As soon as Troy parked his truck on the street right in front of Gabriella's house, he quickly turned off the engine before jumping out of the cab, running around to open the door for Gabriella before she could get out on her own. After basketball practice after school, Troy had taken Gabriella to her therapy session and had waited in the waiting room as Gabriella had waited for him during his practice, both silently supporting the other.

Gabriella had seen Dr. Johnson on Monday, which was very much needed after Sharpay's stunt, on Wednesday, and completed her three visits a week mandate today, feeling better about things, acknowledging that as hard as it was to see the fake letter and pictures that Gabriella didn't have the strong urge to cut again. Of course, as Dr. Johnson also pointed out, a large part of that was the image Gabriella couldn't shake even when she seldom thought about cutting again, the image of Troy's arm over hers, the razor blades flush against his skin. What showed real genuine progress though was Dr. Johnson's observation that without that image, Gabriella was slowly learning how to deal with her emotions without even thinking about cutting these days, a step in the right direction.

All Tuesday and Wednesday, both Gabriella and Troy had been on high alert in case another stunt was pulled but both were relieved when it seemed that Sharpay had pulled back on her aggressive attack, at least for now. In fact, her usual extravagant and snappy nature seemed to have tamed down quite a bit, surprising all of the East High student body, especially those that were not aware of what happened on Monday despite all the gossip. Admittedly, Gabriella was still a bit afraid of opening her locker in case something was there but was relieved yesterday when it turned out that something waiting for her was the collage that Taylor, Martha, and Kelsi had put together for her and had Troy sneak in since he knew Gabriella's combination. Gabriella's heart warmed knowing how much her friends really cared for her, knowing that even though Kelsi and Martha didn't know what had been going on with Gabriella that they were still supporting her as any good friend wou

ld, as Gabriella would them. Once Troy locked the truck, Troy and Gabriella walked together up the pathway to the front door, Troy bending down to pick up a package addressed to Gabriella while Gabriella unlocked the front door. He followed her through the door, making sure to lock the door behind him while Gabriella turned off the alarm, putting her backpack down near the stairs, her mind still preoccupied with the discussion she had with her therapist just an hour or so before.

"Is your mom coming home for dinner?" asked Troy, interrupting her thoughts.

Gabriella shook her head, recalling her mom telling her in the morning that she had left money in the cookie jar next to the microwave for pizza, knowing that Troy would be staying over for a few hours after Gabriella's therapy session. "No, she has to catch up on things at work so she left money for pizza. I think she felt comfortable doing that since you are here but I feel bad that she's stressing and working so hard to catch up, spending all that time home with me."

Troy smiled a little, placing the package on the wood floor before walking over to his girlfriend, gently pulling her to him so he could wrap his arms around her waist. "You're always thinking of everyone else, so much that you forget that people care and think about you too. Your mom wouldn't have had it any other way and neither would I, minus the whole breakup that didn't happen drama. What's important is that you are taking this day by day and becoming even stronger for it."

She let out a bit of a harsh laugh at this. "Stronger? I don't know about that Troy…"

"You are and stop contradicting me when I know I'm right," interrupted Troy, smiling more as she giggled at the last half of his words. "So, what type of pizza is it going to be tonight?"

"Umm, double pepperoni, spicy Italian sausage, and light sauce with those bacon cheese sticks?" offered Gabriella, suppressing a giggle as she saw Troy's eyes light up.

"I knew I loved you for a reason. A woman after my heart and stomach!" exclaimed Troy, kissing Gabriella on the cheek before letting her go to go call in their order.

Gabriella watched Troy leave, a smile playing on her lips, before going to pick up her backpack, spying the package for the first time in the process. She scooped up both and walked up the stairs, curious as to what was in it seeing that it was from Ian. Once in her bedroom, Gabriella tossed her backpack next to her desk, taking a seat on her bed, package still in her grasp. Gabriella turned it over in her hands a few times before getting back up for a pair of scissors to open the box with. She returned and carefully cut the tape before putting the scissors down on the nightstand, crawling back onto the bed to bring the box towards her so it rested on her lap.

Inside were several balls of newspaper, which Gabriella tossed to the floor, making a mental note to recycle it all, before she found a folded piece of paper with Ian's handwriting.

Ella,

I know this package is coming to you out of the blue but let's just say something told me that you had to have the contents of this box, mainly the picture frame. Call me crazy but Tristan came to me in a short dream I woke up from because it seemed so real, asking me to send you it. The other things, well I thought you would appreciate them, treasure them as physical memories of my cousin. Hopefully you are doing better Ella! Remember, this wasn't your fault, regardless of what anyone else may think. Call me, I'm here.

Ian

Gabriella read the note a few times, noticing the words becoming shaky as her hands began to tremble. Nerves began tightening around Gabriella's stomach as she finally put the note down, seeing the contents of the box for the first time.

