Hey! So this ONE SHOT took me forever and a day to finish! I hope you like it!

This is dedicated to Wildcat From The Heart. Thanks for inspiring me! Yay you: )

The Name Game

I wondered if I was the only one going through this nonsense as I sat at my desk in English class. This teasing and annoyance that I dealt with everyday was starting to get really old. Troy Bolton was now copying off of my paper and I don't even know why I was letting him. He was always a jerk to me, so why would I even want to help him? He looked up from my paper after he was done and as the teacher came in.

"Thanks, Montez." He said as he shoved the paper back toward me.

"Next time, Bolton, do your homework." I said as I took the paper and placed it back into my folder.

He laughed like I said the funniest thing in the world and then turned around to talk to his best friend, Chad Danforth. Troy and I have been rivals since the moment we meet each other and the entire school knew it. They knew that we hated each other and couldn't be in the same room without threatening each other or even trying to kill each other. It has happened before… it wasn't that bad, okay? I only threw a glass vase at him. It was only just that once… seriously.

Troy always had a nasty comment to make on my outfit or on the way I answered a question in music class, but there were times when I would see something good about him. It would only be for a moment until he realized that he was doing something that didn't make me feel bad. I always just shook my head when he would make a mean comment quickly just to get his momentum back.

Even though he was mean to me and sometimes brought me to tears, I was starting to realize that I was falling in love with him. I tried to deny it every time a smile would creep upon my face when he walked by, but it never worked. My feelings never came out in the open, even when I would smile randomly. My reply was always that I was thinking of a cute movie I saw the other day. I never told anyone, not even Taylor.

I was now being a human target for Troy and his basketball friends to throw wads of paper at when the teacher wasn't looking. I angrily slammed my pencil down on my desk and grabbed the tiny piece of paper off of my desk and threw them in Troy's face quickly.

"Stop!" I whisper-yelled, making his basketball friends exchange a worried look and turn their attention back to the teacher. Troy only smirked and tossed the papers back at me, making me even madder than I already was.

"You're so immature!" I whispered to him, making a few people turn their heads to look at us.

"Mr. Bolton, Ms. Montez, do we have a problem?" The teacher asked as he looked up from the white board at the front of the room.

"No, sir." Troy answered with a shake of his head.

I smiled at the teacher to convince him that everything was going fine where we were sitting and he slowly turned back to what he was doing before we interrupted him. Taylor glanced at me from her seat across the room and I gave her a disgusted look as I pointed at Troy. She nodded, understanding, and then went back to her notes.

"So, Troy was bugging you again?" Taylor asked me when we were walking down the hallway after English class.

"Yeah! I don't know what I ever did to him. He never leaves me alone." I answered with a groan.

"He'll stop eventually. It's not like he can do this forever." Taylor reassured me.

She spoke too soon as I tripped over something and fell to the ground. I groaned as I looked up at the ceiling and heard Troy laughing. I looked to the side of the hallway and glared at Troy, who obviously just tripped me.

"Troy!" I shouted, my voice carried through the hallway and people looked my way and laughed when they saw me on the ground. I grabbed Taylor's hand when she offered to help me up and I smoothed out my shirt as I stood up. "You're such a jerk!" I told him as I walked away with Taylor, angrily.

"Idiot!" I thought as I sat down in my music class and pulled out my guitar. "Such a jerk!" I whispered to myself.

"Talking about me again, Montez?" Troy asked as he sat down in his spot next to me.

"In your dreams, Bolton." I said as I tuned my guitar angrily.

"You have to get over your anger issue, Montez." Troy told me like he was some kid of psychologist.

"Please! Don't even start to tell me what to do, Bolton! You're the one who's making me angry!" I replied, coldly.

"I have not done a thing to you." Troy replied with a confused look on is face.

"Hmm… let's see. You threw paper at me for about an hour in English and you tripped me in the hallway." I answered him with an annoyed expression.

"It's not my fault you didn't see my foot in front of you." Troy replied as he looked at my guitar quickly and then started to get his own out of its case.

"Bolton, I swear, one day it'll come back to haunt you and I hope I'm there to see it!" I said angrily as I continued to tune my guitar.

He laughed quietly to himself and shrugged as he strummed away on his guitar to the piece of music in front of him. I pretended I wasn't listening, but I was. I listened as the music he was playing filled the large room and noticed that a few people stopped what they were doing to listen to him.

