"Stop here!"

Her arm stretched out across the steering wheel as if holding her arm out will magically stop the car. Both their bodies jolted forward as the black truck came to a halting stop in front of an apartment complex.

"Thank you very much. I guess I'll see you whenever." She said coldly as she jumped out of the car as fast as she could.

The man in the driver's seat was dumb founded. He envisioned this girl naked in his bed by now, but instead he's dropping her off at home? What was this a high school date? His darted down to the clock in his car. 12:15 AM.

"Jesus Christ." He mustered to himself as he threw the car in park and pulled his keys out. The door swung open and the man quickly ran after the young woman.

"Hey!" He called out. He watched as she quickened his pace, and in returned he quickened his. "Hey!" He called out once more, and then finally he gently grabbed onto her arm. She stopped walking and he quickly ran around the front of her.

"What?" She snapped.

"Where are you going?" He asked trying to catch his breath.

"I live here." she said crossing both of her arms.

"No shit."

The young woman rolled her eyes and then looked at the man in front of her. Gabriella four years ago would have had no problem meeting some random guy at a bar and bringing him back to her place. She would have had no problem making him and drink, and then some small talk which would lead up to their clothes on the floor. After all, that is how she met her ex fiancé.

"Well now that we both know the obvious, I'm going up to my apartment now." She said. "Thank you again for driving me home. You really shouldn't have." She snapped sarcastically and cold as she could in hopes that he would just leave.

The young man turned around and then called out to her. "Let me walk you upstairs."

Her head whipped around and she scowled at him. "I'm good."

"You never know. Someone might come up from behind and snatch you up."

Troy Bolton could not believe what he was doing. He stopped for a minute and thought to himself. Usually if a woman was this turned off and uninterested he would have been back at the bar trying to scoop some other girl up. That has only happened to him twice in his life time. Women wanted him and he knew it. He knew that he had what women desired. Maybe that is why he was continuing to chase after this woman, she wanted no parts of him. It was a scenario that Troy Bolton usually did not see.

"I'm the youngest one in the building." Gabriella snapped once more.

"All the reason for me to walk you up." He said with a sly smile. "You need a strong man to protect you if someone tries anything."

He took her eyeball roll as a yes and quickly walked after her. They entered the building and got on the first elevator. This is usually when the women would attack Troy, but this one did nothing. The bell rang and the door opened. Gabriella stopped at the third door on the left. She quickly zipped open her bag and fumbled her keys out. The key matched the lock and with one smooth turn the door opened. She turned the man behind her and smiled.

"Satisfied?" She asked him.

"Not quite." He told her.

"What do you want?" She barked.

"I just want to get to know you that's all." He simply said. "No catch."

"Right...because all men just want to get to know me." Gabriella exaggerated.

"Well I don't see a line of suitors at your door. Maybe you should be a little nicer and there might be more than one man outside your door." Troy explained back to her.

"You're an asshole."

And with that the door slammed in his face. Troy Bolton had been defeated. This is the first woman he has met that has completely shut him out. She wanted no parts of him and that was something unusual. Sometimes women let Troy open their own door for them, but this one just slams them.

He walked down the long hallway and stopped at the elevator. He turned his head to look back own and his eyes landed on the third apartment on the left. He found himself laughing as the elevator doors began to open.

"Gabriella Montez."

Taylor Mckessie's eyes watched as a familiar black truck pulled up in her driveway. She watched as the man jumped out of the car and ran up her front steps. She didn't hear a bell ring, only the sound of her front door being swung open.

"Mom! Dad! I'm home!" Troy Bolton announced when he entered Taylor and Chads house the following morning.

"What happened to you last night?" Taylor immediately said.

"Woah," Troy said holding up both of his hands. "I just got home, I don't need this."

He began to laugh, but when he noticed Taylor not playing along he decided to stop. He gently closed the front door and then took a seat in living room.

"I was actually getting to know your friend Gabriella." Troy told her putting his feet up on the coffee table.

Taylor walked out and immediately smacked his feet off the coffee table. Troy sighed as he feet touched the ground beneath him.

"You were getting to know her?" Taylor questioned.

"Umm yes!" Troy said in a duh tone. He moved his body from the chair to the kitchen where he opened up the fridge and pulled out a red Gatorade. He popped the cap and began to drink it.

"Really, you guys just got to know one another?" Taylor pressed on.

