High School Musical 1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. I didn't create Troy (unfortunately) or Gabriella or any of the Wildcat team. **

**Set-Up: This story takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, however, not at East High. Instead, I've decided to place them in a private school, East Preparatory Academy (EPA). My reasons for doing this are purely out of simplicity and convenience, as I do not know what a public American high school is truly like. So...bear with me. =) Anyway, read! **

* * *

Gabriella Montez tapped her foot impatiently, leaning against the side of the old brick building. It was starting to get chilly, she noted, taking another sip of her Starbucks caramel latte, letting the hot liquid warm her insides. She hated waiting. More importantly, she hated waiting for boys. Yet, here she was, doing exactly that. If it wasn't for the fact it was one particularly important boy, she might have just up and left. But no, it was Evan. Evan Druthers - senior class president, party animal, and the captain of the soccer team – was worth waiting for.

"Hey, babe," Gabriella looked up from her shoes to be greeted by the very same boy she was thinking about. There was no doubt about it, he was gorgeous. The fact that her heart jumped a little when he was nearby was enough to tell her that she was lucky. But still. Gabriella hated to wait.

"You're late. Like, really late," she pouted.

"I know, and I'm sorry. The car wouldn't start, so I had to walk here," he explained. Evan cupped her chin in his hand, bringing her lips to his for a sweet kiss.

"Whatever," she said, starting to walk away.

"Gabi, come _on_. I was only a few minutes late. What's the big deal? It's not as if you're dying to get to school anyway," he said, exasperatedly, jogging a little to catch up with her. They entered the doors of East Preparatory Academy, and made their way towards their shared homeroom.

"That's not the point, Evan. I hate waiting for you. I look like a total idiot standing outside in the cold," she shot back, through gritted teeth.

"So go inside,"

"You are the one who asked me to wait for you!" she cried, slamming her books down on her table and sitting down in a huff.

"Here we go again, Gabi. It's the same fucking routine every single Monday morning," he grumbled.

"Excuse me?" she whipped her head around to look him in the eye. Evan was leaning back in his chair lazily, but leaned forward to speak in a softer voice, as more and more students filed in.

"You heard me. Every single Monday morning, we get into a fight because you're pissed that I went out on Friday night or whatever. I told you, nothing happened, so deal with it," Evan said coldly. Gabriella stared at him, mouth open in shock. Yes, it was true that Evan was a partier. She never really liked to go with him; she preferred smaller, intimate gatherings. But she wasn't angry that he had gone without her. Please, she wasn't _that_ desperate. In fact, with her luscious, dark chocolate locks and a gorgeous figure attained from many hours of dance and track and field meets, she was perfectly capable of finding someone for herself.

"Fuck you, Druthers," she seethed, turning to face forward again. She was fuming on the inside, but she knew it could all go away. Evan and Gabriella weren't necessarily the most perfect couple at East Preparatory Academy, but they were certainly the couple that made the most sense. He was EPA's golden boy, and Gabriella was their track star and dance vixen. Both beautiful, everybody merely assumed they would be perfect for each other. Thus, with the insistence of their peers, they had hooked up at a party one night, decided the relationship was good enough, and had been that way ever since. They had their fights, their dramas, their ups and downs, but they knew it was because of obligation – no, social decorum – that they stayed together. Perhaps it wasn't the most ideal situation, but Gabriella would make the best of it. She would settle, as always.

* * *

Several classrooms away, Troy Bolton was sitting on his desk, his friends, Zeke Baylor and Jason Cross, crowded around him, all talking about the past weekend.

"Dude, did you see Lara Walker? She is so hot," Zeke whispered, as the girl he had mentioned walked into the room.

"Lay off it, Zeke. You know she's dating that college guy," Jason advised.

"Whatever. Hey, today's Monday, isn't it? Shit. I've got soccer practice," Zeke groaned. Out of their little social circle, Zeke was the only one who took basketball and soccer, two strenuous sports, in back to back seasons.

"Speaking of soccer, did you see Druthers at the party on Saturday night?" Troy asked. He had known Evan ever since they were little, but they had grown up to be two completely different people. Troy was responsible, Evan was reckless.

"I saw him for the first twenty minutes. Then I saw him disappear upstairs with some random," Jason said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Fucking idiot. He has a girlfriend. Why hasn't anybody told Gabriella yet?" he asked, concerned. Troy didn't know Gabriella personally, but he knew her how the whole school knew her: an athlete, a dancer, and daddy's little girl.

"Man, I don't know. They're all probably too scared to stand up to Druthers," Zeke said, as the final bell rang and he took his seat. Troy turned to take his place, and was surprised by a quick kiss on the lips from his own girlfriend, Holly Masen. Holly was a cheerleader, blonde and blue-eyed. It seemed apt that the head cheerleader and the captain of the basketball team would be dating, but they had liked each other mutually, not like Evan and Gabriella.

"Hi, baby," Holly cooed, then took her seat across the room. Troy blushed slightly, running a hand through his hair and took his seat.

* * *

"I am so not jealous of him and the fact that he goes out every weekend, you know? I can't believe he'd even imply that. I am so over him, it's not even funny," Gabriella crossed her arms and leaned back against the row of lockers, as her best friend, Taylor McKessie, worked at her own lock.

"Gabs, the guy has a point though. Monday is officially like, Fight Day for you two. Which I don't even see the point in anyway, considering you don't even like him all that much," Taylor added the last part quietly. Gabriella had only confided in Taylor that she was getting tired of the act her and her so-called boyfriend were playing. She wanted to experience real, true love, the head-over-heels phenomenon that Taylor was so often describing with her own boyfriend, Chad Danforth.

"I know, I know. Evan and I have been through a lot together. And lately it just seems like we're staying together out of habit. Out of convenience or something like that," Gabriella said, as she and Taylor made their way towards their Advanced Business and Management class.

"So you're staying with him just so you'll be guaranteed a date for prom? A little harsh, Montez," Taylor winced.

"I know, I'm such a bitch. Whatever, I'll figure it out,"

"Figure it out soon," Taylor gave her a quick hug and went to sit over by her boyfriend, who had been daydreaming before class had started. Gabriella sighed and took a place near the door, opening her books. If she couldn't solve Evan, she would settle for solving pseudo case studies.

* * *

After school that day, Troy dribbled the ball up the court, executing a perfect lay-up. He didn't have practice, it wasn't even basketball season, but he had decided to come in and do a few shots before the volleyball team came in to use the gym. Several minutes later, Troy retreated to the boys' locker room, and after a steaming hot shower, he was taking a breather before dressing and heading home. He leaned against the cold metal of the row of lockers and closed his eyes. Troy wasn't usually the thoughtful type; he did things as he wanted to and on his own accord. But with senior year well underway, he wanted to go out with a bang, so to speak. He wanted to make his last year in high school memorable and he knew it wasn't going to happen with Holly. They had been dating since the end of junior year and although he thought she was cute, Troy also thought that Holly was way too superficial. She dragged Troy to the mall every weekend, asking him his opinion on clothes he really didn't give a damn about. She fussed over her hair, her looks, down to every little detail. He exhaled loudly and shook his head, pushing all thoughts of Holly out of the way. As he was getting up, he caught bits and pieces of the conversation being held on the other side of the lockers.

"Gabi's cool and everything, but seriously, she is so uptight," a voice Troy recognized as Evan Druthers said.

"Yeah, man, totally," Troy scoffed. That voice was unmistakable; it was Evan's flunky and right-hand man, Derek Marshall. "You gotta shoot for someone loose, y'know?"

"Yeah, like Ashley. Ashley's the perfect girl for me, man," Evan said. Troy cringed. It was such typical jock-talk that he felt like bursting in on the conversation.

"I thought you were hooking up with Laila?"

"Nah, that was just at the party. I need variety, y'know?" Evan said, and slammed his locker shut. Troy clenched his fists, putting all his willpower into not punching the living daylights out of Evan. Instead, he merely got dressed, packed up and left the locker room, where sure enough, Holly was waiting outside for him.

"Where've you been? It's not even basketball season yet," she pouted.

"I know. I just thought I'd shoot some hoops," he explained, kissing her on the cheek. Holly's arms were crossed against her chest, a sure signal that she was irritated with him, but Troy shrugged it off.

"Yeah, well, Chad didn't stay back and Taylor got to go home at a decent time," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"You didn't have to wait for me," Troy mumbled, throwing his bags into his car.

"Excuse me?" she said, one hand on her hip, her head cocked to one side. "I didn't have to wait for you? Of course I didn't, Bolton. I _wanted_ to," she said.

"Alright, fine, then. Thank you for waiting," he said, more bitter than he had expected.

"What is your problem?" Holly asked tiredly. She knew Troy inside out, but there were times like this when he was completely unpredictable.

"Nothing. Nothing's my problem, I've just had a long day and I'm exhausted, okay? I'm sorry for unloading all that on you, Hols. I really am," Troy explained. He might have been completely bored with the relationship and not that into Holly anymore, but when it came down to it, Troy was a people-pleaser; he aimed to make people around him happy, no matter what it took.

"Okay," she said in a quiet voice, as Troy wrapped his arms around her and kissed her lightly on the lips.

"Alright, so. Ride back home?" he opened the passenger door and plastered a smile on his face to let her know he was okay.

"Um…yeah, okay," Holly hesitantly agreed, but slipped inside the car, relieved. Troy made his way back to the driver's side, all the way thinking, _'I've got to end it sometime. Sometime soon.'_

_

* * *

_'_I've got to end it sometime. Sometime soon.'_

Gabriella was lying on her stomach in her bedroom, poring over her Advanced Mathematics coursework, but her mind was in a completely different place. She hated to admit it, but her relationship with Evan had reached its final point. After their fight in the morning, he had barely even looked at her, but went about his own day as if nothing were different. Gabriella knew the tell-tale signs: indifference, avoidance, and most importantly, loss of interest. She was smart, methodical, and logical. The next clear-cut step would be the breakup. But as much as she wanted to convince herself that it was the right thing to do, a part of Gabriella pulled back and said, _no_. A part of her wanted to work things out with Evan, like she always did.

"Gabi?" her mom's voice pulled her out of her reverie and she sat up.

"Yes, mama?"

"I just came home. Are you doing homework?"

"Yes,"

"How was school?"

"It was fine, mama," Gabriella replied.

"Good. How is Evan?" Gabriella sighed. She knew her mother meant well, but the sound of Evan's voice made a whole new wave of emotions go through her.

"He's fine,"

"Alright, sweetie. I'll let you go back to work," Ms. Montez closed the bedroom door, leaving Gabriella to go back to her thoughts. Yes, it had to end sometime. Sometime soon.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, what do you think!?!?! =) I am so excited for this story, I feel like I finally have a grasp of what I want to do, but knowing me, my excitement might fizzle out near the end. Haha. I hope you guys understand that Gabriella & Troy do not know each other personally, they're merely acquaintances through Taylor and Chad. So, you know, read and review. You know the drill! =)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. I didn't create Troy (unfortunately) or Gabriella or any of the Wildcat team. **

**Just want to say thanks to everybody who reviewed (and also those who reviewed Unexpected)! It was good to get comments, but I'd love some feedback, pretty please? =) Anyway, last chapter was just an introduction, pretty much. I realize it might be difficult to picture the Wildcats in a school other than East High, so imagine them in a Gossip Girl-like setting if you'd like. Lol. Oh, and I didn't come up with Thermos, Starbucks, or Hamlet (obviously). And just a little side note, AYA (the organization Gabriella refers to in the last scene of this chapter) stands for Active Young America, which is actually a legitimate organization. Look it up, it's an awesome project. =) Okay. Read, enjoy, and please review! =)**

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* * *

**Chapter 2

Gabriella stood against the same brick wall the next day, this time, holding a Thermos filled to the brim with hot tea. She was a hard-worker and as a result, stayed up late to do a good job on her schoolwork. Her caffeine fixes in the morning were essential to help her get through the day.

"Gabi! Coming in?" Taylor spotted her from across the quad and waved to her.

"In a bit, maybe," she shrugged her shoulders. The truth was, Gabriella was debating between waiting out in the cold for Evan and simply going inside to homeroom. It was a simple gesture, but she knew it spoke volumes. Mustering up all her courage, Gabriella took another sip of her tea, pushed herself off the brick wall, and headed inside.

* * *

Meanwhile, Troy was sitting in his seat, already bored with the day. Holly had launched into one of her ramblings about the cheerleading team and he was using all his willpower to stay awake. His head snapped up as he caught a sight of Evan Druthers walking into the classroom, a piece of paper in his hand.

"Mrs. Turner, this is for you. From Mrs. Abbott," Evan said politely, handing the teacher a piece of paper.

"Ah, yes, thank you, Evan. How are things?" Mrs. Turner took the paper from his hands and turned back to him. Troy sighed. Mrs. Turner was notorious for being incredibly nice to all her students, getting to know them on a personal level.

"Things are good. Soccer season, so I'm shaping up," he grinned.

"Of course, and with it being senior year, I'd expect you have some college leads for scholarships?"

"Here and there, you know," he shrugged his shoulders in a devil-may-care way, but Troy could see a glimmer of pride in his eyes.

"And how are things with Gabriella? Good, I hope," Mrs. Turner smiled. She knew all about the couples at the school, which Troy found slightly refreshing in a teacher. He took a quick glance at Evan's face, to see if any traces of guilt could be found. No such luck.

"Gabriella's fine and we're great. I've got to run; it was nice chatting, as always. Bye, Mrs. Turner!" Evan smiled again and jogged out of the room. Troy scoffed at Evan's obvious show-off tendencies.

"Hel-lo! Have you been paying any attention to what I've been saying for the past five minutes?" Holly dramatically waved a hand in front of Troy's face.

"What?" he said, distractedly.

"Never mind," Holly rolled her eyes and turned back around in her seat, leaving Troy with a mix of emotions. He didn't know why he cared so much that Evan was cheating on his girlfriend. After all, he barely knew Gabriella Montez, save for the occasional greeting in the hallways and the fact that his best friend was dating her best friend. Aside from that, the two were merely acquaintances. What was more pressing was that while Troy was wrapped up in the intricacies and lies of Evan, he was becoming more and more distant from Holly, a fact he both liked and disliked.

* * *

After homeroom, Gabriella quickly made her way to her Advanced Physics class, where she was grateful she'd be safe, seeing as how none of her friends took it. All through homeroom, she was subject to countless girls coming over to ask if she and Evan were alright and whether or not they were going to "pull through." Gabriella knew the only reason these girls were interested was because Evan Druthers was on the line. She couldn't help but feel a small inch of pride that she was dating one of the most sought-after boys in school, but reality pulled her back down to Earth when she remembered that she barely even liked him anymore.

"Gabi?" the sound of her name pulled her out of her daydream, as she looked up and searched around the room. Her eyes came to rest on none other than Evan himself, leaning against the doorway. She rolled her eyes at his cocky grin, the way his left eyebrow was raised. Evan looked like the poster boy of perfection, but Gabriella only felt sick to her stomach. He crossed the room and sidled up beside her, several minutes before the first period warning bell rang.

"What?" she whispered.

"I didn't see you outside today and I skipped homeroom,"

"Good to know," she said coldly.

"Hey, we're good, right? Because listen, there's this college frat party on Saturday night, and…" he trailed off, looking down at the desk. Gabriella detected a hint of guilt in his voice, but brushed it away.

"You're seriously asking me for permission for you to go to a frat party? _Again_?" she asked, through gritted teeth. She became aware that she was clutching the end of the desk so hard, her knuckles were turning white. It was so typical of Evan, so predictable that he would ask her something insensitive when she was still hurting. Gabriella sighed, reminding herself that technically, she shouldn't care if he went to another party by himself.

"Look, I know Saturday nights are date nights or whatever, but come on," Evan pleaded. Gabriella closed her eyes briefly, gathering her thoughts and feelings. It was only first period, but somehow, she felt like it was already the longest day ever.

"Do whatever you want," she waved her hand dismissively, not bothering with him. "Now leave, class starts in a few minutes," she said firmly. Evan grinned and pecked Gabriella on the cheek. She waited briefly, until he left; before she slammed open her textbook with a force. A part of her didn't care that he'd be out partying. Another part of her was furious that he'd just blow off their fight so easily. She sighed again, pulling out a pencil. The only thing she could do for now, was to focus.

* * *

"I think I'm gonna break up with Holly," Troy blurted out. He and Chad had decided to use their free period to go to the weight room and start training for what was undoubtedly going to be their hardest season. Troy had just finished his sit-ups, while Chad was busy on the treadmill.

"What?" Chad said, bringing the machine to an abrupt stop. "Did you just say what I think you just did? Break up with Holly?"

"Yeah," Troy said, uncertainly. Saying it out loud made his decision more concrete, but he still wasn't sure if it was what he wanted.

"Why? I thought you and Holly were like, the perfect couple, man,"

"Nah, that's you and Taylor. Look, Holly's just…not the one," Troy shrugged his shoulders, making his way towards the bench-press.

"Dude, you're in high school. The one? Seriously?" Chad scoffed.

"I just meant…I want someone who's got a little more depth. Is that such a bad thing?" Troy wondered aloud. Chad shrugged his shoulders and Troy went back to lifting weights. In the back of Chad's mind, he knew the breakup was a long time coming. Holly and Troy didn't have the spark anymore. And he was thankful Troy realized it before Chad had to step in and say something.

* * *

"I hate him," Gabriella complained at lunch later in the day. She picked up her fork and stabbed at her Caesar salad.

"No, you don't," Taylor reasoned, looking over her notes for her next class.

"Yes, I do. Can you believe him? He asked for my permission to go to a frat party this weekend! We haven't had a date in like, a month!" Gabriella whined.

"Gabi, you don't even like him!" Taylor said exasperatedly. "Plus, you're kind of pissing me off with all this Evan talk. Shush,"

"Sorry, Tay. He's just frustrating. The whole situation is so fucked up. I mean, a part of me hates him, but another part of me doesn't care anymore,"

"Either way, you have to end it, Gab," Taylor pointed out.

"I know, I know," Gabriella waved her hand, as if dismissing Taylor. Suddenly, a flurry of blonde hair swept the cafeteria table the girls shared.

"Gabriella! Taylor!" Holly Masen exclaimed. Gabriella rolled her eyes. She didn't have a particular problem with Holly, but her over-the-top, constant energy was enough to make Gabriella irritated.

"Hey, Holly," Taylor greeted politely.

"You guys free this weekend? Big party at my place, Saturday night," Holly said, passing out little slips of paper with her address printed. "I thought I'd wait until there was a special occasion to celebrate, but what the hell. A party is a party, right?" she beamed. Gabriella took the piece of paper and smiled. If Evan was planning on going to a frat party, she'd have this weekend to finally stir up some trouble of her own. "Oh, and Gabriella? No need to worry, I already invited Evan," Holly smiled and left, bouncing to the next table. Gabriella groaned.

"You were planning to go to this alone, weren't you?" Taylor asked.

"Everybody's going to expect Evan and I to show up together," she explained.

"Gabi, why don't you just end things with him now?"

"I…I don't know," Gabriella said quietly. She desperately wanted to break ties with Evan, but for some reason, waiting for the right moment was essential.

* * *

Chad Danforth looked over at his girlfriend of almost a year. She was intensely studying her Advanced Chemistry textbook, a pen in her mouth, and her other hand twirling a strand of hair. He loved seeing her in her element, but there was no doubt about it: the girl worked too hard sometimes.

"Tay," he whispered, placing a hand on her knee.

"Not now, Chad. I've got so much crap to do," she said, batting his hand away.

"Okay, so not what I was thinking about. Come on, you need a break," he suggested. Taylor sighed and pulled the pen out of her mouth.

"Fine," she relented.

"Cool. So…how's your day been so far?" he asked.

"It's alright," Taylor replied, leaning back in her chair and stretching her arms out. "Except for the fact that Gabriella's been pissing me off a little,"

"That seems to be the general trend nowadays," Chad remarked, referring to Troy. Taylor and Chad talked about many things, but their respective best friends were always at the top of the list. They were good at balancing their friends and each other, not to mention, Troy and Gabriella never made the effort to know each other.

"I just don't understand what's so difficult. If she's losing interest in Evan, then break up with him,"

"It's the same with Troy. He's been getting irritated with Holly, but can't seem to end things with her,"

"And with her party coming up this weekend, it doesn't look like it's going to happen, is it?"

"Everybody would rather go to a party in a couple than by themselves, Tay," Chad pointed out. Taylor nodded. "You know, Troy and Gabriella are kind of in the same boat. Relationships, but neither one wants to end it, although they should," Chad mused. Taylor nodded again, slowly this time, talking in his observations.

"Okay, break time is over. Time to get back to work," Taylor grinned and opened her notes again. Chad rolled his eyes mockingly and smiled back at her.

* * *

Gabriella put all of her effort and hard-work into ignoring Evan for the next few days. She knew he had also gotten the invitation to Holly's party, but she refused to be the one to ask him about it. Furthermore, she had managed to immerse herself in her dance rehearsals, training, and school work. With two conflicting schedules, Gabriella found herself happily and easily Evan-free. On Thursday after school, she decided to treat herself to her favorite caffeine fix at a coffee shop a little further away from school than she had liked. She stepped into the small, comfortable store, and immediately headed towards the cashier.

"Gabriella, hi! We don't see you around here too often," a tall man in his early twenties greeted her.

"Hey, Carl. Yeah, it's a long walk, but totally worth it for good coffee," she smiled at him. "Could I get a caramel latte in a to-go cup? And…a blueberry muffin, please," she ordered. _'I'll read a little, and then get back to school for the AYA meeting,' _she planned in her head, as she took her purchases and settled into one of the big, comfortable chairs in a corner. The lighting wasn't very bright, just the way she liked it, and she happily noticed there was a slight drizzle outside. Flipping open her novel of the week, she snuggled up and sipped her latte, lost and entranced in her own world.

"Gabriella?" a voice shook her from her reading and she looked up.

"Troy? What are you doing here?" she asked. The blue-eyed boy was holding a copy of Shakespeare's Hamlet and a cup of coffee, his hair slightly damp from the rain. Gabriella couldn't help but notice his muscled arms underneath his jacket, defined, but not overly so. She smiled at his easygoing face, yes; Troy Bolton was definitely not bad to look at.

"Just around, you know. There's a great bookstore around here and I had to get a new copy of Hamlet," he explained, eyeing the seat next to her.

"Oh, sorry, go ahead, sit," she gestured towards the empty chair. "A new copy of Hamlet? What, you're reading for fun?" she teased.

"That'd be a pretty good pick-up line, but no. It's on the upcoming booklist for Dreyer's class and I thought I'd get a copy to markup," he said, taking a sip of his coffee. How strange it was, to run into Gabriella at his favorite coffee shop. Most of the students that went to EPA frequented the Starbucks down the road, not the barren and unknown place out of town. He was curious about her. "So why are you here?"

"I've got a while to wait before my AYA meeting, so I thought I'd kill time here. I love this place, but it's just too far from school," Gabriella explained. For some strange reason, she was excited by Troy's presence, and leaned forward to talk to him eagerly.

"Agreed," he nodded his head. "So, what are you reading?" he said, leaning back and loosening his tie; the standard uniform of East Prep.

"At the moment, it's Salinger's Catcher in the Rye," she said, showing him the book cover. She couldn't help but notice his lips, as they pursed together to make a statement. She was so intrigued, so unexpectedly attracted to him that even she was surprised.

"Didn't we read that in like, eighth grade?" he joked.

"Yes, but there's nothing wrong with reading for pleasure," she stated, and took another sip of coffee, adjusting herself to sit more comfortably. Troy's eyes involuntarily wandered down her body, taking in her delicate curves and the smooth skin of her toned legs. _'Damn, that dance and track training did her good,'_ he thought.

"Speaking of pleasure, you headed to the big party Saturday night?" he shook his head to erase the thoughts of her legs from his mind.

"I suppose," Gabriella replied quietly. Was it wrong that only after a few minutes of encountering Troy Bolton, she wanted him instead of Evan? _'Calm yourself, Montez. You barely know him,'_ she battled in her head.

"With Evan?" he asked. Gabriella winced at the sound of his name.

"He'll probably be there," she said curtly. "I'm assuming you'll be there, considering it is your girlfriend's house?"

"Ah, yes. Boyfriend obligations, I'm afraid," Troy laughed. "Anyway, I've got to head back home, just stopped in here for a quick coffee. I guess…I'll see you Saturday?" he asked, getting up from his seat.

"Yeah, Saturday," she agreed. Troy gave her a quick hug and left the store, leaving Gabriella alone with her thoughts. Troy affected her; there was no doubt about it. There was an attraction, an instant spark between them, but she knew it would never happen. He was still clearly in love with Holly. And Gabriella? Gabriella had Evan and with Evan, she had nothing.

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**You know the drill. Click that button and write a few words. Thanks! =)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you so much for all the reviews on the last chapter! To sneal35803, the party that they're talking about is Holly's party. Everybody's going to be there, including Evan! =)**

**This chapter isn't some of my best work, you'll have to forgive me. I just started college, so I've been so crazy busy! I really do love this story, though, so you'll be seeing more of it, just not too sure when. In any case, put me on alert! =) Thank you again, everybody! =)**

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**Chapter 3

Gabriella woke up on Saturday morning the way she always did, groggy and annoyed. She made her way downstairs, where she knew a pot of coffee would be brewing and hopefully, breakfast was served. Sure enough, she found a box of doughnuts already opened on the table.

"Gabi!" her head turned around to see Taylor at her back door, knocking furiously. Gabriella shuffled her feet, wrapping her silk robe around her and opened the door, to let in a very jumpy and energetic Taylor. "Hi!" she squealed.

"What are you doing here? And so early? Why are you so happy?" Gabriella muttered, closing the door and heading back to the kitchen island.

"No reason. I was out for a run and I decided to hang out here today, if that's okay?"

"Sure, no problem," Gabriella took a long sip of her coffee and sighed. The drink never failed to wake her up and turn her into a human being.

"How are you? Besides cranky and grumpy?" Taylor teased, opening the giant refrigerator and taking out a cup of yogurt. She spent a majority of her time at the Montez household; it was almost as if it were her own home.

"I'm fine. Stayed up late last night to get some work done,"

"On a Friday night? Weren't you out with Evan?" Taylor asked. As soon as the words left her mouth, she knew she had opened up a touchy subject.

"As if. He was at some party in Las Cruces. Whatever," Gabriella shrugged her shoulders and took a bite out of her doughnut. The truth was, Troy Bolton had been on her mind ever since their chance meeting on Thursday. She had conveniently neglected to tell Taylor, in fear her best friend might make some scheme to hook the two up. Gabriella was content in living in her own world of fantasy, if that's what it took.

"Is he still making it tonight?" Taylor asked. Gabriella nodded, and then decided it was time to change the subject. Talking about Evan always brought up thoughts of Troy and those were complicated.

"What'd you do last night?"

"Chad came over and I cooked dinner for him. It was nice," Taylor grinned.

"I bet it was," Gabriella winked.

"Ha-ha, funny girl," Taylor remarked sarcastically. "Alright, so for tonight. We're looking drop dead gorgeous, yes?"

"When have we ever looked anything less?" Gabriella smiled and flicked her hair. _'Tonight will be fun. I'll drink, dance with Taylor, make out with Evan…fun,'_ she thought, trying to convince herself. _'And hey, if it doesn't work out, at least I'll have fun dressing up with Tay,'_ she added, glancing over at her best friend, who had already pulled out various clothing choices from her duffel bag.

* * *

"Troy, come _on_! You promised to help me out!"

"Holly, I told you I'd help out with the party once I was there. I didn't say anything about coming over at fucking _nine_ in the morning to help you!"

"Of course not, because there's always something else more important than your own loving girlfriend!"

"I never said that, Holly. I've just got other plans for today, alright? I'll see you tonight,"

"Fuck you!"

Troy sighed, as Holly slammed the phone down. It was probably their sixth fight in a week. After the third fight, he was already growing weary of having to apologize profusely for something he thought was perfectly valid. Troy was a people-pleaser, true, but there was only so much he could take. _'Let's face it, there's only one reason to go to this thing tonight. And it's got nothing to do with my so-called girlfriend,'_ he thought to himself. Ever since his encounter with Gabriella Montez, he couldn't get her image out of his head. He wanted her, simple as that, but the chase wasn't as easy. Troy had asked around and it was true, the fact that Gabriella was so in love with Evan was the reason why she turned a blind eye to him and the other girls.

"Yo, Bolton," Chad Danforth had let himself into the Bolton household, something he frequently did.

"Danforth, hey," Troy tossed his cell phone on the coffee table and ran a hand through his hair.

"You look like hell. What happened? You didn't go to that Las Cruces rager last night, did you?" Chad asked, sitting next to Troy on the couch.

"No, this is all thanks to the wonderful Holly Masen. She thinks I wanted to help out with the party at nine am this morning,"

"Dude, you promised to work with me on my game, remember?"

"Exactly. I told her I couldn't make it and she said a very bad word, and then hung up," Troy shrugged. "Story of my life."

"Whatever. You two will work it out by tonight. Hey, is it okay if I hang here till the party? It's closer to the Masen's anyway," Chad explained. Troy nodded. "Alright. Now come on, let's go shoot some hoops!" Chad tossed his basketball in the air and ruffled Troy's hair before catching the ball again. The two boys made their way into the backyard where Jack Bolton, Troy's father, had built an outdoor basketball court. Troy snatched the basketball away from Chad and dribbled around the court, gaining momentum and finding his place. He was certain he'd do the responsible thing tonight, hang out with his girlfriend, drink a little, and help clean up after. After all, that's what good boyfriends did, right?

* * *

_Ding!_

Gabriella sighed and leaned over her bed to reach her small cell phone. It was the sixth text message she had gotten in a half hour and as she flipped her phone open, she wasn't surprised to see Evan's name flashing on the screen.

"He can't take a hint?" Taylor piped up, turning towards Gabriella.

"Not at all. I don't get it. First, he ignores me. Now he's trying to be like, the perfect boyfriend. He wants to know if we'll see each other tonight," Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"Gabi, just text him. Who knows, maybe he turned over a new leaf or something," Taylor said absentmindedly.

"That'll be the day," she muttered.

"He's still coming to pick us up tonight, right? Because I turned down Chad's offer to pick us up and everything,"

"Yeah, Evan's still picking us up. I just…I don't get him,"

"Boys. Can't live with them, can't live without 'em," Taylor laughed, jumping on the bed next to Gabriella.

* * *

"He shoots, he scores!" Chad swished the basketball through the net and took a victory lap around the court.

"Fuck my life," Troy grumbled.

"Aw, come on, man. It's not that bad. Hey, you think I should give Tay a call?" Chad came over and slapped Troy on his back, joining him on the ground.

"Didn't you guys hang out last night?"

"Yeah, and this morning," Chad chuckled. "Nah, I'm just wondering how she's getting to the party tonight. I mean, Gabriella's house is pretty far from the Masen's,"

"She's getting ready with Gabriella?"

"Dude, they're only like, best friends," Chad snorted.

"What's she like? Gabriella, I mean," Troy mused, twirling the basketball on his fingers.

"She's nice," Chad said, with mock seriousness. Troy punched him playfully on the shoulder and laughed. "Seriously? Gabi's a great girl. Smart, funny, totally hot – do not ever tell Tay I said that – and way too good for some jackass like Evan," Chad concluded. He looked over at his best friend. Troy was turning the basketball over and over in his hands, his eyes a million miles away, as if he were seriously contemplating something. Chad sighed. "Why?"

