AN: Wow, that was a nice response considering this is my first GabPay, and I hope I don't dissapoint... anyways, thanks for reading. And again, thanks to Live2rite for making sure my chapters are ok to post!

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So I've found out that the Biology project isn't due in for another two weeks. Two weeks of me and Gabriella sitting in the same room together, doing science.

We decided (without much participation from me) that it wasn't a good idea to do this separately, mainly because I couldn't call her up and tell her about my ideas. I could email her of course, but sometimes she didn't check her emails for weeks on end, or so she tells me.

We're meeting today after school, to go and start on the project at her house.

"Please, please, please be nice to her!" Ryan asks, stepping out of my car. I can only sigh, not wanting to promise anything.

Depends, will she be as annoying as she was yesterday?

I managed to deduce that the reason Gabriella was being nice to me yesterday. She must have felt sorry for me. I mean, I can't speak and I can't act like I would usually act towards her. Unfortunately a person loses most of their ability to use sarcasm when they lose their voice.

It's a shame. I kinda loved how naïve Gabriella could sometimes be when I was at my meanest, somehow thinking I was being nice.

And now she must not have the foggiest. Surely if she can miss the sarcasm in my voice she can miss the mean vibes I try and give out when I'm silent. I'm mute. Like a freaking broken toy.

In home room I get out my biology book attempting (in vain) to fix the cover. I notice her sit next to me, but I force myself to focus on the textbook in front of me. The sticky tape gets stuck to my fingers, and I hear her giggle softly.

"Do you want some help, Sharpay?" I shake my head, continuing to stare straight ahead of me, and she laughs again as I struggle at trying to keep the cover straight on the book whilst also trying to stick it down. "Because I could. It really wouldn't be a problem."

I turn to look at her, trying to figure her out. She doesn't look sorry for me, but looks can be deceiving. She just looks oddly smiley, and kind of amused. After another attempt I chuck down the book in frustration, and for a moment nothing happens. Gabriella picks up the book, straightening out the cover and holding it up for me.

I can't help but stare. Why? Why is she doing this to me? I mean... why is she doing this for me?

It doesn't make sense. I was so mean to her, all of last year. I tried my hardest to split her and Troy up, and now I realise that was stupid. But she had something that I couldn't have. I guess the feeling was just so unfamiliar, alongside the jealousy, that I guess I didn't know how to handle it. Just like I don't know how to handle this, what she's doing now.

"Aren't you going to tape it up?"

I shake myself out of my thoughts, grabbing some more sticky tape and sticking down the cover. When it's done she puts it down, smiling at it proudly. I don't get why. It's just a book.

"There, now it'll be a lot easier for you to study." Huh, she says that like it's a good thing. "Can I sit by you in English?" She seems to blurt... and I frown at her. Why? She usually sits next to her oh-so-perfect boyfriend. "Troy's being..." She frowns, and so do I, mainly because of the fact she's not smiling. It's strangely unsettling. She fiddles with her fingers, and I look away. Obviously she doesn't want to tell me. "But can I?" Oh, I never gave her an answer.

I shrug, showing how much I don't really care, and she offers me another smile.

"Thank you."

'Thank you'? What did I do? I shrug again, not really knowing what to say. If I could say anything.

"So are you still coming round mine after school?"

I nod. What choice do I really have? Plus it's a good way to at least make it seem like I want to be a part of this project.

"Good. Do you want my mum to make you dinner?"

I try and think of a way to say what I want to without writing it down. I wave my hand in the air, teetering it as if it was off balance.

"Maybe?" Gabriella frowns. "What, depends on if you're hungry or not?"

I shake my head, because I know I'll be hungry, that's not the issue. I point up at the clock in the classroom. "Oh, depends on the time." I nod. "Well, I think it'll most definitely go past seven. We have a lot of planning to do."

I look around the room, and point at Ryan. "Ryan?" I nod again. "Is he okay?" I sigh. This girl's slightly dense for somebody so smart. I turn to her, raising my eye brow. Ah, see. Sarcasm doesn't only stem from the voice... "Oh, tell Ryan." She realises, and I nod my head once, my face a picture of relief. "Of course." She walks over to his desk, and starts chatting to him. I stare ahead of me and notice Troy staring at me again. But not at my scarf covered neck... and he doesn't look concerned or bothered for my health. He winks at me, and I can hardly suppress a shudder. Seriously? I am so over him.

Gabriella comes back with the smile reinstated on her face. "Ryan said he'll ring ahead so no one cooks you dinner at home."

I give Troy another glance before nodding, and putting my textbook in my bag, ready to head over to English.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

I hate being stared at, but I can feel her eyes on me even as I try and ignore her. Jackie and Lea are talking amongst themselves about some new 'hottie' and I focus on picking at the salad in front of me. It's so bland that I think I might die of boredom. The only thing is that if I had anything more than these girls had on their plates they'd start ranting and raving about carbs, and fat, and sugar and a whole load of other crap I really don't need right now. The thing is... I know I don't need to diet. But they make me feel almost... insecure.

