A/N: Hey everyone, here is the final chapter of I'm in love with my teacher. It only took four and a half years, lol. I'm sorry about the huge gaps in updates.

Thank you so much to all my readers! And the people who reviewed, you guys are amazing. I know that some of you have reviewed every single chapter and I can't tell you what it means to me that you like this story so much.

Anyway, I hope you like this ending. Without further ado I present chapter 24, Divine (which is exactly what Zac Efron is).

"Heads up!"

There were several yells as Chad bombed into the pool, nearly squashing his friends.

"Chad, seriously how old are you?" Sharpay screeched, trying to comb her fingers through her wet hair.

Chad happily doggy paddled over to the side of the pool.

"I'm old now, we all are. High school graduates!"

He pulled himself onto the ledge that ran around the edge of the pool and put his arm around Taylor who was already sitting there.

It was the day after graduation and the whole gang was having a day at the Evans' mansion, more specifically, the pool. There had been a party the night before that most of their year attended. Gabriella had gone too. I love spending time with Troy but I definitely need to go to some of my years' parties. But Sharpay had organised the next day to be just the ten of them, so Troy and Gabriella could be together. And so the rest of them can hang with Troy, pretty sure they miss him when he's not around too.

At the moment they were all in the pool, music was playing softly, and everyone was very happy. After all school was over. They had nothing to worry about until college started, Gabriella was avoiding that topic. I do not want to get depressed at the moment with the uncertainty of what might happen to Troy and me now.

"Want to wrestle?"

Gabriella turned in the water to see Sharpay, towering over her as she was now sitting on Zeke's shoulders. Gabriella smiled.

"I'll take you down. Troy!" Gabriella yelled out and Troy swam over. Gabriella immediately tried to climb onto his shoulders, he turned around to face her.

"Gab, what the hell are you doing?" he half laughed as she tried to pull his head in a strange direction.

"I need to get on your shoulders." Why is this so hard? The water's supposed to make it easy.

"You could have just asked." Troy grinned, he put his arms around her waist and a second later Gabriella was sitting on his shoulders. How did that happen?

But Gabriella shrugged it off and grabbed Sharpay's arm as it lunged at her.

An hour later they were all out of the pool, lying in the sun, on deck chairs or the ground and were arranged in a wonky circle on the grass. The pool was hidden by a row of trees.

"I'm so happy," Sharpay broke the silence. Zeke looked over his sunglasses.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, could life be more perfect at the moment?" Sharpay stretched her arms out. "Everything is working out exactly as it should. Our futures, the whole gang of us, love..." she reached out a hand and stroked Zeke's arm, "and we have the whole summer to enjoy."

"Yeah but," Gabriella looked up from her place in Troy's arms as they shared a deck chair, "the future..." how can I put this into words? "it might not all be good."

Kelsi pulled out the earbud of the iPod she was listening to with Jason.

"What do you mean Gabi?"

"Well everything will change." Life is perfect at the moment, like Sharpay said, are they all so ready to risk that?

"I can't wait," Ryan looked up from his lotus pose on the ground, "Just think, we can do anything. Now we choose how to spend our lives."

"Yeah all the sports I want," Chad spoke dreamily. He was leaning against the foot of Taylor's chair, she leaned down and half-heartedly hit him.

"Dork, college is about learning."

Chad turned to her and grabbed her hand before she pulled away. He kissed it softly and smiled at her.

"Ok, genius, what are you hoping to learn in college?"

"Everything," Taylor replied, smiling back. Well, of course I'm looking forward to the learning. I'm a born nerd, but that doesn't stop me thinking about...

Gabriella drifted back to her thoughts, ignoring the catcalls of her friends as Chad moved onto Taylor's chair and began vigorously kissing her. Gabriella jerked herself back to the now. I need to enjoy these times, they will be over soon.

"Careful Chad, Troy will give you detention," Jason spoke up, his voice was light but had a tinge of bitterness to it. Chad detached himself from Taylor's lips and looked questioningly at Troy, who was rolling his eyes.

"Not that again, I already apologised, there were other teachers around, I had to." Troy replied.

"On the second last day of school!" Jason was indignant, "I only gave Kelsi a peck."

"Her shirt was on the ground!" Troy yelled as everyone laughed and Kelsi turned bright red.

"I was terrified it was going to show up on my report, indecent behaviour or whatever, my parents would have killed me." Jason sighed. Zeke sat up properly.

