A/N: Umm...this story just popped into my head. I was encouraged to do it (thanks by the way), so I thought, what the hell. It's a worth a try. I definitely wrote it in a different style...tell me if you like it or not. It's more vague, but it's on purpose. I want to create a more mysterious, bizarre feel. Did it work? I'd really like to know!

I'm not promising consistent updates on this and it's not going to be too long. I wrote this chapter very quickly and all at once, so I apologize if it seems rushed...does it?

Disclaimer: I don't own Disney or High School Musical and am in no way affiliated with it.

Gabriella Montez yearned to lose her virginity.

Badly.

She seemed to be the only person in the entire grade that still hadn't once had sex—and it killed her. Gabriella loathed being excluded. She was always desperate to fit in, desperate to be like everyone else. She detested standing out. She wanted to be just like everyone else.

And so, at the ripe age of sixteen, Gabriella Montez was determined to lose her virginity. She gave herself a time goal of one year.

Kelsi swallowed hard and gawked up at her from her milk carton with laughing eyes. "You're crazy."

"What?" Gabriella asked naively, her eyebrows gathering the middle. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to lose my virginity."

She just wanted to get it over with, once and for all.

She was tired of fooling around and then getting nowhere. She was done with that.

"You just broke up with Jason," Kelsi sighed with a disapproving shake of the head. She scribbled something on a heavily marked page of sheet music. "Give it a rest."

"I'm serious, Kel," Gabriella muttered distractedly as she played with the red straw sitting in her chocolate milk. "I'm more than ready to get this done with. I just need to find someone who'll get in, get out, and then I'll never have to talk with them again."

"Good luck," Kelsi mumbled vaguely under her breath as she took a polite bite of breaded chicken.

"I don't think I'm going to have a hard time," Gabriella shrugged as she scanned the bustling cafeteria. "The guys in our grade are horny as hell."

"But they're all taken," Kelsi remarked matter-of-factly with a raise of her eyebrow. "Well, except Jason."

"Didn't you hear? He's already with Kara," Gabriella burbled dimly with a millionth resigned sigh. "All the guys in the junior class would have no problem with one quick fuck. Besides, it's just a quick favor, and since I'm virgin…more people would be willing. Right?"

Kelsi shrugged dispassionately and scratched her cheek before forking a few peas and inserting them in her tiny mouth.

"I don't know…I was just thinking," Gabriella murmured despairingly, resting her chin on her hand in boredom. She frowned contemplatively for a moment, and then glared down at her limp food. She twirled her fork in sauced spaghetti, chewing tensely on the insides of her cheek.

"Just do what you want," Kelsi advised casually after an easy moment of silence, her eyes still glued to her papers. "Just don't regret it."

Gabriella nodded in comprehension, pausing her actions and stiffening somewhat. "Hey, Kelsi…what was your first time like?"
"It wasn't as bad as people warned me it was," Kelsi disclosed thoughtfully, finally halting her work for a moment, "yet, it still was nowhere near the best."

"Mmm…" Gabriella hummed musingly to herself, thinking deeply.

She was more than ready. She had been ready for so much time, and now she would finally get what she wanted. If no one was going to hand it to her, she was going to get out there and get it for herself.

Now the ultimate question dangled tauntingly in the air before her: from whom?

"I personally recommend Zeke Baylor," Sharpay gibbered quickly as she quickly surveyed the sparkled clothing on the rack. "He knows what he does."

"Sharpay!" Gabriella half laughed, half scolded from the opposite side of the rack. "He's your boyfriend!"

"I'm willing to let you borrow him," Sharpay shrugged indifferently, selecting a tangerine-colored tank top glittering with circular diamonds. "Dolores, just rip this one." She pointed to it with her free hand, and the elderly woman waddled over and wordlessly took the shirt.

"No, no…" Gabriella trailed off with a sigh. "I'd rather go with single guys first."

"You can always buy one," Sharpay suggested coolly, considerately holding up a pair of bedazzled pants in front of her. The shade of pink was so bright that it hurt Gabriella's eyes. "I'll lend you the money."

