Title: All Along
Author: xx shadowdreamer.
A/N:

HAYHAY. ermmm, ya. oneshot. its a pretty cliche oneshot, but i jsut found this buried in my FFs drafts folder along with like 17 other unfinished storylines that i started. [i might post a threeshot that i started last year, btw] hahaha. well, hope u like. :)

He leaned on the wall just across from her locker, folding his arms across his chest, staring at the clock that hung above the door at the end of the hallway. 7.48.

There she was.

He followed her with his eyes, smiling subconsciously. She was dressed in black jeans that hugged her legs tightly and a loose gray tank-top that she covered with a dark purple sweater. And although Troy Bolton absolutely found her gorgeous, he knew something was wrong with her. He hair hung messily on her back and her eyes drooped slightly from what he knew was lack of sleep. He watched as she slowly walked over towards her locker, not noticing his gaze on her until she arrived.

She saw him through the corner of her eye and he saw a frown on her face appear, and instead of stopping to open her locker, she kept going, turning the corner at the end of the hallway.

He pushed himself off the side of the wall forcefully and ran after her, knowing exactly what she was avoiding, who she was avoiding. He was grateful that there weren't much people crowding around in the hallways as he jogged, making sure she was never out his sight. She turned right at the next corner leading to the music hall and he chased her, this time, running.

"Gabriella!" he called, but she only walked faster "Gabriella!"

She stopped at the end off the hallway, unable to go any further. Troy slowed down to a walk, slowly approaching her. She turned around slowly, her shoulders shaking, and although her head wasn't up, he knew she was crying.

"What Troy?" she asked softly, standing in the middle of the empty hallway, lifting her gaze up to his face, tears falling freely from her eyes. Troy's throat tightened. He couldn't talk to her like this. Not when she looked so vulnerable.

"I-I…" he tried to begin, but he couldn't seem to find the words to say. He stood there watching her cross her arms across her chest, her face becoming stiff and unrecognizable.

"What Troy?" she repeated again. When Troy looked down, she blinked slowly. He was always like this. He'd never been able say what he wanted; he'd never been able to say what he wanted until it was too late.

"I-I'm sorry." Troy mumbled softly, but loud enough for Gabriella to hear. He looked up to see her face still stiff, her face unreadable, emotionless. He walked up to her cautiously as if he was approaching a small butterfly, making sure she wouldn't fly away.

Gabriella Montez stared at Troy's piercing blue eyes, still not being able to find the words to express what she wanted to say. I've loved you since the day we met, so let's go out and I'll help you cheat on your girlfriend. Was that the type of person she was? Would she let him do that to the one girlfriend he dated that no one wanted to get in the way with? Jenna was top in all her classes. She took two AP classes, volunteered at a homeless shelter, had a job as a model, and was the one thing that made Troy and her so compatible: she was a cheerleader.

"Troy," she finally said, although her voice was still so soft. She felt him run a hand down her arm softly and softly let it rest against her cheek. She blinked slowly and looked him directly in the eye.

"Are you sure I'm the one you should apologize to?"

-----

In all the books and movies Troy Bolton has seen and read, when the guy confesses his undying love for the girl he's always wanted, the girl jumps on him and says the same thing back. Not once did any of them ever say that when the guy says he loves her, the girl will completely freak out and avoid the guy, leaving the guy wandering what he had done wrong. Ever.

Maybe all the days that they spent together inside the Twinkle Towne dressing room during lunchtime was nothing more to her than two people hanging out. Maybe all the times they went out walking around the lake in the park during the middle of the night was nothing more than just two people who couldn't sleep, needing something to do instead of lying down in the dark. Maybe to her, he was nothing more than just company she needed when no one else was around. He was just… a guy.

He was just a guy.

Troy Bolton remembered the time when all he wanted to be was just a guy. Not the basketball player, but a guy who could do anything he wanted no matter what anyone said. A guy who could sing and dance, hang out with who he wanted because there was no 'status quo' to live up to. He remembered telling her that when he was around her, that's exactly what he felt like: just a guy. But feeling like just a guy around her did not mean that he wanted to be just a guy to her.

He wanted to be so much more.

And no matter how many times he'd say to himself that he would finally ask her out, he couldn't bring himself to. He didn't want to ruin the friendship he had worked so hard for; he'd rather be her best-friend than no one at all. I guess I ruined that too.

He groaned, slamming his fists down on the cold metal bleachers he sat on. He buried his face in his hands, muttering a string of profanities that he hardly ever used.

"You okay, captain?"

Troy looked up to see his best friend of ten years casually sit next to him, a large water bottle in his hands. He leaned forward, imitating Troy's position, watching his best-friend's frustrated face turn towards him. He smirked.

"Ah, you talked to Gabs, today."

Troy nodded.

"And I'm guessing she didn't say anything about what happened."