"I'm just wondering. Don't you think it's weird that you and Taylor have been dating for ages and I haven't even met her best friend?"

"Not really. Troy, you're not thinking of like, hooking up with her, are you?" Chad questioned, getting slightly worried. While he always thought Troy and Gabriella would make for an interesting experiment, he was never serious about it, considering the two had their own respective relationships.

"No, no, I'm not. I just…I ran into her the other day and we talked. I guess I never really noticed her, that's all,"

"Yeah, that Gabi's one conversationalist," Chad mumbled and stole a quick glance at Troy's facial expression. He was wistful, in serious thought, almost as if his mind was occupied by a much greater plan. Chad sighed. If his best friend wanted to make a move on Gabriella, he was on his own.

* * *

"Call him again," Taylor urged, pacing Gabriella's spacious room. It was almost eight and they were waiting for Evan to pick them up.

"Tay, I've called him three times already. He turned his fucking phone _off_," she said through gritted teeth, punching in his number once again. Gabriella held the phone to her ear. "Hold on, it's ringing," she said, gesturing to Taylor to stop pacing. "Evan?"

"Yo," Evan's voice came through on the receiver, lazy and distracted.

"Where the _fuck _are you?" she asked. Gabriella was furious. She had spent three whole hours getting ready, letting Taylor fuss over her hair, her outfit, and of all things, her nails. She had let herself get excited about the party, decided it was time to spice things up with Evan, rather than break things off with him completely. Maybe a little spark was all their relationship needed. But when he hadn't shown up at her doorstep at seven, she went straight to being furious.

"I'm in the car," he said, clearly occupied by something else.

"Oh, really? So you'll get here soon, then?" she asked, sarcastically.

"Uh, yeah, about that…listen, Gabi, I'm just going to head straight to the Masen's, there was like, a mix up with plans and…"

"Oh, whatever!" Gabriella exclaimed, and snapped her phone shut.

"That cannot be good," Taylor remarked, plopping herself down on the edge of the bed. Gabriella was sitting, her legs crossed, breathing in and out slowly. "What happened?"

"He's not fucking coming," Gabriella said, her dark brown eyes full with anger.

"He's…" Taylor stammered, her jaw wide open in disbelief. Gabriella groaned, but pulled herself together quickly. She was a problem solver and a practical, logical thinker. This meant, the next course of action was to find her own way to the party.

"Tay, let's face it. The guy is a total douchebag. I'm not into him, he's not into me, this relationship is so freaking _over_, it's not even funny. Now, how do we get to the Masen's?" Gabriella asked calmly.

"I don't know!" Taylor cried.

"Taylor! Chill out. We will get to the party, even if we have to _walk_. I look damn good tonight and I'm shoving that in Evan's face. Now, call Chad and see if he's left," Gabriella said, a tone of finality in her voice. She got up and went to the mirror, fixing her makeup.

"You've got something planned, haven't you?" Taylor asked, staring after Gabriella and her newfound confidence and bravery. "I love it!" she squealed, grabbing her cell phone and dialing Chad's number. Gabriella sat on her love seat, glancing at herself in the mirror. She looked like herself, but there was an air of brazenness around her, an impression of invincibility. She would get back at Evan Druthers tonight, if it was the last thing she did.

* * *

"Hey, is it alright if we make a quick detour?" Chad asked, while they were getting in his Ford Focus. Troy shrugged his shoulders. The way he saw it, the longer it took them to get to the party, the less time he'd have to deal with Holly. After their little chat in the Bolton's backyard earlier, Troy was convinced where his heart lay. While it wasn't sure if it was with Gabriella, he definitely knew it wasn't with Holly anymore. Now it was just a matter of choosing the right moment to break things off with her.

"Where are we going? This is already out of the way to the Masen's," Troy commented, finding a good R&B radio station.

"Taylor's at Gabriella's, remember?" Chad shrugged.

"I thought Evan was picking them up,"

"He bailed, so Taylor called me. You don't mind, right?"

"No," Troy said slowly. Arriving at the party with Gabriella Montez was something, wasn't it? She had been on his mind ever since they met each other and sparks had flown. It was her laugh, her smile, her openness, and her ability to practically inhale coffee that made him so attracted to her. She was beautiful, he thought, her long, tanned, athletic legs coming into her mind. Troy couldn't fathom why Evan would ignore her and cheat on her for so long, it didn't seem right. "Not at all."

"So…Chad is picking us up?" Gabriella asked, pacing her foyer. She had fussed about her hair five times, checked her outfit six times, and fixed her makeup eight times already. She was nervous about making an entrance; Gabriella knew that Evan wasn't going to expect her to show up.

"Yeah, he'll be here any minute," Taylor explained, getting up from the couch and crossing the room to look out the window. "He's here!" she exclaimed, grabbing her purse and running out the front door. Gabriella sighed and grabbed her clutch, following her best friend. As the Ford Focus pulled up to her house, Gabriella caught sight of a familiar, floppy haired figure. The two boys stepped out of the car and as Taylor ran, squealing at the sight of Chad, Gabriella's breath hitched when she realized who the other figure was. Troy Bolton loped out of the car, tossing his head to get the strands of hair out of his eyes. To Gabriella, it was as if the action was put into slow motion. He was exquisite, a plaid-button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to reveal his well defined, muscled arms. He stuck one hand in the pocket of his jeans and looked up at Gabriella, their eyes meeting for the first time that night. Her heart started beating faster and her entire body flushed with warmth. Was it possible for a person to make her react so? She took in a gulp of air, to make sure she was breathing. Troy was hot.

"Alright, let's go!" Chad cried, detaching his lips from Taylor and hopping into the driver's seat. Taylor happily jumped into the passenger seat, leaving Troy and Gabriella to awkwardly and silently take the backseat. Her heart still racing, she buckled her seat belt and looked out the window, as Chad coasted on the roads, the radio playing. The couple in the front seat were chatting lively, unaware of Troy and Gabriella's silence. Suddenly, Gabriella could feel Troy's eyes on her. She turned to face him and found herself lost and stuck in his cobalt blue gaze. She was entranced by him, affected by him, so completely and utterly bothered by him; she was oblivious to everything around her. Troy acted on impulse, slowly reaching over and pushing a strand of Gabriella's dark hair behind her ear. The act was simple, almost meaningless, and innocent, but Gabriella's cheeks blushed at his touch, igniting a spark between the two. Her entire body felt as if it was on fire and the confined space of the Ford Focus seemed too little to contain the heat that was between them.

Yes, the backseat was definitely burning up.

* * *

**You know what to do! =)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Firstly, thank you so much for your reviews & feedback! You guys described that last scene in the last chapter as intense and awkward, which is wonderful, because that is exactly what I was going for! =) **

**This chapter is a doozy, let me tell you. It's the longest chapter I've ever written for a fanfic, but I really love it! So read and review, please. You guys are all amazing, the feedback and reviews are great! I'm so overwhelmed, I can't believe people are actually reading the stuff I write...for fun. =P **

* * *

Chapter 4

Some people got nervous before they entered a social gathering. They worried about the way they looked, whether or not people would notice their arrival, and what to do when they got there. Gabriella was the exact opposite. She was used to all eyes on her and she strutted into a party with all the confidence in the world. The party that night was no different. If anything, she was even surer of her entrance, fueled by her lack of concern towards her so-called boyfriend. Gabriella sauntered into the party, Taylor at her side, Chad and Troy behind them. It was like something out of a typical teen flick. All eyes gravitated towards Gabriella, as she tossed her long hair over her shoulder and made her way towards the makeshift bar at the end of the living room, almost as if in slow motion. Taylor and the boys followed her and for a minute, it seemed like the party had stopped to drink in the Gabriella Montez people rarely saw. It was her arrival, symbolically ridding herself of her title of Evan's girlfriend, introducing to everybody a side of her she herself only recently discovered. Gabriella Montez, she was going to do things her own way tonight.

* * *

"Who the fuck does she think she is? Showing up with Bolton!" Evan Druthers was in the kitchen, a witness to his girlfriend's entrance to the already-raging party. He couldn't help but notice how hot she looked that night, in a short, red, tube dress and sky-high heels. Those, paired with that smug look on her face, made him hate Gabriella and want her even more. Evan's feelings about Gabriella were at complete opposite sides of the spectrum, but he noted that her mind-games were far from over.

"Dude, chill out. It's not like they're dating or anything," Derek quipped from the other side of the kitchen island, downing the rest of his beer.

"Shut the fuck up," Evan spat out.

"Why don't you just go talk to her? Show her who's boss, that kind of thing," Derek shrugged his shoulders, refilling his plastic red cup.

"I think I will," Evan replied, through gritted teeth. He crushed his own cup of beer, throwing it into the nearest trash can, and made his way towards Gabriella. She was standing at the bar with Taylor, giggling and mixing drinks. Troy and Chad were nowhere to be seen, a fact that Evan gladly noticed. "Gabi," he said, in a deep voice. He knew it was a shitty thing to blow her off when he was supposed to pick her up. But things had gotten in the way. Gabriella looked up, when she heard her name.

"Evan," she said coldly.

"Listen, can we talk?" the words surprised him as they left his mouth.

"Whatever you want to say, you can say it here," she shrugged her shoulders. Evan noticed that Taylor was fidgeting slightly, probably a little uncomfortable at the prospect of being in between the fighting couple.

"I'm sorry for bailing on you earlier today. But Derek wanted a ride and he was on the way. Baby, your house is kind of far from the Masens, so I just sort of skipped…"

"Save it, Druthers," Gabriella held up a hand and interrupted him. "Clearly, you think I'm affected by your lack of concern towards me, your alleged girlfriend. That's where you're wrong. I'm not," she said sensibly, her tone completely rational. Evan blinked several times, immersing her words.

"Gabi! I'm saying sorry here!" he cried, throwing his hands up in frustration. Usually, he would apologize, she would say it was alright, they would kiss, and everything would be fine. But this time, Evan had a feeling she was going to go a different way. Her arms were crossed across her chest, her head cocked to one side, her eyes staring straight at him, rather than the ground.

"And I'm saying I don't give a fuck," Gabriella shot back. She was through being Evan Druthers' pretty little plaything. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of winning another argument, of making a fool out of her again. Intrinsically, Gabriella knew she was a pushover. Though she was perfectly capable of leading, she tended to follow and adopt the motto, 'ignorance is bliss.' But she was through with that.

"Oh, give me a break, Gabi. Stop being such a priss about all this, I'm sorry, alright?" Evan rolled his eyes, getting tired of her damsel in distress act. "You came in with Bolton, I get it, and you're pissed. Let's just get over it,"

"You really don't understand it, do you, Evan? _I don't care._ It's not because I came in with Troy, which has nothing to do with it. I know it's a big shock to you, but I'm on my own tonight, regardless of who I came with," Gabriella said, her voice still an even tone. She knew she was frustrating Evan, but it felt good. Really good. She stared at him straight in the eye. "And another thing. _Don't_ call me Gabi," she raised her eyebrows at him and swiftly, turned around and left.

"What the fuck did I do?" Evan whispered. He was frustrated, confused, and livid. He didn't know how to fix it this time, what else he could do. He stole a glance at Taylor, who shrugged her shoulders and left him, following Gabriella. Had Evan just been dumped?

* * *

Meanwhile, Troy had positioned himself in the doorframe, watching Evan and Gabriella unfold. He was intrigued, as much as he hated to admit it and as much as he realized how wrong it was. The minute he had arrived at the Masens, Holly's cheerleading friends had bombarded him with questions. Why did he come with Gabriella? Didn't he know she was taken? Why was he dumping Holly? He had politely answered (okay, lied) to them all and had found his spot, between the dance floor and the booze. Chad had disappeared to start a game of beer pong in the basement, Jason and Zeke were both tearing up the dance floor, and Troy was quiet, slipping under the radar.

"Baby!" he raised his cup halfway to his mouth and froze. The shrill, squeaky, shriek was unmistakable. He looked around and saw Holly running straight at him. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

"Um, Holly…can't…breathe," he choked out. Holly let go of him and bounced up and down in her place. She was way past tipsy, he noticed. Holly was wasted.

"I didn't see you earlier! Why didn't you come find me? Silly, silly boyfriend!" she squealed, clapping her hands together. Holly stumbled forward, falling into Troy, who staggered back, hitting the wall behind him. He caught her in his arms, catching a whiff of her breath, which reeked of alcohol.

"You're drunk," he said, a lack of emotion in his voice. He was getting so tired of her attempts to keep them together. Couldn't she see they were ending?

"And you need to be! Baby, let's go upstairs, please? The room is spinning, I just need to be with you," Holly whispered the last part in his ear and started planting feather-light kisses down his neck. Troy groaned. No matter how much his girlfriend irritated him, he was always reminded of their physical attraction towards each other.

"Holly, stop. Just…stop," Troy growled. He was slowly giving in, as much as he hated to admit it. Slowly, slowly, he found his hands wrapping around her waist, although his head knew it was wrong.

* * *

"I am so ready to tear up this party!" Gabriella cried, raising her plastic red cup to meet Taylor's. The two girls had made their way into the kitchen, mixing drinks and talking about everything under the sun. Although they were best friends who spent almost every waking moment together, they always found something to talk about.

"Gabi, are you alright? I mean, are you sure you want to do this? What with the whole Evan debacle," Taylor slurred slightly. She briefly wondered where Chad was, then shook her head, knowing he'd come find her sooner or later.

"I am so fine, Tay, it's not even funny. Seriously, I just want to let it all go tonight," Gabriella assured her best friend. She downed the rest of her drink and eyed the dance floor. It was filled to the brim with dancers, girls grinding against guys, the occasional drink being spilled on the floor. There was no DJ, just a mixed CD playing in the background. A familiar R&B song came on, causing Gabriella to squeal with excitement. She pulled Taylor by the hand and the girls made their way to the dance floor. Gabriella was a natural born dancer, be it tap, ballet, hip hop, or even just swaying her hips to the music, she looked like a professional. She and Taylor shimmied their way across the floor, their bodies swaying to the beat of the song. Gabriella tossed her hair back and let herself go to the music. She was in her element tonight, dancing was her talent, one that nobody could take away from her. Gabriella snapped her head back forward and rolled her hips, as she caught sight of someone familiar. She stopped dancing, focusing on Evan's retreating back. He was leading a girl upstairs, she noticed. Gabriella's heart tore slightly at the sight of her ex-boyfriend moving on so quickly from her. Obviously, their relationship meant nothing to him and Gabriella blinked back tears as she realized he probably had millions of girls already lined up to take her place."Gabi?" Taylor half-whispered, half-screamed to her. Gabriella came back to life and looked at her best friend in the eye. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Just…just saying goodbye," Gabriella said in a small voice.

* * *

Troy was in trouble. He was pushed up against the door, his girlfriend's lips attached to his neck, and her hand creeping further and further down his jeans. For most guys, it would've been a fantasy to be locked in a room with the head cheerleader of EPA. But for Troy, he wanted out of there.

"Holly, stop," he grabbed her wrists and gently shoved her away from him. Holly's eyes were glassy, her hair an absolute mess, and she licked her lips seductively, coming towards him once again. "I'm serious!" he said, louder this time.

"Troy, come _on_," she pleaded, slamming her body into his again. Troy groaned at the contact, because even though he wasn't into it, other parts of his body seemed to disagree.

"Okay, look, Holly. You and I? Not working out," he said firmly, his hands wrapped tightly around her wrists. He wanted to get through to her so desperately, wanted to tell her that he didn't want her anymore.

"I'm going to go out and get a drink," she purred, ignoring his previous statement. "You can think over what you just turned down," she whispered, punctuating each word with a kiss to his neck. Troy grumbled, but felt relieved as he watched Holly leave the room. He sat down on the couch, grabbing the bottle of tequila that was left unattended on the coffee table. Smiling grimly to himself, he poured out a shot and knocked it back.

* * *

"I think I'm going to get a drink!" Gabriella cried, over the sound of the music. Taylor nodded and Gabriella made her way towards the kitchen. She found it filled with people, Jason and Zeke had started a game of beer pong. She rolled her eyes and decided to find a quiet spot to sit, away from the commotion of the party. She opened the first door she saw and slowly slipped inside. It was dark, she noticed, but she was grateful, leaning against the wooden door, as she closed it behind her.

"Looking for someone?" a voice she recognized asked. Gabriella's heart involuntarily started racing, as she looked in front of her and saw Troy Bolton, sitting on the couch, a bottle of tequila in his hand. '_He is so good-looking,' _she thought, her eyes coasting over his arms, his face, and his hands. Momentarily, she imagined what it'd feel like to have those hands run over her body.

"Um, no. I was getting something to drink, actually," she muttered.

"Sit. I've got plenty," he made space for her on the couch and shook the bottle, indicating she could share. Gabriella debated telling him that she was actually looking for water, but decided against it. He was gorgeous and Evan was with someone else. It was her turn now.

"Thanks. So how come you're here? Not fulfilling boyfriend obligations?" Gabriella asked, referring to their conversation at the coffee shop the other day.

"Yeah, that's kind of…not applicable," he murmured, pouring out two shots of tequila. He handed her one and she accepted it, fingering the small shot glass. Gabriella noticed a slight sparkle in his eye, one that told her he wasn't too devastated over his girlfriend.

"Well, here's to clueless boyfriends," she said, raising the glass.

"And self-involved girlfriends," he added. They clinked their glasses together and shot their tequila.

* * *

Taylor hated waiting. Like Gabriella, she was impatient, utterly rushed, and completely giddy. Add the fact that she had to watch Chad and his friends beat each other at beer pong, she was downright pissed.

"Chad!" she whined. "Can we please do something else?"

"Just a sec, Tay. I'm beating Zeke's ass here," Chad said, distractedly. "Why don't you go find Gabi or something?" he suggested. Taylor glared at her boyfriend.

"I would, but I have no idea where she went. She said she was going to get a drink," she explained.

"Actually, I haven't seen Troy either," Chad stopped his game and turned to Taylor. "You don't think they're…"

"Oh, as if. Knowing Gabriella, she's probably tearing up the dance floor again or something. As for Troy, he's probably with Holly," Taylor snapped. Chad noticed his girlfriend's change in tone and immediately paid attention.

"Man, I'm beat. Sorry Jase, this one's on you," Chad clapped Jason's back and slipped his arm around Taylor's waist, pecking her on the cheek. "What do you say we go find an empty room?" he whispered in her ear. She smiled and grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling his face closer to hers.

"Hell yes,"

* * *

Gabriella didn't get drunk very often. When she did, she was still sane and rational. Sure, she partied, she drank, she got tipsy, but she never got wasted. Save for that one night with Taylor when Chad and Evan temporarily dumped them, Gabriella wasn't a heavy drinker. Of course, unless the occasion called for it. And being with Troy Bolton was so incredibly headache-inducing; she needed the alcohol to numb it. Perhaps to numb the little voice in her head, saying it was a wrong thing to do. It was wrong to want him so much, given that he had a girlfriend and she was still fresh out of a relationship that she didn't know had even ended properly. Plus, he was her best friend's boyfriend's best friend. As complicated as that sounded, the entire image of Troy and Gabriella hooking up would bring about serious consequences.

"You did not!"

"I swear I did! Chad and I showed up to practice completely wasted and we had to run sprints. By the time practice was over, he and I were puking like crazy!" Troy said, slurring his words. Gabriella punched him on the arm playfully. Her legs were slung over his lap and his hands were absentmindedly running over them, playing with the dangerously short hemline of her dress. She shivered slightly. "You cold?"

"Are you kidding? With the amount of tequila I drank, I really don't think so,"

"Yeah, this stuff is kind of lethal, especially straight," he held up their second bottle of Jose Cuervo. Suddenly, Gabriella's confidence that started earlier in the night began to kick in again. She looked at Troy, a hint of mischief in her eyes. She slowly got up from the couch and went straight to the other end of the room. She silently thanked the Masens and their alcoholic-like tendencies, as she rummaged through the contents of the bar. Gabriella quickly located a knife, some limes, a salt shaker, and another bottle of Jose Cuervo. Holding them up to show Troy, a giggle escaped from her mouth, as she saw the look on his face.

Troy was shocked. Who was this girl? Only a few minutes ago, he had been depressed and drowning in his sorrows. Now, he was pretty sure Gabriella was suggesting body shots. Troy barely even knew this girl. A part of his brain, the rational, sensible part, told him to leave. It was preposterous, going any further with Taylor's best friend. He still didn't know what Evan and Gabriella's situation was, not to mention, Troy was pretty sure he and Holly weren't completely over. _'Yeah, this is definitely crazy,'_ he thought to himself, watching Gabriella expertly cut up the limes and bring everything over to the couch. _'Right, I'll just tell her to stop and then I'll leave,'_ he planned, still unable to keep his eyes off Gabriella, as she poured out two shots of tequila. A little bit of the alcohol spilled and she licked it off, sending Troy's mind into an instant tailspin.

_Who am I kidding? I am fucking crazy if I'm leaving this room._

"Lean back," Gabriella instructed, a little surprised by her own assurance. Troy did as he was told; leaning back on the couch, anticipating what would come next. Gabriella hadn't quite decided yet. Was she going to go along with it? Hadn't she and Evan broken up? Were Holly and Troy still together? In that instant, Gabriella decided it didn't matter. She shook some of the salt on Troy's neck and shoved the lime wedge into his hand. Slowly and sensually, she ran her tongue along the base of his neck, making her way up the trail of salt. She sensed Troy close his eyes and suck in his breath, she could feel his pulse underneath her tongue. In one swift move, Gabriella bit the skin of his neck gently, eliciting a small moan. She pulled away quickly, downed the rest of her tequila, and Troy fed her the lime wedge, his eyes glazed over. "That was fun," she grinned, bouncing up and down in her seat. Troy looked over at Gabriella, watching her as she cut another lime wedge. This girl – no, woman – was amazing. She was unpredictable, unexpected, and downright sexy. Girlfriend or no girlfriend, boyfriend or no boyfriend, Troy Bolton wanted her.

"My turn," he said in a low growl, picking up the salt and facing her.

* * *

"Dude, you totally cheated!"

"How do you cheat at beer pong?"

Jason and Zeke had gotten into an argument over their game and the kitchen was thinning out fast. It always happened that way, the game would begin and everybody would crowd around, cheering their favored team. But Jason or Zeke would start to accuse the other of cheating and the game would slowly die out. Normally Troy would be the one to settle it. He was occupied. Chad would step in, but he and Taylor busy, sitting down and furiously making out in the corner of the kitchen.

"Shouldn't you…fix that?" Taylor asked breathlessly, talking between accepting fiery kisses from her boyfriend.

"Leave it," he murmured. "Bedroom?" he asked bluntly. Taylor laughed.

"In a sec. I want to find Gabriella," she explained, running her hands through his trademark afro.

"Tay, I'm asking you to spend some _alone_ time with your loving boyfriend and you think of Gabi? Wow, I must be losing it," Chad grumbled.

"Yeah, you must be," Jason's voice piped up. Chad looked to his left and right, seeing both Jason and Zeke on either side of him.

"What the fuck do you want?" he grumbled. Taylor lightly slapped him, indicating he should be slightly nicer. "Done fighting yet?"

"Whatever, man. It was a tie. Anyway, where's Bolton?" Jason asked, taking a sip of his beer. Taylor stared at the boys. It always amazed them how much they could drink. It was a given that the students at East Preparatory Academy were intelligent, rich, and privileged. What the world didn't know was that they partied the same way they did everything else: wholeheartedly.

"I haven't seen him since the beginning of this party. I saw Holly a few minutes ago, though. She's still wasted," Chad shook his head.

"I haven't seen Gabriella either," Taylor chimed in.

"Hey, you don't think they're…" Zeke wondered out loud.

"Fuck no, man. They're too different from each other. Gabi's still hung up on Evan and Troy won't ever break up with Holly. They're loyal, remember?" Chad interrupted. Taylor saw Jason and Zeke nod their heads in agreement, but she was worried. Could it be possible? Troy and Gabriella?

* * *

His hands slipped underneath her dress, caressing every curve of her body, touching her with the softest of touches. His lips were latched onto hers, his tongue slowly making its way into her mouth. She moaned, her back involuntarily arching in an attempt to close the distance between their bodies. Their limbs tangled with each other, as Gabriella pulled back from his lips to breathe. Troy wasted no time in attacking her neck, pressing feather-light kisses to her scorching skin.

"Troy…wait…" she stuttered, finding it difficult to breathe with him around. He murmured against her skin, indicating he was listening. "We shouldn't…you and Holly…me and Evan…" she was losing her train of thought, she noticed. Coherent sentences had flown out the window, the minute he had taken that first body shot off her, the way his tongue ran one long, dangerously low stroke down the base of her neck to the top of her breasts. Gabriella's mind whirled at the mere thought of it and she groaned, as she felt Troy's hips grind against her pelvis. She decided it was time to let it go. Would it be considered cheating? She didn't know. All she knew was that it felt too good to stop. "The door…go lock it," she whispered in his ear, before pulling his shirt off in one swift move.

* * *

**What do you think?! I really wanted to show Troy and how he has all these decisions to make in his head, you know, with Holly or with Gabriella. And with Gabi, she's just really confused. I added the parts about Chad and Taylor because there needed to be some relief in there, from all the heavy stuff that Troy and Gabriella are sorting out. Read and review, you know what to do! =P**

**Next up: There's a charity lunch, some awkward conversations, some fleeting moments, and someone gets caught in the act...!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Wow! Thanks so much for the feedback and reviews, they've been so great! Truthfully, all that positivity is what keeps this story going and it's what keeps me writing, so just keep 'em coming! =P**

**This chapter is long overdue, really. I haven't taken that long of a break between chapters, but that's because I've just started college, so things have been hectic around here. Not to worry though, I've got my outlines set for the next few chapters; now I just need to write it! =P I hope you guys like this chapter, I sort of modeled it after a Gossip Girl episode, but I'd really love to know what you guys think! =)**

**PS: Also, I re-read my last chapter about the party and I realized, the venue of beer pong totally changed in the middle of the entire thing, from the basement to the kitchen. Haha. I didn't realize that I did that, so...let's just say the boys moved beer pong to the kitchen! =P**

* * *

Chapter 5

Troy walked down his staircase sluggishly, making a beeline for the kitchen. He poured out coffee for himself and sat down at the island, holding his head in his hands. Fragments of the previous night came back to him one by one: the smell of Holly's breath, the touch of Gabriella's skin, and the taste of Gabriella's lips.

_Gabriella._

He hadn't known her before, except for being Chad's girlfriend's best friend. He was never attracted to her, never caught her eye for any reason whatsoever. But suddenly, in a matter of several days, Troy's mind was occupied with thoughts of her and only her. Was it possible to feel that much longing for a girl he had only just met?

"I've got to end it with Holly," he said to himself, for what seemed like the millionth time that week. Troy reached over the island to grab an apple, but stopped short when his eyes caught sight of a scribbled note from his parents.

_Troy –_

_We went golfing with the Evans. Be back around ten (if you're awake by then)!_

_Remember, the McKessie's are hosting a charity lunch at one o'clock, you are expected to attend. Wear something nice, we'll meet you there._

_Love you,_

_Mom & Dad_

Troy sighed, his Sunday quickly disappearing ahead of him. He was used to obligatory events, as the only son of Jack and Lucille Bolton, two very prominent figures in Albuquerque's high society. He was used to the dinners, the formal events, and all the press they did, as a family. Troy sighed again, leaving the kitchen to waste away what was left of his Sunday.

* * *

"Are you sure this is alright to wear to a charity lunch?" Gabriella asked Taylor, smoothing down her white, ruffled dress. The girls, with Chad in tow, were at the Hotel La Mer for the McKessie's event. Taylor had done her obligatory rounds of mingling with people and they were now situated at a small, elevated round table, sipping champagne. Gabriella had crashed at Taylor's house after the party, artfully dodging any questions her best friend had asked about her and Troy. The truth was, Gabriella thought the previous night was spectacular, but she couldn't bring herself to tell anybody yet. When it came down to it, they had both cheated on their significant others, which wasn't exactly something to broadcast to their friends. Ever since the night before, she was on edge.

"You look fine, Gabi. Chad, tell her she looks fine," Taylor said, taking a sip of champagne and rolling her eyes.

"You look fine," Chad repeated so monotonously that even Gabriella had to let out a soft giggle. "I'm going to find Jason and Zeke, leave you two alone," Chad added, giving Taylor a quick kiss on the cheek and leaving.

"I think he likes you," Gabriella laughed, sipping her champagne. Even though she was drunk at the party, she had easily managed to sober up in time for her parents to see her arrive at the lunch.

"You think?" Taylor stuck out her tongue playfully. "Oh wow. Eight o'clock. You think she's still wasted?" she asked, pointing out Holly Masen, who was slumped in an armchair, holding her head in her hands. She looked beautiful, Gabriella noticed, but her face looked like she was about to be sick any minute.

"Oh come on, she's just…tired," Gabriella defended her, hoping it would make her feel less guilty about hooking up with Holly's boyfriend. It didn't.

"Of drinking," Taylor added. "Speaking of drinking, what happened between you and Troy last night?"

"Not talking about it, Tay. Besides, he's not even here today," Gabriella replied, her voice a mixture of sadness and relief.

"Yeah, try that again, Montez. Here he comes," Taylor nodded her head at the entrance of the ballroom. Gabriella turned around, her champagne flute still in her hand. Her breath caught, her eyes watching Troy, as he strolled into the ballroom. He was dressed in a white, collared shirt and Gabriella involuntarily bit her lip, as she took in his arms. Those same arms were wrapped around her the night before. Troy made his way further into the room, pausing slightly. His eyes and Gabriella's eyes met, and an instant spark lit between them. Her body felt like it was being shocked, but instead of unpleasant currents running through her limbs, they were jolts of passion, jolts of good electricity. She gripped onto her champagne flute a little tighter, to control herself, as she gazed into his ocean-blue eyes. Gabriella held her breath, waiting for his next move, and her heart fell a little, when he blinked and walked to the right, saying hello to the McKessie's.

* * *

Gabriella sat anxiously, twiddling her thumbs. The name card opposite from her seat clearly spelled out _Troy Bolton._ Was she expected to sit through an entire meal across from the one man she couldn't look at without wanting to feel his lips on hers? It was torture - cruel, unadulterated, torture.

"Hey, Gabs," Gabriella jumped, as the seat next to her was filled. She looked at Chad, her eyes a wild and nervous frenzy.

"Hi, Chad," she said, forcing her voice to sound normal. _'This is no time to lose it, Montez. Suck it up,'_ she coached herself.

"Man, Holly must be so hung over right now," he commented, gesturing towards the girl who was still slumped in her armchair. "Anyway, what's up with you and my best friend, Gabi?" he asked bluntly. Gabriella's eyes widened at the straightforward question and sighed, her shoulders slumping down.

"I have no fucking idea," she whispered.

"Look, everybody knows _something_ happened between the two of you. Of course, Tay and I won't say anything; it's up to you guys. But Troy and Holly are far from over. Shit, so are you and Evan," Chad explained. Gabriella just nodded.

"Chad, we're…friends. Troy and I are just acquaintances. If it weren't for you and Taylor, we really wouldn't have anything in common," she lied through her teeth, her own words sounding practiced to her ears. Chad bought it, though, nodding his head in agreement.

"Alright. He's at a tough spot right now, Gabs. I know you are, too. Just don't make it any more complicated than it already is," he advised. Gabriella nodded weakly and chugged the rest of her champagne down. It was starting to get uncomfortable.