"Yes. We shared our favorite colors, our favorite 90s movies mine obviously being The Mighty Ducks hers Clueless, we talked about our mutual love for Cory and Topanga and then we had a long cry." Troy's hand rested over his heart. "It was magical." He closed his eyes and sighed. When he opened them Taylor was still staring at him with a blank expression cast upon her face.

"You are such an ass you know that?" She told him. "You slept with her."

Troy began to laugh as he took another sip of his Gatorade. "Yeah. Okay." He continued to laugh as he left Taylor standing there confused. "Tay, you and Chad kept telling me how great this girl was and how I should, you know, work my magic on her."

"I never said that!" Taylor exclaimed.

"Well your boyfriend did!" Troy filled her in. "But she wants no parts of me. She's actually kind of a bitch."

"She's going through some stuff." Taylor explained to him.

"I figured."

Taylor sighed trying to imagine what happened after they both left the bar. She hadn't gotten a pissed off call from Gabriella so it could not have been that bad. She looked up at the cocky man standing in her kitchen, and she couldn't help but be mad at him.

"You are one to talk!" Taylor commented.

"Taylor, I have learned to handle my issues okay? This girl is a loose cannon." Troy explained. "She's just...I don't even know."

Troy was trying to play off how interested he was in this girl to Taylor. He didn't need Taylor running around and talking him up to this girl. Gabriella Montez was a mystery, and in many ways so was he. He was determined to crack her code and break her down. Taylor was not the person that needed to know such information.

"Lets go!" Chad said to his best friend as he walked into the kitchen joining to the two. He placed a kiss on Taylors cheek and then checked the ball to his best friend. "Ill meet you outside!"

Troy walked out the back door to the court that Chad and Taylor had in their backyard. The court was only used when Troy was home. It was another symbolic item between the two.

Taylor turned to her boyfriend and just by the look Taylor gave Chad he knew he was about to do something he didn't want to do.

"Whats going on?" Chad asked.

"He hasn't been home 48 hours and already he's just being...himself!" Taylor exclaimed.

Chad pulled his wife in close and then kissed her forehead. "This is how he is. Just let him do his thing."

"He better not hurt Gabriella!" Taylor told him. "She's already a mess, I don't want to see her hurt again."

"I doubt that Troy will do anything with Gabriella. She's inner circle material. You know Troy doesn't mess with the inner circle."

Taylor rolled her eyes and then pushed out of her boyfriends hold. "What is this high school? The two of you are awful. Just go out there and strategize about how Troy can get to third base with Gabriella!"

As Taylor walked out of the room Chad dropped his head. He missed his best friend, but without Chad even doing anything, Troy always got him in trouble.

Chad walked out to the court and watched as his friend sank his free throws over and over. Troy didn't get to play often, but when he did it was as if he never put the ball down. As Troy sank yet another one he looked over to see his best friend approaching him.

"Is mom mad?" Troy joked as he laughed to himself. He loved Taylor, but he hated how she critiqued him all the time. He did his thing and that was the end of it.

"What happened last night?" Chad asked.

Troy sighed as he tucked the ball under his arm. "After we left the bar I drove her home and then she slammed the door in my face. True story." Troy explained to him.

"Taylor doesn't believe you." Chad told him.

"Then tell her to call Gabriella. She will tell her the same thing." Troy said dribbling the ball. "I don't understand her. You guys have talked this girl up and she's nothing but a cold nasty person." Troy repeated back to his friend.

"She wasn't always that way." Chad told him. "She's going through some stuff."

"Thats what Taylor said." Troy said. "Maybe she will be nicer next time."

"No promises man." Chad said running out onto the court for the first time in six months. "Come on, check the ball!"

Gabriella loved Christmas. The music, the lights, the food, everyone coming together. Every year she decorated her apartment and her classroom. She went out and got a small tree and decorated it while drinking hot chocolate. Christmas brought so much cheer to the woman who already had cheer all year-long.

This year she decided to boycott Christmas.

She hated everything about it. The music, the lights, the food, everyone being merry. It made her sick. She couldn't drive in her car or go get a cup of coffee without hearing a Christmas song. This time of year only brought memories, memories that she wished she could still enjoy.