"That's nice of you, Shar, but I'd rather do it with someone I've actually heard of and who's my age," Gabriella chuckled lightly to herself.

"Well…how about Gerard Daily?"

"Eww! Fuck, no. He's too much of a geek."

"Well, he's single!" Sharpay scoffed defensively, crossing her arms over her chest.

"And for a good reason! Did you see what he was wearing last Tuesday?" Gabriella snorted as she remembered.

Gabriella wasn't exactly popular, nor was she a "peasant"; she was somewhere in between. Roughly half of her friends were popular, the other half average. So naturally, that put her somewhere in between. On a scale of one to five (one being the least popular, five being the most popular), she was a solid four.

"I know, he really needs some help." Sharpay closely examined a shimmering strapless dress before flinging it into a heap of unacceptable items. Who knew clearing out her closet could be so much work. "Fine then. Who else?" She shrugged and swiftly swiveled around to face Gabriella. "I don't know. Sorry, but you're going to have to find yourself another agent."

Gabriella bit her lip again and nervously threaded her fingers through her dark curls.

This was going to be much more difficult than she had thought.

"What about Harry Heller?" Martha proposed lamely. She was quickly running out of ideas.

"No fucking way." Gabriella shook her head with wide eyes.

"Vladimir Blursinski?"

"No! He can't even speak English!"

"Donald Matheson?"

"He can't even count to five."

"Fred Freedman?"

"He hit me on the head with a basketball last year. On purpose. I swear."

Martha rolled her eyes. "I think you're being too picky. Like you said, it's only one tiny favor. Just to get it over with and break the tissue. You won't even remember this in ten years!" Martha threw up her hands to make her point. "You've got some dream guy in your brain."

"No, I don't!" Gabriella insisted stubbornly.

"I'm out of ideas, Brie. Maybe Taylor has some more suggestions?" Martha sighed, turning back to her incomplete homework.

She was getting sick of being on the prowl like this.

She steadfastly decided that Taylor McKessie would be the last person she'd ask.

"Hmm…Gerard Daily?" Taylor proposed upon learning of Gabriella's quest.

"No."

"Donald Matheson?"

"No."

"Harry Heller?"

"No."

"Jason Cross?"

"He's dating Kara Putnam now," Gabriella filled her in composedly.

"Damn, already?"

"Yeah."

"What a bastard!"

"Anyway, keep going," Gabriella briskly reminded her.

"Steven Yards?"

"No! That's a definite no."

"What, and the others aren't? Because you seriously need to be more considerate. Some of these people are perfectly fine!" Taylor claimed. She was a bit offended, her cheeks puffed with color.

"To you," Gabriella garbled under her breath. "Any other suggestions?"

"Vladimir Blur-something?"

"No."

"I give up, then."

Gabriella coyly smiled to herself as she remembered that she hadn't reviewed the taken people yet.

She bid her good friend a hasty farewell and went home to ponder out more valuable names.

Troy's fists clenched, and he felt like punching something.

"No!" his voice seemed to explode. "No! I've been telling you over and over again. What you did with Will Fleming counts as flirting."

"I was sitting in his lap," Bethany pouted flimsily. Her dainty shoulders shrugged. "What's so bad about that?"

"His arms were around you! You were letting him…he was nuzzling his face into your hair! Doesn't that seem a little off to you?" Troy grunted in frustration, his face reddened with frustration and impatience. How much dumber could this bimbo be?

"Oh…sorry, Troy," the fake blonde giggled obnoxiously. She squirmed awkwardly in her spot and smiled strangely at him, showing all of her white teeth to him. "How about we forget about this?"

"No! I'm sick and tired of doing that. This is the last time I'm letting you get away with flirting! We're dating, Beth. We're in a relationship. Apparently, that has no meaning to you!" Troy fumed lividly. He was boiling with hot rage, spilling over his brim now.

"Oh…sorry, Troy," she repeated stupidly. "I guess I'll go home now," she decided timidly, wheeling around on her heel just slightly. "Um…I'll see you tomorrow, Troy. Bye." She spun around fully and began to stride away.

