High School Musical 1. Freshman Year

A/N: Hey all! I don't know why but the sudden urge to write a HSM story hit me so here it goes! It shouldn't be too long, 6 or 7 chapters that go all the way through senior year. It's just supposed to be a series of moments that occur each year that sort of depict their growth and, of course, drama over the years. Hope you enjoy! :)

* * *

It's her first day of high school, and any sense of excitement that was bubbling in her stomach the night before is suddenly squashed with the weighty feel of anxiety and nervousness. This place was massive, and as soon as Gabriella stepped into the bustling hallway, someone bumped roughly into her side and caused her books to tumble from her arms and onto the floor.

She smoothed her hands down her white skirt and adjusted her soft blue top slightly, cinnamon cheeks warming and teeth running nervously across her braces when she noticed a group of seniors nearby chuckling with each other at her misfortune. Just as she was bending to retrieve her books a hand at her shoulder stopped her.

"Gabby, Gabby. Already embarrassing yourself on the first day?" came an amused masculine voice.

The dark haired girl straightened with a dazzling smile as she caught sight of her older brother's smiling face before her. A fond grin stretched his handsome face, dark eyes glinting and white teeth showing stark against the soft brown of his skin.

"Cut her some slack, Alex. The first day is always the shittiest. And that guy was really an asshole."

All those butterflies Gabriella had been missing just a few moments ago suddenly appeared full force in the pit of her stomach. Tucking a thick, curly strand of black hair behind her ear, she smiled bashfully at the young man before her.

"Hey, Troy," she said softly before retrieving her books from the floor, letting her shoulder length hair shield her face and the tint of red that was beginning to dust across her cheeks.

Troy Bolton was…a god. Tousled golden brown hair, piercing blue eyes that could make you melt within seconds, a lean body that was built with the _perfect _amount of muscle, and a face that was chiseled by the gods themselves…Troy Bolton was the epitome of perfection.

He and her brother had been the best of friends since they were about ten after they had bonded over a prank involving roaches and the morning coffee of a teacher they both happened to mutually dislike. Never had Gabriella seen two boys so inseparable. Of course, with Alex and Troy being so inseparable, she also spent a fair amount of her life around Troy as well. It was difficult growing up with two boys that were two years older. They teased her relentlessly when they were children, and she often had a difficult time feeling included, but things were quick to change as they aged. Before her eyes they grew into handsome young men, smart and strong and good, and she was swiftly pulled beneath the always persistent protection of their arms. She and Alex were extremely fond of each other, and Alex's fondness for his young sibling was instantly shared by his friend. They were an extremely tight-knit trio, though both boys began to drift slightly from Gabriella when they entered high school and they were introduced into the world of sports, girls, popularity, and alcohol.

It was at the tender age of twelve when Gabriella realized she was crushing on her brother's best friend. She expected her feelings to fade over time, but they hadn't lessened in the slightest, and she was left to mull over her feelings in silent turmoil for years, knowing her brother would greatly disapprove and those feelings would never be returned by someone like Troy. She was just a normal girl, no extraordinary qualities, not beautiful like the girls he would date, and not intoxicating or wild like the girls he would sleep with. Troy was something special, and he deserved someone special in return.

"Here, let me take those," Troy said with a cheeky smile, taking Gabriella's heavy books from her arms. She smiled gratefully, the tiny ache beginning to form in her arms dissipating.

Alex casually tossed an arm across his sister's shoulders and began to lead her nonchalantly down the crowded hall, Troy flanking her other side.

"It's important to keep up around here, Gabs," Alex said knowingly, bumping knuckles with a fellow basketball player as they went. "Shit can get pretty fast paced and you don't want to be left behind."

Troy nodded. "Yup, you've just entered a dog eat dog world. Only the strong survive." Gabriella saw him wink at a pretty blonde cheerleader and tried desperately to ignore the not so subtle burn of jealousy in her chest.

The pretty young Latina rolled her eyes. "You guys really suck at giving pep talks," she said with a soft, nervous laugh.

"We're kidding, Brie," Alex laughed, squeezing her shoulders comfortingly. "Don't let anyone scare you. You're more badass than they think they are."

"And if anyone bothers you, just let us know," Troy stated in a jokingly menacing matter but with slightly serious undertones. "We'll take care of it."

They stopped walking at the sight of Taylor, Gabriella's best friend, waving at her from down the hall, a bright smile on her face.

"Yeah, no matter how nerdy you are, no one will mess with you and get away with it," Alex teased, ruffling her hair.

Another reassuring hug from him and he was turning to find his friends down the hall. Troy smiled gently at her, passed her books back into her arms, and leaned forward to press a kiss against her cheek, a common action between the two. His soft lips against her skin sent a chill running down her spine. The hand he laid against her should made her entire arm tingle, and his cologne smelt _so_ good she thought she would swoon. Why was he so perfect?

"Bye, Brie," he called, joining Alex down the hall.

She watched the two junior boys mingle, noticed the way they seemed to command attention as they moved, the way everyone seemed to greet them, the way they caused the entire atmosphere to vibrate around them.

She sighed mentally. How would a studious little nerd like her ever fit in the way her brother had? How would she every command anyone's attention like that much less _his_?

"Girl, you got it bad," Taylor's voice piped up suddenly at her side, the African American girl smiling sympathetically and amusedly at her friend.

Gabriella groaned. "I know. Why won't my feelings just go away."

Taylor smiled and hooked her arm in hers and began to drag her through the crowd. "Oh they will. We've just entered a new world Gabs! Someone here will catch your eye, and Troy Bolton will just be a memory."

Gabriella smiled hopefully. Of course she was right.

* * *

It's raining outside, thick, heavy, almost black sheets of water pouring down from the tumultuous sky and slamming against the school mercilessly. The hallways are exceptionally crowded today, as the outdoor hang out spots are out of the question, and Gabriella attempts to push her way through the masses with bubbling frustration.

A few months into high school, and she has remained completely invisible. She doesn't stand out, but she doesn't blend in. She simply exists in a world that seems to belong to everyone else. Having a brother and a close friend who were basketball stars and exceptionally popular didn't seem to help her. While she was normally satisfied with staying out of the spotlight, her invisibility aggravated her and made her feel minute. Alex was practically worshipped in this school, and no one could even remember her name. If she couldn't catch just one person's eye in a school full of so many people, how could she catch his? Inadequacy was absolutely brutal.

With a sigh of relief, Gabriella finally managed to reach her locker without having her feet trampled on or being shouldered by any fast paced walkers. Rolling her deep chocolate eyes at two boys rough housing with each other a couple of lockers down, she focused on turning the knob on her lock to the correct numbers, clicking her tongue in annoyance when her fingers slipped and messed up the combination.

Just as her lock clicked open, a hard body slammed into hers from the side, and she was sent flying into the person on her left with a tiny shriek. She hit his back and sent him stumbling forward, Gatorade flying out of the opened top of the bottle and splashing onto his white shirt.

Finally gaining her footing, Gabriella stared at the red head with horrified eyes, taking in the growing red stain on his shirt and furious twist of his face.

"I'm-I'm so sorry," she gasped out, nervously grabbing onto a short strand of hair. The guy before her was tall, nearly a foot taller than her, and his face was turning as red as his hair as his brown eyes narrowed into slits.

"What the fuck is your problem, Freshman?" he asked menacingly, and Gabriella tried to shrink back as best as she could.

She glanced over her shoulder to see that the two rough housing idiots had vanished, and she was going to take the brunt of this guy's anger.

"Well, it-it wasn't me. I, um-"

"Listen up, Frosh," he interrupted impatiently, angrily. "If you want to run around and act like an idiot with your geeky friends that's fine, but you better recognize that you're at the bottom of the totem pole now and-"

The finger that he had been pointing in her face was suddenly slapped away, and Gabriella looked up in shock to see the stern face of her brother, his dark eyes glaring at the red head. Troy popped out from behind Alex and smoothly slid an arm around her waist, pulling her against his sturdy body protectively. He smiled down at her reassuringly, and she smiled back softly. The soft cotton of his black tee felt nice, and he smelled _so_ good.

"Dude, back off," Alex stated curtly, positioning himself in front of Gabriella so that he was facing the red head. "It wasn't her fault."

"What the hell is it to you, Montez?" the red head shot back, though he was becoming visibly calmer, no doubt recognizing the fact that he was now outnumbered.

"She's my sister," Alex said simply, and the red head looked confused.

"Oh," was his short reply. The irritation hadn't completely left his face when he rested his eyes on her after glancing at both boys, who still hadn't stopped glaring at him. "Didn't know that. Well, my bad then."

Gabriella's eyebrows raised when he turned without another word and walked off, still trying to wipe off liquid from his shirt. Alex turned to her with a slightly amused grin even though his brows were furrowed a bit.

"You shouldn't be so timid, Gabby," he advised in a brotherly manner, leaning against a locker and crossing his muscled arms over his chest. "Half these people are all bark and no bite. They just need to be put in their place, you know. Don't be afraid to tell them shit."

"Easy for you to say," Gabriella mumbled indignantly, silently relishing in the feel of Troy's strong arm against her back and the way they moved when he shifted slightly. "People practically fall at your feet here and wouldn't even try saying these things to you."

Both of the older boys chuckled, and Alex grinned proudly, puffing out his chest jokingly.

"Cut her some slack, Alex," Troy said, smiling down at her fondly. "She's still trying to adjust to life in the jungle."

The corner of his eyes crinkled a bit when he smiled, and their vibrant blue hue seemed to sparkle in the dreary atmosphere. Gabriella's stomach dropped again, and she could feel a faint fluttering in her chest.

Someone down the hall called Alex's name, and he turned to greet them. Then, Troy leaned down, mouth burying in her hair, lips brushing oh so softly against the shell of her ear and warm breath blowing gently across her cheek. His arm tightened around her to pull her closer, and she let her body bend into his.

"Well," he whispered teasingly. "You seem to be attracting all the wrong attention."

A blush lit her cheeks, and she prayed that he didn't feel the violent shudder that wracked her spine. With a wink and a grin, he released her and bumped shoulders with Alex, and they began their trek down _their_ halls.

The irony of his statement set a furrow in Gabriella's brow and a small scowl at her lips. Yeah, she was attracting all the wrong attention. Because none of it was his.

* * *

Gabriella sighed in relief when she entered the science lab. The soft clinking of beakers, the scratch of busy pencils, the bubbling of boiling liquids. Something about this place made her feel safe and at home. It was her own little world where she prospered. Taylor had convinced her not too long ago to join the Scholastic Decathlon team with her, and Gabriella really found herself enjoying it. Alex had joked that she was officially part of the nerd herd, but, seeing as she was already so completely invisible to everyone, she didn't mind. Plus, she had met some great people, great friends that she bonded with almost instantly, like bubbly, charismatic Martha and sweet, soft Kelsi.

She smiled to herself when she thought of her friends. She really loved them. They were great people, and they helped this year of newness become a little more familiar.

"Hey!" came a sudden greeting, and Troy jumped up onto the table she was seated at and plopped down on it. She glanced up in surprise, tearing her focus off of the math problem she had been trying to solve.

"Hey," she said with a soft smile, the feel of her braces under her lips more annoying than usual. "Shouldn't you be in class or something?"

He laughed, muscular chest rising and falling gloriously and pristinely white snowflakes falling from his hair onto the table. Snow? Why in the world had he been outside in the middle of class? She turned her russet eyes up to his questioningly.

"Oh," he said, causally picking up a test tube with some clear liquid in it and sniffing it. She swatted his leg softly, and he grinned sheepishly and set it back down in the test tube tray. "I just stepped out for a quick smoke."

Her nose scrunched unconsciously in disgust. She didn't even know he smoked cigarettes. It was so…so gross. And gross wasn't something she had ever associated with Troy before, ever.

"What?" he asked, eyes going a little wide as he noticed the sudden disapproval that crossed her face. "You don't like that I smoke?"

"Eh," the young Latina responded with a shrug and a grimace on her face, trying her best to display her disapproval without being too harsh.

Troy didn't seem fazed, however. He simply smiled at her gently, eyes soft, and reached out to tuck a loose wave behind her ear. "Brie, if you don't like that I smoke, I'll quit."

Her eyes widened, mostly due to his words but some in part of his very sweet movement. "Real-really?"

He nodded seriously, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees, golden brown hair falling into his brilliant eyes. God, he was exquisite.

"Just for you, Brie," he said smiling. "Honestly, I'm not even sure why I do it in the first place. The perks aren't that great anyway."

Gabriella beamed up at him, ecstatic to have even some kind of influence over him. "Good," she said. "Smoking definitely doesn't suit you."

He smiled and opened his mouth to respond when his gaze abruptly snapped away from hers. She followed his line of sight to see through the open door a girl attempting to open her locker. Even from the back, Gabriella could tell she was pretty with her long dirty blonde hair, perfectly tanned skin, and long, shapely legs. Just Troy's type. And he seemed to be thinking the same.

"I'll catch you later, Brie." He pressed a quick kiss to her cheek before practically running from the science lab without another glance in her direction. She watched as he sidled up to the girl with a sexy grin and confident gaze. He had her within seconds.

Gabriella felt her eyes burn, her stomach plummet, her chest shudder in pain. Looking away quickly, she breathed in deeply several times, hoping to calm herself before anyone could glance in her direction and see her heart breaking all over the lab table.

She would never be _that_ girl, would she? It was already January, and after several months of high school, she was no closer to getting over Troy than she was in September. In fact, she was sure that she was now even further from that goal than ever. But she was trying so hard, so hard to focus her heart on anything but him. So why wasn't it working?

* * *

Gabriella could feel herself sinking a bit. She wasn't unhappy, not in the least, but she wasn't happy either. And for once, it didn't all have to do with Troy. Of course, he was part of it, but it was about her too. It was about the fact that her Scholastic Decathlon team had won their biggest competition yet last week, and no one despite the people who were personally involved, even cared. It was about her brother being among the most popular guys in the school and no one even knowing they were related or her name for that matter. It was about a lack of recognition, spontaneity, drama, intensity, and…Troy.

Freshman year was supposed to be all about new experiences, experiences that were going to maybe change the boring, mundane pattern of her life into something fun and exciting. But nothing had changed. She still felt like she was on the outside looking in, like everyone around her was living up life to the fullest while she was just floating through. Her friends had also voiced their woes over the lack of thrill they were also experiencing, and Gabriella found great comfort in knowing that she wasn't alone. Maybe together they could fix that over the summer.

With a heavy sigh, Gabriella glanced around the front of the nearly empty school impatiently. She was seated alone on the front steps, waiting for Alex so that he could give her a ride home. It was a warm May Friday. The sun was high and bright, the breeze warm and slight. It was a beautiful day, and she was eager to get home so that she and Taylor could hang out at the Montez pool like they had planned before the sun went down.

Several loud laughs and guffaws sounded to her right, and Gabriella distractedly turned her head in the same direction, catching sight of her brother among a group of his friends. Irritation flared in her stomach, and she stood angrily, dusting off the back of her jeans sharply. She'd been waiting here for fifteen minutes for him, and he had just been a few feet from her yapping away with his stupid friends. Really.

Slinging her backpack across one shoulder, she stalked toward the group. Once she was within a couple feet of them and their eyes fell on her approaching form, the nerves and uncertainty hit her full force. She never spoke to his friends before, and the way they eyed her suspiciously and confusedly made her want to just shrink away. People staring at her made her nervous beyond belief.

"Oh shit, Gabs! I totally forgot you were waiting for me!" Alex said apologetically when he finally spotted her.

She tried to smile, but the unrelenting stares only allowed for her to a produce a squeamish half smile, and she clutched the strap of her purple backpack more tightly. Her eyes caught Troy among the group, and he smiled brightly at her, unaware of her discomfort.

"Is this your sister?" one dark, shaggy haired guy asked, glancing between the two.

"Yeah," Alex answered with a smile.

"I didn't even know you had a sister," the dark haired guy, Jason, said with a laugh.

"Dude, I don't know how many times I've told all of you I did."

Two girls, Gabriella thought their names were Claire and Miranda, eyed her with amusement, condescending and cold. Analytical eyes moved from her worn brown sandals and chipped pink toe nail polish, up her slightly baggy jeans and blue t shirt, to the medium length of her waves pulled back into a ponytail. The judgment in their eyes was poorly concealed, and the cold weight of shame rested heavily on Gabriella's chest. Never had she been so aware of her stupid braces, poorly kept hair, or lack of pretty femininity in her outfit. It made her feet fidget in discomfort and her palms a little sweaty.

The girls didn't have to say anything. Their twisted smirks and squinted eyes said it all. Gabriella wasn't good enough. She was a tiny little pebble in a bucket full of diamonds. Were they all looking at her like that?

She couldn't breathe. She didn't know what was worse, being invisible or finally being noticed and not being good enough.

"You know what," Gabriella said softly yet hastily, interrupting whatever Alex was trying to say. "I think Taylor's still around here somewhere. I'll catch a ride with her."

"But-" Alex started.

She shot everyone a stiff smile before turning around and practically running back to the school, hoping Taylor was actually still here. Fortunately, her friend was just exiting the school, and Gabriella rushed over to her. Tossing one last glance over her shoulder, she saw both Alex and Troy eyeing her worriedly, though the rest of the group continued on in their chatter.

She whipped back around before they could spot the tears at the corners of her eyes. They would never understand. They've always been talented and popular and _loved_ by everyone, so they don't know what it feels like to be unimportant. She didn't blame them for her pain, of course. She was happy for them and the way they had found their niches so easily.

It would be up to her to find her own somehow.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter is summer!


	2. First Summer

A/N: Thank you guys so much for the reviews! I really appreciate the feedback :) Well, here's chapter two and I hope you enjoy!

* * *

She and Taylor decide to work at the Lava Springs country club for the summer where Gabriella was hired as a lifeguard and Taylor as a hostess in the club's restaurant. They're excited because this summer just feels different, important.

Gabriella's first two weeks of work are hard, mostly because she's still learning the ropes and partly because she works so frequently, she hardly sees Alex or Troy, seeing as they also got summer jobs at the local gym. Because the country club is owned by the Evans family, she and Taylor frequently come into contact with the Evans twins, Sharpay and Ryan, who also happened to be their age. Gabriella had initially seen Sharpay as a dramatic diva with a sharp tongue and a thick wallet, which she was, but she was also surprisingly much more than that. When she began to join her and Taylor for lunch daily, the two girls discovered that the blonde rich girl was also quick to sympathize, easy to talk to, hilariously honest, and wildly fun, and they become close friends with her in a matter of weeks. Sharpay, who had already spent a fair amount of time at Gabriella's house and was also strangely observant, was quick to catch onto Gabriella's little infatuation with Troy and encouraged her not to sell herself short, that Troy wasn't out of her league because she was just as spectacular. Gabriella both loved Sharpay for the encouragement and hated her for reinforcing the hope she was trying so desperately to squash.

"You know what your problem is," Sharpay said suddenly, breaking Gabriella out of her trance. They're stretched out on the plastic lounge chairs that lay scattered around the pool in the Montez backyard. Sharpay pushes her large aviators further up her nose and continues speaking without turning to face Gabriella. "You're bored and you want things to change, but you're too afraid to step out of your comfort zone to make it happen."

Gabriella's mouth fell open indignantly, but she realizes she's not totally offended because Sharpay is right, so instead she sits up and adjusts her plain green bikini before facing Sharpay. "What do you mean?"

Sharpay sighs, pulls off her sunglasses and sits up to face her friend. "I mean, things aren't going to change if you don't change, Gabby. You can't just sit around and expect things to fall in your lap. Do something to make people notice you, to make Troy notice you."

Gabriella blushed and pulled her hair out of the two pigtails she had them in, wringing her fingers through the tangles.

"She's right!" Taylor piped up from the other side of Sharpay, snapping shut the book she was reading to join the conversation. "You need to do something really un-Gabriella like."

"And I have the perfect idea," Sharpay said with a little smirk, and Gabriella cringed slightly, afraid of what her friend would suggest. "Try out for cheerleading with me!"

"What!" Gabriella shouted, her face contorting in horror while Taylor keeled over laughing at the terrified expression. "I can't run out in front of that many people at every game."

Just the thought of that many eyes on her made Gabriella squirm.

"God, Gabs, yes you can," Sharpay said in exasperation, gathering up her long blonde hair into a ponytail and eyeing her friend intently. "Stop being so afraid of everything."

"You are really good at tumbling," Taylor offered encouragingly. "You've been doing it since you were like seven."

Gabriella chewed her lip nervously. Cheerleading had never once crossed her mind as an option. It was certainly different. Certainly eye catching. She's just got to step out of her comfort zone. Damn that comfort zone was so nice though. Just then, the back door to her house opened, and Alex, Troy and their friend Chad came rushing out in their swim trunks. Even though she was a lifeguard, Troy certainly had the most beautifully sculpted body she'd seen, all lean and muscular. Maybe this would make him look twice. Cheerleaders were certainly his type…maybe she could become what he wanted.

"Okay."

Sharpay and Taylor looked at her incredulously. "Really, just like that?"

"Yeah," Gabriella said with a nervous but excited smile. "I don't want things to be the way they were last year. I want to have fun."

Sharpay squealed. "Hell yeah, this will be awesome! Taylor?"

Taylor snorted and reopened her book. "Yeah right. I can't tumble, and I don't like pompoms."

Gabriella was about to lay back down and continue sunbathing when she saw Troy approaching with a devious smile twisting him lips. Her eyes widened, but before she could make a run for it, he had scooped her up into his arms and, with her arms flailing and a shriek popping out of her mouth, jumped into the cool depths of the water. Water rushed into her mouth but she had managed to pinch her nose shut just in time. Troy's arms never released her, and her hands glided across the smooth expanse of his chest unwittingly, grazing over hard muscle and soft skin as they kicked their way to the surface.

He came up laughing while she came up sputtering. She glared at him playfully and slapped his chest, clutching onto his shoulders as his arm wrapped around her waist because she couldn't reach the bottom of the pool.

"Do it and I will kick your ass," she heard Sharpay say in a threatening voice, and she laughed when she saw her brother with his hands raised in surrender, slowly backing away from the somewhat terrifying diva in the white one piece swimsuit.

"Sorry, Brie," Troy said with a coy grin. "I saw the opportunity and I had to take it."

Her eyes returned to his, and she mock pouted. "I think you're just trying to kill me."

He laughed loudly, shoulders shaking. "You're a lifeguard!" he exclaimed incredulously. "You should be more than comfortable in the water."

She laughed too, the happy atmosphere infectious and inescapable.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" he asked suddenly.