This time of year was overly stocked with cute couples and their children. It was something that Gabriella had come to hate with everything she had. It was this time last year that she saw herself married with hopefully a kid on the way soon. She could have never predicted her life to be this way just one year ago. Everything in her life was a lie, and now she's still trying to find some truth in it all.

Christmas Eve was spent with her parents home in New Mexico. She flew out of San Francisco on the 22nd, and the entire flight home she tried to come up with good lies to tell her parents. They were worried about her like everyone else. The bright and cheery woman they once knew was now dull and dark. Gabriella knew her friends could put up with her that way, but not her parents. Gabriella was planning her perfect front for when she got home.

The days leading up to Christmas Eve were spent with her parents down her throat about her life in San Francisco. They wanted to know all about her job, her new lavish apartment, her friends, and if she has met anyone. He was never mentioned. Gabriella came to figure that as long as his name never left their lips, then she could deal with the nagging questions.

Her parents hosted a Christmas Eve party every year for their friends and family. It was always a large affair, almost forty people showed up every year. Gabriella loved her parents annual party. She was able to see people she hasn't seen over the year and they were able to catch up. Everyone's drinks were never empty and laughter and merriment filled the house. The only problem was Gabriella wanted no parts of it this year.

As she sat up in her childhood bedroom she couldn't help but want to go back to a simpler time. A time when she was a little girl and her biggest problem was that her mom forgot to cut off the crust of her sandwich. Now she's a big girl, with big problems and they were problems that were getting harder and harder to face alone.

Gabriela reached for her phone next to her and dialed a number that she has dialed many times before.

"I'm surprised it took you this long to call me." Sharpay's voice came onto the other line.

"I can't go to this party." Gabriella explained to her feeling tears burn her eyes.

"Yes you can." Sharpay encouraged from the other line. "You will go down there and show everyone how much better off you are."

"I can't do it." Gabriella let only a few tears fall from her face.

"Gabriella Montez, you have never gone down this easy. You will go to this party and show everyone how strong you are. You will tell them that San Fran is lovely this time of year, how your job is the best job in the world, and your friends are the best in the world."

"Thats a little over the top." Gabriella said with a small laugh.

"It will work. Just trust me." Sharpay assured her. "I will pick you up at the airport in less than a week. Then you can be home and be bitchy to everyone. Deal?"

"Deal. Love you."

"Love you too sweetie. You got this."

Gabriella smiled and then hung up the phone. She sighed as she walked to her door. Her hand reached out and turned the doorknob, but then she paused. Sharpay was right. She had this. This was just another step in the healing process. Gabriella had faced much worse than this. This is nothing. She nodded as she turned the doorknob and then stepped out of the safety of her room and out into the shark pit.

"These streamers are a tad sweet sixteen babe." Chad Danforth said to his girlfriend as they continued to decorate their house for their annual New Years Eve party.

Taylor walked out from the kitchen with bags from the party store and she thew them onto the couch. Her fingers pulled her brown hair together into a pony tail as she felt herself get a little hot. She then sighed as she looked up at her boyfriend on the latter.

"People like streamers." She spat. "We have this argument every year."

"I know, and every year I feel like I'm attending your sweet sixteen all over again." Chad continued as he stepped off the latter.

"That was a good party. I think the streamers made it a hit!" Taylor exclaimed as Chad placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"Whatever you say babe!" They both laughed as Chad kissed her again.

The front door squeaked open as two women walked in on something a little too personal.

"Woah woah woah!" Sharpay Evans exclaimed covering her eyes. "My virgin eyes can not take this!"

"Do you want us to leave?" Gabriella joked as she shielded her eyes from the lovely dovey couple.

Chad let Taylor out of his hold as she immediately ran over to her girlfriends.

"Biggest cock block ever!" Chad yelled pointing to the two of you. "There will be revenge!"

The three women blocked out the crazy man in the room as they each gave out hugs to one another. Taylor stepped back and took in the new Gabriella. She looked different, she looked like the old Gabby.

"Fresh New Mexico air do you good?" Taylor asked her friend.

Gabriella smiled. "Surprisingly, yes. I feel renewed. Going home was actually a good idea!"

"How was your flight. Did you even go back to the apartment yet?" Taylor asked as the women ventured into the kitchen. Taylor immediately went towards the wine rack and the wine glasses.

"Smooth. And no. I didn't want to be alone. I missed you guys. A week away from all of you was extremely strange." Gabriella continued to smile as Taylor put a wine glass in front of her.