"Gabriella, may I have a word with you?" a voice said behind her. She turned around and saw Evan, looking handsome in a blazer and jeans.

It got a lot more uncomfortable.

* * *

"Evan, what do you want?" Gabriella asked tiredly. She was leaning against a door, away from the rest of the guests, outside the hotel's elaborate ballroom. She fingered the hemline of her short dress, momentarily flickering back to her night with Troy, and shook her head before the image went too far.

"We need to talk about last night. Gabi – Gabriella – I'm so sorry. I was such a jackass and things have just been crazy with soccer scholarships, I sort of just unloaded on you. And that isn't fair," he explained, his palms facing upwards, as if asking Gabriella for a reprieve. She looked at him, into his eyes, and saw that he was at least attempting to make an effort. Whether or not it was truly sincere, she didn't know.

"Evan, I'm tired of this. Of us. This fighting back and forth and struggling to be with each other, it doesn't work. We're not cut out for it,"

"But we're Evan and Gabriella!" he exclaimed, frustrated.

"Yeah, well, I don't want to be a part of that anymore," she replied quietly. She knew the real reason why she was rejecting him. A part of her, quite a large part, was convinced he was telling the truth; that he was truly apologizing for his behavior and that he wanted to get back together. But the bigger part of Gabriella was telling her it was wrong. Not because she saw him go up the stairs with a random girl, but because she was the one who had just cheated on him.

* * *

Troy was getting bored. Charity lunches were a snooze-fest, he noticed, as he watched his parents go from couple to couple, introducing themselves and mingling. The truth was, at events like these, Troy could have always talked to the giggling group of girls that constantly followed him. But today, there was only one girl he was interested in. The only thing was, in order to get her; he'd have to break things off with his girlfriend first.

"Holly?" Troy placed his hand on her back, rubbing gently. Despite the awkward vibes between them, he still felt like he had a duty to her.

"Troy, don't. I feel and look like shit," she groaned, pushing her hair back.

"Don't be ridiculous, you know you look beautiful," he said instinctively. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he realized how fake they sounded on his lips.

"Cut it out, Troy. Don't do this. Don't get my hopes up and crush them again. Last night was seriously pathetic," she muttered.

"Holly, I'm…"

"Save it," Holly held up her hand and then quickly clapped it over her mouth, her eyes widening. Shooting him an apologetic look, she took off running, in search of a bathroom. Troy sighed. It amazed her how she could remember the night before, but he was also relieved that she didn't remember he was gone for most of the night. He leaned back in his chair, chugging down the rest of his champagne.

"Bolton," Taylor acknowledged him, sitting in the empty seat next to his.

"Hey, Tay. Where's Chad?"

"Talking to Jason or Zeke. Either that, or he's sucking up to my parents," she laughed. Troy smiled. Taylor was a cool girl, he was happy she and Chad had found each other. "Now listen, what's up with you and my best friend?" Troy groaned.

"That was blunt. You're starting to sound a lot like Chad, you know," he commented, raising his eyebrows.

"Cool it, Bolton. I'm smarter than he is and you know it," she said smugly, a smile tugging at her lips. Troy laughed in agreement with her. "Seriously, cough it up. What's going on?"

"Taylor, I don't fucking know. We're just friends. I mean, before this, we were just acquaintances, if that's what you want to call it. We just talked last night, that's all," he assured her, lying through his teeth. It came easier for Troy, partly because he didn't want to divulge the previous night with anybody, especially not Taylor.

"Alright. I believe you. Just…just be careful, Troy? She's in a weird place right now. She's with Evan one minute, then cursing him the next. It's a rollercoaster for her. And I know things can't be easy between you and Holly," Taylor explained. Troy just nodded. "Just be careful," she repeated, giving him a quick hug and leaving him alone to his thoughts. Troy leaned back again, his mind puzzled. His feelings for Gabriella were strong, there was no doubt about it. And Holly was the last thing on his mind. The right thing, the _careful_ thing to do, would be to break up with Holly first and then find Gabriella. But Troy's urges were fueled by more than just desire to touch Gabriella again, it was fueled by true, deep, attraction, almost as if he couldn't breathe without her there. Holly was an afterthought, as much as Troy hated to admit it. But he couldn't keep up the charade with his long-time girlfriend any longer. The truth was, the spark between them was gone and he yearned for something different, something more…exciting.

* * *

"Come on, Gabi,"

"Evan, I told you to _stop _calling me that. Look, I know you're trying to make amends or whatever, but it's like I said before. We're done," she said, putting extra emphasis on the last word. It was funny how she had gone from physically incapable of breaking up with him to constantly telling him over and over again how finished they were. Gabriella sighed and pushed his hands away, repeatedly, but they kept clutching at her waist. She rolled her eyes, getting tired at his clingy act.

"Baby, you want this. You know you do," Evan ran his finger down the side of cheek and pressed his lips to her neck. The touch made her shiver and for a minute, she rolled her head back, giving him easier access to her collarbone. It wasn't what she wanted, but it felt so _damn good_, and after her previous night with Troy, Gabriella was craving for any contact with the opposite sex. She let Evan run his tongue deliciously up and down her neck, biting gently on her earlobe, causing her to arch her back against the wall she was already pinned up against. It was wrong, she had cheated on him and she didn't want him. But for a minute, Gabriella sensed that perhaps, she just needed to get it out of her system once and for all.

* * *

Troy got up from his seat and darted his eyes around the room. The McKessie's official speech was only a few minutes away and he knew his parents would be miffed that he would miss it. But he had to find Gabriella, he had to tell her how he felt. He wanted her, in every sense of the word.

* * *

"Evan,"

"Gabi,"

She was a rational, logical person. Except when the most sought-after male in school had his hands dangerously wrapped her thigh. Her breathing hitched, as Evan pressed his lips to hers, the taste of him so incredibly different from Troy, she noticed. _'Damnit, Troy,'_ she thought, trying to figure him into the equation. There was no doubt about it, she was affected by Troy and Gabriella was sure she was only letting Evan go as far as he was because she wanted someone else. As confusing as it was, she couldn't let them go on any longer. Mustering up all her courage, she unlocked her wrists from Evan's neck and placed her hands on his chest. He was still kissing her, with a fervor that she never noticed before.

"Evan," she whispered again. He mistook it for passion and attacked her neck, sending her mind into a tailspin. She knew she needed to be stronger than this.

* * *

Troy was searching. And when he was searching, he didn't stop until he found what he was searching for. His eyes drifted over every brunette girl in the room and when he didn't find her, he got up to his feet and searched the outside of the ballroom. His heart and mind pounded, almost as if in time, at the thought of being seconds away from kissing Gabriella. He couldn't believe the feelings she invoked in him, but as he checked the empty function rooms at the Hotel La Mer, Troy knew she was the right one.

* * *

Evan pushed Gabriella against the door, holding her arms down at her sides.

"Evan, stop," she said, her eyes widened with fear and uncertainty.

"Come on, Gabriella. We can do this together, this time. We can do it right," he murmured into her hair, peppering kisses along her neck and jaw line.

* * *

Troy was close to giving up on his search and he leaned back against a door. A quick movement caught his eye and he turned his head slowly. Gabriella was against the wall, Evan's arms wrapped around her. In what seemed like the longest second in Troy's world, Evan kissed Gabriella passionately, a kiss that Troy knew well, because he had kissed her that same way the night before. Instinctively, Troy's breath caught in his throat and he turned back towards the ballroom. Perhaps Taylor was right, Gabriella wasn't in the same place he was. Maybe Gabriella and Evan still weren't finished.

* * *

"Evan, _get off_!" Gabriella exclaimed, using all her will to push him away. She was frustrated, irritated, and completely angry with him. "You are not allowed to kiss me like that! Not anymore, Evan. We are _through_," she hissed, emphasizing her last word with a stomp on his foot. As she walked away from him, Gabriella felt a heavy weight lifting off her shoulders. She knew, with all her heart, that for sure, Gabriella and Evan were finished.

* * *

**I hope you guys liked it! This wasn't my ultimate favorite chapter & there are a lot of breaks in between, but hopefully, you get the idea. Read and review, you know what to do! =)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks you guys, SO MUCH for keeping with this. I am constantly thinking about this story and my next chapter, but right now, there's been a lot going on. I'm getting adjusted to college life and everything, so...just stay with me! Haha.**

**Anyway, this chapter isn't some of my best work and it's not terribly interesting, but I promise there'll be some more drama and action in the next one! This one is just kind of a filler...enjoy anyway! =)**

* * *

Chapter 6

Gabriella leaned against the EPA building, taking sporadic sips of her coffee. She watched as other students made their way inside the building, quickly escaping the cold. Gabriella sighed and rested her head against the wall. She was exhausted, but prepared to face what was sure to come at her that day.

"Gabriella?" a voice pulled her out of her daydream, as she straightened up and came face to face with Evan. He was still gorgeous, she noted, the mere sight of him could still take her breath away.

"Evan," she said, a involuntary smile making its way across her face. It was hard to remember what she wanted when he was around, but Gabriella knew things had to end. "We need to talk."

"We do," he agreed, sticking his hands in his pockets, a worried look crossing his face. Gabriella sighed. She knew it would be hard to go through with, but the breakup was inevitable. She had cheated and while it was a fact that she desperately wanted to keep private (especially from Evan), it still didn't feel right to continue.

"It's like I said, Evan. We're done. We're just not…together anymore. I'm sorry," she said, blinking her eyes. Not surprisingly, she found herself blinking back tears.

"No, I'm sorry, Gabi. I pushed myself on you and I was a jealous idiot. I haven't been a very good boyfriend to you and you deserve much better," Evan nodded his head, as if coming to a conclusion.

"I'm not so sure I do," Gabriella whispered quietly. "Still friends?" she said in a normal pitch.

"Of course," Evan grinned and took a step closer. Gabriella sunk into his arms, finally feeling a finality to their relationship. She blinked once, letting a tear fall down her cheek, but wiped it away quickly. It was better this way. Letting go of Evan and watching him walk into the building, Gabriella realized they had both been terrible to each other. Gabriella had cheated; Evan had lied and treated her badly.

'_We don't deserve each other,'_ she thought, her eyes scanning the area outside of EPA. Her gaze fell on a familiar person, a boy with brown hair and the bluest eyes she had ever seen. She fiddled with the top of her coffee uncomfortably, as his gaze fixed upon hers. She watched him intently, as he nodded once at her, then turned his back and walked away.

'_Does the same go for me and Troy?'_

_

* * *

_Evan Druthers walked into homeroom with a permanent grin on his face. He was a changed man and everybody could tell, as he sauntered past his usual desk to sit at the back of the class. The girls started whispering and stealing glances at him, all he could do was wink. Evan could taste the freedom, feel the sweet liberty, and practically hear the old girlfriend ropes being cut. Several girls turned to look at him and he winked back. He stretched his arms out in front of him and for the first time in a long time, he gazed at the group of girls available to him in the classroom. _'This is only a small portion of the EPA female population!'_ he thought giddily to himself.

"Druthers! Heard you and Gabi broke it off?" Derek Marshall slid into the seat next to Evan's, a smug look on his face.

"You heard right. We're through and I can finally have my pick of the girls," he said, his eyebrows raised.

"As if that mattered to you before, Evan. You've tasted half the girls here already," Derek snorted. Evan shot a quick look at him. It was true, Evan concluded, but did Derek really have to say it so _loud_? As much as Evan was glad to be rid of Gabriella and the commitment that she required, he still didn't want to hurt her, and he didn't want her to find out about the fact that he had been cheating on her for months before their breakup.

"Yeah, well, Gabriella doesn't know that," Evan replied, through gritted teeth.

"Didn't you try and get her back at the charity lunch? What's up with that?"

"Dude, shut _up_," Evan growled. The fact that he had practically begged Gabriella to come back to him was stupid, he knew. He hated to admit it, but seeing her walk in with Troy Bolton got his blood boiling, even though he barely felt any passion towards Gabriella anymore. _'Whatever. They can have each other, Gabi and I will just be friends or something,'_ he thought. A cute cheerleader caught his eye and he flashed her a lopsided smile, causing her to burst into a fit of giggles. _'Meanwhile, I can start dating again,'_

_

* * *

_Walking towards their Advanced Chemistry class, Taylor was itching to extract any possible information from her best friend. Gabriella was the perfect picture of calm and serenity, while Taylor was about to explode from giddiness.

"Gabi, just tell me what happened! You can't honestly tell me that you spent a good several hours in a study with Troy Bolton, highly intoxicated, might I add, and all you two did was _talk_?!" Taylor cried, incredulously. She slammed her textbook on the lab tables, frustrated with the information she lacked.

"Taylor, nothing happened, alright? Just drop it. Troy and I are acquaintances, I told you that. He told you that. We're friends. We were just getting to know each other a little better," Gabriella explained calmly, rolling her eyes. There were times Taylor could act like a complete drama queen. "Besides, I thought you and Chad would be thrilled about this. You're always going on about how we never really know each other,"

"Yes, but…you were drunk!" she hissed. "And Troy is really hot!" Taylor spluttered out bluntly, causing Gabriella to giggle.

"Tay, drop it. I'm not going to tell you anything because there is nothing to tell," she said, emphasizing her words. "Although, I do have something that might interest you. Evan and I officially broke up this morning,"

"You what?!" Taylor exclaimed. Gabriella laughed at her best friend's reaction.

"It's okay. Believe me, this was a long time coming and I'm glad he's finally got it through his thick head that we're done. It's sad, because we've stayed together for so long, but honestly Tay, it was out of habit. I think we're both just ready to move on," Gabriella explained as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Hold on a second," Taylor held up her hand and dropped her voice to a low whisper. "This wouldn't have anything to do with a certain basketball player, would it?" she suggested. Gabriella's hands gripped the edge of the table for a split second, before recovering herself.

"Don't' be ridiculous, Taylor. Of course not. Troy Bolton has nothing to do with the fact that Evan and I split up,"

"Oh. Good. Then Troy and Holly breaking up is just a coincidence then," Taylor said, staring straight into Gabriella's eyes, which showed a hint of surprise.

"Um. Yeah, I guess so," she replied quietly.

"I know you'll tell me the truth about you and Troy, Gabi. But in the meantime, you better work on your acting skills. Truth be told, they kind of suck," Taylor smiled at her best friend and went straight to work on comparing answers on the weekend's homework. Gabriella smiled back, grateful that Taylor had decided to drop it. But Troy and Holly? Their breakup couldn't have been because Troy and Gabriella had hooked up, could it? _'Except, that's why I broke up with Evan,'_ she thought. Gabriella was guilty, she knew, but she couldn't bear to tell Evan the truth. Could it be the same for Troy?

* * *

Troy turned the knob on the treadmill to a higher setting, increasing his pace. Running helped him think, it helped him sort out the mess that he was currently going through. His relationship with Holly was clearly over; by the way she had ended things with him earlier this morning. Troy was relieved, mostly because he was afraid Holly would suddenly discover about his drunken night with Gabriella.

"You okay, man?" Chad Danforth walked into the gym, causing Troy to look up quickly from his running. He was a little miffed that his best friend had chosen that moment to walk in and ruin his train of thought, but at the same time, he couldn't help but welcome the intrusion.

"Just thinking. You know how it is," Troy panted, shaking his head to get several strands of hair out of his eyes.

"I heard about you and Holly. I'm sorry, man. That's fucked up," Chad commented, starting on weights in the near corner next to Troy.

"It's alright," he replied, shrugging his shoulders. "It was just time,"

"Still…the breakup didn't have anything to do with a certain brunette, did it? A dancer? The track star of EPA?" Chad hinted obviously.

"Give it a rest, Danforth. Nothing's going on between me and Gabriella," Troy snapped. Chad stopped lifting weights for a second, taken aback by his best friend's irritated tone of voice.

"Look, deny it all you want, Troy, but everybody knows there's something going on there. You guys were hanging out all night at Holly's party last weekend. And now, you and Gabriella break up with Holly and Evan all in the same day? If you want to keep it under wraps from everybody else, I get that. But don't try and act as if there's _nothing_ there. I know you, man. There's _something_," Chad explained rationally. He raised his eyebrows at Troy, hoping for an answer. They didn't normally get into fights, mostly misunderstandings, but Chad knew Troy had some unsolved questions in his mind.

"I…" Troy stammered for a while. He stopped running, letting the treadmill take its course and moving him back. He stepped off of it, leaning against the wall, shaking his head to get the sweaty strands out of his eyes. He knew Chad was onto something and Troy couldn't exactly escape his best friend's prying questions. "Alright, fine. Gabriella and I hooked up at Holly's party, is that what you wanted to hear? As much as it kills me to say it, I cheated on Holly," Troy grumbled the last part, admitting to himself and to Chad the truth. "And I feel like absolute shit for it, so don't give me any of that righteous path crap,"

"I wasn't going to say anything. Listen, Evan's been a dick to Gabriella, so her hooking up with you sounds like pretty sweet revenge, if you ask me," Chad chuckled. "As for you and Holly, who cares? You broke up. It was over way before the Gabi thing happened,"

"You think?"

"Why do you have to tell Holly you cheated on her, especially since you guys are done?" Chad suggested. "But you do know that since you and Gabi are kind of a thing now, I've got to say, you better watch it, man. Gabi's like my little sister. I've known her since I was five and she's my girlfriend's best friend. You be good to her," Chad warned.

"We aren't a thing…yet," Troy said, a smile tugging at his lips.

"You like her. She likes you. You're a thing," Chad concluded, going back to his weights, effectively ending the discussion, leaving Troy with a new revelation: if he wanted Gabriella, he'd have her.

* * *

Gabriella strolled the hallways of East Preparatory Academy during the ten minute break they had between classes. She was surprised at how much more aware she was towards everything; the posters on the wall, the occupied wooden benches, and the sound of lockers being slammed. Gabriella was used to walking the halls as one half of EPA's golden couple. Everywhere she went, everybody knew who she was and who her boyfriend was. They would ask her about her newest dance routine, the next track meet, Evan's next soccer game, and jokingly, when their wedding would be. But now, Gabriella walked the halls a new person. Everybody didn't stop and ask her questions, they lounged against their lockers, whispering about the popular girl who dumped her equally popular boyfriend. For a second, Gabriella could've sworn she had landed in an episode of _The Hills_. But it wasn't that, no. She was just single.

* * *

Troy sauntered down the hallways of EPA, flicking his head to get the strands out of his eyes. As he loped down the corridor, he could hear people starting whisper as he passed by. He caught snippets of their conversation and vaguely, he could hear the words 'Holly,' 'cheated,' and 'drunk.' Normally, it'd frustrate him to have the entire school buzzing about him and his business, but Troy had a mission and that was to find Gabriella. He wanted to kiss her, touch her, just _be_ with her, but he knew that they needed to talk first. Troy walked the halls, searching for Gabriella, his heart pounding faster and faster with every step he took.

* * *

She was calm, rational. She was a logical thinker. She was without a boyfriend, but it didn't matter, because the issue now was to hide the fact that she had cheated on her ex-boyfriend. As Gabriella ran through these things in her head, she could feel herself starting to tense with just how complicated the situation had gotten after one drunken, tequila-soaked night had occurred. Gabriella wrapped her arms tighter around the pile of books she carried, making her way towards her math class. Her mind was elsewhere, lingering on thoughts of Evan and their breakup, as well as Troy's touch. She couldn't deny it, everything she did reminded her of Troy; the way his arms felt around her waist, the way his lips felt against hers. It seemed so right when they were together and now that they were physically apart, all she wanted was to be next to him. Gabriella heard more whispers rising around her and she ducked her head, walking faster to avoid the crowd. Contemplating breaking out in a complete sprint, Gabriella made a sharp turn and collided with a tall, athletic figure. The crash sent her books scattering across the hallway, as she landed in a mess of tangled legs and arms.

"I'm so sorry!" she cried, reaching over the unsuspecting person, trying to gather all her books in her arms. "I'm such a klutz, I wasn't watching where I was going…I swear, I'm usually more graceful than this," she joked.

"Gabriella," a deep, husky voice halted her actions and she dropped her books, again. Lifting her head up, she found herself getting lost in a pair of ocean-blue eyes.

"Uh…" she muttered. Shaking her head and coming back down to reality, Gabriella began collecting her textbooks and stood up, smoothing down her uniform and her hair. Troy got up, as well, facing her.

"Gabriella," he repeated. "We need to talk,"

"I…I need to get to class," she mumbled, looking down. Gabriella knew if she dared to stare into his eyes, she'd get lost again. She started to walk past him, but Troy was too quick. He grabbed her arm gently.

"You broke up with Evan,"

"You broke up with Holly,"

"Because it wasn't working out,"

"Ditto,"

"The other night…"

"Is _not_ to be talked about here, Troy," Gabriella said, sternly.

"We can't not talk about it,"

"I need…I have class," she said softly. Troy nodded, bringing his fingers up to her cheek and grazing it, ever so lightly.

"I'll see you later," he said, lifting her head with his finger and giving her a smile that almost made Gabriella's legs give out. He walked away and she scurried off to class.

* * *

**What do you think? Read and Review!**

**Next up: Taylor and Chad play matchmaker, Troy and Gabriella get heated, while Evan and Holly know nothing...or do they?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey everybody! Once again, thanks so much for all the feedback and favorites and story alerts...the response I've gotten from this story is amazing! Here's another chapter, definitely more Troyella stuff in here. =)**

* * *

Chapter 7

Taylor McKessie was hard at work on her Advanced Chemistry lab report when she heard her doorbell ring. Welcoming the distraction, she got up from her seat and went to answer it.

"Hi, gorgeous," a husky voice greeted her and a smile tugged at her lips. Chad Danforth was, without a doubt, the sexiest man she had ever met. His out-of-control hair gave others the impression that he was playful, but Taylor looked past that and saw his chiseled biceps and innocent face, the features always coming to life when his eyes met hers. Taylor jumped into his arms and gave him a quick kiss before leading him into the living room, where her Chemistry notes had taken up half the coffee table and half the floor. She plopped herself back down in her original position and pored over her laptop once again. "You're a messy studier," Chad joked.

"At least I study," she teased, hitting him playfully on the leg.

"I study when necessary," he explained, leaning back on the couch. "How was your day?" he asked. Taylor and Chad had fallen into a routine some months back. He would shoot hoops after school or have basketball practice, but would make his way to Taylor's to study and catch up on homework. The schedule worked for them, since Taylor was always so busy, but the truth was, they liked being alone with each other, away from their friends and social obligations.

"It was alright. I had a weird conversation with Gabriella, though. You heard about her and Evan?" Taylor asked, turning around to face her boyfriend and fiddling with the pen in her hands. "I just think there's something going on with Troy. And if anything happened at that party, it probably means it's eating her up on the inside. Gabriella may have wanted revenge on Evan, but she'd think twice before actually cheating on him,"

"Uh…" Chad twiddled his thumbs, debating his next move. He knew Gabriella and Troy had hooked up, but was it his place to tell Taylor?

"Did Troy say anything about it to you?" she asked, oblivious to his uncomfortable reply.

"Well, he broke up with Holly. You know that. I guess Troy and Gabi have a thing now," Chad shrugged his shoulders, as if it wasn't a big deal.

"That's huge, you know. I mean, everything changes," Taylor said thoughtfully.

"How do you mean?"

"Well, they'll be…_together_. Hanging out at lunches, going on dates, maybe even double-dates," Taylor contemplated, tapping her pen against the side of the table. Chad swallowed, realizing the awkwardness of the entire situation. His best friend and his pseudo little sister. What a weird combination.

"Tay, they're just in the early stages. Who knows what'll happen with them. Let's just stay out of it, alright? It's their problem, not ours," Chad said sternly, picking up his frayed copy of _Hamlet _and absentmindedly flipping through it.

"You're right. And Gabi will tell me when she's ready. Although Troy's probably already told you, he's got such a mouth on him," Taylor frowned. Chad smiled, grateful that she could guess what he already knew but didn't push him to tell her.

"Just see how it goes, Tay. Just see how it goes," Chad leaned over and kissed her quickly on the lips. "Now don't you have a Chem lab to do?" he asked playfully. Taylor groaned and went back to work.

* * *

Troy gripped the steering wheel of his car, a waging a war inside his head. He was parked outside of the Montez's sprawling estate, his radio turned down low and his car door unlocked. He had been parked there for a good twenty minutes already and had succeeded in worrying the gardener and the swimming pool cleaners. He knew he'd have to make a move before he came face to face with Mr. or Mrs. Montez. Or security.

"Suck it up, Bolton, let's go," he muttered under his breath and climbed out of the car. Walking up to the front door, Troy was suddenly very aware of his appearance and reached up to smooth out his disheveled hair. He rang the doorbell tentatively, waiting for the sound of footsteps on the other side.

"Who is it?" a familiar voice asked.

"It's…it's Troy. Troy Bolton," he cleared his throat. The door cracked open slightly and Gabriella's face peeked out. He caught his breath, remembering just how beautiful she was. In the few hours that they had been together at Holly's party, Troy had decided she was one of the most gorgeous, if not _the _most gorgeous, woman he had ever seen. He took in her long eyelashes and the curve of her lips, his head spinning for a moment, as he reminded himself he was here for a reason.

"Um. Now's not a great time, Troy," she said in a small voice.

"Why not?"

"I'm…doing homework?" she raised her eyebrows and Troy groaned. Gabriella had been avoiding him all day today and all he really wanted to do was hold her and kiss her. He wanted to feel her in his arms again and forget about Holly and Evan. But she was so damn stubborn.

"Gabriella, if you don't want to talk, just say it. But we need to talk this out. What happened that night…"

"Shh!" Gabriella held a finger up to her lips.

"No one's here!" Troy cried exasperatedly, throwing his hands up in the air in frustration. She was so secretive, so afraid to approach the subject of them that it was irritating him to no end. Still, he couldn't help but notice her cheeks were flushed, making her look that much more adorable.

"Oh, this is stupid. Come in," Gabriella sighed, and opened the door all the way. Troy stepped into her house, looking around him and taking in the surroundings. It was spacious, almost too big for such a small person like Gabriella. "This way," she motioned for him to follow. Troy trailed behind her, entering a massive kitchen. "Drink?" she asked. He merely nodded and took a seat at the kitchen island. Gabriella handed him a bottle of water and sat across from him, tapping her fingers on the marble top.

"So…" he started, after taking a sip of water. Gabriella watched him intently, as he flipped his head to the side to shake out the strands that were covering his eyes. It was a move that made her giddy with excitement, but having him in her house, across the table from her, made her nervous. She had avoided him since their run-in at school earlier and she desperately didn't want to have the conversation with him. Gabriella knew cheating on Evan was wrong, as much as it felt right. She couldn't bear to face what she had done, but here he was, sitting in her kitchen, looking absolutely perfect in jeans and a white t-shirt.

"So…" she murmured, plucking a grape off the fruit bowl that sat between them. The awkward silence was uncomfortable and she shifted in her chair slightly.

"We're both single," he said, toying with the cap on his bottled water.

"True,"

"We both cheated on our…exes?"

"Unfortunately, also true,"

"We hooked up," Troy said in a direct manner. Gabriella nearly choked on her grape and started coughing. She took a long sip of water and looked back at him.

"Duh," she shrugged her shoulders, a smile forming on his face. The whole situation seemed ridiculous when he put it so blatantly.

"Are we…something?" he asked, looking up at her.

"I guess. No, we can't. It's too early for that, Troy. I mean, you're still hurting after Holly," Gabriella explained.

"I'm hurting?" he scoffed. "Gabriella, I broke up with her this morning and several hours later, here I am, at your house, asking you if we're something," he pointed out. Gabriella cocked her head to the side, contemplating. A part of her wanted to push him out the door and forget any of it had happened. She hated cheating on Evan and she knew it was wrong, all wrong, to continue her tryst with Troy. But another part of her, a bigger part, wanted to essentially, rip his clothes off.

"Well, you shouldn't be! Troy, you and Holly have been dating for _months_. You should be at home with a tub of ice cream, listening to really sad music!" she cried, frustrated with her inability to voice what she really wanted. It seemed easier to push him away than to fall for him again.

"What do you think I am, a girl?" he laughed. "Gabi, face it. Holly and I were over way before this morning. And at the party, you and Evan seemed pretty over too. Are we or are we not on the same page here?" he asked, leaning forward, gazing into her eyes. Gabriella shifted uncomfortably again. She couldn't be here, he couldn't be here. He bothered her, bothered her in a way that wasn't _legal_, that wasn't right.

"Troy, no," she said firmly, standing up. "We can't do this! It's not right. We _just_ broke up with people this morning and you're asking whether or not 'we' can start? Think about how ridiculous that sounds! Think about Taylor and Chad! Think about what implications this has on other people!" she cried.

"Will you listen to yourself? What happened to the girl who walked into that party without a care in the world? The one who didn't give a flying fuck what other people thought?" he stood up, crossing the kitchen to face her.

"That was for one night! One night that I wanted to get back at Evan!" Gabriella's eyes blazed with sudden anger and she stared at Troy, the same expression mirrored in his face.

"So you used me to get back at Evan?" he asked, hurt.

"I didn't…I didn't mean it like that. Troy, I'm just confused, is all. What we had that night was amazing, but it was wrong,"

"Why is it so fucking wrong? Gabi, I'm done trying to make other people happy," he murmured, taking another step closer to her. He reached his hand out to stroke her cheek, but Gabriella instinctively slapped it away. "Fuck, Gabi. I don't know what the fuck you want from me!" he said, his voice rising.

"That's what you don't understand! I don't want anything from you! I want you stop being so goddamn irresistible so I can feel guilty properly, the way I'm supposed to! I _cheated_ on my boyfriend, Troy! And the fact that I liked it isn't something I'm proud of!" Gabriella yelled in frustration.

"Can you just let it go for once? Just let that go and do something for yourself this time!" Troy shot back, his blue eyes burning with intensity. Gabriella stopped shaking for a minute and she gazed up him. He was frustrating her, no doubt about it. He was being stubborn, pushy, and irrational. His eyes bore into her, searching for a response, an answer, some sort of an agreement. For what seemed like a long time, Troy and Gabriella stared each other down, both refusing to back away. Shoulders tense and expressions angry, Gabriella replayed Troy's last words to her over and over in her head. She was a follower, she knew that. And that meant she was willing to go along with anything, regardless if she believed in it or not. _'Ignorance is bliss, right?'_ she thought. _'But when did ignorance ever give me passion? When did it ever give me love?'_ she asked herself. Deciding to throw caution to the wind and bring back the confidence from the party, Gabriella flung her arms around Troy's neck and kissed him with all her pent-up frustrations. He staggered back, but regained his control, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer. Their kiss deepened, tongues exploring each other, their lips fighting to stay in control. Gabriella's fingers ran through his hair, as his hands caressed her curves gently. _'Fuck ignorance. It never gave me this!'_ Gabriella chuckled in her head and continued kissing Troy.

* * *

Holly leaned against her apple-red Fiat, twirling her car keys in her hands. It was Monday after school and she had just finished cheerleading practice. They had decided to hold it outside in the sun, so she didn't have a chance to see if Troy and Chad were shooting hoops today. Holly thought back to the morning, when she and Troy had both decided to end things once and for all. While it was a relief back then, Holly wanted to talk to him, just to say goodbye one last time. She needed to make sure the breakup was what she really wanted. In a way, Holly knew it was over the minute she threw herself at him during the party. She was embarrassed about it, but she couldn't change things. Inhaling then exhaling deeply, Holly turned to get into her car.