A hot shirtless guy with abs of steel? "No what?"

He jerked his head toward the lounge chairs where she was laying moments before, and her eyes widened, a delighted smile pulling at her lips. Chad was seated at the end of Taylor's lounge chair, while she was sitting up, book closed, and leaning forward listening aptly to whatever he was saying. He had a soft smile on his face but he spoke with vigor, and she looked enraptured. She giggled. He grinned. Hmm, could it be?

"He has a thing for her," Troy said with a grin. "And it looks like she has a thing for him too."

Gabriella giggled. "It's cute. Taylor needs to let loose. Maybe Chad can help."

Troy turned his face back to hers. They were so close, their noses almost touching, and Gabriella's breath caught.

"I guess we'll just have to see what happens," he said softly, his breath fanning across her lips and his eyes attached to hers intently, before releasing her to bob in the water.

Gabriella felt giddy with hope as she glided over to the edge of the pool. She didn't want to hope because hoping meant expectations, and expectations meant disappointment. But she couldn't stop it from swelling in her chest and setting her heart on a high.

Sharpay was looking at her with a raised eyebrow, inquiringly, and with a subtle smile on her face. Gabriella ducked her head down to hide her giddy grin.

Maybe, just maybe.

* * *

"I wanna see!" Alex shouts when Gabriella and her mom walk into the house, and Gabriella rolls her eyes even though she's just as excited.

Alex comes flying around the corner, skidding on the smooth tiles because he still has on his socks on with half of a sandwich hanging out of his mouth. Gabriella laughs because he looks so ridiculous.

"Mijo, por favor, be careful!" Maria scolded, setting her keys down onto the small table by the front door with a clank. "I don't want to be paying any hospital bills if you fall and break something."

"Wow, Mom," Alex said with a mock look of hurt. "For a moment there I thought you actually cared about my well-being."

Maria laughed and patted her son on the shoulder affectionately as she walked into the kitchen. Alex turned to Gabriella.

"Okay, smile. Let me see those teeth."

Gabriella grinned widely and proudly, revealing her teeth now devoid of braces. It feels odd not to feel any metal in her mouth, but having them finally removed also removed another insecurity she'd been trying to fight against for the past year and a half. When her orthodontist told her a month ago she'd be getting them removed at the end of June, she had been ecstatic. She didn't want to have to go through another school year with these things.

"Damn, you actually almost look somewhat decent now," Alex said teasingly, and Gabriella laughs before punching him in the stomach.

He 'oomfed' and doubled over, and Gabriella took off running toward the living room before he could catch her. She whips around the corner and doesn't see Troy just about to round the same corner until she crashes until him. The wind is knocked out of her and her legs give out, but Troy's large hands secure themselves around her upper arms and steady her before she can meet the hard floor.

"Whoa, what's the rush," Troy asked with a laugh, seemingly unfazed by their collision. "Hey you got your braces off. You look great."

She smiles brightly and flushes a faint pink. For the most part, this summer had helped her control her bumbling idiot tendencies around him, but sometimes the blushing couldn't be stopped. She supposed it was her job, which of course required a lot of interaction with people, but hanging out with Sharpay and getting a daily dose of brutal honesty also eased her constant nervousness and jitteriness.

Troy laughs again, that deep, husky laugh that makes her stomach do backflips. "You honestly have the cutest blush that I have ever seen," he said without hesitation, as if it was the most normal thing in the world to say to her.

The faint pink turns into a practically blazing scarlet, and she wiggles out of his group. "Oh my god," she said with a horrified whisper at his now more rambunctious laugh. "Please stop. This is so embarrassing."

She collapsed on the couch and buried her face in a pillow, mentally cursing at herself for not being able to control her physical reactions. He collapsed beside her just as Alex came strolling into the room with another sandwich in hand.

"Sorry, Brie," Troy said with an apologetic grin. "You just get so flustered when someone gives you a compliment. I can't help it."

"You really do, Gabby," Alex said with a mouthful of food. "You get so red sometimes."

Gabriella sighed and leaned her head back against the back of the couch, sinking deep into the soft cushions. She knew that. She just didn't want them to notice how red she got when _he_ gave her a compliment. "Guess I just don't get them that often," she mumbled dismissively.

"Well, a girl like you should be getting them more than often," Troy said with a tender smile.

She looked at him surprised, not intending for him to actually hear her, but she was flattered nonetheless by his words, though she couldn't quite understand why he always said such sweet things to her. Troy was kind and good hearted and acted with nothing but good intentions when it came to her. Too bad he didn't know that his good intentions sometimes did nothing more than confuse the hell out of her.

* * *

"Sharpay, you've got to be kidding me!" Gabriella stopped her trek down the stairs of her house to turn around and stare in disbelief at her friend.

Sharpay smoothed out the wrinkles of her flowy pink dress before looking back up at her friend with a smirk. "What? You can sing. Really well. I've heard you. I felt like you'd be a great contribution to the show."

Gabriella stomped the rest of the way down the stairs before turning around at the bottom to glare at her friend. "There is no way I'm doing it! I can't sing in front of a bunch of people."

Sharpay glared back. "Oh yes you will, Gabriella Montez. Comfort zones, remember!"

"Why are you two so dressed up?" Alex asked, walking into the hallway and eyeing the two girls suspiciously.

"The country clubs having an end of summer talent show thing," Gabriella responded distractedly, still eyeing Sharpay with a slight glare.

"And Gabby's gonna be singing!" Sharpay said brightly, a wide, mischievous smile on her face.

Alex's eyes bulged. "What!" he spluttered. "I didn't even know you sing. I'm your brother, how can I not know this shit. Troy, man, get your ass over here!"

Gabriella groaned. "I don't sing!"

Troy came waltzing in from the kitchen, an apple in hand. "What?"

"Seriously, why are you two always together?" Sharpay questioned with a roll of her eyes.

"Gabby's singing at some talent show, and we're going to go watch," Alex said with a massive grin, and Gabriella's stomach clenched in anxiety.

"You sing?" Troy asked, surprised. "Yeah I'd love to go watch!" He smiled at her, but it didn't ease her nerves.

"Okay, if you're going to go, you both need to wear something that isn't basketball shorts," Sharpay said with a pointed look at their long mesh shorts. The boys shrugged and hustled upstairs to change. She walked over to Gabriella and smiled reassuringly, grasping her hands in hers. "Gabs, you're going to do great. Stop worrying. Don't wait until the school year starts to start changing things up."

Despite her irritation with Sharpay, Gabriella knew she was just trying to help, in her unique Sharpay way. But she wasn't sure having Troy and Alex there would actually help her. With a sigh, she acquiesced to Sharpay's plan.

Twenty minutes later, the group was walking across lush green grass toward the talent show set up. Even from a distance away, Gabriella could see the stage, the pretty lanterns and fairly lights adorning the area, and the large tables draped with long white tablecloths. She couldn't stop herself from pulling at the pretty white dress she was wearing, adjusting the turquoise sash that wrapped around her waist, fingering her long braid to make sure her hair was in place. She wasn't so sure about this anymore.

Troy's hand shot out and grasped her wrist gently, preventing her from adjusting something else that didn't need to be adjusted. "Stop," he whispered. Sharpay and Alex were engaged in their own conversation, well, argument, mostly Sharpay criticizing him for wearing a 'shitty band t-shirt'. "Don't be nervous. You'll do great."

Gabriella smiled. "You've never even heard me sing before."

Troy shrugged and smiled back. "I still know you will."

They lapsed into comfortable silence, letting the night breeze filter in between them and the crickets' chirps fill the silence.

"Where is the other one anyway?" Alex said randomly as they neared the talent show set-up, referring to Taylor.

Sharpay and Gabriella grinned at each other. "She has a date with Chad tonight," Sharpay answered with a smirk in her voice.

Both Alex and Troy laughed. "No surprise there," Alex said. "Pretty soon, he'll be completely whipped."

They finally reached the numerous tables and snagged one in the back just as the show started. For nearly forty-five minutes they sat through an assortment of acts: dancers, singers, jugglers, comedic acts, even a girl who did flaming baton twirling. Gabriella knew all the words to the song she was singing, a pretty song Ryan had taught her a couple weeks back, but the fear of choking was still prominent in her stomach. When the host finally called out her name, she stood with shaking legs, smiled at the way Sharpay, Alex and Troy cheered for her as she wound her way through the assortment of tables, and tried to ignore the fact that everyone was staring at her. Her heart thudded violently in her chest. Her palms were sweaty. Her legs were jello. Her hands were shaking.

She took the microphone from the host with a shaky smile, and turned to face the crowd with wide, terrified eyes. They were all smiling politely at her, and she took a deep breath, focusing on the smiling faces of Sharpay and her brother and the vibrant blue eyes that shone at her proudly from the back.

The music started and she just…sang. Her body seemed to take over on its own, the lyrics falling from her mouth with surprising ease. The crowd's expressions gradually morphed into ones of genuine delight, and Gabriella felt her confidence soar at their approval. She hit the last note without any sense of the fear she had felt only moments before and blushed deeply when the crowd roared their approval. She stood for a moment, soaking in this strange feeling of accomplishment and euphoria and marveling at the way it made her heart feel so full, so light. Thanking the crowd and the host, she bounded off the stage and into the arms of her loudest fans.

"Gabby that was fucking amazing!" Alex practically shouted in her ear when she was pulled into his tight hug. "And I never even knew."

"You're welcome," Sharpay said with a cocky grin and a flip of her hair long curls. "I've already gotten you to agree to cheerleading and now I'm thinking drama club too!" Gabriella laughed at her enthusiasm.

"You're trying out for cheerleading?" Troy's voice was surprised, his eyebrows raised in shock.

"Umm, yeah," Gabriella responded shyly, unsure of how he and Alex would respond. "I just thought I would try and do something new this year."

Troy nodded, and Alex still looked surprised. "I think that's a great idea," Troy responded with a smile, slinging an arm over her shoulder and hugging her close. "Just do what you think is right for you."

A pretty young waitress with short red hair passed by them holding a tray of drinks, smiling suggestively at both boys. Troy's arm fell slack around her shoulders, his eyes following her swaying hips with approval. There it was again, that sting of desolation and hurt deep in her chest that she'd managed to miraculously avoid all summer. That familiar, yet unwelcome feeling brought back another feeling she hadn't been missing, hopelessness. The way it seemed to settle deep within her bones reminded her of reality, that this summer had been in a sort of parallel universe of good feelings and happy moments with little pain and that school beginning in a few weeks would not be consistent with this 'parallel universe.'

Sharpay reached out and squeezed her hand with a sympathetic smile, recognizing the flicker of pain on her friend's face.

Maybe cheerleading was right for Gabriella at the moment, but she wasn't so sure it would be enough to make him notice. Shaking her head to rid herself of the depressing thoughts, she hooked her arm through Sharpay's happily, choosing not to wallow in self-pity at the moment and instead celebrate her personal success.

She would just have to take this journey one day at a time.

* * *

The stars were beautiful tonight, standing out like pure, sparkling diamonds against a black velvet sky. Despite the night air being a little warm and muggy, Gabriella felt completely at ease. She was on her roof, laying back with her arms crossed underneath her head as a cushion, her now long hair splayed across the roofing. She was thankful that the sky was cloud free tonight, so she could receive an unobstructed view of the vibrant stars.

School was starting tomorrow, and she was excited, nervous, and…scared. She knew this year was going to be a whirlwind of change, but she could only hope that it was change for the better. This summer had been magical, to say at the least. It was full of warm days at the pool, hilarious and comforting sleepovers with Taylor and Sharpay, lazy days watching movies with Troy and Alex, working in a happy environment, and learning to cook delicious meals with her mother.

For the first time in a while, Gabriella had felt completely at ease and carefree. Of course, it helped greatly that when she saw Troy it was usually at her house where she could have him and Alex all to herself. But she wasn't foolish. She knew that school would bring back that phantom pain that had been haunting her all summer, only it wouldn't just be a whisper of heartache; it would be the real thing. Because once again Troy would return to being an unobtainable dream.

For a fleeting moment during the summer, her hope had overshadowed reality, and she had believed Troy could be hers. But at what point during these passed months had that legitimately been true? His actions toward her during the summer had been no different from those in the past, but the positive atmosphere she had been constantly surrounded by had infected her perception.

She had felt so close. So close.

"Brie?" a muffled voice came from within her room.

"I'm out here!" she shouted, immediately knowing it was Troy because he was really the only one who called her Brie.

She sat up and spotted a head of so-perfect-you-can-run-your-fingers-through-it brown hair pop out below the edge of the roof as he stepped out onto her balcony. Forgoing the stool she had set out on the balcony to pull herself up, he simply hauled himself up on arm strength alone. After several seconds of shuffling, he managed to comfortably sit himself beside her, pressed arm to arm with her.

"How long have you been up here?"

Gabriella shrugged, pushing all of her long, ebony waves over one shoulder. "I'm not sure. Maybe an hour, maybe more."

Troy nodded, leaning back to stare up at the starry sky as well. They were silent for a long moment, enjoying the companionable silence, before he looked back down at her with serious eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked with inquisitive concern.

She smiled softly, genuinely. "Yeah, I'm okay," she replied honestly because she was. Right now, she was okay. "I'm just, you know, mourning the end of summer."

Troy laughed. "It was definitely a great summer. And look at you. You're so tan!"

Gabriella laughed and glanced down admiringly at the golden brown hue of her skin. Sharpay made sure she received a magnificent tan, something the blonde girl assured would make her look even more amazing at cheer tryouts.

"It's your last year. You excited?" she questioned, turning her head to his with a wide smile.

Troy ruffled his hair with one hand (God, why was he so dreamy) before leaning back on his elbows. "Yeah I guess so. High school has been fun and all, really fun, but I'm ready for college. I'm just ready to get out there on my own, well, with Alex too of course, and just go wild. It's gonna be amazing."

College. For a moment, Gabriella had completely forgotten that they would be leaving Albuquerque, leaving her. She'd grown up with these boys, and she would only be half way through high school when they left. How was she going to get through the rest of it? How was she supposed to come home every day and not fall into the arms of her brother? And Troy…he would become even more unattainable. No, not more unattainable, just simply unattainable.

Feeling the familiar sting of pain behind her eyes, she tilted her head back under the guise of star gazing, willing the tears to just fall back into her eyes, willing gravity to not pull them from her. After several long moments of rapid blinking they dispersed, but she wasn't confident enough to speak in fear her voice would shake. Luckily, she was saved from that issue.

"Where the hell is everyone at?" Alex's voice floated through her open balcony doors. She giggled.

"Hey man, we're on the roof!" Troy yelled back, amusement playing at his lips.

With several loud grunts, the elder Montez sibling managed to pull himself onto the roof and plopped down next to his sister. "So guys, what's the topic for today?" he asked playfully.

It had been a long time since the three of them had been up here like this. It used to be a favorite past time of theirs when they were younger, climbing up here and just talking. Things had changed so much.

"Life," Troy said. "College."

"Ahhh college," Alex said with a smile. "You gonna miss us Gabster?"

Gabriella crinkled her nose playfully. "Meh, if you two are lucky."

Alex and Troy laughed, and Alex pulled her into his side with an arm around her shoulders. Troy sat up again to press against her other side.

"I'm hurt, Brie. And here I thought you loved us," Troy said playfully, an expression of mock hurt on his face.

Gabriella smiled and then laughed, knocking shoulders with him. Maybe Troy would become unattainable in several months. But, for now, she was just happy to have him at all.

* * *

A/N: This will definitely be a Troy/Gabriella story, but I always think it's much more fun to have them go through some rough times first before they reach the good times. Plus, it's always nice to have the characters grow individually and together, I think.

Oh and I just saw Neighbors...Zac Efron is the most delicious shirtless man I have ever seen ;)

Next chapter is sophomore year!


	3. Sophomore Year

A/N: Well...this chapter was a bit longer than I had planned but oh well! When I feel it, I feel it haha thank for the reviews you guys!

* * *

Gabriella stood in the middle of the gym with surprisingly less nerves than she thought she would have. In front of her there was a table with three cheerleaders, the captain and two other seniors. They smiled at her in a friendly way, and it eased her nerves to see that they weren't as terrifying as she thought.

It's the third day of school, and she had been waiting somewhat anxiously for the day of cheer tryouts. Her eyebrows had been waxed and refined, her now lengthy waves pulled into a high ponytail, eyes highlighted by light touches of mascara and eyeliner, lips slicked with a shining sheen of pink lip gloss (waxing and makeup a result of Sharpay's 'mini makeover'), and she was donning a pair of short red mesh shorts and a plain white tee required for the tryouts.

She felt pretty and confident for once. It was exhilarating, different.

"Yeah, Gabby!" Alex and Troy shouted from the bleachers behind the table where they were sitting with several other guys from the basketball team, sweaty because they had just finished a pick-up game.

She smiled at them with a soft blush when they continued to cheer and hoot until the head cheerleader, Danielle, whipped around, dark ponytail swinging. "Hey! Will you guys shut the hell up! You're distracting her."

"Sorry, Dani," they said sheepishly, sinking back down into the bleachers.

Danielle smiled at Gabriella sweetly. "Okay, Gabby, you ready?"

The pretty sophomore smiled, looking behind her at Sharpay who gave her a grin and a thumbs up. Taking a deep breath to calm the faint feel of butterflies in her stomach, Gabriella nodded. There were at least twenty pairs of eyes on her, the boys from the basketball team, the cheerleaders, the girls who were trying out, Troy, but she wasn't afraid of screwing up. Instead, she was excited to get the chance to show everyone that she could do this and do it well. She was excited for him to really see that she wasn't some little girl anymore.

Focusing completely on her try out, she completed every action that Danielle called for her to do. Jumps, a cute little dance routine they had all been taught, a couple cheers, and all of the demanded tumbling stunts. Although she hadn't stuck the landing of her layout (a little extra stunt she had thrown in for some wow factor) as perfectly as she had liked, the rest had been executed flawlessly. The wide smile on her face hurt her cheeks, but Troy and Alex were cheering ecstatically, and the cheer judges were clapping with enthusiasm, and she felt _so_ damn good.

"Alex is your brother right?" Danielle asked still smiling, and Gabriella nodded. "Well, I guess you're the only one with actual talent." The teasing lilt of her voice caused a ripple of laughter among all the girls, but the boys were too busy talking animatedly to hear. "Thank you, Gabby. Remember the list will be up tomorrow afternoon. But I'm pretty sure I can tell you now, welcome to the team." The last part was said low so only Gabriella could hear and with a wink from Danielle's bright green eyes.

She could feel her chest swell in happiness, the taste of accomplishment was so beautifully sweet in her mouth, and a rush of giddiness ran rampant through her veins. With a happy 'thank you', she bounced over to Sharpay, who had already completed her own perfect try out and was waiting by the doors leading out of the gym.

"We kicked some serious ass!" Sharpay attempted to squeal quietly to Gabriella, who hugged her in excitement.

"I think we actually made it, Shar," Gabriella said, releasing a happy breath.

"Of course you did. You were both great!"

Alex and Troy were approaching them in their baggy basketball shorts and loose mesh tanks, having left the rest of the boys who were too pleased with the short shorts and tight tees to leave so soon. Gabriella stared admiringly at Troy's perfectly sculpted biceps, the way they shifted when he raised his arm to ruffle his sweaty hair, and the way the few beads of sweat that still clung to his golden skin glistened.

The four of them exited the gym into the empty halls of East High while Troy and Alex babbled about how well their try outs had gone. Sharpay soaked in the compliments with a smirk on her face and an expression that said 'duh' while Gabriella continued to smile brightly.

Alex brushed a little too closely to Sharpay for her taste and she shrieked. "Ew! You're all gross and sweaty. Keep your distance, okay!" She huffed and put a foot of space in between them.

Troy laughed. "My little cheerleader wouldn't mind. Right, Brie?"

He looped an arm around her waist and pulled her into him so that he was hugging her from behind, his body hunched over hers, his head resting on her shoulder. She laughed despite the slick movement of his skin against hers. The way his muscles clenched around her and the slightly possessive clutch of his arms made her feel breathless and hot. He felt like such a man with his hard body and strength.

His little cheerleader? She smiled faintly. It sounded nice.

* * *

The library's silence was comforting, the soft rustling of pages being turned a soothing melody. Gabriella sat at a desk in the back, away from people and noise, completely absorbed in the novel she was reading. Sometimes she just needed to get away from it all and just be the old bookworm who could always find comfort in the crinkling pages of an old book.

Cheerleading had been everything she had hoped for so far. She and Sharpay had both made the squad, as Alex and Troy had predicted, and things had been altered dramatically. Gabriella was constantly busy. Both cheer and the scholastic decathlon team took up a vast amount of her time, as well as actual school work. She hadn't strayed from her old friends in the slightest, but there was also several new faces that she found herself surrounded by. The girls on the squad had taken her, Sharpay, and Taylor to their first actual high school party just a month ago in October, and they had found themselves absolutely enraptured by the toxic atmosphere of pounding music, sweating, dancing bodies, and the wonderful effects of alcohol. They were hooked. People didn't completely ignore her in the halls. Her social life was taking off, and she still managed to get straight A's. Hell, she even dressed more fashionably thanks to careful guidance from Sharpay and the girls on the squad.

She had all the thrill she felt she had been missing last year, and it was intoxicating. But she couldn't for the life of her figure out why missing one tiny aspect of her freshman fantasy produced a cloud of melancholy that constantly hung over her head. It wore her down, burrowed deep into her bones and followed her in everything she did, even the happy things.

Her unreturned affections for Troy Bolton were poisonous.

"You're Gabriella Montez, right?"

Swiping her bangs out of her eyes, she lifted her head to answer to the deep voice. Before her stood a tall blonde with short hair, wearing a fitted black tee and smiling down at her cockily.

"Um, yeah, that's me," she said with a somewhat awkward smile, unsure of who the hell this guy was.

He smiled, and there was something about the slight egotistical upturn of his lips that she immediately disliked. Pulling out a chair from the other side of the table, he turned it around so he could straddle it and plopped down.

"My name is Travis," he held out his hand for her to shake and she took it gently, mentally cringing at the way his palm felt strangely moist. "I've noticed you cheering at the football games. You're new right?"

"Yeah," she said with a polite smile. "I just joined the squad this year."

"You're definitely one of the best looking cheerleaders with those legs," he said with a salacious smile.

The conversation took an immediate dip from weird to uncomfortable, and the polite smile she'd somehow managed to retain was slowly slipping from her face. Shifting uneasily, she didn't even bother to respond to the forward statement. He didn't miss a beat, though, and continued on with the conversation unfazed.