"So Tay, you ready for tomorrow night?" Sharpay asked as Taylor poured them all a glass of wine.

By the large sigh Taylor provided for them the answer was a simple no.

"Well, Troy is getting the food for us and Zeke said he would DJ. But I mean forty-five people are going to be here! I had no idea that forty-five people would want to hang out with us on New Years." Taylor explained as she took a large sip of wine.

"We are pretty cool." Gabriella added.

"Most bad ass people in San Fran." Sharpay added as the two cheers.

Taylor pointed out to the living room at her struggling boyfriend. "Someone won't stop complaining about the decorations." She said it loud enough to get a response from Chad, and Chad wasted no time giving a response.

"Woman! All of these people coming know us. As long as the music is loud and there is beer coming from every end of this house, they do not give a shit about decorations!" Chad explained as he walked into the kitchen wearing new years eve 2013 hat causing the women to laugh hysterically.

"You look like an asshole." Sharpay laughed as she took another sip of wine.

"Thank you Sharpay!" Chad said. "See! No one likes these."

Taylor rolled her eyes and then shooed him out to the other room.

"No I like them, most people do. I'm just saying you look extremely stupid." Sharpay continued to badger her poor friend.

"Taylor! Make it stop!" Chad whined to his girlfriend.

"Oh hell no. She's right. You look stupid!"

All three women burst out in laugher as Chad continued to stand in front of them wearing that hat. Gabriella forgot what it was like to laugh again, she lost it for a while, but being back with her group after sometime away made her realize that it was really good to laugh again.

New Years Eve: The perfect opportunity to find emotionally unstable single girls who don't have a man to kiss at midnight.

Que Troy Bolton.

Troy lived for New Years Eve, it was his Christmas. Anywhere he went on that night, or any night really, he would find cute girls and chat them up. And New Years Eve they were all usually drunk and down for almost anything. Those were the girls he lives for. The drunk girls who won't stop talking about the man who did them wrong or the daddy that never loved them. There there, Troy would say as he quickly felt them up and that was it. He was that good.

This New Years was extra special because he wasn't home last year. Last year was spent a little differently, but that was different. Tonight he was going to ring in 2013 with a bang. Literally. But he had to pay his dues before he could find his girl and enjoy the night. First he had to spend the day helping Taylor and Chad get everything together for their party.

Taylor and Chad have hosted New Years parties for as long as he can remember. They have dated back all the way to high school, and since they have stayed together they have never broken that tradition. And every year Troy is right there helping his best friends run around and get things together. And every year Troy asks himself why he decides to help because Taylor under the gun is scary.

"Do you think we have enough alcohol?" Taylor asked as she quickly pulled open the fridge and inspected what was in stock.

"Not enough to get everyone a good buzz." Troy retorted. At that comment Taylor threw him the keys.

"Go to the liquor store. Get whatever you want. I don't care what it is. Zeke should be coming with the kegs soon, but we need more than that!" Taylor rattled off in a frenzy.

"My girl!" Troy cheered. "Hey can I get a funnel?"

"No frat boy Troy! Now go!"

Troy quickly ran for the door. It was a good enough reason to get out of the crazy house for a bit and do go do something he actually enjoys.

"Wow."

That was all Sharpay said when her best friend walked into her bedroom that night.

Gabriella dipped her hip out and put her arms out showing herself off even more. "You think this is okay?"

Sharpay took a long look at her friend. Gabriella's body was hugging a one shoulder black dress tightly. Her hair was loose and bouncy, and her eyes were darkened. Her mascara was clump free as a soft rose blush brightened up her entire face. The entire look was polished off by bright blue pumps.

"You are a knock out." Sharpay exclaimed from her makeup chair. She continued to look at her when Zeke walked out of their bathroom trying to tie his tie. His eyes diverted up to the brunette standing in the room.

"You can not leave the house looking like that!" He commanded in a father like way.

"Leave her alone!" Sharpay scolded.

Zeke walked over to Gabriella and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. "You look great buddy!" He said.

Gabriella continued smiling as Zeke turned back to his girlfriend and asked her to tie his tie for him.

"Cant do anything yourself." Sharpay mumbled under her breath as she quickly tied his tie for him.

"I can name a ton of things I can do by myself." Zeke said to her.

