High School Musical 1. Chapter 1

Gabriella Montez shoved her cell phone back into her pocket and pushed her long, chocolate locks off her shoulders. She scanned the nightclub for any of her friends, but amongst the endless sea of people, she found no one recognizable. Club 23 was always bustling with excitement and that Friday night was no exception. Most of the kids from Albuquerque University flooded the large and spacious warehouse, desperate to blow off some steam after a long, hard two weeks of finals. Gabriella was the same, she had studied and studied for her finals, certain she had passed with flying colors and ready for the start of summer, hoping to fill it with parties, alcohol, and dancing. She looked around once more and decided there was no way Sharpay Evans, her best friend, could possibly spot her in the crowd. Finding an open seat at the bar, Gabriella ordered a vodka lime and sat, biding her time, until an arm draped itself over her shoulder. Gabriella jumped at the close contact and looked up.

"Gabs," he acknowledged her with a nod of his head, before sitting down on the seat in front of him. Gabriella groaned silently. Chase Morgan, while incredibly good-looking, was a complete and utter sleazebag. He treated girls like conquests and the only one he hadn't gotten around to was Gabriella.

"Chase," she smiled and turned her head back to the dance floor.

"So, you're here alone?" he asked.

"No, actually. I'm meeting up with Sharpay and a bunch of other people,"

"Well, if she doesn't show up, you know where to find me," Chase shot her one of his famous lopsided smiles and started to run his hands along Gabriella's exposed leg. She was dressed in a skimpy outfit, a short, sparkly mini-dress and Chase's hand was creeping a little bit too far up. Gabriella sighed and pushed him away.

"Chase, come on. Stop it," she said exasperatedly. Immediately, he got up from his seat, positioned himself behind Gabriella, and wrapped an arm around her waist, his mouth close to her neck.

"I've got a car out back. You and me, come on. It's the end of the school year, don't you want to let off a little steam?" he suggested, pressing his lips to her cheek. "Let out a little frustration?" he whispered in her ear, dropping feather light kisses down her neck. Gabriella hated Chase, but she was still a young woman, after all. There was no doubt his touches were making her anxious.

"Chase, leave it. You and I are never going to happen," she shrugged him away, making him stagger a few steps back.

"Whatever, your loss, babe," he whispered in her ear once again, before joining the rest of the clubbers on the dance floor. Gabriella sighed, scanning the nightclub again for her friends. It was near impossible to find anybody she recognized, unless they came up to her. She took a sip of her vodka lime, waiting a minute, as she felt the alcohol run through her body. Surged with courage and brazenness, Gabriella made her way onto the dance floor. Her friends were still nowhere to be found, but that was alright, she could have fun on her own. She let herself go to the music, the beat and the rhythms taking over her body, as she swayed in time to the slow, sensual, R&B sound. She ran her hands through her dark brown curls, throwing her head back and her arms in the air, surrendering to the music. Suddenly, a pair of arms snaked their way around her waist. Gabriella's half-lidded eyes flew open and she instinctively clenched at the touch.

"Shh," a man's voice whispered in her ear. "Let's just dance," he said huskily. Gabriella stood, frozen for a moment. She knew she had two options: to run or to stay. Running would be the safer option. But Gabriella's intentions that night were simple: she wanted to go out, let loose, have fun, and not care. She had freedom and the liberty to do what she pleased. Two options and she debated them carefully as the man swayed sensually behind her, pushing away her locks to press his lips to her neck. Gabriella was used to men creeping up on her, especially in clubs, they didn't mean much. Two options and she was still deciding.

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**A/N: Alright, I changed the setting from East High to Albequerque University (AU). It's mostly because I want to deal with the characters in a more mature environment and I don't really want to get the parents all involved, although I'm sure there'll be some mention of them somewhere. Besides, things are always more interesting when there's a lack of parental supervision! Enjoy, read, and review, please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The next day, Gabriella woke up with a throbbing headache. She had stumbled into her dorm room at 4 am, after finding Sharpay in the darkest corner of the nightclub. Sleepily, Gabriella stumbled out of bed, grabbing her red silk robe and made her way to the kitchen. She could hear the coffee machine whirring and she smiled faintly at the sight of her best friend hunched over a steaming mug of coffee, her head in her hands, clearly nursing a hangover. Sharpay heard Gabriella's feet walk over to the coffee maker and she groaned pitifully.

"Hangover?" Gabriella asked, sitting on the stool next to her best friend.

"You have no idea. What the hell happened last night?" Sharpay asked.

"I couldn't find you for about an hour. I was so close to just going home,"

"God, Gabi, I'm so sorry," Sharpay looked up meekly at Gabriella.

"It's alright. I found you later," she snickered.

"Doing what? Where? With who?"

"You really don't remember? You and Zeke Baylor were kind of getting it on in the corner of Club 23," Gabriella smiled.

"No! Not…not Zeke," Sharpay whispered, her hands flying to her mouth.

"No, after that it was Darren Kingsley," Gabriella reached over and grabbed an apple.

"I'm never drinking again,"

"As if,"

"What did you get up to? Please don't tell me you spent the whole night looking for me," Sharpay said, slowly making her way to the fridge to grab a cup of yogurt.

"I didn't. I kind of…well, I danced. It was fun," Gabriella said quietly. She felt hesitant to tell her roommate about the man she danced with.

"Who with?"

"I don't know, actually. I never caught his name. We just danced, that was it,"

"Sounds fascinating," Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I've got some errands to run today, so I'll be in and out. Do you need anything?" she asked, putting her finished yogurt into the trash.

"I think I'll just hang out in the park today, actually. Maybe read or something," Gabriella shrugged her shoulders. "Take it easy, you know,"

"Alright. I'll catch you later, then. Girl's night in tonight or not?"

"We'll see," Gabriella got up from her seat and made her way upstairs. After a quick shower, Gabriella stood in front of her closet, hands on her hips, deciding on what to wear. Living with Sharpay had its perks. First, there was the free rent, thanks to the fact that Mr. Evans paid for the living costs. Second, there was the gorgeous townhouse that was offered. Third, Sharpay loved to shop and she was generous. Gabriella selected a pair of denim shorts and a white, flowy, peasant top, adding a pair of gladiator sandals to her feet. Grabbing a sling bag, she stuffed her necessities inside and made her way out the door.

Madison Park was a popular hang out spot for most of the students that attended Albuquerque University. They would either be there studying in the nice weather, playing Frisbee, reading, and picnics also often took place. On vacation, the students that lived close by still made regular outings to the park to catch up with friends and to sometimes catch the local attractions, such as the many music festivals and open-air concerts that were held. That day, Gabriella propped herself up against a large tree, opened up her book, and began to read. The tree gave her the right amount of shade, allowing the sun to warm her body. She became engrossed in her novel, delving deep into the lives of the characters. Suddenly, Gabriella was very aware of another person who was sitting near her, also propped up against the same tree. She turned her head slowly and gasped.

He was the most gorgeous man she had ever laid her eyes on.

Clearly taller than she was, he had floppy brown hair that fell into his face at all the right places and the bluest, most amazing pair of eyes. He was also reading a book and sporadically shook his head to the side to get the strands of hair out of his eyes. He was muscular and built, and he was dressed casually in a pair of khaki shorts and a blue polo t-shirt that managed to make his eyes more noticeable than ever. Gabriella sucked in her breath, taking him in. He must have heard the sound, because he slowly turned his head to face her.

"Hi," he said in a deep voice, acknowledging her.

"Uh. Hey," Gabriella stuttered. She winced at the sound of her voice, it was far too tinny and squeaky against his confident tone.

"Gabriella, right?" he asked. Her eyes widened, stunned that he even knew her name.

"Right. That's me. How do you…how do you know me?" she asked.

"Sorry, I assumed Sharpay told you," he shrugged his shoulders and turned his entire frame to face Gabriella. "Sharpay and I go way back. She used to live in California, same as me,"

"Oh," Gabriella replied, as if that answered everything.