The first item was Tristan's favorite and well-worn Dodgers baseball hat, making Gabriella tear up at the memories of going to a few games with him this past summer. One memory in particular played through her mind, replaying when Tristan actually turned the cap inside out and put it onto Gabriella's head, declaring her as good luck right before the Dodgers won the game in the bottom of the 10th inning with a walk-off home run. She smiled with tears in her eyes, recalling the excitement on Tristan's face before he had jumped up and dragged her up with him, kissing her soundly before whispering that she really was his good luck charm.

The second item was a stuffed football, one that Gabriella recalled Tristan making in independent living class in their junior year, completing it a few weeks before their breakup.

"Seriously, this is such a stupid project," grumbled Tristan, wincing as he managed to stick himself with yet another pin while he was trying to line up the two halves of the fabric that would make up his completed stuffed football in their school's colors. "I think I'm going to die from pin pricks."

Gabriella giggled, distracting Tristan again as he flashed her a grin before he managed to prick himself again, groaning. "Here, let me help you," offered Gabriella, scooting her chair over to be closer to Tristan at the table, gently taking the fabric from him and expertly putting the pins in.

Tristan watched in amazement, shaking his head as she finished and flashed him a smile. "Damn Ella, I had no idea you were an expert in such things."

"Well, I am a girl and this isn't too bad. Kinda works along the same lines as Geometry, angles, and such," replied Gabriella with a small smile, putting the last pin in. "There, that should get you going. You do know that is supposed to be done by the end of this period right?"

He rolled his eyes at this, knowing that Gabriella had the best of intentions but annoyed she was sitting there next to him with her gym bag already done with most of the period left. "Yes, I know. Since your project is all done, without a stitch out of place, will you help me? Please?"

"As much as I can without getting busted for doing it for you," agreed Gabriella, eyeing the teacher before looking back at Tristan. "At least try okay?"

Tristan nodded his agreement before getting to work, slipping the fabric under the grip of the sewing machine before putting it down. After a few false starts, including the first time where there was no thread loaded, Tristan managed to complete the football, stuffing it before putting the last few stitches on by hand just before the bell rang. Of course it wasn't exactly the perfect shape of a football at all as Tristan had missed the outline of the pins and sometimes stitched over them or well inside of them, causing the football to be misshapen but complete.

Gabriella saw the teacher try so hard not to laugh as Tristan put the stuffed football with his initials and the year hand sewn onto the fabric onto the table before Gabriella put her duffle bag next to it. She just smiled at the teacher, silently thanking him for not outright laughing, knowing Tristan was already feeling bad about it.

"Hey, that was a good job," said Gabriella as they left the classroom, her hand snugly in his.

Tristan let out a harsh laugh, shaking his head. "Yeah, if I was trying for the worst joke of a stuffed football ever."

Gabriella stopped their walk, pulling Tristan to a stop before she raised both her hands and placed them on his cheeks, turning his face towards her. "The point is that you tried your hardest and you got it done. I'm proud of you. And anyway, so what if you can't sew a straight line? You throw a real football like no other on the team."

"Aww, thanks baby," replied Tristan, kissing her lips. "You always know how to make me feel better about anything and everything."

With that, the two continued their walk to their next period classrooms, kissing each other quickly before they separated and ducked into their own classrooms as the bell rang.

'I only wish I knew about everything going on with you Tristan, so I could have helped in the end, when it really mattered,' thought Gabriella sadly, wiping away a few stray tears, blinking back the rest only to let them go again as her eyes landed on a very familiar picture frame, the exact same one from her dream almost a week ago. She looked again at the picture of them smiling together, his arms around her shoulders, the twinkle in both of their eyes that night. Gingerly, Gabriella pulled the picture frame out, throwing the empty box onto the floor before she cradled it in her hands, staring down at it through her tears, watching as one made a single splash against the glass.

After a few minutes of sniffling and brushing aside her tears, Gabriella managed to control her emotions again, breathing in and out slowly, wiping some additional tears off the picture frame that had managed to fall in that short time. As Gabriella sat there, staring intently at the picture frame as a whole while her breathing became more controlled, Gabriella felt a chill go up and down her spine as she remembered again that this was in her hands in almost the very same way in her dream, recalling that Ian had written that it was in his dream as well with Tristan asking him to send it to her. 'What could this all mean?'

Troy watched from the doorway to her bedroom, his left shoulder propped up against the doorframe as he leaned against it, his arms folded, as Gabriella continued to stare at the picture frame. He had resisted the urge to run to Gabriella when he saw that first tear fall but stopped himself, knowing that this would be a good thing, to make Gabriella realize that she really had come a long way from where she was just weeks ago. 'It's actually been a short amount of time and in no way is Gabriella out of the woods but I think she's surprising us all with the courage and determination she has shown to want to get better which is half the battle.'

As more time passed, Troy witnessing Gabriella lose control over her tears only to gain it back a few moments later, he found himself feeling very proud of her for not giving in to the temptation to relieve herself of the pain with the pair of scissors easily within her reach, a sign right there that progress really was being made, that Gabriella wasn't just putting up a front like he had secretly feared. Troy could only assume that the picture frame held a picture of her and Tristan since he recognized Ian's name in the from section of the label but felt no jealousy run through his veins as it would have even a month ago, just pure concern for the young woman dealing with things the best way she could.

