A/N: Ok so I was just reading this over again, you know. Going over my old stories and I had that overwhelming feeling like WTF was I thinking? Like was a friggin' high when i wrote this crap? So I'm changing it. Getting rid of the stupidest parts of the fluff but leaving the good stuff in there.

SUMMARY: Troy and Gabriella have been best friends since they were in kindergarten. One day, they're hanging out so they decide to play a game. So, Twinkle Towne/ Breaking Free happened but they knew each other and were best friends before.

9 Things I Love About….Who?

"Hey," Gabriella Montez plopped down next to her best friend, Troy Bolton. He turned to look at her breifly as he viciously battled a monster with his X-box controller. "What's up?" she asked with her brightest smile.

"Not much," Troy said cautiously, pausing his video game. Gabriella was acting extra hyper and he learned to be careful because when it came to Gabriella at times like these, predictability was very rare.

"Who do you like?" Gabriella cut right to the chase.

"Ummm," Troy blinked a few times. "Why?"

"No reason," Gabriella said innocently. Troy gave her a suspicious look as she quickly caved. "Fine, I'll tell you. Sharpay asked if you were available. And I agreed to help her out. You know drop a few subtle hints" Gabriella said with just a slight bit of guilt in her voice as she realized her plan hadn't worked out so fabulously in execution as it did mentally.

"Oh yeah, really subtle." Troy said sarcastically.

"Shut up," Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Seriously, who do you like?"

"I'm not telling you." Troy said amusedly.

"Pretty please?" Gabriella asked. Troy shook his head. "Pretty please with extra extra sugar?" Gabriella persisted. "Pretty please with extra extra sugar and a cherry? In case you haven't noticed I'm not going to give up until you tell me." she warned him. Troy continued to refuse "Fine, how about you tell me 10 things about her. Maybe I can guess," Gabriella suggested brightly scooting closer to Troy on the comfy brown leather couch.

Troy thought about it for a bit. "Sound fair," He agreed, nodding. "Okay, number one, she's really pretty. Gorgeous actually."

Gabriella's heart twisted but she pushed it away. She didn't like her best friend as any more then a best friend. Scratch that, she couldn't like her best friend as more then a best friend. Besides, it was completely impossible for it to happen. She was positive Troy didn't like her that way. "Of course she is," Gabriella teased trying to smile. "To be the object of the Troy Bolton's affections."

"She is," Troy assured her as he looked down and nodded. "So, number two. She's talented. Amazingly talented, at everything she does."

She bit her lip. "Okay," She said sounding too overly cheerful for it to be sincere. "Gimme another clue. I'm going to figure it out, just you wait."

"Yeah I'm sure you will. But she's unbelievably sweet." Troy smiled just thinking about her. "She's the sweetest person I've ever met. I think she makes me a better person by just being around her."

"She sounds perfect," Gabriella commented with a touch of sadness embedded in her voice.

Troy, being a normal guy, didn't notice. "Number four, she's caring. She does so many things that just show me how much she isn't like the normal high school bitch." Gabriella stayed silent. There was nothing left for her to say. He just kept on going. "Fifth, she's smart. I don't usually fall for smart girls but this one is different."

"Smart? That's surprising," Gabriella raised her eyebrows. "Troy Bolton goes for the Einstein-ettes. Who knew?"

"She's not an Einstein-ette," Troy laughed. "She's so much more then that. Well, she's also caring." Troy nodded. "She puts everyone's feelings before hers. I hate selfish people, which is probably why I like her so much."

"What else." She asked impatiently.

"She's special, she's unique." Troy described her to Gabriella. "She's absolutely nothing like all the other superficial idiots who go to East High." Gabriella frowned thinking she was included in the superficial idiots but once again, Troy was oblivious to the feelings written all across Gabriella's face. "She's also strong. She's been through everything I can imagine and more and still, she manages to come out on top."

"I see why you love this girl." Gabriella said quietly.

"Love?" Troy turned to look at Gabriella sharply but then softened. "Yeah, maybe," He looked thoughtful. "Ninth, she's brave. She can do stuff, I know I would never be able to do." Troy nodded wistfully before quickly changing the subject. "So, Gabs, who do you like?"

"Don't think I didn't notice. That was only nine!" Gabriella reminded him accusingly.

"I'll tell you my last one later." Troy promised impatiently. "Come on. Please?"

"It's doesn't matter. It's not like he likes me." She protested.

"Well tell me who he is so I can kick is ass." Troy teased her.