"So I was thinking you should go out with me Friday night." His eyes stared intently into hers, and she began to fidget her hands, attempting to figure out a polite way to refuse.

"She's not interested."

Gabriella and Travis' heads turned around to see Troy rounding the corner of a bookcase with a hard expression on his face. Gabriella felt relief rush through her body at the very fortunate and timely interruption.

Travis' eyes also hardened when Troy went to lean against the window behind Gabriella, crossing his arms over his chest sternly. "What's it to you, Bolton? She's a big girl and can make her own fucking decisions."

The sudden flare of hostility made Gabriella's eyes widen, and she glanced at Troy cautiously. His shocking blue eyes remained fixed on Travis, warningly, dangerously.

"She can," Troy responded in a deathly calm tone. "But she's not going out with you."

Travis practically snarled and moved to say something, but Troy interrupted him quickly. "Get the hell out of here, Travis. If Alex even finds out you're trying to talk to his sister, he'll kick your ass in a second."

Travis clenched his fists and breathed heavily for a second before turning and walking away from them without another word. The moment he left, Troy's anger faded and he returned to his normal self, an apologetic smile on his face as he took a seat next to Gabriella.

"Sorry. Travis is just really bad news. And I happen to really dislike that son of a bitch."

Gabriella sunk back into her chair comfortably now that the atmosphere was no longer tense. "It's okay," she said with a soft smile and a shrug. "I was planning on saying no to him anyway."

"Good," Troy responded with a smirk. "Because I never would have let him touch you even if you had said yes."

She pressed a hand to her heart in an expression of mock anger. "You mean you don't trust me to take care of myself!"

The basketball star laughed, bumping shoulders lightly with her, before shifting in his seat so that he was facing her completely. "I know that you're perfectly capable, Brie, he said softly. "But since I'm here I'd rather do it for you. You're too precious not to protect."

The way his eyes gazed into hers with such tenderness and softness made her practically melt in her chair. Her body felt warmed by his words, her heart swollen with sweet affection only he could make her feel with a few simple words.

"Well, then I'm very fortunate to have you," she responded with a fond smile. "How did you manage to have such perfect timing anyway?"

Troy shrugged. "I stalk you in my spare time," he joked and she laughed. "I overheard one of Travis' friends say he had gone to talk to you in the library. Thought I'd come find you and make sure he left you the hell alone. Hey, you're reading To Kill a Mockingbird. I love this book!"

Gabriella nodded gratefully at what he had said and listened somewhat distractedly to his babblings about the powerful themes of the novel.

She knew Troy would do everything in his power to protect her and keep her from harm. It was in his nature. She just thought it was ironic that the one thing hurting her the most was him.

* * *

There are some nights when Gabriella cries herself to sleep because the pain in her chest is too sharp, and the want in her bones a throbbing, poignant ache she can't ignore. She would sit against her headboard clutching a pillow tightly to her chest, muffling the gut wrenching sobs that were ripped from her throat and soaking the pillow with her heartache, the pale strips of moonlight pouring through her balcony the only source of light. And she would break and break and break until her body was drained of any energy and her eyes were so weighted by tears they would finally close.

Last night was one of those nights, and Gabriella found it hard to function throughout the school day. Her eyes were still burning, her movements were sluggish, and her heart felt raw and tender, like it had been beaten mercilessly. She just wanted to sleep it all away. But instead, she's cheering at the basketball game like she's supposed to, watching as East High battles relentlessly against their rival West High.

Despite the film of fatigue coating her body, the wild excitement of the game made her blood pump furiously. Both teams were exceptional, so the game was nail bitingly good, and the entire gymnasium was on their feet with enthusiastic anticipation, stomping against the bleachers and screaming their throats raw.

Alex was doing fantastic, but Troy was doing exceptionally well. He was electric energy on the court, a powerhouse of movement and skill that knocked West High players off their feet and provided the crowd with a rush. And Gabriella can't help but notice how amazing he looks while doing it, the flop of his bangs across his forehead, the sharp concentration of his azure eyes, the bulging of his muscles with every movement.

Troy makes another basket, and the crowd erupts in riotous cheers. Gabriella, standing off to the side with the rest of the squad, cheered and clapped with her red pompons in hand, smiling brightly. He glanced at her as he ran backwards down the court, smiled confidently, and winked. She melts and hates herself for being so easily affected by such a little action.

The game continued at the same lightning fast pace, and it's finally in the last twenty seconds with East High down by four. The crowd was practically exploding with enthusiasm, and the odd mix of dread and anticipation set Gabriella practically on her toes. Chad passed Troy the ball and he sunk it into the net with ease for a three pointer. The team jumped up in accomplishment, now only down by a single point, while boos from West High's crowd mingled with the happy shouts of East High's fans in a cacophony of sounds.

Gabriella laughed happily with Sharpay at the intense atmosphere when Troy is suddenly in front of her, pulling her into his arms and twirling her around with a rumbling laugh in his chest. Her arms slipped around his neck, her laughter mingling with his for a second before he set her back onto the floor.

With a wide grin and twinkling eyes, he cradled her face in both his hands, pressed practically nose to nose with her. "Brie, you are the best damn good luck charm a guy could ever have," he panted out, squeezing her cheeks gently.

"I try my best, Wildcat," she responded with a soft voice and smile.

He stared into her eyes intently suddenly, the smile seemingly frozen on his face. Gabriella only stared back. There was something in his face, something about the spark in his eyes and slight part of his lips that was different from the way he usually looked at her. There was more intensity, more depth, just _more_. And it made her chest heave in pain while her heart thrummed warmly. She wished he would stop doing these things, stop making her want him because she had never wanted anything quite as much as she wanted him. And she _hated_ herself for it.

Coach Bolton called Troy's name from the sidelines, and he immediately turned and ran back to the court, sending Gabriella one last dazzling grin over his shoulder. The entire cheer squad was looking at Gabriella incredulously, and she turned a faint pink, attempting to shrug her shoulders nonchalantly before returning her eyes to the game and ignoring the questioning stares.

The last several seconds of the game were powerfully exciting, the cheering thunderous, the anticipation agonizing, but then Chad let the ball fly from his fingers. It fell through the net with a soft 'swish', and the buzzer sounded with heavy finality. The West High fans and team erupted in triumphant cries. The Wildcats had one by a mere two points. As the court flooded with people, Gabriella did her best to avoid being shoved or stepped on and pressed her way through the crowd to find Alex. He was standing in the middle of the court, sharing handshakes with his teammates proudly and grinning.

"Good job," Gabriella cried, throwing herself into his arms and hugging him tightly. She did the same for Troy, who was standing beside him. "I knew you guys would win. Even if you won just barely."

Alex nudged her good naturedly at her teasing.

"Guys!" Jason greeted as he approached the trio. "Party at my place later."

Troy and Alex responded with enthusiastic yeahs, and Gabriella just smiled.

"You gonna be there, Gabs?" Alex questioned, noticing her silence.

"Mmm not this time. I'm pretty beat. I think I'll just stay in tonight."

Alex and Troy glanced at each other for a moment, as if having their own silent conversation. "Sorry, man," Troy finally responded. "We'll pass this time too and stay in with our girl here."

"Your loss man!" Jason said as he began to turn away. "It's gonna be fucking live tonight!"

Gabriella smiled warmly at her brother and Troy and the way they always seemed to be thinking of her. Two hours later, she was falling asleep with her head in Troy's lap and her feet in Alex's. She was aware that the hurt hadn't faded from her chest. It was there, thrumming along with every beat of her heart, and she had to wonder if she could be considered a masochist for choosing to remain so close to Troy when it felt like he was slowly killing her.

* * *

The music was pounding so loud it vibrated through her body, and the bottom of her shoes stuck slightly to the floor as a result of all the spilled drinks. It smelled like beer and sweet, fruity drinks, and Gabriella loves it. She's on her fifth drink. Or maybe it's six? Seven? She can't really remember because the alcohol is running its warm, pleasurable path through her veins, and her mind is a fuzzy, jumbled mess.

Sharpay giggled when Taylor's drink sloshed over the side of the cup and splashed onto their feet as the three girls stumbled off of the dance floor laughing.

"I think I drank too much," Taylor whined, while Gabriella and Sharpay laughed at the somewhat pained expression on her face. "Spring break just ended last week. Should we even be partying right now?"

"Psh," Sharpay snorted out as they all leaned heavily and gracelessly against the wall behind them. "Do we ever need a reason to party?" There was a pause. "I gotta pee."

She abruptly grabbed Gabriella's hand, who grabbed Taylor's, and began dragging them toward the stairs. They climbed them with difficulty, stumbling and giggling on their way up.

"Where the hell is the bathroom anyway?" Gabriella questioned when they were met with a hall of several doors.

Sharpay shrugged and began opening random doors. Taylor and Gabriella laughed at her brazen actions. The blonde pushed open one door partially and then froze. The other two waited for a second but upon seeing her horrified expression, approached the room curiously.

"Gabby, no-" Sharpay began to warn but Gabriella had already seen.

There was Troy, pressing a girl into the bed, kissing her with rough vigor. His hands were tangled in her straight blonde hair, tugging sharply as she moaned beneath him. His shirt was off, so she was running her hands over every inch of skin she could reach. Her legs were wrapped around his waist, her hips rolling up into his as he grunted and pushed his groin into hers roughly. So this was what it looked like to actually be wanted by Troy Bolton, to be desired in a way that turned him from his sweet, calm self into a rough, animalistic lover. He looked so focused on the girl beneath him, completely consumed by his desire and need that he didn't even notice they had been interrupted.

Gabriella looked away sharply when the girl began to reach for the button on his jeans. Oh god, she couldn't breathe. Her chest felt tight, like it was caving in on itself, and her heart was beating so hard it hurt. She had never hurt like this before.

"I wanna go home," she said suddenly, feeling a rush of tears push at the back of her eyes. "Now."

Taylor and Sharpay nodded with wide eyes, noting the twisted expression on her face. Immediately, they sprang into action, leading Gabriella down the stairs with sloppy feet. Taylor's house was only a block away, a quick walk if they managed to walk properly. The haze that covered Gabriella's eyes felt too heavy and inescapable, and the alcohol in her veins suddenly felt thick and gross. She wished she wasn't drunk.

They exited the house rapidly, ignoring the strange looks they were getting from people lingering in the front yard and enjoying the soft April breeze. They had only made it about five houses down when the tears erupted from Gabriella's eyes without warning. Then, the sobs began wracking her body so roughly they took her to the ground, knees aching against the stiff cement and hands pressed to her chest as if they could ease the pain. She couldn't breathe. She felt sick.

Sharpay and Taylor attempted to pull her up but realized their efforts were futile when the sobs doubled in force. With sad glances at each other, they ran their hands soothingly over her hair and back, hugging her close. For several minutes she sobbed into the silent night air, surrounded only by quiet, dark houses and her two best friends, the soft strains of pounding music only a whisper behind her cries.

"Is there something wrong with me?" Gabriella cried, her breathing hard and tears flowing unchecked. "Why can't I just stop? Why can't I stop being in love with him? I don't want to love him anymore."

Love. It had taken her so long to finally acknowledge that she did indeed love him, and finally saying it aloud made it more real, more finite and inescapable. She looked up to see Sharpay's face twisted in pain for her friend Taylor's eyes misting. Gabriella felt guilty. Taylor and Chad were on the verge of breaking up because of Chad's inability to understand how they would survive through a long distance relationship after he graduated, and Taylor was hurting too. She hated that Taylor had to hear about her heartbreak when her own was about to be broken too.

"There's nothing wrong with you, Gabby," Sharpay said softly. "He can't see what's right in front of him, and he's missing out. One day someone else will come along and Troy will be nothing compared to him."

Gabriella stilled sobbed. But what if he wasn't ever nothing? What if he was still more than any other man she ever met and she would feel this way for the rest of her life? How would she live with this pain forever?

"I hate him. I hate what he does to me," Gabriella said thickly, the horrible knot in her throat still prominent though her sobs had calmed somewhat.

"Then don't let him do it anymore," Taylor said softly, placing a gentle hand on her back.

Gabriella breathed deeply, shakily, trying to ease the ache in her chest. She had to do something to stop this agony.

* * *

Opening the door to her room quietly, she stuck out her head and peered around. Light peeked out from underneath her brother's shut door, and several loud voices floated out from underneath it. He, Troy, Chad, and Jason were playing some video game that just came out, and her mother had demanded they keep his door shut while doing it because they often raised their voices when they got too excited. Gabriella rolled her eyes when their voices suddenly picked up and several angry shouts were heard. Honestly, who played video games until two in the morning and still had the energy to be excited about it.

She closed her door softly and tiptoed blindly down the stairs, unwilling to turn on any lights in case someone happened to walk out of Alex's room and notice. Once she was safely down the stairs, she padded over to the sink and flipped on the light above it so that she'd have some ability to see. Grabbing a glass from the cabinet, she filled it with water and sipped quietly, staring out the window at the backyard.

It was deathly quiet, the only noise the rhythmic ticking of the clock and the occasional outburst from upstairs. It had been a little over a month since that heartbreaking night at that party and since she started avoiding Troy. She figured it would help ease the sting, give her heart some space to heal and strengthen, and it did, for a bit. She avoided him at school like he was the plague, turning the other way when she saw him in the halls, providing only a curt greeting or goodbye when she did happen to run into him, putting in extra practice for cheer and extra studying for the scholastic decathlon, and even volunteering to help build the sets for the drama club's plays even though it was too late to actually join the club. She came home late and left early in case he was coming over that day. It was hard, but she did her best.

For a while, it did her a lot of good. She was able to breathe without his presence being a constant reminder of what she couldn't have even if it was at her fingertips. Her extracurricular activities kept her mind occupied, but her heart couldn't be distracted. Once, when she had only muttered a quick hello to him when he approached her in the halls, the flash of hurt on his face was so sharp and unexpected, she had to run into the nearest bathroom and regain her composure before she cried. Her resolve began to crack. His lack of presence made her think about him twice as much, and the desire for one of his hugs was deep. Plus, avoiding him also meant she mostly avoided Alex, and she missed her brother.

She missed Troy too.

"Hey."

Although it was said softly, the single word sliced into her silence and startled her so much that she jumped and dropped the glass she was holding. It shattered across the floor, and she, still in a moment of surprise, took a step back into the sparkling disaster. A shard of glass imbedded itself in her heel, and a soft cry pushed passed her lips.

"Shit, Brie," Troy said in frantic concern, rushing over to her as she stood bouncing on one foot in the middle of the mass of glass.

He stepped carefully, avoiding all the pieces, and scooped her up in his arms with ease. With a few more careful steps, he walked out of the mess with her still in his arms and placed her on top of the counter.

"Let me see." He grasped her foot gently and lifted it up high enough so that he could examine the glass. Gently and carefully, he grasped the glass and, after making eye contact with her for approval, pulled it from her foot.

She hissed at the acute pain, clutching the edge of the counter tightly and clenching her teeth. He found a cloth in one of the drawers, soaked it with water and began to wrap the damp fabric around her foot.

"I'm sorry," he said genuinely. "I didn't mean to scare you. I heard you leave your room and thought I'd come talk to you."

She swallowed, heart pounding in her ears with nervous anxiety. Licking her lips, she produced a short, slightly awkward laugh. "It was my fault. Clumsy, you know."

He finally tied the ends of cloth in a small knot and stood up to face her, eyes serious and jaw set tightly. "Do you want to tell me what's going on, Brie?" His voice was firm and serious.

Her hands began to fidget in her lap, her eyes dancing across the room but never landing on his face. "What, umm, what are you talking about?" Playing dumb was never her favorite thing to do, but at the moment, she was at a complete loss for words.

"Why are you avoiding me?" he asked, his voice now hard and his eyes narrowed. Wide eyed, Gabriella simply stared at him but didn't respond immediately, surprised by the iciness in his blue eyes. "Yeah I've noticed. Is it me? Did I do something wrong?"

Despite the edge in his voice, she detected inflections of hurt in his voice, and guilt suddenly filled her gut. "No! That's not it," she responded quickly. Technically, it was him, but he hadn't necessarily done anything wrong. It was her who was doing the wrong thing by being in love with him. "I've just been…busy."

"Bullshit!" he practically shouted. Pressing both his hands flat on the counter beside her, he leaned in closer, so that she had no choice but to stare into his flaming eyes. "Don't lie to me, Gabriella. You've really gone out of your way to make sure you're never anywhere near me and I'm tired of being in the dark about why the fuck you would do something like that."

Gabriella opened her mouth to respond but couldn't actually think of anything to say. The anger in his eyes, the intimidating set of his jaw, and the hurt that was so poignant in his voice scared her. Guilt was wracking her body full force. She never thought that he would feel so horrible. She never thought he would be hurt about this. To her horror, tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. The last thing she wanted to do was talking about why she did it with _him_, but the flood of emotions within her was so unexpectedly powerful.

Seeing her teary expression, his eyes and face lost their hardness, and he retracted his hands to step between her legs. Wiping away a stray tear with his thumb, he spoke with a softened voice. "Brie, what's going on?"

"I just…you and Alex are both leaving soon…and I got scared. I just…reacted," she responded tearfully, and, although it wasn't the truth, it was something that had been on her mind constantly since the second semester of school had begun.

Troy seemed to buy it though, and he smiled at her gently, pained. "Brie, we're always going to be here. Maybe not physically, but you're not going to lose us in any way, I promise. College can't make me forget about you."

A few more genuine tears escaped from her. He was forgiving her so easily, without any hesitation, and she had lied. The guilt and relief were a confusing mix, but for once she didn't dwell on it. She had missed him so damn much, so much it had almost physically hurt, that nothing mattered right now. She was stupid to even try it when she knew her feelings were too strong to be phased by such a spontaneous plan. And soon, he would actually be distanced from her legitimately. All she had done was waste time. Stupid, stupid girl.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, pushing her thick hair behind her ear. "I wasn't thinking."

"It's okay, Brie," he said, squeezing her waist affectionately. "Just don't run away from me again, okay? Life isn't as fun without you there with me."

His words were so sweet, so heartfelt even though he had no idea the effect they had on her, and she leaned forward to rest her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his torso, suddenly exhausted by the efforts she'd had to put forth in order to avoid him. He wrapped his strong arms around her as well, pulling her close so that she could feel his heart beat against her own chest. It felt so nice, so right.

"You give the best hugs," she mumbled into his shirt, and he laughed, his chest falling and rising pleasantly against her own.

"Well," he said, his mouth resting by her ear and blowing soft breath against the back of her neck, making her shudder. "These are reserved specifically for you."

Sighing, she closed her eyes and burrowed into his warmth. Despite her better judgment, she couldn't help but feel she belonged there. In his arms.

* * *

A/N: Sooo I'm still considering whether or not this story will be rated M later for when things start getting a little hot and heavy, but I'll just go with the flow.

Sorry for making you guys wait so long for them to get together, but I feel like it's always more special when it's not just a quick little thing!

Next chapter is summer and will probably be a bit shorter because I don't really have too much planned for it. But that could change while I'm writing it haha


	4. Second Summer

A/N: Finally finished this chapter! It took me a while because I've been super busy and distracted this week but yay! Thanks you guys for the reviews and the patience as I move these two into a more romantic relationship ;)

* * *

Gabriella could practically feel the entire dynamic of her and Troy's relationship shifting. It was strange. She thought that after a whole month of avoiding him they would be a little distanced from each other, he maybe a little resentful of her still and she a little unsure of her place. But it was actually the opposite. They were closer than ever but in a way they hadn't been before. Something, something she couldn't quite place, was different, like there was a magnetic, electrified aura about them when they were together.

He grew more physically attentive when she was around, seemingly always able to find an excuse to have some sort of lingering contact with her: a gentle hand on her shoulder, a knee pressed against hers when they sat side by side, the side of his body pressed against hers when they lounged on the sofa. It was almost as if his body was unconsciously finding ways to keep her anchored to him, to prevent her from running the way she had before.

Gabriella accepted the change without much thought, feeling an intensified comfort with his subtle actions and with him that she hadn't quite felt before. The pain she'd previously felt at his sweet actions was overshadowed by her relief to have him back again, unaware of how much her heart thrived with each gesture beneath the suffering she'd been so focused on. A calm acceptance began to settle over her at the reality of his leaving in a little over a month, recognizing that there were things she couldn't control and could only take in stride. The pain was still there, like a soreness deep in her muscles that hadn't faded, an achy tenderness she felt in every movement she made but could ignore if she didn't concentrate on it quite so hard. Troy was an addiction she didn't want to kick quite yet.

Staring into the mirror in the Bolton's upstairs bathroom, Gabriella admired her red summer dress, the way the blood red hue made her skin glow, the way it cinched at one side of her waist so the fabric appeared draped and flow-y, and the way the soft fabric rubbed pleasantly against her skin. The high ponytail she pulled her dark tresses into showcased her high cheekbones and made her look older, sophisticated. Small touches of makeup here and there made her eyes dark and vibrant and her lips plush. She smiled. It was amazing the change she'd undergone from her awkward freshman days. She felt much more like a woman and less of a girl now.

She exited the pristine room and began to walk down the long hall toward the stairs when Troy suddenly came bounding up them, frantic.

"Troy?"

When his wide eyes caught sight of the confused girl, he grabbed her elbow, looked around in panic, pulled open a random door, and shoved her inside, following her stumbling form and shutting the door rapidly. Gabriella fumbled in the dark closet, running into several hard items in the severely cramped space and cursing as she rammed her knee into something hard. With Troy also taking up half the minimal space provided, she was forced to bend backward over something, maybe a vacuum, and cried out when something poked sharply at the back of her right thigh. Troy grabbed her knee to lift it up beside his hip and away from the offending object, stepping into the only space available…pressed up tightly against her front, his right hand resting beside her head on the wall to support his leaning weight.

"Troy, what the hell!" she finally managed to splutter out, recovering from her initial shock and wrapping one arm around his neck to ease the tension on her back.

She could only barely make out his face in the obscure setting, any light peeking in from beneath the door offering only minimal help.

"My aunt Joan is here," he said softly, obviously trying to keep his voice low and discreet.

Gabriella gave him an incredulous stare that she doubted he could even see. "So! It's your graduation party. She was bound to be here. You didn't have to harass me for it!" It had been three weeks since Troy had officially graduated high school, and his parents had decided to host a party for him in their beautiful backyard, much to Troy's dismay because he now had to see several family members he tended to avoid.