Troy shook his head.

"No? Then my second guess is that she said something completely smart, and made you feel like you had no chance."

Troy nodded.

"Well then. Why don't you let it all out and I'll give you some Chad Danforth A plus advice?"

Troy didn't need to hear that twice.

"Ugh, I don't know. On Saturday, we stayed at her house for pizza and a movie, and then I don't know. I kissed her, and then after that she wouldn't say anything. I didn't know if it were a good or bad thing, but when she told me to leave, she was crying. And this morning, I finally talked to her because she wouldn't even answer her phone yesterday, and I told her I was sorry. And guess what she says. 'I don't think I'm the one you should be apologizing to.' UGH. I can't stand it because I know she's right and I…"

Troy trailed off, heaving a large sigh.

"I… I think I love her."

Chad placed a consoling had on his friend's shoulder.

"Damn it Chad, I fucking love her."

Chad smiled, "Captain, as much as I want to give you amazing words of wisdom, I believe you already know."

Troy looked at his best-friend with shining eyes.

"Yeah, I think I do."

-------

Taylor Mckessie always thought that she was the type of girl who could listen to anyone's problems and offer consoling advice. So when Gabriella came up to Taylor that free period, her eyes clearly tear-stained and the bags under her eyes quite visible even though she noticed Gabriella had tried to cover it with foundation and concealer, she knew that her talent was going to be in good use that day.

"Are you still upset about the whole Troy thing?" she asked as she rushed up to her and gave her a hug. She led her best friend towards her locker in the empty hallway and waited until they stopped when she began to ask for details.

"I don't know what's wrong with me Tay," Gabriella said, turning towards her friend. "I just don't know how I can cope with the fact he likes me, like actually likes me."

"How can you not cope with that? That's amazing!"

"No it's not! He has a girlfriend who he is perfectly happy with and she's gorgeous, smart, and nice, she's a cheerleader…"

Taylor shook her head. "Gabs? Would you listen to yourself? You sound absolutely ridiculous."

"How? I think I make absolutely perfect sense. He kissed me! He kissed me, Taylor. Not Jenna who he's supposed to be kissing. That's cheating. Two-timing."

"Oh please, Gabs, it's not like he's even capable of doing that. Besides, you rejected him didn't you?" Taylor reasoned, hoping to get Gabriella to realize that she wasn't making much sense at all.

"Well…"

"Well what? I don't see what all the fuss is about. You said no, that's the end, am I right?" Wrong. And Taylor knew it.

"No…"

"Why not? I mean you obviously don't want to be with him, seeing as you made it clear by asking him to leave your house the second he kissed you."

"But…"

"But what? You have no feelings for him, there's really not much to it."

"I do—"

"Honestly, I think you should just let him be. In a bit, he'll forget that he ever liked you and then you guys can get back…"

"BUT I DON'T WANT TO BE JUST FRIENDS WITH HIM!"

Taylor smirked and turned to her friend, mustering up the most believable voice she could, "Is that so?"

But then again, she was never really an actress.

Gabriella turned to her friend, narrowing her eyes. "You knew I would say it, didn't you?"

Taylor shrugged and leaned against the lockers next to her. "Well, I thought you were going to say it. I wasn't sure that you actually would."

Gabriella analyzed her friend's face and sighed. "Just tell me what it's in your head."

------

Troy walked towards the gym, quite aware that the cheerleaders were practicing during that free period and was quite sure they had only started practice and were stretching. Sure enough, when he walked in, he saw her on the floor, trying to reach her toes.

She looked up briefly and glanced at his direction and then smiled faintly. She got up slowly and walked towards Troy.

She wasn't stupid; she knew what he was going to do. It was quite clear, even when they first started dating. Jenna Penn was always the picture perfect girl. Kind, nice, gorgeous, talented, and everything a person a could want, she had an equal amount of it in her. It was too bad someone always wanted more. Jenna was kind, volunteering and donating to charities every once in a while, but then someone had always surpassed her by spending their weekends at shelters serving food to the homeless and donating a lot of fundraised money to animal shelters or to the research of cancer. She was pretty but someone had always come along with straight teeth, perfect skin all the time and gorgeous bright eyes. She was talented; she could dance, sing, and act. She was even invited to perform at New York City for a special ceremony, but then, someone came along with a powerhouse voice that even she couldn't surpass.

She figured this was nothing different.

Troy Bolton asked her out one month after Twinkle Towne had ended. She was quite sure that he had only asked her out because he was tired of chasing Gabriella Montez. That he needed someone who could take his mind off of her. That was the reason why she had hesitated before answering him. Even after she had agreed to go out with him, she still knew that he liked Gabriella, by the way he looked at her during homeroom, or when she entered the hallways of East High. She felt idiotic, not ending the relationship when she should have, but instead letting time take the toll on her. She fell in love with him; his piercing blue eyes, his goofy smile, his voice, the way his hair fell a little over his eyes, but not enough so he didn't look dirty or untidy, and the way he'd smile at her in the morning when he greeted her with a kiss, but nevertheless, it was always second-rate compared to how he acted when Gabriella was there.