"No!" Troy erupted angrily again, his features tense with fury. "No! Beth, come back here. We need to settle this once and for all. I'll make it quick. That's it. This is the end of us." Troy's husky voice was firm and resolute.

Beth's emaciated face avalanched and scrawny body hunched over in disappointment. "Really?"

"Yes, really," Troy growled furiously, glowering angrily at her. "Now please, just get out of here and run to Will. You make me sick. I…I have nothing left to say." Troy collapsed onto the wooden bench with his head falling into his hands, his ankles locking. He was done with her.

Bethany waded gawkily by him, gaping speechlessly at him. After some time, she gave up, strolling calmly away.

Troy cursed heatedly under his breath and cursed some more in his truck. He then rumbled all the way to the gym, and played basketball until he was dizzy, just to take his mind off of her.

He needed to find something, someone, to take his mind off of that crazy woman. To make him forget.

Gabriella quickly grew frustrated. Besides the fact that she had short patience, she just couldn't seem to think of anyone worthy. Her head was pounding from thinking so much. She even resorted to last year's yearbook, although the outdated, pimply pictures did not do anyone much justice.

Gabriella flipped open her silver laptop, pulled it onto her lap, and slouched against the plush pillows against the headboard of her bed. She pursed her lips as she checked her email, an idea suddenly sparking in her mind.

She could write a little…flyer of some sort.

There was an infamous website she could manipulate—the New Mexico Circle, a site for teenagers living in the state. A sly smile twisted the corners of her mouth upwards as the idea sharpened in her mind. She clicked on the bookmark, and her tiny fingers were soon rapidly typing away.

Name: Anonymous

Age: 16

Sex: Female

I'm a junior in Bernalillo County. I'm a virgin, and I'm looking for someone to take that away. I just need it done as quick, harmless favor; to get rid of my virginity once and for all. There's a money reward involved.

Thank you.

Please email a reply to me at . More information will follow from there.

Troy gazed thoughtfully at the request. Maybe that was what he needed…and besides, it would be a nice favor to someone. Troy knew he was crazy, but he generously responded anyway.

The next day after school, Gabriella was greeted with a response from an email username named . She anxiously scrolled down to read it.

Hello. I read your request on New Mexico Circle and I'm willing to take your virginity for you. I'll be seventeen in two weeks, I'm male, and I live in Albuquerque. Please let me know if you will choose me or not. If you do, respond and I will give you more information so we can meet and get this done.

Gabriella grinned delightedly at this, and eagerly answered.

Troy was remotely surprised to see a response that night.

It's convenient that you live in Albuquerque. So do I. What days can you meet? When is a good time for you? Where…? I'm thinking the Hilton hotel on Bradley Street.

Troy responded:

That's a good place. How about Thursday afternoon? Maybe…five o'clock?

He received a reply almost immediately, to his astonishment.

Perfect. So I guess I'll see you there. I'll email you what number room it is. I'll put my name down as Mary. Can you bring condoms and all that shit?

Troy was surprised at how quickly he was typing.

Yeah. See you there.

It was Monday. And honestly, he was looking forward to Thursday afternoon.

Gabriella decided against telling her friends that she had discovered someone. She knew them, and she knew that they would pry and force her to tell who it was and where she had found them. And she knew from there, she'd run into trouble. She knew very well that there was nothing riskier than meeting people online and then plan to meet.

Oh no!, Gabriella panicked all of a sudden during English on Wednesday afternoon. What if he's a rapist or a pervert? Or some total freak? What had she done? The guy would think she was a fucking prostitute! Wait, no she was! She had just turned herself into a fucking prostitute! Was she crazy? Possibly. Desperate was more like it. She planned to bring a baseball bat with her to the hotel the next day for defense.

Troy drummed his fingers nervously against the wooden surface of his desk. His heart's rhythm was irregular. What had he done? He had said yes at meeting a complete stranger! Via the Internet! That seemed to make it worse. And what was she, some sort of prostitute? Troy was suddenly frightened. His heart thumped wildly in his chest, only making him buzz with anxiety more. He would just have to wait and see that Thursday evening. It was a secret—no one knew, and he didn't plan on telling anyone. They would think he were crazy! It was just going to be a quick thing. A quick favor. It would help him forget about Bethany. Plus, he would get a money reward out of it. Troy attempted to calm himself down, but it proved to be harder than he thought. He was nervous for more than one reason.

