High School Musical 1. Masks

Hey, I'm Lizzie. And this is my first chapter of my first story. I hope you like it. And I hope you'll tell me what you think of it. My super awesome beta reader is **Barnsy**. So thank you for helping me Amy!

Oh and it's definitely Troyella. Eventually. Enjoy!

**Disclaime****r:** I don't own High School Musical or it's characters or anything else mentioned that is not mine obviously.

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At the end of her senior year Gabriella was sure. She was sure she'd attend Berkeley, the University of California. She was sure she wanted to study American History and maybe even try some classes on World History. She was sure love would find her in college – she secretly dreamt about the day Ryan would search for her - but at the end of summer after a trip to Europe with her friends. Ryan searching for his Cinderella (prom did change everything), she wasn't so sure anymore.

Doubt had filled her every day since the trip, and she had spent the rest of summer alone filling her days with drawing, playing guitar, listening to music, running, baking, singing, reading and anything and everything that kept her mind away from the months to come. Most of the times this helped but when she laid in bed she started doubting again and fear filled her to her very core, sleep eventually taking her away to world where battles between Napoleon Bonaparte and Vera Wang turned into waterfalls of barbed wires and silk.

Her friends had gone on family vacations and she had spent the last month of her holidays in her hometown, her parents had given her and her brother a choice. Spend this last vacation before Gabriella left for college 2550 miles away from home, on a trip with them to Texas where they were visiting a distant uncle or stay at home. They had both declined the holiday and were left to take care of each other. They would only be away for two weeks and her parents had faith in her to take care of her brother - less faith in her younger brother to return the favour but Gabriella had shrugged it away. She had done this before, her parents weren't home that often, both busy working most of the day and she had often cooked dinner for herself and the rest of the family, her brother Guan and their pig Miss Piggy. She even whipped up desserts at the weekends for family parties and girls nights (a regular occurrence since the girls found out about her previously hidden talents in the kitchen).

In the local Barnes and Noble, the Starbucks café was a plus - she had read an incredible amount of books (and purchased some) until she was offered a part time summer job that she declined, her last summer before college had to be job free according to her friends. Sitting on the curb in front of Newbury Comics she had her sketchbook perched on her knees observing the passing people to sketch them as quickly as possible and she could spent time between thousands of CD's and comics. She was frequently found with her nose in Batman comics or in the rock section, scanning CD's and eventually spending money. Chad, he had his shift from 2 to 4 every day, taught her some complex guitar solo's when he saw her during his break. That he confessed had become more interesting since she was around –in a best friend kind of way, he reassured her. They soon fell in a routine and occasionally spent his break with coffee from Starbucks discussing their favourite bands and that weeks best selling CD's. On odd days his friend Jason would come around with a basketball and they'd play a friendly game of one on one, with Gabriella cheering for Chad every time he had the ball in his hands.

Her brother –he was a three years younger than her and couldn't wait for his drivers licence - had bugged her several times until she gave in and drove him to Laser Quest where she waited for him to finish the three games he had paid for with his friends. So she read while listening to the newest Taylor Swift CD in the 'waiting area', ducking behind her book when she saw Ryan entering and walking towards the counter. She caught some of his conversation with the guy behind the counter and her mind tried to piece the puzzle together. When he walked through the "staff only" door her eyes widened and her mind started working in overdrive trying to hide. Her brother's second game would start soon and she knew he would or be the new Marshall or fill in for the guy behind the counter.

Her cell phone blared 'Barbie Girl' at that exact moment and she snuck out –a blush creeping onto her cheeks for the embarrassing song that indicated her best friends were calling her - to talk on the parking lot, she didn't see Ryan looking up and recognizing her. Well he recognized her hair, her way of moving and her voice, but he still hadn't seen who she was. And just now he was the only one working; he cursed Zeke - the Marshall – and the ongoing game, the only reason why he couldn't run after her. Ryan didn't find out who she was since she was long gone before he got a chance to have a look at the parking lot. Gabriella also never would have imagined that Ryan actually called her house that day to ask her if she knew the girl he had danced with. But it seemed that fate had never been on her side and she didn't pick up, her brother did. Just like every other little brother Guan was annoying and he told Ryan there had never lived a girl named Gabriella at this house and he had been living there for years.

But that didn't matter because the end of summer came quick and the last few days before she had to leave for college were spent with her friends and family. She had said goodbye to her childhood house and friends. Spending a night in town with her mother and a day of helping her dad in their garden. She even spent a few hours playing videogames with her brother and they confessed in the privacy of the basement that they'd miss each other.

After her summer, when she was packing for college, Gabriella knew she wanted something different. Not her childhood dream but a new one. She didn't want to be a historian but a designer, preferably one with her own label and shop - she loved designing clothes and was pretty good at sewing to.

Thinking about what she had done a few weeks ago she went down a walk on memory lane. Prom had changed a whole lot of things in her life and everything had started out with her dress. One she had made all by herself. Creating her own perfect prom dress had taken her a whole year and making it herself another 4 months - good thing she had started in junior year with the design- but the result was beautiful, breathtaking even and although her little clique of friends had a pact since freshman year, one that stated very clearly 'NO DATES', she didn't go unnoticed at prom. Several jocks and nerds wanted to dance with her but she declined all but one. Ryan was a senior just like her; he was a Jock, Nerd, and Art Freak. All in one person, albeit a super hot person. It was something she had noticed her freshman year and had developed a crush on him the moment she laid eyes on him. Just like every other girl, with the exception of all cheerleaders, that specific breed apparently only developed crushes on jocks and vice versa. Gabriella herself was a nobody, a nerd but since some of her friends weren't straight-A-students she wasn't welcomed in that clique either- just like her friends were, the main reason they were a unique clique of very close friends and had survived this long in high school.

A fairytale was in the making, the place where it all happened, her senior prom. 'The Masquerade Ball in Venice'. Although with the chosen theme something was inevitable of happening, the prom was the event where everything changed.


	2. Europe

So this one isn't beta-ed because I haven't been able to talk to my beta. And I really wanted to add another chapter. So here goes nothing. Oh and please review!! So I know what you think of this all. Still no Troy. Be patient :P

A thank you to **Team** **Putty** and **disneychick1990** for the support.

**Disclaime****r:** I own nothing, sadly. Or maybe that's for the best. The dancing and singing makes Troyella what Troyella is.

