Prologue:

It was a New Year's Eve and the snow was slowly but beautifully falling. The story starts in the Ritz Hotel all the way in Switzerland, Europe. The lights were lit up brightly and in a colorful fashion, some people, mostly teenagers, were seen snowboarding and sledding outside the hotel. Meanwhile, inside the grand hotel, the New Years' party had just begun. Teenagers and a few kids were all dressed up and dancing to the groove of the music. Everyone, it seemed, were enjoying the evening seeing all was so active and there was such much chatter all around the room.

But while most of the teenagers in the hotel were partying their heart out, only one seemed to not be there. Or two. In the most comforting room of the hotel, where a warm fireplace was built to heat up the guests and plushy couches and mini coffee bars were stationed in that room. Only a few people were there, since the rest were all upstairs at the party. A girl, only at her sweet sixteen, was comfortingly sitting on the huge couches in her warm and cozy winter outfit, completely immersed in a book. Her mother, dressed in a lavishly crimson red dress, spotted her daughter immediately and went up to approach with a stern look on her face, as if ready to reprimand the lone girl cozily sitting on the couch with a book.

"Gabby, its New Years' Eve. Enough reading." Her mother told her daughter, Gabriella while grabbing the book away from her daughter.

Gabriella instantly protested, trying to get her book back from the clutches of her mom. "But mama I'm almost done, I –"But even before she could finish explanation, her mother cut her off with one look.

"Nope. The teen party? I laid out your best clothes for you. Come and get ready." And though softly spoken, it was still a command and was meant to be obeyed.

"Can I have my book back?" Gabriella asked, resigned. She had no choice but go to the party.

Her mother considered her daughter. She gave her daughter a look and gently gave back the book to her daughter.

"Thank you." Gabriella said softly, with utmost gratitude. She got up and went to follow her mother.

"Come on." And so the night begins.

Meanwhile, another mother in a green velvet dress and red hair walking in the lodge was also looking for her son. Or rather, both father AND son. She stopped at the small indoor basketball court and knew she had found what she was looking for. She could see her husband and son clearly into their playing of basketball.

"Keep working left, Troy." She could her husband coach her son, passing the ball to him. "Gotta get ready for the Championship game we're expecting. Gotta torture them, Troy!"

Her son, Troy Bolton, was in his blue basketball outfit, sweating so much but still into playing the game. "Am I going left?" Troy asked his father/coach, still quite alert and his head in the game.

"Yeah, you go the middle, you take it downtown!" His dad replied as alert as his son.

"Ok like this?" And Troy dodged his father and shoots his basketball ball in the hoop.

"Hoo! That's it man! Sweet!" His father exclaimed catching the ball in approval of his son. "I wanna see that in the game!" And father and son drowned themselves in talks of basketball and the championship game.

"Boys!" Troy's mother exclaimed at her spot. She started approaching the two. "Did we really fly all this way to play more basketball?"

Troy and his dad looked at each other briefly in understanding.

"Yeah." They said together, as if it was the most obvious answer.

"It's the last night of vacation." Troy's mother countered, twirling herself, showing them how good she looked that night. "The party, remember?" Particularly asking her husband holding the ball.

"Right. The party." Her husband replied in a tone that he completely forgot all about it. "The party, New Years' Eve."

Seeing that got her husband, she turned to her son. "Troy, they have a kid's party downstairs in the Freestyle Club. Briseis is already there."

Troy looked very horrified at the invitation. "Kid's party?"

"Young adults." His mother briefly specified. "Now go. Shower up! Your sister is down there already!" She commanded him.

Troy grabbed the ball from his dad, ran and asked his mom. "One more." Referring to having one more shot at the hoop. His mother sighed exasperatedly. "Last one. It will be quick." And before his mom could even respond, Troy dodged his dad and gave one last perfected excellent shot.

"There we go! That's the way to handle it!"

The Freestyle Club, where the party was going on. There was a couple singing some karaoke up in the small stage the made in the middle, balloons were all over, people were playing games and others were dancing to the groove, some kids were at the table opening some presents, blowing their New Years' horns and some people were just at their table animatedly talking to their friends.

Troy Bolton, freshly showered and dressed up in a soft blue polo shirt and a long brown formal coat, reluctantly entered the party, wishing he wasn't there and that he could just play basketball and shoot hoops again. He really felt out of place. He made his way through the crowd and ended up standing at the side of the stage, looking for someone he could relate to, particularly his twin sister, Briseis.

On the other side of the room, Gabriella Montez was also making her way in the crowd, clutching tightly her precious book in her arms. She was dressed up for the evening as well. Simply attired but beautiful still. Like Troy, she was also reluctant going to the party, wishing she could just finish up reading, since the story was so interesting. And reading she shall do. She happily found another couch behind the stage on the right side and began to joyfully carry on reading.

Troy was already getting bored.