"You don't remember last night, do you?" he asked, a twinkle in his eyes.

"I remember looking for Sharpay. Why?"

"No reason," he shrugged his shoulders again, the mischievous grin still spread across his face. "Anyway, I better be going," he stood up abruptly, dusting off the leftover grass on his shorts. Gabriella gazed up at him in awe.

"Why should I remember last night?" she demanded, standing up to face him. He still had a smile on his face and raised his eyebrows. "Oh, come on. It couldn't have been that important then, if I didn't remember it," she scoffed. Suddenly, his hands turned her around so that her back was facing him and his arms wrapped around her body tightly.

"Shh," he whispered in her ear. Gabriella gasped as shivers made their way throughout her body and she trembled at the familiar voice that brought back the memories of the night before. She spun out of his grip and took a good look at him. He merely shot her another lopsided smile and left.

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**A/N: What do you think? Read and review, guys! I'd really love some feedback on all this, so you can criticize it if you want, too. I've got no qualms about it! Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Gabriella stormed inside the townhouse she shared with Sharpay, slamming the door behind her.

"Sharpay!" she screamed. Dropping her bag and throwing her keys on the table, Gabriella made her way into her roommate's spacious room. Sharpay was sitting on her bed, painting her nails.

"What's up?" she asked, nonchalantly.

"Do you know…" Gabriella started off strongly, but deteriorated, when she realized that she had no idea what the man who had managed to get under her skin was named. "Uh…" she stuttered.

"Okay, you just interrupted ten seconds of prime nail painting time to mumble something incoherent. I'm officially aggravated," Sharpay rolled her eyes and started to get off her bed.

"No, wait. It's valid, I promise," Gabriella sat herself in a small armchair and wrung her hands together. "The guy I danced with last night…he's not like the other guys, Shar," she admitted.

"What do you mean?" her best friend asked, sitting herself back down, suddenly intrigued by the story.

"He was sophisticated. Really got under my skin, y'know? I mean, it sounds like he came on to me the same way other guys did, but it was just so different. So much more intense and passionate," Gabriella spilled.

"Gabs! I can't believe you didn't tell me about this!" Sharpay clapped her hands excitedly and leaned forward with interest. "So what's he look like? What's his name? Is he going to AU?"

"Slow down. The thing is, I have no idea what his name is. I met him again today. He said he knew you," Gabriella sighed, leaning back against the chair.

"He knows me? Gabs, it could be any guy," Sharpay smiled.

"Come on, you've got to know who he is. He's not like the other guys. I've never seen him before,"

"Are you talking about…Troy Bolton?" Sharpay suggested warily.

"Um, I don't know!" Gabriella exclaimed, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "I just know that he's bloody gorgeous!" she giggled.

"Hold on a second. Dark brown hair, looks like he has professional, effortlessly placed highlights, and the most amazing blue eyes?" Sharpay asked, her eyes widening.

"Yeah,"

"Troy Bolton," Sharpay confirmed.

"Troy…Bolton," Gabriella slowly said his name, drinking it in. "How do you know him?"

"We used to go to elementary school ages ago. Our parents know each other, if I remember correctly; he's transferred to AU after a semester in New York,"

"New York? He's a city man," Gabriella laughed, her heart lifting. "Why move back to Albuquerque? This place must be really boring for him,"

"His parents are here, his old life is here, I'm assuming. Nobody really knows the real reason why he came back," Sharpay concluded. "So, you like him, huh? I'll put in a good word for you. Troy's a sweetheart, such a nice guy. He really knows how to take care of his girls," Sharpay smiled and reached over to give Gabriella a quick hug. "Alright, I'm off to do a little bit of shopping. Come with?"

"No thanks. I think I'm just going to stay in today,"

"Sure thing. I'll pick up something on the way home and we'll call the girls," Sharpay clapped her hands excitedly and ran off into the bathroom. Gabriella just nodded and leaned against the chair once again. _T'roy Bolton…I have to have him,'_ she thought, surprising herself at how badly her body yearned for him. She wanted to be close to him, as close as they were that night in the club. One thing was certain: Troy Bolton had definitely gotten to Gabriella Montez.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Later that night, Gabriella, Sharpay, and several of their closest girlfriends gathered around pizza boxes and bottles of champagne. It was a tradition for the girls of Albuquerque University, to have a pre-partying session.

"So where are we going tonight?" Kelsi Nielsen, a petite brunette, asked. She was decked out in her clubbing outfit and was giddy to get the party started.

"I was thinking we go some place new?" Sharpay suggested.

"Yes, please," Gabriella immediately agreed. _Anything to stay away from Troy Bolton_, she thought. She was afraid that if she crossed paths with him again, there was a big chance she'd transform into a giggly sixth grader. He had been on her mind all day long, ever since their encounter at the park.

"What about Le Blanc?" Taylor McKessie put forward. She took a long sip of her champagne and shuddered. "I heard it was supposed to be good,"

"Le Blanc it is, then," Kelsi nodded excitedly.

Martha Cox, Taylor, Kelsi, Sharpay, and Gabriella strutted into Club Le Blanc, an all-white, darkened building. There were white sofas pushed up against the walls, with curtains that were easy to close for privacy. The dance floor was already raging with clubbers, dancing to the smooth beats of hip hop. The girls settled into an empty alcove and quickly ordered drinks, even though they were already buzzed from the champagne they had.

"I'm going to do a quick scan," Sharpay announced and grabbed Gabriella's hand to follow her. The two ladies quickly made their rounds, stopping at several tables their classmates had occupied.

"I thought you said no one we knew was going to be here," Gabriella said nervously, as her and Sharpay lingered around the bar.

"I said we'd try some place new. Chill out, Montez. You look like you're about to have a coronary," Sharpay laughed and took another sip of her whiskey and Coke.

"Shut up. Look, Troy Bolton is just…not someone I exactly want to run into again, alright? He's got this weird effect on me,"

"So drink some more and maybe that effect will be a good one," Sharpay joked and pushed Gabriella's drink closer to her.

"Whatever," Gabriella took a long sip of her vodka lime.

"Look. We did the rounds and saw no sign of Troy, alright? What's the big deal anyway? He's not that good-looking," Sharpay shrugged her shoulders. Gabriella stared at her, slack-jawed.

"Not good-looking?!" she cried. "Sharpay, he's a god. When was the last time you saw him?"

"Back in elementary school, like I told you," she replied simply.

"Shar, he's different. I can bet you anything. He grew up and he did it damn well," she said, sticking a finger in her new drink and tasting it, a signature move that she regularly did at clubs.

"Whatever. Oh, phone's ringing. I'll be back!" Sharpay pulled out her tiny pink cell phone, flipped it open, and walked away. Gabriella sighed. It was a typical night, her standing alone at the bar while her best friend flirted with every available guy in the club. Gabriella could never understand how Sharpay did it, managed to hook up with someone new every time they went out. _She's ruthless, _Gabriella thought. She took another sip of her drink and scanned the club again, looking for anybody she could possibly connect with, anybody to take her mind off of Troy Bolton. Her eyes fell on someone familiar, though she could only see their back. She sucked in her breath as he turned around. His eyes landed on hers and for a split second, Gabriella had trouble breathing. Her hands started to shake as he walked over to her and looked down at her. She looked up into his ocean eyes and gulped. The back of his hand lightly grazed her cheek as he bent down and whispered a small, "Hi," in her ear, before turning and walking away. Gabriella gripped the edge of the bar to steady herself. _Fuck._

_

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_**A/N: Okay, what do you think?! =) I realize that my chapters are really short, the reason for this is because I write these out in Microsoft Word first, then transfer them to FF. They always seem much longer on Word documents. =P Anyway, I think the next chapter should have some serious Troy and Gabriella action, but I kinda wanted to establish the fact that Troy's really getting under Gabriella's skin. Read and review, please and thanks! =)**_  
_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Gabriella closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It was insane how easily Troy got to her. _What is the big deal with this guy? I hook up with boys all the time, no strings attached. What's he got that's different?_ Gabriella thought.