"Waiting for someone?" a voice asked. She turned around and saw Evan Druthers walking towards her. He looked amazing, having just come off the football pitch, his hair a damp mess on his head. "Bolton, perhaps?"

"It's habit," she explained, shrugging her shoulders. Evan and Holly ran in the same circles as athlete and cheerleader, but her cheerleading team was mainly reserved for the basketball games, not Evan's soccer games.

"Sounds like a bad habit," Evan murmured. Holly shifted her weight to one foot, placing both her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, maybe," she replied. "Ready for the big championship finals?"

"We'll kick any team's butt, that's guaranteed," he said cockily. Holly just nodded. Sports talk wasn't really an interest to her, but it did keep him from talking about anything else he might have had in mind. "Hey, I'm sorry to hear about you and Bolton breaking up. That must have been hard," Evan said, a warm light in his eyes. Holly giggled, covering her mouth with her hands.

"Oh please, Evan. You hate Troy Bolton. God knows why, but you hate the guy's guts," Holly raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah, I do. But still, breakups hurt. As much as I wanted to end things with Gabriella, it still hurt when she dumped me," he shrugged his shoulders.

"Gabriella dumped you?" Holly asked, her eyes wide. _'What a bitch,'_ she thought. It didn't make sense to her why anybody would've wanted to dump Evan Druthers. He was, after Troy of course, the most sought-after boy in all of EPA.

"She dumped me," he nodded his head. "Whatever, you know? I'll get over it,"

"I guess so," Holly replied in a small voice. It was strange to her that Evan was suddenly having a real conversation with her, something that didn't happen very often.

"Anyway, in my opinion, go home, Holly. There's no point waiting for him,"

"I know, I know. He probably didn't go shoot hoops after school, right?"

"Yeah, that too," Evan murmured, and then walked towards his own car. Holly sighed again and unlocked her Fiat, climbing in and speeding away as fast as she could.

* * *

Troy's lips were on fire, working their way against Gabriella's mouth in urgent kisses. She had never been kissed that way, never felt so wanted and so needed all at the same time. Their limbs tangled with each other as Troy pushed her against the kitchen island. Gabriella hoisted herself up and sat on the table, with Troy between her legs. They had tried to deny there was something between them, but the chemistry was too much to handle. As they swept away the items on the island onto the floor, Gabriella thought about how wrong it was, but how it felt so right. They barely knew each other, barely spoken words to each other before their chance encounter at the coffee shop. Their simultaneous breakups were the result of their meeting and the heat between them, she couldn't deny that now. As Troy latched his lips onto her neck and his hands deftly removed her tank top, Gabriella tilted her head back, basking in everything that had happened. She was a new person and that was all because of him.

* * *

**Hope you guys liked it! You know what to do. =) **

**I might be taking a short hiatus, for a month or so from this FF. It's November, which means it's National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), and I'm participating. If you guys don't know what it is, it's basically a challenge to write 50, 000 words of a novel in one month. Crazy stuff and it's SO difficult, but I definitely want to try this year! Because of it, though, Use Somebody will have to be a second priority, so don't expect too much stuff from me in the next month.**

**Nevertheless, you should still read and review!! =P**


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm back, baby! Haha. I really couldn't keep away from this story and I was just itching to write another chapter, so here it is! Thanks so much to everybody who has read this and reviewed it, who has put it on their alerts and who have put me on their favorites...seriously, without you guys, I wouldn't continue writing FFs! But here I am, cranking out chapters. =)**

**I hope you enjoy this one!**

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Chapter 8

Gabriella tapped her fingers against the wooden table, her receipt dangling between her fingers. She blew a strand of hair out of her eyes and glanced over the counter, watching the Starbucks employees expertly handle her caramel macchiato. As they set it down before her, a smile spread across her face and she held the take-away cup contently in her hand, handing the waiter her receipt and turning around, inhaling the heavenly smell of coffee early in the morning.

"Hi, stranger," a voice tore her out of her daydream and she looked up, finding herself lost in a pair of ocean-blue eyes.

"Troy," she exhaled, the smile turning into a full-blown grin. He was so _sexy_, his brown hair all lightly tousled from the wind, his cheeks pinched with a slight blush from the cold, and his eyes – Gabriella could write pages and pages about those eyes.

"Come here often?" he joked, chuckling to himself, as he reached behind her and grabbed his own latte off the table, taking a quick sip. Gabriella giggled and walked over to two empty seats, setting her cup on the table. He followed her and sat, his arm casually draping over her chair. She marveled at how easy it was between them, now that they had decided to put their previous relationships out of the way. "So…school starts in a few," he commented. Gabriella heaved a big sigh. School. That was another hurdle. If they started being together publicly, everybody would talk. Not to mention, Evan and Holly would both be hurt. But Gabriella knew that staying away and avoiding Troy wasn't possible anymore. Every minute she was with him, she wanted to touch him, kiss him, and physically be with him.

"Right. And we're going to…?" she asked, trailing off her question.

"I think we should keep things low. I mean, there's no need for anybody to know about us, right? Gabi, I love spending time with you. The both of us, together, we're something amazing. I don't want to mess that up with everybody else poking their noses into our business," Troy said in a low, husky whisper. Gabriella's shoulders shivered at his words. He was right.

"Definitely. So no telling Taylor or Evan or Holly or Chad…_anybody_. They'll all hate us if we tell them we cheated with each other, not to mention the whole breakup thing," she said.

"Exactly. They'll just complicate things. We'll keep things to ourselves, until a right amount of time has passed, then we can be together…you know," he said. Gabriella nodded. As much as she wanted to be able to kiss him for everybody to see in the courtyards, she knew she'd have to restrain herself. Not only was the whole school still hating her for dumping EPA's golden boy, the whole school thought Troy was still an asshole for dumping Holly, as well. _'We have to wait until our reputations are fixed,'_ she thought to herself.

"So it's settled then. No telling anybody. At least, not until it's appropriate. We'll act as friends," she smiled at him and took another soothing sip of her coffee. He nodded his head in agreement. "We should probably get going. I don't want to be late," she said, glancing at the big clock on the wall behind Troy. They both stood up and walked out of the Starbucks store, huddling under the awning for a short while.

"I'll see you at school?" Troy asked, glancing down at her with a lopsided smile. Gabriella's heart started to melt right then and there, it was crazy the effect he had on her, almost as if it were unreal. Suddenly finding herself tongue-tied, she merely nodded, but Troy had other plans. He placed a strong arm around her waist, bent her down, and kissed her forcefully and passionately on the lips. She smiled into the kiss and so did he, before pulling apart and going in opposite directions to face East Preparatory Academy.

* * *

"I am telling you, something happened last night! I don't know what, but I'm pretty sure I know with whom, and it's killing me!" Taylor cried, slamming her locker door shut in frustration.

"Tay, chill out. You're shaking. What's going on?" Chad asked, placing a warm and comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Gabriella! I called her nineteen times yesterday night! _Nineteen!_ It all went straight to fucking voice mail and she never called back! I was so worried, I called her _mom_, who said she was at home the whole time! So I drove over there, just to scope things out, to see if you know, she was still _alive_, and you know who's car was parked in the driveway?!" Taylor asked frantically.

"Um. No?" Chad answered meekly.

"Your goddamn best friend's! Troy's! He was over at Gabriella's house last night!" Taylor kicked her locker with her foot, and then leaned against it. "I just don't understand why she wants to keep it a secret from me. I already know what's going on. I mean, Troy's told you that he has a thing for Gabi. Why can't she tell me?" she muttered in a small voice.

"Taylor, you know Gabriella's a private person. She'll come around to telling you, maybe she's just waiting for the right moment. Or she doesn't know how you'll react. You can't push her about this stuff," Chad advised, stroking her cheek. Taylor nodded and blinked the tears out of her eyes.

"I guess so," she shrugged her shoulders.

"Just give it time, baby," he kissed her on the forehead. "Promise me you won't run your mouth on her. I've got to run. I have a meeting with the Mr. Alcott, so I'll catch you later," he smiled at her and took off in the opposite direction, leaving Taylor alone to contemplate her thoughts. As soon as she was about to walk away, she saw Gabriella making her way towards her. All of her promises to Chad immediately flew out of her head and her eyes began to blaze with anger at her best friend again.

"Gabriella," she said through gritted teeth.

"Hey, Tay," Gabriella smiled at her best friend, oblivious to her expression.

"So what'd you do last night?" Taylor asked casually, her eyebrows coming together in the middle.

"Oh, not much. I did some work, hung out, the usual," Gabriella shrugged her shoulders and a smile tugged at her lips.

"No one special came over?" Taylor pressed.

"No, no one special. What's with you, Tay? You seem all…tense," Gabriella chuckled. Her heart felt light and she felt happy, now that she and Troy had sorted out their issues. But Gabriella knew keeping things a secret from her best friend would be impossibly difficult. Taylor was the type of person who was intuitive and she knew when something was going on.

"I seem tense? Oh, I didn't notice. Just like you didn't notice that there were _nineteen_ missed calls on your phone last night. Just like you didn't notice I was _freaking_ out over where you were. Just like you didn't notice that Troy's car was parked in your driveway last night?" Taylor shot back, her hands on her hips. Gabriella's eyes widened.

"Taylor…"

"Look, don't feed me that line about how you guys are just friends now. That's bullshit. You guys hooked up at that party, didn't you?"

"Taylor, we didn't…I told you, we just talked," Gabriella said calmly, her heart pounding fast. She knew it'd be hard to keep the attraction between her and Troy a secret, but she never knew she'd have to deal with it so fast.

"See, there you go, you're lying again!"

"I am _not_ lying!" Gabriella's voice began to rise.

"You are! There's something going on between you and Troy that you're not telling me and I don't know why, but you better 'fess up soon, Gabriella!" Taylor cried.

"Taylor, will you listen to yourself?! You're so obsessed with whatever's going on between me and Troy, why can't you just drop it?"

"Because it's so fucking obvious! Why can't you just admit to it? You and Troy hooked up at Holly's party and he was over at your house last night, done!"

"For the last time, we did _not_ hook up at Holly's!" Gabriella tried to half scream and half whisper, in case anybody around them was listening.

"You know, you're getting really good at this lying thing," Taylor shot back.

"I am _not_ lying!" Gabriella repeated.

"Oh yeah? Then how come Chad knows you and Troy cheated on Holly and Evan at the party, Gabi? How come _he _is allowed to know, but I'm not?!" Taylor shouted, her eyes blazing with fury. She turned on her heel quickly and walked away, leaving Gabriella with her jaw wide open in shock.

'_Chad knows?'_

_

* * *

_"Hey, man," Troy slipped into the seat next to Chad's during lunch period. The basketball team occupied the rest of the table, but Chad seemed to be in a world of his own. His hand was propped up on his chin and he seemed to be gazing off into space. "Chad?" Troy waved a hand in front of his face, trying to get his attention.

"What? Oh, sorry, dude," Chad shook his head and turned to Troy, who just laughed. "Spaced out for a sec,"

"No kidding. I know Taylor's hot, but I didn't think she'd have that affect on you," he joked.

"Nah, it's just…did you notice Taylor and Gabi aren't sitting together?" Chad pointed out. Troy glanced over at the table near the windows where the two girls normally sat. Sure enough, Taylor was sitting by herself, a sandwich in one hand and writing down notes with the other. Troy quickly scanned the cafeteria to find Gabriella sitting on the opposite end, a can of Sprite in her hand and a book propped open.

"Oh, yeah. Maybe they had their own stuff to do," Troy shrugged.

"That's not it, man. Something's up. I have a feeling they're in a fight or something,"

"Any idea what it's about?" Troy asked, popping open his can of Coke.

"Maybe…hey, were you over at Gabi's last night?" Chad dropped his voice to a low whisper so the rest of the team couldn't hear.

"Uh…" Troy stammered. On one hand, Chad already knew he had feelings for Gabriella. On the other hand, he didn't really want to divulge all the details.

"Because Taylor was over there last night and saw your car in the driveway. Look, Tay's not an idiot, alright? She knows that I know about you and Gabi last weekend. She's just pissed that Gabi hasn't told her straight up," Chad explained.

"Oh. Um, well, yeah, I was over there last night. I went to try and fix things between us, you know, after the whole consecutive breakup thing. Which is a total coincidence," Troy added, as an afterthought, even though Chad knew the truth.

"Right. Just be careful, man. Taylor's a firecracker, alright? She's not stupid, but she's stubborn as hell. She just wants Gabi to tell her, rather than find out from somewhere else. Tay's just pissed that she doesn't know the straight-up facts," Chad said, taking a bite out of his salad. Troy just nodded, leaning back in his chair and taking another sip of his Coke. In all his years at EPA, he had never thought about dating Gabriella Montez. For some reason, she always seemed off limits to him. But as his gaze wandered over to the breathtaking brunette sitting near the window, he couldn't help but wonder why he had never thought of it before. His eyes traveled down the length of her body, taking in every inch of her. He held his breath as she turned her head to meet his, their eyes connecting, and a secret smile was exchanged, before they went back to their previous activities, their intimate moment so private, that if you had blinked, you would've missed it.

* * *

Gabriella was furious. She was furious at Taylor for yelling at her and killing her mood at the beginning of the day. She was furious at Chad for knowing about her and Troy all along. Funnily enough, she should've been furious at Troy for telling Chad, but she couldn't bring herself to muster up that sort of emotion towards him. All she felt whenever she saw his face was pure and utter bliss, in addition to passion and lust. Gabriella slammed her books on her desk with a loud _thud_, and slid into her seat with a huff. She was furious at everybody but Troy and he was the one person she wasn't allowed to even make contact with.

"Holly, how are you? Have you talked to Troy at all?" a sickeningly sweet voice pulled Gabriella back to reality, and she glanced over several seats next to her, where Kathryn Wilson, a peppy blonde cheerleader, was talking to Holly Masen. Guiltily, Gabriella leaned slightly closer to listen to the conversation between the two cheerleaders.

"I'm fine, Kathryn, thanks. I haven't really talked to Troy," Holly said in a small voice.

"I'm sure he'll come back to you, Hols. He's crazy not to date you and he was crazy to break up with you in the first place. You two are the most perfect couple, he'll realize that and come back to you," Kathryn said with confidence. Gabriella had to put her hand over her mouth to cover up a scoff. _'Is this girl serious?'_ she thought. She wanted to so much to go over there and tell them that she was the one with Troy Bolton and that he had no plans to go back to Holly.

"I don't know, Kath. I mean, I have a feeling he's already seeing someone. I don't know how, it's like an intuition type thing," Holly said. Gabriella's eyes widened at Holly's assumption.

"Well, whoever it is, she's a class-A bitch," Kathryn spat. Gabriella gripped the edge of the table to restrain herself from walking over and slapping Kathryn Wilson in the face. _'Yeah, I've heard enough of that,'_ she decided, and turned to face the other direction. But for some strange reason, Gabriella could've sworn she felt Holly's eyes boring into the back of Gabriella's head. She glanced up at the clock. She couldn't wait till the day was over.

* * *

Troy was late. He had gotten so caught up, talking to the basketball coach about the upcoming season, he had completely forgotten about the fact that he had class. Running down the corridor, Troy dodged in and out of the crowd of students that had begun to fill up the hallways, those heading back home early.

"Troy!" a familiar voice made Troy skid to a stop and he turned around to identify whoever it was. His eyes fell on Holly, dressing in her cheerleading uniform, one hand on her hip and a smile on her face.

"Hey, Holly," he gave her a warm smile, glancing at his watch. Five minutes left and the classroom was only a few more feet away. He could still chat. "No class last period? Lucky,"

"Yeah, I just had English, so I'm done," she clapped her hands together gleefully. "Um, listen, you know that upcoming charity dance this weekend?" she asked, glancing at a point behind him. Troy turned his head and saw a colorful poster advertising what she was talking about. He laughed.

"Yeah, now I do. Why?"

"Well, remember, we said we'd go together. It's the Beat Cancer Dance," she explained. Troy groaned inwardly, his memories taking him back to a promise that he had given Holly, that they would attend the dance together because her grandfather had died from lung cancer. At the time, it was to make her happy because she was on the verge of breaking down, but Troy had other plans this time.

"Oh, right. Uh, Holly…"

"Unless, you've already got another date lined up? Which is kind of strange, since we just broke up yesterday and all," she said pointedly.

"No, no, it's not that. It's just…" he stammered, fumbling for the right words to say. "Listen, can I think it over? It's like you said, we just broke up. Plus, I'm late for History class right now. I'll get back to you!" he cried out, running straight for the classroom, not bothering to hear what Holly had said. As he slipped into his seat breathlessly, Troy could've sworn he had heard Holly say 'liar,' very faintly, before he had ran off.

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**Whew! There it is! Personally, I really like this chapter and I'm glad Taylor and Gabriella are shaking things up. Read and review, you guys know what to do, you know what that little button below this is for! =)**

**Next up...some more TxG goodness and someone does a little snooping around! =)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey you guys! Here's another chapter just for you. =) This one isn't some of my best work, but hopefully it'll help the story move along. Holly & Evan's characters become more developed, which is the main point of this chapter...I hope you guys like it! =)**

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Chapter 9

Troy wrapped his arm around Gabriella's petite shoulders, leaning back against his pillows and sighing loudly. Gabriella's small fingers traced imaginary figures along his bare chest, and she kissed his skin sporadically and lazily. She had taken a random trip to Troy's house after school on Wednesday and the two had found themselves all alone in a large house, with nothing much to do except each other.

"Gabi…there's something you should know. I should've probably told you this a long time ago, but…" Troy started.

"You told Chad about us. It's okay, I figured it out," Gabriella murmured. Troy's eyes widened and he looked down at her.

"And you didn't say anything?"

"I'm not mad," she said in a small voice. Troy pulled her up so they were at eye level, his strong arms wrapped around her body.

"Gabriella," he said, his eyebrows scrunching up in concern.

"Troy, don't worry about it. I figured you'd tell Chad anyway. I'm just…waiting on the right moment to tell Taylor. Although, from the looks of it, she's figured it out too," Gabriella sighed. Troy's heart dropped at the sight of her so unhappy. Brushing away a lock of her hair, he cupped her face and brought it towards his for a quick kiss.

"You're still mad at Taylor?"

"I'm not mad. I'm just…it's a mess. I should've told her straight off, I mean, Taylor's just so damn good at reading people! Obviously she'd find out. And I can't exactly tell her _now_, she's so pissed at me,"

"Gabi, of course you can tell her! What, do you think I'm going to get mad at you for breaking the secret or something? It's Taylor, your best friend…you _should_ tell her," Troy insisted. Gabriella looked up at him, blinking her eyes that, for some reason, had started to fill with tears.

"You won't…you're not afraid that the more people know about this, the more likely it is that others will know too?"

"Yeah, but we've got to tell our best friends," Troy shrugged his shoulders. In that moment, Gabriella smiled and realized he had put it so simply, the words that she had wanted to hear, that was the only confirmation she needed.

"Thanks," she whispered. "Although if you had told me this earlier, it would've made things a lot easier. Oh well," she shrugged her shoulders.

"I have to say though, this whole secrecy thing…it really sucks,"

"I know. Kathryn Wilson thinks I'm a class-A bitch," Gabriella said, mimicking the cheerleader's voice.

"Oh, right,"

"And I saw Evan giving me all these weird looks…I'm pretty sure he knows something's up too,"

"Yeah,"

"Has it been hard on you too?" she asked.

"Well…yeah, sure. But I was talking about the fact that I'm not allowed to kiss you in the hallways," Troy chuckled, running his fingers through his hair.

"That must be so hard for you," Gabriella said sarcastically, a smile tugging at her lips. Troy laughed, pulling her closer to him.

"It's torture," he whispered, pressing his lips to her neck and burying his face into her hair. She giggled at his touch, before pinning him down to the bed and straddling him. Troy looked up, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Well, then we better fix that," Gabriella smirked, and kissed him forcefully.

* * *

Evan tapped his fingers on his steering wheel, weaving in and out of the cars expertly. He maneuvered his Jeep along the roads, going towards the same house he had been visiting for the past six months. Ashley wasn't necessarily the smartest girl in the entire school, Evan knew that. But Evan loved the attention, he couldn't help it, he was easy to please when it came to any girl vying for his affection. And Ashley was definitely trying to get to Evan. He ran a hand through his hair and quickly glanced at the rearview mirror, to catch a glimpse of what he looked like. He had just come from soccer practice, but Evan knew Ashley wouldn't be too fussed about his appearance. Grinning smugly to himself, Evan swung his Jeep into the next junction. His eyes caught a familiar car and doing a double-take, he slammed on his brakes. Evan rolled down his window and poked his head out. _'Nope, I was right. That's Gabriella's red Nissan Sentra. There's even that little scratch on the side, from when she was speeding out of my driveway,' _Evan noted pathetically. He wondered, for a split second, what Gabriella's car was doing in this part of the neighborhood, but his eyes fell on the black Audi A8, another familiar car. Instinctively, Evan gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white.

"What the fuck is she doing at Bolton's house?" he hissed to himself. Slamming his car into park and turning a blind eye to the other cars parked behind him, Evan grabbed his cell phone and dialed the first number that came to mind.

"Hello?" her voice came over the receiver.

"We've got a problem," Evan said firmly.

"Evan? What's going on?"

"I'm coming over," Evan said hurriedly. He hung up the phone, tossed it in the backseat, pushed his Jeep into drive, and sped the opposite way.

* * *

Taylor was twirling strands of her hair around her fingers and letting them loose, her other hand absentmindedly doodling on a piece of paper. Looking across the dinner table, a smile tugged at her lips as she watched Chad struggle with a math equation. His lower lip puffed out and his afro was more disheveled than usual. As he erased his working furiously, Taylor couldn't help but giggle slightly at his concentration. Unfortunately, he had heard her little outburst and he looked up, eyes wide.

"Think this is funny, McKessie? I'm busting my ass to pass Standards Math and you're all high and mighty with your Chemistry and Biology and whatnot," he mumbled, waving his hand in the air.

"Hey, don't do that. You're taking Advanced Chem," she pointed out.

"And barely passing," he retorted. Taylor winced. It was a given that Chad's academics weren't necessarily his strongest point, while that was what Taylor excelled in. The difference in the two often made its appearance here and there, but it was times like these that she truly remembered how much harder Chad was working to get good grades.

"Can we take a break?" Taylor asked.

"Whoa. You're asking for a break? That's my line," Chad chuckled, setting his pencil down and leaning back in his chair. "I'm good for a couple of minutes,"

"Good," Taylor said in a small voice, twiddling her thumbs.

"Taylor, is there anything you want to talk about?" Chad asked, concerned. His girlfriend shook her head. "Anyone you want to talk about?" he added. Again, Taylor shook her head. "What about Troy? Gabriella? Troy and Gabriella?" he prodded.

"I don't…I don't want to talk about it," Taylor said.

"Taylor! Come on," Chad threw his hands up in the air in frustration. He was getting tired of being stuck in the middle. He had to deal with a sullen girlfriend who wouldn't confess to anything, a pseudo little sister who refused to talk to him, and a best friend who was so love-struck, it was almost nauseating to be around him.

"Look, she chose, alright? She doesn't want to tell me about Troy? Fine!"

"Tay, you know that's not how it is. That's not Gabi. She's just waiting for the right moment and you need to give her that. Did you ever think that maybe she's worried what you'll say? That you won't be supportive? You never got along with Evan, did you?"

"That's not the point, Chad. She's had so many chances to tell me and she didn't,"

"Yes, but you could've also asked her about it, couldn't you?" Chad pointed out. Taylor bit her lip and looked down at her papers. "I'm not trying to be on her side, but right now, when things are all fucked up and she's falling for someone new…Tay, she needs her best friend. And you need her," he concluded. Taylor looked up at him and blinked, tears welling up in her eyes. "You miss her," he said, more as a statement than a question. Taylor nodded her head. Chad immediately abandoned his seat and made his way towards his girlfriend on the opposite side of the dining table.

"I don't…I _like_ that she's with Troy," Taylor choked out. Chad stroked her hair and pulled her closer to him. He felt her body convulse with tears and he rubbed her back soothingly.

"Baby, it'll be okay," he murmured. Chad was suddenly struck with a realization right then. It wasn't that Taylor and Gabriella were mad at each other; they were more stubborn, if anything else. Sighing, he rubbed Taylor's back in an effort to comfort her, hoping that the madness would die down soon.

* * *

Gabriella tiptoed around the kitchen, tugging nervously and anxiously at the plaid button-up shirt she had just stolen off Troy's bedroom floor. Her stomach rumbled as she opened the refrigerator and rummaged for food. Troy had fallen asleep after their little make-out session and Gabriella had decided to forage the kitchen for food instead. She smiled, as she sat herself down on the kitchen stool, biting into an apple. Her mind whirled with the endless possibility that was her relationship with the boy upstairs. She was crazy about him, but somewhere in the back of her mind, Gabriella knew there were other factors she'd have to take into account. Images of Holly, Taylor, Chad, and Evan all floated around in her head and she took a bigger bite out of her apple this time to clear it.

"Hey, gorgeous," a drowsy voice pulled Gabriella's head up and her breath caught at the sight of Troy running a hand through his messy bed-head, dressed in sweat pants, his upper half completely bare, giving Gabriella a deliciously sexy view of his chiseled six pack.

"Hi," she managed. Troy crossed the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge.

"So my parents are going to be home in a few hours," he said, wrapping an arm around her waist from behind.

"Okay, I'll go get my stuff," Gabriella made a move to get up, but Troy held her in place firmly. "Troy, come on. You're crazy to think your parents are okay coming home to their teenage son in bed with a girl,"

"Am I crazy to think you're looking incredibly hot right now?" he murmured against her neck. Gabriella melted at his words, at the touch of his lips on her skin.

"I'm wearing _your_ shirt," she pointed out.

"And you wear it way better than I do," he whispered, his lips gently grazing her earlobe. Gabriella shut her eyes, allowing him to invoke the familiar sensations he always did. His fingers started to trail up her sides, causing her to giggle, as he tickled her lightly. Gabriella decided it was her turn to take control. She turned around on the chair and faced him, locking her legs around his thighs and pulling him closer. Grabbing his shoulders, she lifted her face up to his.

"I also wear it differently than you do," she teased. His hand crept higher and higher up on her thigh and Gabriella positioned herself so that his hands were right where she wanted them to be. Troy's eyes widened.

"You're not…" he mumbled.

"Take me," she whispered seductively. Troy let out a low growl, dropping his water bottle on the floor and smashing his lips onto hers in one swift movement.

* * *

Evan paced back and forth in Holly Masen's living room. He was livid with anger, his hands balled up into fists at his side. Holly sat quietly on the edge of her sofa, wringing her hands together.

"Gabriella's car was outside Troy's house? Gabriella Montez?" she asked in a meek voice. Evan stopped pacing and for the first time since he had stormed into her house in a fury, took a good look at her. Holly was curled up in a corner of the couch, her eyes wide and shiny with tears, biting her lip anxiously. For a split second, Holly looked fragile, delicate, and vulnerable.

"I'm telling you, that's exactly what I saw,"

"But…I asked him to the charity dance! I felt _guilty_ that I got drunk and pushed myself on him! He…he let me believe that I was the one who fucked the relationship! All this while…_he's_ been the one screwing me over?" Holly asked pathetically.

"Holly, they've both been screwing us over," Evan said, with finality, settling himself on the couch next to her.

"No offense, Evan, but you've been screwing over Gabriella before any of this stuff happened," Holly pointed out. Evan grimaced, thinking back to the first time he cheated on Gabriella. They had been dating for two months when Evan went to a party. Ironically, the girl he had chosen was Holly, before she had started dating Troy. Evan racked his brain, thinking back to the party, remembering they were both incredibly drunk. He knew something was wrong though, the next morning, when he felt no remorse for his actions at all. The way he looked at it, if he could get away with it, why not?

"Alright…I deserve this one, I guess," he murmured.

"Still, she doesn't know you've been going behind her back. It still hurts, doesn't it?" she asked, looking up at him, her eyes shiny with tears. Evan backed away slightly, vulnerable and crying girls didn't make him comfortable at all.

"I…I guess it does," he stammered.

"Evan, what are we going to do?"

"Look, Hols, there's nothing to do. So Troy and Gabriella are hooking up. So what? Last I checked, we're done with them. Over, it's ended. What they do together doesn't concern you or me anymore,"

"But…I asked him to the charity dance. I felt bad because I thought I broke his heart," she said, her lower lip trembling. Clapping her hands to her face, Holly started convulsing in tears, her shoulders shaking, and inhaling sharp breaths. Evan's eyes widened and for a second, he considered leaving him alone. _'But we've both just been through a breakup. Granted, it's different for me and her, but she's right…it still hurts. Troy and Gabriella together so soon? It stings,'_ he thought. In an unexpected move, Evan moved closer to Holly, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and holding her close to his chest. She collapsed in his arms and Evan stroked her hair soothingly. Perhaps their simultaneous breakups had thrown them together, but Evan suddenly felt himself _caring_ for Holly and the way she felt. _'Whatever it is, Bolton's a jackass for making her feel this way.'_

_

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_**What do you guys think?! You know what to do...read & review. =) Thanks so much for the support, it's meant the world to me! =) Hehe. **

**As for the upcoming chapter...well, you'll just have to wait and see! =) xoxo.  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**Happy Holidays, everybody!**

**This chapter is a lot longer than the rest, but it's pretty much about the Beat Cancer dance. =) As for those who are asking for more Troyella...you got your wish! Keep reading, everyone & thanks for the support! =)**

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Chapter 10

Holly sat on the edge of her bed, twirling her tiny silver cell phone in her hands. It was eleven A.M on a Saturday morning, the morning of the Beat Cancer dance. She bit her lip as she realized it was one of the first dances she'd show up without a date or a boyfriend. Falling back on the bed to rest on her back, Holly flipped open her cell phone and her heart lurched at the sight of her unchanged wallpaper – a picture of Troy after basketball practice, sweaty and red-faced, but with glistening eyes and a big smile. It was Troy Bolton at his best and Holly loved him that way. _'But what about Gabriella?'_ she thought. Holly shook her head. Ever since Evan's revelation to her a few days ago, she had kept an eye out for any new developments between Troy and Gabriella. She hadn't witnessed anything and there were no whispers about it, so she was assuming they weren't an item.

"He's supposed to take you to the dance tonight," she mumbled softly. Feeling a sudden surge of confidence, Holly quickly found Troy's number in her phone book and pressed the little green button, holding the phone up to her ear.

"Hello?" a voice came through the receiver. No matter how much Holly wanted to deny it, his voice always sent her mind spinning. She missed being his.

"Hey, Troy? It's me, Holly,"

"Hey. What's up? This is kind of early,"

"Oh, I'm sorry if I woke you up. I went for an early run, so I've been awake for some time," she shrugged her shoulders. She heard Troy chuckle and Holly smiled. "Anyway, I was just wondering…"

* * *

Troy shifted uncomfortably on his kitchen stool, clutching his cell phone to his ear. Holly's call was unexpected, but Troy was dreading letting her down about the Beat Cancer dance later that night. He stole a quick glance at Gabriella across the kitchen island. Troy chuckled softly, as he watched her sniffing her coffee mug with her eyes closed. Gabriella had stayed over the night before and they had spent it locked up in the Bolton's household, away from the outside world and their expectations of the two. Throughout the night, they had watched movies, talked, slept, and enjoyed each other's company.