"So can I. And if you don't stop your hand will be helping you check one off of the list tonight." She quipped at his as she patted her hands onto his chest while placing a soft kiss on his lips. "Okay let's go."

Zeke rolled his eyes and walked out while Sharpay took her best friends hand in her. Sharpays bright blue eyes were popping from the light pink eyeshadow and black mascara. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a sleek pony tail, and her dark blue dress was doing her many favors.

"Lets go have some fun." She smiled causing Gabriella to laugh. Sharpay tucked her arm around her friends back and lead them out of the room.

When they arrived at Taylor and Chads the clock was about to strike 10. There were people outside smoking while other people where in the house chatting, dancing and drinking. Taylor quickly hugged both of her best girlfriends and immediately got them a drink. Gabriella was introduced to other friends from high school, work, and family friends. The crowd was all 20 somethings just looking for a good time and a great way to ring in the new year.

Gabriella sipped whatever beer Taylor gave to her and she took in everyone in the room. There were some cute men from what she saw, but most of the cute ones were already scooped up by girls, except for one.

"Nice to see you back in town." She heard a male voice chime in from behind her. She turned around to find the man who graciously walked her to her door two weeks ago.

"Good to be back." Gabriella simply said turning around to face him.

"Trip was good?" He asked as a man bumped into his shoulder.

"Great actually. It was exactly what I needed." Gabriella smiled.

The two stood there not exchanging any words. Finally Troy looked up and smiled at the beautiful girl standing before him. "Want to go get drunk?"

"Yeah." Gabriella quickly replied. Troy took her hand and guided her through the crowd of people who now filled their friend's house. Troy pulled open the back door and took her out to the deck that was now empty. There was a full keg that was left out there, and Troy was ready to take full advantage of that.

"So, last week you were kinda mean to me." Troy frowned as he began to pump the keg.

"Are you serious?" Gabriella spat as she shoved her cup in front of him.

Troy filled her cup and Gabriella began to take large gulps. "Do you want an apology or something?" She asked rolling her eyes.

"An apology would be really nice." Troy smiled knowing that she was going to crack.

"Well I'm sorry." Gabriella gave in. "Part of my new years resolution is to tone the bitch level down a little."

"Yeah why are you a cold person?" Troy asked. Gabriella couldn't believe that he was flat-out asking her that.

"Excuse me?"

"Drink." They both took another large gulp.

Gabriella swallowed and then without even hesitating she spat out, "My engagement fell apart a few months ago. Turns out my fiancée was fucking plenty of girls on the side. The past three years of my life have been a lie." As soon as the last word left her mouth she downed the rest of her beer. She thrusted her red cup back into his hand to fill it back up. Once he filled it up and gave it back to her he just stood there and watched her. Her expressions on her face, her body language. She was a closed book.

"I'm sorry." He said softly, but the woman in front of her just shrugged her shoulders.

"Its my life. I'm just trying to deal with it." She took another sip of her beer. "Your turn."

Troy laughed and looked at the beautiful woman in front of him. "What do you want to know?" He moved over to the ledge of the deck and leaned up against it. He watched as Gabriella analyzed him trying to think of the best way to word what she wanted to say, but it just came out like this.

"Why are you an obnoxious womanizer?" She raised her eyebrow toward the man in front of him. She watched as his expression fell from his face, but she was not going to let him off. "Drink." She ordered.

"This is a messed up game." He told her. She just shook her head and tapped his cup.

Troy looked at the cup and tried to figure out if this was a good idea. Usually by now he was making out with a girl, but this girl was different. He was not making out, he was getting drunk. This was a different, and he liked it. He drank his entire cup of beer. He then crushed it on the patio ledge and looked up at Gabriella.

"The kinda job I have consists of me trying to keep people's spirits up, trying to make them laugh. Overtime I just developed this personality and now its just a part of who I am." Troy explained bluntly.

"The job?" Gabriella questioned.

"I think I need to down another cup of beer to explain that one." Troy explained.

Gabriella looked over the ledge and look at the crushed cup on the ground. "Too bad you don't have a cup." She looked up and smiled with a devious look on her face. "Whats the job Bolton?"

"I'm in the army."

Thank you so much for all the support! Im so happy you guys are enjoying the story! I had to reupload this chapter, so Im sorry to the people who already read it the first time! Please review and let me know what you think!

Love you guys xo Laura