"Sorry." She could hear the sheepish smile in his voice. "But you have no idea the hell that woman puts me through. She insults me, tries to set me up with her friends' daughters, talks my ear off, and generally makes my life miserable. One time, she even tried to set me up with one of her friend's sons!"

Gabriella laughed despite the uncomfortably cramped quarters they were in. Troy was so kind to nearly everyone he knew, so the fact that his aunt could bother him into hiding amused her to no end.

"And I have to be here because?" Gabriella asked teasingly. She could hear him chuckle, feel the gentle rise and fall of his chest against his, the brush of his pale blue button up shirt against the bare skin of her chest.

"I need someone to pass the time with, and you're good company." Even in the extremely dim room, she knew he was grinning at her. She didn't have to see it for it to give her butterflies. "My mom's giving my aunt and her friend a tour of the house right now so we may be stuck a while."

"Oh, I don't mind," Gabriella said airily.

"Well how could you mind being stuck in a tiny room with a god like me?" he teased. Gabriella laughed, mentally agreeing with him. And today he was exceptionally handsome, wearing his pale blue button up, dark jeans, and tanned to perfection from many hours spent at the pool.

Voices began to float under the door as a small group of people began to ascend the stairs, and the teens turned deathly quiet. Gabriella could recognize Troy's mom speaking, acting as a tour guide, and two other female voices.

"Where in the world did your son get off to, Lucille?" one woman with an annoyingly nasally voice asked as they finally reached the landing of the second floor. "I swore I saw him downstairs just a few minutes ago. He needs to meet Martha. Martha's daughter Bridget is simply divine. I think they would make a fantastic little couple. Wouldn't you say so, Martha?"

Gabriella giggled at Troy's soft growl of annoyance, and they returned to silence as the voices moved to a room just across the hall from the closet. Gabriella suddenly became aware of her and Troy's very provocative position in the stillness of the dark. Her raised leg had caused her dress to ride up high on her upper thigh, leaving a large portion of skin exposed. Troy's thumb was rubbing the skin of her knee softly, back and forth, fingers clenched so firmly on her bare skin, a heated blush flared on her face. The way her back arched up into his leaning body made the swell of her breasts press firmly into the hard planes of his chest and her hips press into his.

The position was intimate, so much more intimate than any of their lingering touches had ever been, and the feel of Troy's body against hers caused a heat to coil in the pit of Gabriella's stomach. A fiery thrill made its way down her spine.

"All they have to do is make it to my parent's room and we can make a run for it," Troy whispered against her ear when they voices moved into the next room, presumably.

Gabriella nodded. She began to feel tingling pins in her leg that wasn't being held by Troy as numbness began to settle in. She shifted slightly, hoping to ward off the oncoming numbness and the sharp feeling of discomfort.

"Brie."

Rotating her hips slightly and ignoring Troy's soft whisper, she hoped to relieve some of the weight she was putting on that leg. The space was so tight, every movement had to be slow and careful.

"Brie."

"Hold on," she whispered back at the somewhat louder whisper, feeling around behind her for any room to shift into.

"Gabriella," Troy said with a suddenly harsh whisper and a groan. "Please don't do that."

She stilled immediately at the slight edge in his voice. His hand had tightened on her knee, as if trying to pull her closer to him and push her away at the same time. He was breathing harshly through his nose, and she knew he was ducking his head down because she could feel his bangs graze across her forehead just barely.

"What?" she asked in pure confusion at his strange behavior. What was she doing wrong?

But then, with her mouth falling open in utter humiliation and heat rushing into her face so fast it almost made her dizzy, she felt the answer to her question. Pressed against her upper thigh and dangerously close to her core, was something hard, the evidence of his arousal pressing against his jeans.

She had…turned him on? She had had a sexual effect on Troy Bolton. For a deathly still moment, they said nothing but attempted to stare at each other wide eyed in the dark. The idea that she had any kind of sexual influence on him made her embarrassed at her unintentional actions, but a greater part of her was filled from head to toe with a rush of exhilaration, a violent buzz of incredulousness and…ecstasy coursing through her veins like lava.

Maybe she should just apologize and fall back into silence, but this was _Troy_, and not a single part of her was left uncomfortable at the potentially awkward situation. So, instead, she laughed. Bringing up a hand to muffle the sound of her giddy, amused laughter, she let her delight spill from her lips, body quaking slightly with the force of them. After a few moments, Troy joined her in laughter, burying his face in her shoulder to stifle his own amusement.

When their laughter had calmed, Troy spoke with amusement, a hint of embarrassment, and an apology in his voice. "Oh fuck, I'm so sorry, Brie. Honestly. But I'm a warm blooded male being rubbed against by an extremely attractive female right now. This is my body's natural reaction."

Gabriella giggled quietly, her heart doing a violent shudder when he called her attractive. Finally, an actual vocal emission from him that signified that he didn't simply view her as a 'little sister' …and a very intense physical reaction to back up that view. Several things excited her in life- getting an extremely difficult question right during a scholastic decathlon competition, first opening a new book that she knows is going to be amazing, landing that stunt in cheer she couldn't land for weeks- but nothing had ever excited her more than this, made her legs quiver so intensely, her heart pound so viciously, her mouth hurt this bad from smiling so wide.

"It's fine, Troy. Honestly, how could you not react that way being stuck in a tiny room with a goddess like me," she said, echoing his previous words with a teasing lilt that held way more confidence than she expected. She didn't even know what made her say that, but something about the suddenness of the situation made her adrenaline rush.

For a very short moment, he was silent in surprise before chuckling heartily, leaning his head down closer to hers. They were so close now she could almost see the vibrant blue of his irises glowing in the darkness, their lips only inches away from each other, warm breath mingling in an intimate dance.

"Touche," he whispered softly, and she wished so desperately that she could see his face, see the emotion playing on his face, the intent written in his eyes. "I-"

"What's this room?" Joan's voice was suddenly right outside the door of the closet, the shadow of her figure visible in the light beneath the door.

Both teens gazed in absolute horror as the doorknob began to twist slowly, faces separating immediately when they realized how compromising this position would seem to his mother. Oh god, Lucille. Gabriella could already feel the mortification swelling in her stomach at the idea of being caught by the sweet Bolton matriarch.

"That's just a closet," Lucille's tinkling voice answered nonchalantly. "Come. Take a look at my room."

God bless Lucille, that wonderful, wonderful woman. The women's footsteps began to recede down the hall, and Gabriella let out a shaky, relieved breath, heart pounding thunderously.

Acting quickly and without any hesitation, Troy pushed open the door silently and pulled Gabriella out, leading her stealthily down the stairs by the hand. He turned to her when they reached the safety of the kitchen, and they both laughed at their almost disastrous situation.

"Well, that was interesting," Troy said calmly, though she could detect a faintly suggestive undertone in the statement.

The moment was ruined, the magic suddenly dissolving into the air like vaporous wisps, but Gabriella could still feel the tight coil of heat in her stomach, the thrill not gone from her blood quite yet. Laughter sounded from the backyard where a large amount of people were dancing, eating, and talking happily in the prettily lit backyard, the starry sky its dazzling backdrop.

"Dance with me?" Troy asked with a smile, not letting any awkwardness seep in between them for even a moment.

Gabriella smiled back softly, taking his hand and letting him lead her into the joyous atmosphere.

Yup, the dynamic of their relationship was definitely changing.

* * *

It was two in the morning and Gabriella couldn't sleep. She had to get up in four and a half fucking hours to gather all her stuff and get ready to catch her eight o'clock flight to California with Sharpay and Taylor in the morning.

Sharpay's grandparents owned a beach house in Laguna Beach, and Sharpay insisted on spending ten days of the summer there as a 'girl's vacation.' Gabriella knew what she was doing. Sharpay had planned this trip out purposely only two weeks before to help Taylor recover from her inevitable break up with Chad only three and a half weeks prior and to help Gabriella cope with the fact that Alex and Troy were leaving early to move into their college apartment that same day. She appreciated the thoughtfulness in a way she couldn't even express.

Groaning once more in aggravation, she turned over in her bed once again, clutching the comforter to her chest and willing sleep to settle over her. The glaring red figures on the clock resting on her bedside table now read 2: 09. Her mind was running wild with too many thoughts to fall tranquil.

After the day of Troy's graduation party, things had continued to shift between them, an electrified sexual tension now constantly nestled between them, so potent and so _there_. Every touch felt charged, every smile a little suggestive, but nothing _significant_ ever happened. Gabriella began to wonder if she was the only one feeling it. The thought terrified her. She couldn't seriously be the only one to feel something that powerful and that palpable, but Troy had made no sign of acknowledgement toward the sudden tension between them. His lingering touches continued but that was it.

She had spent every moment possible with him and Alex the past month, wanting to make good use of the little time they had left, but they had also been busy preparing for the move and for school. She felt like she and Troy were frozen, stuck in this frustrating state of limbo where she thought they could be more but was also unsure. It was tiring, frustrating, and painful, but Gabriella didn't let it attack her emotionally the way she had let past things attack her. Maybe they just needed more time. Maybe it wasn't going to happen at all. Either way, she didn't dwell on thoughts of the future. Her motto this summer had been to take things day by day and that was what she was going to continue doing.

Would she fall out of love with Troy after he moved? Would she be driven into misery again with his absence? The answer was hidden, and she didn't try and search for it. She cried about it sometimes when she would momentarily recede back into the girl she was several months ago, the one who would want and want and want until she couldn't want and breathe without gasping in pain at the same time. But that didn't happen very often, just when she was left to her own devices for too long after a day that maybe wasn't so magnificent.

She had faith things would work out for the better if she let them.

A sudden tapping broke into her thoughts and her eyes snapped open. Glancing around her room from her position laying down, she could see nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe it was just a bird. When she closed her eyes again, it returned. Annoyed, she sat up with squinted eyes, trying her best to see in the dim room.

Her eyes turned to the balcony and a violent jolt of fear hit her so hard, she jumped spastically and toppled off the bed ungracefully, a cry flying out of her mouth on the way down. She landed on her back, and groaned softly at the short throb of pain that shot up her spine. Thank god for the carpeting.

"Brie," came a muffled voice.

Peeking over top of the bed, she sighed in relief to see that the face in her balcony doors had been Troy's. His face was obscured by the shadows of the night, so when she'd first spotted it she couldn't initially recognize him. Standing with a still thundering heart, she marched over to the glass balcony doors and swung them open.

"Are you okay?" he asked in concern, stepping inside her room quickly and placing a hand on her shoulder.

She crossed her arms over her chest glared at him. "Is there a reason you're trying to give me a heart attack in the middle of the night? And how the hell did you get up here anyway?"

Troy grinned after realizing she was okay and stepped around her to plop down in her plush, giant purple bean bag near her bed, kicking off his shoes and resting his hands behind his head casually as if showing up on her balcony this late at night was perfectly normal. She clicked on the lamp on her bedside table, bathing the room in a soft, warm glow. She could now see he was wearing a pair of grey sweats and a white tee, the exact same thing he had been wearing hours ago when she had stopped by his house to say a quick, final goodbye before he would move out of Albuquerque. She'd decided to make it quick and not prolong it in the case she grew overly emotional.

"Cute PJs," Troy said with a smirk when the room was swathed in light and revealed her thin white pajama pants adorned with pink teddy bears. She rolled her eyes good naturedly and sat cross legged on her bed, raising her eyebrow as if to repeat her previous questions. "You know you weren't going to get away with that shitty goodbye you gave me earlier. And I just climbed the trellis." He said the last part with a shrug.

"The trellis?" she said, surprised. "That actually works? I thought that was just a movie thing."

"It's scarier than it looks," he said with a laugh. "I thought my weight would cause the entire thing to snap in half."

"Well," Gabriella began playfully. "You are pretty damn heavy."

He threw a small round pillow at her that she caught with a laugh. "Seriously, Brie," he started, leaning forward and placing his elbows on his knees. "I'm gonna miss you."

She smiled back softly, a little pained. "I'll miss you too, Wildcat."

He grinned and ruffled his hair with a single hand. "I love it when you call me that."

"I can't be the only one who says that," she said with an affectionate smile.

"Well, when you say it, it just sounds different from everyone else. Better." He was messing with something he found wedged in the bean bag, not looking up at her when he said it, unaware that the words made her heart stutter.

He stood and went to join at her on the bed, tossing himself down at the foot of it on his back. She suddenly became aware of the wild disarray her hair was in from all the tossing and turning and began to gather her hair in her hands to pull it into a ponytail.

"Don't," Troy said suddenly, sitting up slightly and supporting his weight on his elbows. "You look great like that."

She released her hair, letting the tendrils fall back around her shoulders in a waterfall of dark waves. "I look like I don't own a comb," she said with a laugh, attempting to fight off the blush. She didn't.

"Ahhh there's the blush I was waiting for," Troy laughed, and Gabriella groaned.

"You do it on purpose!" Gabriella accused good naturedly, and Troy nodded.

"Guilty," he responded without shame. "It's just so…appealing to me."

There it was again, another admission of attraction to her. Gabriella was unsure of what to do with it, so she just ducked her head to hide the giddy grin. Troy suddenly launched into a story about a time several years ago when they were children and Gabriella's uncontrollable blushing had revealed to their parents the lie she, Troy, and Alex had been trying to commit.

She laid back against her pillows, laughing as the story extended into memory sharing, the nostalgia and sadness seeping into her bones slowly, and she could hear the sting of wistfulness in his voice as well. Her eyes began to feel heavy as they talked, a heavy cloak of fatigue hitting her full force. Troy's voice was soothing, his presence comforting, and the warmth of the environment began to lull her to sleep despite the fact that she was trying to fight it to just gaze upon his face as much as possible before she had to get used to him being gone.

"I think I should go now," Troy said softly. She felt the bed shift as moved, leaning over her to peer at her face and prepare to tell her goodbye. Sluggishly, despite the haze in her mind, she lifted a hand to his shirt and clutched the fabric in her fist.

"No," she mumbled sleepily. "Stay little longer."

Through sleepy eyes, she saw him smile fondly and reach over to flip off the lamp, plunging the room into darkness. "Okay. Just a while longer."

He laid down beside her, close, and pulled her into his arms, a movement she accepted without hesitation. She snuggled into his chest, pressing her ear to it so that she could let his heartbeat lull her to sleep. Their legs tangled, their breaths calm and deep. This felt so right, _so damn good_.

"Brie," he whispered. "I have to tell you something."

"Mmmm," was her grumbled response, the sleep in her brain preventing her from forming adequate sentences. His arms tightened around her, his lips burying into her hair as a silence settled over them. A long pause followed her response, but her fatigue prevented her from hearing the importance in the silence, the words that filled the empty space.

"Never mind," he murmured softly, settling back into the pillows. "I'll tell you some other time."

They lapsed back into silence and she felt so _alive_ in his arms. This was perfect. This was the perfect way to say goodbye to him. The only thing that would make this more perfect would be if she didn't have to say goodbye at all.

* * *

"Here you go. Have a nice day!" Gabriella said, handing the mother and her son their ice cream cones.

Blowing back a hair from her face, the young teen glanced around the somewhat empty ice cream parlor and sighed. The day had been slow, and she was so unbelievably bored. Her job would be over in a few weeks when school started and she couldn't be happier. Working at this ice cream parlor for the summer hadn't been the most exciting thing.

She had gotten back from California only a week ago, and it had been amazing. She, Sharpay, and Taylor had spent an abundant amount of time swimming, tanning, shopping, sightseeing, and just being together in the best way friends could. She'd had fun. Taylor, though visibly hurt by her breakup with Chad, hadn't let it put a dark air around the trip and had only cried once. It motivated Gabriella to do the same and just be there, with her girls, being happy and carefree despite the fact that things were about to change, and she wasn't sure if it would be a good or bad one.

She hadn't had much time to miss Troy and Alex, but her heart had somehow made the time, letting the pain seep into her heart slowly throughout the day, a niggling, annoying sting that she felt everywhere, all the time. But she didn't let it distract her, didn't let it push her to her knees because she had been preparing for this for a long time. They weren't gone forever, just for now. She couldn't forget that.

The little bell over the door chimed, and she glanced up from wiping down the counter to see a handsome young man with jet black hair and grey eyes enter, stuffing his hands in his dark jean pockets casually while his red t-shirt hung fittingly around his figure.

"Hi," he said in a smooth voice with a small half smile.

Gabriella smiled at him. She already knew what he wanted. "Mint chocolate chip double scoop, right?" He grinned and nodded, and she couldn't help but notice how cute his dimples were. As she scooped the ice cream into a cone, she decided to keep talking. "So what's your name?"

"Ethan," he responded, digging his wallet out of his back pocket. "Yours?"

"Gabriella," she answered, wrapping the cone in a napkin and handing it to him over the counter. Their fingers brushed slightly. "You come in here a lot. You must have a serious sweet tooth."

Sliding the five dollar bill across the white Formica counter, he glanced up at her from beneath his dark bangs. "I, uh, don't really come here for the ice cream." The way he was staring at her, deeply and softly, immediately portrayed his meaning to her.

She swallowed thickly. "Oh. Well, what do you come here for then?"

She handed him back his change, slightly nervous at his answer and appalled by her own blatant flirtation.

He grinned at her cheekily, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. "I've actually been working up the nerve to come and ask you out on a date. I was maybe a little nervous. But, since it's already out there, I guess this is me asking."

He didn't say it cockily, just casually, with a charming smile. She eyed him for a moment. He was nothing like Troy. Troy was lean and muscular, powerful in his presence but sweet in manner, all man and strength. This guy was lean with only an average bit of muscle definition, laid back in manner, cute and mysterious in presence, cheeky with a hint of confidence. Everything about him just felt different from Troy.

Gabriella wasn't sure if she wanted to go out with him. Yeah, he was cute and maybe they had flirted a bit every time he came in, but did that mean anything? Troy was still on her mind constantly, his cologne still a phantom smell in her nose, the muscular plains of his chest still memorized beneath her fingertips, his presence still burrowed deep, _deep_ into her heart, unmoving, static. But he was gone, and her questions were left unanswered, her desires still unreturned. This summer had produced something between her and Troy that felt newly compelling, newly mesmerizing, but was it really _something_ if it still hadn't brought them together?

Should she continue waiting for something to happen between them now that he had gone off to experience a new life, a new world of excitement and possibilities? Should she continue to wait for a boy whom she had loved for years when she was suddenly being confronted with her own possibilities?

The answer wasn't concrete, wasn't obvious or easy, but she knew what direction her brain was pushing her toward.

"I would love to go out with you, Ethan."

* * *

A/N: Don't worry! This is still a Troyella story but it's about time Gabriella got some kind of action from someone! haha

Obviously she's having trouble making the first move because honestly, who isn't terrified of that sometimes? But in the next chapter a move will definitely be made...and in the chapter after that a BIGGER move will be made. So fun haha

Sorry there wasn't too much action going on in this one. Thanks for sticking around with me guys!


	5. Junior Year

A/N: Well...this chapter is like twice as long as some of my other ones buuuut when I feel the need to write, I write! Plus Troyella is just an amazing couple to write about! Thanks for the reviews and I hope you guys like iiiiit :)

* * *

There was a certain rush and excitement Gabriella felt with Ethan that she had never quite felt before. He was fun and exciting, unafraid to break the rules for a good laugh and a thrill, and he didn't try and shelter her when they were doing something stupid. That's what she liked the most about him. With him, she didn't have to be careful and tread lightly the way she did with Troy; she could just dive right in. Ethan was a consistent buzz, inflicting upon her a tornado of emotions that she didn't know she could feel for anyone but Troy, a tempest of feelings that had her caught up into him instantly.

The one date she had halfheartedly agreed to had turned into several, and, before she knew it, it was nearing the end of October and the two had been dating steadily for over two months, nearly three. Gabriella was aware that she was really putting herself out there for Ethan, really pushing aside any fears or qualms she'd held before when it came to dating and just throwing herself in headfirst. She had feelings for Ethan, strong ones, but her heart seemed to think that if she committed herself to Ethan fully, put her all into this relationship, then maybe…just maybe, Troy wouldn't be a lingering presence in her soul anymore.

"What are you thinking about?" Ethan whispered huskily in Gabriella's ear as he pressed her into the wall, his body flush against hers.

Even through her drunken haze, his thumb rubbing the skin of her hip and his hand cupping her warmed cheek gave her a sharp, rush of heat down her spine, a pull in her stomach.

"Oh you know, just this really cute guy I've been eyeing at this party. Wonder if he's single," she teased with a wink. The newfound confidence that had come with dating Ethan was surprising but very, very welcome. She didn't understand how he could bring out so many qualities in her she didn't know she had.

Ethan opened his mouth to respond when one of his friends clapped him on the shoulder drunkenly. "Hey, man! Donny brought the weed. He's setting up the bong in a room upstairs."

Just like that, Gabriella knew she had lost his attention for the night. After kissing her soundly on the mouth and pulling her tighter against him for a moment, Ethan turned and walked through a crowd of partygoers to the stairs. With an irritated sigh, Gabriella thumped her head back against the wall and continued to nurse her drink.

One of Ethan's most unforgettable flaws: marijuana was his favorite thing in the world, and it could steal his attention within seconds. It was annoying_, so damn annoying_ to be blown off repeatedly for the drug, but he didn't do it _too_ often so she chose to overlook it. He was so fun, so great to be around and easy to talk to. She didn't want this one little thing to ruin what they were building. Oftentimes, he would try and convince her to try it with him, just do something a little risky for the fun of saying you did it, but she just wasn't ready. Smoking wasn't really something she wanted to pick up, so she always refused and stayed back in the corner as he and his friends sucked the fumes into their lungs and let it lift their minds onto cloud nine.

After half an hour of meandering through the party crowd aimlessly and standing around awkward and alone, Gabriella pulled out her cellphone. She didn't want to call Sharpay or Taylor. Neither of the girls really approved of her dating Ethan; they both claimed that they got a bad vibe from him, that he was too much of a bad influence and was too wild. She didn't take their judgment too harshly. They didn't even know him, didn't know the way he made her feel. She also had a theory that they didn't take too kindly to her dating someone from West High.

Her fingers seemed to move on their own, flipping through the contacts of her phone and listening to the drone of the ringing in her ear as she shoved her way to the door and stepped out into the cool night air.

Sighing and moving away from a crowd of guys hovering outside as well, she waited.

"_Hello?"_

"Troy?" Gabriella said surprised. She glanced at her phone to see that she had indeed called him instead of Alex as she intended. Okay, maybe she was more drunk than she thought.

"_Brie! What's wrong? Are you okay? You're calling so late." _Troy sounded concerned, and she could picture him, vibrant eyes narrowed in concern.