"Anyway, I was just wondering…about the dance tonight?" Holly's voice broke Troy's reminiscing and he re-focused on the conversation.

"Um, yeah, what about it?"

"Well, have you given any thought to who you might be going with? I know you promised me back when we were dating and all, but considering how things are…" Holly trailed off. Troy bit his lip, searching for the right answer. He caught Gabriella's eye as she raised her eyebrows, wondering what was going on.

"Holly. The dance tonight," Troy mouthed to Gabriella. The brunette nodded her head and went back to sipping her coffee. "Listen, Holly, I don't know about the dance…I mean, we just broke up, it'd be like a step backward," Troy said out loud.

"You promised to go with me," Holly said in a small voice.

"I know, but things have changed since then,"

"Troy, if you've got another date, just say so. It's fine. It's _insensitive_, but fine,"

"Hols, what I do with my own time isn't any of your business anymore. We broke up, remember?"

"I remember clearly, Troy," Holly answered in a clipped tone. "Listen. This is going to sound so out of line, but I need a date for tonight. I'm a cheerleader and I organized this damn thing, Troy. I can't show up without a date. I worked my ass off on this dance. Now, I know everybody knows we're done, but that doesn't mean you can't do me this one favor. Please?" she rattled off. Troy groaned inwardly. On the one hand, the people-pleaser part in him appealed to Holly, he wanted to help her. In their world, reputation was everything, a fact he was starting to understand more and more after his recent tryst with Gabriella. But another part, a bigger part, wanted to go to the dance with Gabriella on his arm, not his ex-girlfriend.

"Um…" he stammered. "Wait, I've got another call coming in, don't go anywhere," he said quickly, putting a hand over the phone so Holly couldn't hear anything. "Gabi, help," he whined, turning around to face the brunette who was busy looking for a granola bar.

"What's going on?"

"Holly wants me to take her to the Beat Cancer dance tonight. I promised her ages ago that I'd go with her, she's practically forcing me into taking her tonight," he whispered, clamping his hand tighter on the phone. Gabriella froze in the middle of the Bolton's kitchen and uncomfortably tugged on the bottom of the t-shirt she had grabbed from Troy's closet. She bit her lip in thought, puzzling over the situation at hand. Gabriella knew that what felt right was completely different from doing the right thing. She wanted Troy to take her to the dance, she wanted to be the one on his arm that night. But the more noble and sensible part of her knew she had to let him take Holly. After all, no one was supposed to know about Gabriella's secret relationship with Troy. With the exception of Chad and Taylor (who Gabriella had finally made up with), no one else knew what was going on behind closed doors.

"Troy, take her," Gabriella said tiredly, waving her hand.

"What? Gabi, I can just tell her no," he raised his eyebrows skeptically.

"No, you can't. You're a good guy, Troy. You're not going to do that to her. Now just take the cheerleader to the dance and I'll go with Tay or something," she explained. Troy bit his lip, hesitating to protest, but nodded in agreement.

"Alright, fine," Troy pouted. Gabriella laughed and gave him a quick kiss, before he unclamped his hand and pulled the receiver back to his ear. "Holly? Sorry about that. So yeah, tonight will be fine. I'll come pick you up," he said, trying hard to inject some enthusiasm in his voice.

* * *

"Perfect. I'll see you at seven," Holly chirped, snapping her phone shut. She knew she had just forced Troy into taking her to the dance that night. A part of her felt terrible for doing it, but a different part of her wanted to fight until the finish. She could've sworn she heard Gabriella's voice mixing with Troy's on the line and for that reason only, Holly burst into tears.

* * *

Later that day, Gabriella sat on the edge of her bed, her fingers trailing over the soft chiffon that made up her dress for that night. Sighing out loud to herself, she leaned back on her bed, a mess of thoughts running through her mind. Troy was going to the dance with Holly, his ex-girlfriend, who had no idea that Troy was involved with someone else.

"This is ridiculous!" she cried, trying to get it through her head. Holly's malicious and stupid - albeit fair - plan was ruining everything.

"Gabriella?" her mother stuck her head in, a puzzled expression on her face.

"Yes, mama?" Gabriella straightened up immediately.

"Evan is here to see you," she said, cocking one eyebrow, indicating she was curious about her daughter's personal relationships. Gabriella sighed and tiredly pulled herself from the bed to make her way downstairs. "Honey, is everything alright? With Evan? I thought you two ended things?" Elena Montez asked.

"Mama, everything's fine. We did break up, we're just…going through the motions, is all," Gabriella assured her mother. _'You know, if the motions happened to involve Troy Bolton,'_ she thought to herself.

"Okay. I'm here if you need anything, _mija_," Elena dropped a kiss on her daughter's forehead and left. Meanwhile, Gabriella trudged down the staircase, attempting to maintain a face that wasn't so distraught with the idea of Holly and Troy together.

"Gabriella, hi," Evan's deep, familiar voice made her look up and she found herself impulsively wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. Evan immediately hugged her back and for a split second, Gabriella contemplated her choice to break up with him. But then, Troy popped up in her head and she pulled away, hiding the slightly guilty expression on her face.

"Evan," she smiled. "Any particular reason you decided to come and visit?"

"Yeah, actually…I was just wondering. Do you have a date for the Beat Cancer dance?" he asked suavely. Gabriella's eyes widened and she looked up at him. She bit her lip, holding back her laughter at the sheer and utter irony of the situation.

"Actually, I don't," she replied.

"Would you like to go with me? I know we're finished, but as friends?" he asked. Gabriella stood in her foyer, looking up at her ex-boyfriend, a smile tugging at her lips. She knew that 'as friends' was practically code for 'to save face.' Their reputations were at stake. And before Gabriella knew what she was doing, she found herself saying yes.

"So, I'll pick you up at seven?" he asked.

"Don't be late," Gabriella reminded him, closing the door behind Evan's retreating back. Leaning against her front door, she let out a small giggle. How funny! Troy and Gabriella had escaped disastrous relationships to be with each other, but now, at the first social event that had come up, they had managed to run back to their exes, all to keep their little secret. "This is going to be one long night," she whispered, and ran back up the stairs to get ready.

* * *

Taylor and Chad wrapped their arms around each other, swaying romantically to the soft beats of the R&B music that was playing. The massive hall was buzzing with the flow of people, the crème-de-la-crème of East Preparatory Academy and their families filled every inch of the area. Different colored streamers representing awareness ribbons for every type of cancer were strewn about the room and a huge buffet table had been laid out. Taylor was constantly impressed with Holly Masen – she may have been just a cheerleader, but she definitely knew how to throw together a party.

"So, you excited about seeing Troy and Gabi tonight?" Chad whispered in her ear. Taylor pulled back, grinning. Ever since the girls had finally gotten over their petty differences and made up, Taylor had been the couple's biggest supporter.

"Of course I am! It's their first so-called public appearance!" she squealed.

"You make it sound like they're Brad and Angelina," Chad chuckled.

"Well, they're EPA's Brad and Angie! Where are they, anyway?" she huffed, turning her head to look at the entrance.

"Hey, Brad and Angie are always fashionably late, let them be too," Chad joked, pulling Taylor closer to him. He was glad the girls had settled their little fight and even more so that Chad and Troy could finally talk about things in the open. It had been slightly difficult for Taylor and Chad to wrap their heads around the fact that the two lovebirds didn't want anybody to know they were dating yet, but the foursome still managed to enjoy time with each other, splashing about in the Montez's pool, movie marathons in the Bolton's home theater, and even playing tennis at the McKessie's.

"There's Troy!" Taylor piped up, pointing towards the double-door entrance. Chad turned around too, only to find Troy walking in with his ex-girlfriend, Holly Masen. "What the fuck?"

"Taylor…"

"Where's Gabriella? If that idiot left her behind, I swear to god, I'm going to punch him in the…" Taylor started walking towards Troy, but Chad pulled her back. Because his eyes had just darted over to the other entrance, where Gabriella was now walking in…with Evan Druthers.

"What the fuck?" this time, it was Chad's turn to swear. Taylor followed his gaze and her eyes widened. Things were going to get just a little bit more complicated.

* * *

"You and Evan?! Seriously, Gabi?" Taylor asked angrily. The two girls were sitting at a table by themselves, dipping small sushi rolls into soy sauce and wasabi.

"We're not…it's not like that," she replied in a small voice.

"I thought things were going great with Troy?"

"They were…they _are_. But Taylor, everybody is expecting us to wait, alright? Nobody knows about what happened that night at Holly's party and if they find out…if Holly and Evan find out…we're dead. You know these people we go to school with. They'll skin us alive,"

"So you're pretending not to be with Troy to save your reputation?"

"Precisely," Gabriella nodded her head, taking a sip of her punch.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you did the exact same thing when you were with Evan. What's the deal, Montez?"

"I don't…oh, damnit. Taylor, I don't know! Everything got so complicated! Troy and I agreed we'd keep it low, you have to understand that. After our relationships and how we were scrutinized…it's nice to just be quiet for a while, to step away from all the drama. And then, Holly calls and wants to take Troy to the dance. He can't say no without giving it up that him and me are dating. And then Evan wants to take me…is it so wrong? It's just for one night," Gabriella argued.

"One night can change a lot of things, Gabi," Taylor said solemnly.

* * *

It was nearing the end of the dance and as Gabriella watched couples float out onto the dance floor, she couldn't help forming her lips into a pout. Evan had ditched her the minute they had arrived and she had no idea where he was. Holly, on the other hand, had latched herself to Troy's hip, so Gabriella didn't even get a chance to say hi. Meanwhile, the lights dimmed and a soft ballad filled the room. Sighing to herself pathetically, Gabriella scanned the hall, her eyes resting on a familiar figure. His arms were wrapped around Holly Masen, but his piercing blue eyes gazed at her longingly.

"Do you want to dance?" Evan's voice caused Gabriella to blink quickly, before reaching for his hand and making her way out on the dance floor . "Sorry I've been sort of absent while we've been here," Evan whispered into her ear.

"It's okay. Taylor and Chad kept me company," she murmured. She maneuvered them so she was facing Troy. Their eyes met across the room and she instantly felt the heat, rising in her like a flame.

"Gabriella, I'm sorry about everything that's happened. I really do hope we can be friends," Evan said, his arms squeezing tighter around her waist.

"Of course," she mumbled, her mind already far away. Deciding now would be a good time as any to start a little game, Gabriella bit her lip seductively and inhaled sharply, keeping her eyes locked on Troy's at all time. He looked taken aback for a second, but Gabriella couldn't mistake the look in his eyes for anything else but passion and lust. She saw him mouth, 'I want you,' and that was all it took for Gabriella to go weak in the knees. Suddenly, the music changed from a slow song to an upbeat, hip-hop tune and Evan spun Gabriella around, laughing. She felt annoyed at the sudden distraction, but she realized something. _'It's much easier to tease him with a fast song,'_ she thought to herself. Pulling Evan close to her body, Gabriella began to grind on him. Luckily, most of the parents had left by then, leaving the dance to turn into a full-out nightclub scene.

"So, we're just friends?" Evan asked, his voice squeaking, as Gabriella dipped low against his crotch shamelessly.

"Evan, relax! I'm just having some fun, is that okay?" Gabriella giggled, pulling herself back up to face him. "If you want, I can find someone else,"

"It's alright. I just didn't know what you were after," Evan laughed at the situation and began dancing with her once again. Gabriella's heart flew, as she came to the sudden realization that her and Evan really were just good friends and that he felt nothing for her anymore.

"Well, now you do!" she squealed, turning back around, so her back was facing him. She let herself go to the music for awhile, letting the beat take over her body, as she ran her hands sensuously down her sides. This was her performance, her turn to show Troy exactly what he was missing with Holly.

* * *

As soon as the fast song started up, Troy knew he was in trouble. Thankfully, Holly had dragged them both off the dance floor, where he had found an empty seat and she had gone to talk to some of her friends. Now, Troy was enjoying what looked like a striptease from Gabriella, minus the loss of clothes. She was grinding, shaking her hips, closing her eyes, and running her hands through her mass of locks and she knew – oh, did she ever know – that she was getting to him big time. Troy clutched his glass tighter, trying everything in his power to not let the growing discomfort in his pants become evident. He groaned slightly, as he watched her bite her lip and run her hands down the sides of her body. Gabriella was one sexy woman and damnit, she knew how to use that to her advantage. Troy bit his lip, trying to contain the urge to go over to her and start making out with her furiously on the dance floor. Gabriella dipped herself low then popped back up again, raising her arms in time to the music. Troy's eyes widened, as her dress rode up her thighs a few inches higher. _'Fuck, she's winning this…I can't resist her, it's too hard,'_ he thought. _'Speaking of hard…'_

_

* * *

_Gabriella opened her eyes, as she sensed a different change in the atmosphere. Her gaze rested on Troy, who was sitting at a table by himself, hilariously trying to cover up the fact that he was all hot and bothered. _'Serves him right for taking Holly as his date tonight!'_ Gabriella kept her eyes locked on Troy's as she moved, shimmying her hips seductively and even bringing her index finger up to her lips. All of a sudden, she saw Troy slam his glass down on the table. He mouthed to her, 'Now,' and then got up and walked away.

"Evan, could you excuse me? I want…um, I need the bathroom," she quickly lied and walked away, before he could reply. She followed Troy out into the hallway of the venue and followed him into a small supply closet, where darkness took over sight. "Troy…?" she asked in a small voice.

"You know, you dancing like that doesn't make it easy for me to keep us a secret," he murmured. Gabriella felt his breath on her neck and she gasped. He wasn't touching her, but his mouth was so close, Gabriella's heart was hammering.

"And why…why not?" she stammered.

"Because it makes me want to go up and kiss you right then and there, in the middle of the dance floor," he said, taking a step forward. "And I don't care if anybody saw, I'd fuck you right there if I had to," he growled.

"It's…it's a good thing you have self-control, then," she whispered. Somehow, Gabriella was facing a wall and Troy's hands were planted on either side of her head, caging her in.

"Self-control? What self-control?" he murmured. In one swift move, Troy grabbed her arm and spun her around, pressing his body up against hers. Gabriella gasped and she could feel how much he wanted her, how much he needed her. She was going to faint from the heat between them, she knew it.

"If you don't have self-control…" she whispered softly. "Then take me right here, right now," she breathed against him seductively. Without wasting another minute, Troy slammed his lips onto hers, his arms coming to rest on her waist, before picking her up and leaning her against the wall. Gabriella wrapped her legs around him, bunching her dress up. She clung to his body, clawing at his back, as their mouths struggled to stay in control. Troy lifted her up higher and placed her on a small table, their lips never leaving each other. She tossed her head back to breathe and Troy kissed her shoulder, her collarbone, her jaw line, and her neck, causing Gabriella to shiver. She moved her hands to unbutton his shirt, before he stopped her.

"No way. You're the dirty dancer. You're the one who shouldn't have clothes on," he whispered into her ear. Gabriella smirked, pulled back, and took off her dress in one go, revealing a lacy lingerie set underneath. "Fuck," he exhaled, before bringing his lips down to meet hers in another fiery kiss. His hands explored her skin, before coming to rest on her thighs.

"Higher," she panted, in between kisses. Troy moved his hands higher up her thigh. The contact was nice, but at that moment, Gabriella needed his fingers and she needed them _now_. "Troy, come _on_!" she whispered, bucking her hips. Troy chuckled into her hair and rested his right hand between her legs, massaging her through the lace. "Troy…" she breathed in ecstasy, as his fingers removed the material and Gabriella finally felt his skin on hers. The touch was wanted, needed, and so _good_, that Gabriella grabbed his hand and held it there.

"Gabi," he whispered.

"Bolton, fucking _move_," she opened her eyes and demanded. Gazing at each other, Troy inserted one finger and then another, before pumping them vigorously in and out. Gabriella fell back and writhed underneath his fingers, her orgasm coming to her in a splutter of swear words and his name. Sitting back up again, Gabriella came face to face with a very pleased Troy, licking his fingers. "I want you. Now," she said, kissing him forcefully.

* * *

**AH! Okay, that was my first time describing any sort of M-rated stuff in detail, so tell me how it went and if you guys understood it! =)**

**It'll be awhile until the next chapter...but nevertheless, Happy New Years! See you in 2010, everyone! =)**

**Oh, and please read & review. =D**


	11. Chapter 11

**First off: Happy New Year, everybody! I hope you guys all had a great time ringing in 2010. =)**

**Alright, so this chapter isn't the greatest...it isn't my best work, but I just had to get it done. =P There's a huge plot change in this, just keep up with it...hopefully it doesn't get too confusing! =) Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 11

Gabriella expertly piled her mass of curls on top of her head, securing the locks with a hairclip, letting the loose tendrils frame her face. She was exhausted, but had gotten up early to meet Taylor for breakfast, a tradition the girls often practiced after an eventful night. _'And last night was definitely eventful. Who would've thought I'd end up in a supply closet with Troy Bolton?!' _Gabriella thought, taking a sip of her coffee, a slow smile forming on her lips.

"Sorry I'm late! My car was giving me issues, so I had to borrow Chad's car, but that took _forever_, since I had to wake him up…I'm sorry I'm late!" Taylor barreled into the seat in front of Gabriella, her hands full with car keys, a wallet, and her BlackBerry. Her eyes were wild with urgency, as she signaled to the waiter for a coffee. "So…what's up?" she asked, getting herself settled. Gabriella laughed at her best friend, admiring the way Taylor was always so chaotic, but still managed to focus on other people.

"Um, last night was…"

"Yeah, what _was_ that? Chad and I were so excited to see you and Troy, showing it off for the public. You know the EPA crowd would've been thrilled to see it, why did you show up with Evan? And why on earth did Troy show up with Holly?" Taylor asked, taking a quick sip of her coffee. "Oh, wait, we have to order," Taylor held up her hand, motioning for the waiter to come to their table. After quickly ordering, Taylor leaned forward, her chin in her hands, eagerly awaiting Gabriella's answer.

"The truth is, Holly asked Troy to go to the dance like, ages ago. He couldn't really say no, considering the whole secrecy thing. And then Evan showed up on my doorstep, asking me to go with him. Honestly, Tay, sometimes it's just easier to go along with reputation," Gabriella sighed, digging into her breakfast that had been laid out in front of them. Taylor rolled her eyes.

"Yes, but wasn't it frustrating at all? I saw you grinding on Evan, didn't Troy get the least bit jealous or…_something_?" Taylor asked.

"Actually, Evan and I are really just friends now. We talked it over last night and we agreed we're better off. He's actually a great confidante, but as a boyfriend, he sucks," Gabriella commented. Taylor nodded her head in agreement. "As for Troy…let's just say he _did _get jealous. So jealous to the point where we ended up in the supply closet by ourselves," Gabriella blushed at the mere mention of their secret encounter.

"Montez, you are _dirty_," Taylor laughed, poking her fork at her best friend. "So, everything's fine, then? You and Troy are just going to keep your little secret until…when, exactly?"

"I have no idea. Except…Tay, I have this feeling that Holly knows about me and Troy. And it's making me totally uncomfortable,"

"That girl pokes her nose into everybody's business, Gabi. Seriously, you don't need to worry about her. Everybody thinks she's so smart and all-knowing, but I swear, she's totally vapid," Taylor scoffed, taking another sip of her coffee. Gabriella shrugged. Suddenly, she felt a buzzing in her jeans pocket, indicating she had gotten a new text message. As Taylor launched into a short story of her previous night, Gabriella scanned the anonymous text:

_**I know all about your little secret, Montez. **_

_**I wonder how Holly, Evan, and the rest of EPA will feel about their golden boy Bolton getting roped in with the track star tramp.**_

She dropped the phone in shock, a small, surprised squeak coming out of her mouth. It couldn't be, it couldn't have happened that quickly. As far as Gabriella remembered, nobody knew about her and Troy, save for Taylor and Chad.

"Gabi? What's wrong?" Taylor asked, a worried frown shadowing her face.

"It can't happen, it's too quick! This isn't happening!" Gabriella cried, burying her head in her hands. Taylor reached over to grab her phone and scanned the message quickly.

"Holy…"

"Taylor! I don't know who's messing with me, but it's totally true! I've completely stolen East Prep's most beloved basketball player and now someone is out to get me!" Gabriella shrieked in horror.

"Gabi, calm down! You're hysterical. Just…drink some water," Taylor shoved a glass of water towards her best friend, but smirked when she ignored it and went for her mug of coffee instead.

"I'm not hysterical, you saw what the message said. Someone knows about me and Troy. And for some reason, they're being really sick about it,"

"Do you have any idea who it could be? Anybody who may want revenge or something like that?" Taylor asked, shaking her head as the words spilled out of her mouth.

"I can't think of any…wait a second. Holly Masen," Gabriella said quietly.

"Holly? Oh come on, Gabriella, like Troy's ex-girlfriend would go through the trouble of sending this to you?"

"Tay, I'm positive it's Holly. I mean, she's always hated me ever since I got together with Evan and now she thinks I stole her ex-boyfriend. It makes sense, it adds up!" Gabriella waved her arms frantically. Taylor sighed.

"Alright, so say it _is_ Holly. What do you think is going to happen? She'll tell the whole school? So what?"

"So…so everybody will think I'm a tramp, that's what," she replied in a small voice. Taylor took a good, long look at her best friend. Gabriella's mass of curls were slowly coming down to frame her face and she was wringing her hands nervously. Her eyes were wide with fear and she bit her lip anxiously. Taylor had no doubt that Gabriella was terrified of ruining her reputation. In East Prep, it was the one thing that could make you or break you. Gabriella had been lucky enough to be blessed with good looks and talent, but one wrong move and she could be subject to social suicide. Their elite circle was vicious, but one thing was for sure: it was better to be in than to be out. They both looked down at Gabriella's cell phone, but neither could bring themselves to say it first: something big was coming their way.

* * *

Holly stepped outside onto the spacious patio, taking one hesitant step at a time. It was the morning after the Beat Cancer dance and she had woken up to a phone call from Evan, asking her to join him at his place for breakfast. It was strange, but somehow, in their respective post-breakup periods, they had found comfort and solace in each other's arms. Holly thought back to the night before the dance. They had run into each other at the local Starbucks and ended up talking for what seemed like a good three hours. Holly had found herself laughing, letting loose, and best of all, smiling, when she was with him. It was strange, but if she didn't know any better, she could've sworn she was falling for him.

"Holly," a soft, familiar voice startled her, and she turned around at the sound. Involuntarily, her heart skipped a beat. _'Whoa. Calm down, girl,'_ she told herself.

"Hey, Evan. I love your backyard, the pool is amazing," she commented, gesturing to the spacious area. The Druthers' had put in an almost Olympic-sized pool, complete with several cabanas and huts scattered around.

"Thanks. So…do you want to sit?" he asked, motioning towards the cozy garden chairs. Holly nodded and sat on a wrought-iron chair. "Here, have some coffee," he offered her the pot, which she gingerly took. Suddenly, Holly was very aware of the fact that they were alone, with nobody else around. The thought made her scared, but at the same time, a little excited.

"So…how was your night?" she asked tentatively.

"It was alright," Evan answered, biting into a Danish pastry. "To be honest, it kind of sucked. Gabriella was somewhere else the whole time, you know?"

"About that…how come you asked her to go with you?"

"I don't know. There wasn't anybody I could ask. And I didn't really want to go alone. How come you asked Bolton?"

"I guess…" Holly racked her brain, trying to come up with an answer that didn't make her sound totally superficial. "Same as you," she decided.

"Well, at least Bolton didn't ditch you during the last few minutes of the dance,"

"Actually, he did," she snorted, recalling the moment she realized she couldn't find him – the same moment she realized she didn't care anymore.

"That's a jackass move," Evan commented.

"No, it's fine. It was the last straw, you know? I know that it'll never work out between us again. He's great, but just not great for me," Holly shrugged her shoulders diplomatically and took a bite out of her scone.

"That's what Gabriella and I decided last night, too. Better off as friends, that sort of thing,"

"So we're both single," Holly blurted out. Immediately, a deep-red color rushed to her cheeks. "I mean…" she fumbled, trying to find the right words.

"We're both single," Evan repeated, placing his hand comfortingly over Holly's. Startled by the touch, she pulled away, but gave him a warm smile. Yes, somewhere along the way, she had found herself falling for their friendship.

* * *

Troy ran his fingers through his chestnut-colored locks and rang the doorbell excitedly. He was at the Montez's house for dinner with Gabriella, Taylor, and Chad. Deciding to come over early to help out, Troy couldn't help but realize how domesticated it felt, hosting a dinner party – albeit, a small one – by themselves.

"Troy!" Gabriella opened the door and flung her arms around him, breathing in his scent, letting it overtake all the bad thoughts that had been swirling throughout her mind that day.

"Whoa, someone's excited to see me!" he laughed, picking her up and hugging her tight, before placing her back on the ground. "And I'm excited to see you," he whispered huskily, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. He kissed her softly on the cheek, before Gabriella grasped his hand and pulled him inside. "How's your day been?" he asked, handing her the small bunch of flower he had picked and taking a seat on a kitchen stool.

"Aw, thanks for these, baby," Gabriella smiled, kissing Troy quickly on the lips. Her heart still fluttered every time they touched and as she looked into his ocean-blue eyes, Gabriella knew she had to tell him about the mysterious text message she had received. "As for today…it was strange," she concluded, placing the flowers in a vase full of water. Gabriella busied herself with the pasta, doling the food onto individual plates, her back turned to Troy. She could tell he had a puzzled expression on his face.

"Strange? What happened?" he asked. Suddenly, Gabriella felt his strong arms wrap around her and instinctively, she leaned back, her body molding to fit his. It was times like these, when Troy was so attentive and loving, that Gabriella had to stop from pinching herself, to make sure it wasn't all a dream.

"I got this really weird, cryptic message while I was at breakfast with Taylor this morning," she explained, reaching over for her cell phone and handing it to Troy. He scanned the small mobile phone quickly, before handing it back to Gabriella. She looked up at him and saw him nervously biting his lip.

"Uh…that's intense," he said, running his fingers through his hair. Troy took staggered back several steps, wrapping his mind around the news. _'Who could've sent it? Holly? Evan? But why?' _he mused.

"Troy, someone knows about us and they're threatening us. If this gets out…just read what the text says. I'm done, finished. Gabriella Montez will be dragged through the mud," she murmured softly. She shut her eyes, trying to imagine a world where she walked down the halls of East Prep and nobody stopped to say a quick hi, or nobody whispered behind her back about her tumultuous relationships. It was hard to visualize and when she opened her eyes again, Gabriella was stunned to find her cheeks damp with tears. Troy tightened his grip around his girlfriend, trying his best to hug away all the hurt. His heart ached at the sight of Gabriella in pain and he knew it was mostly his fault, for suggesting keeping their tryst a secret.

"Gabi, we can't take this seriously. It's just someone's idea of a sick joke. They saw us talking to each other and they're trying to make it a bigger deal than it looks like," Troy rationalized, hoping his tone was convincing enough. Gabriella looked up at him, tears in her eyes. Softly, Troy wiped them away with a gentle stroke of the back of his hand. "Baby, we can get through this. It's just someone trying to mess with us. They're jealous," he murmured. Gabriella merely nodded, letting his reassurances wash over her. His explanation wasn't the most convincing, but in that moment, she knew it would be enough to soothe her. Suddenly, she felt a slight motion in her thigh.

"Troy, your pants are vibrating," she giggled, breaking out into a smile. Troy chuckled, dropped a kiss on her forehead, and turned away to whip out his cell phone.

"Shit,"

"What is it? Are Taylor and Chad not coming? That's okay; we can just have a quiet dinner, the two of us…" Gabriella babbled absent-mindedly.

"Gabriella," Troy said, his voice firm. Grabbing her arm, he turned her around to face him and handed her the phone. Gabriella read the text message, sent from an anonymous number:

_**Your little secret's about to be blown wide open. **_

_**Guess Druthers isn't the only cheater around here, huh, Bolton? **_

_**Better watch your back**._

Gabriella shrieked and nearly dropped the phone, her hands flying straight to cover her mouth. Her eyes wide, she gazed up at Troy in horror. Had someone finally figured it out?

* * *

Holly stretched out on the spacious couch, flexing her toes back and forth. The Druthers' mansion was huge and she found herself extending her stay from breakfast to the late afternoon. Evan had brought out a bunch of movies for them to watch and they had spent the day curled up on the couch, arguing over which was better: romantic comedies or sports movies.

"I can't believe I'm here," she whispered softly to herself, hugging a pillow close to her body. If someone had told her that only a few days after her relationship with Troy ended, that she'd be hanging out with Evan Druthers, she would've laughed.

"Hey," a voice brought Holly out of her reverie and she looked up to see Evan leaning against the doorframe. His large, athletic build managed to fill the room and Holly's heart involuntarily flipped at the sight of him.

"Hi," she sat up.

"You feel like taking a drive? I need to get out of the house," he suggested. A cheeky twinkle in his eye caused Holly to smile and nod her head vigorously. A part of her realized though, that she would've been willing to go anywhere, as long as Evan was there.

* * *

"That's crazy…there's someone in East Prep who is seriously fucked," Chad commented, taking a sip of his wine. He was seated in a comfortable armchair, too full to move after their delicious dinner that Gabriella had made. It had been an hour since Taylor and Chad had arrived, they were all spread out comfortably in the Montez's spacious living room, chatting about Troy and Gabriella's text messages.

"Obviously. I just don't know what they want, is all. If I knew what they wanted, it'd be easier," Gabriella explained. "Then I could just do whatever it took for them not to spill it," she snuggled into Troy's arms a little closer, suddenly feeling a slight chill creep up her spine. The entire situation had rocked her, making her cautious and jumpy at every little spill, every drop, and every noise. Troy's eyes flickered to Gabriella worriedly. His usually calm and composed girlfriend was suddenly on edge and he didn't know how to fix it or make it better. For a people-pleaser, this was kind of a hard one to tackle.

"Who do you think it could be?" Taylor asked for what seemed like the millionth time that night. She reached across the table for a grape, munching on it thoughtfully.

"I don't know," Troy shrugged his shoulders, taking a sip of wine.

"Holly," Gabriella said quietly. Taylor rolled her eyes and Chad snorted, but Troy grew quiet. He knew that she thought it was his ex-girlfriend sending the messages, but despite the way Troy and Holly had ended things, he doubted she was that malicious and that conniving to send threatening messages.

"Gabs, I think you have to lay off the wine. Holly's jealous, sure, but she's not that evil. Give the girl a break," Chad suggested. Gabriella merely shrugged.

"What about Evan? I mean, since we're speculating exes here, what about Evan Druthers?" Taylor piped up.

"Oh, please. He and I are friends. Evan would never hurt me that way. I know our relationship was screwed up, but it ended on good terms," Gabriella explained. Troy felt his body stiffen, as he heard the defensive hint in Gabriella's voice. _'She doesn't know Evan cheated on her…not that it matters, but still,'_ he thought to himself.

"So…"

"We've got nothing," Gabriella sighed, leaning her head back. Acting on reflex, Troy kissed the top of her head affectionately, smiling into her hair. The foursome lounged around for a while, chatting about things that were going on at school and the upcoming parties and events, but somehow, the topic of conversation always turned back to the text messages.

"Who knows, maybe they changed their…" Taylor started.

_Ding!_

"Shoot, my phone," she set her glass down and flipped open her cell phone.

_Ding!_

"That's mine," Chad said, digging his mobile phone out of his jeans pocket. Gabriella brought her head up to give Troy a quick kiss on the lips, as the other couple checked who had sent them a message.