"Hey, Gabs!" Kelsi exclaimed, as she sat on an empty bar stool next to Gabriella, almost falling off. "What are you doing over here? We're all in that little alcove there!" Kelsi pointed to the alcove they had originally settled down in. Gabriella laughed as her friend tried to order a drink, although her words were slurred.

"Kels, had a bit too much to drink tonight?" she giggled.

"I'm fine! I don't know what you're talking about!" Kelsi cried. "Oh! By the way, there's this amazingly hot, hot, hot, guy over there! I think he knows you!" Kelsi giggled some more and then flounced away. Gabriella merely groaned and took another sip of her drink, feeling the alcohol warm her body. The music in the club was on that night, as Gabriella moved her hips slowly to the beats. She ran her hands through her chocolate locks, desperate to get the idea of Troy Bolton out of her head. She had no idea why or how he affected her so, but Gabriella suddenly felt the need to release her frustrations, and fast. As the music changed to a slower song, Gabriella opened her eyes in annoyance and flounced off the dance floor, joining Sharpay and the rest of her friends in their alcove. She had only been gone for an hour, yet their little area in the club was no doubt, the main attraction. Chad Danforth, a tall, athletic, basketball player for AU, had made his way over, bringing his friends, and went on to whisper in Taylor's ear. The two were more than occupied in a small corner of the club. Kelsi and Martha were busy pouring drinks for everybody, giggling and laughing at everything the boys said, while Sharpay…well, she was busy with her tongue down someone's throat. Gabriella smirked at the scene and sat herself down, accepting a drink from Kelsi. Again, she let the alcohol run through her body, feeling it heat herself up from the inside. She shivered slightly, and downed the rest of her drink. Suddenly feeling courageous and very brazen, Gabriella pushed herself off her seat and headed towards the bar. Slinking up behind a man she recognized from afar, she ran her hands up and down his back and tangled her fingers in his mass of hair.

"Here's what we're going to do. You and I are going to go back to your place and simply put, we're going to _fuck_," she whispered seductively in his ear. To place an emphasis on her last word, she bit at his earlobe, causing the man to sit up straighter.

"Uh…" he stammered. Gabriella didn't know if he knew who she was, but it didn't really matter to her. She wanted to do something, anything, with anybody, to get images of Troy Bolton out of her head. She wanted someone, but not him.

"Come on, Chase. I want it. So…badly," she whispered again, spinning him around on his stool and locking her eyes on his. Chase staggered back a little, before wrapping his arms around her and in that moment, Gabriella knew. It would be wrong and it wouldn't be satisfying, but it would be _something._

Gabriella rolled over onto her back the next morning, groaning. Her head was throbbing and as she felt around under the sheets, she emitted a sigh of relief to find her clothes still intact. She clutched her forehead, as she sat up and looked around her, taking in her new environment. There was a stereo in the corner and a cupboard that was far too small to be hers. She gathered the sheets around her tighter as the door opened.

"Hey, you awake?" Chase Morgan's blonde head popped through the door and Gabriella gasped.

"Uh…yeah," she stammered. Making sure she did in fact, have clothes on, Gabriella stumbled out of bed and Chase entered the room.

"So…" he wrapped his arms around her waist and looked down at her. Gabriella swallowed. She was unsure what his touch meant, but she knew it didn't feel right at all. She gently unwrapped his arms from her and took a step back, making sure not to meet his eyes. She knew the look in them too well: confusion and disappointment, soon to turn into anger.

"Um, look, Chase. Last night was…" she started, wringing her hands as she thought of her next few words.

"Amazing. Absolutely amazing. I knew you'd come around," he finished off for her and kissed her on the cheek. Gabriella bit her lip in frustration. She didn't understand why he didn't get the message or the signals she was sending, it was clear that she was incredibly uncomfortable with the entire situation.

"Actually, I meant to say that last night was…well, it was kind of a mistake, Chase. Look, I was drunk and looking for comfort, but it didn't mean anything," Gabriella shrugged her shoulders and braced herself for Chase's reaction.

"What?" he asked.

"Chase, let's not kid ourselves. I'm not good for you and vice versa. We're better off as acquaintances, really," Gabriella explained, picking up her phone and stuffing it into her clutch she found on the side of the bed. She was used to these awkward conversations after one-night stands and after months of lying through her teeth, Gabriella had decided a long time ago that the truth might hurt, but at least it was better than feeding whoever the boy was some made up line. "I've got to go, I've got some things to sort out back at home. Stay in touch, Chase," Gabriella ran her fingers through her hair and kissed him on the cheek, leaving behind a dumbfounded and very confused Chase Morgan, struck by the sudden thought that he had, in the most subtle way, been dumped.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"You hooked up with Chase Morgan? Gross," Sharpay shuddered, taking a bite of ice cream. The roommates were sitting in their living room, a movie playing in the background, but neither paid much attention to it. Gabriella sat herself next to Sharpay on the floor the minute she got home and the two had been updating each other on the previous night.

"I have no idea what got into me. It was like, I had all this built up frustration and I needed to get it out somehow. And I know I wanted Troy, but for some reason my body and my mind just didn't add up," Gabriella explained, tapping the side of the ice cream carton.

"So your body wanted him but your mind didn't? Throw caution to the wind, babe, and just go for it. Seriously, Troy is such a good guy,"

"It's just different this time, Shar. And I have no idea what to do about Chase now!" Gabriella exclaimed, as Sharpay giggled at her best friend's situation.

"Well, he's clearly into you,"

"That sucks, though!"

"Gabs, you've got to take it as it comes. This thing with Chase will blow over soon enough. Just lay low for a while," Sharpay closed the empty ice cream carton and licked her spoon. "Speaking of laying low, guess who has an actual date for tonight?"

"You…?" Gabriella smirked, raising her eyebrows. "An actual date? No hooking up this time? Who is it?" she asked, getting more and more excited for her roommate. The chances of Sharpay Evans finding someone she deemed worthy to date were slim; she was the pickiest and most fussy girl when it came to choices.

"Don't sound so surprised, Gabi!" she laughed. "It's Zeke. Last night, since you didn't come home, I invited him over and we just got to talking. He's really sweet and we stayed up for the longest time, just talking about everything and anything," Sharpay smiled at the thought.

"Zeke Baylor? Shar, that's great. You two will make a really cute couple,"

"It's just one date, Gabs. Anyway, I have a manicure appointment in a few. Wanna come? My treat, since you're feeling so lousy," Sharpay stood up quickly. Gabriella contemplated going with her, just to be protected underneath Sharpay's watchful eye, but she decided against it.

"Nah. I think I'm going to stay in today. Lay low, like you said," Gabriella turned up the volume on the TV.

"Suit yourself. Be good, Gabi," Sharpay gave her a quick hug and left.

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An hour later, Gabriella was lying down on the couch, channel flipping. She felt miserable, dirty, and incredibly ashamed of herself. _Why did I go after Chase? That was such a mistake. And if Troy finds out, my chances with him are kaput._ Before Gabriella could analyze the situation a millionth time, the doorbell rang. Thinking it was one of the girls or Sharpay forgetting her key again, Gabriella didn't bother fixing herself up. She was dressed in a pair of bright pink boy panties and an oversized gray sweater that hung low on her right shoulder. Her curls were a mass atop her head and she pushed some strands out of her face as she opened the door.

"Troy?" Gabriella's eyes widened at the sight of him on her very own doorstep. She immediately thought his appearance was for the best, that he finally came to claim her as his. Then, her mind shifted to the events of the previous night and she thought of the worst, that he was there to give her a piece of his mind.

"Gabriella," he nodded at her. She winced at the lack of passion in his voice and even worse, his eyes. They were completely empty as he looked at her.

"Um…what's up?" she asked nervously. She was suddenly very aware that they were completely alone and as such, Gabriella took a step back to allow him to enter the house.

