Title- 30 Romance Challenge #13. Craven

Author- thai.MI.Pride

Fandom/Pairing- High School Musical/Troyella

Rating- K+

Summary- Okay, so this is my attempt at A.LaRosa's 30 Romance Challenge, which was probably meant for the Danny Phantom fandom, but I decided to bring to the HSM universe. We'll see where we go with this… Thank you, A.LaRosa for the inspiration!

Disclaimer- I sadly don't own HSM or the characters, or even the prompt[sighs I have nothing! XP

Notes- Yes, I know I've been horrible about updating and I'm reallyreallyreallyreally sorry! Seriously, I haven't even had enough spare time to read, which is saying quite a lot, seeing as I normally get in at least 30 minutes a day.

.o.O.o.

Gabriella Montez glanced down at her wrist and gave an exaggerated sigh.

"You know, I could probably reach my middle-age crisis just standing here waiting," she remarked.

"Shut up, please, Gabby." Troy glared at her, not releasing his death grip on the plastic barricades of the rink.

She rolled her eyes playfully at her boyfriend and did an effortless three turn, her figure skates making a faint scraping noise against the ice. "It's just ice-skating."

"Not just," he muttered.

Gabriella laughed. "My four-year-old cousin can do a waltz jump and the great playmaker, MVP Troy Bolton doesn't even dare let go of the sides? Incredible!"

"Gabs," he sighed. "Not all of us have had as much practice as you. I grew up in Albuquerque, for God's sake! Who ice-skates in the middle of a desert?"

"You snowboard," his girlfriend pointed out, smiling.

"It's not the same thing," Troy insisted. Gabriella laughed again and glided forward to put her hand over his, pulling him off of the rail. He wobbled dangerously on his hockey skates but she steadied him easily.

"It really isn't that hard, Troy."

He hesitated, looking down into her eager face. "You really won't let me fall?" he asked.

"Of course I won't," she giggled at his apprehensiveness. "Plus, you have to do this, 'cause number one, you still need to make up for being a jerk at the beginning of this summer—" Troy winced at the memory, "—and number two, I will call you craven forever if you don't at least try." Gabriella smiled teasingly.

"Craven?" he asked, grinning.

She sighed in mock exasperation. "Cowardly."

Troy laughed. He looked down into her face for a moment. A wisp of chocolate hair had escaped from the twist at the base of her neck and was brushing against her flushed cheek, glowing from the chilly air. Tenderly, he reached up and pushed it back behind her ear.

"I know I can't ask you to forgive me for being a complete ass before, 'cause I definitely haven't made up for it in the least," he told her softly. "But you promise not to let anyone know that I was scared of skating?"

Gabriella beamed up at him. "I promise!"

"Okay," he sighed. "Then I'll try."

"Thank you!" Gabriella took his hand again and started to glide forward. "Then let's go!"

.o.O.o.

A/N: I didn't like this one as much, and I promise they'll get better, LOL.