On with the madness! Enjoy!

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Gabriella knew she only turned heads because of her dress and mask that matched beautifully; she knew it wasn't because of whom she was. No one could guess who she was, so when she asked the guys who wanted to dance with her she didn't feel guilty for declining their dance offers. Except she didn't decline Ryan's offer, something had made her say yes. Although now she wondered how the rejected guys had felt after seeing her dancing with Ryan, she had felt left out her whole life and now she had done the same thing to others. On prom night, of all nights to act indifferent to others feelings she had chose prom night. But then a small voice would pipe up in her head to tell her she'd had a right, some of them had been mean and degrading to her for years.

When Ryan walked over and asked if she wanted to dance she hesitated, there was the pact and her friends to think of. More so she couldn't get the voice inside her head to stop saying 'no dates', 'he doesn't know who you are' or 'it's the dress' and 'he is just doing this because everyone else got shot down' but her friends saw her hesitation and pushed her a little. Literally. So she ended up grabbing his hand in need of support -it stopped her from falling over- and he thought she had accepted his offer so he smiled and lead her to the dance floor. Dumbfounded she followed him and looked back, her friends smiled and mouthed 'go for it'. She had laughed at that and turned her head to see Ryan looking at her with a frown on his face –popular guys were never one to follow rules Ryan wasn't an exception so he had ditched the mask the minute he was attacked by girls- and a puzzled look. "I have the feeling I should know you from somewhere but I don't seem to be able to conjure any memories of you. You do go to this school don't you?" Gabriella smiled and nodded she understood his question. Their senior class existed of an enormous 154 students and she was only one of them and quiet invisible. She didn't go to high school in her hometown because her hometown didn't have one. She however didn't understand that he recognised her at all, they did have two classes together, Homeroom and Art. But nothing ever gave away that he noticed her in either of those classes.

If you asked her several months –or even years, the question frequently asked- later what she remembered best about prom she would say that she remembered that Ryan and her had said at the exact same moment that they loved the oldie the band was playing. It wasn't just an oldie; it was an embarrassing one to say the least. But her mask prevented her from not stating such an honest fact and Ryan laughed, that had made it less uncomfortable for her. It wasn't a laughing at you kind of laugh; it was a rich sound, almost as if he was laughing at himself. So they talked about all sorts of things, except the mystery of who she was. He had mentioned it several times but she had shrugged it off or averted the attention from her. It had worked after three times Ryan had stopped trying and they had fallen into easy conversation, about teachers and classes and summer.

Her friends would later tell her she was the only girl that had danced with Ryan that night and that he had been looking for her days after graduation. He wanted to find the girl he had been able to tell anything too and he had proclaimed (in front of the entire school after a lacrosse game) that she was his soul mate and that he was in love. She had seen the flyers and posters around school and she had heard about his speech at the lacrosse game but never had she imagined that he'd search around town during the first part of summer. She had joked that this felt too much like 'A Cinderella Story' the movie featuring Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray, then her friends would always reply with 'but Ryan is so much cuter than Chad' in the 'swooning fan girl'-voice they used during gossip time and she would giggle and just walk to the next class. Sometimes she left her friends behind baffled that she still hadn't told Ryan she was his 'Cinderella' but they didn't want to meddle. Although Taylor, Martha and Kelsi had to bribe Sharpay into it, they had all spent a great amount of money on Sharpay's new nails.

Graduation had come and she and her friends had held a girls night at her parent's place, her brother stayed over at a friend (claiming that he didn't want to be corrupted into a girl, because that's what sisters do) but not without leaving with a bag of cookies Gabriella had baked. They watched movies (mostly Disney, anything and everything they could get their hands on, they were addicted) ate pizza, popcorn, twizzlers and tub after tub of ice cream –every ones favourite present- gossiped and laughed late into the night. They talked about their upcoming trip to Europe: London, Paris, Barcelona, Rome and Berlin. The newest movie featuring hot hunky god of the week and that new episode of Gossip Girls they still had to see. Gossip ensued after that, Shelley's break up with Brandon in the hallway, Mrs. Darbus plans to torture even more kids during summer (summer school anyone?) the list went on and on. They giggled and felt like freshmen again, maybe even as 9 year olds with very big dreams: politician, piano virtuosi, fashion designer, dancer and historian. They talked about college and boys and being apart from each other.

Gabriella marvelled on how fast everything had happened, she was now here in her room with her best friends all grown up, they all met in kindergarten, some of them sooner than that. Taylor and Gabriella met first because of their mothers, best friends since high school and pregnant at the same time, Taylor born only two weeks after Gabriella. Then Martha and Kelsi joined the group in their first year of kindergarten soon Sharpay followed and before elementary school they saw each other every day. They went to dance classes together because Sharpay demanded so, went to the park to braid each others hair while their mothers sat on picnic blanket and talked, they thought each other to read and write (Taylor and Gabriella being the fastest at mastering the art of letters). They shared camps together, losing teeth, breaking arms, losing pets, birthdays, first day of school…

Now several years later after 4 years of high school -they had all gone to the same elementary, middle and high school- they were to split up and take a different direction in life, each accepted to a different college. But first they had their trip to Europe, which they would leave for in 4 days, a last thing to do together before their life started (like their sentimental mothers called the trip). They went to sleep around 5 A.M. after some last hushed gossip and questions to fall in a slumber with a smile on their faces. Their summer was yet to begin and already promised to be an eventful one.


	3. Clueless

So another chapter unbeta-ed. Doesn't really matter. I hope you like it. Thanks for all reviews and adds.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Sad, I know.

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They were all very excited the day of their departure but parents were worried and frantically checking off to-do lists. Their bags had been packed for half a week now and their mothers had still managed to go through their luggage only minutes before leaving. All parents had tears in their eyes (hidden or not, dads and mothers respectively) while saying goodbye to their oldest offspring. At the barbeque last night they had all l said the same thing to their parents at the exactly the same time. 'Relax it's only 2 weeks and we have a cell phone that works. We're big girls and capable of taking care of each other'. Laughter had erupted from their fathers' mouths (amused by their wittiness) and their mothers accused them of rehearsing the sentence. After their last kisses goodbye and hugs the girls went through check-in, security, and boarded the plane.