"Hey there!" a petite, dark haired girl in a seemingly fashionable but simple outfit, exclaimed, jumping out of nowhere in front of Troy.

"Briseis! Oh I'm so glad to see you!" He exclaimed, happy that finally he found who he was looking for.

"Bored already Troy? Wishing you could go back to shooting your hoops?" She asked him teasingly.

"Oh you know me too well." He replied, smiling at his beautiful sister.

Just then, the couple on stage had finally finished singing and the emcees were also now up the stage.

"Alright! Give it up for a couple of Snowboarders!" The emcee said to the audience. The applause was enough to know that he was heard. "Yeah! Who's gonna rock the house next?" The emcee asked the audience. Two spotlights were then lit, moving around the room, trying to find the next couple to sing and entertain for them.

Unfortunately for Troy, the spotlight ended up at him.

"Oh my God! Troy! You got picked! You're going to sing!" Briseis exclaimed at her brother, slightly tugging his shirt in excitement. Troy, it seemed, was extremely surprised and lost. He started protesting immediately, while the rest of the people, cheered him on.

And unfortunately for the innocent Gabriella, the second spotlight ended up on her. Poor Gabriella roused from her reading. Shock and surprise evident in her face as she had no idea what was going on. The emcee gave his hand and brought her up the stage saying that she had to sing. She was so shocked! She really did not want this to be happening.

"Oh Troy! Go! Sing! I want to hear you sing! Go sing!" Briseis exclaimed, now pushing her brother along with the rest of the guys.

"I can't sing…" Troy just kept protesting to no use.

The emcee came in between Gabriella and Troy. "Hey you know, someday, you guys might be thanking me for this." His final words to them before they started singing. He gave it an afterthought. "Or not."

Troy was just at a loss. He really did not want to sing. And his partner as he looked at her, seemed to share the same sentiments that he did. She didn't even want to look at him! Her arms were crossed in defense and she was looking down as if the entire world seemed to be down there. Troy was annoyed. But too late, the music was starting. He didn't even know the song! Until he saw the screen above him. Well, what the heck. Humiliate myself then. He thought.

"Living in my own world, didn't understand." Troy started singing, completely nervous. The audience started to quiet down, their new interest; the couple about to sing. Briseis was absolutely transfixed. She could believe that her twin brother, Troy Bolton was about to sing with a beautiful stranger in front of a huge, live audience. Is it the end of the world? Briseis thought, apparently shocked.

Troy continued singing his part. "…That anything could happen, when you take a chance." He didn't want to sing anymore. His partner was unenthusiastic about it anyway. So after his line, he turned and started to walk down the stage until…

"I never believed in, what I couldn't see. I never opened my heart…" Troy instantly turned, hearing the girl sing, thinking that she had one of the most beautiful voices. But her arms were still crossed and she was still looking down. Her shyness now completely evident to Troy. He realized now he couldn't leave her behind just like that. Plus this could be fun. He thought to himself.

"Oooh..." Troy softly sang in the background while his beautiful partner continued singing, "To all the possibilities…Oooh…"

Now they sang together, "I know that something has changed, never felt this way, and right here tonight…" Their duet working out not like they planned but something much more shockingly amazing. Troy could see his beautiful partner was slowly gaining confidence in herself, realizing that he too, was doing the same thing.

"This could be that start of something new. It feels so right to be here with you…" And she kept stealing glances at him and he just caught every single one. He'd see her smile the most beautiful smile secretly whenever he'd catch her stealing a glance. She finally gave up the game and looked at him with the most fondest expression and the smile clearly saying that she loved what they were doing at the moment. He thought she was the most beautiful girl he's ever seen. "And now looking in your eyes…" She stole another glance at him and sung her part. "I feel in my heart…" He already loved her eyes and her smile. She looked so beautiful, Troy was thinking. "Feel in my heart. The start of something new."

Now Troy was in the game. This feeling, he never had it before, much less with a beautiful stranger. He wanted to carry on. He wanted to keep her smiling at him. He had his confidence back on track and wanted his partner to follow his lead.

"Now who've ever thought that... (Oooh...)" He slowly took off his jacket and passed it to his wide-eyed sister. "We'd both be here tonight?" They sang together. His partner seemed to really gain her confidence as well as she hit the high note. "And the world looks so much brighter…Oh! With you by my side…(By my side...)" Troy was feeling the groove as well. He liked singing and he liked his partner. "I know that something has changed. Never felt this way, I know it for real…This could be the start of something new…" The audience was now all dancing and feeling their song as well. Now, Troy and Gabriella couldn't take their eyes off each other while singing. "It feels so right, to be here with you…Oh.. And now looking in your eyes, I feel in my heart…feel in my heart…the start of something new…"

Troy didn't know what got into him. He started doing an exhibition with the mic like how he had seen it on TV, making the audience cheer for him more, Briseis get shocked at his little groove thing and his partner to smile more at him. "I never knew that it could it happen till it happened to me…Oh…Yeah…"