"Is Sharpay here?" he asked curtly. She closed the door behind her and faced him, using all her willpower to not jump him right then and there.

"No, she left about an hour ago,"

"Do you know when she'll be back?" he asked, stepping further into the house and entering the kitchen.

"No idea," she said, breathlessly following him. He turned around suddenly, to face her, and in that instant, Gabriella and Troy's eyes locked on each other.

"Good," Troy said, before crashing his lips onto hers. Gabriella felt herself stagger backwards from the sheer force of his actions and she was grateful to feel the sturdiness of the kitchen wall behind her. Her vision blurred and suddenly, all was aware of was Troy's lips, his soft, sultry lips, moving slowly against hers. His arms found her waist and Gabriella instinctively tangled her fingers through his hair. He pulled apart, much to her disappointment and leaned his forehead on hers, looking down at him. As soon as Gabriella opened her mouth to protest his abrupt halt, Troy covered his lips over hers again. She sighed in happiness, the kiss, something she had been dreaming about ever since their first encounter, was intense and passionate, exactly how she imagined it. Troy's hands moved to her thighs and lifted her up, pinning her against the wall, as she wrapped her legs around him and attempted to pull him closer to her. The heat between them intensified and for a split second, Gabriella couldn't believe that it was really happening. For a split second, it seemed like a complete and utter dream. Snapping back to reality, Gabriella realized, in her hazy state, that Troy had moved to her neck and she threw her head back in ecstasy. It was unreal, how good he made her feel, and he did it so nonchalantly that she wanted to grab his shoulders and demand some sort of an emotion, or confirmation that this was, in fact, unfeigned. Gabriella clawed at his back, struggling to keep up with each wave of sensation he was sending over her, and dug her heels into his back. She smirked, as she heard Troy grunt and lift his head. They locked eyes once again, until this time, Gabriella decided to take charge. She let herself down from his grip and spun him around, his back leaning against the wall and her, standing in front of him. With half-lidded eyes, she began to draw imaginary circles on his neck, causing him to close his eyes. His hands managed to find her waist and Gabriella knew, there was no going back. She pinned his wrists against the wall and kissed him forcefully, a kiss that sent Troy over the edge, a kiss that spoke so much, a kiss that strengthened, and suddenly, heavy breathing was all that could be heard between the two, as their limbs tangled with each others and their lips fought to stay in control.

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**A/N: I hope you guys like it! I had to throw in the little surprise of Chase & Gabriella, just to build up some suspense! I like putting an air of suspense around Troy, but who knows what might happen to him later. Read and review! Thanks! =)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Gabriella remembered her first kiss and subsequently, her first boyfriend. She was twelve years old and it was with a boy named Dylan Farrow, who had food stuck in his braces and lips that felt like sandpaper. Dylan grew up to be a successful businessman, working for his father straight out of high school. He was someone dependable, predictable, and in all honesty, completely and utterly boring. Generally speaking, Dylan Farrow was the exact opposite of Troy Bolton. Troy was the first man to make feel Gabriella whole, made her feel alive, and, simply put, made her feel like a complete woman. The feelings he invoked in her were indescribable and she longed to be with him in every sense. When he had shown up unexpectedly at her house, Gabriella thought they really were going to go all the way and her stomach twisted happily at the mere idea of it. But they had been interrupted by Sharpay, whose intrusion was both welcomed and uninvited. Gabriella's mind filled with the things that could've happened between the two and she blushed, shaking her head in disbelief at her own, sudden maturity and self-confidence. There was no doubt about it; Troy Bolton had turned her world upside down.

"Gabriella!" Sharpay's voice screamed for her from downstairs. Hurriedly, and with a trace of guilt across her face, Gabriella made her way to the kitchen, where her blonde roommate was puzzling over the mess of papers strewn about her marble island. It had been a week since the incident and Gabriella still blushed, every time she caught sight of the wall Troy had slammed her into.

"Everything okay, Shar? What happened here?" Gabriella asked. She was grateful that Sharpay hadn't seen anything when she walked in on her and Troy, Sharpay, being the somewhat self-involved princess she was, merely started rambling on and on about a party and tutted around the kitchen, leaving Troy and Gabriella to quickly recover themselves.

"These are the party plans. And I'm having a huge crisis! Do I invite Brooke Danvers or not?" she asked, tapping a pen to the side of her head, in full thinking mode.

"Uh…party?" Gabriella asked, sitting on a stool and scanning one of the papers, which looked to be a grocery list.

"Yes, a party! I was talking about this with you and Troy only a few minutes ago, silly!" Sharpay squealed and excitedly plopped herself on a stool across from Gabriella. "I realized that Troy hasn't had a proper AU welcome and it fits perfectly with the end of summer! We're going to have a massive barbecue and pool party! Won't that be fun? But I need your help. So, Brooke, yes or no?" Sharpay's tone turned businesslike as she held up a name card.

"Yeah, I guess. Why wouldn't you invite her?" Gabriella said tiredly.

"Because of Jason. You know he and Brooke were like, totally on last summer. And now that he's with Kelsi…things could get ugly. Whatever. She's on the list," Sharpay quickly scribbled on a pink notepad.

"Can I see the guest list?" Gabriella asked. Sharpay tossed her the notepad and she went back to work on the grocery list. Gabriella mulled over the guest list, imagining people showing up to their house. There was the usual group, Kelsi, Martha, and Taylor. Then there were the boys, Chad, Jason, and Zeke. Several of their other classmates also made the list, and some had stars next to them. Gabriella's heart did flip-flops when her eyes read Troy Bolton, written in Sharpay's swirly handwriting, but the flip-flops took a nosedive as she read the name underneath his: Chase Morgan.

"You can't invite him," Gabriella said quietly.

"What?" Sharpay asked.

"You can't invite him," Gabriella repeated, her throat suddenly turning into sandpaper. She swallowed, at an attempt to breathe.

"I can't invite Troy? Are you kidding me, Montez? You spend the past two days pining over him, getting all hot and bothered by him. Then I walk into the kitchen today and I actually see the two of you getting hot and bothered and now I can't _invite_ him?" Sharpay said through gritted teeth. Gabriella ignored the fact that Sharpay had seen her and Troy's passionate make out session, but looked up at her roommate.

"I am asking you, as my best friend, you can't invite him. Chase, I mean," Gabriella swallowed again.

"Chase? But…oh, Gabs. I completely forgot. Your one-night-stand and walk of shame. We've all been there. With Chase, even," Sharpay put a hand on Gabriella's shoulder, in an effort to comfort her. "The thing is, I can't not invite him,"

"Why not?"

"Because…well, because I already have. Chase Morgan's the life of the party, Gabs. You know that. A party isn't a party without him. Plus, he's from a different college, he'll be bringing new guys, he'll add a new flavor,"

"A new _flavor_? Sharpay, this isn't cooking class, this is my screwed up love life! I can't let Troy find out that I hooked up with Chase Morgan!"

"Why not? Troy and you aren't…exclusive or anything. You guys aren't dating. He's just gotten under your skin, is all," Sharpay said, in a calm voice. Gabriella winced at her comment. Sharpay was right, her and Troy were nothing more than make out buddies. The night with Chase had nothing to do with Troy, except for the fact that Gabriella wanted to let go of her own sexual frustrations.

"…you're right. You're completely right. I hate that," Gabriella grumbled.

"You love me," Sharpay smirked.

* * *

Gabriella wandered about the house, musing to herself after Zeke had picked up Sharpay for what seemed like their millionth date later that night.

"Come out with us, we don't mind," Sharpay had offered. Gabriella declined, the feeling of being a third wheel sounded less appealing than another night with Chase. Instead, she had opted to stay at home and wallow. She hadn't heard from Troy in over a week, but the mere mention of his name sent her head reeling. She wanted more of him, simply put. Twice, she had thought of calling up Chase, but she knew it was wrong to use him, as Sharpay had put it, "a fuck buddy." Gabriella knew Chase wouldn't hesitate, though, he had been calling the house everyday, asking for her.