The flight had been long and the girls hadn't slept long or good but after half an hour at baggage claim Martha heard a British accent (their flight had been full of Americans and some Chinese people) they got excited and tried to find a taxi to the hostel. The girls went through a lot in those 2 weeks: clubbing in SoHo, London, their first beers with German boys, fist kisses with Italian macho's (tight pants and shirts), shopping with French snobs, eating with Spanish guys, the loss of summer loves, the amazing views and museums, the shopping in Paris, … all solved with ice cream, tears, gossip and walks on the beaches in Barcelona. The flight back home was more pleasurable, they missed home and they had enough legroom to sit and sleep. They mostly slept and were happy to be heading back but kept reminiscing all the amazing things they had seen and done.

The trip had been 2 weeks ago now and Gabriella's friends were gone on family vacations with parents, sisters and brothers. She was alone in her hometown Poughkeepsie, her brother at camp (one that she hadn't known about and she hadn't considered he'd been gone for a full week), her parents on their trip to Texas. The offer to come along had been repeated several times but she didn't mind as she had discovered an old guitar on the attic to keep her busy. In the local Barns and Nobles she bought the book 'Guitar for Dummies' and started practising every minute she had. In the yard, the parking lot of Newbury Comics waiting for Chad to finish his shift so he could correct mistakes she kept making, at the park and sometimes even for the old music teacher in the local elderly home she volunteered at. He taught her the basics and technique and she endured the pain in her fingers after the endless exercises he gave her. Her nails were now history, something Sharpay would not be pleased about.

The rest of her days she spent reading, she went on a spectacular journey with Fitz in 'The Conjuror's Bird', went back to childhood reading Oscar Wilde's fairytales and was captured by Shakespeare's poetry. She started writing herself and drew when nothing else seemed to capture her interest. Three beautiful weeks all to herself, when her brother had returned from camp he spent so much time at his friends' houses she rarely saw him, and she spent them with books, music, paper and pen. She loved it.

She didn't even think of Ryan, which was an achievement all together. He had been in her thoughts since the first time he had smiled in her direction (he had actually smiled at the girl behind her, but ignorance is bliss after all) and had never left her head since. After those three weeks Gabriella felt she had a new dream and that she wanted to pursuit it. So she changed her courses without the knowledge of her friends (she had a heart to heart to her mom and she made her talk to her dad too, surprisingly her parents didn't mind, they wanted her to be happy) and went off to college in California, far away from her hometown in New York. But not before having a weekend with her oldest and closest friends and saying goodbye, they all attended colleges in the New England area.

The first month or so Gabriella had it difficult, she had never been this long away from home and she missed all of them and even her annoying brother, she grudgingly admitted it to her friends after one of their monthly calls. Although she loved the courses she couldn't wait to go home again. Life in dorms was amazing and she had a nice roommate, but her roommate would never be one of her best and oldest friends. So she had it difficult getting to know more people and making friends. Gabriella wasn't a social person and she had so much on her mind, proving her parents that her choice to change major was the right one, she missed her friends and their daily conversations and the seeing Ryan walking through the hallways and sitting in class with him (one of the things she hadn't told anyone even though her friends had asked about it several times).

More months passed and the leaves in New York changed and fell down. It was almost Christmas and Gabriella was studying for her exams. Only 2 to go and she was on a plane home to celebrate Christmas, she loves the lights in her house and town, she loved the walks in the snow (and the many snowball fights although she'd never admit it to anyone but her friends, who were her partners in crime when attacking innocent pedestrians, they did it every year) with her friends wearing thick coats, shawls, mittens and hats, never did they match and if by any chance their parents had given them matching mittens, hats and shawls they switched in the group, it was a funny sight.

Her finals had finished and Gabriella was now sitting in the terminal of Burbank Airport her flight had been delayed by 3 hours and she was flipping through a People magazine out of boredom with a hot chocolate (from Starbucks of course) waiting to board and had given up on all hope for love. For she hadn't met any interesting guys at all, her friends had been on countless dates and she was wallowing in self-pity whenever they called to tell her how the date had gone. She had been introduced to a lot of guys but she saw herself declining all dates, mostly because she compared them to Ryan even if she didn't want to, and studied harder. Her dreams were all filled with Ryan and she had never seen a guy remotely interesting to her. It didn't help that she thought prince charming only came in one package, Ryan. She hated herself for it so she started reading more and more (when not studying) and was busy practising guitar and drawing. Everything and anything to keep her thoughts away from prom night and that worked. Most times but now, sitting in the terminal she couldn't stop her mind drifting off to his eyes or smile. The magazine couldn't keep her interest (celebrity gossip didn't catch her eye as much as her roommates who's People and Seventeen magazine she had snatched for the flight, she still wondered what on earth had her convinced it was a good idea) and she hadn't taken a book, the flight was a short one –compared to the 7 hour nightmare she had experienced to Europe- and she didn't feel like taking a whole lot of carry-on. She stood up to throw away her cup when her eye landed on a guy in the row of seats on the left from her. Shaking her head she walked towards the bin. She could've sworn she saw Ryan sitting and sipping a beverage. Not thinking anything else of it she walked over to the counter to check how long it would take for them to finally start boarding. She sighed happily; only 10 minutes to go and she'd be starting her trip.


	4. Snow

I had an early out of work. I was bored. My brother annoyed me to no end. So here's an early update (don't expect a new one soon :P)

Thanks to miley-vanessafan011 and Shell-Bell87 for their support. You are the best.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Well not really. I own the idea and then some.

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Boarding a plane wasn't one of Gabriella's favourite things to do. She hated it to be exact; the feeling the plane might not land at all crept up on her every time she walked towards the terminal. It would never appear sooner than after security. She'd never been in an accident before not even by bike or car but a plane sort of freaked her out. She always pictured herself sitting in the air and the plane crashing down and not surviving it. Blaming her friends for making her watch countless horror movies had left her scared. She never voiced her fear with anyone, not even her friends knew and she always put a brave face on. The flight to and from Europe had been the worst ones yet. Seven long hours in a plane and not knowing if she'd land safely was a nightmare. But now she was almost jumping up and down to board, she'd see her friends and tell them all about school and classes, well the details, they still didn't know she had changed her major. Which was a huge deal for both her friends and her, they had never had a secret for each other before and she was debating keeping it a secret was such a good idea to begin with. But she didn't want to disappoint her friends, although thinking about it now made her realise she already had because she hadn't told them and kept it a secret for so long.

