A/N: I don't own HSM or any of the characters except the ones I have created.
"I can't believe we're seniors!" Gabriella shrieked as she walked down the hall of East High for the first time since returning from summer break.
Sharpay rolled her eyes at the brunette as she watched her skipping down the hallways and smiled to herself. After the talent show Sharpay apologised to the Wildcats and they soon became friends. Since then they had spend the rest of the summer together and Sharpay was now close to the whole gang, especially Gabriella who showed her that there was more to life than being the ice queen bitch of East High.
"Chill out Gabs. It's only school." Sharpay sighed as she started throwing things back into her hot pink locker.
Gabriella stopped skipping and ran back to her friend.
"But Sharpay! We're seniors!"
"And?"
"And! We can do whatever we want to! This is our last year at East High!"
Sharpay laughed as Gabriella threw her arms up into the air and started running round the hallways again. She was soon stopped though when she ran smack bang into Troy and the rest of the gang then fell to the floor.
"Whoa Gabs! Look where you're going." Troy chuckled as he held out a hand to Gabriella and she accepted it gratefully.
"Thanks Troy." She said sweetly as she grabbed his hand and pulled herself up.
"Hey isn't that what boyfriends are for? To pick you up when you're down. But I didn't think they meant it literally."
Troy chuckled again and Gabriella started to play with the necklace Troy gave her. She quickly lent up and kissed Troy before grinning at the rest of the gang and running off down the hallways. She then broke into a series of cartwheels and handstands before realising that everyone was watching her and started walking towards homeroom, blushing like crazy.
This year the gang were all still in the same homeroom and shared almost all the same classes which made Gabriella even more hyper; there was only one big problem. The had all got Miss Darbus again but after Troy and Gabriella taking part in the musical she had been easier on the entire gang so it wasn't that big a deal. No the problem was the rest of the class. Miss Darbus' class contained almost the whole of the cheer leading squad and, unlike the rest of the school and later Sharpay, they refused to break free of the status quo. For this reason they hated Gabriella and everything she stood for,making it their personal mission to ruin everything she ever did.
As Gabriella ran up the hallway to homeroom, closely followed by the rest of the gang, she looked though the open door and stopped in her tracks when she saw who was sitting in Miss Darbus' room. Troy was the first person after Gabi to reach the room and immediately became concerned when he saw the look on Gabriella's face.
"What's going on?" He asked but she just stood there with her mouth open, unable to speak, pointing towards the people in Miss Darbus' room. By this time the rest of the gang had turned up and all of them stuck their heads in the room to see what was going on before quickly withdrawing them.
"This is not good." Jason muttered and Kelsi hit him before walking over to Gabi and hugging her.
"Don't worry about it Gabs. Like you said we're seniors now and we're not going to let them ruin our last year together are we?"
"Yeah!" He gang all shouted at the same time as Chad punched the air and Gabriella laughed.
"Well if it isn't Gabi the geek."
The gang turned around and saw the head cheer leader Suzi Logan leaning against the door, her hands on her hips, surrounded by the rest of the cheer leading team.
"What do you want?" Taylor snapped.
Suzi threw her a dirty look. "Was I talking to you?"
She sighed before walking over to Troy and leaning against him.
"I really don't know why you chose her and this band of geeks over this." She tilted her head towards the cheer leading squad before moving closer and whispering in his ear "I know you want me."
Troy suddenly moved back causing Suzi to almost fall flat on her face and the rest of the gang had to stop themselves from giggling as she tried her best not to fall over in her three inch heels.
"Suzi I don't like you and I never will." He said bluntly before walking over to Gabi and wrapping his arms around her waist. "I love Gabriella and that will never change."
Gabriella smiled then kissed Troy and the lips.
"I love you too." She whispered as she pulled away while Suzi was looking on in shock at the scene in front of her.
How could any one fancy Gabi the Geek over her? She thought angrily as she turned on her heel and stormed back into homeroom.
She would get Troy if it was the last thing she ever did!
"She is way too quiet." Chad whispered as he took his seat next to Taylor in Algebra.
Taylor nodded in agreement. "I know she's up to something but I don't know what."
It had been almost a month since the incident outside homeroom on the first day and neither Suzi or her team mates had spoken to her gang since. Not that they were complaining the last month had been great but they all knew it was going to end. Suzi was up to something.
The bell had just rung for the end of Algebra and Chad and Taylor were walking out together when Sharpay came running into them, literally.
"Watch where you're going Shar." Taylor huffed as she picked the textbooks Sharpay had knocked out of her hands up off the floor.
"Sorry Tay but I have big news!" Sharpay gushed excitedly.
"It's not about Suzi is it?" Chad whispered before looking over his shoulder to check if anybody heard.
Sharpay looked at him confused them shook her hair before clapping hysterically.
"There's going to be a new student in our class. He's coming tomorrow. Apparently his dad's some big music producer and the said he would offer a contract to who ever sang the best at the annual welcome back to school singing competition!"