They met at the middle. She stared at him fiddling with his hands and she knew he was trying to figure out how to say it. "Troy…"

He looked up at her.

She closed her eyes. Here it goes.

-------

Taylor smiled. "Well for one thing, I think you're being incredibly stupid. Not because you don't want to be the cause of their break-up—"

"Who says their breaking up?"

Taylor rolled her eyes. "Oh please, it was quite clear they were going to the second they went out, before you and him ever kissed."

Gabriella remained silent.

"As I was saying… I think you're being incredibly stupid. It fine that you don't want to be the cause of their break-up or making him cheat or whatever, and we all know you are incapable of hurting a fly, let alone a person. So erase those thoughts in your head for a second. Just think about the fact that he likes you, loves you—"

"Love? Who the heck said anything about love?"

Taylor rolled her eyes, mumbling, "Sometimes, Montez, you can be a little dense."

Gabriella remained silent.

"Well, anyways, he loves you. Anyone with two eyes and a brain can see that. Hell, even Darbus knows it. She even went as far as to ask me if you two have even gotten together yet—" She held up a finger to Gabriella as soon as Gabriella opened her mouth to speak. "Don't ask, just listen. Troy just found the courage to finally tell you how he's felt. Now, I'm telling you, that's got to count for something."

"Yeah? Well that still doesn't clear the fact that he's got a perfectly perfect girlfriend." Gabriella reasoned.

Taylor raised an eyebrow. "Wanna bet on something?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "I don't have time to be betting on anything."

Taylor ignored her comment and pointed at the blue-eyed captain of the East High Wildcats running down the hall. "I bet that he's already gotten that taken care of."

------

"Look, Jen—"

"No Troy," Jenna began, interrupting him. "I know what you're going to say."

Troy watched her, noticing how she was trying to stop tears from flowing from her eyes. He watched how before she wanted to say something, she looked to the bleachers and then looked down at her feet. She looked up at him with her glassy hazel eyes, her tears flowing down. He cared about her, he really did, but it was nothing more than that.

"I-I care about you, Troy. Almost to the point where I think I love you." Jenna said, looking at him straight in the eye. "But I know you don't feel the same way…"

Troy looked down, feeling guilty.

"Well, not about me anyway." Jenna added as an afterthought.

Troy looked up sharply, and looked at her, her mouth in with a small upwards curve.

"Go to her Troy, I bet she must be waiting."

Troy stuttered, "How'd you know?"

She giggled through her tears, the moment not turning out as bad as she really thought it would. "Honestly, I've known ever since the moment you asked me out on our first date."

"But, you never said anything…"

"I guess I just wanted to think that there might be a chance you were actually into to me too." She smiled at him. "Go Troy. I believe you're not with the right girl, at the moment."

He smiled at her before hugging her gently, a wordless thank you. Jenna turned around after letting go, wiping her eyes and walking towards the cheerleaders.

"Jen!"

She turned around and saw him smile at her, the same way he smiled at her every morning right before he greeted her with a kiss.

"Just so you know, I care about you too. I'm sorry it's not in the way that you hoped, but I hope it still counts."

She smiled at him. "It does."

------

Gabriella watched him walk towards her. She looked to Taylor frantically, but she noticed she was already ten feet away from her and exiting the building. She turned back to look at Troy, proceeding towards her at what she thought was an extremely fast rate, but it was now or never. Gabriella thought he was going to stop in front of her and tell her how sorry he was and how much he regretted putting her in that position, and Gabriella was fully prepared with a smile and a 'I forgive you' and they would go back to being friends again and everything would be right in the world, but he hadn't. Instead, he came up to her and kissed her.

Gabriella was shocked for second, her mind racing and thinking abut pulling away or stopping the kiss or even slapping him, but the second he ran his hand up her arm, to behind her head, she was lost. She found herself enjoying it, wrapping her arm around his neck and kissing back, as if they were already a couple. He walked forward until her back was leaning on the lockers, his body on hers. He placed his hands on her waist, and then, they stopped.

"Gabriella, I…" he closed his eyes. "I love you."

And then Gabriella could swear her heart stopped. She stared at him, unable to find the words she should say. She couldn't say 'I forgive you' anymore. It wouldn't be appropriate for this. Think Montez! She thought of words to combine. I could be one of them… yes. Hmmm… next word. Um… Hi? No. Forgive? No, that was already established. You? Yes, that could be one of them, but what to put in between? And then it hit her. It was right there all along.

"I love you too."