Debating if she should just stand at the counter and wait there or try to find another seat she turned around to lock eyes with Ryan. So she hadn't imagined him sitting there and before her mind had processed the sight her heart started racing and hands started sweating. But she just sighed when he turned his eyes on the clock and then on the book he was reading. Relieved that she was off the hook but confused on being either hurt or happy that he hadn't recognized her. But when she looked up from her iPod (it was on full blast the teenagers standing a few feet away loudly giggling interrupting the quiet she enjoyed so much in the morning) she saw him packing up and walking her way. She tried to look around and find an escape but that wouldn't have mattered it would've just delayed their meeting (fate seemed cruel that way) so she just smiled nervously. Looking up at him when he finally reached her she wondered who would say something first, but she suddenly remembered this was only awkward for her. He, after all, still didn't know who she was and that changed everything, she hoped. She hoped this could be a new start to there fairytale. Hope had filled her again when she saw him casually strolling towards her, forgetting she had given up on Ryan and she wondered if he really was as smart as his GPA said and what they could talk about (Proust, Hemingway, Shakespeare, ... the options went on and on in her head).

When she later thought about their conversation before and during boarding, until they had to split to their respective seats, she wondered if anyone ever actually had talked to him before (and with anyone she meant anyone who was more interested in classes than nail beds). He didn't recognize her as she had predicted (beat that Sharpay you own me Chocolate Fudge Brownie) and he didn't even understand the hints (she threw in their for him to discover by himself that they went to the same high school) when talking about their Alma Mater, and she gave enough information for even a lunk-headed basketball player to figure out they had attended the same high school for four years. Gabriella even talked about their masquerade ball and had even talked about their 20 questions conversation, one of the things she told her friends she had hated. Because it remembered her too much of the scene between Nomad and Princetongirl in A Cinderella Story (which her friends had made her watch on their last movie night before college) but secretly she had enjoyed every question asked and had smiled the whole evening they had shared. Realizing that Ryan didn't have any memory of that night, not that she would blame him college had probably stopped him from searching for her any further; she grudgingly changed the subject and started talking about college with him. When they had talked about their majors and classes she had wondered if his intelligence was limited to education-related subjects. But that wasn't enough; she wanted her Prince Charming Ryan not Clueless Ryan who could only talk academically. She wanted someone who could talk about music and books as one of his passions, someone who could talk about going to the beach just so they could wiggle their toes in the sand and let the waves crash into them.

When she now thought back to their second conversation she felt almost betrayed and vowed to stop being so romantic and naïve when it came to boys. Somewhere inside her heart she hoped that he had just played dumb because he didn't know how to react to her, his Cinderella. That he has figured it all out, that he had known it all along who she was and that he had waited for the perfect time to meet her. Again. But she was a small town girl that by no means used to be popular; she was after all no one in high school.

Disappointed Gabriella was lying on her bed (the flight had been fine, the old Greek next to her blabbing on and on about his 24 grand children) contemplating calling her friends. She knew all of them had arrived the day before and wondered if they were well rested enough. Before she could make a decision however she heard several un-identical knocks on her balcony doors, looking up 4 smiling faces were looking at her and she jumped up from her bed to open the doors.

That night the girls had an impromptu girls night (although it seemed all planned out to her, she just dare contradict Sharpay at the coldest time of the year) and reminisced on their summer in Europe once again now adding guy related information from college experiences. None of them was ready for a full commitment just yet since they now had discovered the joy of multi dating and that proved to be very interesting. Not only did it help them to recognize the faux-pas guys, they had more than enough tips and tricks to swap. The best gossip of that night was once again Ryan related although it ended in anger from the four girls that had not been on the plane with Gabriella. She shrugged it off and said Ryan was indeed not the perfect guy they thought he was. He was after all not smart enough to put the puzzle together and Gabriella had other more important news. The girls hardly believed her and tried to push her into telling more about their long conversation not wanting to ruin the moment she sighed and went into detail. After half an hour of the girls hanging on her lips she thought it was time to change the subject and blurted out that she had changed her major and what she had done all those weeks when they had been on family vacations.

She had expected a lot form her friends, that they'd be mad she hadn't told them she was bored and had enhanced her artistic side, that they'd be disappointed she had lied to them about her classes and most of all she had thought they'd be hurt because they had never ever kept anything from each other for so long but the reaction they had wasn't at all what she had anticipated. After a few minutes the gapping mouths closed and formed smiles and soon she was enclosed into four pairs of arms and they all whispered congratulations. Soon Taylor was gushing about Business classes and Sharpay asking her all about her drawings. It took some time and help from Martha and Kelsi to quiet them down. To say she was baffled was an understatement now her mouth resembled her friends from a few minutes ago. Her first question had been why they weren't mad or hurt or disappointed in her and the answer still made her smile now even after a day, she realized she had the best set of friends anyone could ask for.

'_Because you are you and without you we wouldn't be us.'_


	5. Troy

So euhm still no conversations (I'm doing this for a reason well two, I suck at conversations and it makes this part less important as to when there will be conversations later on)

Enjoy! Mentioning of our favourite hottie at the end!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing Disney owns! Duh!

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Her friends had left that morning after delicious chocolate chip pancakes baked by her mother and promised to see her the next day for some Christmas shopping. It had taken her some of her best explaining to get them to leave so she could spent a day with her family, she had missed them a lot. So Gabriella simply spent the rest of the morning playing guitar and talking to her mother until her brother screamed at her for waking him up too early in the day. After an hour long of his nagging she grudgingly agreed to drive him to the nearest Newbury Comics, to annoy her brother she reconsidered at least 5 times before putting her sneakers on. She hadn't seen Chad since last summer and their emails weren't enough for her, she had simply missed their conversations about music, movies, comic books and boys –as normal as he looked Chad was on flamboyant person and he had some great advice when it came to boys and relationships-.

The ride to the store was interrupted by the smell of Starbucks, when she had seen who was standing in line she had merely sighed and pulled the car out of it's parking spot and continued on to Newbury Comics. She hadn't explained her actions to her brother not that he would've cared about her love life at all. He was simply aggravated at her because now he couldn't talk to the girl he went to school with and had a crush on, she was out of his reach Gabriella noticed –Guan went to the same high school she had gone too and the status quo seemed to be still intact when she listened to her brother talking about school-, but he didn't seem to care about anything like that.

