Sorry for a late update, I was busy with school work but here is the next
chapter.

Disclaimer: This is a ficticious story inspired by High School Musical. All
characters mentioned are ficticious and do not represent any person, living
or dead.

Sharpay was in the bathroom, applying the make-up with the rest of the cheerleaders. She wasn't pleased with what was happening in the classroom. Everything she saw was coming back to her; the unanswered questions were going through her head. Why did the teacher partner Gabriella Montez, the nerd, with Troy Bolton? Why would Troy request to sit in the back of the classroom with her? Out of all these years, he never helped Gabriella, but why now, so suddenly? No matter how pretty Sharpay tried to appear, somehow Troy never noticed her. Everything she did for him - applying the make up, dressing up sexily, buying so many clothes and much more - but he never noticed her. Why would he notice the untalented, unattractive Gabriella Montez over her? What did Gabriella have that she didn't? None of it was making much sense to her, and she needed it to be cleared up some way or the other before she and Troy could start a relationship. Angrily, she began to shove the make-up into her cute pink "Princess" purse. She wasn't the beautiful, gentle Sharpay right now.

"Are you okay?" Stephy asked her, as she put away her own make-up in her own purse. Stephy was the second richest girl in the school. She got into the cheerleading squad because of her mother, who taught cheerleading here.

"Yes, of course I am okay," Sharpay said, giving a fake smile. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, because you seemed all puzzled when you were applying the make-up," Stephy replied.

"Fine. I can't believe that nerd was partnered up with Troy Bolton," Sharpay said gruffly. "I dress up as beautifully as I can but he still never notices me."

"Yeah, he doesn't, but Troy's family likes you," Stephy said. "Troy's family likes you, so there is definitely a chance."

"What are you trying say?"

"Go hang out at Troy's house and talk to his parents often," Stephy suggested. "Show his parents that you're a goody - goody and willing to help out with the house and everything. His parents would be really pleased with Troy that he met a girl like you."

"You're a genius," Sharpay laughed evilly in front of the mirror. Sharpay was hurrying to finish with her make-up. She couldn't wait to see Gabriella face when she'd get creamed. She waited all these years for this and she wouldn't let anything get in the way.

It was 30 minutes before 4:00 pm. She had just gotten off the phone with Troy, having told him where her house was located. Before she was talking with Troy, she was making herself dinner since her parents couldn't be home for dinner. She felt lonely because most of the time her parents were working late. She wanted someone to be there for her and talk to her when something went wrong, but nobody ever seemed to care. She always felt left out not only because her parents couldn't be there, but also because she never really had many friends. Since she was in preschool, she was always alone. She would always sit in the bench in the corner and just watch every kid in the playground play and have fun. Since then, she finally figured out something she could do, and it was only reading. Every recess she would always grab a book to read. Even through middle school, she never bothered to talked with anyone. That was why people called her the "nerd." Suddenly she heard the doorbell ring at the front door. She dropped all the things onto the kitchen table and walked to the front door. When she opened it, she saw him standing there.

"Hi," Troy greeted. "It took me a while to found your house."

"Hi," Gabriella moved out of the doorway, so he could come in. "Come in."

"Your house is nice," Troy said, looking around from inside the house. "Something smells good."

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah, I was making my own dinner before you came."

Gabriella walked into the kitchen, followed by Troy. "You know how to cook?" He asked, as he sat on one of the chairs.

"Not really. It's just that my parents mostly work late into the night," Gabriella replied. "I could make you some pasta if you want any."

"Sure, if it's not too much work."

Suddenly, the whole house was in silence and apparently they didn't know what to talk about. Troy decided not asks her any questions until she was finished cooking the dinner. Every minute or two, he looked at her, and the more he did so, the more he couldn't help but think about how pretty she was. While he couldn't put his finger on it, he couldn't help but think that maybe there was some kind of a special feeling he had for her. He couldn't explain the feeling but it was different compared to what he felt for the other girls at school. She was different - not like the other girls from his school who simply had crushes on "hot" guys. She obviously didn't care much about guys from school in that regard, he thought, and only wanted to focus on school and future. She was definitely unique.

"Let's eat, Troy." Gabriella placed a plate of penny pasta with sauce on his side of the table and a plate of hers on her side of the table. Troy picked up some of his pasta with his fork and tried it.

"It's good."

"Thank you," She replied, as she too began to eat.

"These are really good." Troy continued to eat more of the pasta.

"Isn't there good food at your house too?" Gabriella said. "I'm sure that since you're rich, you don't do all the cooking. There must be women there to serve you."

"Yes, but they neither are as pretty nor could cook as well as you."

Gabriella giggled. "They're supposed to be your servants, Bolton, and not to be looked at."

"I know, that's why those women I don't even bothered talking or even looked at them."

"Are you implying that you only talk to me because I am pretty and I cook well?" Gabriella asked as her voiced rose.

"No way, I was just saying that - "before Troy could finish his sentence Gabriella told him that she was kidding with him.

"Troy, I was just kidding and you don't have to get all worried." Gabriella laughed, "You were panicking."

"No, I wasn't." Troy was relieved, he was afraid she would be offended by what he said.

"Do you want to get started on the project?" Gabriella asked him, as she put both plates in the sink.

