Chapter 1

Gabriella walked to her surf board after approving that all the kids were lying on their boards properly.

"Good!" She praised, a smile beaming from her lips. She laid her tanned stomach across her surfboard and looked at the two kids to her right and then to the two other kids on her left. Gabriella was known all across California for her talent as a surfer. She was the winner of numerous awards and held many titles and championships. However, she came from a low-middle class family, so to pay her way through some competitions and to buy her equipment, she had agreed to give surf lessons and work at the Beach Bar near her house.

"Alright, now start paddling with your arms! Use those muscles!" She demonstrated to her pupils the proper way you would propel through the water, even though right now they were practicing on the sand. After a few minutes, Gabriella checked her watch and noticed that it was already 1pm. "OK, great job today guys! That's it for today. Tomorrow we'll practice in the water OK?" She sent them off and went to change before her shift began at the bar.

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Troy Bolton rose quickly from the water, gasping for air. His sandy brown hair covered his mesmerizing blue eyes, and he frantically brushed it aside as he slowly doggy-paddled to his boogie board.

"CHAD! YOU'RE DEAD!" He could hear his dark-skinned best friend laughing hysterically behind him.

"Dude, I didn't actually think you were serious when you said you couldn't swim. BUT DOGGIE-PADDLE?!" He burst into another fit of intense laughter, sending a vibration through his large afro.

"Thanks for your understanding, man." Troy just stared into the horizon above the ocean. He could do everything. He played basketball at a professional level, sang with a voice that could melt the heart of any girl and danced with a dreamy masculinity, among many other things. He was so embarrassed about his terrible swimming, that he hardly ever went, even though he lived by the ocean.

"Sorry, Troy, but it's pretty hilarious. Why don't you take lessons?"

"Lessons? And embarrass myself in front of some toned muscled-up lifeguard guy? No way."

"You know, there are such things as girl lifeguards. I hear some of them give private lessons."

"Yeah, whatever." Troy shrugged, ending the conversation.

The paddled back to the beach and grabbed their towels. Chad ruffled his curls dry, and Troy wrapped his around his tanned and very well-toned abs.

"Hey Troy, I'm thirsty, let's grab a Coke."

"Yeah, sure."

The two guys walked over to the Beach Bar, ignoring the longing stares of most of the girls on the beach. They walked up to the beach, to find that there was no one in sight.

"Uh, is it closed?" Chad questioned. Before Troy could answer, an angelic voice answered.

"No, no, we're open, just give me a sec." The voice said.

The two friends exchanged glances, and soon found themselves staring into the toasted brown colored eyes of a tanned Filipina. "Hey, sorry. What can I get you guys?" She said, with a sweet smile.

"Um…" Troy started, but couldn't push the words from his mouth. His eyes were too busy looking her over and his brain was too busy taking her in.

"Two Cokes." Chad finished, rolling his eyes.

Gabriella giggled, "Coming right up!" She turned around to realize the bottle of Coke was empty. "I'll be right back guys; I just have to get more Coke." Troy and Chad nodded to prove they understood. As soon as she was out of earshot, Chad turned to his best friend. "Alright, dude. You can snap out of it, now! I get it, she's hot, OK? Jeez." He said, chuckling.

"Haha, yeah, sorry. Spaced out a little I guess." He couldn't get the image of her eyes out of his head. It wasn't her just her eyes though; it was what they did to him. Her friendly gaze was reassuring, as if he had been looking into those eyes since he was little – but at the same time they made him nervous. Cause, well, she was hot! Her long, almost-black waves framed her face perfectly and she had the body of an athlete.

Once she returned and handed them their drinks, Gabriella quickly caught them before they left. "Hey, sorry, do you guys have the time? I left my watch with my other stuff at home."

"Yeah, it's almost 3:30." Troy said, quietly.

"Shit." Gabriella hurriedly started gathering up her stuff and grabbed a green and white surfboard leaning against the wall.

"You surf?" Chad asked, his eyebrows raised.

"Uh, yeah. Look, sorry, I'd love to talk to you guys more but I have to go catch my bus."

"You wanna lift?" Chad asked. "I've got my car, and we don't have anything better to do." Troy stared at Chad in disbelief. How could he act so laid back when all Troy could do was mutter the time?! Probably because he had been hanging out with his girlfriend, Taylor, a lot lately.

"Ya, that'd be great. I'm just going to the beach across town. It's a fast drive, but I usually take the bus and it only come every half an hour."

"Cool. I'm Chad, by the way. And this is Troy. He's not usually this quiet."

"I'm Gabriella. But you can call me anything you want."

Troy glanced at her, to find that she had been looking at him. They both glanced away nervously, a bit embarrassed.

They all hopped into Chad's navy blue jeep – the perfect car for a sunny, warm day. Gabriella sat in the back while Chad drove and Troy sat in the passenger seat.

"So what are you doing at the beach that you're in such a hurry for?" Chad inquired.

"Well, I teach swimming lesson and beginner surf lessons at both this beach and the beach across town, but I only at the beach across town on Mondays. It's a lot of work to get there."

"You teach swimming lessons?!" Chad asked, with a mischievous grin beginning to grow on his face.

"Chad, don't. If you do, you'll never see the light of day ever again!" Troy threatened, having a feeling what Chad was going to do.

"Don't what?" Gabriella was confused, but amused at the two friends' bickering.

"You see, my friend here can't swim –"

"Hey! I can swim!" Troy could feel the color rushing to his cheeks.

"Oh yeah, doggy paddle is real impressive Troy!" Gabriella giggled at this, looking at Troy. "Anyways, like I was saying, we were just talking this morning about how Troy here should take lessons! But he wants private lessons, with a girl lifeguard." Chad smiled cheekily, and Troy groaned. His best friend was such an ass.

"Well, Troy, I could teach you! But I only hold evening private lessons because I'm busy the rest of the day. And no weekends!" They all laughed, Gabriella looking expectantly at Troy. How could he say no to those big, glorious chocolate eyes?

Troy sighed in defeat. "Ugh. Fine. God, I hate you Chad."

Finally they arrived at the beach and they let Gabriella go. "See you tomorrow night, 6pm, sharp!" She waved, and they watched her hips sway out of sight.