"This is ridiculous," Gabriella said to herself, slamming the phone down, after dialing the first few digits of Chase's number. She decided to take a bubble bath, to calm herself down. Quickly undressing, Gabriella stepped into the warm bubbles, letting them coast slowly over her body. She closed her eyes and hummed along to the sounds of Sarah McLachlan drifting out of the radio. The doorbell rang, but she was too relaxed to be bothered by it. The front door was rarely locked and Gabriella knew that whoever it was, would knock on her bathroom door sooner or later.

Several minutes passed, Gabriella realized, since the doorbell first rang. Nobody had come to knock on her door and she couldn't hear anybody making any noise from downstairs. Overcome with the fear that somebody could've broken in, Gabriella quickly stepped out of the bathtub and wrapped herself with a fluffy white bathrobe. She walked downstairs, hesitating at each step. Mustering up all her courage, Gabriella poised herself at the kitchen door, ready to burst in.

"Hah!" she screamed, flinging open the door. "You…?" she stuttered, when she realized who it was.

"Wow. Any thief would definitely be terrified of you," he said, giving her the once-over. His blue eyes sparkled with a mischief, as if he had known she was going to burst in on him any minute.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, one hand on her hip, ignoring the fact that her heart was thumping a mile a minute.

"Sharpay asked me to come and look over some party details. She's really going all out, isn't she?" he popped a grape in his mouth, casually scanning the papers that hadn't moved since earlier.

"Well, it is a Sharpay Evans creation. It's expected. What makes you think you can just walk in here, unannounced?" she asked him, taking a seat on the kitchen stool.

"The fact that the door is unlocked. Don't worry. I was going to come for you after I wrote down some extra invites," he said, the tone of his voice sending shivers up Gabriella's spine.

"You knew I was home alone tonight," she commented, more of a statement than a question. Troy shrugged his shoulders and gave her a lopsided smile. Gabriella's heart leaped, as she realized he had finally come for her, that she was the sole purpose of his journey. Oh, and that once again, they were alone.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Gabriella's small hands clawed at his back in frustration and she rolled her hips towards his, making him moan against her neck. In just the few minutes since their meeting in the kitchen, they were picking up where they left off, only this time, Gabriella was sharp enough to move them straight into her bedroom where Troy had wasted no time in re-familiarizing his lips with hers. They had stumbled and crashed into her furniture, in their passionate frenzy, her legs wrapped around his waist and him holding her up against the door. Gabriella breathed heavily, as he leaned back and caressed her, feeling her soft skin underneath his. Troy's hands expertly pulled apart her bathrobe, leaving her exposed and Gabriella's breath hitched as he devoured her. She was warm, heated, and blissfully happy, almost unaware of what her own body was doing, as Troy lifted her hips and placed her on the bed. Her eyes snapped open and looked at Troy, his face above hers, his cerulean eyes darkened with lust. She trailed her fingers along his chest and in one quick, fluid motion, pulled his shirt off, revealing a body underneath that Gabriella could only gasp at. It was this, she realized, that she wanted, for her and Troy to be connected, to finally be with each other, and perhaps, her frustrations in the past few days would finally be gone.

"Troy…" she whispered, looking up at him.

"Shh," he pushed a lock of her hair back, rubbing her cheek as he went.

"Stop telling me that," Gabriella smiled.

"Stop talking and just let go," Troy suggested, his fingers tracing the outline of her face. Gabriella sighed happily.

"Fine," she replied. Suddenly overcome with courage, she flipped him over and straddled his hips. He made a move to sit up, but Gabriella pinned both his wrists down and looked at him straight in the eye. The look she received was one of shock and curiosity and Gabriella smirked, she had him exactly where she wanted. Her hands snaked down his naked chest, tracing outlines against his well-defined abs, until she got closer and closer to his waist. He closed his eyes and rocked his hips upward, a move that got Gabriella so turned on, she had to stop what she was doing for a while.

"Gabi…" Troy moaned. Gabriella's head shot up at the sound of her name, not her full name, but the fact that he had used her nickname. No one had ever called her that during foreplay and Gabriella knew, it would have an entirely different meaning now, that it would be reserved for him and him only.

"I want you," Gabriella boldly said, her hands quickly undoing his belt and ripping off his khaki shorts, taking his boxers with her. She slinked back up along his body, making sure she came into contact with the one part of Troy that was at full attention and she realized he shivered at the touch.

"You've got…you've gotta help me out here, Gabi…" Troy muttered, his eyes closing, as his hips bucked upwards, desperate for contact with her skin.

"No way, Bolton. You made me sit and squirm for the longest time. It's my turn," she whispered seductively in his ear. Gabriella loved this part, loved the part where she got to be in control, a position she clearly never was with Troy. "I'm going to take full advantage of it," she bit on his earlobe and showered him with feather light kisses along his neck. Troy groaned and Gabriella moved her kisses further and further down his body. She wanted all of him and she would have him, now, tonight, anytime, anywhere.

* * *

"Okay, so Holly Rutherford will be seated next to Chase, they're both kind of slutty anyway…" Sharpay was talking out loud to herself, as she fixed her seating chart for Troy's-welcome-slash-end-of-summer-BBQ. She was seated in the living room, her chart spread across the coffee table and she sat Indian style, as she fixed the pins across the board. Zeke was nearby, as he always was nowadays, the sounds of popcorn popping and a heavenly smell coming from the kitchen signaled his presence. Troy was seated on the couch, his arms wrapped around Gabriella, whose permanent smile was without a doubt, due to the gorgeous man behind her. They had fallen into an easy routine, Troy and Gabriella. Their nights were either spent with each other alone or with Sharpay and Zeke on double dates. During the day, Troy and Gabriella were happy to spend it however they liked, going swimming, biking, having picnics, or just lying down on her bed and talking. He never said much about New York and his previous life, but Gabriella didn't ask for much. She knew his parents had divorced and he was now living with his mother. She knew he was amazing at basketball, a talent revealed after he beat her at their first one-on-one game. She was happy not knowing much about him, because she didn't let on much about herself, either.

"Sharpay! That's no reason to sit them together. Try, 'they're both ruthless,'" Taylor McKessie entered the living room, followed by her basketball playing boyfriend, Chad Danforth. The two had started dating the same time Sharpay and Zeke had and Gabriella smiled happily at the thought. _Everything is moving along so well_, she thought.

"Question, if we're badmouthing Chase and Holly, why are we inviting them again?" Troy asked.

"Cute, it's like he doesn't know all the shit that goes down in AU," Sharpay scoffed. "Chase is the life of the party, he'll bring a ton of guys from his own college. Holly is…well, she's easy. Don't say she isn't, she is! Anyway, that alone should make all the boys happy," Sharpay explained, and went back to her seating chart. Troy looked dumbstruck at Sharpay's reasoning, but shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey, are Kelsi and Jason making it tonight?" Chad asked, slinging one arm around Taylor's shoulders and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I think they're fighting, actually. So I wouldn't expect them to show up," Gabriella said, worriedly. She knew that Kelsi and Jason had been dating for the longest time, but Kelsi had taken to drinking more than once a week lately and she was concerned about her friend.

"Trouble in paradise, big yawn. Do you think we all should sit at the same table or should we mingle? We could always put Troy on a different table, he needs to mingle the most," Sharpay quickly turned the conversation back to the party. Gabriella marveled at Sharpay's swift and nippy comments, it was like she was always on the go and always on about herself.

"I mingle just fine, thanks," Troy raised his eyebrows at Sharpay.

"He's pretty good at the mingling, I'd say," Gabriella laughed.

"Extremely good, thank you very much,"

"Like an expert. His mingling would put others to shame," Gabriella smiled up at him and Troy laughed.

"What are you…oh, gross. How, how do you turn the concept of mingling into a sexual innuendo? You two are ruthless," Sharpay exclaimed, but still laughed.