She had smiled at his determination and hoped his fairytale ending was coming soon, although she later stated while telling Chad about the two that a fairytale for a guy was simply to girly. He had laughed at her story and said he had always believed in his Cinderella even if it was a bit girly. A costumer, who was listening to their conversation, had tried to make a funny remark but they had both huffed and ignored the girl. She clearly had found Mr. Right the yellow engagement ring a clear sign and they were in no mood for happy couples. After her brother had paid for his comic he had told Gabriella to stay behind and catch up with Chad, he'd called their mom to pick him and go for some boring Christmas shopping. She had laughed and thanked him; apparently their quarrel from this morning had been forgotten.

Ryan hadn't been in her mind that day until he came in with a Starbucks coffee, she started to resent him more and more. Had he not been in line that moment when she was parked on the Starbucks parking lot she would've now been sipping a latté. Not only did she resent him from keeping her away from a morning coffee she had also started to resent him for being girl-stupid, her friends had tried to find a word for it and that was the only that seemed to stick. Maybe just maybe he would figure it out but not without a good deal of help, which was apparently what Chad thought when he simply changed to music to the song they had first danced on. She would never forget the feeling that had filled her during the dance and now hearing it again and being in the same room as her dance partner her knees began to give away and she wondered if he'd get the hint. He most definitely recognized the ballad and to top it off he was walking toward Chad and her. She had the feeling everything was going into slow motion, Chad whispering something into her ear along the line of he's going to ask you to dance with him –the hopeless romantic in the both of them begging for Ryan to ask the question-, grinning she could envision him being the gentleman from the ball. But Gabriella had never lived in a romantic movie, no her life was more of a disastrous attempt at a chick-flick, and Ryan's next action could speak for that. He glanced her and smiled at Chad asking him what song he was hearing on the radio and who it was sung by, it reminded him off a night he couldn't forget and a girl he would never see again. Fighting the urge to smack him on the back of his head she smiled and gave him the information he needed even telling him where he had to look for the CD in the racks. After he turned on his heal and walked towards the CD's she herself got a flick to the head by Chad, a amusing conversation in hisses then ensued and they couldn't help but fall into a fit of laughter after looking at each others twisted faces of trying to keep the conversation to themselves. The words Chad had spoken soon forgotten in laughter.

When Ryan had left she had told Chad to change the CD but the lyrics to The Script's song kept invading her thoughts and she soon zoned out into her own world. A grinning Chad woke her up by flapping his arms in front of her and convinced her to go home but not before making the promise of calling her that evening. The ride home was eventless although she did made a stop at Starbucks for her now much needed coffee. She also made the discovery that her brother might actually have a chance with the girl, she at least knew who he was and had asked her if she was indeed Guan's sister -they were each other's spitting image after all-. Nodding Gabriella then paid for her latté and smiled at the girl, she had mistaken her for a cheerleader but looking closely at her bracelets and converses when she walked around the counter to serve some college kids she realized the girl was more an artsy person. Although she still didn't understand her brother's affection for someone so down to earth, she also seemed smart but Gabriella had learned to never assume someone's intelligence from looks. She had been disappointed before.

Christmas came and went, spending time with her friends and family she didn't have any other encounters with Ryan, then came New Year's Eve and again no encounters with anyone unaware of who she really was. The last day in her hometown came fast and now she was the first one to leave and after an afternoon throwing around snowballs and making snow angels she started packing with her friends trying to convince her to stay another two days. Laughing at their sometimes childish antics she remembered them about the project she had to finish and her roommate made her promise to come back two days early for some girl bounding. She had surprisingly looked forward to it since they hadn't had time yet to spent time together, although that was only partially true. Gabriella had been studying so hard the only things she had time for was sleeping and eating and attend all her classes and some. She hadn't wanted to disappoint her family or friends and was anxious towards the day she'd be able to finish this particular project. For her Business class they had to develop a store concept, although this was a group project they soon followed in Gabriella's idea of a store, she had thought about what she would have wanted and toned it down a bit and made it more something they could've figured out all together. She wasn't at all fazed that she had done most of the work for the design of the store but it looked good on paper and their drawings were finished. They now had to further discus the business plan and they were half way there. It was hard for her to keep up with her own rules when it came to homework. Especially when she couldn't control when this project was being worked on, she had managed to keep ahead of all homework and assignments so when a pop quiz or an unannounced assignment came up she had more than enough time to finish it. Therefore she wasn't really popular with any of the girls in her dorm or with any of the guys in her classes, she had amazing grades and was always very focused. She didn't go on dates nor did she claim to have time to do anything with any of the girls and that had made her sort of an outcast. Never thinking the worst of it just went on with college life like she experienced it but now after the holidays and even more detailed stories of her friends college lives she had made a promise to them. Keep up the same grades but indulge sometimes and go out with the girls. They had tried to make her promise them to date a new guy every week but she had told them they could forget about that, she didn't know if it had to do with her unwanted feelings for Ryan or the mere prospect of having to tell everyone in her dorm that she was now dating people. Not even sure she was actually willingly dating people but she had promised her friends to try and be more assertive and forget about Prince Clueless.

Not that she could when she boarded the plane back to college, there he was in the aisle seat and she had to crawl over him to get to her window seat. She was relieved he appeared to be sleeping or at least ignoring everything around him so she was able to sneak into her seat. She immediately pulled out her book; she had been smart enough to bring one now, and iPod and closed herself off from the outside world. The flight was pleasant and eventful if you could forget the amusing attempts of the flight attendants of getting Ryan's attention, apparently he really was ignoring everything around him but he was definitely awake – or he was after one the flight attendants dumped a glass of water over him, by accident of course- and wet. Gabriella found it very amusing that not even older, busty women held his attention – not as much as she had- but were merely seen as part of the furniture. Later that night when she was settled down again and talked to her roommate about the events during the flight it was more amusing when she could tell someone else about the crushed looks on the women. But two questions kept coming back even after she turned out the light and closed her eyes but not before promising her roommate they'd do something together the following day, why had he smirked at her and where did he attend college. Everyone assumed he'd attend NYU but clearly hadn't, the question being where did he attend college and how hadn't anyone known where their salutatorian went. That had her thinking of their graduation ceremony; she was valedictorian and had to give a speech, her parents were thrilled and that was the understatement of the month. Because she was the third speaker of the ceremony -after the principal Mr. Matsui and the salutatorian Ryan- she had to sit on the stage together with the entire staff of the school. She had cringed when they had all applauded and catcalled when Ryan had finished his speech. But after seeing her friends tipping their caps and her mom and dad smiling widely and even an encouraging nod from Shelley –the head cheerleader who had helped her with a make up crisis not 20 minutes ago in the girls bathroom, which she explained as 'I can't have the valedictorian of my graduating class look like a clown on the video my parents are making' in her high pitched voice- she had taken a deep breath and started her speech. One that had the entire audience in awe or maybe they were just baffled by the honesty or the tears that had formed in her eyes and then streaked her cheeks. Now that she thought of it she realized Ryan wasn't clueless he was just plain dumb, she had sat next to him during graduation, they had talked after her speech and they had danced together during prom. That particular realisation gave her the strength to smile at every guy that looked her way the next day and to even start a conversation with Troy.