Chad and Taylor rolled their eyes.
"Is that it? God Shar we thought you were going to tell us Suzi was up to something."
"Oh that girl is so up to something, the ice queen in me can sense it, but I can't work out what."
"Your not the only one." Taylor muttered as the three of them walked off towards Drama.
The next day the gang were all sitting in homeroom, except Gabi who was running late, when Miss Darbus started clearing her throat loudly. The class looked up and saw her standing next to a boy with shocking bright green eyes and a handsome face, half the girls on the cheer leading team sighed dreamily when they saw him.
"That must be the new guy." Sharpay whispered and the rest of the group nodded in agreement.
"Class this is Christian Carter and today is his first day at East High so I want you to make him feel welcome. Firstly does anybody want to volunteer to show Christian around today?"
Just then Gabriella came rushing into the room. She tried to get through without Miss Darbus noticing her but just as she reached her desk at the back of the class she whacked her shin off the table leg and swore loudly.
Miss Darbus looked at her and grinned.
"Thank you Miss Montez for volunteering. You will be showing young Christian here around the school today."
Gabriella stared at Miss Darbus and Christian in shock while at the other side of the class Suzi smiled. She might have just found a way to break up Troy and Gabriella for good.
When Miss Darbus sent Christian to sit at the back of the class they hit it off instantly. Troy, who was sitting near the front, began to feel jealous as he glanced back and saw the two laughing together. Suzi saw this and smirked as a plan formulated in her mind. She quickly rushed out of homeroom and after checking the halls were empty, began telling the rest of the squad her plan. They listened intently and nodded in agreement before running of to their lesson.
The first lesson of the day was English and Gabi groaned. The rest of the gang had all been put in the same English class but there hadn't been enough room for Gabriella so they put her in the same group as the cheer leaders. Luckily after checking Christian's timetable she found out that they were in all the same classes so they walked arm in arm to the English block, laughing and chatting to each other.
"Right class." Mr Carpenter called when the class had finally settled down. "Today we are finishing our section on Romeo and Juliet by re-enacting the death scene for the class to see next week so pair up!"
The cheer leading squad were divided equally between boys and girls so instantly ran to each other leaving only Gabriella, Christian and and another student called Ross who Gabriella knew would take advantage of the situation.
Gabriella looked around the classroom and gulped before feeling someone tap her on the shoulder. She turned around and saw Christian holding out his hand to her.
"Would you like to be my partner, m' lady?"
Gabriella laughed and grabbed his hand.
"I'd love to."
It was free period and Troy was searching the school for Gabriella when Suzi and the rest of the Cheer leading squad blocked his way.
"Hey Troy." Suzi said innocently. "Looking for someone?"
"Erm Gabriella actually. Have you seen her."
"She's in the drama department" She told him.
He tried to walk away but she stopped him.
"Troy before you go there's something you need to know. It's about Gabriella."
Troy stopped and looked at her. "I'm listening."
"It about her and the new kid. They looked very close in English today and when we left I heard them talking about a date tomorrow night."
Troy shook his head and stepped back. "I don't believe you."
Suzi shrugged. "Fine but don't say I didn't warn you."
Troy looked at her for a moment before running towards the drama department. He had to find Gabi. Along the way he heard people gossiping which only made him run faster.
"Did you see what Gabriella was doing with the new kid--"
"I can't believe she would do that to Troy—"
"She is such a slut--"
When Troy finally reached the drama department, what he saw made him running in the opposite direction. What he saw was his girlfriend, the love of his life, Gabriella Montez, kissing Christian Carter.
Troy stormed out of the drama department and ran straight into Suzi.
"Hey Troy what's the matter?"
"Gabriella and Christian." He said though clenched teeth. "They were kissing in the drama department."
Suzi put a hand on his arm.
"I'm really sorry Troy." She said sympathetically.
"I thought she loved me." Troy said tearfully as he looked down at the floor.
"You know I would never do that to you. If you'd just realised sooner none of this would have happened."
Troy looked at her confused. "What do you mean?"
Just then Suzi saw Gabriella and Christian walking out of the drama department over his shoulder and pulled Troy into a kiss which he quickly returned.
Gabriella stood watching them in shock until she couldn't stand it anymore and ripped the necklace off her neck before going up to Troy and throwing it at him.
"I can't believe I ever loved you Troy Bolton. I should never have got back with you!" She yelled at him as tears poured down her face.
"I hate you!" She yelled as she started walking away.
Troy instantly became angry. "You're nothing but a cheap tart anyway. I always knew that you weren't worth it. You're nothing to me! I wish you were dead."
Gabriella winced as she heard his words and turned around. When Troy saw the look in her eyes he instantly regretted what he had said and began walking towards her.
"Gabs I'm--"
"Go to hell Troy." She hissed furiously before running away.
Christian shot Troy and Suzi a dirty look before running after her.