I don't even know why I'm sitting with them. Ryan looked too engrossed in whatever conversation he was having with Zeke I guess. And the only other person that seems to be showing any genuine interest in me is Gabriella. I sigh, wishing she would look away. I pick a piece of cucumber from my salad and wince in sympathy for my throat.

I finally lose the willpower to keep on staring at my salad, and my eyes drift up, meeting hers. She's facing me, staring as she talks to Taylor about something or another before looking away quickly when she notices I'm watching her. Her eyes look puzzled, like she can't figure out quite what I'm doing. Taylor says something and she laughs, loudly. I close my eyes, opening them only to see where I'm placing my fork in my salad.

"Can you get fat if you eat too much salad?" Lea wonders out loud, and I can't help but stare at her incrediously. I push the salad away from me, not hungry all of a sudden. I notice Gabriella stand up from her table, giving me a strange look that could almost be disappointment.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The end of school came much sooner than I thought it would. Or at least it feels like it. Gabriella's meeting me by my car so we can drive to her house. She got her mom to give her a lift today so we could carpool home.

I wipe my hands on my jeans, my feet fidgeting as I wait.

"Hey Sharpay." I turn to meet a pair of deep, blue eyes that I used to go weak at the knees for. He's less than a metre away from me, and I give him a confused look as he gets closer.

"Look, I've been thinking Shar..." I wish he wouldn't call me that... Troy has no right to call me nicknames... "And I've really given... us some thought." What is he on? There is no 'us'. I've shown no interest whatsoever in him for the past three or four months. "And if you wanted to meet up today, say at eight o'clock, I wouldn't mind having you round." ...What? "My parents are gonna be out... till tomorrow afternoon. So we'd have all night."

He whispers the last two words in my ear, and I clench my fists, fuming. I want to scream at him, I want to shout at him that he repulses me, that if he thinks that all I'm good for he can screw right off...

But I don't.

I push him away as he leans in to kiss me, giving him a look somewhere between scared and disgusted. I do my best to take my fear out of the look, not wanting him to see that side of me. I keep it protected for a reason.

"So do we have a date?"

I shake my head, opening my car door and closing myself inside, locking the doors. I thank God that the hood is up.

"I get it you're busy!" He shouts through the window, like I haven't just locked myself in my car. "We'll do this some other time." He winks at me once more, and walks away.

God... what is wrong with that boy? I swear he used to be okay at least.

I focus on breathing, in and out, slowly, steadily, my eyes closed, trying to slow down my speeding heart.

I jerk, jumping, my hand on my heart, which is now pounding again at a knock on my passenger side window. I turn, and see Gabriella pointing at the lock on the door. I unlock the doors, and she climbs in, giving me a confused look.

"Why were you sitting in here with the doors locked?"

Your boyfriend, I think, but shrug like I haven't got an answer. I'm not going through this with her. This relationship is strictly work related.

"You're a strange one, Sharpay." She smiles as I start up the car. I wonder if she would have said that to me if I could talk, or if she's just being slightly more relaxed around me. It probably didn't hurt that I couldn't snap something back at her.

My phone rings. Needless to say I'm surprised, why call the speechless? I look at the caller ID; it's my mother. I flip it open, and hold it to my ear, doing my best to focus on my driving.

"Sharpay? Sharpay are you there?" I frown, how the hell does she expect me to reply? I place the phone on loudspeaker, placing it in its holder, and nudge Gabriella lightly. "Sharpay? Answer me! I know you can't talk but..."

Gabriella gets the idea, frowning at the phone like it's crazy. "She's here." She mutters. I think she's a little shocked that my mother needs confirmation I'm listening to her when I'm vocally challenged.

"Good, now I've just spoken to the Doctor and he says that there's laser surgery you can get to take away the scarring on your neck. You don't want an ugly wound ruining what looks you have got-" I quickly snap the phone shut, my hand automatically coming up to fiddle with the scarf around my neck. I don't look at her, but I see Gabriella face the window, almost guiltily. She gives me some directions on where to go now I'm in town, and I nod, my eyes focusing on the road.

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Her mom smiles at us when we walk in, her grin matching Gabriella's to a tee. "Oh is this the friend you're having over for dinner?"

"This is Sharpay. She's working with me on the biology project." Gabriella smiles back, not denying or confirming that I'm her friend. Which is good, I don't want to complicate things. "But yeah, she's staying for dinner."

Her mum nods, and I smile back at her as politely as I can before following Gabriella up to her bedroom.