After school that Wednesday, he drove to the pharmacy and bought condoms and lubricant.

And a kiddy baseball bat. Just in case.

Thursday seemed to approach so agonizingly slow.

Gabriella couldn't wait to lose her virginity. She couldn't wait to be a real woman.

Gabriella fretfully made a visit to Victoria's Secret, purchasing numerous lacy bras and panties and all sorts of lingerie. She knew she wouldn't even use half of it, but she wanted options.

She also made a stop at Sephora's, buying some fragranced lotions and new perfumes. She probably wasn't going to use them, but she wanted to have them just in case.

Could you tell she was nervous?

She was literally shaking all of Thursday at school.

What had she done? She had organized to meet a stranger. To have sex with a stranger. Her first time! She was mental. She really was.

She went through the entire school day in a blurry daze. She didn't pay attention in class. She merely sat there numbly, her rigid hand vibrating as she scrawled doodles in the corners of her notebook. During lunch, she did the same thing, not even touching her food. Thankfully, Kelsi was immersed in the music she was currently writing, so she hardly even recognized Gabriella's ghostlike presence.

After school, Gabriella went directly home and began to prepare herself. She took a long, steaming shower, poured baby oil all over her smooth skin, rubbing more lotion on top of that. She tugged on the new matching set of underwear she'd bought, slipping on a silky, revealing dress over it. She tediously tended to her brunette hair, making sure each coil of her hair was flawlessly shaped. She vigorously brushed her pearly teeth, making sure to cover every spot, gargling Listerine too. After meticulously painting her face with makeup and applying perfume, she looked as perfect as a mannequin.

He, whoever he was, would drop dead.

Lastly, she slid into a pair of sexy black stilettos and slung her purse over her shoulder. She grabbed the baseball bat leaning against her bed.

She was more than ready.

Thursday was the slowest day of them all.

It seemed to slug by, so gradually that it was painful.

Each period was a month, and the entire school day felt like a year. More than anything, Troy was craving that sexual satisfaction he had missed with Bethany.

Troy didn't do much to prepare. He took a shower, washed his hair twice with shampoo, and scrubbed everywhere with soap. He sprayed on some cologne and cut his fingernails and toenails. He brushed his teeth. He even lazily combed his hair once. He dressed himself in loose jeans and a lame T-shirt, also sticking some sunglasses behind his ears. He grabbed his wallet, stuffed them in his pants, grabbed the kiddy baseball bat, and was out the door.

He arrived at the hotel at five o'clock sharp so maybe he'd see her in the lobby, and if she was some whack job, he could still run out. But she wasn't there.

As he rose in the elevator to the third floor, his heart only hammered harder. This had not been a good decision. He had made a horrible decision. He kept thinking this as he blankly walked towards the door blatantly numbered three hundred and four, and his hand was tense as it wavered over the golden doorknob. His fingers enclosed around the knob, twisted, and then opened.

The room was plain but neat, dark but clean. The long, flowing drapes curtained the windows, blocking the weakening afternoon sun.

Troy gulped forcibly, taking a hesitant step forward into the room and slowly shutting the door close behind him.

She was sitting there, on the middle of the bed and leaning against the headboard, looking like some sort of angel.

His mouth dropped.

He stood there, ogling and gawking and gaping at her discourteously, to Gabriella's sheer amusement. The thin dress she sported hung low and exposed a stunning amount of cleavage, and the stilettos only made the sight more tempting. Her beautiful face seemed to be carved personally by God, her orbs enormous and velvety and alluring. Gabriella wore a smug expression, but as his eyes locked with hers, the intensity slammed into her full force and wiped the sly smirk off of her face immediately. She soon found herself stammering, fumbling desperately for adequate words. He probably wasn't going to need that baseball bat.

He himself wasn't a bad sight at all.