"Oh…my…" Taylor stammered. Gabriella and Troy looked up, only to see Taylor and Chad's jaws simultaneously drop.

* * *

Holly gazed out the window, watching the scenery pass her by like a dream. She felt Evan's eyes on her and she shivered slightly at the thought. It was amazing how an entire day spent in his arms made her feel at home and not once did Troy or the situation with Gabriella came up.

"Hey, look, I guess they're all having dinner together," Evan pointed out. Holly followed his gaze and saw – to her surprise - that they had driven past Gabriella's house. She spotted Troy and Chad's cars in the driveway and heaved a big sigh.

"Well, I guess that's that. You know, I don't really care what they say about Gabriella and Troy. I mean, I don't particularly _like_ her, but if Troy wants to date her, he'll tell me first," she reasoned.

"Yeah, that's how I feel about Gabi, too. She'd tell me if there was anything going on," he nodded in agreement.

_Ding!_

"Oh, my phone," Holly said with a jump, digging her cell phone out of her handbag.

_Ding!_

"That's mine," Evan said, fishing the small object out of his pocket. It was silent in the car for a while, as they both read their incoming text messages.

"What?!"

* * *

**So what do you think?! I know, it's a huge big secret...and I'm not letting out any hints as to who it might be! =) Please read and review, I'd really appreciate it, especially for this chapter! I'm just not sure if it made sense...so please take your time and click that button below!**

**Thanks! =)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hi everybody! Alright, so last chapter, I didn't get a whole lot of reviews, but that's okay! That chapter was just kind of uber-confusing and after I read it, I don't think even I liked it that much! =P But, I've dealt out the plot and everything, so we'll see how it goes! Keep in mind, I know the general plot of this story, but that doesn't mean I have all the little kinks worked out just yet. It's a work in progress, which is why I appreciate your feedback so much!**

**Now, you'll either love this or hate this. I guess, once you read that, you'll sort of know what's coming. Personally, I love this chapter. Gabriella sorta kicks butt and comes into her own. Read it first, of course. Haha. Hopefully some of the loose ends and confusing stuff from the last chapter gets addressed properly in this one! I worked super hard on it, just to make sure it all makes sense. Just remember: every little detail counts. =) Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 12

Gabriella leaned against the old brick building, her hands protectively clutching a steaming cup of coffee. She nervously tapped her heel against the pavement, the clicking sound a nice distraction from what felt like the million eyes that were judging her. It was the first day back at school, after the Beat Cancer dance, and after what felt like the longest weekend of Gabriella's life. During their double date dinner on Sunday night, Taylor and Chad had received anonymous texts about Gabriella and Troy's steamy hookup session in the supply closet. She took a slow sip from her coffee cup, remembering that they had shrugged it off, that perhaps the sender only sent the texts to their best friends. But as Gabriella looked around the courtyard at the clusters of teenagers that were checking their mobile phones or chatting away, she was certain that the same text had circulated its way throughout the school. Gabriella knew what the others thought of her: a no-good, confused, lost, and incredibly selfish little dancer who felt she could have Evan and Troy. East Prep was unforgiving when it came to a big scandal and this was no exception. There was no doubt that they thought she was two-timing Evan, since they had shown up at the dance together. Gabriella felt a fury rise inside her for a moment. What right did they have to judge a person so quickly, without listening to all the facts first? How could they write her off so easily? Yes, she was Evan's date at the dance, but what she did in her own time was none of their business. As for Troy, well, there was that idiotic double standard. He was a male; an All-American golden boy that East Prep loved and doted on; there was no doubt his reputation would be left untouched. Sure, he was Holly's date to the dance, but nobody cared what he did, all East Prep cared about was the image. And it just so happened that Gabriella's image had been ruined in the most roundabout, twisted way, that even she was confused. An uneasiness rose in the pit of her stomach and she briefly contemplated going back home or playing hooky. Suddenly, a strong arm wrapped around her shoulders.

"Ready to face them?" Troy's ocean-blue eyes bore deep into hers and instantaneous warmth spread over her. She nodded slightly, took his hand, and they both walked into the fire.

* * *

"Gabriella Montez!"

It was later in the school day, during lunchtime, when Gabriella heard her name being screamed throughout the cafeteria. Her shoulders tensed at the voice, her eyes widening in fear. Hearing the clicking sound of a well-worn pair of heels come up behind her, she turned around slowly. Holly Masen's usually well-kept blonde curls were a mess, the tendrils resting limply and lifeless on her shoulders. Her eyes were red and puffy, but an unsolved fury bubbled underneath the quivering exterior.

"…Yes?" she asked quietly.

"You're a slut," Holly hissed. As soon as the word left Holly's mouth, it clutched at Gabriella's throat, constricting her from being able to come up with a comeback. Instead, she blinked, her fingernails making what seemed like permanent marks in her own palms. "You break up with Evan? Fine. Everybody knew you two would end soon. Then, you show up with him _again_ at the dance? Fine. Your choice. But you staked out _my date_, and hooked up with him in the supply closet? When you knew Evan was out there waiting for you? When you knew Troy had only been single for a few days?!" she screeched. Holly's eyes were wild with anger and passion and Gabriella, in a split second, feared for her life and for her future at East Prep.

"What, you think you can have both of them and get away with it? Just because you're daddy's little girl doesn't make you invincible! It doesn't mean you can get everything you want!" Holly screamed. Gabriella winced, backing away slightly from the cheerleader. She knew Holly was angry, but Gabriella had no idea she would actually call her out in public. She felt a million eyes staring at her, judging her, questioning looks shooting her way. Gabriella didn't do or handle confrontation well. If it were up to her, she would've avoided it completely. But Holly was looking for a fight. And Gabriella wasn't going to give in and hand it to her. Suddenly, a surge of newfound confidence came over her and she felt empowered, her mind remembering the night at Holly's party, when she first hooked up with Troy. Her self-assurance was addictive and suddenly, Gabriella knew the entire situation was all wrong, all idiotic. As she took a quick glance around the cafeteria, she saw each and every person judging her, making his or her minds up about her and her reputation. They had no right to. None had actually bothered to come up and ask her about what had happened; instead, they had all followed along. As far as Gabriella was concerned, she was getting fed up with East Prep's way of thinking.

" Holly, give it up," she said tiredly.

"Why? Because you obviously did with Evan? And with Troy?" Holly spat out, her voice malicious.

"No, because this is ridiculous. If I had broken up with Evan, why do you care? If I had hooked up with Troy, why do you care? Just in case you forgot, you and Troy are _done_. Evan and I are _done_. So what I do or what Troy does…it's none of your business," Gabriella replied rationally and calmly. She heard Taylor draw in a sharp breath, but kept quiet. Gabriella silently prayed Troy was around to hear her, but at the same time, she didn't want to be responsible for anything that might happen after. "And it's clearly not everybody else's business!" Gabriella added, her voice rising, addressing the rest of the student body. "Those informative texts everybody got? Well, I don't know who they're from, but they're an invasion of privacy. This school is based on cliques, on social reputation. These little walls that we all build up, these defenses that we cling on to. And when that breaks down, what happens? That's right, scandal. And for some reason, everybody flocks towards it and everybody starts pointing fingers. I'm done with it," Gabriella observed, her surge of confidence taking over herself.

"You're just annoyed because someone's just blown your fucking secret with my fucking boyfriend!" Holly screamed.

"Say that again, Holly. Troy is not your boyfriend," Gabriella said slowly. "Evan is not mine. The sooner you understand that, the sooner this will all sink in that _it's not a big deal_," Gabriella emphasized. She blinked, surprised to find tears filling her eyes, but she came to the realization that what she really wanted was just to have it all done and over with. She didn't want to have to think about what other people thought of her, all she wanted was to wrap her arms around Troy and forget any of it had ever happened.

" Why don't you just tell the truth, Montez? Inquiring minds want to know," Holly seethed. She hadn't expected Gabriella to start mouthing off on her and she was desperate for revenge.

"You want the truth, Holly? Here it is: Troy and I hooked up," Gabriella shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, wait, no. Troy and I have _been_ hooking up. Ever since…well, ever since Evan and you were out of the picture. That's what you all wanted know? Really? That little piece of information makes all your lives complete now? Well, I'm glad I could help," Gabriella's lip quivered and she realized she needed to leave – _now_. "I'm out of here," she grabbed her books and pushed past Holly, walking towards the cafeteria doors. The minute she was away from their view, Gabriella broke into a sprint, heading towards the courtyard. Collapsing on a bench nearby, she let the tears come, letting them spill over and run down her cheeks. It dawned on her that she may have ruined her reputation at East Prep, but in that moment, Gabriella couldn't have cared less. For once, she had stuck up for something she believed in, something that been bubbling underneath her surface ever since Holly's party. She was fed up with her kept, perfect appearance. It was time for everybody to see who she really was and what she was really capable of. Maybe it started with Troy, maybe it didn't. But whatever it was, Gabriella wanted –no, _needed_ - a change.

* * *

Troy launched the basketball over his head and watched, dejectedly, as it bounced off the rim, and landed pathetically off the court. Sighing to himself, he walked over to the deck furniture and grabbed a bottle of water. His mind was too full, too occupied, for him to even begin to focus on his game. While things at school weren't too stressful for him, he knew they must have been for Gabriella. _'Which I totally don't understand. How come everybody isn't mad at me? I did the same thing to Holly that Gabi did to Evan,'_ he reasoned. The mindset of East Prep never failed to baffle him, but he never bothered to question it before. Troy Bolton was at the top of his game, he was East Prep's most wanted, meaning he could get away with just about anything. But now, after everything that had happened, he hadn't been sure of where he stood. Walking into the school building, Troy expected whispers, dirty looks, even some snide comments; but all he got were some glares. Maybe it was gender inequality rearing its ugly head, but Troy, given that he was the basketball captain and popular, didn't seem to have it _as _bad as Gabriella did.

"This is ridiculous!" Troy groaned, picking up the lone basketball and flinging it towards the hoop in frustration.

"What's ridiculous?" a voice broke Troy's concentration and he spun around to see who it was. His eyes widened as he saw Evan Druthers making his way across the Bolton's driveway.

"Uh…nothing," he mumbled in response. Troy couldn't decide whether or not to trust Evan. On one hand, he was angry at him for cheating on Gabriella. On the other hand, he was glad that Evan finally let her go.

"Look, I know this is kind of awkward, dropping in unannounced or whatever. I just wanted to talk. Clear the air, that sort of thing," Evan explained, picking up the basketball that had rolled towards his feet. Troy shrugged indifferently.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Gabriella. Holly. All that shit that went down at lunch today. I don't like to admit it, but Gabi had a point. Holly was totally overreacting," Evan scoffed, spinning the basketball on his finger expertly. Troy grimaced – that move was generally reserved for him, not soccer players.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know. Holly and Gabi's little showdown in the cafeteria today,"

"I was in the library," Troy shrugged again. When he thought about it, he realized he had barely seen Gabriella all day, after they had walked into school together.

"So you have no idea what happened?" Evan asked in disbelief. Troy heaved a sigh.

"Look, Druthers, I had a rough day and I really don't feel like dealing with all your bullshit. So why don't you just say what you came here to say?" Troy snapped.

"Man, lighten up. Look, it's just that…Gabriella said some things today that really made me listen. I know about you and Gabi hooking up at the dance," Evan added the last part in one breath. Troy stopped in his tracks, his words stuck in his throat. "Don't worry about it. Holly called Gabi out on it, after everybody got those texts. I guess you should know that…well, Holly and I have gotten closer these past few days. It's nothing serious, I think she's still hurting over the breakup, but I thought you should hear it from me," Evan shoved his hands in his pockets meekly. Troy looked at him, attempting to process all the information. He assumed he'd have felt guilty or hurt, even, that Evan and Holly were getting closer. But surprisingly enough, he felt almost happy for them.

"Evan…you don't need my permission, or whatever. And look, I'm sorry about this whole…_mess_. Honestly, I have no idea who sent those texts and the entire school's going fucking nuts over it,"

"East Prep is like a bunch of vultures, they'll feed off scandal and gossip. It'll die out, you know that. Look, I've gotta run, but what I really wanted to say is…Troy, if you're into Gabi, be 100% committed, alright? I wasn't and look where that got me. If you're going to be with her, be with her. Don't screw around like I did," Evan sighed and with a nod of his head, he made his way towards his car, leaving Troy with a lot to think about.

* * *

Gabriella paced the length of her room, her fingers twirling loose strands of her dark hair nervously. She hadn't realized the severity of her emotional outburst until she had gotten home later that day. Gabriella wasn't a skip-class type of person, but after what had happened, she ditched school and went back home, where, after a few hours of solitude, she had been bombarded with phone calls, emails, and text messages. Several of the other cheerleaders had left her nasty emails and text messages, saying that she had no right to 'steal' Holly's boyfriend. Gabriella had heard enough of those words and immediately deleted all of them. She had laughed, though, when Kathryn Wilson had sent her a scathing text message, the very same cheerleader that had unknowingly called Gabriella a class-A bitch. Even the East Prep school newspaper had left her a voicemail, asking if she was available for an interview for their gossip column. The very mention of it was pure idiocy and she had deleted that voicemail, too. Funnily enough, the only person who she hadn't heard from was the one person who had started all of it in the first place: Troy. She had searched for him at school, but he was nowhere to be found and Taylor had informed her that he hadn't been a witness to the Holly-Gabriella showdown. Falling back on her comfortable bed, Gabriella heaved a big sigh. She was physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted from all the drama. It had taken her a while to wrap her head around, but she had finally made her decision. It might not have been the wisest or what her heart exactly wanted, but Gabriella knew what she needed: a clean break. She reached for her phone to start dialing, but it surprised her first – it began to ring.

"Hello?" she said, flipping open the small mobile phone, without bothering to look at the caller ID

"Gabi? It's me, Troy," his voice sounded urgent and quick, but Gabriella savored every single intonation in his voice. She hadn't realized how much she needed to hear him, until right that minute.

"Hey," she said in a small voice.

"Listen…I have no idea how to put this, but I'm so sorry for being MIA on you today. Evan dropped by earlier and he told me about what happened in the cafeteria and…God, I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you," he said, concern taking over.

"Troy, it's okay. Really,"

"No, it isn't. I want to let you know…I'm 100% committed to this, Gabi. To us,"

"Troy…" Gabriella repeated, choking back her tears. She knew what was coming out of her mouth next wasn't going to be well-received." I can't do this anymore," she said finally, tears falling down her cheeks.

"What?" Gabriella winced at the hurt in his voice.

"This whole thing is driving the school crazy. Everybody's talking about us and I just…I just need time to sort it all out," she explained. Getting up from her bed, she began to pace the room again, biting on her fingernail. "I was done with Evan when I met you, Troy, I was. But a breakup still hurts and I think…I think I need to be single right now,"

"So we won't tell anybody we're seeing each other!" he cried, panicked.

"It's no use. Everybody knows, Troy, the act is up. I need time alone. I'm sorry,"

"Gabriella,"

"Troy, no. I've made my decision. Besides, when you think about it, we don't really know each other. Let's just get some time apart, regain our footing, get used to being single for a while…and then maybe we can talk?" Gabriella blinked, as more tears fell down her cheeks. Despite her crying, she could feel herself regaining her confidence, the type of confidence that didn't require a guy in her life.

"If…if that's what you really want, I can't change your mind," he said softly.

"No, you can't. I'll see you around, Troy," she said. "Thank you. For everything," Gabriella smiled to herself and ended the call. Looking around her empty room, she felt a sense of relief wash over her. _'That's it. No more lies, no more sneaking around. I don't even care about that stupid text being circulated. I'm single. For real,'_ she thought to herself.

* * *

Meanwhile, Chad was attempting to teach Taylor how to throw the perfect jump shot. After numerous failed tries, Taylor groaned in frustration.

"This is so annoying! How come you guys make it look so easy?!" she cried, throwing her hands up in the air.

"Relax, baby," Chad chuckled at the sight of his girlfriend in her short shorts, tank top, and tousled hair. "You just need to _feel _the ball. Come on, as my girlfriend, you should be able to do this!"

"I _feel_ pissed off," she said seriously, her hands on her hips. Chad laughed and went to stand behind her, supporting her elbows. "Besides, how can I think about this when Gabriella and Troy are all…god knows what?"

"Tay, they'll work it out,"

"What if they don't? Chad, Troy is one of the good ones. You know that. And Gabriella, that girl needs someone good in her life. What if they can't handle all this drama? What if East Prep just got to be too much? All that expectations, all that reputation-ruining…what if it's all played out?"

"Well, if there's anybody who can change an entire school's way of thinking, I'd bet my money on Troy and Gabriella. Listen, those two will work it out. Maybe not right away, but sooner or later, they'll realize: they're perfect for each other. I've seen it since day one, but it's taken them longer to figure it out," Chad explained.

"I guess so. I just hope…" Taylor started.

"Ah!" Chad held a finger up to her lips. "No more Troy and Gabi talk. You've seen me play ball, you've seen the guys play ball, and now, your ass is going to learn how to make a jump shot! Come on, McKessie, show me what you got!" he playfully slapped her on the butt, causing her to jump and giggle, before taking the ball away from him.

"Alright, watch this," she said, determination twinkling in her eyes. Raising the basketball well over her head, she focused on the net and remembered all of Chad's tips, as she tossed it towards the hoop and watched it bounced off the backboard and straight back into her boyfriend's arms. "This is so stupid! I can do advanced calculus and I can't shoot a stupid ball into a stupid net!" she pouted.

"Taylor, I have to tell you something,"

"What is it?"

"I don't think I can date you anymore," Chad joked.

* * *

**Whew! What do you guys think?! I think I need to say that East Prep is a very reputation-heavy type of school. That's the whole reason why I introduced the characters as strong, key players in the school's "society." I think it's best to compare it to Constance Billiard from Gossip Girl, but I don't want to make a linear connection. I know a lot of you are going to be angry (or...well, you know) that I ended Troy and Gabriella, but just know that Gabi needs to stand on her own for now and Troy needs to learn some very valuable lessons. Remember, Troy is the one who suggested they keep the relationship secret and Gabriella has been dependent and a follower when it comes to the men in her life. I write these characters as if they were real people and real people have different sides to them. I hope you guys get that from these chapters! =)**

**As always, please read and review! It's much appreciated! Thanks everybody! =)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey, you guys! Thanks for all the feedback on the last chapter, you guys are really awesome at giving me some good, constructive criticism. =) **

**Anyway, this chapter is definitely not as heavy as the previous one, but I guess that's a given. Haha. The truth is, I don't really like this chapter, it took me forever to finish, mainly because I was so uninspired! I guess I need to inject some drama back into this story, yes? Hehe. But anyway, read it and see what you think!**

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Chapter 13

Gabriella rested her chin in her hands and mindlessly twirled a strand of long hair around in her fingers. She was thinking and she was thinking _hard_. Ever since the incident in the cafeteria between her and Holly, East Preparatory Academy had changed in the past week. People no longer whispered about her and gossip was all kept secretly under wraps. Walking down the hallway, Gabriella had never felt so boring and so…_not _scrutinized before. She welcomed the change, but at the same time, had a feeling it wasn't going to last for long. With a school like East Prep, there was no telling what might happen.

"Gabi?" a voice brought her back to reality and she turned around to see Taylor, leaning against her doorframe.

"Hey, Tay," she said, smiling. It had been a while since the girls had a good long talk and Gabriella had called her best friend over for some quality time. Taylor crossed the room and gave her best friend a quick hug, before plopping herself down on Gabriella's comfortable bed.

"So, what's up?"

"I just thought we'd hang out. Did you have plans today?"

"I was supposed to meet up with Chad," Taylor frowned. "Whatever," she waved her hand dismissively, laughing to herself. "Are you okay?"

"I'm alright," Gabriella bit her lip, when a sudden rush of emotions came flooding over her. The truth was, ever since she had ending things with Troy, she couldn't get him off her mind. Everything she did reminded her of him and it was preposterous how a single mention could set off tears.

"Gabi, what's going on? Is this about Troy? I thought you broke it off, shouldn't you be happy?" Taylor asked, sitting upright.

"I am. I guess…I don't know, Tay. It's still fresh, still new. And it definitely still hurts, especially how things ended. I really didn't want to leave it in the middle of this dramatic mess, but it's not like I had another choice," Gabriella reasoned.

"I know, but you were the one who said you needed to be single," Taylor pointed out, reaching over for a bottle of nail polish that stood on the bedside table. Gabriella managed a faint smile – if there was one thing that Taylor did when she was really listening, it was painting her own nails, a weird fact about her that only Gabriella really knew about. It comforted her that in a time of so much emotional upheaval, Gabriella could count on the constant things in her life, like Taylor.

"I do. I still stand by the fact that I need to be alone right now, I need to be independent and just get back to who I am. Dating Evan, then going straight to Troy…I felt like I lost a piece of myself and I was so dependent on them. I need to learn how to be by myself. At least for a while," Gabriella sighed.

"But it still really hurts."

* * *

Troy took a sip of his scalding hot coffee, a perfect way to end the horrible week he had just endured. When Gabriella had ended it with him over the phone, he couldn't deny it: a small part of him broke. His mind kept going over the conversation and only one thing stood out: _'we don't really know each other.'_ The minute Gabriella had said those words; Troy knew there was no going back, because it was the inevitable truth. Sure, they had spent a good amount of their time together, but a relationship wasn't a successful one unless they had actually attempted to venture out into the world together. Troy leaned back in the comfortable couches, surveying the different clusters of people milling around the shop. _'This is our coffee shop. We had that in common, didn't we?'_ he thought to himself. Troy knew he was acting pathetic, he was listless, restless, and visited the out-of-the-way coffee shop everyday, in hopes that he'd run into Gabriella. The truth was, Troy wanted her back. He just had no idea how to go about it.

* * *

"Gabriella! Hey," Taylor cried out, catching up to her best friend, as they both walked into the school building together. It was a Monday, a week after the Gabriella and Holly showdown. All around, teenagers were talking to each other animatedly about what they did over the weekend. Gabriella faced forward, glad that nobody seemed to stare at her anymore. Making her way towards her locker, she noticed the remarkable lack of mobile phones and inwardly thanked whoever it was that stopped sending the anonymous texts; after those had stopped circulating, so had the incessant gossip and rumors. "Ready for the Chem test today?" Taylor asked.

"I stayed up last night studying, so I think I'm alright," Gabriella popped open her locker and transferred a few textbooks.

"Hey, you two!" Kelsi Nielsen, a cute brunette girl with glasses, bounded up to the girls. All three were in the National Honor Society and the Scholastic Decathlon team. While Kelsi usually hung around the drama types, she often spent time with Gabriella and Taylor, as well. "Gabi, how you holding up?" she asked, giving her friend a quick hug.

"I'm alright," Gabriella replied robotically. She closed her locker shut and leaned against it. She felt slightly lighter than she had the past week and could feel herself returning back to the old Gabriella Montez. That weekend, she had spent several hours in the dance studio, choreographing a new piece for the East Prep showcase and she had set aside the time to work out for her upcoming track meets, as well. Slowly, she could feel herself regaining some of her own self-confidence and most importantly, her independence. There was no denying there was still a hole left in her, a pang that stuck her right in the heart, every time she saw Taylor with Chad, or even Holly and Evan.

"You know, it's a little strange and even kind of twisted, but they're sweet together," Taylor piped up, her gaze shifting to the couple walking down the hall. Gabriella stole a quick glance and saw, who else? Evan and Holly strolled down the corridor, hand in hand. Her heart flipped as she saw how happy Holly was nowadays and how content Evan seemed. _'He was never like that with me,'_ she thought bitterly.

"I've got class," she said, pushing herself off the locker and heading towards her homeroom, desperate to get away from the suffocation she was beginning to feel. Settling down in her desk, Gabriella closed her eyes and heaved a big sigh. Things had turned around ever since Holly's party and Gabriella wasn't sure where she stood anymore. Yes, she was re-building herself and it felt good, but something was missing. As much as she tried to avoid it, a part of her missed Troy terribly. In addition, seeing everybody else so happy made her feel bitter and just a little bit jealous. Resting her head on the table, Gabriella prayed silently to herself; that maybe, just maybe, this day would pass her by.

* * *

Troy leaned against his own locker, doing everything in his power not to sneak a peek at the gorgeous brunette standing just several feet away. It wasn't like he used to talk to Gabriella before homeroom when they were together, because of the whole 'keeping it a secret' thing, but the fact that he wasn't even able to give her a loving glance hurt him.

"Hey, man," Chad slapped a hand on Troy's shoulder, bringing him back to reality.

"Hey," Troy replied listlessly.

"Aw, come on! Are you still pining over Gabi? It's been a week, lighten up," Chad groaned.

"It's not that easy, alright?"

"What are you talking about? Of course it's easy! You and Gabi weren't even properly dating, okay? From what you've both told me, I gotta say, I'm on her side, Hoops,"

"That's the thing, Chad. I know she's right, which sucks. I can't do anything about it. And it sucks even more, because all I want is…all I want is Gabriella back," Troy huffed. He knew he was being childish and immature, but at that point, it didn't matter to him anymore. His reputation as East Prep's star basketball player was still intact after all the events the previous week and when it came down to it, Troy Bolton didn't play by other people's rules – they played by his.

"Then go get her! I've been hearing you whine and moan about her for the past week, Bolton! Gabi's a great girl, I know it, you know it, and the whole fucking world knows it. All you have to do is get her. And this time, don't suggest keeping it a secret, alright? It'll save us all a lot of trouble and a lot of drama," Chad snickered.

"Yeah, I get it," Troy waved his hand dismissively at his best friend. Chad shrugged his shoulders and walked away, leaving Troy alone to deal with his thoughts.

* * *

Holly strolled out onto the courtyard after school that day, searching for Evan, who promised to wait for her after their last class. She leaned against the giant oak tree, scanning the area. Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around her and a kiss was planted on her neck that sent shivers up her spine.

"Hi, you," a deep, husky voice whispered in her ear.

"Evan," she murmured, turning around and giving him a quick hug. It surprised Holly how easy it was to stumble into a relationship with him. After her confrontation with Gabriella the previous week, Evan had called her and they had finally admitted their feelings to each other. After that, slipping into a real relationship seemed effortlessly easy to both of them. Evan barely partied and Holly rarely thought about her next bash, instead, they spent nights curled up on the sofa, watching movies and cooking each other their favorite foods. Wrapped up in Evan's arms, it was hard to believe they hadn't gotten together much earlier.

"Were you waiting long? Sorry, but Coach wanted to see me for a quick second," Evan explained, intertwining his fingers with hers.

"No, its fine, I was just hanging out here anyway," she grinned. As happy as Holly was, she couldn't seem to shake off a certain feeling – guilt. As she stood there, Evan hugging her from behind, she scanned the courtyard once more and her heart did a flip when she saw Gabriella and Troy; standing on opposite ends of the school yard. "Hey, what happened with Troy? And Gabriella?" she asked.

"Oh, Gabi ended things with him after the fight last week. Didn't you know?" Evan wondered, walking them towards his car.

"No, I didn't. But why? I thought, after everything…"

"Well, Gabi thinks she should stand on her own two feet for a while, not depend so much on someone else, you know? And I guess they realized they don't know each other that well," Evan shrugged his shoulders, getting into the Jeep's driver seat.

"But that's why you date!" Holly cried, fastening her seatbelt. It seemed ludicrous to her that Gabriella and Troy hadn't been seen together for the past week, now that she thought about. She always figured that after everybody saw her and Evan together, Gabriella would feel it was okay to date Troy publicly.

"Holly, I don't think that's the point. And I don't think Gabriella's afraid you'll come after her if she starts to date Troy again. I just think Gabi needs some time alone, be single for a while. I mean, I was her ex-boyfriend. That's got to have a long recovery period, right?" he joked. Holly laughed, as they sped out of school.

"I guess you're right,"

* * *

**Alright, so what do you guys think? Definitely not some of my best work, but I promise I'll make it up to you! Haha. Read and review, you know what to do! =)**

**As for the next chapter, get ready for some unfinished business... =P**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hi everyone! Okay, well, firstly, thanks for all the feedback on the last chapter! It was really good and I'm so lucky to have people like you guys who read it and comment. =) It means a lot, so thank you!**

**Secondly, here's the fourteenth chapter! Wow, fourteen. Crazy! Lol. Anyway, this chapter moves pretty fast, which I think is much-needed, seeing as how the last few chapter were kind of slow. My original plans for Chapter 14 were actually super long, so I had to cut it into two chapters, but don't worry! The fifteenth one is going to be big, in terms of plot! =) I hope you guys enjoy this one! =D**

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Chapter 14

It was mid-December, several months after Gabriella declared her independence and the drama between her, Holly, Evan, and Troy had died down. The weather had turned cold, as a white blanket spread over the city, and as Gabriella stepped into the low-lighted restaurant, she shook her hair out, causing several snowflakes to drop to the floor.

"Gabi! We're over here!" a high-pitched voice came from the back and she spotted a tiny alcove, where a comfortable, cozy table was set up. Three girls sat, each dressed and styled in their own unique way and as Gabriella sat down, she smiled to herself, happy to be slipping back into an old tradition. Ever since the school semester had ended, Gabriella liked to 'hibernate' for the first few weeks of her winter vacation. She had been lazing around at home when Taylor called and demanded she spend time with their girlfriends, a fact that Gabriella now agreed with, as she noticed small changes in them. Taylor's hair was now longer and straightened, making her look more sophisticated and elegant. Kelsi Nielsen, a talented composer who usually hid behind a stack of music sheets, appeared beautiful and delicate underneath a soft cover of makeup. As for Sharpay Evans, East Prep's resident drama queen, Gabriella expected nothing less than a bright pink, glittered outfit and a perfectly coiffed hairdo. Although Gabriella and Taylor were the closest friends out of the lot, the four girls were a tight group.

"Hi!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Hi, sweetie," Sharpay leaned over to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I don't remember if I told you, but I absolutely loved your piece at the end of year showcase! It was so moving! Almost as moving as my monologue, but hey, you tried," she giggled. Gabriella laughed. The East Prep end-of-year showcase had been her crowning glory, as she finally displayed her dance piece, one that she had choreographed all on her own. She had gotten a lot of praise and even several scholarships offers from the performance and it made Gabriella proud, to have something she could call her own.

"Actually, I'm pretty sure I saw Zeke cry at your monologue, Shar," Kelsi joked.

"From laughter, maybe!" Taylor added. Sharpay scowled, and then shrugged her shoulders.

"Alright, so what are we talking about? Sorry I'm late, the snow just delayed the walk," Gabriella started.

"The Christmas party at the Baylor's family restaurant," Taylor answered. Gabriella nodded slowly. The Baylors were famous in Albuquerque for their upscale business, a frequent venue for the city's high society. "It's supposed to be really elegant and classy, complete with a tree, Santa Claus, and of course, Zeke's amazing sugar cookies," Taylor smiled. Zeke was the resident baker in the family and almost all of East Prep had heard of his heavenly cookies.

"Oh, yum! I'm so there," Kelsi squealed.

"Do we have to bring dates?" Gabriella asked, hesitantly. Even though her breakup with Troy had been several months ago, Gabriella wasn't back in the dating scene at all. She had barely glimpsed at the boys in East Prep, although Sharpay never failed to mention how many eligible bachelors were willing to go out with Troy Bolton's "damaged goods."