"Did I tell you guys what my report said? 'Zeke is a good student but needs to learn to control his violent tendencies'," he looked around at them in wonder, "what is that about? I have been in one little fight through all of school, surely that doesn't warrant 'violent tendencies'."

Gabriella turned to meet Troy's eyes, and tried to stop herself giggling. Uh oh, maybe Troy and I should have changed up our fallback excuse sometimes. Fighting was the easiest reason to get rid of other teachers, or to need to talk to Troy. Troy bit his lip, holding back his own smile.

"Yep it's a mystery," Troy said casually. Gabriella buried her face on his chest so the others wouldn't hear her laugh.

Slowly the group fell back into comfortable silence, though Gabriella could hear Ryan and Martha whispering to each other. Troy was idly playing with Gabriella's hair, and she let out a sigh of contentment. However the peace was once again ruined by Sharpay, who suddenly squealed loudly.

"Shar!" I was half asleep! Gabriella looked up to glare at her friend, Sharpay's mouth was hanging open, she was looking at Ryan and Martha.

"What?" Troy asked grumpily, I think he was almost asleep too.

"They kissed!" Sharpay squealed and clapped her hands together gleefully. Everyone turned to Ryan and Martha whose faces' were red and both were avoiding eye contact with anyone.

"Really?" Kelsi smiled at them. There was a pause, then Ryan slightly nodded his head. Everyone spoke at once.

"Aww!"

"You guys!"

"Way to go man"

"About time"

Martha smiled around happily and caught Gabriella's eye, Gabriella smiled back. Yeah life's too short to hold grudges, especially now, our lives about to change. You need to hold onto those who are important to you.

Ryan put his arm around Martha's shoulders and she turned away to smile at him.

"Now everything really is perfect," Kelsi said happily.

"That's right, we can all live happily ever after", Sharpay put in.

"Works for me," Taylor grinned at Chad.

"Ok, not that this isn't totally adorable, but I think this conversation is getting too girly for me," Jason stood up, stretching.

Chad stood up too, "race you to the pool!"

Before the girls knew what had happened the guys were all running back to the pool, a second later they heard huge splashes and yells. Gabriella, who had been slightly pushed aside in Troy's eagerness to race, righted herself on the chair again. Ok, ouch, that hurt. Physically, emotionally, but I guess boys will be boys. She sighed.

"Are you ok, Gabi?" Taylor looked at her, concern written all over her face, "You got kind of cut off before when we were talking about college."

"Yeah I'm ok, it's just..." take two, time to talk to my friends, "aren't you kind of scared? We won't all be going to school together anymore."

"We will be," Taylor smiled at her, "you and me at Harvard, that's been our dream forever, right?"

"Yeah, of course," Gabriella answered, I am unbelievably excited for Harvard. It's going to be amazing. "But everyone else," Troy, "won't be there."

Kelsi stood up and squeezed into Gabriella's chair with her.

"Gabs, you know none of us are going very far. It actually is pretty miraculous that we will all still be in driving distance of each other. You and Tay here at Harvard, Chad here for basketball at Boston University-"

"Us in New York!" Sharpay cut Kelsi off excitedly. "Just think - me and Zeke living together in the big city – he'll go off to his classes at the culinary institute, I'll go to auditions, until I'm hired for some small role, then on the opening night the star will fall-"

"And," Taylor cut off Sharpay, who was rapidly working herself into performing a whole monologue, "Kelsi and Ryan not far away at Julliard."

"It is so cool that you guys got in, Kels," Martha said.

"I know! I'm so glad Ryan will be there, I'd be terrified being by myself." Kelsi laughed, then she paused and thought for a second. "And Jason is only a couple of hours away at Hartford."

"It's so weird that you're going there too Martha, and you guys didn't even know the other was applying." Taylor spoke up.

"It is, isn't it? But I'm so glad, I didn't want to be alone. And Hartford is like exactly in the middle of Boston and New York, could it be any better?" Martha laughed. Everyone else laughed with her, and Gabriella looked around at her best friends. How can they be so care free? Don't they see that everything might fall apart?

"Stop!" Gabriella yelled louder then she intended. Her friends turned to her. "You guys are so happy, it's just, how can you?" I can't find the words. "Kelsi!" Gabriella grabbed onto a solid thought, "you won't be near Jason, I mean, you'll be near but not at school together, not seeing each other every day, having to go out of your way just to see him. Doesn't that scare you?"

The others girls stared at her, Kelsi gripped her hand tightly. Did I sound slightly hysterical?