It's about the size of my on suite, but it definitely suits her personality. There's a few posters of bands she likes, and a poster of a periodic table on the wall opposite her bed. It's a double bed, which gives her brownie points to say the least, and everything seems to have it's own little place. There are typical piles of teenage clothing on the floor, but somehow even they looked organised.

I look over at the far corner of the room, where Gabriella's laptop is, and I'm surprised to see a keyboard, and not a bad quality one at that.

"It's not much." Gabriella shrugs. "But it's home."

I just walk over to the bed, sitting on the edge of it to take off my shoes whilst Gabriella empties the contents of her bag onto her bed.

I just take my biology book, a notepad, and a pen out, thinking I probably don't need the rest of the crap in there.

I notice a one notebook labelled 'Songs and Poems', complete with loopy handwriting, and pick it up. I don't open it, just study the cover.

"Ah, that's a little private." Gabriella blushes, plucking it from my fingers. I smile at the look on her face, and it suddenly occurs to me to ask whether laughing will hurt my vocal cords. I'll have to get Ryan to call my Doctor later. "So... biology." Gabriella starts. "I've got quite a few ideas..."

I force myself to stay awake during her half an hour discussion with herself, watching her lips for pauses, nodding in the appropriate places, and often shrugging when she asked me questions.

"So which idea do you want to do?"

I bite my lip, thinking for a moment on which will be easiest for me to be able to keep up with. I may not be totally interested in the idea but I don't want to be left behind. Hopefully I'll be able to talk when the time for the presentation comes around, and I'd like to know what I'm talking about.

I hold up two fingers, and she nods slowly. "Number two? Right."

Number two was an idea about exploring the different STD's that effect the human body and how they effect it.

At least this was something I knew a little about. Only a lot of people in our year still seem pretty clueless, mainly because our Sex Ed teacher is an 'Erotophobe'. She has a fear 'of sexual love or sexual questions'. Personally I think she's in the wrong line of work. Usually she just stays quiet at the front of the class whilst we talk amongst ourselves...

"Number two it is. There are a few ways we can carry out the presentation..." I'm not sure if Gabriella has twigged that she's basically talking to herself.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Gabriella's mom, Rachel, makes a gorgeous spaghetti bolognese dish that doesn't stand much of a chance on my plate. I close my eyes whilst they say grace in an attempt to be respectful before picking at my food, doing my best to keep from inhaling it like I would at home. Food this good doesn't deserve to be kept outside of my stomach for very long, but I don't want to make a fool of myself.

Strangely enough the food slides down my throat (especially the spaghetti) a lot easier than the mashed potatoes I was eating yesterday, and the salad I'd forced down today. Though I have been wondering what the hell went into those mashed potatoes.

"So, Sharpay, you seem like a very quiet girl?"

I look up from my food to meet the eyes of Gabriella's mom. They're dark like Gabbi's and they almost feel like she's x-raying me. My mother's never given me such a studying look in my life. Most of her glances as shallow, and always skin deep, checking me for flaws and the like. I've decided to wear the scarf at home, just to keep the woman from staring at my neck.

I quickly look at Gabriella, and she smiles at me apologetically. I nod at her. It's okay... it just took me by surprise that she hasn't been blabbing everything to her mother like I know some people have been (due to the fact they ask my own mother a lot of questions). I breathe heavily, not sighing, just preparing myself as I reach up, slipping the scarf off of my neck, careful in case it's caught on any of the stitches.

Gabriella raises her eyebrows, as surprised as I am by my actions. I haven't shown this to anybody outside of my family yet, and here I am, revealing it to someone I can't call my friend and her mother, who's a total stranger to me.

"Oh, I see." Her mother says, her voice strangely understanding. "Will it heal soon?" I can only nod, holding up three fingers, my stare slightly blank. "I assume it's not days, and years and months sounds like too long... so I assume three weeks?" Again, I nod. She doesn't look bothered after I do, and turns back to her food. She's not repulsed, and she's not bothered. Where did this woman come from that my mother didn't?

I catch Gabriella's eye, and she's beaming at me. I don't know what I did to deserve a smile like that, but I shrug it off as she goes back to her food, sneakily placing the scarf on the chair on the other side of her.

I scoop some bolognese into my mouth, not bothering to pick at it any more. I have a feeling Gabriella couldn't care less.

"Hungry?" I nod mutely at my project partner, watching the amused smile on her lips. "I should think so with the rabbit food you were eating at lunch." Her tone is disapproving, and I look at her for a moment, wondering if that's why she'd been staring at me throughout lunch. She shrugs her shoulders lightly, reaching over and grabbing the dish of garlic bread, not shy about how much she puts onto her plate either. For the first time in almost a week and a half I don't feel insecure. Not about agreeing to a second helping, and not about the fact that the short red line running across my throat is on show.