"You're guitar is out of tune." He said to me as he continued to play.

I looked down at my guitar and then back toward him, rolling my eyes.

"Whatever, Bolton. It sounds fine!" I said.

Troy just shrugged again and looked at the music in front of him. I once again listened to him play and secretly tuned the string on my guitar that was out of tune and then started to practice a song of my own. I looked at the words that belonged to the song and wished I had enough guts to sing them out loud.

I looked up from my guitar and scanned the room quickly. Chad was sitting at a drum set and was leaning against the biggest drum, almost falling asleep. I knew it was because he didn't get his usual nap he took in English class, in that hour he was wadding up paper for Troy and his friends to throw at me. I tolerated Chad though. He wasn't purposely mean to me and usually he wasn't, but I knew that was probably because he liked Taylor. He told me… in sixth grade, but, hey, he still could now.

I slowly started to hum along to my song and as I looked around the room I heard someone playing along to what I was humming. I stopped humming, but the playing continued and as I looked over at Troy, he smiled at me. Oh god, those smiles. That nice expression that I knew would fade in 5…4…3…2...1… frown!

"What are you looking at, Montez?" He asked as he changed from my song to his.

"Not you." I stated, so immaturely I wanted to kill myself right there and then.

"You did see that, right?" I heard Sharpay whisper to Kelsi.

"He was playing Gabi's song and then smiled." Kelsi whispered back in surprise.

I got up from my seat and walked over toward Taylor, who was sitting near Chad's drum seat. She smiled when she saw me and I noticed that Chad was now watching us instead of trying to sleep.

"Hey, Gabi, what's with Troy playing your song?" She asked me.

"I don't know. I was humming it so he must have picked it up or something." I answered, unsure how to answer that question.

"It sounded good." Taylor said in a surprised voice.

"Yeah and there will be world peace." I said sarcastically, knowing there was no way it sounded good.

I heard Chad drum on his cymbals in a she-just-made-a-joke kind of way and I looked at him with a laugh.

"You were making a joke, right?" He asked.

Taylor rolled her eyes, but a smirk formed on her face.

"Not really, Chad. I'm serious… there's no way it sounded good." I answered.

"Oh, you know you liked it, Montez." I heard from behind me.

I turned around and sighed when I saw Troy. I stepped closer to him and put my hand on my hip, ready to make an insult, but Chad started drumming on his drums as if trying to make a heart beat sound and I just went back to my seat to pack up my guitar. I heard someone clear their throat from behind me. Is he behind me again? I mean come on! Leave me alone, Bolton!

"Look, Bolton…" I started as I turned around, but stopped when I saw that Troy wasn't behind me, but Stacy Collins was. "Oh, hi Stacy." I said with a smile.

"How do you do it?" She asked me.

"Do what?" I asked. I'm not a mind reader!

"Get Troy's attention." She said.

"I don't try to get his attention and if you haven't noticed, it's not exactly nice attention." I said with a laugh.

"Any attention from Troy Bolton is major!" She stated like if she didn't get attention from Troy she wouldn't get into college.

"Well, if you want his attention, just talk to him." I suggested like I actually knew how to get his attention.

"You're not dating or anything are you?" She asked me seriously.

My eyes widened in shock and to me it felt like the room got quieter so my answer could be heard. I paused to look around the room quickly and then turned my attention back to her.

"No. I'm not dating him." I answered as I swallowed quickly.

"Okay, just making sure, so if this talking thing goes well I can maybe go out with him." She explained.

"Have fun." I replied with a forced sarcastic tone.

She laughed as she walked away and before she could come back I made my way out of the room to get to my science class. I walked down the hallway, listening to the conversations around me and I sat at my desk when I got into my science class. I watched as a few people came in and my lab partner, who just so happened to be Troy, sat down next to me as the last minute bell rang.

"Why are you always in here early? Do you still not have any friends?" He asked as he set his notebook on his desk.

"I like being early." I stated with a roll of my eyes.

"You like being dorky." He answered for himself.

"Whatever." I said dully as I turned my attention to the teacher who was just starting to tell us about what we were going to be doing today.

I was carefully putting blue food coloring into a beaker with cold water in it while Troy filled another beaker with warm water to do the same. I sighed as I watched the food coloring swirl around in the water. I hated blue in this moment. It reminded me of… well, Troy's stupid eyes! Troy put green food coloring in his water and we both sat starring down at colored water, bored out of our minds. I still wasn't sure what this experiment was supposed to be telling us, but I couldn't think about that because I knew Troy was about to do something stupid.