"Is this about Troy?" Sharpay asked softly. Damn her intuition.

Gabriella started shaking her head, before suddenly nodding instead. She unexpectedly felt tears streaming down her face. Oh how embarrassing. Of course it's about Troy, I've been able to see him every day for months, and now we won't. College changes everything, what if we can't hold on to our relationship? And it's also about everyone else, my friends of years, how can I face classes and parties and a whole new environment without them there? Gabriella let out a loud sob. Taylor, Sharpay and Martha moved as one, suddenly they were surrounding the chair Gabriella and Kelsi were on. Martha stroked her hair, Kelsi and Taylor were each holding one of her hands, and Sharpay was kneeling in front of her, her manicured fingers wiping the tears away. Sharpay smiled slightly, then began to softly sing;

"Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high,
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby."

Gabriella sobbed harder than ever, what the hell is she doing to me? The movie we all watched at our first ever sleepover, after discovering we all adored it. Taylor, Kelsi and Martha joined in now;

"Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true."

By this point they were all in tears. Taylor laughed shakily.

"Don't you see Gabi? The rainbow is college, and we're going to soar so far beyond it."

"Wow," Kelsi whispered. I never thought of it like that. Gabriella released their hands and looked at the girls standing next to her.

"What am I going to do without you guys?" she asked. Before she knew it she was smothered in a group hug, where they all seemed to be laughing and crying at the same time.

"I'll tell you what," Sharpay pulled back, "every year, on this day, we'll meet here, and hang out. We have to, even if we don't see each other for the rest of the year." She held out a shaking hand, and put her pinky finger up, "Deal?"

Pinky swear, like we're still thirteen. But Gabriella solemnly connected her finger with Sharpay's, as did the others. They all laughed again, wiping their faces, embarrassed.

"God, let's never tell the guys about our little sob fest," Taylor said.

"Yeah, but we have to tell them about the meeting, they need to be here every year too," Martha said.

"All five of them," Kelsi added, looking pointedly at Gabriella. How does she always know what to say?

"Alright, time to stop being silly," Sharpay stood up, "it's a beautiful day, and we have weeks ahead of us to do nothing but see each other and be with our totally hot boyfriends. So I say we go join them." She looked at Gabriella who was the only one still sitting. "I'll send yours over to you, but first, Gab, finish our song?"

Gabriella sighed exaggeratedly, like this is something I don't want to do. She opened her mouth and sang the line by herself;

"Birds fly over the rainbow.
Why then, oh why can't I?"

The others flashed her smiles as they walked back to the pool. Taylor stopped and looked back, frowning.

"Why are you worried about Troy, Gab? You'll still be here with him, and didn't you say things went well when you told your aunt and uncle?"

Taylor turned and kept walking, leaving Gabriella to remember the night, two weeks previously, when Troy had come over to her place and together they had told her only family about their relationship. I'm glad it's off my chest.

Gabriella had been sick of the lies and the guilt, she didn't think she could take it any longer. At the same time, she had known that her aunt and uncle were unlikely to overlook the illegality of the situation as her friends had. She and Troy had agreed to ease them into it. So they started small, they said that they liked each other, and wanted to be together, and would be responsible and take the relationship slowly. Her aunt had been rather suspicious, and had practically interrogated Troy the whole night long. But she couldn't deny that she liked Troy, everybody likes Troy, and seeing that the two weren't going to change their minds she had grudgingly accepted them. Gabriella's uncle, for some unknown reason, seemed to find the whole situation hilarious, he cracked jokes (some less appropriate than others) about teachers, students, and anything school related. While this was the last thing Gabriella expected, it was probably better than any of the alternative reactions, so she was grateful.

Troy and Gabriella didn't mention their dates, making it sound like they had gotten to know each other simply through Troy being her teacher, they didn't mention all the lies, and definitely didn't mention they'd had sex. They made it seem like they had barely touched each other. My family is amazing, but no one likes to meet the man who took their little girl's virginity. And they hadn't mentioned that they had said I love you to each other, thinking that they would seem less convincing if they came over all love struck.

Gabriella leaned back in her chair, smiling, Love struck, I like that phrase. And I like being love struck. It makes me feel so... light, like I can fly. Maybe Troy's my rainbow. Gabriella laughed out loud.

"What are you laughing at?" Troy approached her. Gabriella eagerly jumped up and greeted him with a passionate kiss.

"Well hello to you too," Troy grinned when she pulled away, "What's going on? Sharpay threw sunglasses at my head in the pool, than demanded I come see you." He stroked the side of Gabriella's face, and she leaned into his touch. "Are you alright?"