	6. Ryan

I absolutely hate this chapter. Because it's the first I've ever written with dialogue. And I'm not happy with the outcome. So I'd really really appreciate feedback and reviews. Anyway. Euhm. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I won nothing. High School Musical franchise © Disney

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Troy wasn't all too different from Ryan when it came to high school experiences she soon discovered. Both jocks, one football and the other basketball, both popular (although Troy didn't want to talk about it at all it seemed and Ryan used to gloat around school now that she thought of it), both involved in art –Ryan drew and painted, Troy had been in two school musicals after he tried out because a friend dared him and he had been cast for the lead- and both were in Gabriella's head and heart the first time she lay eyes on them. Now in looks they differed; Troy looked like he had rolled out of bed the first time she had met him, a crumpled white shirt, ripped jeans and half tied converses finished his nonchalant look. It also made him look incredibly hot while Ryan's outfits were always colour matched and made him look like he had spent his whole childhood dressed up for family dinners. This boy didn't seem to care as long as it covered his body away from the prying eyes of his growing fan club –apparently even Berkeley needed cheerleaders-. His hair covered the top of his electric blue eyes most of the time in a nonchalant kind of way while Ryan's blond hair was always groomed perfectly. Troy also had the habit of flicking it out his eyes ones in a while which made Gabriella's knees weak and almost swoon when he walked by her or when he gave a small smile when he saw her in a class they shared.

When she first met him they were both sitting at the same table in the library, it was packed that day and the seat next to him was the only available one.

'Unbelievable!' Gabriella's mind and heart were battling inside her and it made her look shy and timid. The only available seat in the library was next to Troy and she wasn't sure if she'd be able to concentrate or to ask him to move his books from the chair next to him. Thinking back at what her friends had made her promise she walked towards him and hoped when she opened her mouth nothing stupid could come out. "Uhm, hi, could you possible remove your books so I could sit here. I have a test soon and I…"

Shrugging Troy removed the books from the chair. "Sure." I jumped at his husky voice and I thought I hadn't heard it at all until he looked up at me and I heard it again. "Well, … sit!"

So I did hastily and took out my books smiling at him and thanking him again. When I was settled (book on one side paper and pencil on the other) and opened my book to start my assignment for Economics that was due in two months I heard Troy chuckle. "What's so funny?" I whispered, trying not to annoy the librarian on duty. I saw his eyes flicker between the book he was working on and mine. Blinking my mouth dropped open. "Oh, that explains everything." Smirking he answered. "Does it now, because I'm still confused on why I haven't ever seen you in class, and why are you so far ahead with assignements. We still have one to turn in before this one." Smiling sheepishly I was afraid to answer both questions maybe more so because I was certain he'd dub me a geek and never talk to me again. "Glancing back at the page he was on I saw he was only just starting the same assignment and a grin spread across my face. "Care to explain why you are working on said assignment aswell?" "Basketball and theatre are hard to juggle so I started the year off trying to make a buffer for when basketball season and theatre auditions started. It's been working out until now, so let's hope for the best. You still haven't answered my other question are you even in my class?" I was baffled by his answer I had never thought he'd be juggling so much and he was so open about things. "I tend to blend in with the furniture?" I asked timidly.

A silence fell where he seemed to want to say something and then change his mind again. I smiled at him and hoped it looked reassuringly. I turned back to my book and started reading, I was halfway through the page when a note was slipped under my nose. 'I'm sorry for never noticing the furniture in Professor Van Dijck's class being this beautiful. Are you up for a study break? –T.'

I bit my lip at the compliment, 'Wait is this a compliment?' and tried to think of something to write back. Just following my gut feeling I scribbled a 'If it evolves coffee than yes! – G.' back and shoved it back to his side of the table.

Hearing his chair scrape across the floor and collecting his books to stuff in his bag I looked up in his beautiful eyes when he nodded his head towards the door and smiled. I think that's the moment I fell head over heels in love with him when I look back to it. He looked so adorable in the light and he had already made my day so much better. So I grabbed everything as fast as I could and walked to the exit.

Once inside we grinned at each other and then fell in a silence again. "Gabriella." I blurted out my own name, 'Omg, did I just blurt it out like that, so stupid! Stupid!'. "Troy" came the soft rumble of laughter. "I believe there is a Starbucks a block away from here do you mind walking there. According to my friends at home I'm addicted to it. And a study break without coffee isn't a break."

At the end of the day she hadn't done any studying and she had forgotten about her girls night with Samantha. Gabriella however found out a lot more about Troy and had spent a great deal answering his questions about her hometown and friends. Samantha didn't seem to mind after Gabriella told her all about Troy and their day which eventually led into a gossip hour and then night with pizza and some beers. Gabriella had declined saying she'd rather wait until she was legally allowed to drink after a bad experience in Europe –not that she mentioned that to Samantha- who kept insisting her that she'd call her Sam.

The following morning Gabriella woke up bright and early but the smile on her face fell soon when she saw Samantha rushing for the bathroom across the hall. Shaking her head in disbelief at her roommate's alcohol tolerance –or lack off- she followed her with some Advil and water to ensure the girl was fine.

"Here, this should make you feel better." "Thanks." Muttering under her breath Sam's hand grabbed the pills and water and gave a weak smile before I walked off to get ready for another –preferable uninterrupted- study session in the library.

"Ugh!" I was simply frustrated; the outfit that I had decided on didn't look good enough. "This is impossible!" I didn't even know why I had taken the time to criticize my outfit today of all days. I had never done it before but with the possibility of seeing Troy again I didn't want to look like I had just rolled out of bed.