"What are you doing?" I asked him as he picked up the bottle of food coloring from the table.

"Putting more food coloring in it." He answered.

"That will ruin the experiment." I said matter-of-factually.

"And you have ruined my reputation by being my lab partner, but I can't do anything about that, can I?" He asked.

"Put the food coloring down!" I said as I looked at him angrily.

"What are you going to do if I don't?" He asked me, ready for a challenge.

"This isn't the time for games. Give me the food coloring!" I said as I tried taking it from him. He swiftly moved the bottle higher so I couldn't reach it and I let out an exaggerated sigh.

"No way, Montez, you could do something stupid with it!" He said as he pushed me away from him.

"You're the one doing stupid things! Just set it on the table and I won't bug you about it." I said as I tapped my foot on the ground, impatiently.

"Whatever, Montez." He said as he carelessly put the bottle back on the table.

"Bolton…" I started, but it was too late. The green food coloring was now all over my shirt. "Thanks a lot!" I finished.

"Uh-oh." I heard Chad and Taylor say together from their lab table behind us.

"Oops." Troy said with a laugh.

"Look what you did, Bolton! All because you wouldn't listen to me!" I said angrily as I tried to wipe my shirt off, only making it worse, enlarging the green spot on the front of my shirt.

"Chill, Montez. Stop making a scene or else the teacher will give us a zero on this lab…here, take this." He said as he grabbed his jacket off of the back of his chair and handed it to me.

I looked at him suspiciously as I took his jacket, unsure if there was some sort of prank he was planning with his jacket.

"I didn't do anything with it, Montez." He said with a laugh.

"We are all seeing this, right?" Sharpay asked Kelsi, Chad, and Taylor from her spot next to them.

"I think so." Chad said with a nod.

"Thanks." I said as I zipped his jacket up to cover the front of my shirt.

"It was my fault." Troy stated as he went back to the lab.

I nodded and went back to the lab, sinking into the comfortable fabric of Troy's jacket, inhaling the familiar scent of him. I sighed and smiled to myself.

"What are you smiling about?" Troy asked suspiciously.

"I was thinking about a cute movie I saw the other day." I lied with a nod.

"Right… and I'm thinking of Mickey Mouse." He said as he shook his head and rolled his eyes.

I sighed and ignored him, waiting desperately for the bell to ring so I could finally go home for the weekend. I was walking down the hallway after getting what I needed from my locker and as I turned the corner I saw Stacy talking to Troy. They were laughing and Stacy had a flirty look on her face and not that it bugged me or anything, but they were standing pretty close.

I was going to ignore them as I walked down the hallway but something came over me and I started walking toward them. I think maybe I was jealous? Ha! Of course not! I stopped when I got closer to them and smiled at Stacy quickly before I turned my attention over to Troy.

"Here's your jacket. Thanks for letting me wear it." I said a little too cheerfully as I handed Troy his jacket.

He gave me a weird look and Stacy started to look awkward.

"I guess I'll see you later, Troy." Stacy said as she slowly walked away.

I smirk as I turned away to leave, but Troy stopped me.

"What the heck was that?" He asked angrily.

"I was just giving you your jacket back. I mean it is raining." I said with a faked confused look.

"I was seconds away from asking Stacy out! Couldn't you have given it to me later?" He asked as I glanced to my right at the emptying hallway.

"Ha! Stacy wouldn't have gone out with you! That's really funny, Bolton." I said with a laugh.

"Why is that?" He asked angrily.

"Because…" I paused thinking of a reason why someone wouldn't want to date him. "You're a jerk!" I finally said, feeling stupid because that was the only thing I could come up with.

"Is that all you can come up with, Montez? I can give you a list of reasons why someone wouldn't date you!" He told me, making my smile turn into a frown.

"Oh yeah?" I asked as I crossed my arms over my chest.

Troy nodded, annoyed.

"Number one you're a perfectionist. Number two you're a no-it-all. Number three you worry too much about school and don't know how to have fun. Number four you tap your pencil way too much during class when you're thinking. Number five your idea of a Friday night is watching movies with Taylor and Sharpay. Number six you're not half as attractive as the other girls at East High…" He continued as he pulled on one of my curled strands of hair and flicked it away from the rest.