She laughed and spoke slowly as to not slur obscenely. "I'm okay. Just at a West High party, bored. I don't know where my boyfriend went."

There was a long silence, so long and still Gabriella was afraid he had hung up on her.

"_Oh, you have a boyfriend."_

It wasn't a question but a statement said with little emotion, only a hint of surprise coloring the bland tone. It irritated her. Was it really that bizarre that she had found a boyfriend?

"Yeah. His name is Ethan," Gabriella said with a slight edge to her voice. She didn't mean to say it with such attitude, but in her drunken state it seemed to seep into her words effortlessly. "We've been together for two months."

"_Oh two months? So not that long after we left, huh?" _Gabriella could detect the coolness in his voice, a somewhat biting, accusatory tone that set her teeth on edge in irritation.

"Yup," she said, smacking her lips on the p and clenching her phone tighter, glaring off into the distance at the group of guys who were laughing together animatedly. "And he's been amazing to me."

"_Are you drunk?" _Without waiting for an answer he continued angrily_. "You're drunk at a West High party where you don't know anyone and your boyfriend ditched you. Yeah, he sounds pretty fucking amazing, Brie."_

"He didn't ditch me!" she practically shouted, furious at him for speaking to her so condescendingly despite the fact that what she said wasn't true. "You have no damn room to judge, Troy. And I'm a big girl. I know how to take care of myself."

"_Do you, Gabriella? Because your mom's been telling Alex about your suddenly wild partying habits, how you come in late every weekend, how you barely eat these days. This guy must be something special if you're willing to change for him."_

Unwanted, angry tears sprung into Gabriella's eyes at his harsh words. Troy had never been this way with her, had never spoken to her with such venom before. "Crazy partying habits? Are you fucking serious! I go out. I have fun. You and Alex did the same thing when you were only freshman. And I'm not changing for anyone! I'm doing what I want for me and enjoying it, so thank you for being such an asshole."

With those final words, she hung up on Troy before he could speak again and shoved the phone into the back pocket of her jeans and then stood in the quiet of the night, angry, hurt, and suddenly confused. The laughing boys were now silent and eyeing her in curiosity and amusement. A rush of intense embarrassment zipped through her, and she turned her back to them in shame, crossing her arms over her chest and staring off into the distance. Here she was at a party with her _boyfriend_, who had ditched for the quick gratification of marijuana, arguing heatedly with a guy who wasn't her boyfriend over something that had deeper implications than what they were actually saying and being watched by other people who probably thought she was insane. This whole situation felt wrong.

A vibration in her back pocket distracted her from her thoughts, and she whipped the phone back out to see Troy's name flashing across the screen brightly. She hesitated, unsure if she should answer, before sighing and accepting the call.

"What?"

"_I'm sorry, Brie,"_ Troy said, with a sigh and regret in his voice. _"I didn't mean to say any of that. I just…." _He trailed off for a moment, and she pictured him running his hand through his hair in frustration, muscular shoulders hunched. _"You shouldn't be alone at a West High party, and it seriously pisses me off that this Ethan guy would leave you on your own. I mean, seriously Brie. You're drunk and someone could easily take advantage of you. I just…want you to be safe."_

A small smile found its way onto her face at the sweet concern in his voice, anger melting away instantly. Only Troy could make her feel two completely different emotions in a matter of minutes. "I know," she said softly. "And I'm sorry too. Alcohol makes me react stupidly." He laughed. "But this isn't Ethan's fault completely. _I_ decided to drink, and _I_ was the one who chose to come to this party. But I'll sober up and go home. Don't worry."

Troy chuckled and then spoke softly. "_Alex never told me you had a boyfriend."_

Gabriella leaned against the brick of the house. "I wasn't ready to tell him just yet. And I guess my mom hasn't mentioned it either. You know how Alex gets." She said the last part playfully, but Troy only produced a half-hearted laugh.

"_Yeah. Well, I hope he treats you right, Brie. You were right. I probably shouldn't judge so quickly_," he said in a voice that sounded strained, almost pained. But Gabriella wasn't sure. The alcohol made everything foggy.

"He does," she responded quietly. Ethan suddenly stepped out into the yard, glancing around until his eyes finally landed on her off to the side. "I have to go, Troy. I'll see you soon, Wildcat."

"Yeah. Goodnight, Brie," he said softly and then hung up.

"Hey, babe." Ethan slid up next to her the instant she stuck her phone into her pocket and threw an arm across her shoulders, pulling her into him, eyes red and droopy. "You ready to go?" Gabriella nodded and smiled up at him gently, the distinct smell of marijuana clinging to his clothes and filling her nostrils.

As they walked back into the house to say goodbye to his friends, she recognized the familiar, painful twang in her heart, the one that was associated specifically with Troy, the one that wasn't at all softened with Ethan's presence. Simply hidden beneath it.

* * *

The door shut with a soft click, and Gabriella breathed a sigh of relief, finally escaping the cold November air that had been chilling her bones for the past twenty minutes. She wobbled as she removed her shoes with stiff fingers and set them beside the door. Stepping lightly, she attempted to meander her way through the darkness of her house to the stairs without waking anyone. It was five thirty in the morning, and she was certain her mom and Alex would be furious if they knew she had stayed out this late with Ethan at yet another party.

Bordering on four months with him and she was still just as enamored by him as she had been when they first began dating. Something about being with him made her feel confident and beautiful and valued. Troy had been right; she was changing, but not for Ethan. It felt like a natural change, like having Ethan and giving herself to someone completely and having someone give back was maturing her. Just a couple weeks ago she had given her virginity to Ethan and had been strangely unafraid. Instead, she had been excited by the vulnerability, thrilled by the sexuality. Despite the fact that it was a little painful, she felt…liberated, different.

Just as she was about to reach the staircase, she heard a shuffling from the kitchen and knew she had been caught.

"Brie?"

Turning slowly, the dark haired beauty found Troy standing in the doorway to the kitchen, highlighted from behind by the bright yellow light he had just flicked on and clutching a plate of pizza rolls. He was only wearing a pair of soft red sweats, no shirt. She couldn't resist running her eyes along his toned physique, knowing she could get away with it in her place in the dark. He was perfection.

"Oh, Troy. I, uh, didn't know you were here," she answered nervously, teeth still chattering and trying to slowly edge toward the stairs. She just wanted to change out of her jeans and too thin sweater and dive beneath her comforter and try to restore some warmth to her frozen limbs.

"Are you seriously just getting in right now?" he asked incredulously.

"Did you seriously get up in the middle of the night just to eat?" she shot back, desperate to escape.

Ever since that phone call in October, things had been…weird between them. They hardly spoke anymore, practically at all. Once when she had skyped with Alex, Troy had popped into his room, froze when he saw her, and then continued to make strained, awkward conversation with her when Alex forced him to take over so he could go pay for the pizza being delivered. It was still tense despite the fact that they had resolved their disagreement that night, and she couldn't quite figure out why. Gabriella was unsure how to handle it, so she instead tried to focus all her attention on Ethan, on letting her affections for him override her confusion over Troy.

Troy glared at her after her response, and, with an exasperated sigh, she resigned and marched into the kitchen, not wanting Troy's very unquiet voice to wake anyone upstairs. He followed, placing the plate on the kitchen island.

"Christ, Brie!" he said suddenly when he saw her in the bright lighting, the pale pallor of her skin, the violent chattering of her teeth. "You look like hell."

She was about to snap back a retort, but he abruptly strode toward her and grabbed her small hands in his larger ones, encompassing them in their warmth.

"God, you're freezing," he said absent mindedly, pulling her shivering form into his chest. His skin was warm, so warm and smooth, and she rested her cold cheek against his chest, her body crushing into his as it sought out the radiating heat. She let him wrap his arms around her body protectively. "What the hell were you doing? Wait, how did you even get here? I didn't hear any car doors."

"I walked home," she mumbled into his chest without thinking, her lips brushing softly against his skin.

"What the fuck!" The anger in his voice was poorly concealed, and she swallowed thickly when she realized she probably shouldn't have said that.

"Ummm…me and Ethan may have had a fight…and I may have walked out of the party and just headed straight here."

Just like normal couples, the two had their arguments, which had lately been exacerbated when they were out partying.

"How far away was the party?"

She hesitated. "Uhhh, a good twenty minute walk."

Troy was silent, but his body had gone rigid, his arms closing around her tighter. She could practically feel the anger coming off him in waves. Apprehension sat heavy in her gut. The last thing she wanted was another argument with him.

"You're mad," she said softly as an observation and not a question. She stepped back out of his arms and his wonderful warmth to look at the rigid set of his face.

"I'm trying really hard not to be, Brie," he said stiffly, rubbing his lightly stubbled jaw in frustration. "But…fuck! What do you see in this guy! He let you walk home alone in the middle of the night in thirty degree weather. He does not fucking care about you!"

Gabriella took a deep breath, trying to push down her own bubbling anger. "I was the one who walked away, Troy! It's not like he knew where I was going so that he could follow me."

"You're making excuses for him, Gabriella," Troy snapped.

"I'm not!" She walked around the other side of the island and braced her hands against it, glaring at the older boy before her. "You just seem so intent on doubting him."

Troy also pressed his hands hard into the island counter, leaning forward so that he could glare at her. "He's no good for you, Gabriella. You just don't want to see it."

She didn't understand why he couldn't just take her word for it. Ethan wasn't a bad person or a bad boyfriend. He made his mistakes like every human did, and he made up for them later.

Gabriella rounded the counter to stalk over to the stairs when Troy's hand shot out and clenched firmly around her elbow, whipping her back around to face him. Her dark waves swung and practically slapped him in the face. His eyes grew darker.

"Why do you smell like weed?"

She attempted to wrench her arm out of his grip, but he just pulled her closer, forcing her to bend her head back to look up into his blazing eyes.

"Because I tried it," Gabriella responded through clenched teeth. "And no, I'm not high."

Troy looked astounded. "Brie, you don't smoke. It's not you."

She scoffed. "Troy, we've barely spoken since you left. It's pretty possible that I'm not the exact same person you remembered."

"You're not the same because you're changing for _him_," Troy ground out, practically spitting out the last word. "Look at you! You're so thin!"

A headache began to settle over Gabriella. She already fought with Ethan- she couldn't even remember over what- which was going to be a pain in the ass to smooth out later, and she didn't want to be angry at Troy or have him angry at her. This argument was getting heated, so much so that she could practically feel it radiating between them. The tension was heavy, and being so close to him while he was only half clothed made it even more thick, filled with a kind of heat that maybe wasn't associated with anger.

"Brie," Troy said more softly, using the free hand that wasn't keeping her in place to cup her cheek gently. "There are so many other guys out there who are better for you, who could love you better."

The shift in the argument was immediately noticeable, and Gabriella knew they weren't talking about Ethan anymore.

"Oh, really? Like who?" she asked, as if daring him to say it, begging him to say what she had been wanting to hear for so long.

He was staring at her so intently, and they were so, so close, lips hovering only centimeters away. She ran her wet tongue against her now warmed lips and saw his eyes follow the movement. Her heart was thundering.

"I think you kno-" he began in a strong voice when there was a sudden interruption.

"What the hell are you two yelling about?" Alex asked sleepily, squinting in the light and leaning heavily against the doorway. "Gabby, did you just get home?"

Disappointment hit Gabriella like a punch to the gut, so hard it practically made her breathless. She and Troy had moved apart at the first sound of Alex's voice, and she glanced back at him to see a flash of a twisted expression on his face, a mix of something that looked like pain and frustration, before it was schooled back into its usual smoothness.

"Sorry, Alex," Gabriella said. "Troy can tell you the story and you can yell at me tomorrow. I'm tired." Before she walked away, she turned to Troy for a second. "I'll be fine. Trust me," she whispered with a small, forced smile.

He just stared at her with furrowed brows, and she turned and strode passed her still confused brother to the stairs. After only a few steps, she sat down to catch her breath, pressing a hand to her chest where her heart was pounding relentlessly, furiously.

What was he going to say? It looked as if he would actually say something important, something that he _really_ wanted to say, and the sizzling electricity between them made her think that maybe she already knew. But she needed something concrete instead of just her stupid assumptions.

Wait, what she needed to do was call Ethan and fix the mess they had created earlier. Ethan. Did it matter what Troy was going to say when she had Ethan in her life now? She cared about him so much, felt something so intense when she was with him, that another confusing Troy moment shouldn't throw her for a loop anymore.

"Dude, what's going on?" she heard Alex ask and Troy beginning to mumble something. Gabriella quickly stumbled to her room before Alex could receive the story and tear into her.

She went to bed still trying to convince herself that whatever Troy was going to say wouldn't have mattered. She couldn't make herself believe it before she fell asleep.

* * *

Exuberant shouts and boisterous laughing and talking filtered into the living room from the back yard, loud music pumping from Alex's speakers. Gabriella sighed, sinking back into the soft couch cushions. She glanced out the window impatiently, waiting for Ethan's car to finally pull up in her driveway, but saw nothing in the dark of the night. It sounded like Alex and all of his friends were having a great time out back partying. He had decided that while he was down for his Christmas break he would throw a little party for he and his friends, and they had all gotten effectively drunk about an hour ago, and it was only eleven o'clock. No doubt they would continue all night until they could no longer stand. She wondered how they could withstand the cold air for so long. The alcohol must be keeping them warm.

Shrugging out of her warm red pea coat, Gabriella made herself comfortable, clicking the television on to pass the time. She was flipping through the channels uninterestedly when a deep, slurred voice broke through her silence.

"What're you doing by yourself?" Troy was leaning heavily, drunkenly, against the wall, eyeing her with a goofy grin.

She laughed at his obviously inebriated state and the way he needed the wall for support. It was a surprise to her that the two of them were here, speaking alone. Ever since their argument less than a month ago, the two of them had been trying their best to not let the even heavier tension between them effect the way they interacted. It was a good effort put forth on both parts, and for the most part it had managed to work, but Gabriella had a feeling that as long as Ethan was in the picture, things wouldn't be going back to normal. The spark between she and Troy was now even more intensified, more impossible to ignore, and the fact that they both knew it was there added a magnetism between them that they were both trying desperately to retaliate against.

Gabriella wasn't ready to let go of Ethan just yet. She was too invested him at this point, too attached to the thrill he elicited in her. And Alex had just informed her that Troy finally met a girl back at college, someone that he was incredibly smitten by, someone that he wanted to pursue and pursue correctly. Gabriella did her best not to acknowledge the fact that it stung like hell to hear it. But it _really_ _fucking_ _stung_.

So they each had their own special someone now, and it should have been easy to just ignore the pull between them, but it was like gravity, a physical force that couldn't be ignored, wouldn't be ignored.

"I'm waiting for someone," Gabriella replied, watching as he plopped down heavily and with a loud sigh beside her.

"Ohhh, you're going out with Eric tonight," Troy slurred, making a face when he said his name, and Gabriella chuckled at his obviously intentional mistake, not bothering to correct him. He was struggling to shrug out of his jacket, so with an amused quirk of her lips, Gabriella sat up straighter and helped him to push it off his shoulders and down his arms, letting her fingers graze the skin of his forearms lightly.

"Maybe you should stop drinking," she teased, taking note of his bleary stare. Troy was suddenly leaning very close to her, one hand resting on her knee.

"Maybe you shoooould stay here with me," he said, doing his best to give her a deep stare. "You'd have a great time outside with us!"

"I've already made plans," she responded, not bothering to lean back away from him. It wasn't like being in such close proximity to Troy had ever bothered her.

Troy ran a hand quickly through his bronze locks, and she really wished he would stop doing that because it was so damn sexy. "I don't like that guy. I really don't like that guy."

Gabriella chuckled, not offended because he had already made that obvious long ago. "You don't have to like him," she said slowly. "I'm the only one who has to like him."

"Well, stop," he said simply, squeezing her leg gently just a few inches above her knee where it had previously rested.

The heat of his palm was practically scorching her skin through her dark pants, and she shivered at the way his warm breath hit her neck, sending a violent rush of tingling warmth down her spine. He was staring at her through slightly hooded eyes, and the intoxicating blue made her feel suddenly entranced. Her blood felt like it was running hot and sluggish, and he was moving even closer to her, placing his other hand on her hip underneath her sweater, pressing his thumb into a spot there that made her stomach clench in arousal.

He was drunk off alcohol, and she was drunk off him.

"Umm...you should probably get back to your friends," she whispered, her voice suddenly weak.

He wasn't smiling anymore, just staring at her intently. "Nah I'd rather be here," he said softly and then his lips were crashing onto hers.

She was certain her heart stopped in shock…or excitement…or both. His lips were soft and hot, moving against hers expertly and sensually, and though her brain hadn't fully caught up yet, her body was responding to his without hesitation. When his tongue slid against her lips, she parted them to let him in, and when his hands latched onto her hips to pull her closer, she let her body be crushed into his, arms slipping around his neck and fingers burying in his luscious, thick locks.

Every inch of her felt like fire, a blazing inferno of pleasure and lust just for him. He was kissing her so thoroughly, touching her so confidently, that she forgot everything but him. Somehow, he had shifted them so he was pressing her back down into the couch and pressing his hips down into hers as her legs parted to cradle him. Her lungs were screaming for air, but she didn't want oxygen as much as she wanted him.

Their mouths worked furiously together, and one of his hands grasped the upper thigh of one leg tightly, possessively, while the other buried deep into her hair, pulling the stands so that she was forced to lean her head back while his wicked mouth worked at her pulse point. Her eyes rolled back in euphoria, and she bucked her hips up into his, gasping at the violent jolt of pleasure that shot straight from her core to her toes. He growled against her neck and bit down softly at the skin just beneath her jaw.

This was so hot, so explosive, so all consuming, so electrically, powerfully, blindingly hot. Ethan had never kissed her like this.

"Oh my god!" she shouted, shoving him off her.

Drunkenly catching himself before he fell from the couch, he stilled at the other end of the sofa. They stared at each other, wide eyed and chests heaving.

"Brie-"

"We can't do this, Troy," she said frantically, sitting up and smoothing her hands over her hair. "I have Ethan, and you just met that Alyssa girl. You're so drunk you won't even remember this in the morning. This was wrong."

Troy swallowed. "I won't, Brie. I won't forget." He had tried to speak without slurring or fumbling his words but failed.

Gabriella took several deep, calming breaths and stood. Her heart was pounding so hard it made her dizzy. Guilt was pouring into her heart like a waterfall. She had just cheated on Ethan, the boy who had managed to steal a piece of her heart that had once completely belonged to Troy. She felt disgusting. And Troy…he was drunk, completely wasted out of his mind. He didn't know what he was doing.

He didn't know what he was doing….and she really wanted so desperately, achingly bad for him to have known. Because now it meant nothing.

"Troy, it's..it's fine. Just go party with your friends. Have fun. I have to go."

She launched herself up the stairs, fingers rapidly typing out a text to Ethan to not pick her up, that she was suddenly feeling sick and couldn't go out with him tonight, before locking herself in her room and releasing several shuddering breaths and a heavy flow of acidic tears. She didn't know if she felt worse for herself or for Ethan.

The next morning when she was heading downstairs, she heard Troy asking Alex 'what the hell happened last night', and she smiled bitterly. She should be relieved that she would be the only one with knowledge of the incident, could push it to the dark recesses of her mind and pretend it never happened and wouldn't have to deal with any awkwardness from Troy.

But she wasn't.

* * *

For the first time in her life, Gabriella's heart was being broken by someone that wasn't Troy.

Her entire body hurt, the effects of heartbreak spreading like poison through her veins, making her chest shudder, her stomach heave, her legs weak, her spirit frail. It had been four days since Ethan had dropped the bomb on her, told her that he didn't quite feel the same anymore and he didn't see their relationship going anywhere from that point. There had been no pain on his face when he had said it, just an apologetic grimace, a look that sent Gabriella crashing ungracefully into reality.

She hadn't realized how in over her head she had been until she was suddenly being yanked out of the water. And now here she was, sitting sloppily on the cold tile of her bathroom, pathetically drunk and crying pitifully, trying to deal with it all. The contents of her stomach had been emptied into the toilet bowl several times, her stomach rejecting the vodka she had been heavily consuming only hours ago. All those drinks had been a terrible idea, and maybe she shouldn't have listened to Sharpay when the blonde suggested a party to get her out of her bubble of despair.

Everything she had done with Ethan had involved partying, and at every party she was drinking all types of alcohol. Now, the alcohol causing her world to spin and her stomach to heave made her feel disgusting, made her feel stupid and horrible.

Stumbling to her feet, she woozily stood in front of the sink, leaning on the ceramic counter top heavily. She almost couldn't recognize herself in the mirror. She was pale from being sick, dark smears of mascara and eyeliner smudged messily around her eyes, red lip gloss smeared sloppily around her mouth from wiping the back of her hand across it, pink blouse wrinkled. For the first time, she began to see what Troy had been trying to tell her for so long. Her face was a little too thin, cheekbones a little too prominent, eyes so weary and lifeless, and her dark waves didn't look so vibrant or luscious anymore. She looked small and hopeless.

Had being with Ethan done this to her? Had he really only been a toxic presence in her life? And how could she not notice that? Gabriella suddenly felt foolish and very unlike herself.

Splashing her face with cool water, she began to scrub away the makeup covering her face and then snatched up the toothpaste to clean out the bitter taste of bile from her mouth. A few minutes later she straightened again, feeling a little relieved at the fresh tingle on her tongue and the light feel of a makeup free face.

Maybe she deserved it she couldn't help but think as she continued to stare disapprovingly at her reflection. After all, Ethan had initially been a rebound after Troy left, and, even after he grew to be someone important, she hadn't stopped feeling those things for Troy. After the kiss two months ago, she did her best to pretend it never happened and continue her somewhat tense friendship with Troy, but it was always at the forefront of her mind, always what she was thinking about when Ethan was kissing her. It was obvious to her now that she and Ethan's relationship began falling apart the minute Troy's lips touched hers. They fought all the time, and since she was so preoccupied with Troy, she didn't try very hard to smooth out the anger after each argument.

And while she was heartbroken that she would no longer have Ethan in her life, she was also upset by the fact that Ethan had been her first hope of happiness without Troy, and that had totally failed. Her love was doomed to be infinite.

With a heavy sigh, she turned away from the mirror and sat back down on the hard floor in front of the tub, pulling her knees to her chest and putting her head in her hands to stop the room from spinning. A knock sounded and before she could yell for whoever it was to go away, the door was pushed open slowly.