"So you are saying this guy you met isn't your boyfriend but you have been taking more than 10 minutes to look at the mirror. Which is a first since we started school in September." Samantha's voice echoed through the room and I hadn't realized how quiet it was in the morning when she wasn't around bustling about to get to class in time. She was a late sleeper, a hang over clearly messed that up. Giggling she motioned for me to twirl around. As ordered I did. "And, what do you think?" Nodding her mouth opened. 'Here it is, the verdict.' My palms started sweating. 'This is silly, I've never put this much thought into clothes and hair.' "You look stunning, now go. You're not going to find a place in the library if you don't hurry!"

I almost didn't hear her last comment when I rushed through the door with my books and bag. "Knock Bolton of his feet!" I couldn't stop smiling all day.

When she returned to her room that evening Gabriella could hit her own head with her Business One on One book for acting so stupid this morning. She hadn't seen Troy all day but her head and heart had a very interesting conversation until she was too fed up with not studying, because of the turmoil inside of her, and had left the library. Ryan or Troy? That is the question and she wished she was as good as Shakespeare to turn this particular story into a play or a poem, preferably a song she could play on her guitar. But even when inspiration hit her and she wrote and played the rest of the evening her question was left unanswered when she woke up the next day.

Weeks passed with Gabriella being indecisive about Troy–or about her feelings for Ryan- she was after all attracted to Troy and they had gone on several dates. Dates she would never forgot, her walls adored pictures of them on the beach and on a picnic at the park where he had made PB&J sandwiches and brought chocolate covered strawberries.

She could remember the day like it had happened yesterday.

"_Where are you taking me?" Gabriella's voice filled the air and she looked at Troy pouting. She hoped it could convince him of telling her his secret, where this date would take them. "It's a surprise and that pout is not getting you anywhere." He sounded very amused at the impatient girl next to him. She had tried to sneak a peak in his backpack because it contained the essence of their date. Troy had charged that information merely minutes before he had pulled up into a parking lot. Now they were walking towards the park and Gabriella hoped they'd have a walk before going somewhere to eat. She hadn't been able to eat this morning; a date with Troy always was anticipated with butterflies and ants. "We're here!" Troy's voice pulled her back from her musing and she didn't remembered walking through the secluded part of the park. She had never been here before but it was beautiful and she saw Troy setting up a blanket and some food. Squealing she ran over to him. "Oh, a picnic. Troy this is absolutely perfect." "Only beautiful girls deserve my famous PB&J sandwiches. And what is a picnic without chocolate covered strawberries." _

He had walked her around campus and talked about his friends and hometown Albuquerque in New Mexico and had asked her where she was from and about her high school friends. They had gone to eat at a local café and talked about their majors and why they had picked them, about reactions from parents and friends and they had laughed about Gabriella's graduation speech and bathroom encounter.

But all those dates only made her more confused. Was she still infatuated with Ryan?


	7. Albuquerque

I know this chapter is like really short but that's for certain reasons. You'll understand with the next one. Anyway again conversations. I still find it weird to write them so feedback is much appreciated. i wanted to thank miley-vanessafan101 and margaret09 for reviewing my last chapter.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Characters are by Disney and the ice cream is the genius idea of Ben and Jerry's. I'd kill for owning any of those two.

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Her head and heart had been fighting ever since Troy and her started dating casually. He knew about Ryan (not the specifics but he knew) and Ryan didn't even know her. But she had fallen in love with the both of them. And deciding on something so big had her all confused. She didn't know if Troy believed in happily ever after but she did. Needing someone to belive in the same things as her Ryan seemed to be the best choice until she knew what Troy thought about fairytales.

Spending time browsing through the books in the bookshop ten minutes away from campus always helped Gabriella clear her head. So that's what she was doing on a Friday morning at 10 A.M. 'Maybe I should talk about fairy tales with Troy sometime. No that's just stupid. Deciding on which guy I want to date just because he claims to believe in happily ever after. Not everyone ends up with their high school or college sweetheart after graduation' Sighing she didn't see the guy who was approaching her. 'Ugh, this is impossible. I should just forget about Ryan it's not like I'm going to bump into him any time soon' "Ooph!" "Oh my god I'm so sorry" Looking up I started into the guy's eyes that I bumped into while I was so observed looking at Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. 'Ryan! I actually bumped into Ryan.' A smirked formed on his face when he seemed to recognize whom I was (still debating if he recognized me form the shop or the dance) and he looked awfully cocky when he started to speak. 'This is it. He's going to ask me out. I just have to remember everything to tell the girls.' But the words I imagined weren't coming from his mouth and one minute I was holding onto a thick book and the next it had fallen out of my grasp onto Ryan's toes and I had bolted out the door.

Tears forming in my eyes she ran and ran, not caring if my book bag was banging into my side or if I had left the one book I thought appropriate for Troy's birthday present behind open on the floor. I ran towards my dorm as fast as I could feel tears trickling from my eyes over my face and falling towards the floor. My legs ached and I started to breath heavily but I couldn't just stop and when I saw Troy looking curiously at me from the bench we usually occupied when the weather let us. The words that had slipped from Ryan's mouth were still running through my head. 'If it isn't my Cinderella dearest, still waiting for Prince Charming are you?' The words were following me, mocking every memory I had from prom and the days after that. The bliss I usually felt while thinking of that night had left and in it's place hurt had spread all through my body. Happily ever after apparently didn't exist for me. I had reached the doors towards my dorm floor when I heard footsteps rapidly approaching.

"Gabriella! What's wrong? Slow down!" Troy's voice filled the empty hallway and I just couldn't slow down and face him. Not only was this about the other guy I had nothing to give to him on his birthday tomorrow and it was all the others guy fault. Or mine, for being so naïve still believing in fairytale endings at the age of 18.

My dorm door came into view and relieved that it was open I shut it just before Troy could reach it. I heard him pounding on the door and screaming my name but I had already collapsed in a heap on the floor. The sobs racking through my body and the tears kept coming. I couldn't keep them at bay and I wasn't sure if I wanted to. Troy was still yelling and begging me to open the door so we could talk.

"Gabriella, please let me in. We can talk about it. I'm pretty sure there's a cup of Chocolate Fudge Brownie with your name on it. I'll even watch a chick flick with you. Just please open the door. Stop crying please!"