"Not ruthless. Just hot for each other, right, baby?" Troy asked Gabriella.

"Definitely," she replied, reaching up to kiss him. Right there, in that moment, Gabriella felt like the world finally made sense, that it all just…simply fit.

* * *

Later that night, after the rest of the girls' friends had gone home, Gabriella and Troy laid in her bed. They had nights like this, nights where they didn't have sex, but just lay next to each other, hardly clothed at all. She liked the touch of him on her skin and she loved his strong arms wrapped around her.

"Gabi, do you think AU will be good for me? I mean, after New York, it's a huge change," Troy mused. He had times like this, when he was contemplative and thoughtful, and Gabriella only loved him more for it.

"I think AU will be amazing for you. If you can handle New York, you can definitely handle this boring city," she smiled.

"You'll stick by me, right? I know it's not exactly the most 'guy' thing to say, but…you'll stick with me, right?" he asked. Gabriella pulled herself up onto her elbows and cupped his face in her hands. She looked at him, allowing herself to be lost in his eyes.

"Baby, I'll never leave you. I promise," Gabriella said. Troy kissed her longingly on the lips, a kiss that said so much, that this time, it was real. Gabriella kissed him back, wanting to wash away all the hurt, all the pain that she knew he was building up inside. They fell asleep in each others arms that night, never once letting the other go.

* * *

**A/N: What do you guys think? =) I'm really happy that I got Troy & Gabriella together, I mean, finally. Lol. There'll be quite a few dramatic scenes in the future, I'm hoping I can pull them off. Also, I decided to put in the rest of the Wildcats, but just know, I'm not going to focus on them and their relationships much. Oh, and I'm not sure if Chase has a really big part in the story...I wasn't expecting him to, just wanted him to be a toy for Gabriella to play with, is all. =) Tell me what you think! =) Thanks!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Gabriella slipped her feet into a pair of white flip flops and turned to face the mirror. Her luscious, dark locks flowed sensuously around her shoulders, framing her face. She was dressed in a white sarong that tied at the edge of her right hip, and a white bikini top that was one of her favorites. She reached over to her dresser and grabbed a white hibiscus flower she had picked from Madison Park earlier, and arranged it behind her ear, pulling all of her hair to one side.

"Well, that's as good as it's going to get," she said to herself, shrugging her shoulders. She turned to head downstairs and smiled at the figure leaning against her doorway.

"I'd say that's pretty damn perfect," Troy said, smiling. He crossed the room and planted a kiss firmly on her lips. "Mmm. Hey, you think we've got time to –"

"Nope," Gabriella interrupted him. "If we don't go, Sharpay will have our heads," she giggled, grabbing hold of his hand and heading downstairs, where Sharpay Evans was touching up the last bits of the party. She was a flurry of pink and silver, flouncing from one end of the kitchen to the next.

"Everybody understand? Good. Oh, _there_ you are! Do you have your speech ready?" Sharpay asked frantically, her eyes landing on Troy.

"Speech? What the…Shar, you never asked me to make a – "

"Make it up on the spot!" Sharpay cried, running out of the kitchen.

"That girl is giving me a migraine," Troy grumbled and Gabriella laughed. She knew Sharpay had put her heart and soul into the party, but she couldn't help but agree that she was overreacting. For the past few days, she had had to put up with Sharpay's incessant plan-changing, from a sit-down lunch to a stand-up, do it yourself barbecue. For her best friend's sake, Gabriella hoped everything would go as planned.

"Come on, let's go see how the outside looks," Gabriella suggested, taking Troy's hand and leading him out to the patio. She gasped as she saw what Sharpay had done to their backyard. It was late evening and white, twinkling lights hovered above their heads. Small round, elevated tables scattered the deck and the pool was lighted, several floaties and water guns already laid nearby, ready for their guests. There was a long buffet table with its usual condiments and the grill was off to one side, Chad already manning the station, with a skeptical Taylor next to him. The swing-set and hammock were also decorated with white lights and lanterns were set in various places. "Sharpay, this is amazing!" she cried.

"Not like you had anything to do with it," Sharpay shot back, and then laughed, giving Gabriella a hug. "It really is, isn't it? I can't believe summer is almost over. School is going to suck,"

"School isn't going to suck. Just think of how many parties we'll be able to go to!" Kelsi Nielsen's voice suddenly joined in, she appeared from behind Sharpay.

"Hey, Kels. Where's Jason?" Gabriella asked, giving her friend a quick hug.

"He's…well, he's probably coming later. I'm not too sure," she said flippantly, shrugging her shoulders and crossing the yard to talk to Taylor, who was mouthing off different ways to grill to Chad.

"I think I'm going to go and save Chad from a Taylor beating," Troy whispered in Gabriella's ear and walked away. Gabriella watched his retreating back, drinking in his athletic physique, her eyes traveling down to his ass.

"Geez, Montez. Obvious much?" Sharpay nudged her and laughed. Gabriella blushed furiously, at the embarrassment of checking out her own boyfriend. "I don't blame you, he does have a nice tush," Sharpay giggled. "How are things between you two anyway? I've hardly spoken to you since,"

"I know, Shar, and I'm really sorry I haven't been there to help you with all of this," Gabriella apologized, gesturing at the backyard. "This really is amazing,"

"Don't worry about it, Zeke was there," Sharpay smiled. "Tell me about you and the golden boy,"

"He's amazing, too. It just feels so right, like I can't believe I haven't met him before, like he's the thing that's been missing for so long," Gabriella explained, following Sharpay and straightening out tables and lawn chairs.

"That's great, Gabi. Just…just be careful, okay?" Sharpay stopped and turned around to face her.

"What?"

"Be careful. I know you're both falling in love and I think that's great, but…well, has he ever told you about his life? New York City and everything before that? All you know is that his parents are divorced and he lives with his mom,"

"You're kidding me, right? First, you tell me to throw caution to wind. Then, when we do get together, you joke around with us. Now you're telling me to be careful? Isn't it a little late for that?" Gabriella asked, feeling slightly offended.

"Alright, forget I said anything, alright? You two are happy and that's great, it really is. I mean that, Gabs," Sharpay said sincerely, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks. Sorry about that, it's just…I know he hasn't exactly come clean with me just yet. But give it time, I'm sure he will. Someday," Gabriella sighed.

"Yeah. Someday," Sharpay agreed, but turned her head away quickly. She knew when it wasn't her place and this time, it clearly wasn't.

It was almost midnight and the party had moved inside. Someone had brought a keg and Gabriella recognized a makeshift bar set up in the corner of the living room. The music was turned up to an almost ear-splitting decibel, as guests spilled out onto the deck, dancing. The grill, buffet table, and tables had been stowed away to make room and Gabriella and Sharpay's friends were clad in next to nothing, not bothered to change out of their swimming attire. Gabriella squeezed her way through the mass of people to make her way towards the study, where she knew it would be slightly quieter. Closing the door behind her, Gabriella sighed and leaned her head back. She was buzzed from the small amount of vodka and rum she had consumed, but in all honesty, she was exhausted.

"Gabriella?" a voice woke her up from her dreamlike state and she snapped her head back up to see who else was in the room with her.

"Uh…" she stammered. The study was dark and she wasn't aware there was someone else, but Gabriella felt herself being backed up against the door. Her heart was pounding a mile a minute as the person who had cornered her, unmistakably male, pushed his hands against the door, effectively locking Gabriella in some sort of a prison. She shivered as she realized he had been drinking, the smell of alcohol clearly on his breath. Gabriella noticed he had started breathing heavily as he lowered his head to find the crook of her neck. Instinctively, she pushed him off of her. "Ew, sick," she said, smoothing out her hair as she dimly saw the man stumble backwards drunkenly. Deciding that now was as good a time as any, she reached for the door handle to get out of there. But just as she was about to escape, a big, strong hand grabbed her arm and spun her, so her back was to the wall.

"No. This time, we do it right," the voice growled, pushing her harder against the door, his pelvis rocking into hers, as his lips landed on hers in a greedy, slimy kiss.