Gabriella bit her lip, then pulled Troy back over to the deck chair. She pushed him into it and sat on his lap, settling her head to rest under his chin.

"What's going to happen to us?" she said so softly it was almost a whisper.

"When you start at Harvard?" Troy whispered back. Gabriella nodded against his chest. Troy kissed the top of her head, then put his finger under her chin and pulled her face up to look him in the eye.

"I'll tell you what's going to happen Gabriella," I love when he uses my full name, I still get a chill like it's forbidden, "you are going to Harvard, you're going to excel at everything, because you do that without trying." Gabriella felt herself blushing. "I'll keep teaching, and we will see each other at nights and on weekends just like we do now, it won't be hard."

"Just less making out in empty classrooms," Gabriella put in. He had a whole speech and I just interrupted it to make an idiotic comment. You'd think I'd have learnt by now. Troy just nodded along.

"Yes. And then in a few months, we will very coincidently run into each other in public. Maybe you'll come back to the school to talk to a different teacher, in front of many teachers we'll strike up a conversation that we can't finish, so we very innocently make a time to meet for coffee." Troy spoke clearly and calmly, but Gabriella knew him better than that, she smiled. He still likes to play this secret agent stuff. Troy leaned forward and nuzzled Gabriella's neck.

"We do so, and make plans to do it again, and again. After a while we make it official to the whole world. We are dating."

Gabriella drew in a deep breath, to finally admit it, to walk in public holding hands, to show everyone that he is mine, and I am his.

"That's a good plan," Gabriella said. Troy kissed her neck.

"Well it was mine." He chuckled and Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"You don't think it will be harder? With me at college?" I need to be reassured just one more time.

"I think it will be better," Troy kissed up her neck to her jaw, "I think our lives are only going to get better and better, because we're together." He kissed the side of her mouth, then stopped and looked right into Gabriella's eyes. "Okay?"

Finally Gabriella gave in, nodding frantically before attacking his mouth with hers. How could anyone ever disagree with those eyes? Troy's hands went around Gabriella's bare waist and she was suddenly reminded that they were both in swimwear. How could that possibly have slipped my mind? His naked chest is right there, I could kiss it now. And so she did. Gabriella slowly and deeply kissed down Troy's chest, as she approached the top of his board shorts Troy let out a deep groan. We really shouldn't, with our friends so close.

So rather reluctantly Gabriella moved back up, and kissed Troy's lips again, she pulled back slightly.

"So you're not planning on finding another school girl next year?" she said teasingly.

"Umm..." Troy paused, pretending to think hard. Gabriella smacked him on the arm. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. These last few months with you have been the best of my life. You're the only one I want Gabs, forever."

Gabriella smiled and repeated it, "forever."

Troy suddenly lifted her and spun them before just as quickly putting her back on the chair, so now his body hovered over hers. He kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her lips, her neck, her stomach, the part of her breasts not covered by her bikini top, up her arms and any other skin he could find. Gabriella moaned, I am in heaven. He kissed her mouth deeply once more.

"Do you want to get back to the others?" he asked. Before we do something we really shouldn't do right now? Yeah, sounds like a good idea. Gabriella nodded. Troy stood up and pulled her up with him.

"Do you know one thing I learnt from the whole Clara experience?" Troy said casually. Gabriella froze. We haven't mentioned that name in months, is he trying to piss me off?

"What?" Gabriella made her voice as cold as possible. Troy leaned right in to her ear, so his warm breath tickled her as he spoke.

"I want to get married young."

With that he tore off around the trees to the pool, leaving Gabriella standing, open mouthed. Oh my God! Is he serious? What if he isn't? What if he is? Gabriella's mouth slowly curved into a smile and she calmly walked over to join her friends. I don't think I mind, I would wait 50 years to marry Troy and I would do it tomorrow. This knowledge made Gabriella feel more at peace then she could ever remember being. She started running, and jumped into the pool with a huge splash, taking her friends by surprise and making them squeal. But I'm not going to worry about it anymore, I can't change the past, I don't know the future but right now everything is divine, she screamed with laughter as Troy splashed water at her, everything is perfect.

A/N: there you go! Wow, the end, I can't believe it.

Reviews with your thoughts will still greatly appreciated.

I have a million story ideas, some are sequels, but I wouldn't hold your breath (you guys know how slow I am by now). Maybe one day.

Thank you all again!