I smiled at the thought of sweet, understanding, funny Troy who didn't know what was wrong but even now tried to cheer her up. Slowly I got up tried to whip most tears from my face and opened the door.

"Hey." My voice was small and it chocked me how much hurt that little word could hold.

"Hi." Troy's voice was equally small but worried filled his greeting and he soon had me embraced and snug against his chest. Words of encouragement soon entered my ears. After another tight hug he held me at arms length and looked up at me with his big blue eyes. "Are you alright? Do you want ice cream or a chick flick? Or both? Maybe you should call your friends they might be better at this than me. I can always leave but I wanted to be sure you were all right. Of course you aren't all right. You've been crying. There's nothing wrong with your family right? Are your friends okay?" I smiled at the million questions Troy had fired at me in one breath. I hugged him again and muttered. "I'm okay now. I'll call them later. And I'd love some ice cream." Smiling up at him I grabbed my bag checked my face in the mirror and closed the door behind me. I might have been deluded by Ryan's charms but Troy genuinely seemed to care and I was just going to make the best out of it.

Happily Ever After might just be around the corner.


	8. Poughkeepsie

While he saw Gabriella looking at the different flavours of ice cream he couldn't help but wonder how meeting her could've changed his life so much in such a short period of time. But they had connected and he found her beautiful, very beautiful. The black curls cascading over her shoulders, a button nose and an incredible smile that knocked him of his feet every time she flashed it in his direction complimented her chocolate brown eyes. He was pretty sure he was head over heels with this girl. Even now with a tear stained face and red eyes she simple was fascinatingly beautiful. "I've decided." Her voice was less sad than before the prospect of getting ice cream for free had brought a smile on her face and her sweet voice awoke him from his musing. "So you went for the same thing you go for every time. Even though you pretend to contemplate trying other flavours every time." 'Teasing her must be the best thing about being friends, oh, and here it comes. Ladies and Gentlemen! Are you ready for Miss Montez' come back' "At least I can pick a damn flavour last time you spent 20 minutes debating if you'd go with the turtle or monkey and you ended up stealing my cup." Sticking out her tongue she only looked like a little girl for a flash and then her eyes sparkled brightly when she saw me motioning to the cashier and the idea of Chocolate Fudge Brownie entered her mind. She was predictable when it came to ice cream. But everything else was a big mystery even when she had told me so much about herself. "Let's go, I have a new CD I want you to hear. Seether." Giggling she skipped through the door with ice cream cup firmly in hand. Grinning at her we walked towards her dorm, it being the closest to the ice cream parlour. My dorm was on the other side of campus.

The walk back was spent in silence while they both enjoyed their ice cream. Troy had finally succumbed to trying Chuncky Monkey and he started to really like it and sneaked peeks at Gabriella who looked blissfully while savouring every bite. He tried to steal a spoonful several times but when it came to the sweet goodness Gabriella was stealth itself.

I slowly walked towards her bed in, I hadn't been inside before but it was easy to guess which side was Gabriella's. Her walls adored posters of Linkin Park, Simple Plan, Breaking Benjamin and pictures of her with family and friends and noticing some pictures of our dates, the beach and park the most noticeable ones. I felt very relieved to see any other guys on the walls except the famous bands. Every other available place was packed with books and CD's. Hundreds of books, most of them well read by appearance and CD cases on top of those, half open or closed in askew towers. Every inch of the other side of the room was filled with posters of underwear models and movie stars. Also pictures of what I could only assume were Samantha's family and friends were scattered around the walls. Some college books and homework were laying on her bed and her laptop stood open on her desk. No extra books or CD's it seemed like Ella and Sam were two different people. A match made in dorm-heaven when it came to closet and room space. I could only guess that Samantha had taken two thirds of the closet space while Ella had definitely taken more than half of the room's space for her books and CD's.

I was hesitant to ask but not knowing ate on my insides so after she had seated herself in front off me on her bed I contemplated on how asking this question. 'Why were you crying earlier?' 'Who hurt you?' 'What happened?' The questions kept coming but none seemed appropriated for this situation. "High school sweetheart wasn't so sweet after all?" I clamed my hands in front of my mouth after the bitter words spilled from my vocal cords. I cursed myself to hell and back again and back; only I could be so stupid to let my bitterness speak when it came to high school sweethearts. Ella's eyes had widened so much I could only guess my assumptions were right. Putting it that way I could only wish I hadn't. My own experience had ruined the conversation before it even began. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have blurted it out like that. Just know I'm here when you want to talk. We can just sit here and do nothing." While I stammered an apology Ella had grabbed my hand that lay in my lap and squeezed it while offering a small smile. "It's okay. Sitting here is good for now. We'll talk later. I'm here for you too." Sheepishly smiling back I though back to my own experience with high school sweethearts. I had been (and probably still did on some level) hurt badly by my high school sweetheart. We had been dating for two years she had been cheating on me the whole time. When I found out by walking into a make-out session between her and the football captain my world had come crashing down. My friends told him to laugh it off and go on with my life, I after all; started college, would be meeting thousand of hot chicks dying to get laid but I knew I would never be like them and be able to just forget what had happened. That experience had made me who I am today but it scared me that Ella had so much influence on my day. She always made it better even if it was just catching a glimpse of her in class. My heart would soar with her laughter and die when tears streaked her face. If I would admit to the truth I'd know that I hadn't even noticed falling. But I was standing now, with my heart in her hands. And that scared me because I had never thought I'd be able to give it away unhealed. I thought I'd get the time to fix it. And apparently faith didn't agree with it. But faith had always given me a strange deal of hands. The first strange deal is my friends. I stayed friends with them all through middle school and then another 4 years in high school, we are so different. I was the odd one out, if I hadn't been friends with Drake and Dave I would've never been popular, I was the freaky basketball playing art dude. No one knew why the three of them were friends and to be honest they didn't know themselves they had just worked together. Their fathers had met during on of their basketball games in middle school and had forced the boys to spent time with them in the weekends so they could bond over basketball. It would benefit the team, now they thought it had more to do with the frequent barbeques held in the summer. Their friendship had grown and it had taken him a year and a half to tell them about his passion for art. They had shrugged it off because in middle school popularity hadn't played a roll at all, going to a small school everyone knew everyone and it didn't seem like it would matter what they did and didn't do. When the time for high school came they had decided to stick together because the idea of having to possibly dealing with it on their own had scared them, not that they had admitted to anyone but their mothers.


End file.
