Well, I haven't written a story in quite some time, but I got this idea, and I decided I had to do it. This will be a two or three shot, depending on how long the next chapter ends up being. The story takes place at the beginning of Senior Year, so make believe High School Musical 3 never happened, please! Enjoy the story!

Gabriella bit her lip, a small smile making its way onto her face as she sat in the passenger seat of her boyfriend of a year and three month's truck, listening to him as he spoke excitedly about the basketball season to come.

"Gab, it's gonna be crazy. There's gonna be scouts at every game... guys from Uconn, NYU, all the big places," he said, the grin on his lips growing with every word that left his mouth. "This is gonna be my year. I can feel it... This is gonna be huge," he exclaimed as he turned onto Cresentwood Ave, just a few streets away from Gabriella's house.

There was something about the way Troy talked about basketball that Gabriella loved. Maybe it was the way his eyes twinkled, or the corner of his mouth turned upwards, or the fact that his voice got louder and louder the more excited he got. Gabriella couldn't quite put her finger on it, but whatever it was, she loved it.

"Troy, I've heard this story about ten times in the past three days," Gabriella responded with a teasing tone in her voice as they pulled into her driveway. She smiled sweetly as she glanced sideways at him, and Troy rolled his eyes jokingly.

"Oh, shut up," he said as he opened the car door, automatically rushing to the passenger's side and opening the door. "I'm just... excited and nervous and I can't stop talking about it," he said as he led her up to her front door. Gabriella just laughed as they set foot on the doormat, turning to face each other.

"Don't be nervous, Troy," she said softly as she lifted her hand, brushing it across his cheek. "You're gonna do amazing. They'll all be fighting over you, offering you a free ride... all the goods," she said with a smile. Troy returned it, but gave a slightly unsure shrug.

"I hope so," he said as he pulled out his cell phone, checking the time. "I better head to the school. Dad's gonna flip a shit if I'm late to the pre-game meeting," he said as he looked down at her. He always hated having to say good-bye to Gabi, even if it was only going to be for a few hours. "You'll be there tonight, right?" he asked, even though he knew the answer.

"Of course, Troy," she told him with a reassuring smile. "You really think I'd miss your first game of the year?" she asked as she stood on her toes and lightly pressed her lips to his. "I'll see you tonight, kay?" she asked as her hand rested against his cheek. Troy gave his girlfriend a grin before pressing his lips to her forehead, then her lips.

"See you, Gabs," he said giving her hand one last final squeeze before making his way back to his truck.

---

Troy could feel his heart thumping as he laced up his shoes in the locker room. No one else seemed to be as nervous as him. Chad and Zeke were tossing a basketball back and forth while Zeke complained about Sharpay, and Jason was texting away on his cell phone. A few of the juniors were on the bench across from Troy, discussing a chemistry test they had all taken earlier, and even the new freshman on the team didn't seem to be as anxious as Troy.

"Hey, man," Chad said from a new feet away. "Tay texted me, they just got here," Chad informed him, and Troy knew what this meant.

Ever since they had begun dating, Troy and Gabriella would meet in their secret spot before their games. Chad was the only one who knew about these secret getaways, because Troy knew if his dad found out about them, he'd be in for it. So before every big game, Gabriella would let Troy know she had arrived. Troy would rush up to his secret spot where they'd talk for a few minutes, she'd wish him luck, while Chad made sure Coach Bolton had no idea what was going on. The pre-game ritual had been going on for over a year, and it always managed to make Troy feel much better about the game. He considered it his good-luck charm.

"Thanks, Chad," Troy said as a small smile made it's way onto his face. He finished tying his shoes quickly before rushing out of the locker room and up to their spot.

---

"Hey, Wildcat." Troy looked up from his hands as Gabriella arrived at the top of the stairs, and she gave him a small smile. He had only been waiting for her for a couple of minutes when she finally got there, and as soon as he saw her he already felt his nerves letting up.

"Hey," he said softly, moving over to give her some room to sit on the bench he was occupying. Gabriella took the spot next to them, and they sat in silence for a few seconds.

"What happened to my over-excited boyfriend from earlier?" she asked jokingly as she observed his shaking leg, quietness, and the way he bit his lip, something he always did when he was worried. Gabriella smiled as she nudged him with her elbow, trying to lighten the mood. Troy just shrugged.

"He realized that tonight could make or break his future," Troy said seriously, and Gabriella's smile quickly changed to a from as she rested her hands on top of Troy's.

"Troy, you're gonna do great," she said softly. Troy let out a soft sigh as he turned his hand over, lacing his fingers with hers as he stared down at them as though they were the most interesting thing he'd ever seen.

"One mistake, Gabi... one bad game. That's all it takes," he said quietly as Gabriella stroked his fingers softly. "The guys from Uconn see me make one mistake... and they're gone. They don't give second chances," Troy said as he looked up at her, and Gabriella could see just how terrified he was.

"Troy," Gabriella said seriously, keeping her eyes locked with his. "You've been playing basketball your whole life. Honestly, how many bad games have you had?" she asked him, and Troy gave her a small shrug. "I know I've never seen one," she assured him, and Troy looked back down, but Gabriella placed her hand on his cheek, forcing him to look up at her. "I believe in you, Troy," she whispered. "And I know you're going to do incredible."