"It's not really necessary, but you can if you want to," Kelsi waved her hand dismissively. "What I'm really excited about is Jason's New Year's Eve bash. Now that's going to be epic," Kelsi giggled, taking a sip of her water. The food arrived then, causing a quiet lull in the conversation, before Sharpay spoke up again.

"Hey, aren't those guys from our school?"

"They're on the lacrosse team. I've seen some of them hanging out on the field after track practice," Gabriella replied, glancing the direction Sharpay was staring.

"They're hot! How come we never dated lacrosse players?" she squealed.

"Because we don't rate boys on what sports they play. Besides, I like the fact that Chad plays basketball and doesn't run around with a stick. He could kill someone," Taylor laughed.

"Wait, don't look! They're looking over here!" Sharpay waved her arms around frantically, causing the girls to erupt in even more laughter. Gabriella dabbed the tears from her eyes away, but before she could say something to Sharpay, their waitress set four mojitos on the table.

"These are from the boys at the bar," she winked, nodding her head in the direction of the lacrosse boys.

"Nice," Taylor shrugged her shoulders and took a sip of the mojito.

"Oh, and that tall blonde? He told me to tell you that he's seen you at track and loved your dance piece," the waitress gestured to Gabriella, who nearly choked on her drink.

"What?" she whispered, as the waitress walked away. Looking over to the bar, Gabriella recognized Ty Brennan, the lacrosse team captain, whom she frequently saw after her training.

"Shit, Gabi, that's Ty Brennan! He's hot," Sharpay clapped her hands excitedly. "I heard he just broke up with that Melissa girl from Manchester Prep. Go talk to him!" she urged. Gabriella shook her head furiously.

"Fuck no! Shar, are you crazy? I've only been single for…"

"A few months? Yeah, you're cranky because you haven't been getting any. Now get your cute butt over there and flirt, he's obviously interested," Taylor shot back. Gabriella sighed. She had been out of the game for so long, she almost didn't remember what it was like to flirt. Mustering up all her courage, she took her drink and made her way towards the bar, where Ty and several of his lacrosse friends were hanging out.

"Gabriella," Ty straightened up the minute she was in his sight. Gabriella set the glass down behind him on the bar and sidled up next to him.

"So, thanks for the drink," she said.

"No worries, you girls look like you were having fun," he said, his gaze set on Gabriella. She shifted uncomfortably as she noticed his friends beginning to leave one by one to play pool at a table nearby. Sitting so close to him, Gabriella realized his eyes were a soft green, like an emerald, and for a second, she let herself get lost in his stare.

"We were just talking about the Christmas party at the Baylor's," she said.

"You're going to that?"

"I always do,"

"Funny, I would've thought I'd remember you,"

"Well, I guess I wasn't so memorable then," she shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.

"Impossible," he whispered. Ty was getting closer and closer to Gabriella and she could feel the heat between them rise. The attraction was mutual, she could tell. "I saw your dance piece at the showcase. It was incredible," he complimented her genuinely and she blushed.

"Thanks. It was nothing," she replied modestly.

"Gabriella, the way you moved that night…was not nothing," he said, his voice low and husky. She felt shivers along her arm, as he stroked it gently. Using her newfound confidence, Gabriella inched closer to him.

"You have no idea how I move," she whispered seductively in his ear. Pulling away, Ty grinned at her and Gabriella bit her lip. _'Let the games begin,'_ she thought, as a familiar rush of adrenaline surged through her.

* * *

Gabriella leaned against the wall of the Baylor's family restaurant, taking in the holiday cheer she saw around her. It was the night of the Christmas social party and the place was filled to the brim with Albuquerque's finest, classiest, and most elegant in high society. Her mother, Elena Montez, was busy mingling with the Evanses and from where Gabriella was standing, she could see the Nielsens and the McKessies talking. Everyone was in a happy, light mood and Gabriella couldn't help smiling to herself as she let the warmth of the Christmas spirit run through her. She had arrived only moments before with Ty on her arm, an image that made all the girls seem either incredibly jealous incredibly happy for her. When Gabriella met Ty Brennan for the first time several days back, they began seeing each other a lot more and had been dating casually ever since. Gabriella wasn't falling in love, she kept telling herself that, but there was definitely an attraction between the two. On the outside, Gabriella realized, Ty was an exact copy of Troy and Evan. The only thing Ty lacked was the golden boy and player persona. Instead, he was gracious, polite, and respectful – Gabriella couldn't remember a time when she _didn't_ spend the night at a guy's house or when she _didn't_ kiss him on the first date. Their tryst was definitely more innocent compared to Gabriella's other relationships, but it was slow and subdued; something she needed after Troy and Evan.

"Gabriella, come over here!" Taylor cried. Gabriella pushed herself off the wall and strolled over to a little secluded area. She perched herself carefully on the arm of the couch as Jason and Zeke launched into another story of one of their drunken nights. It felt comfortable and safe, she thought to herself. Somewhere along the first half of her senior year, she had stumbled across a random group of friends that she would have never dreamed imaginable. In a way, Gabriella's short-lived encounter with Troy introduced her to a whole other world, where interesting people like Zeke and Jason lived, not the boring, focused, track and dance types she was used to. _'I guess I'm breaking out of my mold too, not just the rest of East Prep,'_ she thought.

"Anyway, so Bolton starts to get seriously…" Zeke started.

"Hey, guys," a voice Gabriella had trained herself not to listen to, suddenly showed up. Her breath caught in her throat and her heart started to involuntarily pound against her chest. _'Troy,'_ she thought breathlessly to herself. She gazed up at him and nearly fell off her seat as he ran a hand through his hair, mussing it up to perfection. Troy Bolton never failed to amaze Gabriella, with his sharp dress sense, his piercing blue eyes, and the confident, but not arrogant, way he handled himself. He was so sure, so self-assured, all the time that it made Gabriella feel completely intimidated and in awe of him.

"Troy! I was just telling them about that time in Tijuana and you got totally…" Zeke started again.

"Okay, we all know how the story ends!" Sharpay waved her arms frantically to get him to stop. "It's Christmas! Happy and jolly, not drunk and depressed," she giggled.

"Agreed," Taylor nodded, kissing Chad on the cheek. They started to talk animatedly about their Christmas presents, but Gabriella stayed quiet, sloshing the champagne in her glass back and forth. She heard someone clear their throat and looked up, her eyes locking with Troy's.

"Hi," he mouthed.

"Hello," she mouthed back. Silence followed and Gabriella darted her eyes around the room awkwardly. To her, their tension seemed palpable, but Zeke, Jason, Chad, Taylor, and Sharpay were oblivious to Troy and Gabriella's intense stares. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat and took a sip of champagne, hoping to fill up the awkward minutes with something. But before she could decide to get up and walk away, Gabriella felt a familiar arm wrap around her waist.

"Sorry, guys, but could I steal Gabi away from you?" Ty asked, dropping a soft kiss on top of Gabriella's head. She inhaled sharply, averting her eyes from Troy. She knew the expression on his face was clear – pure and utter shock. Because they were on vacation, Troy hadn't known Gabriella had started to date again and she definitely wasn't going to tell him. "There are some people I'd love for you to meet," Ty said softly. Gabriella nodded and walked away, making sure to keep her gaze far, far away from the pair of ocean-blue eyes that she knew were on her.

* * *

Troy watched Gabriella walk away, her heels clicking softly against the hardwood floors of the Baylor's family restaurant. He couldn't ignore the slight pang that shot through him, the minute he saw Ty Brennan wrap his arm around her. It wasn't that Troy hated him, but it was that he hated seeing her with anybody else. Troy's one flaw was his jealous streak and he had seen something like this coming.

"Hey, Taylor?" he blurted out. Taylor turned to face him, leaving her previous conversation. Troy and Taylor had had several talks about the Gabriella situation and he respected her opinion. _'Chad's lucky to have her,'_ he thought.

"Yeah?" Taylor perched herself on the couch arm, smoothing out her black, strapless dress.

"What's going on with Ty and Gabriella?" he asked hesitantly. He caught Taylor biting her lip nervously, before she replied him.

"They're just hanging out,"

"Taylor, come on, I'm not going to do anything stupid,"

"Yeah, right!" Taylor scoffed. "Okay, I'll tell you. They've been…well, seeing each other, I guess?" she cocked her head to one side. "I don't think it's anything serious and Gabi hasn't said anything about it. Honestly, Troy, just leave it alone. She really meant it when she said she needed to find her own footing for a while,"

"I know," Troy nodded in agreement, turning away from Taylor to catch a glimpse of Gabriella throwing her head back and laughing. With the softest touch, she grazed Ty Brennan's arm and he bent down to kiss her lightly on the forehead. Troy sighed loudly, as he watched Gabriella slowly slip away.

* * *

Meanwhile, Gabriella was leaning against Ty's strong arms, listening to him talk about the most recent lacrosse game East Prep played. Covering a yawn behind the back of her hand, she looked around at the festive restaurant and gave a small smile to Sharpay, who was having an intense conversation with Zeke. _'She's probably complaining about the lack of low-fat cookies or something,'_ Gabriella giggled to herself. She felt Ty's arm wrap tighter around her and she shifted uncomfortably. It wasn't that she wasn't having a good time. _'It's just for someone who claims to be really smart, he's kind of boring. And not smart,'_ Gabriella wrinkled her nose in thought. The first few dates with Ty had been a dream, he had taken her to the most expensive restaurants, the finest jazz clubs, and they even went for a ride in his dad's private plane. But even though she had been treated like an absolute princess, Gabriella could never find much to talk about with Ty. Their conversations were limited to topics about school, money, and how much he wanted a lacrosse scholarship. Half the time, Gabriella could barely get a word in edgewise; he was talking too much about himself. She looked up at Ty and his head of perfectly coiffed blonde hair, with his perfectly tailored suit, and his perfectly polished shoes and Gabriella just knew – it wasn't going to be him. Sighing loudly to herself, Gabriella craned her neck to look around the room and her eyes rested on Troy's athletic back. For a split second, she imagined running over to him and wrapping her arms around his sculpted body, feeling his muscles ripple sensually underneath her small hands. She shivered at the thought and smiled to herself, but as Troy stepped a little sideways, she saw that he was talking to an attractive girl she had never seen before. Feeling her heart take a nosedive, she snuggled closer into Ty's arms, all the while, denying she wished it were Troy's arms instead.

* * *

"I can't believe you spent half the party talking to her and you didn't make a move! What happened to the Troy Bolton I knew?" Chad joked, dribbling the basketball down the court. It was the day after the Baylor's Christmas party and despite nursing mild hangovers; the boys had decided to catch a quick game of ball down at their favorite childhood park.

"Dude, I told you! Brooke's just a friend," Troy exhaled loudly, stealing the ball from Chad and making a perfect jump shot.

"Brooke Dennison is _hot_," Jason piped up from the sidelines. Troy rolled his eyes.

"You know, sometimes there's more to girls than how they look," he shot back. "Besides, I've known Brooke since I was little. She's on the girls' basketball team," Troy shrugged his shoulders.

"All I'm saying is that you've pined over Gabriella long enough. It's time for you to get back into the game!" Chad cried, slapping Troy on the back.

"Yeah, especially since she already is," Zeke snorted. Troy groaned at the mere mention of Gabriella's newfound romance with Ty Brennan. He had spent a good portion of the Christmas party talking to Brooke and the other half of his time stalking Gabriella and her every move. It was hopeless; Troy was completely entranced by her in a way that he had never been with any girl before. It scared him, sure, but at the same time, made him want to work that much harder to be with her.

"What's that all about, anyway? I tried asking Taylor about it, but she just said they're hanging out," Troy said casually.

"Well, if you must know, Bolton. Taylor told me that Gabi's not really into him. Something about how Ty's always talking about himself," Chad scoffed. Walking over to the picnic tables, where Zeke had laid out several leftovers, Troy plopped into his seat and smirked to himself. He knew Gabriella couldn't stand an arrogant person.

"That sounds like Brennan, alright," Jason commented, digging into his sandwich.

"I bet they'll be done by New Years and Gabi will be a free, single lady," Chad predicted, raising his eyebrows at Troy, who hesitated before replying.

"Nah. I know Gabi. She'll want a date for New Years, which means they'll still be on," Troy shrugged his shoulders. "Speaking of New Years, you still throwing that party, Jase?"

"You know it! My parents are going away to Colorado for the next few weeks and its party central at the Cross house!" Jason pumped his fist into the air enthusiastically. Troy grinned, remembering the crazy times they had had at one of his parties. Jason's house was the biggest of them all and his parents were rarely in town. Every New Years Eve, he held a huge bash to help East Prep usher in the New Year and every year, without fail, the party would be better than the last. Simultaneously, every few days before the event, rumors would run wild about who was going with whom. Troy suddenly realized that it would be his first Cross extravaganza without a date. The thought wiped the smile off his face immediately. It always seemed special to him to spend New Years with someone he cared about.

"So who's everybody kissing at midnight?" Zeke asked.

"I've got Taylor, as usual. You would think I'd get sick of that girl," Chad joked.

"You're whipped and you know it," Jason laughed. "I was going to ask Kelsi, but she's going with Lucas Reinhardt," he added, a slight twinge of bitterness in his voice. Everybody knew Jason and Kelsi had an on-off thing, but lately, it had seemed more off than on.

"I asked Sharpay," Zeke chimed in casually, causing Chad to choke on his water.

"What? When did this happen?" he spluttered. Troy laughed at his best friend, whose eyes were watering. Sometimes it was good to get back into a conversation with the guys and stay away from girl drama – something he had been wrapped up in ever since Holly came along. "I thought you were with Lara Walker yesterday night!"

"Yeah, but then Lara left with some other guy, so Sharpay and I ended up talking. And I asked her to New Years. Come on, it's not so bad," Zeke reasoned.

"Man, you _know_ what happens to Sharpay's boy-toys. They all get eaten alive," Chad nodded his head in mock seriousness.

"Oh, forget him, Zeke. Dude, if you like her, you like her. She's better off with you than with anybody else anyway," Troy shrugged his shoulders.

"That's because everybody else runs away," Chad muttered. "Troy, you still holding out for the lovely Miss Montez?"

"I'm…" Troy started. Suddenly, Jason banged his fist onto the table.

"I have a sick idea! Troy can ask Brooke!"

"What?!" this time, it was Troy's turn to choke on his water as he turned to face Jason, who's eyes were bright with excitement.

"Think about it, man! Brooke Dennison is _hot_. And she's obviously got a thing for you. Go for it! How long are you going to wait for Gabi, dude? Either make a move on Brooke or get Gabriella back," Jason said, shrugging his shoulders as if it were the easiest decision in the world. Troy took a look around the picnic table. Chad was busy texting Taylor, while Jason and Zeke had already gotten into a heated discussion about their dates to the New Years party. Troy knew having a girlfriend wasn't the most important thing in the world, but at the time when everybody else seemed to be falling in love, he was the only one who wanted to fall out of it. _'Brooke Dennison. Really?' _he asked himself. Was it possible for his heart and his head to come to terms with asking another girl out? Or was he too afraid of rejection. When it came down to it, Troy Bolton was a coward when it came to letting his heart open. While he never admitted it to anyone else, he had fallen for Gabriella in the short span of their whirlwind romance and seeing her with someone new always made his heart ache. Troy didn't know if he could open himself up again, but he knew one thing: he had been doing far too much analyzing and thinking the past few days, maybe it was good to just take a risk and try.

"Maybe I will," he whispered softly to himself.

* * *

**What do you guys think?! =) I really actually quite like this chapter, except I'm not so sure I captured the awkwardness and conflict between Troy and Gabriella well enough, though. Basically, Troy is just kind of bouncing back and forth, he doesn't really know where he stands on anything anymore; it's kind of like Gabriella breaking up with him has shaken his whole world, in addition to East Prep's mindset being refocused on other things, rather than the usual gossip. As for Gabriella, she needed to have a little fun on her own and experience something new, but she realizes that she still has feelings for Troy. As for Brooke and Ty, don't expect too much from them, I just sort of wanted to throw in a few extra characters. Lol. Also, you'll be seeing a lot more of Sharpay, Zeke, Kelsi, and Jason in the next few chapters. I can't just have it be Chad and Taylor that they run to for advice, so that's where they come in. =)**

**I hope you guys liked it! Please read and review!**

**The next chapter is a huge shake-up! So keep updated! =)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Here it is, you guys! Chapter FIFTEEN! Crazy. Haha. When I first started off this FF, I never really thought I'd get that much feedback, but I have, and it's awesome! Lol. I'm sorry this chapter took so long to put up, I just finished off my first year in college, so it was hectic. I really wanted to put this up, though, because I love this story!**

**This chapter is chock-full of drama (sort of) and a lot of partying! Yup, it takes place at Jason's New Year's Eve bash and it's definitely bringing it, in terms of drama and action! Haha. Besides, Wildcats + alcohol? Always fun! Enjoy this one, you guys! And thanks again for all the feedback! =)**

* * *

Chapter 15  
Some people got nervous before they entered a party or any type of social gathering. For Gabriella, it seemed normal to have all eyes on her. She was used to being looked at, used to being criticized, and especially in the past few months, she had dealt with her fair share of wrongful judgment. Strolling into the Cross' palatial estate was no different. As Gabriella hooked her arm through Ty's, she walked surely and confidently towards the backyard, where a huge tent was set up. _'Wow, Jason's really outdone himself!'_ she thought. People were milling around the long tables full of food and some were sitting down on the couches that had been set up. Small chandeliers dangled along the roof of the tent and the Cross' family swimming pool had been transformed into a majestic mess of lights, lanterns, and sparkles. Several large banners read, 'Happy New Year!' and music blared from the speakers and DJ station that had been set up in a corner. Gabriella looked around, taking it all in, before realizing that she barely knew anybody that was there! She searched frantically for a familiar face, but this was one of the few times Gabriella hadn't shown up with Taylor, Sharpay, or Kelsi; they each had their own dates.

"Hey, let's go say hi to Brooke," Ty suggested, pressing a hand to the small of her back and guiding her towards the couches. Taking one look at Brooke, Gabriella suddenly felt very, very small. Brooke Dennison was drop-dead gorgeous. Her wavy, light brown locks fell elegantly around her shoulders and her light brown eyes were twinkling with mischief, but inviting and friendly. Most of all, the one reason Gabriella felt incredibly small compared to Brooke, was that sitting on her left hand side, was quite possibly the best accessory a girl could have: one varsity basketball captain, Troy Bolton. Gabriella's stomach twisted at the sight of Troy's arm slung casually around Brooke's toned shoulders and a pang quickly shot through her, as she saw Troy lift his head up and curled his lips into a dazzling smile. "Hey, you guys," Ty sat down on the couch in front of Troy and Brooke. Gabriella followed him numbly and didn't say a word when Ty pulled her down on top of his lap. It wasn't so much the shock of seeing Troy at the New Years Eve party that got to her; it was just seeing him with a date. Gabriella silently and selfishly reveled in the fact that she was the one who moved on first, but seeing Troy and Brooke together suddenly made her realize her hunt for a new boy was completely irrational. _'And of course he's got someone on his arm! It's only the biggest party ever and he's Troy fucking Bolton,'_ she bit her lip angrily.

"Happy New Years, you guys!" Brooke exclaimed, clapping her hands together excitedly. _'Oh, I hate her already,' _Gabriella thought to herself. She forced a smile and looked down at Ty, who was already blabbering about how wasted he was planning on getting. Gabriella looked around uncomfortably, before she rested on a familiar set of bright blue eyes. Jumping a little in her seat, she found herself gazing back at him. Gabriella didn't fully understand the effect he always had on her, she just knew it always happened and whenever they were in a room together, the sexual tension was palpable.

"Gabriella, I loved your dance piece, by the way. It was so _moving_," Brooke said sincerely, her hand reaching up to clasp her heart dramatically. She didn't know what it was about her, but Gabriella could just tell the girl was being sarcastic.

"Thanks," she rolled her eyes and settled back into Ty's arms, gearing up for a long night.

* * *

"I never…oh! I _never _played strip basketball!" Kelsi Nielsen squealed, bouncing up and down excitedly in her seat. Taylor's eyes widened and she begrudgingly reached for her shot glass.

"Taylor!" Sharpay cried incredulously.

"Oh, come on! Chad's my _boyfriend_, what do you expect?" Taylor shrugged her shoulders and threw back her tequila, wincing as it burned its way down her throat. The gang – Sharpay, Kelsi, Lucas, Chad, Jason, Zeke, and Taylor – were playing a dangerous game of 'I Never' and so far, all seven of them were tipsy.

"I have no class," Chad agreed and threw back his own tequila, lazily draping an arm over his girlfriend, who gave him a quick peck on the nose.

"My turn!" Sharpay cried, reaching for the bottle of Jose Cuervo, stumbling slightly in her four-inch heels. "I never…got caught making out with someone behind the gym. Tacky," she said, pouring a round of drinks.

"Liar! I saw you and Noah Albott going at it two weeks ago!" Kelsi cried.

"That was…! Okay, I didn't think anyone knew about that!" Sharpay huffed, crossing her arms. "Ah, what the hell," she shrugged and slung back her drink, slamming the glass onto the kitchen counter. The group erupted into laughs again and Chad raised his eyebrows skeptically, as Zeke wrapped his arms around Sharpay's waist, giving her a quick peck on the lips. It was a strange development, but what happened next was even stranger. Gabriella stormed into the kitchen; a fire in her eyes that Chad knew only meant one thing: stay away. He nudged Taylor and gestured over to her best friend.

"Gabi! Where've you been?" Taylor asked, giving her a quick hug.

"I need a drink," Gabriella grabbed the bottle of rum that was standing idly by and raised it to her lips, taking a quick swig. The boys let out a whistle of approval.

"Okay, what happened?" Taylor placed her hands on her hips, staring her down.

"It's Ty. I know, I know, he's amazing, he's hot, he's so _freaking great_. He just won't shut _up_ about himself! Lacrosse, his private jet, how he's getting into one of the Ivies! He needs to shut his fucking mouth," Gabriella snarled. Chad's eyes widened. In the short amount of time he knew Gabriella, she rarely swore and when she did, it was most likely because she was drunk.

"Calm yourself, girlie," Kelsi said.

"You do need to drink. Let's go," Sharpay grabbed the bottle from Gabriella's hands and picked up several cups, strutting out of the kitchen. Kelsi followed closely, clutching the Jose Cuervo they were just using. Taylor gently guided Gabriella away from the counter and the girls swiftly left the kitchen. Chad let out a low whistle.

"Man, Gabi's got some fire," Zeke commented.

"Let the girls handle it. And look on the bright side, now Troy can go after her without Ty in the way," Chad snorted, laughing to himself. "Hey, you don't think…"

"Beer pong!" Jason screamed, waving his hands frantically. The boys laughed, as they watched Jason scramble to find the right amount of cups, but in the back of Chad's mind, he made a mental note to tell Troy that Gabriella was a free woman.

* * *

Troy was leaning against the side of the house, watching a group of teenagers attempt to play Twister while intoxicated. It was amusing, but Troy was bored. Brooke had long ago disappeared to talk to some of her basketball friends and he wasn't in the mood to play any drinking games with his own buddies. Instead, Troy had grabbed one of the bottles and kept it for himself, sneaking in drinks, while his head spun slightly out of control. He had been thrown the minute he saw Gabriella walk into the party, his brain effectively blocked out anything having to do with Ty Brennan. Troy didn't know what it was, but Gabriella had that effect on him and when he saw how her bright red dress hugged her curves, how her long locks framed her face and tumbled over her shoulders, he lost it. It took every inch of self-control not to devour her then and there. Troy knew he was at the party with Brooke, but he also knew that he didn't want to kiss her when midnight struck.

"Troy?" a voice behind him caught his attention. He swiveled around, stumbling slightly, feeling the effects of the alcohol rush through his system.

"Brooke," he mumbled.

"Troy, we need to talk. And I'm hoping you'll remember this tomorrow morning," she added, as an afterthought. Troy shrugged.

"About what?"

"Look, we're not going to last. Whatever this is between us, it's totally fake and we both know it," Brooke shrugged her shoulders. "The truth is, I'm sort of waiting for someone,"

"Oh?" Troy raised his eyebrows skeptically. Even though he was well on his way to drunk, he still didn't like the feeling of rejection.

"Evan. I know he's with Holly right now, but I've got the biggest crush on him. Sorry, Troy," she laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, gave him a kiss on the cheek, and walked away. Troy rolled his eyes. What was the big deal with Evan Druthers anyway? Sure, he was athletic and good-looking, but everybody knew Troy had that down to perfection. It seemed like he was losing everything to Evan. _'Alright, to be fair, Gabriella didn't go back to Evan. But still, this sucks big-time,'_ he thought to himself. Sulking, Troy staggered back inside the house, meandering his way through the sea of people that had transformed the spacious living room into a dance floor. Someone accidentally pushed him and Troy crashed into a couch, pulling himself back up quickly. _'Fuck, I'm wasted,'_ he thought, a lazy smile creeping onto his lips. It had been a long time since he had been that intoxicated, but he knew he had to get someplace quieter. Focusing his blurry eyes on a door that he remembered to be a bathroom, Troy made his way towards it, opened it, and shut it closed, leaving his doubts, insecurity, and rejected heart outside.

* * *

"He's just an ass. Ty Brennan is an _ass_," Gabriella mumbled.

"Gabi, just because he talks a lot about himself doesn't mean you can completely write him off," Sharpay reasoned.

"I don't care! He's so _boring_. Lacrosse, Ivy leagues, perfect grades…whatever!" Gabriella reached for the bottle on the coffee table, missing it by several inches and falling into Kelsi's lap. Gabriella Montez drank, but with aside from several occasions (like at Holly's party), she rarely got completely trashed.

"Gabi!" Kelsi squealed.

"I deserve better. I don't _care _about Ty! He doesn't do it for me," she shrugged her shoulders.

"Amen, sister," Taylor nodded in agreement, taking another sip of her drink.

"Honey, maybe you better lay off the liquor," Kelsi suggested, taking the half-empty glass away from Gabriella's hands.

"Relax, Kelsi. I'm fine! In fact, I'm going to go outside and get myself some water!" Gabriella declared, standing up and staggering sideways in her heels. Sharpay giggled loudly, while Taylor smiled cheekily to herself.

"Uh, I think I'll come with you," Kelsi managed, a smile tugging at her lips. _'Man, Gabi wasted…I forgot how fun this is!'_ she thought.

"I'm fine!" she cried, walking towards the door. Gabriella was trashed, sure, but she knew her body needed water and fast. Opening the door, she lunged forward into the party crowd, where a makeshift dance floor had been created. She leaned against a large black box, but jumped away when she realized it was the amplifier and the thudding of the bass music scared her. Gabriella made her way through the crowd, but suddenly forgot where she was headed. _'Water! I need water. Where's the kitchen?'_ she thought to herself. Giving up and starting to get claustrophobic, Gabriella ducked into the nearest bathroom she could find, closing the door behind her and leaving her fears and common sense on the other side.

* * *

"Hey! It's almost midnight!" Chad cried, sneaking a glance at the clock on the wall. The boys were well into their fifth game of beer pong and Chad was the only one who was still slightly sober. He was sitting on the sidelines, leaning forward, a beer dangling in between his legs. Jason and Zeke stood on opposite sides of the table, still intense in their game, while Lucas – Kelsi's date – had given up and left.

"Alright, I'm going to find Sharpay. Come on," Zeke put the little ball down on the table and started making his way towards the crowded living room.

"You guys go. Kelsi's probably with Lucas, anyway," Jason muttered.

"Aw, come on, man! Even if she is with Lucas, we should all be together to ring in the new year anyway!" Zeke cried, slapping a hand on Jason's back. Shrugging his shoulders, Jason agreed and the three boys left to find the girls, who they found in a nearby room.

"Hey, where's Gabi?" Chad asked, seating himself next to Taylor.

"She ducked out a few minutes ago, she needed water," she explained. "Where's Troy?"

"Somewhere with Brooke? I haven't seen him much tonight," Chad shrugged.

"You guys! It's five seconds until midnight!" Kelsi squealed, jumping into Lucas' lap. Zeke and Sharpay were already making out in one corner of the room, while Jason kept to himself on his armchair.

"Five! Four!" the sounds from outside made its way into the small room.

"Three! Two!" Taylor positioned herself comfortably onto Chad's lap.

"One!" a burst of laughter, screams, and confetti spread throughout the Cross household, as party-goers hugged, kissed, and drank. Chad kissed Taylor lovingly, while Kelsi and Lucas giggled and held hands as they poured out more champagne for everyone. Sharpay and Zeke were busy in their little corner of the room and the sounds of laughter and screams wafted into their area.

* * *

And somewhere in the midst of it all, in a secluded bathroom, Troy and Gabriella shared an intense, hazy, drunken, midnight kiss.

* * *

**What do you guys think? I hope that intention between TxG was there, it was definitely fun to play around with the words. =) Anyway, now that I've got that cliff-hanger established, you'll see a plot turn in the next chapter, so don't go anywhere! =)**

**Read and review, you know what to do! Thanks, guys! =)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Woot! Chapter 16, you guys! This is epic, never before have I written a fanfic or anything with sixteen chapters (except for maybe when I was little and the chapters were like, 200 words)! Haha. So thanks for everybody who's read this and those who have reviewed. You guys are sorta awesome. =)**

**This chapter is so jam-packed, but I absolutely love it. One of my favorites! So read and don't be shocked at the end, I'll explain it then. =) Oh, and there are also flashbacks in here, but they should be fairly easy to spot. =)**

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Chapter 16

Sunlight streamed into the small room, causing Gabriella to wince and crack one eye open. She stretched her legs and awoke with a start when her foot hit a cold, ceramic wall. Rubbing her eyes, she slowly sat up, shielding her eyes from the sun. In the distance, she heard laughter and people talking, but as Gabriella looked around her, she realized she was on the floor of the bathroom, a quilt thrown over her torso. The sunlight became too much for her eyes to handle, so she bowed her head to the side and nearly screamed. There, sleeping next to her was another person. A man, to be exact, and even more so, it was Troy Bolton. She recognized his light brown hair, pushed back to reveal a chiseled, handsome face and eyes that she knew, once opened, could cause her to melt back into his arms. Those _arms_, those defined muscles that had wrapped around her shoulders and waist so tightly last night…at least, from what she could remember.

"What the fuck happened?" she whispered to herself. Starting to panic, Gabriella searched around for her clothes, she was clad in only her bra and as far as she knew, her bottom half was definitely not decent. If it had been happening to somebody else, Gabriella would have laughed. But it wasn't, it was happening to her, and she needed to get out of there and _fast_. As she pulled on her dress, she saw her Blackberry buzzing and reached over to check who had sent her a message. Pulling it up from the toolbar, she quickly read:

_Could it be, East Prep?_

_Did the star of the dance showcase and the basketball dreamboat ring in 2010 with one, giant bang? You know who I'm talking about. Watch out, EPA. The game is just getting started._

Gabriella's mouth fell open from shock. She frantically pulled on her clothes, all the while racking her brain as to who might have seen her and Troy the previous night. _'This is useless, I was trashed and so was he! How the fuck are we going to remember what happened last night?'_ she thought to herself. Suddenly, she saw Troy's body flinch slightly and with that, Gabriella grabbed her high heels off the floor and started to bolt out the door, but not before she heard Troy's phone go off, indicating that he too, had a new text message.