A muted curse stumbled out of his mouth as his cell phone rang, knowing instantly by the ringtone who it was, cursing his best friend's timing as Gabriella had looked up at that instant, surprised by the sound and immediately alerted to Troy watching her from his current position. He blushed as his eyes met her now red rimmed and watery eyes, digging his cell phone out to quickly answer it. "What is it man?"

"Dude, where have your manners gone?" replied Chad. "I was just calling as a heads up that the gang wants to head over to wherever you and Gab are, to have a hang out night like we used to. It's been a while and I think the others are getting curious about Gabriella."

Troy let out a sigh, looking back at Gabriella, who had managed to compose herself again, sitting there on the bed, returning his gaze. "I don't know man, may not be the best of times."

"What is it?" asked Gabriella, wondering what was being discussed.

After shifting the phone a little so Chad would know he wasn't talking to him, Troy replied, "Chad is calling, saying the gang wants to come over and hang out. They miss you. I can tell him though to tell them another day. I don't want you feeling pressured to do this, especially after, well…"

"It's fine Wildcat, they can come," answered Gabriella, cutting off any uncertainty that was about to be expressed.

"But Brie," began Troy, only to be silenced again by his girlfriend, who shook her head as she stood up, placing the picture frame on her bedside table next to one of her and Troy, before walking to where Troy was still leaning against her doorframe.

"I want them here Troy. I know you're trying to protect me but I have to be able to do this, to deal with other people knowing if it comes out somehow tonight and just hope it goes over as well as possible with them," stated Gabriella, giving him her best courageous smile. "This is part of who I am now, for better or for worse."

"You know she's right Troy," said Chad simply. "Eventually she'll have to tell them the truth, especially when spring comes, even summer, when she wants to wear short sleeves again because of the heat."

"I know Chad but this is her call, her decision. I don't want anyone rushing her," replied Troy, meaning every word as he stared back into Gabriella's brown eyes that returned his look. Troy raised his right hand and cupped her cheek, letting Gabriella lean into it. "I'll do whatever I have to, even piss off the rest of the gang if I have to, in order to keep Gabriella safe and happy."

Chad groaned. "Man, you need to cut it with this sweet crap!"

Troy chuckled a little before he turned his attention back to Gabriella who had just sweetly kissed his palm. "I should just tell Chad to tell them to buzz off right? Give you some more time to sort everything out from whatever was in that box?"

"What box?" asked Chad, being promptly ignored by Troy.

"I'm okay, honest. I'm not going to volunteer anything because I don't think I'm ready for them all to know everything but I think I can work through telling them about Tristan without completely losing it. I didn't when I told Chad," she reminded Troy. "It'll be good for both of us to have them all over."

"You sure?" he asked, wanting to make sure that this would cause no setback or upset Gabriella in any way.

Seeing Gabriella's nod, Troy sighed, knowing the chaos that was about to interrupt their quiet night. "All right, bring them over to Brie's. Word to the warning, you better all bring your own pizza because we aren't sharing."

"Man, we are so there! See you in thirty," exclaimed Chad, immediately hanging up the phone to call the others Troy suspected.

Troy shut his phone and slid it back into his pocket, embracing Gabriella in a tight hug, looking down at her face as he did this. "You sure? Really?"

"I am. Dr. Johnson made a very good point to me in the last week, which is that I can't be afraid of people knowing or moving on with my life, being happy again. I know that I may act like nothing bothers me at times, that I'm carefree and happy when I'm with you and with the others but part of me still feels the guilt, especially thinking that Tristan will never have moments like these again," explained Gabriella, seeing the questions in Troy's eyes. "I'm not faking the happiness though Troy, I want you to know that. What Taylor and Sandra and my mother and even Ian and Chad have done for me has been amazing but you have really made a lasting impression on me, with everything you have done, your self-sacrifice and pain even. I don't know of another guy who would do what you have done and I need you to know that I recognize it, that I appreciate it. I suppose that's another reason why I feel the guilt, knowing how much stronger you and I have become together, our bond, when I know it came at a cost of Tristan's life."

"Brie, please, don't think that," he soothed, seeing her brown eyes become watery yet again. "You know that you'll always have me, as you will always have Tristan there with you in your heart. What we have may have gone through a lot in such a short period of time but it's only served to make our love, our faith in each other, stronger for it. If Tristan really was anything like me, in how much I love you, he'd want you to be happy, even if it was with me, so long as I treat you well, which I vow I will."

Gabriella gazed back at Troy in amazement, utterly speechless yet again by his words. Instead, Gabriella wrapped her arms around Troy's neck, raising herself on her tiptoes to kiss him, enjoying the feel of his lips on hers but more so just the moment they were currently sharing, thinking how Tristan was maybe right about something, Gabriella truly was lucky.

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