* * *

**A/N: What do you think?! I thought I'd leave a cliffhanger. =) Read & Review. =)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Long author's note at the end of chapter. Please read! =) And thank you so much to everyone who's subscribed, put me on favorites, sent me reviews, all that good stuff! You guys keep this going! =)**

**Chapter 10**

Gabriella lay in bed, shivering. Her eyes were wide open, paralyzed in shock and fear. Her hands were balled up into fists, she hadn't moved them since. She opened her mouth, desperate to make a noise, but nothing came out.

"Hey, you alright?" a voice made Gabriella twitch, as she felt a hand rub her back soothingly. She couldn't respond, couldn't answer, she merely shook her head no. "Yeah, I wouldn't think so. Drink this," Gabriella recognized the voice as Sharpay's and she sighed loudly, grateful her best friend was here. She took the glass of water from Sharpay's hands and sipped it, sitting up and leaning against the headboard. She pulled her knees up to her chest and continued sipping the water, letting the cool liquid fill her.

"Thanks…thanks, Sharpay," Gabriella managed to choke out. Her voice sounded foreign to her, sounded cracked, nothing like her usual, bubbly manner.

"I can't believe Chase. He was so…Gabi, did he hurt you? I mean, we got there pretty fast, but did he…did he do anything to you?" Sharpay asked, her brow furrowed in worry and concern. Gabriella rubbed her temples with her free hand and shrugged.

"I don't…I don't remember, Shar," Gabriella whispered. "Oh, god, what if…what if he did? And I just passed out or something…oh my god," Gabriella wondered out loud at the severity of the situation. Her head was pounding and her vision was blurring, but she realized soon, that it was tears. She took another sip of water to calm herself. "Sharpay, what happened?"

"Sweetie, it's too early…I mean, you're still in shock,"

"Tell me," Gabriella said, stronger this time. Sharpay sighed.

"Alright. Well, I was dancing with Zeke, y'know. I mean, the party was pretty much in full swing, so we all kind of just split up. I feel so bad, I mean, I always end up ditching you, which is totally unfair," Sharpay swallowed and ran a hand through her blonde hair. Gabriella knew her friend felt guilty, but she waved her hand, dismissing the feeling, gesturing Sharpay to continue her story. "Okay. Anyway, Troy comes up to me and he's all panicked because he doesn't know where you are. Like, Gabi, he was full-on worried. So me, Zeke, and Troy go find Chad and Taylor, because we think you might be with them, but they hadn't seen you anywhere either," Sharpay stopped for a minute, letting the information sink into Gabriella.

"Go on," she urged.

"Anyway, we went to find Kelsi, but she and Jason were arguing, so we knew you weren't there, either. Gabs, we were really worried. I mean, it's just not like you to run off like that, you know?"

"I…I needed space. It was so crowded out there. I just needed a place to sit and think," Gabriella murmured, the memories flooding back to her, one by one.

"That's what we thought, so we checked all the rooms, until we came to the study,"

"Right on the dot,"

"It was locked,"

"He…he knew what he was doing, didn't he?"

"Maybe. I don't know. All of a sudden, Troy just – "

"He burst in. Knocked the door down," Gabriella's hand flew up to her mouth. She remembered. "He pulled Chase off of me and Troy punched him in the face. Chase got up, punched Troy in the stomach and he doubled over," Gabriella closed her eyes and winced, a sharp pain coursing through the corner of her eye up to her forehead.

"Chase made another move at Troy, but you jumped in the way. That's when he hit you on the side of your head. Gabi, we were all really worried," Sharpay said, placing a comforting hand on Gabriella's knee. Abruptly, the door to the bedroom opened and Taylor, Kelsi, and Martha walked in, taking a seat on Gabriella's bed.

"Where's Troy? What…what happened to him?" Gabriella said, louder this time. She got up and faced the girls. "What happened to Chase?"

"Calm down, sweetie. Troy basically pummeled Chase to a pulp. Jason, Zeke, and Chad came in to break up the fight, Chase was lying on the ground by then," Sharpay continued. Gabriella blinked once, taking it all in. She knew there was a gash on the side of her face and she touched it gingerly, wincing at the pain that came to her. She remembered getting ushered out of the study in a hurry by the girls, during which she had fainted and had to be carried by one of the boys. It was a blur to her, almost as if it hadn't actually happened. Three years of partying and not once, did she ever come close to a situation like this.

"I need…I need Troy," Gabriella whispered. She craved his touch, his comforting arms, and his soothing words. She needed to be where he was, needed to know he was okay.

"He's downstairs, in the kitchen, but Gabi, he's pretty riled up from the fight. I wouldn't – " Taylor started, but before she could finish, Gabriella had sprinted out of her bedroom, making her way downstairs. She could hear the girls following her and she pushed her way through the crowds of people, amazed that party-goers were still present. She heard a commotion in the living room and decided it was probably Chase and his entourage, but her mind was focused on one person and one person only: Troy.

"Troy!" she cried, running into the kitchen. The boys backs were turned to her, but she could make out Zeke, Jason, and Chad, huddled around her boyfriend, who was slumped over, clutching his stomach with one hand and holding a bag of frozen peas to his right eye. He turned around at the sound of her voice and immediately made his way over to her.

"Gabi, what are you doing up? I thought Sharpay brought you upstairs, you should be resting, sleeping, forgetting all this…" he trailed off, wincing slightly, as Gabriella's fingers reached up to caress his jaw-line. His entire body was pulsing with pain, every muscle in him hurt. Troy had been in a total of two fights, save for those scrap-ups with Chad and the boys. Not one of those two fights had ever been about a girl he cared deeply about. He bit his lip as he recalled the shock of seeing Chase on top of Gabriella, her body underneath him, struggling and trying to fight him off. Anger surged through Troy and he closed his eyes, trying to keep it under control. The last thing he wanted to do was to upset Gabriella.

"Shut up, you. I can't believe…are you okay?" she asked, taking his hand and leading him back to the kitchen stool he was sitting on. The rest of the group looked at each other tentatively and left the room, leaving the couple on their own.

"I'm fine," he grumbled, looking down at his feet. Gabriella tilted his head up and removed the frozen peas.

"Here, we've got an actual ice pack for that," she said and produced one quickly from the freezer, placing it slowly, but with pressure, on Troy's bruised eye. "Why did you do that?" she whispered in a small voice.

"He was…he was all over you, Gabi. I couldn't…live with myself if something had happened to you. Especially with _him_," he spat out the last word accusingly. Gabriella almost laughed at his childlike behavior.

"Well, thank you. But don't go getting into fights on my account. I'm…I'm sorry this happened, Troy," she said quietly. Gabriella couldn't help but feel like it was her fault that he had a black eye, in addition to the other injuries he was suffering from.

"Baby, don't. It was worth it. Just as long as you're okay…it was worth it," he looked up at her and Gabriella forced herself to gaze into his bright blue eyes, getting lost in them for a minute. There was no doubt things were getting serious between them, but Gabriella hadn't really known what she meant to him until now. Mustering up all of her courage and all of her energy, she bent down and gave him a sweet, long, kiss on his lips.

* * *

The next day, Gabriella awoke to the sunlight streaming in through her windows. She grumbled quietly and checked the time. 7.17 AM. She hesitantly got out of bed and took a quick glance in the mirror. Chase's hit to her face was only now starting to bruise and she sighed, it would take huge amounts of makeup to cover it. She jumped a little, as the bedroom door opened and Troy stuck his head in.

"Decent?"

"As if that'd matter to you," she giggled. They had stayed up late the night before, talking about everything on their minds and had since returned to their easy banter again.

"True. Anyway, Sharpay wanted me to tell you that she's out for today, so we have the house to ourselves,"

"How generous," she said sarcastically. Gabriella knew Sharpay wanted to be out for today, so she wouldn't have to sit around and watch the cleaning service she had hired do their job.

