Happy Valentine's Day! This is a story based off of a story that my teacher told me. enjoy :)


Valentine's Day. Ah, love was in the air… yeah right.

Troy Bolton looked up from the random gossip magazine he was 'reading.' He casually leaned up against the magazine rack behind him beside checkout counter number 4. He peered two lanes over at the beauty.

"Two dollars and seventy four cents," she said with her gorgeous smile from behind the counter.

"H-here. Keep t-the change," a teenage boy stuttered and handed the girl a crisp twenty dollar bill.

The girl looked quizzically at him. "Um, thank you for such the big tip! Would you also like to donate to the 'Feed the Needy Organization?"

She handed the boy the bag of chips that he just purchased and gestured over to the bin where donated food items should be placed.

The boy nodded with a goofy smile on his face and dropped the bag of chips (the only item that he bought) in the bin. "Bye, Gabriella."

"Come again soon!" she waved with and entrancing, heart- warming grin.

The boy was so hypnotized that he walked into the glass door on his way out and Gabriella laughed silently.

Troy beamed at her from afar. She was the most beautiful girl that he had ever seen. Her brown, silky, curly hair flowed below her shoulders. Her petite and fit body was perfect. Her sweet lips were always layered with a thin coat of watermelon lip gloss. They went to the same high school, too, East High. They occasionally exchanged conversations and notes, but they were simply just peers. Gabriella lived with her Aunt Sally and Uncle Mark. Sally was a homemaker and Mark was a local police officer. Just recently, Gabriella got a job at the supermarket called Sweetie's. Coincidentally, just recently, business started booming. Young men and teenage boys flooded the store and insisted on going to only one checkout counters; Gabriella's. They would only buy one or two items. While Gabriella was checking out the items, the guys were checking out Gabriella. Of course, no one dared to make a move on her since her uncle was a cop.

"Yo, Man," Chad Danforth came bouncing up to Troy, arms full of liters of

Soda. "I got the drinks. Let's go."

Troy snapped out of his daydreams. "Uh, sure."

"Ah, you were looking at Gabriella," Chad smirked knowingly. "It's okay I guess."

Since Gabriella was the only worker at the cashiers, Troy and Chad followed in line. Unfortunately, there was another four guys in front of them. Then, it was their turn.

"Sup, Montez," Chad said coolly.

"Hey, Chad," Gabriella leaned up on her fists. "I haven't seen you guys around here in awhile."

"Well, you know, we were getting drinks for the big game tonight," Chad explained while Troy wiped his clammy palms on the back of his jeans.

"Basketball, nice," she commented. "Hi, Troy."

When she said his name, it had this sort of ring to it. Troy didn't notice, but Chad certainly did.

"Hi, Gabriella. Happy Valentine's Day," Troy said, trying not to choke out of nervousness.

"Yeah, same here," she smiled and rang up their items.

"Got any V-Day plans tonight?" Chad asked casually and Troy sucked in a big breath.

"No, no one even asked me," the girl admitted, shaking off the subject. "Twelve eighty-nine."

Troy pulled out money and handed it to Gabriella.

"See you later," Chad called while leaving the store.

"Bye." Gabriella waved. "Bye, Troy."

"S-see you at school, Gabriella," Troy smiled back and followed Chad out of the store.

--

"We got the popcorn, chips, and soda," Chad said when the boys reached Troy's house. "Are we missing anything?"

"Hm?" Troy asked, not even paying attention.

"Daydreaming about Gabriella," he chuckled.

"What? No!" Chad eyed Troy knowingly. "Okay, yeah, I was."

"Dude, ask her out."

"She's not even into me like that," Troy argued.

"You're so stupid," Chad shook his head.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Troy," Chad started, "you don't notice how she says your name? The way she smiles at you? The way she laughs when you blubber like a freaking idiot? Man, she totally likes you."

Troy sat dumbfounded. Had he really been oblivious to all the signs that Gabriella was giving him?

"You're lying, Chad," Troy said, in denial. He still couldn't believe that the most beautiful girl alive really liked him.

"You are going to go over to Sweetie's and ask that girl out! She'll say yes!" Chad persuaded.

"No! I bet somebody already asked her out!" Troy defended. He was startled when he heard Chad slap the table.

"You doubt my knowledge?!" Chad boomed and pointed towards the door.

"Fine!" Troy snapped obnoxiously and walked out of the door.

--

"Why am I even doing this?" Troy thought to himself as he walked through random aisles of the store.

He pretended to search for random items on shelves as he could see Gabriella out of the corner of his eye. By now, it was mid- afternoon. Business always was slower by that time. Gabriella was flipping through the pages of a celebrity news magazine.

"Ask her now!" he yelled in his head.

His palms were sweaty and his breath was jagged. His heart was beating one hundred miles an hour. Troy took a deep breath and walked towards the checkout counters. He set a random item that he pulled off a shelf onto the counter. Gabriella snapped her head up.

"Troy," she grinned. "back so soon?"

After all, it had only been about… fifteen minutes.

Troy was so nervous that he opened his mouth but nothing came out. "Rejection! What if she rejects me?!"

"Um," Gabriella said awkwardly, "you want to but that?"

Troy glanced down at the item he had set down. He was so jittery that he didn't even notice what he had gotten.

Women's menstrual pads.

"I-I uhh," Troy stumbled.

"got them for your mom?" Gabriella suggested, giggling.

"Yeah," he mentally slapped himself. How embarrassing.

"Four dollars and eighty-nine cents," she said after she rang up the item.

Troy paid and tightly grasped the plastic bag. "Bye."

"Bye," she charmed.

Troy took a few steps but he came to halt just before he reached the sliding doors.

He had come too far to give up now. He was just caught buying pads for Pete's sake! He was going to leave Sweetie's with his dignity… and Gabriella as his valentine.

Troy sharply turned around and marched straight up to Gabriella.

"Back so soon?" Gabriella laughed again.

He had a serious look on his face as he gently took hold of the girl's small hand.

"Troy, what are you-"

"Do you maybe want to go out sometime?"

Troy sputtered the words out so fast that even his brain couldn't function what happened.

Gabriella was wearing a shocked expression.

Troy suddenly felt his heart strings being tugged. Rejected with the silent treatment! She remained speechless as he let her hand drop.

"I'm sorry," Troy started. "I just thought that maybe… well, Chad told me-"

"You don't know how long I waited for you to ask me that question."

"What?!" Troy gasped, confused.

"I like you, Troy. I've liked you ever since the first day of high school," Gabriella admitted, making butterflies form in Troy's stomach.

"I… feel exactly the same way," he laughed in disbelief.

The moral of this story is simple. If you have feelings for someone, tell them. Don't let them slip away. You never know how they feel about you. The results might be surprising! And also, always listen to Chad.