Troy nodded as he followed Gabriella into the living room. They sat on the couch and Gabriella started to tell him what they should do. They both headed upstairs to her room, where she told Troy to do research on the computer while she was reading books about Japan that her parents bought when they visited Japan. While they were doing the project, everything was in silence again. Every minute or two, it was Gabriella who turned to look
at Troy. Since Troy was not facing Gabriella, he couldn't see what she was looking at. She didn't have the answers to the questions she had in mind but she knew one thing: "Troy would never like her." She kept telling herself that after this project, she would avoid him because if she didn't, there would be more rumors at school. She didn't want it happening again because there would be more girls hating her and she had received enough pain and hatred throughout this semester.

Troy was getting tired of researching because he had never found anything he
needed for the project. "I can't find anything."

Gabriella sighed, and walked up to him. "It's okay, you'll find something soon."

"I am sorry but it's just that I was never used to doing homework because I always had someone do it for me."

"You had someone do homework for you?"

Troy nodded. "I am rich; I hire anybody I want so basically I don't do anything."

"Bolton, you'll be experiencing the start of being what average people call independent."

Troy laughed. "I wouldn't need to experience that after this project."

"You'll need to experience it right now, Bolton."

"Yes, but this project doesn't last for eternity."

"I guess, but we worked on the project as slowly as possible," Gabriella said. "That way you have to experience it."

"Giving me a hard time, is it, Miss Montez?"

"Yes, you deserve it," Gabriella told him. "We should be continuing our project."

"Not slow-paced right?"

"Medium-paced."

"You don't want to work fast-paced?"

"No, because you wouldn't be able to experience my life." They looked at each other and laughed before working on their project again.

A few hours have passed and they were half finished with the project when Gabriella looked at the time on her desk. "It's 8:00 p.m."

"WHAT?" Troy shouted, "My dad will be really pissed at me."

"Why?"

Troy ran downstairs, followed by Gabriella.

"I missed practice today in school and I have another practice of basketball at 6:00 p.m.," Troy grabbed his backpack and headed to the door. "I'll see you at school."

"Bye Troy."

Troy opened the door; he waved one last time at her before closing the door as he walked to the sidewalk.

Troy was panicking as he was walking home and he still hadn't thought of an excuse he should be telling his father for missing practice twice today. While he was walking home, he was thinking for a good excuse because he knew his father wouldn't be convinced by any poor excuse from him. Ever since he lied, saying he'd be at the practice at school but he never went, his father caught him in the library with a girl. That was the day; his father was strict about him missing practice. Troy's father wanted him to do well in basketball but sometimes he wished he could act more freely. He hated being controlled by his father and he was always minding his business no matter what.

Suddenly his phone rang and it was Chad calling him.

"Where the hell were you today?" Chad shouted. "You missed practice at school."

"I know I missed practice but I had to work on a project."

"Are you telling me you missed practice and worked with a nerd?"

"Why are you all saying she is a nerd?" Troy said his voiced rose.

"That's because she is. Your dad was so furious today."

"I know he is; I missed practice at school and at 6:00 p.m."

"You better have a damn good excuse for missing practice. Good Luck."

Troy and Chad hung up, and just in time; he was standing in front of his house's front door. Troy took a deep breath and opened the door to find one of the servants just walking out from the kitchen.

"Troy -" before Rebecca the servant could say anything else, Troy's father was walking down the stairs. Troy heard the footsteps of his father walking down and he was furious.

"Where the hell were you today?" Troy's father Jack yelled angrily at him, "You missed practice at school and you missed practice tonight at 6:00 p.m. too."

"I was working on a school project, okay?" Troy's eyes wandered to another direction.

"Don't give me that look," Jack told him angrily. "Who cares about the school project? You have to keep practicing basketball and you could hire someone to do your homework for you."

"My life doesn't just revolve around basketball and there are much more important things than basketball," Troy argued back. "I want to focused on school, do my own homework and not just played basketball 24/7."

"Do you know what the hell are you saying?" Jack yelled at him, "It's your dream and mine to see you played in the championship."

"No, basketball has always been your dream but not mine."

"I don't care, you'll practice basketball until I say to stop," Jack yelled. "NOW."

Troy glared at him before he walked to the open front door. As he closed the door behind him, his dad watched from the window to check if Troy was practicing basketball, but found that Troy was running somewhere.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT BOY DOING?" Jack yelled so loudly in the living room.

"Seriously, leave Troy alone," Troy's mother said.

He wanted to run away from the house and be left alone. He didn't want to see his family nor his friends, but to give himself time to think. He didn't care if his dad was getting angrier because he didn't even care about him but only how much he was practicing basketball. When he got to the park that he usually went to, he sat on the grass near one of the trees. He leaned his back on the tree and looked up at the stars.

As he was sitting, he couldn't help but think about Gabriella Montez and what they were doing at her house. He didn't know why but it was only the thought of her that could take his mind off of everything he just had. Even though he didn't know her much, he had this feeling that he wanted to talk with her. While he was sitting there, everything they did together at her house came flashing back into his mind, and he thought about how she was so easy to get along with. When they were together, he was expecting the same Gabriella Montez but he was surprised to find that she was a loving, sweet, talkative girl. But he didn't understand why she wouldn't show that side of herself at school. There were so many questions about her that he wanted answered, but should he call her and ask her?

She wasn't like other girls he had met. She was very easy to get along with but he didn't understand why she didn't show that side of her. Why did she always hide away from everyone else? Why couldn't she show the real side of her? Why wouldn't she stand up for herself instead of letting students bully her? Was she just shy or afraid of something happening to her?

He clearly didn't understand anything but he was determined to know more about her. But there was one particular question he kept asking himself.

"Do I have feelings for her?"

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