Troy's head popped in, a frown and a look of heavy concern on his face. Oh no, she didn't want to see him. Her heart was torn to ribbons already and she had a feeling Troy's presence, while comforting, would tangle her fragile emotions into an even greater mess.

"Brie," he whispered, pained, sympathetic, pityingly.

To her absolute horror, her lips began to quiver, and she burst into a fresh set of tears, thin shoulders shaking with the force of them. Immediately, Troy stepped into the small bathroom, sinking down beside her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He pulled her into his chest so her tears could be absorbed by his shirt and rubbed his hand soothingly up and down her back.

It was several minutes before she calmed again, her drunken stupor forcing all of her emotions outward with tremendous force. Troy's arms felt so strong, his chest so solid, and her tears were slowly halted by his immovable strength, his sweet protection.

"I'm sorry, Troy," she mumbled into his chest. Placing two gentle hands on her cheeks, he pulled her head up to look her in the eye. His vibrant azure eyes were confused. "I should have listened to you sooner. About Ethan."

He smiled sadly at her, pained, so very pained. "You were in love with him, Brie. You didn't want to see it."

She stared at him wide eyed. Was she in love with him? Could she be in love with someone else when she had always so completely belonged to Troy?

Swallowing thickly, she continued to stare into the ocean blue of his eyes, finding them to be a steady point to focus on to mitigate her dizziness. "I think I was a little," she responded slowly, and he flinched as if she had hit him. That was weird. "But I also think I was more in love with the idea of him." She paused, her throat clenching tightly. "And apparently he wasn't that great of an idea anyway."

Another tear trekked down her cheek, and Troy wiped it away softly with the slightly rough pad of his thumb. It suddenly came to her attention that he was wearing a suit, minus the suit jacket. He must have just gotten back from his aunt's wedding, which was the whole reason he had come home this weekend, Alex tagging along with him naturally.

"You're gonna get your suit dirty," she mumbled, and he smiled at her softly.

"It's okay," he said softly. "Are you going to be sick?"

"No," she sighed heavily. "I've already thrown up about four times. I think I'm done."

Even in her drunken state, she was aware that she must look like hell, and she drew her knees tighter into her chest, trying to hide herself and shrink away.

"Don't do that," Troy said, grabbing one of her ankles and pulling it so that her body wasn't so blocked off. He pushed back some of the dark hair that had fallen into her face, and his eyes seemed to burn as he stared at her. "Don't hide from me, Brie. Fuck that guy. He messed up the best thing he'll ever have."

Gabriella sniffled and sucked in a deep, shuddering breath. "The sad thing is I don't know if I'm more upset about losing him or losing me while I was with him," she said in a teary voice.

Troy's fingers clenched around her ankle and then released again, as if he was angry. She knew he was. After all, he had been the one to warn her constantly about Ethan.

"You'll never lose yourself, Brie," he responded in a strong voice. "Because I'll always be here to bring you back."

He was smiling at her softly, pain and affection written so clearly in his eyes. She wondered briefly if that pain was for her or because of her. Her inebriated mind could really take her to some crazy places. But she realized with sudden clarity that he was right. Troy would always be there to bring her back because Troy would always be there, and she would always love him. Ethan had just proved that. Her heart was falling to pieces in her chest, yet it still found the strength to love Troy, completely, without hesitation, and powerfully. It was a terrifying thought.

"I do have to admit," he began, licking his lips and looking down at the floor. "That I'm glad it's over between you two. Ethan being around has really just been...annoying and…wrong. Guess I just want to keep you to myself."

Gabriella's stomach flipped and not from the alcohol this time. For the first time that night, she managed a weak smile. "Well, now you have me."

They sat in silence for a moment, him rubbing the bare skin of her ankle with his thumb and she just watching the soft play of emotions on his face.

She knew recovering from Ethan would take some time, but she also knew that she would be okay. The only concern remaining was what would happen with Troy now, after all the fighting, the jealousy, the tension, the kiss.

She had been waiting for him for so long, so achingly long, but maybe after the wounds left by Ethan had healed and she was ready again, she wouldn't do as much waiting. Maybe she would just go for it.

* * *

A/N: So there it is! Yes I am aware there is a lot of alcohol, drugs, and inebriation in this chapter but I feel like there's that period in everyone's life when things are changing, you're changing, and everything's kind of a rush that feels a little like being drunk the entire time haha

And yup, part of Gabby is changing for the better, like her confidence and self-security, but sometimes those things come from spending time with people that aren't perfect or a good influence but still are exciting to be around because different is so fun!

Anyway, the summer chapter is next and I'm planning on some definitely hotter, definitely heavier Troyella action ;) so yay! We're getting there guys haha


	6. Third Summer

A/N: So sorry for the delay guys! I've been amazingly busy and I was only able to work on it in bits but I've finally got it! haha thanks so much for the feedback!

* * *

The sun felt perfectly warm today, the kind of warm that wasn't overpowering but pleasant, causing a content relaxation to filter through your entire body. Gabriella was lounging on one of the pool chairs lethargically yet content, eyes closed as she listened to the songs of the birds around her, the music of the breeze weaving through tree leaves. The day was so perfect and peaceful, and she felt so alive.

Recovering from Ethan had been hard, like someone had suddenly cut off some of her air supply and she had to learn to breathe again. She hadn't seen him since the night they broke up, and for the first month of their separation it had made her body ache in yearning, her fingers itch terribly for the chance to touch his face one last time. She had cried a lot, moped a lot, _hurt_ a lot, but she simply let herself roll with the punches. The pain had begun to ease gradually as she collected pieces of herself along the dark, heartache ridden road. By the time school had come to an end, she felt like she could breathe lighter, in a way she hadn't been able to since she met Ethan, and she could smile with more genuine emotion. Now, by mid June, Gabriella felt like…Gabriella. She wasn't the same girl anymore, but she was _herself_. Ethan wasn't just a memory quite yet, but he was the past. And all she wanted to do was look toward the future. Toward Troy.

Gabriella sat up and glanced toward the backdoor, checking to see if Sharpay had arrived yet, as they had planned to spend all day lounging by the pool. No sign of her yet.

With a sigh, Gabriella began to twist her hair into a long, sleek braid, reveling in the now healthy, silky feel of the strands between her fingers. After she was finished, she grabbed the bottle of sunscreen lying beside her chair and smoothed some over the lovely golden brown skin of her legs, chest, and stomach.

"Need some help with that?" a voice sounded suddenly just as she was about to begin on her back, and she turned slightly to see Troy standing a few feet away with an easygoing, lopsided smile on his handsome face.

He had red swim trunks on with a loose white tank, and his brown hair had lightened from endless hours spent in the sun to a slightly more golden hue. His tanned skin glowed, and his lean body was strong. He was a dream.

"Sure," she said with a soft smile, and he moved to sit behind her on the pool chair, allowing her body to become nestled between his legs as he sat with one on each side of the chair. He took the lotion from her, and she pulled her braid forward over her shoulder, pulling her legs up into her chest and resting her cheek on her knees.

The air between them was no longer stale with poorly concealed tension or awkwardness. Instead, it felt like a fresh, new air, one that made them feel comfortable and content with each other. Just like old times but with a more profound sense of understanding and a more charged connection. Obviously, Ethan's removal from her life had a heavy impact on her and Troy's relationship.

Gabriella couldn't hide her intense shudder when the cool lotion on Troy's hands touched her skin at the base of her neck, and he chuckled, slowly and intimately beginning to smooth out the lotion over her shoulders. For a moment they were silent. Gabriella sighed softly at the gentle way Troy's rough hands glided over her skin, maybe a bit slower than they should have, but she wasn't complaining. He allowed his thumbs to press deep into her shoulders, simulating a massage, and goosebumps raised on her skin despite the sharp heat his hands were leaving in their wake.

"I broke up with Alyssa," Troy stated suddenly, and Gabriella's eyes popped open in surprise.

Alyssa. It had been a stinging pain in her chest since he had mentioned her months ago, but she tried to push it to the back of her mind. Troy never spoke of her, as if he himself had forgotten about her or he just didn't feel the need to bring her up in any conversations. Gabriella hadn't put too much thought into it, understanding that she needed to worry about herself first and letting go of Ethan completely before she could worry about anything else.

"Oh," she responded after her surprise at his sudden confession had faded. "Why?"

His hands began to work along her spine, slow and precise, letting his fingers travel the ridges carefully. "I don't know. I don't think I ever really put a hundred percent in it the way I should have. My attention was…somewhere else I guess."

"You dated her for a while," Gabriella said simply, silently questioning where his attention had been. Her back arched slightly when his hands had reached the middle of her spine, a pleasant tingle running through her, and she could practically feel the amused smile on his face.

"Yeah, I just kind of went along with it for a while. Probably shouldn't have lead her on for so long," he said quietly. "I really feel like an asshole."

Gabriella turned her head slightly to look at his face, noting the regretful look in his eye and the draw of his eyebrows. She felt a pang at his obvious displeasure with himself. "You're not, Troy. Sometimes these things just happen," she said softly and then grinned a little, hoping to lighten the mood. "Though I do feel a bit bad for her. She was dating a total tease."

Troy laughed huskily. His fingers abruptly dipped slightly beneath the sides of her blue bathing suit, rubbing sensually along the skin there. He leaned forward so his chest was pressing flush against her back, his body curving over her slightly as he put his mouth against her ear. Her mouth went dry, and a flush of pleasurable heat ran down to the tips of her toes.

"Now why would you accuse me of being a tease, Brie?" he whispered huskily against the shell of her ear, and she swore her heart just stopped.

His fingers were inching their way forward around her front slowly, still rubbing her skin. They reached the dip of her hips and pressed hard there, like he had done that night when he kissed her, and a coil tightened so hard in her stomach she involuntarily let her hips shift back into his. A soft groan rumbled in his chest. Her head lolled back slightly as she let the heat simmer deep in her stomach.

"Hmm?" he questioned again against her ear, letting his warm breath flow intimately down her neck.

She couldn't speak. She could barely even breathe. Her blood was sizzling with desire, practically making her delirious, and the way his body and his fingers were touching her-oh my god, her skin was on fire. His fingers were still inching forward, slowly, slowly, touching confidently. His breathing was a little harder against her ear.

"Troy," she half gasped, half moaned when he fingered the top of her swimsuit bottoms.

"Helloooo!" a chipper voice sounded suddenly from inside the house. "Gabby where are you!"

Smoothly, Troy removed his hands, squeezed her hips tightly for a quick moment, and then moved off her pool chair to one on the other side of the pool. Gaping in shock at what had just occurred and then flushing when she realized how turned on she was, she called to Sharpay.

The blonde practically skipped outside, large pink tote in hand, and curls swinging gracefully from side to side. "Hey," she said happily as she arranged her stuff. "Why the hell are you so red?"

Gabriella didn't answer, heart pounding ferociously, a delicious tension settling between her thighs. She glanced at Troy. He was settled in comfortably, arms crossed beneath his head, and eyeing her with a mischievous glint and a teasing smirk. He did it on purpose, that sexy, unbelievably frustrating jerk.

Fighting the grin she felt pulling at her lips, Gabriella resumed her former position laying back on the chair. Troy Bolton would be the death of her.

* * *

"Damn heels," Gabriella mumbled in aggravation as she walked off the dance floor, feet beginning to ache from hours of dancing.

The petite brunette sat at the elegantly decorated table reserved for both her family and the Bolton family with a tired but happy sigh. Her eyes glanced across the large reception hall, taking in the wonderful red, gold, and white decorations that adorned the tables, walls, and ceilings with appreciation. She saw her mother and Lucille talking animatedly with the bride, a very close friend of theirs, near the table carrying the luxurious cake. The wedding ceremony had been heartfelt and beautiful, and the reception had, so far, been elegant but a great deal of fun, and Gabriella's heart filled with bliss for the woman she had considered an aunt since the day she had been born.

She swept back a curl that had fallen loose from her simple yet elegant chignon and smiled in amusement at the way Alex was making a young bridesmaid swoon across the room. He was such a ladies man.

"Hey, gorgeous," Troy greeted suddenly, collapsing in the chair beside her heavily. He had loosened the top few buttons of his white button down, and his cheeks were flushed from heavy laughter, a wide smile still on his tanned face.

"Hey," she greeted happily, taking a sip of water from her fancy glass. "Having a good time?"

"Yeah," Troy responded. "Though I wish all the grandmas would stop touching my face." She laughed when he scrunched his nose, and the two lapsed into a momentarily silence, gazing out across the large dance floor packed with happy people.

"Take a walk with me?" Troy asked suddenly, turning his head to look at her. "I need some air."

She nodded, and he grabbed her hand in his, leading her through all the tables and through the doors into the evening air. The wedding was being held in a large botanical garden, filled with spectacular plants and flowers everywhere the eye could see. Gabriella basked in the beauty of nature surrounding her as they walked down one path, her eyes capturing all the beautiful greens, reds, yellows, pinks, and blues surrounding her with joy. The sun was just setting overheard, so the gardens looked even more alive in the fiery lighting, vibrant and powerful.

"Have I told you how amazing you look?" Troy asked with a teasing grin, and Gabriella laughed softly, running a hand along her pretty pink dress.

"Eh, you may have told me a few times, but one more couldn't hurt," she replied, a playful grin playing at her lips. He had told her four times already how amazing she looked, and each time a volcano of butterflies had erupted in her stomach, a happy tingle curling her toes.

"Well, you look fucking amazing," Troy stated, grasping her elbow to help her balance on the large stones serving as a path to cross a small stream. Once they were back on steady ground, he released her elbow, but they remained close, her elbow brushing against the sleeve of his shirt, his hand brushing against the back of hers. "Brie, how are you now? With the whole Ethan thing. I don't want to be an ass by bringing it up, but you just don't seem to talk about it much."

Gabriella smiled at the way he stammered out the question, obviously nervous about how she would react. It was the first weekend of July, and the thought of Ethan didn't hurt anymore, didn't make her heart shudder in pain or her stomach clench in heartache.

"It's fine," Gabriella said softly with a smile. "Umm I'm good, really good actually. Obviously it was hard at first, but I'm okay now. I think we all knew Ethan and I wouldn't last very long anyway." Her fingers ran across the soft petals of some kind of purple flowers as they walked.

"He didn't deserve you," Troy sighed, eyes focused on the red bird fluttering around through tree leaves in the distance, hands buried deep in the pockets of his black dress pants. "He never would have."

"Maybe," Gabriella responded, cocking her head thoughtfully. "Maybe we didn't deserve each other. But I don't regret it at all." She paused. "I actually saw him a few days ago, and we talked for a bit."

"What!" Troy stiffened, and he turned to face her with an angry look on his face. "Brie-"

They had stopped walking, facing each other in the middle of the path. The sun had finally sunk behind the horizon, and the lights strung up in the trees and along the paths slowly blinked on in the faint darkness.

"What, Troy?" Gabriella interrupted him with a raised brow, daring him to continue. "We just talked. He was really nice about it, and we both kind of cleared the air. We both agreed it was fun, and that we would never forget about each other, but it wouldn't have gone anywhere. And that's it. It was good closure."

Troy didn't say anything for a moment, running his hand through his hair and frowning. "I'm sorry, Brie. I was just…"

"Jealous?" Gabriella filled in with a gentle smile, letting him know that she wasn't angry in the slightest. "Being your usual overprotective self?"

Troy grinned sheepishly. "Yes. To both of those." Gabriella was surprised that she _didn't_ feel at all surprised about him admitting he was jealous. They had been tip toeing around each other for so long, playing a teasing, flirtatious game all summer, so there weren't a lot of things they were uncomfortable saying to each other. "Ethan's an ass, and-oh don't give me that look. You know he is. I don't like him, and I would be perfectly content if you never saw him again. You only deserve the best."

He squeezed her hand and smiled affectionately down at her, which she returned. Noticing the darkness of the night surrounding them and the time that had passed since they left, she tugged on his hand. "Come on. We should probably be getting back."

They took the walk back slowly, chatting happily with each other and laughing unrestrained. Troy had even stopped to pick a purple flower from the ground and slide it smoothly into her hair behind her ear, winking. Gabriella sighed blithely. This place was so beautiful, the air so silent and soothing, and the atmosphere felt so light and joyous. Dare she even say romantic?

They reached the small stream again, and Troy's hand wrapped around hers tightly, leading her across. On the last smooth stone, her foot wobbled on the slick surface, and she stumbled right off of it into his waiting arms. She laughed at her own clumsiness as she crashed into his chest, simultaneously inhaling the amazing scent of his cologne. When she finally straightened, he only clutched her tighter, one arm moving to wrap around her waist. His deep blue eyes were penetrating hers, intense, unwavering, strong. He wasn't smiling, just staring, as if he was completely fascinated by what he was seeing, and she could only stare back, a nervous lump rising in her throat and her stomach doing somersaults.

One of his hands moved to her cheek, his thumb brushing back and forth across the smooth skin, and she shivered at the heat it elicited in her. The noise of the crickets chirping around them began to fade, and she was focused solely on him, just him. Her lips parted slightly to say something, but he shook his head, and she stopped. Slowly, very slowly, he leaned down to press his lips against hers, gently yet firmly.

Eyes fluttering shut, she returned the kiss, grasping the front of his shirt in her small fists. His mouth moved languidly over hers, as if they had all the time in the world, and she felt fire run through every vein in her body. He was kissing her deeply, thoroughly, and she had never felt anything better than him, never felt anything consume her entire heart and soul the way this did. He pulled her closer, hand pushing at the small of her back so that they could feel every inch of the other, every burning inch. The way he kissed her, the way his hand was at her cheek, the splendor surrounding them…this was beautiful, sweet, romantic, nothing like the last time he had kissed her. She could feel herself melting against him, her knees growing weak and wobbly at the gentle roll of his tongue. This was heaven.

Finally, he broke away from her, eyes a little unfocused but a smile in a place. "Jesus, Brie," he breathed out happily, smile widening, and she couldn't stop her own from painting her face. "I-"

"Gabby. Troy. I have seriously been looking everywhere for you." Alex's voice filtered down the path, and he rounded the corner suddenly. The pair stepped apart, Gabriella blushing slightly, but not before Alex spotted their closeness. His smile faltered slightly, a frown at his forehead, but neither Troy nor Gabriella noticed.

"Sorry man," Troy said. "We just decided to come for a walk."

Alex finally reached the two, smile still in place despite the slight suspicion in his eyes. "Wow, I'm offended. I didn't even get the invite," he joked. "Well, the parents are looking for us. Something about group pictures."

Gabriella and Troy groaned in displeasure but began walking back toward the wedding with Alex settled in between them. Gabriella's heart was still pounding, blood still rushing through her body heatedly, and her lips were tingling.

Glancing around Alex's figure, she caught Troy's eye, and they both smiled secretively at each other. Troy's eyes were twinkling, and her breath caught. Finally. Finally they had made some significant progress, and she could hardly contain her excitement for what would come next.

This was what she had been waiting for.

* * *

Several loud thumps and muffled voices sounded outside Gabriella's door, and the slim brunette sat up in her bed in curiosity. It was two in the morning, and she had been unable to sleep, tossing and turning agitatedly. Tossing off the heavy comforter, she flipped on her lamp light and stumbled to the door and wrenched it open.

At the top of the stairs, Troy was struggling to carry a very drunk looking Alex to his room, her brother's dead weight leaning heavily against Troy.

"What the hell!" Gabriella exclaimed, and Troy's head snapped up, smiling sheepishly when his eyes met hers. His entire appearance looked a little ruffled, hair a mess, grey shirt skewed, and face drawn in exertion.

"Hey, Brie," he said, voice strained with the effort of holding up her brother. "Umm Alex may be a little drunk. And by a little I mean, he passed out in Tony's mom's rose bushes."

Gabriella's mouth dropped open in horror when she saw a few tiny thorns sticking out of his left arm. "Gabs," Alex mumbled drunkenly, head lolling from side to side as she rushed over to slip his arm over her shoulders and help Troy drag him to his room. "I…I don't even know."

Despite the few wounds Alex was sporting on his arms and back, Gabriella couldn't help but laugh at her brother's idiocy. "What was he drinking?" she asked, attempting to muffle her laughter.

"Well," Troy puffed out when Alex suddenly lost all use of his feet. "He may have gotten hold of a bottle of Everclear."

Gabriella's eyes widened dramatically. No wonder he was barely even alive right now. Finally, after a few curse words from Troy and several minutes of struggle, the sober pair managed to dump Alex onto his bed so that he was lying on his stomach. Silently thanking the gods her mom was a heavy sleeper, Gabriella immediately rushed to the bathroom for a pair of tweezers. Troy was leaning heavily against Alex's wall, obviously exhausted, and Gabriella immediately set to work picking the thorns out of her brother's back.

It was silent as she worked, Troy simply watching, and Gabriella shifted in slight discomfort. Two weeks had passed since their kiss, and they hadn't spoken of it once, probably because they had only seen each other once since then. The morning after the wedding, Troy and Alex had suddenly been invited to spend the week at a friend's cabin, so off they went. When they had gotten back, they stopped by the house for a few minutes, in which Troy and Gabriella had exchanged only a happy hug and a few words before they were off to someone else's house. Alex had been oddly intent on keeping he and his best friend busy. Of course, Gabriella had considered texting Troy about the whole situation, but that felt too impersonal. It was such a strange situation to be in. Though it irked her quite a bit, she decided to go with the flow and just wait until they had the time. There was no need to rush it if she wanted to make sure this worked out right.

"I feel like I haven't seen you in so long," Troy said with a soft smile, wincing slightly when Gabriella plucked a thicker thorn from Alex's lower back.

"You haven't," Gabriella responded lightly, happy to be in his presence again. "How are you two always so busy?"

Troy shrugged. "That's all Alex's doing. He always wants to be on the move."

"Okay, I'm done," Gabriella declared standing and stepping away from her brother's bed. She glanced down at his unconscious form unsurely. "Do you think he'll be okay?"

"Yeah," Troy answered with an amused smirk. "He'll be fine. He just needs to sleep it off."

The pair stepped out of the room, closing the door behind them and leaning against opposite walls in the hallway. They smiled at each other and then burst into laughter at Alex's expense. Gabriella leaned forward slightly, clenching her middle as laughter wracked her frame. Her brother really was an idiot sometimes. When she straightened, Troy was staring at her, smile frozen on his face, gaze traveling along her body slowly.

Her state of undress suddenly became apparent to her. She was wearing very short black sleep shorts and a form fitting red tee, no bra. Heat began to crawl up her neck, but a different kind of heat began to settle in her stomach at the smirk on Troy's face.