In turn, Gabriella did a small exhibition as well which also made the audience applause for her as well. "I didn't know it before but now its easy to see…Ooohhh…" Now they were both dancing to the beat of the song and feeling the music and lyrics of the song. "It's the start of something new. It feels so right to be here with you. Oh and now looking in your eyes. I feel in my heart…" Troy was now advancing to his duet partner. He slowly took the mic stand out of her soft hands. He could see her shyness coming back, her smile as he came closer to her. "That's it's the start of something new. It feels so right to be here with you, ooh…" She stepped back as he moved closer to her. She didn't realize she was about to fall off the stage. Good thing, the audience saw it coming and was able to push her back. They smiled at each other at that. "And now looking in your eyes, I feel in my heart…feel in my heart…The start something new (The start of something new)…" As the song was about to end, they slowed down as well. They stared intently at each other's eyes. Never caring of the others, never wavering, just loving the feeling they were in the moment. "…The start of something…new………" And even when the audience was clapping so loud for them and the song had finally ended, they were still in the moment. Briseis was just down there watching it all happen, watching it all with excitement, and watching how her brother was falling in love with a stranger girl. She watched as amidst the crowd applauding for them, Troy reached out his hand to the girl and gave his name.

"Gabriella." The stranger girl replied in enthusiasm. Briseis knew that at that moment, when their hands came in contact, electric currents were flying everywhere for the both of them. So the girl had a name. Briseis would remember that name forever. And she knew so would Troy.

Troy brought his beautiful partner down the stage and started approaching his sister. Briseis, wide eyed, touched that her brother never failed to remember her, knew exactly what was going to happen. They made a promise about this before. Once there is a girl Troy finally actually really liked, he'd first introduce his girl to his beloved sister and vice-versa.

He actually looked nervous in front of his own sister. Him! Nervous? The Wild-cat champion? There is no way. But he composed himself immediately.

"Gabriella," He started, extending an arm to his beautiful raven twin sister. "This is my twin sister, Briseis. She was watching us…" He whispered to her. "Briseis meet Gabriella, as you saw was my singing partner."

"Pleased to meet you." Gabriella said extending her hand to Troy's sister. Briseis liked her already. Plus Gabriella and Troy make the most perfect couple.

"Same to you." Briseis smiled, taking the offered hand. Troy gave her a look. And there was an understanding between them immediately. "Alright, alright. Go! Be together, bond, talk. If ever you need me, I'll just be around…Take care you two. And Happy New Year, Gabriella." And with that Briseis dashed out of the scene to leave Troy and Gabriella to themselves.

Almost the whole night, Troy and Gabriella were together, talking and having fun. They mostly talked about what happened earlier because none expected to do anything like that tonight. They soon made their way outside to see the New Year fireworks.

"But seriously you have an amazing voice." Troy was saying. Gabriella blushed. "You're a singer right?"

"Just church choir." She answered. "I tried a solo and nearly fainted."

"Really?" It seemed Troy just couldn't believe it but still he remained interested. "Why is that?"

"I took a good look of all the people staring at me and next thing I know I was staring at the ceiling. End of Solo career." She briefly explained.

"Well with the way you sung tonight, that's pretty hard to believe."

"Well that was the first time I've done something like that. I mean it was so cool!" Gabriella replied enthusiastically.

"I know! Completely!" Troy said in the same tone.

"Well you sounded like you've done a lot of singing too." Gabriella commented.

"Yeah sure. My shower habits very impressive." They both laughed at that.

In the background, the kids started the countdown for the New Year. (9, 8, 7, 6…). They both knew this would be the last 10 sec. they'd get to spend together before reality had to come back in. They both felt reluctant about it since they were already having such a good time. An awkward silence settled between them as the fireworks started up signaling a whole New Year has just begun.

Gabriella looked at Troy, not wanting to leave, wanting to say something but didn't know what.

"I guess I'd go find my mom and wish her a Happy New Year." Nice going Gabby. She thought sarcastically to herself.

"Yeah me too." Troy agreed. "I mean my mom, not your mom… And dad…and sister." Troy felt absolutely stupid now. Gabriella just nodded. "I'll call you!" Troy exclaimed, almost forgetting. "I'll call you tomorrow!"

"Yeah!" She exclaimed.

"Put your number in." Troy took a picture of her and gave the phone to her.

"You too." She gave her phone to him. The exchanged numbers and phones and with one last smile Gabriella silently left without Troy realizing it. So he babbled on.

"Just so you know, singing with you was the most fun I had in this entire vacation. So uh, where do you live?" He turned realizing she already left. He looked around for her but to no avail. He looked back at his phone seeing the most beautiful girl on it.

"Gabriella…" He whispered, never forgetting the feeling she made him feel that evening.