Gabriella was popular. There was no doubting that. Everybody wanted to be her friend and why wouldn't they? She was not only young and pretty but she was all smart and had a beautiful voice. She had everything anyone could ever want, well except for one thing.
She didn't have a somebody. Oh, you know what i'm talking about. Somebody to cuddle her on the coldest of nights. Somebody to tell her deepest secrets too. Somebody to love her for her flaws aswell as everything else. Somebody who wasn't just her best friend.
That somebody was at the front of the class that Gabriella was in at that very moment. That somebody was Troy Bolton. Gabriella looked up from her algerbra problems and stared at the back of Troy's head. His dark hair shown from the summer sun coming through the open window. It was because of him that she became popular. Being his friend put her on the map. Guys wanted to date her while Girls wanted to be her. But she would give up all of that if only Troy would notice her as more than his best 'girl' friend.
After a few more minutes of staring at him, she decided that she should try and get on with the work she had been set to do by their teacher...after one more peak at him of course. As looked up again quickly and saw she wasn't looking at the back of his head anymore, no instead she was staring into the two deep blue pools. His eyes. He was looking right at her. Ok, don't panic Gab. she thought to herself. He doesn't know what you were thinking, just don't worry.
"What?" She mouthed,
"We need to talk." He mouthed back.
Gabriella nodded. Inside she felt as if all her organs where flipping over and over again.
Oh my god, i wonder what he wants. She felt as if she had to little people inside her head, both of whom resembled two of her friends, Sharpay and Taylor. Both were talking to her like they did when they were having sleepovers at each other's houses.
Tiny Sharpay who was always the optimistic one was saying, "He's going to do it. He's going to ask you out"
While the Taylor miniture, who was the more leveled headed one, was saying, "Now don't get your hopes up. How would he even know, you don't give out many signs. He probably just wants you to help him with some homework."
HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM
Gabriella was trying to block out the sounds in her head and tried to focus onto something else till the end of class. When class did finish and they finally was able to talk. Gabriella found out that it was neither of her mind friends where right. Luckily it was the end of school so neither had to rush off anywhere.
"I need your help" Troy said after pulling Gabriella into an unlocked empty classroom. "What's up?" Gabriella asked as she sat on top of a desk,
"Well, you know how much you love me?" Troy said in his most persuasive voice that he knew that Gabriella couldn't crumble too.
If only you knew, Gabriella thought to herself as Troy walked closer to the desk that she was sitting on. She tried not to focus on decreasing space between them.
"What do you want Troy?" Gabriella asked sharply, getting annoyed that he didn't know how she really felt and that he was only making a joke out of it all.
"What wrong with you?" Troy asked, forgetting about what he was asking and becoming serious.
Gabriella looked at him, and melted as she usually did when she saw him. "I'm sorry, i guess i'm just stressed out about homework. Anyway what were you going to ask?"
Troy, who seemed satified with this excuse said, " well, i was wondering if you mind helping me out this weekend...with a girl." He looked at Gabriella to see if she was going to say anything. When she didn't he started again. " See, You know Charley, the girl in algerbra, well i asked her out and totally forgot that i was grounded so i was wondering if you could...kinda cover for me on Saturday night"
Gabriella sighed heavily, but it seemed that Troy did not seem to see because he carried on.
"I mean, i would ask unless it was really important and well, you've seen Charley, she's hot. Well what do you say?"
"Fine, whatever" Gabriella said unenthusiastically.
"Ok good, well..if i say that i'm over yours on Saturday doing homework together or something. Dad will probably have to pick me up from yours to make sure i ain't been skipping out on it so is it ok if i come over afterwards."
Hearing this, Gabriella suddenly brightened up, "Yer sure. Mum won't be in anyways. She's got some kind of huge meeting in the city so shes staying at some hotel or something for the weekend. So i think it will be fine."
"Cool," Troy said, "So, do you need a lift home. I'm sure my dad won't mind if i take the one way home cause of waterworks are something." He said with a wink.
"oh i dunno, what if you grounded even more then you are now and you can't even come over to do that homework on Saturday? Gabriella said with a small grin as she jumped off of the desk.
"Nah, you know i'll do anything for you" Troy said putting his arm around her and guiding her out of the door.
HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM
It was Saturday night, and while Troy was out on a date with Charley, Gabriella was sat silently in her room reading. She looked at the clock on her bedside cabinet and sighed. Troy said he would be back at her house at around 11, it was only 8 at the moment. Three more hours of pure hell, Gabriella thought. Just knowing that he was out on a date with someone else was torturing her, but she wouldn't say anything because she knew hoe much Troy liked her...as a friend.
She was thinking about this when suddenly she heard a knock at her balcony window. She knew who it was before looking as there was only one person who came through that way, although she didn't believe it after all he was on a date. She looked and looking back at her was Troy.
"It's open" she called from where she was sitting. A minute later, Troy was standing by her bed. She glanced at the clock again thinking she must have read it wrong but it only said 8:02. "What you doing here?"
"Never, ever let me go out with that girl again. ok?" He said as he sat down at the foot of her bed.
"Why, What happened?" Gabriella said changing position so that she was facing him.
Troy groaned. "Oh my god, what didn't happen. We went to a movie and i bought her a drink, and she poured it down me. see?" Gabriella looked at his trousers and saw a large stain on one of his legs. She could help but laugh "You dumped her because of that?"
