'Okay.' Gabriella took a deep breath, her physics books clutched against her chest. It was her final period of the day, and both her and Troy had free period and it had been arranged for them to meet up now. 'You can do this. You are Gabriella Vanessa Montez. You are going to be the valedictorian. You are going to go to Stanford. Hopefully. And you are not afraid of any lunkhead basketball boy.'
Gabi laughed to herself. She was terrified. What if she embarrassed herself? What if she said something stupid and he laughed at her? Or worst of all, what if she let her heart get the better of her and he figured out that she had a crush on him? A huge, soul consuming, tingly feelings all over her body full blown crush? He probably didn't even remember her name. Okay, that probably wasn't true. They had a couple classes together over the last year. Homeroom, chemistry, gym, english, physics. He heard her name every morning during attendance. And when she raised her hand to answer a question. Oh god, why did she answer so many questions? 'He probably thinks I'm such a know-it-all now!' Gabi bit her lip and stared at the library door. 'Is it too late to back out now? Who cares about the cheering section at the decathlon? I can just tell Coach Bolton I can't -"
"Oh, good! You're early too!" Troy Bolton's voice from behind her cut off Gabriella's inner monologue. "I was hoping to get the good table by the windows, so I thought to get here a few minutes early. Glad we were thinking the same!"
Troy smiled at Gabriella, his dazzling charism pouring through him.
'I was so hoping for a few minutes to prepare for this moment.' Troy thought, taking in Gabriella standing by the library door, her hair pulled back into a simple high ponytail, her cheeks flushed a little, her eyes staring up at him wide. 'She looks so cute. I wonder what she's wearing under that hoodie… Bad Troy. Stay focused. Don't scare her off.' Troy reached for the books pressed against Gabriella's chest.
"Here, I'll take those." Troy said, adding them to his books in his arms. "Let's grab that table."
Gabriella nodded and walked into the library, heading towards the windows. 'Say something! Say anything!' She chided herself. 'Don't be so nervous. He's just a boy.'
"Thanks," Gabi said, motioning towards the books Troy was now laying out across the table. "So, what do you need help with? I brought the junior year and senior year books and I printed off a few study guides that I had made and I got the AP study guide to compare your progress against. I also asked Professor Thorton what you were struggling with and-"
"Wow" Troy said, settling himself comfortably across from her. "You did all that since yesterday?"
"Well", Gabi looked down and nervously bit her lip, "I wanted to be prepared. I- I'm sorry. Too much?"
"No," Troy said, again smiling at her. "So impressed."
Gabi smiled back, relieved that he wasn't going to make a snide comment. It was true, she had wanted to be prepared. If she was going to tutor someone, she was going to do it right.
"So, let's go over your last test." She said, pulling it out of her bag.
Troy was star struck. That was the only word he could think of. Gabriella had already gone over his last test and 2 homework assignments and figured out where he was missing the concepts. She had prepped him for tonight's homework assignment and was now going over the pop quiz she had given him to wrap up the tutoring session. It had been an hour of physics but it had felt like just 15 minutes to Troy. And he didn't want it to end. Gabriella had opened up to him, or at least talked more to him than she ever had. She made the concepts seem so easy, and for the first time he was actually understanding the method they had been working through this week in class. She was patient and thoughtful but also, there was something more there. Something Troy had never seen from her.
"Okay." Gabriella looked up from the paper and handed it back to Troy. "You did way better than you would have a couple hours ago. But -"
"Nooo," Troy said laughingly,"Can't we just leave it at 'better'?" Troy grinned at Gabriella, teasing her with his charm.
Gabriella smiled back. "Haha, yes. But, I did highlight the questions I want you to look over tonight. I'm, I'm really proud of you Troy. That was a good start."
Gabriella ducked her head, sure he was going to make a sarcastic comment. He had been wonderful over this first hour, polite and interested, listening and asking the right questions. He really had done well. But, with the bell about to ring any second, Gabriella was sure the spell would be broken and he would turn into the lunkhead basketball guy she was sure was hiding right below the surface.