He looked so adorable standing there, looking lost but so sexy. His chestnut hair was hopelessly windswept, his eyes the softest, most gorgeous tint of baby blue she'd ever seen. His chest was obviously defined and muscular, as were his arms and legs. Was he some sort of model? How had she gotten this lucky? She most likely wasn't going to need that baseball bat.

"I know you," she dully managed to splutter out. "I know you. Do you go to East High?" She inclined her body forward in interest, her face scrunching as she concentrated.

"Yeah," Troy breathed, running his fingers sexily through his hair. He dumped his things at the foot of the bed, apprehensively advancing towards her.

"I think I've seen you in the halls," Gabriella mused with a glowing smile. "You're on the basketball team, aren't you?"

Troy nodded mutely.

Troy wasn't the popular guy; there wasn't really one at East High, but Troy was undoubtedly a member of the popular clique.

"I dated Jason Cross," Gabriella mumbled embarrassedly, color trickling into her face as she realized the information would only make everything more awkward. "We just broke up."

"Oh, right," Troy nodded as he recalled. "I'm sorry that didn't work out.

"You're dating Bethany Joyner, right?" Gabriella asked quickly, trying her best to obscure her disappointment. Troy Bolton was a good catch. She could easily see herself dating him.

"We broke up a couple days ago," Troy clarified tersely. Gabriella was about to lament, but Troy spoke again before she could begin. "Okay, so…um, let's start this." He shrugged off his lightweight coat and flung it onto the armchair beside the bed, crawling onto the bed beside her.

The atmosphere was surprisingly comfortable. It wasn't stuffy or tense like he'd expected; it was rather tranquil and peaceful. Troy found himself at ease, and Gabriella was equally relaxed.

"How do you want to do this?" Troy benignly asked.

"Carefully," Gabriella instructed firmly, "but not too much foreplay."

"Okay," Troy answered as the information sunk in. "Okay."

Before Troy could say anything else, she had whipped off her dress to expose her nearly nude body. Troy got a grand look at her in her underwear, which looked so breathtaking that Troy almost fainted. Her plump breasts were the right size for him, and were covered by a black padded bra. Her laced panties matched.

"Wow," Troy huffed huskily. "You look amazing."

"Thanks," Gabriella shyly replied. Wait…when had she become shy?

Troy pushed her back against the cushions, his elbows on either side of her. He stared deep into her chocolate eyes, getting lost in them, and was not much later cautiously kissing her. Gabriella found his lips so soft; they were perfect and warm and wet, and she was fervently gnawing at them in no time. Her hands made tight fists in his T-shirt, jerking him closer absentmindedly. Troy's hands held the sides of her face steady, a little embarrassed when he moaned out some. The embarrassment quickly faded when Gabriella emitted an urgent moan herself, one that was so sexy that he instantly hardened. Gabriella smiled into their long and languid kisses as she felt a bugle beginning to form below, and she wrapped her arm around his waist, squeezing him thoughtfully. Troy's fingers outlined the straps of her bra, following them down to her cups. He didn't waste time in unfastening the bra and flinging it away, cradling the two full mounds in his hands. Gabriella had never felt anything like this. She bit her lip hard at the amazing sensations, uncontrollable moans slipping out of her mouth as he carefully began to knead them. Troy loved the feel of her smooth skin in his hands, and he loved the erotic noises she was making. It was nothing like it had been with Bethany. And to think he had never spoken a single word to this girl in his entire life.

"What's your name again?" Gabriella moaned out as Troy began to suck greedily at her neck.

"Troy…B-Bolton," Troy stuttered faintly, "and you?"

"Gabriella…Montez-z," Gabriella revealed shortly, balling his hair in her hands. "Oh God! Troy! "

Troy felt himself harden even more at the sound of his name being yelled so desperately like that. "Oh God," Troy groaned. "Please say it again."

"Troy," Gabriella repeated in a whisper, her eyes flickering close as he peppered kisses all over her bare chest. "Troy…Troy…"

There was a sort of steam accumulating somewhere within her, the heat building and rising and escalating with every moment. It felt good, but the yearning she felt for its relief was more.