"You don't like junk food, the only things you laugh at are completely not funny and any guy who would date you has to be insane! No guy you like would ever date you!" He yelled the last part and his voice filled the empty hallway.

I looked at him, trying to hide the fact that my confidence, self-esteem, and heart were crumbling into nothing at all and he just stood there breathing heavily from the yelling.

"You're wrong about a lot of things, Troy, but you are right about one thing…" I said feeling tears threatening to appear. "The guy I used to love never would date me." I knew he was taken back at the way I used his first name instead of his last and I knew that he saw my tears as I started to walk away, but when I looked back to see if he was coming after me or feeling bad, he was already walking the other way, fading around the corner to leave me completely broken.

I thought that the new kids were supposed to be dorky and shy the first couple of days they were at school, but apparently not, because the new kid, Sam, who apparently was instantly popular had me shoved against a locker in the hallway a couple of days later.

I shouldn't have made that mocking comment to him in English class when I did. I should have probably kept my distance, but I had to open my mouth and get myself into this. He wasn't like Troy, that's for sure, he didn't just brush a comment off, and he actually did something about it… crap.

"Just let go of me. I won't say anything to you again." I said, but the sarcasm I used earlier still hadn't left me completely and he only shoved me harder into the locker.

Gosh, this must be how the kids in the movies feel! If the pain in my arm got any bigger I would be dead. I breathed deeply and tried to get out of his grasp.

"No one talks to me like you did!" He started. "I will make sure you pay for it!" He said as he raised his right hand.

I closed my eyes quickly, getting ready for the impact, but instead I felt him let go of me and heard a huge bang next to me. I opened my eyes and they widened when I saw Troy next to me with Sam slammed up against the lockers.

"Do we have a problem here, Barns?" He asked him angrily.

"Look, man, she said some crap and I was just making sure she knew who she was talking to." He told Troy.

"She's talking to you and she can say what she wants because it's a free country. Now next time you have a problem think about who you're going to mess with because as long as it's Gabriella you'll be in this position every time, got it?" He asked him, making me step away from them quickly.

"Got it." He answered with a nod.

Troy let go of him and brushed Sam off before shoving him away from himself. By then I was already half way down the hall, making my way toward the exit. I didn't know why, but I was suddenly getting emotional. Maybe it was because I was freaked out by the encounter with Sam or about what Troy had said to him. I heard Troy call my name, but I still continued to walk out of East High, stepping into the rain that hadn't stopped in what felt like days.

"Montez!" Troy said, running after me.

I only stopped when he grabbed my arm, making me flinch. I turned around and looked at him, tears were streaming down my face, and again, I still didn't understand why.

"What?" I spat.

"What's going on?" He asked me.

"You didn't have to help me in there." I said, ignoring the question. "What was that anyway?" I asked as I wiped away my tears and squinted as the rain blurred my vision.

"He was hurting you… I just reacted…" He said awkwardly.

"Well, that usually is your job, so I would be mad if someone was taking my job too." I said as I started to shiver from the dampness.

"No… that's not why." He replied.

"Whatever, Bolton. Go back inside and make out with your new girlfriend." I said as I started to walk away.

"What are you talking about?" He asked me, getting annoyed.

"I don't know." I shouted.

"Gabriella…"

I stopped and started to cry harder as I felt his arms around me. I was suddenly feeling warmer with the way he was holding me and as I continued to cry he actually seemed like he cared about what was happening to me. There was no reason why I was crying so hard, but as I put my arms around him I realize it was because of the way he said my name. The way it just came out so right; so careful.

"Troy…" I started, not knowing what to say.

"You don't have to say anything, Gabriella. Just promise me something." He whispered.

"What?" I asked as I looked up at him.

"Continue calling me Troy. It sounds so much better coming from you, Montez."

I laughed quietly at the stupid promise he wanted me to make, but nodded as I rolled my eyes.

"Is it really fair that you get to continue to call me Montez?" I asked him.

"No." He said with a shake of his head as he leaned toward me and kissed me softly on the lips. "I think girlfriend fits much better." He said with a wink.

"Whatever you say, boyfriend." I said as I kissed him quickly and started to walk away with a little more jump in my step and a huge smile on my face.

Hey! If I can't play mean rival doesn't it make sense if I play hard to get? I looked back at Troy and winked at him as I opened the doors to the start of something new.

Laugh! Squeal! Review!

Much love,

unknownbyhim22