Disclaimer: I obviously don't own High School Musical or I'd be filthy rich by now. I also don't own the lyrics used in this and/or other chapters.

A/N: Don't worry, this isn't another 'Gabriella gets pregnant' or 'Sharpay gets pregnant' or '(Insert Name Here) has an incurable disease' or 'Troy and Gabriella meet again during/after college when Gabriella is already engaged/married to another man' type of fic. This is just a story about how Troy and Gabriella finally get together. Many opportunities were ruined in the movie, so perhaps they're trying to hint that it isn't going to be as easy as it seems.

Us Against the World

Chapter One:

Close

------------------------------

"There is no one else that I can say this to
And there is nothing better than to talk to you
If you have a problem I'll be here for you..."

------------------------------

Troy Bolton looked out over the sea of people, searching for a particular face. His breath caught in his throat as his eyes locked with deep brown ones.

Gabriella Montez smiled and waved excitedly, her long brown locks swishing around her shoulders. Troy gave her a genuine smile before nervously running a hand through his hair. 'There's no need to be nervous,' he told himself.

It was the night of the Annual Athletic Awards Banquet at East High School and the thirteen members of the East High Wildcats stood on the raised platform in front of a huge turn out of parents, students, and faculty.

"I never could have done it without the determination and dedication of each and every one of these guys," Coach Bolton was saying.

He was looking at the large, golden trophy sitting on the podium next to his arm, affixed with a statuette of a man shooting a basketball.

Jack turned back to the microphone, "We've all worked hard for this and it was something we really wanted. I'm just glad I could be a part of the Wildcats and hope to do the same next season." He raised his trophy in the air and gave a nod to the audience. "Thanks again for this award, it really means a lot!" With that, he walked to the far left of the stage, standing at the end of the long line of basketball players.

The crowd clapped and cheered while flashes of cameras captured the moment. Principal Matsui took Jack Bolton's place at the podium.

"Thank you, Coach Bolton, for a wonderful season that we here at East High can be proud of. Now, the next award is one that I'm sure you all know the recipient of—Most Valuable Basketball Player of the Year—" He glanced down at his index cards, just to make sure, before exclaiming, "Troy Bolton!"

Again, the horde of people clapped and cheered enthusiastically, even louder than before. Many were standing and shouting encouragements, including Gabriella. "Go Troy!"

Troy walked slowly to the podium and accepted the large trophy Principal Matsui held out to him. He smiled cautiously at the crowd and cleared his throat before turning to the microphone. Gabriella gave him two thumbs-up from the mass of people who were transfixed upon him, anticipating his every move.

"Coach is right," Troy began. "It took a lot of hard work and dedication from all of the players to get as far as the championships. They don't come along everyday and that's why it was so special for us. Of course, being captain and having my dad as coach made my job a little tougher, but I think it was for the best. I've always tried to motivate my team and keep everyone positive." He glanced at the eleven boys staring back at him. "Other times, they kept me positive."

Everyone clapped as the rest of the team joined Troy at the podium. Chad took over the microphone.

"Troy, you deserve it, man!" he exclaimed, his voice booming. "Now we can finally put your picture up there with the rest of the Wildcat legends as captain and MVP of the championship game."

"And if we have our way," added Jason, leaning over Chad's shoulder, into the microphone, "it's going to be two-time MVP, with Troy leading us to back-to-back championships!"

"Yeahhh!" the team agreed enthusiastically and cheered loudly while clapping Troy on the back.

"What team?" asked Chad.

"Wildcats!" cheered the team.

"What team?"

"Wildcats!" joined in the crowd.

"What team?"

"Wildcats!"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Great job, man!" people kept telling Troy at the party being held at Chad's house to celebrate Troy's newly-gained MVP position.

"East High sure loves its Wildcats," laughed Gabriella.

Troy grinned, "We've always been proud of our team's history. Every school needs some obsession; here, it's basketball."

"Sun High wasn't nearly as excited about their Lions," Gabriella told him. "But I guess most of the funding went to the science and A/V departments. Their programs are really nice and that's what first encouraged me to get into the academic teams."

Troy didn't really know much about Gabriella's life at her old school and so he couldn't help but ask, "Do you miss it?"

Gabriella sighed. "Yeah, a little. But like I said, it's cool coming here and not being the freaky math girl anymore." She looked down and continued, "Though I guess that's going to change if I stay on the Scholastic Decathlon team."

"You don't have to give it up just because of what people might think of you. If it's something you like, you should do it for yourself and not anyone else. Who cares if people think you're a freaky math girl? I know you're much more than that and so will everyone else once we do the musical."

Gabriella looked up at Troy and smiled. 'How does he always know the right thing to say?' Okay, well maybe not always, but it certainly felt like it at the moment. "Thanks, Troy."

He smiled back. "Hey, just remember that I'm freaky callback boy, but I also substitute for 'freaky cheer-me-up guy.' "

Gabriella giggled as they continued to walk through the dimly lit living room which was serving its purpose as a makeshift dance floor. Chad's surround-sound stereo system pumped out the latest songs and one of his parents' old disco balls hung from the ceiling, showering slivers of silver shimmers spinning around the room.

Troy made his way to a long table draped in white tablecloth and pushed against the back wall. It was stocked with refreshments: chips, cookies, pizza, soda, punch, and the like.

"Do you want something to drink?" he asked Gabriella as he reached for a plastic cup near the punch bowl. His throat was parched from having to yell over the loud music and from all the shouting he had done with his team earlier that day.