"So what do you feel like doing today?" Troy asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. His hair was still wet and he shook it out of his eyes, running a lazy hand through it. Gabriella took a good look at him, admiring how far they had come the past few weeks.

"Nothing too difficult. I can barely smile," Gabriella said, grabbing a hairbrush and running it through her locks. She sensed Troy's fists clench up at the mention of her bruise; Gabriella knew it annoyed him to no end that Chase had hit her. "Let's just drive. Get away from AU for a while," she suggested.

"Alright. We can do that, we'll take my car," Troy clapped his hands together and got up. He crossed the room to give Gabriella a long, languid kiss on the lips. "Mmm. Good morning," he said happily. Gabriella laughed, kissing him back.

"Morning. Now go, so I can shower," she said, kissing his cheek and getting into the bathroom.

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Several hours later, Troy pulled his car into an empty parking bay. He quickly got out and grabbed a picnic basket with him. Troy and Gabriella did picnics often, it was a chance for them to be out without really having to talk to anybody.

"This is perfect," Gabriella said, minutes later, after they had set up their area. She lay down on the blanket, letting the sun coast over her body, feeling its warmth reach over her exposed shoulders.

"Gabriella," Troy suddenly said. She opened her eyes and looked up at him. He was puzzled in thought, grappling with something, but she wasn't sure what. They had only been dating for a few weeks, but those weeks had gone so far. Gabriella felt like she had waited for him all her life, that everything in the before-Troy era was insignificant.

"Yeah?"

"There's something…there's something I have to tell you. It's not pretty, it's not noble, it's not…well, it's not me," he stammered, wringing his hands. Gabriella sat up and faced him.

"What is it?" she asked carefully, gazing into his eyes, willing him to look up. This was the moment Sharpay had talked about, the moment she had dreamed about, albeit in the back of her mind. Troy was ready to tell her everything, everything about New York, the real reason why he had moved to New Mexico. He was ready.

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**A/N: So what do you think?! Alright, to be honest, this story is taking so many twists and turns. I really hate the fact that I don't outline my stories before I write them, I just write as I go along and stick in whatever feels right, which makes for some pretty disjointed and sometimes completely nonsensical stuff! If I've missed something or forgotten some detail, please tell me in the reviews! That'd be great and very much welcomed. =)**

**Also, don't get too excited for the next chapter. Troy's secret isn't that huge (at least, I don't think so), but hopefully it'll just bring Troy and Gabriella closer. The story's coming to a close soon anyway, partially because I can't stick with one plot for too long without having it become overdone and all drawn out. So enjoy! =)**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Okay, before you read the chapter! I went a totally different way here and I'm actually really nervous, dealing with all this heavy stuff because I never went through any of it. I'm really worried I haven't gotten it down right, but at the same time, hey, it's all fiction, right? God, I'm really nervous for this chapter. =S**

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****Chapter 11**

Troy stole a quick glance at Gabriella. The girl – no, woman – sitting across from him had became such an integral part of his life, an unexpected character when he first returned to New Mexico. And now, all he wanted to do was to give himself to her.

"What is it?" she asked, her eyes intent on his. He exhaled loudly, mustering up all his courage.

"I want to tell you how I got here," he said, quietly. Gabriella nodded, sitting up straighter. "I used to live in Albuquerque. You knew that. Sharpay's family and mine were really close, so we grew up together. My dad got a job in Boston when I turned ten, so we moved there. Once we got to Boston, things started to change. I guess my dad was stressed out with work or something, I never really knew the full extent of it. Anyway, he got fired,"

"Troy…we don't have to talk about this," Gabriella suddenly said, placing a comforting hand over his. She sensed he was agitated and tense about telling her the story and as much as she wanted to hear, she was a little afraid as to what might come.

"No, I want to. Okay. So, my dad got fired. And mom…she was working three jobs, just to make ends meet. He was pretty much pissed off most of the time and I guess my mom couldn't take it anymore, so she started drinking," Troy looked down at his jeans and wiped away a tear. He hated talking about his family, but in that moment, with Gabriella, it felt right. "It got really bad, with mom away all the time and dad staying at home. I threw myself into basketball and it was a big place, so nobody really knew what was going on back home. Things just came to a head and all of a sudden, I'd start coming home to my dad and mom, fighting all the time. At first he'd just throw glasses, plates, even the occasional table. But then he started throwing punches. To my mom," Troy exhaled loudly, wringing his hands. He cracked a smile, as Gabriella took one of his hands into hers and started rubbing it comfortingly. "Then the divorce papers came. And that took a while, with court dates, and they were fighting over who got custody of me. See, even when things weren't right between them, I still think they loved me,"

"I'm sure they did…I'm sure they do," Gabriella said, tears forming in her eyes.

"Anyway, the court said it wasn't fit for me to have an addict for a mom, so dad got custody. We moved out to New York and I guess my mom moved back to Albuquerque. Things in New York were good, you know? I played basketball, got on the varsity team, made captain, all that stuff. Anyway, it was after graduation and I got accepted to Columbia. I was pretty stoked, living with my dad, going to college in the city. Things were turning around. But then…" Troy trailed off.

"Then?" Gabriella prodded him.

"Then I came home from a two-on-two game with some of my friends. I went upstairs, opened the door…my dad was on top of this girl. She was struggling, she didn't want to be there, I could tell. I screamed, pulled him off of her, but he pushed me away," Troy blinked, tears falling down his cheeks.

"Oh. Troy, is that why…" Gabriella couldn't form the words. She was crying, her heart breaking for her boyfriend and what he had witnessed.

"He went right back to doing what he was doing before I got there. It was sick, Gabi. I pulled him off of her again, told her to get the fuck out of there, and I punched my dad. I punched my own father in the face," Troy ran a hand through his hair. He looked up at Gabriella, seeing tears fall down her cheeks and he brushed them away. "I packed my bags, left on the next flight to New Mexico. I turned down Columbia, enrolled in U of A. And that's how I ended up here," he said with a finality.

"Troy…" Gabriella stuttered. "With Chase…and you r dad…you've gone through…." she let out a nervous laugh at herself, unable to form coherent sentences.

"Look, I know I've been through a lot. But I don't want pity. I just wanted…I needed you to know the past. After what happened last night, I spent most of my time just thinking things over and I feel like, by telling you, I'm a step closer to solving these issues, you know?" Troy said calmly. Gabriella smiled, at her strong, courageous boyfriend. At the start of summer, she only wanted to let loose and have fun. She wanted to remember her summer, but she thought she would remember it by the parties and the hookups. Now, she knew, that the summer held something so much more.

"Troy, I think you're an amazing person. Inside and out. And I love that you could share that with me, I'm proud of you," Gabriella murmured. "I love you. And I'll never leave you," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I love you, too," Troy whispered, bringing his lips down to hers. Gabriella lost herself in the kiss, being brought back to the first time she had ever touched his lips. She was unsure then, unaware of the troubles that Troy had gone through. Troy and Gabriella had started through a game of cat and mouse, but over the past few weeks, they both knew it was something deeper than that. Somewhere along the way, unexpectedly, they had fallen in love.

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**A/N: OH MY GOD. Okay. I know it's a really short chapter to end this entire thing. But to be honest, I grew really bored of the plot, which is kind of bad, seeing as how I realize this put the entire fanfic to an abrupt stop. Yes, in case you haven't noticed, this is the last chapter. I could really use some reviewing and advice, as this is my first piece ever to be posted on FF. I'm working on something new (details are in my profile!), so we'll see how that goes. Honestly, I don't like the way Unexpected ended, but it had to, you guys! It was feeling played out. Lol. But read and review, please, I still want to know what the readers think.**

**Also, thank you so much to everybody who's put me on their favorite lists or have put me on their alerts! Also a huge thanks to everybody who has reviewed this. It really means a lot to me and it gives me motivation to continue writing fanfic! So thank you, thank you, thank you! Hugs and kisses to all. =)**


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High School Musical, Romance