"Well," Troy said, reaching across the table to grab her hand. "You are already an excellent tutor."
Gabi looked up sharply, the hand contact surprising her. Their eyes met over the table and she realized they were smiling goofily at each other. He really had been sweet, and nice and -
BRRRRRRRINGGGGGGGGGG
As the bell rang and the sound of students streaming out of the classrooms filled the halls. Gabriella swiftly pulled her hand back and stood up.
"So - " she said, avoiding his eyes. "Same time tomorrow?"
"Uh, yeah." Troy said. "Free period tomorrow."
"Great." Gabriella gathered up the rest of her books and paper and shoved them all into her. "Have a - uh - have a nice practice." she called over her shoulder as she fled the table.
Troy just sat there, frozen in his seat, his eyes following her retreating form.
"What the fuck just happened?" he mumbled to himself.
"Have a nice practice?" Gabriella muttered to herself. "Have a nice practice?! What am I, his mom?" Gabriella reached her locker and began to unload her bag. "Ugh!"
Gabriella banged her head against her locker. "Ugh!"
"Woah, don't do that! You'll give yourself a bruise!"
Gabriella smiled weakly and turned around, the voice of her best friend always a pick me up.
"Hey Tay."
Taylor McKessie was walking towards Gabriella, a loaded book bag over her shoulder and a big smile on her face. Taylor had style, Gabriella always appreciated that. It was a very fun combination of bookworm and president of the world. Which is basically what Taylor was and what Taylor wanted to be. When Gabriella had moved to Albuquerque last year, Taylor had taken Gabriella under her wing. She had taught her all the school rules, who to avoid, and who were the nice kids. And she had pointed out the basketball team and warned her they were exactly the stereotype she thought they might be. The whole school had practically grown up together and Taylor had made Gabriella feel like she had a place in the crowd. And she was now her best friend.
"So, what is making you bang your head against your poor locker?" Taylor asked with a grin.
"Oh, I um - " Gabi paused, unsure if she should tell Taylor of her new tutoring pupil. "Nothing, just a long day."
"Well, we have decathlon practice in the World History room in 10 mins, want to grab a snack first?" Taylor asked, looping her arm through Gabriella's.
"Sure." Gabriella replied, sending a small smile at Taylor as they made their way down the hall.
"And then -" Troy whispered to Chad as they finished putting their clothes into their lockers, "She said 'Have a nice practice' and basically ran away from me!"
Chad laughed out loud at the look of disbelief on Troy's face.
"Dude, you scared her off!" Chad said, closing his locker and facing his best friend. "It was too much, too fast."
"Too much too fast?" Troy echoed in disbelief. "I touched her hand. Do you know how many girls touch more than my hand every day, and I don't smile at them like Gabriella smiled at me!"
"She isn't like other girls." Chad replied. "She is especially not like the other girls you go out with. She isn't like anyone else at this school."
Troy pressed his lips together in a tight line as he thought about what Chad had said.
"Dude -" Troy asked, turning toward Chad. "Do you think she has even had a, a first kiss?"
Chad broke out laughing.
"I said she was different Troy, I didn't say she was a nun!" Chad started walking towards the gym. "You just might want to rethink your approach."
Troy nodded and went to grab a basketball.
"You know" Chad said, coming to stand next to him at the foul line. Troy went to line up a shot. "I think this might be the first girl you've really liked in a very long time."
"I don't like her." Troy said. "She's nice and smart and very hot. I think it'd be nice to fuck someone who wasn't an bimbo like Sharpay."
"Don't let Zeke hear you say that." Chad replied. "And who says she even likes you back? From what you said, doesn't sound like it."
Just as Chad said that, Troy released the ball and it air-balled.
"Yep," said Chad. "You definitely like her."
Chad raced away laughing as Troy tried to chuck another basketball at him.