"Well not necessary but I'm only telling you nine clues about him" Gabriella said smugly. "First, he's sooo hot. His eyes are gorgeous, I could literally get lost in them." Gabriella told Troy dreamily.

"More gorgeous then mine?" Troy asked jokingly blinking his eyes a few times before boring his blue eyes straight into Gabriella's warm chocolate eyes.

She could feel herself melting as she started to lean forward. Once she got a few centimeters away from his face, she stopped and whispered. "Yup, waaaay more gorgeous," She leaned back.Troy pretended to pout in disappointment. She was deathly afraid that if she looked too long into his eyes he would be able to see right through her. "Also, he's got this super amazing voice. It's my favorite sound in the world. It's like…" She trailed off and sighed.

"Lucky guy to have a girl like you like him."

"Oh yeah. He's one lucky duck. Imagine how fast that would go away I liked him." Gabriella said sarcastically but then her voice got quiet. She continued anway. "Well, he's funny too. He can take any situation and lighten it for me. He actually makes me a happier person,"

"Funny, huh." Troy noted, nodding seriously.

"Yes funny. And he's always there for me," Gabriella smiled. "I mean when I am at my lowest like when my dad died…" About 3 years ago, Gabriella's father was hit by a truck and died instantly. Troy had been her shoulder to cry on.

"Then that Jeff nightmare…." When Troy and Gabriella were in freshmen in high school, one of Gabriella's old boyfriends that she had dumped, Jeff Miller, had spread a rumor all over the school that Gabriella was "easy". She would walk down the halls and people would whisper behind their hands and giggle. Countless guys asked her out, clearly under the impression that the rumor was true. It wasn't until Jeff had gotten another girl pregnant that people stopped talking about Gabriella. But Troy had stayed by her side through everything. He had even endured a fair share of the taunting himself when people said that he just pitied her and was trying to get some ass. "When everybody believed Jeff's sorry ass, he stuck right by me" She blinked back a few tears. He didn't like her. "He made me feel special," Gabriella said softly.

"Why shouldn't he? You are special," Troy assured her. He grinned on the inside as he realized who she was talking about. Him. "Want to know my last one?" He asked Gabriella.

Gabriella nodded. "Sure," She closed her eyes and braced for it. The moment when everything would come crashing down. Then she came to a realization. Her eyes flew open as she realized that she couldn't handle knowing. "Actually, I've got to go." She lied scrambling to get off the couch.

"What?" Troy looked at her confused. "Where are you going?"

"I have to go to..." Gabriella was too in too much of a rush to think of a convincing alibi. "Anywhere but here. Sorry Troy. " She apologized as she grabbed her purse and ran out of the house.

"Okay bye?" Troy said confusedly. He leaned back on the couch wondering what happened. He really needed to tell her the last clue about this girl. Finally he realized he should probably follow her. He followed Gabriella out the front door.

After she had left Troy's house, she ran home and collapsed into a puddle of tears on the white bench swing in her backyard. Gabriella used to come there to relax or just to think. A majority of the time on that bench was spent with Troy. More tears leaked out of her eyes as she reminised in the memories she held of Troy. She brought her knees to her chin and circled them with her arms. She wanted her best friend to be happy and find his soul mate but she didn't want to know who was going to replace her. Ignorance is bliss, right?

Troy walked into her backyard just a few minutes later. and sat next to her on the bench. "Hi Gabi" He said softly gently bumping his shoulder with her. He noticed the tears rolling down her face. "Are you okay?" He asked, concerned. Gabriella shook her head. "Can I please tell you my last clue" Again, Gabriella shook her head. Troy put a hand under her chin and against Gabriella's will, tilted her head to look at him. He planted a soft kiss on Gabriella's lips. "Her name is Gabriella Maria Montez".

Gabriella kissed him again. "That's my name" She smiled giddily. "Want to know something else about the guy I like?" Gabriella asked.

"Ok"

She cupped his ear. "His name is Troy Bolton" she whispered confidentially in his ear. Troy grinned at the answer he knew was coming as Gabriella leaned back.

"This is now officially my favorite game" He decided as he wrapped an arm around Gabriella's waist. Troy pulled her gently onto his lap and she kissed him again.

"We should play it more often." She agreed.

"Nah, it's probably going to get boring after a while if we always guess who each other likes." Troy shook his head. "The guy you like is never going to change." he joked.

"You hope," Gabriella teased him.

"You know," he teased back.

"I know," Gabriella repeated softly.

The End

A/N: Better? Worse? Same? Let me know by pressing that pretty little purple button in the bottom left hand corner of your screen.

xoxo

Mini princes93