"Hmmm…" Troy muttered dazedly against her skin, raking his teeth down to her flat stomach. His tongue darted in and out of her bellybutton, his index fingers hooking the hem of her panties and ripping them off. Gabriella produced a little gasp, then quickly calmed. Her hair was already damp and beginning to frizz up, but she only looked more beautiful. Troy gently unwound the necklaces from around her neck, and Gabriella hazily took off her earrings. Troy's tongue swirled around the plane of her stomach once more, licking every inch of skin down until her opening. Gabriella couldn't believe what he was doing. This was the first time they'd even met, for God's sake! But she didn't want him to stop. Ever. His fingers brushed the curls of hair in between her thighs, and he smiled sheepishly up at her. He softly pressed his palm to her entrance, moaning out as he felt just how wet she was.

"God, Gabriella," Troy sighed anxiously. "You're so fucking…wet."

Gabriella was exceptionally effervescent and godlike as she ran her tongue enticingly over her bottom lip. "You're pretty hard yourself."

Troy was mildly surprised when Gabriella reached out and grasped the tent in his jeans. Her fingers were tight around his member, and Troy stifled another moan.

"I can't believe you've never done this before," Troy composedly deliberated aloud. "You seem to know what you're doing."

"I've done most everything," Gabriella cheekily explained as she shimmied off Troy's jeans for him, "except the actual sex." Gabriella shot him another beaming grin before adding sultrily, "But I've never done it on this level before. The other times I did these things…it was much clumsier."

Troy allowed Gabriella to wriggle off his boxers. He let her touch and feel and hold his precious sex organ, for her curiosity was too big to ignore. He knew she was ready when she suggestively leaned back against the pillows that rested against the headboard, her slender legs spread invitingly apart. Troy sucked in a breath and grabbed the condoms and lubricant he bought, Gabriella watched breathlessly as he carefully put them on. He crept back over to her and strategically positioned himself above her, silence ringing throughout the relaxed room. Gabriella gazed up deeply into his cyan eyes with a look that Troy immediately understood. It said: I trust you. Troy swallowed hard, kissed her jaw chastely, and gently pushed the first inch of himself inside of her. He peered up at Gabriella, who was stiff but signaled for him to continue.

"Just do it all at once," Gabriella requested softly. She looked so tiny and vulnerable under him. Like just an immature teenager…a child…a baby. This suddenly made him more protective and watchful. He whispered kisses against her cheek again before plunging the rest of him inside of her all at once. Gabriella immediately clawed at his back, her fingernails digging into his flesh. "Oh, fuck," she mumbled under her breath.

"Do you want me to pull out?" Troy genially volunteered.

"No, no." Gabriella shook her head. "Just…give me a second."

It felt strange to her. She bit her lip as she usually did, and tears involuntarily burned her eyes. She wrapped her other arm around Troy's neck, and Troy dug his face into hers, pecking her skin gently. The pain was more than she had anticipated, yet manageable. It mostly took place in her abdomen, sharp and foreign-feeling. After a moment, she unleashed a sigh and told Troy to continue.

Troy slowly pumped in and out of her, very slowly. Gabriella winced at times, but the hurt was beginning to fade away. Troy steadily increased his pace, faster and faster and faster until suddenly, she had reached her peak. This was a whole other adventure, and it was riveting. She held onto her orgasm for as long as she could before it disappeared and she dropped back against the bed, hearing her name being screamed out by Troy as he encountered his own climax. He was on top of her a few seconds later.

"That was good," Gabriella garbled fuzzily. "Good."

She was lying. That had been incredible.

"Yeah?" Troy murmured back hoarsely, panting hard. He slowly pulled out of her, alarmed at the blood that drenched the condom. He didn't bother alert Gabriella to worry her, quickly discarding the incarnadined condom in the trash.

Neither knew then that they would remember that day for the rest of their lives.

Neither knew then how symbolic that moment had been.

Neither knew then that they would later constantly leave one another, and consistently find themselves back in that position once more.

Neither knew then that moment had been their Chance.