Troy looked shocked, " no, of course not. I was fine about that, i wasn't fine when her phone started ringing and she answered it right there in the movie theatre. I mean she was actually talking loudly in the middle of the movie. God, the looks we got from the other people." Troyed breathed out and then continued "And then, when she had finally hung up, she said she had to go outside and meet to of her friends. So we went, turned out it was her ex and his new girlfriend. It turned into a double date, with my date and her ex flirting...its was a total nightmare."
Gabriella just stared at her friend/crush. What could she say to that.. She couldn't tell him the truth and say she was happy. So instead she went "Do you wanna get changed out of those. You have some other pants here somewhere."
"I do?"
"Yer, you must have left them here when we went swimming that time." Gabriella said, getting up and going to one of her cabinets. After a few minutes rooting around she said "ah, here they are."
"Thanks." And with that he departed into the on-suite.
Gabriella sat back down on her bed, but jumped up again when her phone rang. She picked up the receiver.
"Hello, Montez residence."
"Hi, is Gabriella there please." the voice said on the other end.
"Speaking." Gabriella replied.
"Hey Gabriella, it's Oli from Biology."
"Oh, Hello Oli, you ok?" Gabriella said to the voice of the boy that sat beside her in class.
"yer, i'm good thanks, well the reason i called was because i was wondering what you were doing next Saturday because well...i was thinking that maybe we could go to the movies or something?" Oli, who had not spoke more that three words to her in class, said it so fast that it took a minute for it to register what he was actually asking.
She tried to think of what to say. She had never particularly thought of Oli as someone she would like to spend two hours sitting so close to that their elbows touched but she did not want to hurt his feelings after all he had more guts then she did when it came to actually asking someone out.
"Oh, Oli. I am really flattered but i don't think i can make it next Saturday." Gabriella said down the phone, then she thought for a minute. Troy didn't even know she liked him that way so why should she hold out for a date. So she said, "But maybe we could go for a coffee after school one day. Is that ok?"
"That'd be great. I'll talk to you on Monday. Bye Gabriella."
"Bye Oli" Just that moment Troy walked out of the bathroom. Gabriella replaced the phone onto the holder.
"Oli? Who's Oli?" He had changed his clothes and was now sitting back down on the bed.
"Oh, a guy from biology" Gabriella replied. She was going to stop at that but decided to say. "He asked me out on a date"
Troy looked at her and said "Your not going are you?"
Shocked, Gabriella asked, "Why not?"
"Well..." He started.
"Well what? As it so happens, i am going out with him."
"Well, i..i've heard some bad things about this guy..." Troy stuttered as he stood up.
"You don't even know who he is." Gabriella was getting annoyed now.
"I...Exactly, i'm your friend. I should get to know him and see if he's right for you." Troy said looking down at Gabriella.
"Come on Troy. Stop being such a jerk."
"No Gabs...I dunno. I think you should slow down a bit, you don't want to go to fast into this."
Gabriella was just annoyed now, she was angry. "Go to fast into what? Its one date. Come on. What the hell is wrong with you?"
Troy's Shoulders sagged, He looked away from her. " I don't...i don't want you to go!"
"Excuse me. You don't want me to go. Why?" Gabriella walked over to where he was standing and said to the back of him "Is there something important you want me to do for you that day, like cover for you or do you homework. No thats not it, is it? Look at me Troy!" She grabbed onto his shoulder and yanked hard so that he turned around. The first thing she saw was that his eyes had turned darker and seemed to search her own.
"Gabs...don't!"
Suddenly there was tears in her eyes. She tried to blink them away but they started to fall down both sides of her cheeks. "Don't what?" She sobbed. "Why the hell don't you want me to GO!"
Troy grabbed her shoulders and said "Because i love you!"
Gabriella Hiccuped. She licked her dry lips and whispered; "What?"
"I'm in love with you."
All anger left her body, she seemed to shrink as he looked at her. "You love me?"
"Yes" He let go of her shoulders and went and sat on her bed.
They both sat like that for a few minutes and then Gabriella seemed to regain some sense and said quite bluntly. "Your jeolous?" This was more of a statement then a question. Still Troy answered it "yes"
Suddenly anger began to boil once more inside Gabriella. "What gives you the right to be jeolous?"
This seemed to shock Troy "Sorry?" He asked.
The it all came spilling out. "How dare you come in here and be jeolous. I have sat back and watched you with most of the girls in our class go out together and then i get one invitation to go out next saturday, Which you might like to know that i said no to because i thought there could some chance that we could go out sometime, and instead agreed to go for coffee after school, and you become jeolous. I don't believe you Troy."
Troy just sat there looking at Gabriella as she went said this. "Gabs, I am such an idiot. You like me too don't you?"
Gabriella looked at Troy as if he was stupid " well, duh!" With that she started crying again.
Troy jumped up from where he was sitting and moved across the room in two steps. He enveloped Gabriella into a hug, from which she tried to reject only to hug him back after a few seconds. Both at the same time said "i'm sorry"
Half an hour later, they sat on the bed still hugging closely. Gabriella had calmed down while Troy sat silently with his arms tightly holding her.
Troy was the first to break the silence when he said "so what happens now?"
"I dunno!" Gabriella replied lifting her head slightly.
"Are we still friends?" He asked.
Suddenly her lips were pressed onto his. After a moment she replied.
"Oh, I think we can class ourselves as More Than Friends. Don't You?" She said with a grin.
"More Than Friends...I'd like that!"