"You're blushing again," Troy teased with a laugh, and Gabriella huffed.

"It's not my fault," she mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest in mock annoyance. "Maybe I should just leave so you'll stop picking on me."

She flipped her hair over her shoulder dramatically and began to turn away, laughing when he jumped forward to grab onto her elbow, keeping her in place.

"No, don't leave me here alone!" Troy said, sticking out his lower lip in a pout, attempting his best puppy dog face.

She laughed once again at his comical features, conceding and staying put. Words escaped them momentarily as they stared at one another intently. His hand was still on her arm firmly, and her heart began to pound in her chest, pounding so hard she could feel it in her ears, in her stomach. He was standing so still, no indication that he would make any sort of movement toward her. Just as his grip began to loosen and he was about to step back, she launched herself into his arms, pressing her lips to his hard, nerves be damned.

This time there was no hesitation, no time to think about it, just an instant combustion of heat and lust and electricity everywhere, in every cell in her body. He had her pushed up against the wall, pressing her hard into it as he simultaneously pulled her closer, mouth slanting over hers furiously, passionately. His fingers were buried so deep in her hair it almost hurt, and her nails were raking along his biceps in desperate pleasure, toned legs clenching tight around his waist as he raised her higher and higher up the wall.

And then they were stumbling into her room, blindly, frantically, breathlessly. He was touching her everywhere, running his lips along her neck, his hands along her legs, her back, beneath her shirt. She could her feel her lips getting bruised from the hard kisses, but all she cared about was his skin against hers, the pleasurable heat radiating in her stomach, the way his strong hands held her so possessively. Her thin tank was pulled over her head and tossed onto the ground, and they weren't stopping, and she had never been so caught up in a vicious tornado of heat and lust and pleasure like this before.

Everything was happening so quickly, so blurred and passionately hasty she swore she was drunk or high or some new kind of inebriation that made sharp ecstasy light her on fire and put all her senses on overload. It was intoxicating, invigorating, exquisite.

His mouth was moving across her skin, nipping and biting and making her back arch in pleasure, and she felt fire _everywhere_. Her heart pounded a violent rhythm, and his naked body pressed against her bare skin was intoxicating. The frantic passion stilled for a single moment, a moment where he looked into her eyes, and her heart burst inside her chest, full of excitement and happiness and love, and she couldn't breathe.

But then he's inside her, and her mind shuts down because every nerve ending in her body is _alive_ with pleasure. They're so close, so connected she can't tell where he ends and she begins, and this was what it felt like to be complete.

Nails dragging against his back. Hands clenching around her hips. Slick skin dragging against slick skin. Heavy breaths, unrestrained moans. Gabriella could barely breathe, could barely think because he was moving against her like their bodies already knew each other, and her back was arching up off the bed and _oh my god_.

He collapsed onto her, his face buried into her neck as he breathed heavily. She's still floating, still hasn't come down from her high yet, but her eyes are growing heavy as their bodies relax. Her heart is giddy, her skin still tingling from the pleasure as her eyelids begin to shut. He pulls her closer as they drift into unconsciousness, and she smiles.

Finally.

Gabriella rolled over groggily, sighing as she forced her eyes open. Coming into immediate contact with her clock, she gasped and sat up. It was already one in the afternoon!

The poignant ache of soreness in her thighs and hips became aware to her when she shifted, and memories from the previous night flooded back in. It really happened. She and Troy were finally on the same page. A rush of giddy excitement zipped through her veins, and she pulled her comforter around her naked form, smiling so widely it nearly hurt. The other side of the bed was empty, but Gabriella was glad. The last thing she wanted was her mom or Alex bursting in and finding Troy there instead of in the guest room. She collapsed back onto the bed again, trying to catch the breath that was escaping her in her excitement. The sharp feeling of tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, and she laughed to herself in the quiet room. The relief was so heavy, the joy so explosive. Her heart almost couldn't contain it all.

Voices floated up the stairs and Gabriella sprung up from the bed. Troy would most likely be downstairs in the kitchen with Alex, shoveling food into their mouths as they usually did for the first couple hours they were awake. Throwing on a tee and some shorts, she rushed out of the room.

She bounded down the stairs, but stopped abruptly midway when she heard her mother and Alex talking in the living room.

"So what happened with Troy?" Gabriella could hear her mother's voice asking.

There was a groan from her brother, and the brunette could hear him struggling to sit up, most likely hungover. "I don't know. He called me early this morning and said he was heading back to our apartment for the rest of the summer. He sounded weird, like he was desperate to leave or something. Said he was fine, but he just needed to go back."

"I heard him leaving early this morning. It couldn't have been any later than six."

"Yeah, that fucker didn't even give me any heads up that he would be taking off suddenly. Guess I'll be leaving tomorrow when this hangover goes away to check if he's alright."

Gabriella couldn't listen anymore, and she collapsed back onto the stairs. He left. He completely left town without a word to her. Why would he do that?

Her chest felt like it was caving in, like an iron fist was clenching her heart and trying to yank it out of her chest, and her blood was running ice cold in her veins. She was shocked, frozen by the abrupt turn of things, and confusion settled like a heavy wool blanket over her, heavy and suffocating. She didn't understand. What was happening?

She clumsily stumbled into her room, scrambling for her phone and accidently knocking it to the ground off her dresser in her haste. Quickly, she punched in Troy's number. One ring, two rings, three rings-then nothing. Had he just rejected her call? She tried again. This time, it only rang once before going straight to voicemail. Her stomach was clenching viciously, pained disbelief settling in her stomach like a heavy stone. With trembling fingers, she tried again and again and again until she tossed her phone across the room in frustration, in bone quivering fury, in heart wrenching agony.

Her knees met the floor when her legs suddenly lost their strength, and she clutched at her chest desperately, attempting to mitigate the blooming panic and ache. She was absolutely still, lip quivering and eyes clenched shut, but she did not cry. All she could do was gasp softly as wave after wave of pain hit her.

She wondered if her heart would ever be broken enough that it couldn't break anymore.

* * *

The ring tone droned in Gabriella's ear, dull yet foreboding as they remained unanswered. She listened for as long as possible until Troy's voicemail began, and she hung up. It wasn't surprising that he hadn't answered, but the hope in her chest always made her expect the impossible. With a loaded, agonized sigh, she turned from the rack of clothes she had been pretending to look at to face Sharpay and Taylor, who were eyeing her with sadness.

"Nothing?" Taylor questioned softly. Gabriella swallowed the lump in her throat with difficulty, chest shuddering in effort to keep the pain at bay.

"No," Gabriella whispered shakily. "I've called three times today and nothing."

Sharpay put the pretty purple blouse she was holding back on the clothes rack to wrap an arm around her friend. Gabriella let herself be hugged, and when she felt Taylor join in on the hug, tears gathered thickly on her lash line. Something about her friends, something about the way they made her feel safe and comfortable also opened up emotions she tried so hard to bottle up.

"Give him some time, Gabs," Sharpay said gently when the girls separated. "Maybe he's just confused. Troy's not a bad guy. He wouldn't do this without a reason."

Gabriella wanted to agree with her, wanted to agree that he would call in due time, but she was so damn tired of living in this land of fairy tales. As much as she was hurting, she was also pissed. She didn't give a damn if Troy was confused because _he_ was the one who left _her_ naked and alone without an explanation. He had betrayed her in a way she never thought he could, and she didn't even know why. Two weeks of nonstop calls and texts and he still hadn't responded to her in any way or even tried to contact her. He was just gone, completely removed from her life as if he had never been there.

She thought she had known pain before but this…this was heartache. This was what a breaking heart really felt like, like the ground had been suddenly ripped out from beneath her feet and she didn't know how to stand anymore.

"I don't know anymore," Gabriella said, voice thick with tears she refused to let fall. "I'm just _so_ _tired._" She paused to draw in a shuddering breath, leaning heavily against the rack of clothes beside her. "I mean, look at me. Look at what he's doing to me. We're supposed to be having fun today and celebrating the fact that Tay and Chad are finally getting back together, and instead I'm practically having a break down in the middle of the mall. I don't want to play this game anymore."

"So what now?" Sharpay asked.

Gabriella didn't answer for a moment, biting her lip hard and blinking rapidly to dissipate the tears gathering. She drew in a deep breath. "I think…I think it's time to just let him go. We've been doing this for so long, this stupid push and pull game, and it's gotten me _nowhere_. I want him so much but I want to be happy too…and all he makes me do is cry."

Taylor stared wide eyed. Gabriella knew that she firmly believed things would work out between them in time, but Sharpay was smiling at her softly.

"I'm glad you're deciding this, Gabs," the blonde said with a gentle squeeze to her hand. "I've been trying to be positive for you, but I seriously just want to kick his ass. I like Troy, really, but he's put you through so much, and you don't need any of it."

Taylor nodded her support. "I just want you to be happy, Gabs. So if this is what you want, we'll be there for you the whole way."

Gabriella smiled gratefully, though tearfully, at her friends, her rocks. This was a decision she didn't want to make. She didn't want to let go of Troy, not when she still wanted him _so badly_, still loved him so unyieldingly, but after all that had happened, she felt as if she didn't have a choice.

Troy was like a scab on her heart that wouldn't heal because she never stopped picking at it. So she had to stop. She had to accept the changes as they came and do what was best for herself now before she let this agony consume her. She had to be steadfast in her conviction, had to make this the last phone call, last text, last anything.

This was her letting go of Troy, of them…but it didn't escape her mind that this scab would probably leave a scar.

* * *

A/N: don't worry guys. I am a firm believer in happy endings ;) sometimes you just have to go through some crap to get there.

Hopefully it won't be as long for the next chapter! I've already started it so that should speed things up a bit :)


	7. Senior Year

A/N: Wow guys! I am so sorry for taking so long to update! I had planned to have this chapter done really quickly, but, as usual, life kind of got in the way and ruined my plans. Anyway, here's chapter 7 and it's the longest one so I hope you guys enjoy! Your feedback has been very appreciated as well. We're nearing the end :'(

* * *

It hurt to wake up in the mornings and realize that he was gone and it was over. It hurt all the time actually. Everything she did hurt: breathing, eating, smiling, laughing, living. The only thing that wasn't painful was sleeping because it was the only time she didn't think about him, but then he had begun to make appearances in her dreams, so that was ruined for her too. Gabriella felt like a walking wound, raw and bleeding, desperate to be healed but far too injured for that to come quickly.

Troy had hurt her before, unintentionally and without knowledge, but she was sure that that had never actually been real pain. _This_ was pain. This was deeper and darker and more poignant than anything she'd ever experienced before, and she felt foolish for thinking she had once understood heartbreak.

She tried hard, _so hard_, to smile with real emotion and not force herself to laugh at her friend's jokes, but it just wasn't there. Her heart was tired and sick, weakened by overuse and abuse. But she tried anyway, and sometimes it was real. And when it was real, it was more genuine than anything she had ever felt. It was like she saw the world from different eyes now. Some days the world was cloaked in dull color, the sun not so blinding, the grass not so lusciously green, but some days everything was so vibrant it nearly knocked the breath from her lungs when she walked outside, nearly brought tears to her eyes.

And that's how she knew she would be okay. Because despite the bad days, the horrible days where she could hardly draw a breath without her chest feeling heavy and tight, she still had her good ones. And the good ones certainly felt more valuable now that they were few.

As the summer months bled into September and then slowly into October, Gabriella began to find that the pain humbled her, kept her feet firmly on the ground and her head out of the clouds. The realization that she wouldn't have Troy, wouldn't have the one thing she had had wanted more than _anything_ else in the world, yanked her out of dream world and into reality. And she found that as cold and cruel and unsatisfying as reality could be, it was also a good place to be.

The faint sound of the doorbell ringing brought Gabriella out of her daze as Sharpay and Taylor jumped up from their bean bags.

"Finally!" Sharpay cried dramatically. "I'm starving." She rushed out of her room and down the stairs with wallet in tow to open the door for the pizza delivery guy.

Taylor and Gabriella looked at each other and laughed. "I'll go get some plates and napkins," Taylor said as she walked out of the room a great deal calmer than her friend.

Gabriella smiled contently, sinking back into the plush purple bean bag with a sigh. Her friends were amazing. Ever since the incident, they had been constantly keeping her company, comforting her by simply being there and forcing her to laugh even when she thought she couldn't. Their current sleepover was really helping, really reminding her of all the great things she still had and all the fun she could still have.

Just as she stood to make her way downstairs to assist her friends, her phone rang, and she turned with a sigh. It was hidden somewhere deep in the bean bag, and it took her several frustrating seconds before she finally spotted the small electronic device.

Oh my god. Her heart stopped in her chest, coming to a screeching halt so violent it hurt. She felt so many things at once: excitement, fear, anger, shock, dread, anticipation, nervousness. It was like a sucker punch of emotion that robbed her of breath and functionality, and she couldn't believe it. Troy was calling her. He was finally trying to make contact with her, finally giving her back that skip in her heart, finally flooding her body with a feeling other that complete misery.

"Hello?" she whispered unsteadily. Her hands were shaking, her knees like jello. She waited for several seconds, but there was no response. "Troy?"

Once again there was no answer, but the faint sound of his breathing could be heard on the other end of the line. A hard flash of irritation rang through her body. Had he really just called her to say absolutely nothing?

"Troy, I know you're there, so say something already." Her voice was stronger now, an angry edge decorating it.

She waited for several long, agonizing seconds, waited for him to say something that would turn her world the right side up again and remove all this crazy and all this misery from her life for good. But he didn't say anything. Each second that passed was another crippling blow to her heart, and a fire began to bubble in her stomach, furious and hot.

"How dare you, Troy," Gabriella said through clenched teeth, angry tears burning her eyes and a lump forming in her throat. She took a deep, quivering breath before allowing all the rage she'd kept pent up to overflow. "I can't believe you have the nerve to call me after all this time and not say a word to me. You have no idea what you've put me through. What kind of person does that to someone they've known their whole life! I'm not even sure I know who you are anymore, Troy, because the man I knew was never this much of a fucking coward. I don't even know how I'll ever be able to look you in the eye again after this. I don't know how _you_ can even look at yourself in the mirror. You've had so many chances to make this better, and you've taken none of them. And at this point, any bullshit excuse you manage to create will mean nothing to me." She sucked in a large breath, deep and shaky. She was so mad, so furious it burned deep in her toes and curled like lava in her stomach, made speech almost impossible. "So since you obviously couldn't be a fucking man and say it to my face, I'll say it for you. Goodbye, Troy. This is over. I'm done."

"_Bri-" _she hears him begin softly with a hit of desperation behind his voice, but she hangs up before he can continue further. But, oh, to hear his voice again was so bittersweet, the beautiful sweetness so horribly tainted by the circumstances.

She tossed her phone somewhere; she didn't care where just as long as it's nowhere near her right now. The prick of tears in her eyes was so sharp they almost felt like needles, and she hated it. Tossing her head back and placing her hands on her hips, she breathed, deep and slow to force the calm over herself. The fury simmering in her bones hadn't diminished, but the tears gradually come under her control. If only the large ball sitting in her throat and slowly choking her would go away.

How could he call her after all this time and have nothing to say, nothing at all. Her mouth was so full of words, so full of things she wanted to voice and yell and scream, yet he had nothing? How could he be so empty?

She wanted to believe that she was important to him, that she hadn't just been another girl, but that thought felt so impossible now. He had been her fairytale for so many years, but now it felt like she was simply left with the tattered, worn, tear drop drenched pages of a tragedy.

Wiping the corner of her eyes gently with the pads of her fingers to ensure that no tears had escaped, she silently turned, intending to continue downstairs as she had planned, but her friends were already standing at the doorway. They simply stared at her, and, damn, she was so fucking tired of people looking at her with pity. But Sharpay smiled instead, setting the pizza down on the floor and making herself comfortable in a bean bag.

"I'm proud of you, Gabs," she said softly, and Taylor nodded in agreement. She expected them to say more, but that was it.

Gabriella felt her heart pound in exhausted satisfaction despite the sharp feel of hurt wracking her body. They were proud of her for finally choosing to love herself more than she loved Troy, and she was proud of herself too. There was more to life than just him. There were other things that she could love and other things she could live for…so she had to leave Troy in the past and stop destroying herself over what could have been because it was not going to be anymore.

Forcing down the lump in her throat, she smiled softly, faintly, and joined her friends in picking up thick, cheesy slices from the pizza box.

What a shame, she couldn't help but think, that something so beautiful had to have such a bitter, ugly ending. The hottest loves always have the coldest ends, right?

* * *

Gabriella hummed to herself softly as the music filtered from her headphones into her ears, bobbing her head along to the catchy, happy beat. She was sitting cross legged on her bed, donning a soft red hoodie and a pair of a pair of comfy black shorts, tapping her pencil against her notebook along with the music. It was a Friday night, and she knew that it was pretty lame of her to be sitting at home working on schoolwork, but the alone time felt nice after having the persistent presence of her friends around her every day, worrying, watching, pitying.

She glanced outside, seeing nothing but darkness and the thick droplets of rain that pattered against her window. It had been a little over two weeks since Troy had called, and, in those two weeks, she had been forcing a lot of change onto herself. Troy called daily now, something that both shocked and infuriated her, left voicemails when she didn't answer (and she never did), sent her text messages to follow up the phone calls. Once, several days ago, she mistakenly gave into the urge to listen to a voicemail he had left and ended up heaving into the toilet for half an hour, body driven into sickening shock at the beautiful, masculine timber of his voice.

Obviously, he wanted to speak to her very badly, and to have the tables suddenly turned was confusing. He left her without a word or a reason and after months of ignoring her he suddenly wants to speak to her? She wanted answers so badly, wanted to be rid of the questions running rampantly through her mind, and she wanted _him_. But…she couldn't go back to that.

It was so horribly, excruciatingly difficult to delete all texts and voicemails before she even opened them and reject all phone calls as soon as she realized who was calling. Being strong hurt, but being weak would only hurt her even more. So every day, she went to school, and she laughed and smiled and joked with her friends but still secretly felt like her heart was shriveling up in her chest, dried up from the tears spent and days wasted in agony.

Tired. She was just tired, and she didn't have the patience anymore to simply let time heal her heart. But what choice did she have? She was infected with the kind of love that didn't easily shatter, the kind that lasts. There was no cure. She felt lost.

Dropping her pencil, she flexed her fingers, cramped from the time spent continuously writing, and sighed in satisfaction at the way her back popped when she stretched her arms high over her head. Her hair, which was freshly washed and damp, tumbled out of its high bun and across her shoulders. The door to her room suddenly flew open with a bang, and she gasped, jumping up sharply and jerking the headphones out of her ears. Her heart was pounding at the sudden disturbance of her peaceful domain, and her body shook slightly in shock.

Troy stood in her doorway, chest rising and falling heavily, clothes and hair dampened from what she could only assume was the rain. His bangs fell haphazardly across his forehead, falling into his eyes that shone like vibrant blue fire, and his entire appearance seemed to be ruffled and disorderly. He looked wild, powerful…beautiful.

"T..Troy!" Gabriella gasped, scrambling off her bed to stand unsurely beside it, dainty hands clutching tightly at the collar of her sweatshirt.

For a prolonged moment they simply stared at one another, the air pregnant with a silence that said so much but yet nothing at all. Gabriella was still too surprised to really feel anything other than…surprise. He was here…in her house…it had been so long.

"You…you haven't answered any of my calls," he finally said, his tentative words slicing through the silence suddenly.

Gabriella stared, stunned, and then angry. "I haven't answered your calls?" she said incredulously, sputtering. "Troy, you ignored me for weeks and haven't tried to speak to me in months. _You_ left _me_, remember. Why the fuck should I answer any of your calls?" By the end of her sentence, her voice had adopted a slightly shrill tone, angry and sharp. Her heart was pounding furiously in her ears, the heat of her anger beginning to blossom on her cheeks.

Troy swallowed thickly and stepped further into the room. "Brie, that's why I've been calling. I wanted to explain why I left. I just need you to listen-"

"Troy, I was ready to listen the moment you left. I was ready to listen for weeks!" she shouted, her fists clenching at her sides as her body began to shake in anger. "You should have explained it to me a _long_ time ago before you made me go through hell. You have no idea what it's been like for me."

Angry tears began to thicken on her lash line, and her lips were trembling. She didn't want to cry in front of him, not after all this. But his mere presence was overpowering, suffocating.

"Gabriella, I was scared! I didn't know how to handle what we did, and I know it was wrong to leave but I panicked! Believe me, I didn't run because you meant nothing to me. I ran because you mean everything to me." Troy had stepped even closer now, raising his own voice as the atmosphere became more heated, his eyes flashing. "I'm sor-"

"I don't care!" Gabriella cut him off once again, hands moving wildly to match the fervor in her voice. She stepped forward so that their toes were practically touching, eyes hard and narrowed, challenging him, furious. "I don't care if you were scared or confused or whatever the hell you were. You had no right to leave me there without answers." Her voice broke, and the tears slipped down her cheeks. "No one has ever made me feel so worthless and dirty before, and I hate you for making me feel that way. You're a coward and an asshole and I hate you."

Troy looked horrified at her words, and he moved to cup her face in his hands, just as he used to do in the past. She slapped them away, wiping away her tears furiously, and the hurt in his eyes was not missed.

"Brie," he begged, grasping her upper arms firmly, refusing to let her move away. "I'm so sorry, and I've never regretted anything more than I regret leaving like that. I fucked up, Brie. I know I did, in the worst way possible. And every day since that night I've been miserable thinking about what I did. I wanted to call, wanted to answer _your_ calls, but I didn't know…I didn't know what to say, didn't know how to fix it."

He paused for a short second, and Gabriella made no sign of wanting to interrupt, knowing that she'd be unable to talk with the lump in her throat, too captivated by his eyes and his words and his closeness. Troy looked terrified, as if at any moment she'd shut down on him and refuse to hear him out, but he continued.

"That night of the wedding during the summer, your brother saw us together, and he was pissed. He told me that if I ever touched you or even thought about touching you, he would kick my ass and make sure we stayed far apart." Gabriella's heart stopped at his words, a horrified chill blanketing her body. "And that honestly scared the shit out of me, Brie, because I knew if I did exactly what your brother told me not to then Alex would never forgive me, and…Alex is like a brother to me. He _is_ a brother to me." He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath, and Gabriella could see the conflict written on his face, the pain resting deep in his frown at the possibility of loss. "I was going to back off, Brie, really, but I didn't know how. I was going to do it for your brother, so that we would never come to that point where we had to decide whether we were more important to each other than he was to us."

