Hello, me again :) Well, I have now joined the alternate universe of Troyella stories, where the original story is changed. This story sees Troy and Gabriella meet at the original place – but what happens next is completely different...Please review and let me know what you think of the first chapter!

We'll Meet Again

Choosing to avoid the teen party that her mother was so keen for her to go to in order to celebrate new year's eve; sixteen year old Gabriella Montez continued reading the book she was so engrossed in. Having waited until her mom had left for the adult party, she was now curled up back in the lounge of a ski resort in Colorado, at which they were staying during winter break. Gabriella was perfectly happy with staying right where she was. While many other guests her age were skiing, snowboarding and partying, she was a self-confessed bookworm.

Troy Bolton walked into the lounge, having escaped while his mother was busy ordering his father to change for the new year's party. He was supposed to be attending the teen party too, but it really wasn't his kind of thing. He found a free couch and flopped down onto it. Then he realised he was not alone. There was a girl, about his age he guessed, sitting on the couch opposite him. She was reading, so he didn't want to disturb her. But there was something about her that made him want to talk to her.

"Hey. You avoiding the kids' party too?" he asked, rolling his eyes and then grinning at her. As Gabriella looked up at him, her first thought was, can't I just read my book in peace? But when her eyes met Troy's, she was speechless for a moment. There was something about him. He seemed different, somehow.

So, she returned his grin and put down her book. "Yeah," she replied. "It wasn't really my thing." Troy chuckled to himself, thinking that he and this girl already had one thing in common. "Me neither," he said. Then he moved to sit beside her, and held out his hand. "Troy," he told her, hoping she would reciprocate.

Gabriella took his hand and they shook formally. "Gabriella," she responded, still smiling. "So, sad as it sounds, I blew off this party to read. What are your plans?" she asked him, interested as to why this guy wouldn't want to celebrate the new year like everybody else. Well, everybody except her.

Troy laughed again. "To tell you the truth, I didn't have any other plans. I just didn't want to go to that party," he told her. He was surprised at how easy he found it to talk to Gabriella, when he had known her all of five minutes. If he were even more honest, had his friends been here, he probably would have just gone to the party to save face.

She let out a giggle, "fair enough." Troy found himself looking into her eyes. They were a deep brown; the same colour as her hair, curly tendrils of which were framing her face. "So, Gabriella. Where do you live?" he asked once he had fallen out of his trance. She sighed, and he wondered what could possibly be so difficult about his question. He didn't have to wait long for an answer.

"Well, when this vacation is over, we're moving to New York. But before that, home was New Hampshire." Troy had a feeling that wasn't the whole story. Trying not to sound invasive, he continued on the subject. "You don't sound too happy about it, if you don't mind me saying." Gabriella wondered why Troy looked so interested in something that, to her, was entirely boring. It was her life; she was used to it.

"You're right, I'm not. You see, I've kind of moved...a lot over the past few years. My mom's company transfers her everywhere. So far we've also lived in Michigan, Georgia and Washington," she told him. "I'm sure it won't be long before we've been to all fifty states," she added, trying to make light of it.

Troy smiled at her, but her words had got him thinking. He was lucky that he had never been uprooted. He had always lived in one place, and had had the same friends all his life. "That must be hard for you," he said after a while. Gabriella nodded, actually glad to be talking to someone who not only seemed to understand; but who was also willing to listen.

"It is, yeah. I mean, at every new school I try so hard to re-invent myself. But I still end up as the math girl," she told him. Troy looked at her silently, a little confused. "The math girl?" he asked, not making any connection between this description, and the beautiful brunette sat beside him. "That's me. Some people prefer 'Brainiac', though," Gabriella replied, unfazed.

"I sort of know what you mean," Troy said, thinking about the people at his own school. "I live in Albuquerque, by the way. New Mexico. And if I had a nickname it would be the 'basketball boy'. I mean, I can't get away from it completely, because I'm captain of the team. But most people think that's all I'm about. Let me guess, the people who call you those names never take the time to get to know the real you?" he asked knowingly. It was something he was getting tired of himself.

Gabriella nodded immediately. "Exactly!" she exclaimed. Her eyes were shining with fascination. Even though, as captain of the basketball team, Troy obviously held a much higher social status than her; she knew that he understood. Another thing that was obvious to her was that he wasn't the same as any other 'jock' she had come across.

Suddenly, as they sat there smiling at each other and at their connection, they realised with a jolt that midnight was approaching. They could hear loud cheering, and voices counting down the last sixty seconds. Troy stood up, gestured towards the door, and asked if Gabriella wanted to go outside for the fireworks. She nodded shyly, as if she had just realised that she had been talking to a virtual stranger all night.

Just as they got outside, the last few seconds disappeared, and the new year had been welcomed. An elaborate display of fireworks appeared in the night sky, and Troy and Gabriella gazed at each other, each wondering what to say next. Finally, Gabriella spoke. "I should probably get going..." she said awkwardly.

Troy nodded. "Yeah, me too, I guess," he agreed. They both paused, thinking. He was debating whether to ask for her phone number; she was debating whether she should give it out. Both eventually decided it might be too soon. Instead, Troy settled for another suggestion. "So...maybe I could look for you tomorrow? Will you be around?" he asked hopefully. Gabriella grinned happily. "I should be. Okay, so I'll see you tomorrow, then."

With that, she slowly walked away and went back inside the building to search for her mother, turning back once to wave to him. He waved back, smiling to himself. They both had every intention of searching for each other at the lodge the next day. Unfortunately, fate was to intervene, preventing them from finding each other.