---

Troy felt significantly better after his and Gabriella's talk in their secret spot, and things were starting to look up. As he walked onto the court to get ready to warm up, his head held high, his eyes immediately found Gabriella's. She gave him a small smile and a wink, which Troy returned. He made his way to the Wildcat's bench, taking off his warm-up suit. He grabbed one of the basketballs that were sitting on the rack and joined the rest of the team, who was already on the court throwing a few warm up shots. Troy dribbled the ball a few times before taking a three pointer, the ball going through the hoop without a problem. He got his own rebound before making his way back to the three-point line, and shooting a perfect shot again.

Troy tried his best not to pay attention to the people around him... Not only the visiting team, but he knew if he looked up, and caught sight of the scouts, he wouldn't be able to keep the nerves that Gabriella had helped vanish from coming back. So ignoring everyone around him, his team mates, the other team, and the crowd, Troy played it safe and continued taking shots he knew he could make.

Before Troy knew what was happening, the buzzer went off, signaling only a few minutes until the game began. Troy and the rest of his team mates made a few last shots before jogging to the sidelines for a quick huddle with the team.

Troy could barely pay attention to a word his dad was saying. It was the same as before any game, the same speech he'd heard dozens of times, and with his nerves on end he didn't want to listen to his dad saying, "This is a big game, especially for our seniors." Troy knew this. He already knew this game could determine his future. NYU could see him play the best game of his career, and offer him a full ride that day. Or Uconn could see him make one or two mistakes, and decide they didn't have room for him on the team. But no matter what, Troy knew this game was big. And even with Gabriella in the stands, and the whole school behind him, he couldn't help but have a few doubts.

---

Half an hour into the game, and Troy felt like he was on the top of the world. The Wildcats were ahead by sixteen points, ten of those having been made by Troy. All eyes were on him and the whole school could see he was on fire. Troy kept an eye on Gabriella, smiling at the way she cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled his name every time he got ahold of the ball, and it never seized to force him to push himself harder as she watched her encouraging gestures.

"Come on, Troy! You got this!" Troy heard his dad yell as he dribbled by him. He had just managed to steal the ball from a visiting player. It was moments like these that always went in slow motion for Troy. Him running down the court, ball in hand, the opposite team on his tail... knowing that one mistake, and he could lose the opportunity for another basket. The crowd cheering, his team trying to catch up to make sure they had his back if he needed the help, his heart thumping in his ears. He loved the feeling, and no matter how many times he experienced it, he'd never forget it.

Troy was getting closer and closer to the basket, and he knew the eyes of the scouts were on him at that moment. 'Come on, Bolton,' he said to himself as he took a few more strides. 'Don't mess this up.'

Without a second though, Troy pushed himself off the ground just behind the foul line. He rocketed into the air, his body instinctively going into the perfect form as the ball left his hands and soared through the air. The crown cheered as the ball followed a perfect path and went into the basket, and the gym erupted in noise.

But no one noticed Troy as he came down from the jump. No one noticed the way his foot hit the ground, and his body twisted in the opposite direction. No one noticed as he collapsed to the ground, and no one noticed as he grasped his knee. But they did notice his cries.

"Fuck!" Troy screamed, a white hot pain searing from his knee, down to his foot, and back up his thigh. His eyes were squeezed shut as he held his knee tight, the pain growing with each second, a series of swears and cries coming from his mouth, words he didn't even know he was forming. His jaw clenched and he felt dizzy as he experienced the worst pain he ever had. Worst than when he broke his ankle in eight grade, or sliced his foot open in sixth.

Coach Bolton threw down his clip board as his son screamed, running across the court and dropping down by Troy's side. Troy continued to grasp his knee, a crowd forming around him as the two teams stared at the star player.

"Troy!" Mr. Bolton yelled, trying to get Troy's attention. "Troy, listen to me!" He yelled again, worried that if he laid a hand on his son he'd just worsen the situation. But Troy didn't stop. He continued to scream, rolling back and forth on the ground. The rest of the gym was bustling with a soft humming sound as people quietly spoke to their neighbors, discussing what they had just witnessed.

Gabriella pushed her way through the crowd, but Chad grabbed onto her arm to hold her back from the scene. She whipped around as she looked at her boyfriends best friend, tears in her eyes as Troy continued to scream in pain. "Just wait, Gabs... give em some room," Chad told her, and Gabriella nodded, knowing that was best right now.

"Will someone call an ambulance?!" Mr. Bolton yelled as he continued to try to get his son to calm down, and Gabriella gasped as she looked up at Chad, whose arm she now had a tight grasp on.

"A-Ambulance? But he just twisted his knee, right?" she asked, terrified at the thought of her boyfriend needing to be transported to the hospital.

"It's just to be safe, Gabs," Chad assured her. "We don't wanna move his leg the wrong way and make it worse. The paramedics know what's best," he told her, giving her a small smile, but the sound of Troy moaning in pain didn't make her feel much better about the situation.

But Gabriella decided to believe Chad. She turned back to see her boyfriend, laying on the ground. He was still holding his knee, but wasn't so much screaming as he was groaning. "Dad, it hurts," she heard him say, and her heart broke for him as Coach Bolton put a hand on his sons shoulder.

"I know, Son. I know. The paramedics will be here soon."

Troy's eyes finally opened, and he made a quick scan of the gym, his blue eyes looking for that one pair of brown eyes that he knew would give him strength. They finally landed on them, and Gabriella felt her eyes well with tears as she saw the pain in Troy's eyes, but she did her best to give him a reassuring smile... before Troy cried out in pain once more.

If this story totally sucks, let me know. It's been a while since I've written, but I tried! Next chapter, coming soon!