriella Montez, will be missing me, Sharpay Evans." The blond cracked a smile so false to try and hide her sad eyes, but Gabriella saw, and an understanding passed between the two.

"Yeah, well, I'm secretly hoping you fall in love with some English boy," Zeke turned his head around to glare at her. Gabriella shoved him off, smiling, keeping up the sarcasm. "Just so you can stop trying to steal my boyfriend."

Sharpay laughed and looked to Troy. She scrunched up her eyebrows as if she were thinking. "I think I'm finally over Troy Bolton."

"Aww," the blue-eyed boy played like he was hurt. "Sharpay Evans is over me? Damn, I must be loosing my touch."

Sharpay rolled her eye and hugged him. "No, I think I'm just waiting to see if you're ever going to get over yourself."

He cracked a crooked grin. "Never."

Sharpay sighed hopelessly and turned back to Zeke. "Of, course I saved the best for last." She wrapped her arms around his neck and touched her forehead to his again. "The man that I will never forget and always love." One kiss and they both were crying. Not the heavy, obnoxious tears, but the tiny ones that just slip from the corners of their eyes. The tears of loss and not wanting to let go. The tears of knowing the truth.

And the truth was that the two were so in love that they were afraid to be apart.

"Final boarding call for all passengers to London, England at Gate E3."

Sharpay let out one sob. "I love you Zeke. Goodbye." She Turned, grabbed her carry on luggage out of her brothers hands and headed towards her gate. The remaining members of the group watched as Zeke Baylor wiped furiously at his eyes, trying to stop the tears.

Troy cleared his throat. "A friend once told me that if you have something special in your life, you should hold on and protect it." He paused; the hand that was in his jacket pocket was sweating. "I think it's rather ironic that she wouldn't follow her own advice."

Zeke turned to him. "What?"

"It's not right for you two to be apart. You both have something special. We all see it, we all know. I just didn't think it was fair that we all had happy endings and you're stuck with crap." Troy pulled out the plane ticket. "So we all did something about it."

"Wh—What is this?" Zeke reached his hand out, taking the plane ticket. "Troy? You Guys?"

"The six of us scrounged up enough money for your ticket and Ryan was able to finagle a little deal with his father. As long as you were accepted and won a scholarship to the Culinary Institute of England, Mr. Evans would pay for the rest of the costs." Troy explained with a smile.

"I didn't apply there." Zeke stammered. "I knew I wouldn't get in."

"That's where you're wrong," Gabriella smiled. "You did get in."

"And you got the scholarship." Taylor said.

"I could understand where you got my application, but the scholarship?" A small smile was spreading across his face as the puzzle pieces put themselves tog ether in his mind.

Ryan spoke up. "Are house has security cameras, Zeke." When he still didn't get it, the twin explained. "You remember that time you came over when my parents were out of town and made Sharpay that really extravagant dinner. Yeah, well, we kind of used that for your scholarship, and the Board liked it enough to grant you admissions."

Taylor nodded her head. "I spiced up the video a little, made it fun, and they liked you enough." She shrugged.

Zeke was silent for a moment. "What about my Mom and Dad? I just can't leave."

"They already know. Your Mom brought all your luggage before we got here. It's already onboard, and they know your going. Everything set."

"I'm—I'm going to school in England?" Zeke smiled out. "With Sharpay?"

"Well, that depends." Troy smiled.

"On what?" Zeke asked.

"On whether you're fast enough to catch your fleeting girlfriend." Gabriella giggled.

Zeke turned, finding Sharpay at the desk close to the gate, handing the receptionist her ticket. Troy took a step forward, poking Zeke in the back. "Go get her."

Zeke turned and sprinted, yelling Sharpay's name as he went. Troy and the other cheered for him, his legs automatically pumping faster with the support. She turned at her name, and even from their distance, Gabriella and the others could see her priceless smile. She dropped everything and ran to greet him, the two crashing together and spinning like some dramatic scene from a movie. They laughed and smiled and hugged and kissed before they finally turned to the group and waved. Soon the receptionist was urging them to get on boards and the two started their walk down towards the plane.

Troy turned to Gabriella and kissed her. Happiness welling up strongly in his chest and he smiled against her lips. She ran her hands across his back and touched her forehead to his. "You did good Troy. I'm proud of you."

"I'm so happy that I could share it with you." She whispered back. The one statement making past events run through his head. It only made him feel stronger. They had survived. They had lived to see Sharpay Evans fall in love with the most unexpected of people.

The whole situation proved that anything was possible.

Author's Notes: Well, took me long enough, but its done. Review because I still like reviews and I wouldn't mind if you headed over to my other story Welcome to the War. I have grown extremely fond of it. I hope you like it as much as I enjoy writing it.

Howling Out!