Gabriella was horrified at that prospect. The idea of having to choose between two people whom she loved so much, whom she had loved and lived for her entire life was…unthinkable. It was wrong. She was in love with Troy, but Alex was her brother.

"The only problem," Troy continued, "was that I couldn't quit you. How are you supposed to just suddenly give up on someone you've been in love with for so long? I didn't mean for it to go that far that night, but I was so caught up in you I couldn't even think of the consequences. And then in the morning when I realized that we could never undo what had been done and that everything was different now, I just flipped. I ran like a coward and an idiot, and I'm sorry. I'll be sorry for the rest of my life, Brie. But I can't stay away anymore. I can't."

Tears were flowing unchecked from her eyes as he finished his apology, and she sucked in a heavy, shattering breath. He was in love with her. _He_ was in love with _her. _A frenzied bliss ravaged her heart, sunk deep into every nerve ending in her body, perforated every atom that made her exist. But then pain immediately followed, washing over her insurmountable happiness but not fully extinguishing it, as if two unmixable liquids were both attempting to find a home in her veins.

His sudden exit from her life made sense now, and that both relieved and infuriated her. There had been a good reason, a fear in Troy that was understandable and well founded, but that reason was also her brother, and that was the most unbelievably frustrating thing in the world. Alex was the reason Troy had walked away from her? Her own brother, while doing his job to protect her, had inadvertently caused her more pain. She understood that Troy's actions were still his own, but she couldn't help but wonder how things would have progressed had Alex not spoken to Troy.

The rough pads of Troy's thumbs were at her cheeks, gently wiping away tears as they fell, and his eyes were focused solely on her, worried and saddened.

"So what's so different now?" she asked in a voice thickened by tears. "Does my brother know now or something?"

Troy smiled sadly. "No he doesn't know anything. I just…Brie, I love you, and I'm tired of always _almost_ having you. I want you, in all ways, all the time, for good. So I'm here begging you to forgive me because I'm ready to face all the consequences with you. I'm ready for us."

Gabriella was conflicted. She wanted to be the strong girl, the heroine in the novel who decided she didn't need the man because not all happy endings have to have a lover involved, the heroine who could do it on her own and do it well. But…that heroine would also be letting her pride make the decisions instead of her heart, and Gabriella's heart was screaming a great deal louder than her pride right now.

With a sigh, the brunette broke her teary gaze with the man before her and stepped into his arms. Immediately, instinctively, he locked them tight around her, pulling her into his hard chest as she wrapped hers around his middle. For a while, they stayed that way, relishing in the comforting, familiar feel of each other's bodies, absorbing the heat they had long been missing.

The slight dampness of Troy's shirt felt good against Gabriella's warmed cheek, and her body relaxed naturally into his, the way water relaxed naturally after a series of ripples. He was so solid, so there, so perfect.

"I love you too, Troy," she whispered as she pulled back from him slightly to look into his handsome face. "But I can't be with you right now."

The look of shock, disbelief, and horror that crossed over his face made her chest tight. "But…why?" The brokenness in his eyes destroyed her.

"Before I can be with you I have to let myself heal first," she responded quietly, running her hands down his biceps comfortingly. "I'm still hurt by what you did, and I don't want to jump into this relationship before I'm ready while I'm still sort of resenting you for what happened. I understand your reasons so don't worry about that. I want you too, Troy, but first I need to find my solid ground again before we do this. I just need this for me."

He was stiff at her words, a look of frozen dejection on his face for a long moment before he sighed and nodded. "I get it, Brie, and I'll wait. I didn't expect you to just leap into my arms after all this, but I'm glad you forgive me. Because, really, that's where it all starts. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

He placed a hand on her cheek, and she leaned into it, smiling at him sadly yet hopefully, the remains of her tears still clinging to the tips of her eyelashes. Her smile was returned, and he leaned down slowly to press a soft, lingering kiss to her cheek. They fit so perfectly together, they always had.

"This is just the beginning for us, Brie."

* * *

True to his word, Troy waited patiently as Gabriella simply just lived her life. There was no intricate technique, no certain steps she knew to take in order to find that solid ground again, so she just went about life as she normally did. The weight that once pressed against her heart was lifted and with it the persistent ache of heartbreak. She no longer felt sick by the drama, no longer felt enveloped by a blanket of darkness and agony. She felt…weightless.

School was easier to concentrate on now, easier to enjoy. Her friends were thrilled by the change in her, and things began to return to the way they had once been. Cheer was no longer a nuisance to her, and the scholastic decathlon began to excite her again instead of frustrate her. Gabriella even began to attend parties occasionally and enjoyed the chatty, fun atmosphere, breaking away from the mild self-isolation she had put herself under. She felt like she could _breathe_ again.

Forgiving Troy wasn't as hard as she imagined it would be. For the first few weeks, there had been a wariness present in her every conversation with him, any icy fear of trusting the one who had practically destroyed her, but she overcame it. He called or texted her every day, and they mostly spoke about safe things for the first month: the weather, school, their families. Eventually, however, they delved into deeper topics, things that they had been longing and needing to discuss. He told her he first realized he was in love with her when he was a senior and had attempted to tell her so quite a few times but had always known that it wasn't the right time. Embarrassed, she told him that she had been in love with him for longer than that but wouldn't specify when. He was always incredibly sweet, making sure to _really_ make her understand how incredibly remorseful he was, and she always had to remind him that she had already forgiven him and she wouldn't take it back.

Sometimes Gabriella hated herself, hated herself for making him wait, hated herself for making him hurt, hated herself because even when she knew this was beating him to the ground, he never stopped trying. He was consistently trying to prove himself, to prove that he was sorry and he would do anything for her, and she couldn't help but feel sorry as well. Because now he was the one sitting around with the heart wrenching fear that, in the end, she would choose to walk away instead of choose him. She knew she needed to do this for herself, and she knew that she needed to be a bit selfish, but Gabriella had never once thought that it would be this hard.

She understood that this whole process of waiting was still hard for him despite his positivity, and she never missed the almost well concealed sadness in his laughter when she heard it over the phone. Never in her life had she wanted to be the one to inflict pain on someone she cared for, but she wasn't doing it as a form of a revenge or karma. It was just for herself, a way to ensure that they wouldn't be two damaged people trying to make a damaged thing work. And she didn't feel damaged anymore. She felt like a girl, a _woman_, who had loved, lost, and learned and now bore her battle scars proudly.

It was two in the morning, just an hour since everyone had decided that the food and wine at Christmas dinner had finally caught up to them and sleep was needed. But Gabriella couldn't sleep; she was too busy with wild thoughts and free running emotions. The Boltons had joined the Montez's at their home for the celebration, and it had been a wonderful evening full of laughter and warmth. Troy had stared at her all night, smiling affectionately at the way her cheeks were flushed by the wine, eyes glinting sadly every now and then when they made eye contact. They joked and talked like old times, smiling in a way that only they would understand. Things between them were amazing, the electricity and the fire still alive and thriving, the mistakes of the past melting away into nothingness.

Gabriella sat up suddenly, letting the comforter pool around her waist, heart hammering in her chest as she began to decipher and untangle all the emotions floating around within her. An excited smile split her face, a rush of exhilaration taking her breath away.

She was ready. She knew it this time. It was obvious to her the moment Troy had hugged her in greeting, the moment his skin touched hers and there was no lingering pain or uncertainty.

Attempting to quietly spring from her bed, she rushed toward her door and into the hallway. All the lights were off, and everything was deathly quiet. Being silent felt impossible when her blood was tingling with giddiness. Carefully, she twisted the doorknob to the guest room, wincing when it made a loud creaking noise. While Lucille and Jack had returned to their own home after dinner, Troy had decided to stay behind.

"Brie?" Troy's voice sounded slightly groggy from sleep, and Gabriella could vaguely see his form through the darkness, shifting so that he was now sitting up.

Biting her lip, she hesitated in the doorway for a moment before shaking her head and stepping in to close the door behind her.

"What's going on?" Troy questioned again, sounding slightly more alert, and Gabriella paused in attempt to let her eyes adjust to the darkness. "Are you o-"

His question remained unfinished as she climbed onto the bed, crawling forward so that she could straddle his legs, and kissed him soundly on the mouth. He was unresponsive for only a moment, undoubtedly shocked, but then his entire body was reacting to her. Strong arms pulled her closer, large hands resting on her waist and on her back, lips pressing back hard against hers. She sunk into him, let her body cease resisting and simply fall into his, like a puzzle piece finally fitting into its place.

Her hands tangled deep into his hair, and she could feel his smile against her lips. This kiss tasted different. There was no bitter this time, just sweetness because this time everything was right. They weren't drunk this time, weren't caught up in a fiery moment, weren't hesitant or scared.

Gabriella was unsure how long the kiss lasted, content to be kissed so thoroughly and so expertly that it made her skin light on fire. When they finally separated, she pulled in a deep breath and he laughed. The wide smile on his face was even visible in the dark.

"So," he began breathlessly. "Does that mean what I think it means?"

She laughed, feeling so light and deliriously happy, leaning forward to wrap her arms around his neck and pull him tight against her. "Yeah, it does."

He laughed again, pressing rapid kisses along her face, and she sighed happily. Finally, after so long, they were really going to do this. It felt surreal. She had wanted this for years, and to finally have it was almost strange. Every time they had gotten relatively close to this, some disaster had always come along and ruined it, so she was almost afraid to believe this was it, this was real. But she wasn't. Everything about this was right and perfect. Nothing could come along and ruin this now that they were both all in.

Happy tears misted over her eyes for a moment, and they both collapsed back onto the bed, her body curled into his and her head resting on his chest.

"I'm sorry," Gabriella whispered after a moment of silence. "For making you wait so long."

Troy's arm tightened around her small frame. "Brie, I would've waited forever if I had to. So two and a half months wasn't too bad."

The tears felt a little sharper at his words. Forever. She could never make him wait that long because she could never wait that long.

"I'm not sure I want to make this known to Alex yet," Gabriella stated, the prospect of her brother's anger totally unappealing at the moment. She felt Troy nod.

"Not yet," he responded. "Right now I just want to have you and not worry about a damn thing. Hiding it won't be easy, but…we'll find a way."

They lapsed into silence again, basking in the belated relief that hounded their bodies. Gabriella listened to his heartbeat, let the strong, powerful beat lull her into sleep.

"I love you," she heard him say faintly while she barely clung to consciousness. She slipped into her dreams with a smile.

* * *

"You're sure Alex isn't coming home tonight?" Troy mumbled through kisses as Gabriella pushed him back onto the couch, a soft 'oomph' popping out of his mouth when he landed.

"He shouldn't be," Gabriella responded, smiling and moving to settle on his lap, one leg on each side of him.

Troy seemed appeased by her answer and gripped the back of her head, pulling her lips down to meet his in an exotic tangle of tongue and lips. Gabriella sighed contentedly into his mouth, loving the way his velvet tongue seemed to coax new sensations from her every time they kissed.

She and Troy had officially been together for over two months, and everything was absolutely amazing. To finally be able to touch him and kiss him and admit the things she had been hiding within herself for years was an indescribable feeling of relief and bliss. But, in a way, it almost felt as if nothing had changed at all, like them being together was just…normal. She supposed it was because they had both been aware of their feelings for so long and went through hell because of them, so maybe it was just their lives falling into natural order.

For the first time in a long time, Gabriella was genuinely happy, completely thrilled to wake up every day with the knowledge that everything, not just Troy, was perfect in her life. Of course, it was a bit of a struggle having to be away from Troy when he went back to school, but she felt that was a challenge easily overcome after all the troubles they had met. The only obstacle still present seemed to be her brother. They hid it well, and the opportunities of them getting caught were slim since both Troy and Alex had only visited a couple times since Christmas, but that anxiety was always there.

Gabriella could only hope that Alex would take a moment to understand when they finally told him, understand that this was the real deal and it couldn't be changed back. This was part of who they were now.

Troy's hands began to slide underneath the back of her shirt, the heat of his palms sending volts of shivers down her spine, and she pressed herself into him harder. Because it was spring break, Troy and Alex had been spending the last half of it at home, and Troy managed to skillfully come up with an excuse as to why he couldn't go with Alex to the party some friends were throwing tonight. And the alone time was very much desired.

A husky groan pushed passed Troy's lips when Gabriella ground her hips into his, and she smiled against his mouth when he kissed her more roughly in response. His hands began to push her shirt higher and higher up her torso, her heart pounding in excitement, when she was suddenly wrenched from his body by a hand wrapped tightly around her upper arm. The sudden, jerky movement ripped a strangled gasp from her throat, and she stumbled to gain her footing when her feet landed back on soft carpet.

"What the hell!"

At the sound of Alex's voice, Gabriella felt a frigid dread drop into her stomach, almost like a bomb. Troy had jumped to his feet, a mixture of shock, apprehension, and anger on his face. Gabriella eyed her brother warily as his features quickly morphed from shocked disbelief into fury. His dark eyes were narrowed and fiery, focused slowly on Troy, and his fists began to clench at his sides. She shifted slightly so that she was situated between the boys, eyeing their tense forms cautiously.

"Alex, wait-" Gabriella began, raising her hands as if to surrender, but her brother cut her off snappily.

"What the fuck are you doing?" The question was directed at Troy.

Troy stepped forward slightly, imitating the same hand gesture Gabriella had made, attempting to ease his friend a bit. "Alex, man, I'm sorry. I know you warned me about this but-"

"But what man!" Alex shouted, a snarl curling his lips. "I leave for a couple hours and you're here trying to get laid by my sister!"

"It's not like that," Troy responded forcefully, his brow furrowing unhappily at Alex's words. "We've been seeing each other for a while and-"

"What?" Alex's face darkened further, and Gabriella shifted from one foot to another worriedly, the air so tense it was stifling. "Are you fucking kidding me? You've been doing this behind my back? How long?"

"A couple months," Gabriella responded quickly, hoping to shift his attention from Troy and avoid a fight. "We were going to tell you but-"

"I told you, Troy. I fucking told you that this wasn't going to happen with my sister," Alex ground out, and Troy began to develop a snarl of his own. "This is done. Whatever the hell you two have been doing is over right now."

"We're not going to stop seeing each other, Alex," Gabriella said firmly, though her heart was lodged in her throat, and her stomach was churning nervously. Alex's eyes finally stopped glaring at Troy to stare at her, surprised, then angry.

"Gabriella, this isn't your choice. You can't be with him-"

"You heard her, man," Troy said through clenched teeth. "We're going to keep seeing each other. We're not doing this to piss you off. This is just about us."

He moved forward to grab Gabriella around the waist and pull her into his body protectively. Alex eyed the motion with disdain dripping from his eyes, mouth pressed into a firm line. His eyes darted from Troy to her, and Gabriella shrunk further into Troy's body. She wanted to say something that would put her brother at ease, something that would make him understand that he didn't have to protect her from every guy that would cross her path, something that said he would never stop being the most important man in her life just because Troy had her attention.

But she didn't get the chance to because Alex suddenly stalked away from them and toward the front door, his shoulder colliding roughly with Troy's as he went. Gabriella winced when the door cracked shut with a slam.

She stepped out of Troy's arms, and the pair eyed each other in silence for a moment. The pain in Gabriella's eyes was immediately noticed by the handsome young man before her, and he pulled her close to press a kiss to her forehead.

"Don't worry, Brie," he said softly despite the frown etched in his forehead. "Just give him some time. He'll come around."

Gabriella sighed softly. Letting his hands caress her face softly, letting his warmth simmer in her own bones. Alex would have to understand. There was no other happy alternative.

Gabriella rolled her eyes as Alex shuffled into the kitchen, completely ignoring her where she sat atop the counter munching on an apple. It had been three days since he had discovered their little secret, and he had been blatantly ignoring both she and Troy and any attempts they had been making to open a conversation with him. Spring break was coming to a close, and Gabriella was desperate to resolve things before the two boys were off to school again. She didn't want to leave things unsettled between her and her brother, and she definitely didn't want there to be any tension between the boys at school.

Alex snickered under his breath as he looked through the fridge when Gabriella tossed the chewed apple core into the air, intending for it to land in the trashcan but instead causing it to skid across the floor tiles. She glared at it in irritation and then moved her gaze to her brother's back.

"Alex," she said softly but received no acknowledgement. "Are you going to stop acting like a child anytime soon?"

His back tensed slightly at her attitude filled tone, but still he remained silent. Straightening, he shut the fridge door and began to move out of the kitchen. Just as he reached the doorway, Gabriella spoke again.

"I'm in love with Troy, Alex. I can't change that."

Alex's back went ramrod straight, but he did turn around to face her, handsome face pinched angrily. "You can change it, Gabs. You just won't. So don't try and feed me that bullshit." His voice was sharp, ready to commit to an argument, but Gabriella didn't want to fight. She just wanted her brother to back her up on this.

"I can't," she responded softly, eyes soft and a little sad. "If I could, I would've stopped a long time ago." Alex didn't speak, just stared at the floor with hard eyes, muscular arms crossed over his chest. Gabriella licked her lips and continued nervously. "Do you remember when Dad left?" Alex's head snapped up immediately, eyes softened with shock at the fact that she had addressed _that_. "You were so mad when he left. I know you were hurt that he abandoned you, but you were downright _furious_ that he left me. You said that it was disgusting that he walked away from the best thing that would ever happen in his life." She paused for a moment. "Troy's not like him, Alex. He's not going to leave me like Dad did."

Alex visibly swallowed, eyes now showing a myriad of different emotions, and Gabriella hopped off the counter to lean against it. "You don't…you don't know that," Alex stammered, attempting to speak in a firm voice but failing.

"I do," Gabriella said with a faint smile. "And you know that too, Alex. He's your best friend. You know him better than anyone. Troy would never do that to me."

"Gabriella, you don't get it," he stressed, stepping further into the kitchen. "It's my job to protect you, and Troy hasn't exactly had the best track record with girls in the past. I'm not going to let someone leave you again."

Gabriella fingered her long dark braid that rested over her shoulder. "I know," she said softly. "But Troy and I have had something between us for years, even if we never acted on it. We've wanted to be together for a really long time, and it's been really_, really_ hard for us, Alex. You don't know all the crap we've been through. And now we're _finally_ getting it right. We can't just walk away now."

Her eyes were wide and hazy with the faintest sheen of tears, and Alex stared at her with a conflicted expression. She understood his concern, his anger, his trepidation, but now he needed to understand her. For a long moment, all was silent, and Gabriella's heart pounded in hesitant hope. She could see him fighting with himself mentally, see him finally becoming receptive to her words.

Alex sighed, but his face was no longer tensed with anger and frustration. "Everyone with eyes could see that you two were crazy about each other," he joked finally. "I just didn't want to see it I guess. My best friend and my sister. Man, this will be the weirdest adjustment, but I'll go talk to Troy."

Gabriella squealed, her excitement getting the best of her, and launched herself into her brother's arms. He caught her with a laugh and hugged her tight. The way he held her so affectionately and protectively to him nearly brought tears to her eyes. She felt safe with him, just like he wanted her to, so the fact that he thought he needed to try harder was ridiculous.

"I just want you to be happy, Gabs," he said softly when they finally broke apart. "I'll be back in a few."

With a quick kiss to her forehead, he was sweeping out of the room, the jingling of keys sounding as he went. The shutting of the front door echoed through the living room, and Gabriella stood awkwardly in the kitchen alone, impatience immediately hitting her like a truck.

What if Troy said something to set Alex off? What if Alex suddenly changed his mind? What if all this just ended in disaster?

She wasn't sure how much time had passed. She had paced the kitchen floor, attempted to watch television, tidied up her room even though it was already relatively neat, and ventured into the backyard to wander around. She was so nervous, so incredibly anxious that her palms had begun to sweat and her stomach began to clench repeatedly, throat tight with a thick knot.

After what felt like hours, the front door creaked open. Springing up from the kitchen table so fast she almost got whiplash, she rushed toward the front of the house, skidding across the smooth wood floors and nearly falling. There was no noise, not a voice to be heard, and that absolutely terrified her. Had things gone that bad?

Troy and Alex were standing by the staircase, both smiling, though Troy's looked a little pained and Alex's a little too smug. Gabriella felt breathless, a deliriously happy grin pulling at her lips to see the two boys standing comfortably next to each other, the atmosphere light and…normal. As she neared them, however, her smiled melted into a look of horror.

"What happened to your face!" she cried, striding up to Troy quickly and gently touching his face. His left cheek was beginning to swell slightly, and his bottom lip was busted, the cut a glaring red.

Troy smiled sheepishly and placed his hands on Gabriella's waist to calm her. "Well, I, uh, told him what happened this past summer. You know, with that one night and me being a complete ass and…"

"And I punched him," Alex said unapologetically, almost amused. Gabriella wanted to scold her brother for reacting so violently and hurting his own friend, but she was too shocked by the way the boys grinned at each other amusedly to speak.

"It's okay," Troy reassured the brunette as she stared between them with her mouth hanging open in confusion. "It doesn't hurt that bad." He tongued the cut and winced a bit. "Plus, I've felt what a real punch from Alex feels like and that was only half the power…and I deserved it."

Alex simply nodded in agreement, smirking. "So," he began as Gabriella continued to stare worriedly at Troy's face. "If you two are going to do this, I just demand a few things." Gabriella's heart skipped happily at Alex's confirmed blessing, leaning into Troy's body as his arm went around her. "Please don't go overboard with the PDA. Even if I'm cool with the whole situation, I don't want to see any touchy feely crap. And please I beg you, do not ever give me any of your dirty little details about _whatever_ you two do in your free time, ever. And don't fuck this up please. If you're as serious as you both say you are then do it right. I already had to deal with Troy moping around for months, even though I had no idea why back then, and it was not fun." He took a deep breath, and then smiled. "I'm happy for you guys, really."

Troy squeezed Gabriella's waist, and she smiled radiantly up at him, a tidal wave of relief and ease washing over them, nearly knee-buckling. His eyes were twinkling at her affectionately, lovingly, the brightest blue she'd ever seen. Bluer than the skies on the most cloudless days, deeper than the bottomless ocean.

Troy weaved his fingers through hers, locking them together firmly, and she smiled gratefully at her brother, who responded by rolling his eyes but not hiding the growing smile at his lips.

And just like that, for the first time ever, all the pieces were falling together instead of apart.

* * *

A/N: So I'm thinking there will be only one more chapter after this one. I'm not quite sure what my exact plans are for it but I'll try to make it amazing! Of course, since my plans aren't set in stone, there may be a couple more chapters to go ;) we'll just have to wait and see!


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