"Sure."

He poured two cups of punch and gave one to Gabriella. She accepted the drink gratefully and took a small, shy sip. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered uncontrollably.

'This is it!' she thought. Something big was going to happen; she could feel it. 'Troy might finally kiss me tonight!'

After Chad's interruption at the championship game two weeks ago, Gabriella was more than ready to try again. She knew how she felt about Troy and was pretty sure how he felt about her, yet they hadn't talked about it.

'But something's there. Something's always been there.'

"Do you miss your old friends?" asked Troy, snapping Gabriella out of her thoughts.

She took a second to regain her senses and remember what they had been talking about. "Well," she suddenly blushed, "I . . . never really had friends. Not ones that I was close with, anyway."

Troy gaped at her. "What? But you're so nice . . . how could you not have had friends?"

Gabriella shrugged. "I was shy and kept mostly to myself. Taylor's really the first person I can actually talk to. First girl, anyway," she added with another blush as she looked up at Troy.

He took her hand in his and gave it an understanding squeeze, glad she felt she could talk to him.

"C'mon," he said, setting down his cup.

Gabriella followed suit as Troy lead her to the middle of the crowded dance floor. A slow song had just started and Troy had decided to take his chances.

She smiled as she felt him hold her close, his hands wrapped protectively around her waist. As her hands went behind his neck, she couldn't help but grin into the lapel of his black blazer. Familiar words floated into her head, ' 'It feels so right to be here with you.' '

Suddenly, Troy pulled back a little. "Gabriella, d-did you have a . . . boyfriend at your old school?" He knew it was a stupid question. Of course she had had a boyfriend at some point in time. He also knew better than to assume she had never been kissed. 'She's sixteen! I'm sure she's had some guy who treated her like a princess.'

Gabriella stopped dancing momentarily. "Well, yeah," she answered. "But it wasn't anything serious."

'Whew!' Troy let out a sigh of relief. "Good," he said aloud and then immediately blushed. "I-I mean, um . . . good thing it wasn't serious. You know, since you had to move from San Diego all the way to Albuquerque."

"Yeah, good thing," mumbled Gabriella. She was hoping this would lead to Troy finally asking her out, but it did not.

"Hey, do you want to get out here?" asked Troy, his lips brushing against her ear as he tried to make himself heard over the fast hip-hop song that was beginning to beat through the speakers.

Gabriella could only nod as Troy took her hand again and expertly maneuvered his way through the thick throng of dancing teens. He held her hand even after they had reached the patio and breathed in the soft, sweet smell of the nearly-spring air. Gabriella sighed happily; she was acutely aware of the smooth hand still gripping her smaller one in a firm but comfortable hold. However, she certainly wasn't about to protest.

They continued their stroll into the backyard and came to a rest under a large pine tree. It was a short distance away from the house, yet the music was muffled, making them seem miles away from the rest of the world. This time Troy sighed, looking up at the vast, midnight sky. It was a massive pool of black, littered with millions of twinkling silver stars.

"It's so perfect out here," whispered Gabriella, not wanting to spoil the serene moment. "Like everything's in its place . . . the way it's supposed to be."

"Yeah . . ." agreed Troy, leaning against the tree and pulling Gabriella with him.

His back was against the tree and she was pressed against his chest. Troy realized their faces were close as his breathing became a just little harder. For once, Gabriella took the initiative, her hand trailing up his chest. Troy lifted her chin ever-so-slightly, looking into her deep, brown eyes.

"Gabriella," he breathed, silently begging for her permission. She gave the slightest nod, but it was all that he needed. Troy slowly lowered his face, delicately titling her chin towards him as her eyes slid closed—

"Hey, Troy!" came an unexpected yell from Chad. He was coming out of the glass doors that led to the patio. "Where have you been, man? We've all been looking for y—" he abruptly stopped, his eyes darting back and forth from Troy to Gabriella. "Am I interrupting something here?" he asked uncertainly.

Neither Troy nor Gabriella stepped away from each other, but they did move apart so they were only holding hands. Gabriella looked at Troy as Chad waited for an answer.

"Um . . . no, not at all," said Troy. "We just came out here to get some air."

'Apparently, that's not all they came to get,' Chad thought with a smirk. Nevertheless, he looked dubious as he told them about Zeke and Jason's chocolate-syrup-and-whipped-cream slide in the kitchen. "Just thought you might like to join in the fun."

Troy forced a smile. "Yeah, sounds great. We'll be there in a minute."

"Take your time," said Chad as he walked back towards the patio and into the house.

"Uh . . . what time to do you have to be home?" asked Troy, thoroughly embarrassed by another interruption.

Gabriella seemed just as flustered as she replied, "Mom said one, but it's okay if I'm a little late."

"Well," said Troy, looked down at his watch, "you still have almost another hour. Want to check out the slide?"

Gabriella shrugged disappointedly. "Sure." She would have much rather stayed out there, but she knew the moment was ruined.

"Listen, Gabriella—about tonight . . . I mean, about what just happened, I—" Troy said hurriedly but was cut off by a peck on the cheek from Gabriella.

"We'll get our chance," she told him, taking his hand and leading him into the house. "Now as for that slide . . ."


A/N: Yeah, I know it's a little short and also the whole party thing has become an HSM-fanfic cliché, but I couldn't help myself. This chapter kind of wrote itself. Oh, and don't even ask about the chocolate syrup slide . . . I have no clue where that came from . . .

The lyrics are by Play, by the way.