* * *

"This is ridiculous! Whoever is sending these messages…don't they realize it's all over? Nobody is going to care anymore!" Gabriella cried, leaning against her pillows, rubbing her temple with her fingers. After saying a quick thank-you and goodbye to Jason, she had walked all the way back to her own house, where thankfully, her parents were out at a golf game. After showering and gulping down some aspirin, Gabriella had called over Taylor and Sharpay to assess the situation at hand.

"I can't believe you and Troy hooked up. It's like…fate, or something!" Sharpay squealed. She was stretched out on Gabriella's window seat, painting her toenails.

"It was written in the stars," Gabriella mumbled to herself, before dramatically putting her face into her pillow and letting out a silent scream. "Nobody will care, right? I mean, me and Troy hooking up isn't anybody's business. It didn't hurt anybody,"

"Correction, Montez," Taylor piped up. "What about Brooke? Or Ty?" she asked. Gabriella groaned, remembering that they had shown up with dates to Jason's party.

"Yeah, but it isn't a _big deal_. I mean, they were just dates, it wasn't exclusive or whatever," she reasoned.

"Oh, please. Brooke was drunk off her ass last night and I caught her making out with some random behind a tree. As for Ty? He was _occupado_ with some cheerleader," Sharpay scoffed.

"Really? Sharpay, that's the best news I've heard this morning!" Gabriella cried, a smile spreading across her face.

"Go for it, Gabs. Troy is totally available and yours for the taking," the pretty blonde shrugged her shoulders and flipped her hair.

"I don't know, I don't think you should totally ignore the text, Gabi. Someone is obviously out to get you," Taylor pointed out.

"Tay, you are _such _a buzz-kill," Sharpay rolled her eyes and Taylor stuck her tongue out, which caused Gabriella to burst into giggles.

"Alright, can we just forget about the text? What the hell am I going to do about Troy?" Gabriella asked, biting her thumbnail nervously.

"Well, seeing as how you totally ran out on him, we wouldn't know, Montez," Taylor said, moving to sit on the bed next to her best friend.

"Not to mention the fact we were both wasted. I doubt he remembers anything from last night," Gabriella added.

"It sounds like you two just need to sit and talk it over," Taylor advised.

"Always the voice of reason, McKessie. Gabi, that's going to be the most awkward conversation you'll ever have," Sharpay pointed out. Gabi exhaled loudly in frustration and flopped back on her pillows. The previous night had been amazing, from what she could remember. The text message was a minor obstacle that she didn't particularly care about; after her confrontation with Holly several months ago, it felt like Gabriella could conquer just about anything. While a part of her felt electrified at the thought of starting things up again with Troy, another part of her felt scared and vulnerable, feelings that only Troy Bolton could ever bring out in her.

* * *

_Troy sat on the edge of the bathtub, adjusting his eyes to the darkness. He could have turned on the light, but he felt inadequate and was busy sulking. Plus, turning on the light meant moving and there was no way his limbs could make it to the switch. He was, simply put, wasted. Troy could hear the faint laughter and screams from the other side of the door, excited partygoers who were busy making plans for that big New Years kiss. '_Well, this is it. The saddest New Years Eve I'll ever have,_' he thought to himself pitifully. It wasn't that Troy couldn't get a kiss from anybody; in fact, it was so easy for him to just stroll out to the crowd, grab an unsuspecting cheerleader, and make her fall in love with him. The problem was, he didn't want a cheerleader. He wanted Gabriella Montez. The track athlete with the to-die-for legs, the limber and graceful dancer, the sexy woman who made his head spin, no matter what. But the last time he checked, the girl of his dreams was busy cozying up to Ty Brennan, some jackass, pretentious idiot who played lacrosse as if it were a real sport. Troy scoffed and eased himself to sit against the wall of the bathtub, stretching out his legs before him. He was just as good as Troy, maybe even better. But before he could list out all the reasons he was superior to Ty, the door opened clumsily and a familiar figure stumbled into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She swayed slightly and unsurely, before making her way towards the sink, but not before her shoes gave way and she tripped over Troy's outstretched legs. She squealed and collapsed, as Troy tried to steady her before she fell into his lap. She adjusted herself quickly, so her body faced him and there, bathed in the soft light that crept in from the small windows and the crack underneath the door, was Gabriella Montez. Her cheeks were flushed with either embarrassment or the after-effect of alcohol, her eyes wide and bright, and her mass of curls were so haphazardly arranged, it briefly reminded Troy of an image he had lovingly kept in his memory: Gabriella waking up next to him after spending the night together. She gasped a little and he sucked in his breath, as they came to terms with the fact that they were together, again. She was pressed up against him; both on the floor of the Cross' bathroom, and Troy could smell her perfume, mixed with the slight scent of sweat and liquor. She bit her lip anxiously and nervously, driving Troy's mind straight to the gutter. Without thinking twice, Troy pressed his lips to hers and a fire erupted between the two of them, mouths moving against each other in a steady rhythm. And somewhere, on the other side of the door, Troy could faintly hear cheers and laughter, the crowd ringing in the New Year._

* * *

Troy gripped his to-go cup of steaming hot coffee preciously, as if he held the answer to life in his hands. _'If only if it were that easy,'_ he thought ironically, to himself. It was the day after Jason's New Years bash and Troy was at the nearest Starbucks, waiting for his best friend to arrive. He had woken up that morning with his cheek pressed to the cold floor of the Cross' guest bathroom and when he finally got the strength to sit up, Troy had hit his head on the sink, adding further injury to his already throbbing hangover. His phone had contained a cryptic text message from an unknown sender, but Troy knew better this time - he deleted it without even reading it.

"Man, you look worse than I do," Chad's voice brought him out of his daydream, and Troy looked up and out of his dark aviators. Chad's afro was even more out of control (if it were possible) and his eyes were also shielded by a pair of dark sunglasses.

"I probably feel worse, too. How was your night?" Troy asked. His voice was still hoarse and his throat felt scratchy and dry, so he took another sip of his coffee, which almost burned his tongue. It wasn't shaping up to be a good day on Troy Bolton's body.

"Epic, as usual. I kicked Zeke's ass at beer pong. The boy can bake, but he sure can't throw," Chad chuckled.

"Sounds like fun. Taylor get home alright?"

"We crashed at my place, my parents don't get home from Vancouver until tomorrow," Chad shrugged. "How about you?"

"Last night was…interesting," Troy offered.

"Ouch. Things didn't work out with Brooke?"

"Oh, that was over before it started. I told you guys it wouldn't be a good idea. She's waiting for Evan, apparently," Troy shrugged his shoulders. "Actually, I didn't end up with Brooke at all,"

"Yeah, you totally missed out on the New Years countdown, man. Come to think of it, Gabi was missing too, but I heard she was really gone, so who knows,"

"Yeah, about that…Gabriella and I hooked up last night," Troy said quickly.

"What?" Chad's jaw dropped in disbelief. "You and Gabi? But I thought…Ty…and then…Brooke…" Chad stammered.

"We were both drunk. Like, seriously, off our faces type of wasted. I was in the bathroom, hiding out and basically sulking over the whole Brooke thing and she just stumbles in. One thing led to another and we just…it just happened, man," Troy reasoned. It hadn't dawned on him until now, but Chad was almost like Gabriella's older brother and Troy knew he was overprotective of her.

"Dude, I think that's…that's awesome," Chad choked out. Troy raised his eyebrows skeptically.

"Uh, what?"

"You and Gabi have been a long time coming, man. Listen, you know I love Gabi like I love my own little sister. Actually, I might love her more than that," he chuckled. "Don't hurt her, that's all I have to say. I always thought she made the right decision to break things off with you a few months back, remember that?"

"You actually thought that was a _good _thing? After all those times I whined to you about getting her back?" Troy laughed.

"Correction. It was a good thing _for her_. You, on the other hand…God knows what that girl has done to you, but whatever it was, it's got you thinking hard. And last I checked, that's a good thing," Chad said insightfully. Troy sighed and leaned back in his chair, taking off his sunglasses.

"So now what?"

"Now…you go talk to Gabriella. Tell her how you feel. Tell her you want it all with her. Do some romantic shit and get the life you want," Chad shrugged his shoulder easily. Troy nodded, taking in his advice. It sounded crazy to even think it and Troy knew Taylor would laugh at him, but maybe it was time to start listening carefully to Chad Danforth.

* * *

"Delete, delete, delete…" Holly said out loud to herself, her thumb pressing rhythmically on her Blackberry. It was a weird, but soothing quirk that Holly possessed; she liked to delete her phone messages in an effort to calm her or to make her less bored. She was stretched out on her chaise lounge in her living room and if someone had taken a picture of the cheerleading captain, it could've easily been published in a lifestyle magazine.

"Holly!" a voice that she knew too well came barreling into the living room in the form of Kathryn Wilson, a fellow blonde cheerleader who was Holly's best friend and sometimes, worst critic. Kathryn was a force to be reckoned with, she had no moral values, as far as Holly knew, and she was famous for starting vicious rumors about people she didn't like. Still, Holly and Kathryn grew close from so many hours cheerleading together.

"Hey, Kathryn," she said lazily.

"Deleting your messages? Did you hear about last night?" she asked, her blonde ponytail bouncing excitedly as she tucked her feet under her, sitting on the spacious couch beside Holly.

"Yeah, I am. And lots of things happened last night,"

"Gabriella Montez and Troy hooked up," Kathryn said in one breath, as if she had been holding in the information all morning. Holly looked up at her best friend, making a quick mental note to tell her that blue eyeliner didn't suit her. Her heart didn't constrict like she thought it would at the news and that in itself made her happy.

"Oh. Good for them," Holly smiled.

"Hold up. You're not angry? I would be _livid_," Kathryn said.

"Why would I be angry? It's not like Troy and I are dating. He's not my boyfriend and he's allowed to do what he pleases. Speaking of boyfriends, Evan should be here any minute," Holly replied breezily, locking her phone and dropping it into her handbag. As if on cue, Evan walked in and crossed the room to give her a kiss on the lips, before saying hi to Kathryn.

"Aw, well, aren't you two cute," she commented.

"We're adorable. Well, we're out for lunch. You're welcome to stay here, Kay. My brother's not back yet, but I'm pretty sure he wouldn't mind you staking out his room," Holly teased; knowing Kathryn liked her older, collegiate brother.

"I'm over that. I'm just going to grab a bottle of water and I'll be out,"

"Alright, later!" Holly grabbed her handbag and Evan's arm, before excitedly bouncing out the door. Kathryn was busy opening her bottled water when her eye caught something shiny and sparkling lying on the floor next to the chaise lounge Holly had been sitting in. Assuming it had fallen out of her bag, she picked it up and pressed the 'unlock' button. Kathryn wasn't surprised to see the cursor poised over the 'delete all' icon. Navigating the phone menu with ease, she texted quickly and efficiently, before slipping the small phone into her own handbag and leaving the Masen's house.

* * *

_Gabriella tore herself away from Troy's lips and staggered back several feet, her fingers touching her swollen, kissed lips. She felt alive and alert, despite the fact that she could feel the tequila and rum make a deadly combination in her stomach. Troy stood and in the small light that was available, she could see he was ready. His eyes burned with a fire she had never seen before and his hair was mussed to perfection. Gabriella didn't know what was happening and she didn't know his intentions, but at that point, she was fed up with handling decisions. Throwing caution to the wind, a similar feeling she had experienced at Holly's party several months back, Gabriella reached for her dress' zipper and slowly, sensually pulled it down. She heard Troy's breath catch and as she felt the material slip away from her body, she tilted her head back. Troy's body was pressed against hers in an instant, as they slammed into the bathroom wall, his lips on her neck, biting and nibbling against her nerves. Gabriella's quick fingers rid his shirt and she pushed his jeans down, feeling him go hard against her thigh. Troy buried his head into her neck as she ran her nails down his back and wrapped her legs around his. They stumbled clumsily into the walls, against the shower, as a drunken, lazy, yet still intense passion surrounded them. Troy's lips fused with hers and his hands started to travel down the length of her body. Gabriella longed to feel skin on skin, so she undid her bra and pressed herself against him, eliciting a small moan. Troy growled with an intense passion, maneuvering her so that her back was to him and they were both pressed against the cool marble of the countertop, their reflections visible in the mirror. Gabriella ran her hand through his hair, pulling his mouth in closer to hers and before she knew what he was doing, she felt his fingers in her. The touch set off sparks in her and she threw her head back in ecstasy._

_"Watch," Troy whispered into her ear, lifting her head up to look into the mirror. Gabriella nearly fainted from the scene before her. Two people, naked and pressed against each other, rocking back and forth in unison, the heat between them so intense that the mirror had begun to fog up. Gabriella's breathing quickened and Troy matched her breathing with his fingers. He bit on her shoulder, letting Gabriella spill over into the most intense and passionate orgasms she had ever experienced._

* * *

Gabriella sat in her red Nissan Sentra, tapping her manicured nails against her steering wheel. She was parked outside the Bolton's driveway and she prayed they didn't have security cameras stationed around the area, like her parents did with their house. Gabriella could handle confrontation. That was the one thing she learned ever since her and Troy's paths crossed that night at Holly's party. She had regained that confidence, found herself, and learned what it was like to stand on your own two feet, without the help of a popular soccer player or the varsity basketball captain holding you up. Gabriella was smart and she knew she had changed, for the better. She was stronger, more assertive, and definitely won back her spunk and dignity. But despite no longer being afraid of confrontations, she was still afraid of the immensity of her own feelings. When she was with Evan, her heart beat fast, sure, but it never hammered against her bones the way it did when Troy was in the room. She was afraid of loving Troy too much, afraid of him not loving her back. Gabriella heard her phone buzz, muted from being stuffed at the bottom of her bag. Taking the soft sound as a sign, she got out of her car and walked up the driveway, her ballet flats silent against the ground. Bravely, she pressed the doorbell, hearing it ring and praying no one answered.

"Gabriella," Troy opened the door and she nearly felt the wind get knocked out of her. He was dressed in a pair of basketball shorts and a well-worn pair of sneakers, but his upper half was completely bare, exposing a sculpted chest and a stomach of near-epic proportions, that Gabriella almost fainted. _'This is so stupid. Get your hormones under control, Montez!'_ she mentally scolded herself.

"Sorry, are you heading out?" she asked, noticing his hair was sticking out in several different directions.

"I was going to go for a quick run, you wanna come?" he asked, grabbing a wife-beater and sweater from behind the door.

"Um…" she bit her lip, gesturing to her outfit. Gabriella cursed herself silently for picking out a denim mini skirt to wear, thinking it had been the 'cute' option.

"No worries," he chuckled. "How about a walk?"

"Sounds good," she said, even though she had driven there. She stepped back and waited patiently, as Troy locked up the house and threw on his gray zip-up sweater. "Where are we walking to?" she asked tentatively.

"Just follow me," he smirked. Gabriella fell into step with him, the silence taking over for the first few minutes. They walked to the end of the row of houses, before heading into a nearby park. It was almost deserted, but Gabriella noticed a few serious runners and bikers scattered about. "This is my park," Troy finally said, in a way that let Gabriella know it was special to him, a personal space. "I come here to train, mostly. Not so much during the basketball season, but whenever I need to clear my head or search for an answer…this is the park to do it," he found a nearby picnic table and sat on top of it. Gabriella looked around hesitantly. She didn't want to take up any more space than she already did, but her heart beat out its own conga line at the fact that he had taken her to a special area of his. She considered sitting next to him, but it seemed too formal, after the night they had. "Come here," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer so that she stood between his legs, their foreheads touching each other.

"Troy…" she started, before he pressed his lips to hers softly.

"I've been wanting to do that all day," he murmured.

"Troy," she said again, stronger this time. "I know you don't think we have to talk about this, but you're wrong, we do,"

"I know, Gabi. We have to talk," Troy replied, a serious expression taking over his handsome face. Gabriella pushed a few strands of his light brown hair back from his face, revealing his ocean-blue eyes.

"What do you want from this?" she asked.

"I want…I want you. No, that's not true. I want all of it _with _you. I want to hold your hand and kiss you in the hallways whenever I feel like it. I want to call you my girlfriend and have the whole damn world know it," Troy answered. Gabriella bit her lip at the intensity in his voice. "Is that a smile I see?" he asked playfully. "Look, things won't be easy. But I made a mistake last time. I wanted to keep you for myself and hide you from the world. And that was _crazy_,"

"Why?" she whispered softly.

"Because you're amazing and beautiful and awesome and everybody should be able to see that, not just me. I don't want to be responsible for holding you back, Gabriella. Like I said, I want all of it with you. All. Of. It," he emphasized each word with a soft kiss on Gabriella's lips.

"Me too," she said quietly, tears beginning to form in her eyes. Alright, so she was strong, confident, and unafraid of confrontation. And being afraid of the immensity of her feelings towards Troy?_'Gabi, you're just going to have to suck it up and stop being afraid. Fall in love, damnit!'_

And so, she did.

* * *

**Yay! What do you guys think? I really hope Gabriella's thoughts come through properly, she's just scared of being vulnerable and opening herself up to Troy, is all. As for Troy, he's finally gotten that slap in the face he so desperately needed and is finally going after what he wants, which is the beautiful Gabi. =) I know this chapter is mostly centered on Troy and Gabi, but their relationship needed a whole lot of development. Lol. I also hope you guys caught that little sneak about Kathryn Wilson and I'm hoping you guys remember who she is. I introduced her in the earlier chapters, she's the one who called Gabriella a "class-A bitch." Lol. We'll deal with her in the next chapter. =P**

**As usual, you guys know what to do! Press that little button and review, please! =)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey you guys! I know, it's been forever since I last updated, but here's the next chapter! I hope you guys like it, it's not my favorite, but...here it is!**

**Enjoy! =)**

* * *

Chapter 17

Troy balanced two cups of coffee in his hands, as he propped one foot against the brick wall of East Prep. It was the first day back at school after the Christmas break and the weather was still cold, he noted, as he shivered slightly underneath his jacket. Scanning the school's courtyard, his breath caught in his throat as he saw a familiar figure. Her brunette curls cascaded around her shoulders, the wind tugging at the strands, as she half-ran, half-walked towards him. A smile pulled at her lips and her dark brown eyes twinkled with happiness, her cheeks pinched a rosy color from the cold.

"Hi, you," he pushed off from the side of the school and handed her one of the to-go cups. She clasped it in her hands and brought it to her nose, inhaling deeply.

"Ah, heaven," she murmured, taking a quick sip and closing her eyes, letting the hot coffee run through her. Snapping her eyes back open, she looked up at him and smiled a smile that made Troy Bolton weak in the knees, although he'd never admit that. "Come here," she said, wrapping an arm around his neck and pulling his face close to hers. Kissing him on the lips quickly, she snuggled into his jacket as he slung his arm around her shoulders and they began walking towards the school.

* * *

"So then, he took me to Il Sole, you know, the really fancy Italian restaurant? It was perfect, Kay, totally and completely perfect," Holly gushed, leaning against her locker, hugging her books to her chest. Kathryn rolled her eyes. It wasn't that she wasn't happy that Holly found a new boy-toy to hang around with. She was just tired of hearing about it all the time.

"That's great," Kathryn replied, her voice monotone. Flipping her glossy hair over her shoulder, she studied her nail beds, as Holly droned on.

"He drove me back home after that, but we just stayed in his car, talking for like, _hours_! God, he's so hot. I can't believe I never noticed it before," Holly grinned at her best friend.

"Holly, it's just Evan Druthers. You're basically dating Gabriella's sloppy seconds," Kathryn spat.

"Give it up, Kay. What's the deal between you and Gabriella, anyway? I mean, she sort of stole my boyfriend, but you're acting like she's the one who wronged you. Evan was telling me she's actually a really nice girl," Holly shrugged. Kathryn looked at her, eyes wide. It wasn't that she hated Gabriella, really. It was just that…she was so damn perfect. Gabriella Montez was nice to everybody, got perfect grades, and was talented – much more talented than Kathryn would ever want to admit.

"You're delusional, Holly," she shrugged.

"Whatever. All I have to say is, you better cool the Gabriella attitude. Her and Evan are still friends and I don't want you bitching about her in front of him," Holly warned, shaking a finger in Kathryn's face, before skipping to her first class. Kathryn sighed loudly and leaned back against the cold metal of the lockers behind her. Ever since Holly and Troy had broken up, things had gone from bad to worse. She was happy that Holly found someone that made her happy, but she wasn't happy Troy moved on to Gabriella. Kathryn Wilson would never say it loud, but she was jealous of Gabriella Montez.

* * *

"Dude, let's hit the gym during free period," Derek Marshall, a member of the varsity soccer team, punched Evan in the shoulder lightly.

"Can't make it, man," Evan shrugged.

"Aw, don't tell me you're hanging out with Holly again?" Derek groaned, hoisting his backpack further up on his shoulders. "You haven't been in the gym for weeks. Just because soccer season is over doesn't mean you can go soft,"

"I'm not going soft, man," Evan chuckled. "But like you said, the season's over, so I'm going to chill out for a bit. Besides, what's wrong with hanging out with my girlfriend? Last time I checked, Holly Masen was on your list," Evan emphasized the last word with a waggle of his eyebrows, laughing to himself.

"Dude, that was before she was monopolizing all your freaking time,"

"Aw, are you jealous? Relax, man. We'll hang out this weekend," Evan slapped Derek's shoulder playfully.

"Look, I just don't know why you're wasting your time with her. She's still into Bolton, if you ask me," Derek said.

"Whoa, where is this coming from?" Evan asked. They were headed towards the cafeteria, but Evan held out a hand and stopped them before walking in.

"Okay, so like, I know I was away for most of Christmas break or whatever, but I come back and all of a sudden you're loved up with Holly? It doesn't make sense. When Gabriella Montez and Troy break up – because you know they will – Holly's going to go running back to Bolton and it'll be like you and her never happened," Derek explained. Evan shook his head in disbelief.

"Seriously, man? That's what you came up with?" he scoffed. "Look, Holly and I may not be the perfect match, but we get each other, alright? We've got a connection you obviously haven't found with anybody else yet. As for Gabi and Troy, as long as she's happy, I'm happy. I was a complete asshole to her and from what I can see, Bolton's treating her pretty nicely, so he's got a check in my book," Evan said. "Why are you getting so worked up, anyway? You afraid me and Troy are going to start hanging out?" Evan chuckled and shook his head once more, before heading into the cafeteria and taking a seat next to Holly. Derek watched from the outside, as Evan pulled his girlfriend in close for a quick kiss on the cheek. The scene was cute, he had to admit, but Evan had to realize it was fake. Ever since Derek had returned from Christmas break, he saw that his best friend had changed. Gone was the fun-loving, partying, stud of a soccer player, replaced with a – _'A boyfriend,'_ Derek whispered, shuddering at the thought. No. He had to save his best friend. Evan was either going to end up with heartbreak or he was going to get sucked into boyfriend-land and never come back to being Derek's friend. As much as he hated to admit it, Derek Marshall needed Evan to survive high school. Evan was the soccer star, the golden boy of EPA and without him as a best friend, Derek was nobody. _'This school might have changed its way of thinking, but I'll be damned if I'm going to be someone they forget,'_ he thought, pulling out his phone and texting furiously, before quickly pressing, 'SEND ALL.'

* * *

Gabriella leaned against the Audi A8 in the school's parking lot, reading a battered copy of _The Kite Runner_. The wind picked up and whipped her long, dark locks around her face and she shook her head softly, concentrating on the book in front of her. Suddenly, a shadow cast itself over her and Gabriella sighed, looking up, and was immediately met with a pair of lips she had grown accustomed to over the past month.

"Hello, beautiful," Troy murmured, resting his forehead on hers.

"Hi yourself," she giggled, pushing him away. "You stink," she commented, wrinkling her nose.

"It's manly," he said defensively. Gabriella laughed. "Coach made us do crazy runs today, it was insane. Do you mind driving?" he asked.

"You want me to drive your car? Did they put something in the water?" she joked.

"Aw, come on. I'm exhausted," Troy said, letting his weight fall on her.

"Okay, okay, just get off me!" she shrieked, as her petite body started to teeter. "Get in the car," she commanded, laughing.

"Yes, ma'am," he slid into the passenger seat of his car, immediately turning on the radio and bopping his head along to the sounds of Lil' Wayne. Gabriella got into the driver's seat, buckling her seatbelt and starting the car, just as her phone beeped.

"Hold on a sec, it might be my mom," Gabriella pulled the hand-brake and checked her phone, quickly pulling up the new message from the toolbar.

**_Rumor has it a certain cheerleader's only using the soccer star to get back at EPA's basketball boy. Everybody knows they'll get back together, yawn. The real fun is, what's going to happen to our favorite dancing diva? I smell another cafeteria showdown, EPA. Let's get it on camera, this time!_**

Gabriella groaned and put her forehead to the steering wheel, holding out the phone to Troy. He read it in silence, before exhaling loudly.

"Seriously?" she shrieked. "When are they going to stop? I feel like I'm a freaking celebrity and they're TMZ!" she cried.

"Gabi, they're just messing around, you know that. Nobody's going to take this stuff seriously anymore," Troy pressed a quick kiss to her cheek and immediately deleted the text message off her phone, sticking it back into her purse.

"I know, it's just…I thought it was all over, you know? It shouldn't bother me so much because it's virtual, but it still gets to me. I just want to know who it is," Gabriella explained, pulling out of the school's parking lot.

"It's understandable. I'm curious too," he said, lifting his head slightly, stretching out his neck muscles. "Um, Gabi?" he said tentatively.

"Yeah?" she was distracted, he could tell. Her eyes were blazing with determination and anger and he noticed the way she clutched at the steering wheel.

"Maybe I should drive," he cleared his throat. Gabriella coasted to a stop at a traffic light and turned to look at her boyfriend, his eyebrows raised, a slight, impish smile on his face. She burst out laughing.

"No way, Bolton. I've been waiting to drive this Audi for _forever_," she giggled, stepping on the accelerator and sticking her tongue out when she saw Troy grab onto the dashboard for safety.

* * *

Holly was busy arranging grapes and apple slices in a bowl, when Kathryn came barreling in through the back door. Her cheeks were flushed, her ponytail high on her head, carrying a Starbucks iced latte in one hand.

"Hey, Hurricane Kathryn," Holly joked, popping a grape into her mouth.

"Alright, I need to tell you something, but you have to promise not to get pissed at me," Kathryn said abruptly, leaning against the kitchen island and locking eyes with her best friend. Holly groaned.

"You are so over-dramatic. What is it?"

"You know those texts that everybody's been getting? The ones about Gabriella and Troy hooking up and all that?" Kathryn said, wringing her hands together nervously. Holly nodded and urged her to go on. "I did it,"

"You…wait, what?" Holly's jaw dropped. _'Trust Kathryn to come in after a perfectly normal day and drop a bomb on me!'_ she thought. The thing was, Holly remembered those texts. After a while, they stopped bothering her and she began deleting them before she even read them.

"I did it," Kathryn exhaled loudly.

"How? No, why? Kay, you don't even know how to get on YouTube!" Holly cried incredulously.

"I had help. From…from Derek," Kathryn admitted, looking down at her feet. "Look, I was jealous, alright? Gabriella was getting everything I wanted! After you and Troy broke up, I was like, oh, cool, maybe I've got a shot. And then she swoops in there, all dance-y and totally gorgeous and it's like, she's number one. _Again_," Kathryn emphasized. Holly looked at her best friend, she recognized a mix of anger, contempt, disappointment, and even sadness in her eyes.

"Kathryn, you…you didn't have to do that," she said quietly.

"I know that. But Derek was scared that Evan was making this huge mistake dating you or whatever and then the whole thing just blew up in our faces. We weren't counting on you and Gabriella having that big confrontation in the cafeteria and after that…I don't even know why we kept it going, it was so stupid," Kathryn shrugged.

"You're going to have to tell Troy. And Gabriella. They deserve to know,"

"I know they do. I'm going over to Troy's after this, I just thought you should know first. Holly, I'm really sorry. I know you're happy with Evan, but me and Gabriella…that girl is always going to get on my nerves," Kathryn bit her lip nervously. "Anyway, I better be going. You're not angry?"

"I'm…I don't know, Kathryn. You told me the truth, that's what matters," Holly said, as her phone beeped. She looked down and saw that it was Evan, and the preview said, "Derek sent the messages." She sighed loudly. After several months being wonderfully drama-free, it was back again. "Go tell Troy. _Now_," she said sternly. Kathryn nodded and left, leaving Holly to pick up the pieces. The situation was too confusing for her to wrap her head around and she was just so tired of it. Still, she knew why Kathryn did what she did. That was Kathryn Wilson's nature, take down the girl you didn't like. They had made games out of it back then, but Holly had moved on, while her best friend still played. _'I am so glad it's over,'_ she thought, with a relief.

* * *

"It was Derek and Kathryn," Troy said, his voice deadpan, as he entered his bedroom. Gabriella was sprawled over the bed, several textbooks open in front of her, a pencil stuck above her ear.

"What did they want?" she asked.

"No, as in it was Derek and Kathryn that sent the texts," Troy flopped back into his beanbag chair.

"As in Evan and Holly's best friends?" Gabriella asked, her eyes wide. She sat up and tucked her legs underneath her comfortably.

"Exactly,"

"Well…why?"

"Something about how Derek was convinced their relationship was going to end up in heartbreak. Basically he was jealous that Holly and Evan were spending so much time together," Troy shrugged his shoulders. Gabriella racked her brain and thought of Derek Marshall, remembering a fairly good-looking guy, who always seemed to trail Evan everywhere he went.

"Alright, that makes sense. What about Kathryn?" she winced.

"She's jealous, too. Of you," Troy said simply.

"Of me?" Gabriella's jaw dropped. "What the hell for? She's a cheerleader!"

"Yeah, but…but apparently she has or had a crush on me at some point and she was jealous you got me first," Troy shook his head in disbelief. Gabriella was quiet for a moment, until a smile started to creep up on her.

"That…is actually pretty amusing," she chuckled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ears. "I mean, that they'd go through all that trouble?"

"So you're not mad?" he asked, walking over to the bed and sitting in front of her.

"Nah. I thought I would be, but to be honest, I'm just glad it's done and over with, you know? I know I made a big deal about it earlier, but at least it's just Derek and Kathryn. We know they're harmless," she shrugged her shoulders and leaned back against Troy's headboard, sighing. "Besides, all that time I used to spend worrying over those texts? I can think of a much better way to spend it," she raised her eyebrows suggestively at her boyfriend, who grinned.

"At what way would that be?" he murmured, inching closer and closer.

"Why don't you find out?" she purred, pulling him closer, until their lips touched softly, then worked their way against each other in a steady rhythm. After so long of waiting, of tentative, forbidden touching, finally – _finally_ – they could be together again.

_The End._

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**Okay. OKAY. I know, I never gave any hint to this story ending, but there it is! Every story runs its course and as much as I hated to end this fic, I knew I had to, or else it'd just go on and on. =P I'm not too happy with the ending because it feels really abrupt, but I'm never happy with my endings (just look at Unexpected)! **

**I hope you guys like it, though. Feedback is greatly appreciated.**

**I just want to say thank you to everybody who's read this, who've stumbled upon this story. Seriously, you guys make it so much easier to write the next chapter, it's motivation for me to know that someone out there is waiting on what's coming. So thank you, thank you, thank you! You guys are awesome. And this totally isn't the end of my stories! You can already see in my profile that I'm starting a new one about Troy & Gabriella and there are several oneshots about Nick & Macy on JONAS LA (how adorable are they, by the way? *flails*). So thanks, everybody! =)**

**Xoxo.**


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High School Musical