Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot
Sorry for the really super long wait. But please review and enjoy!
Chapter Two- The Party
"Gabster, Troy over here." Chad called to his two best friends.
"Hey Chad, what's up?" Troy grabbed Gabriella's hand and ran over to him.
"Nothing man, so did Gabs help you out?" Chad asked.
"Doesn't she always?" Troy replied.
"Yeah I guess she does." Chad laughed and wrapped his arms around Taylor in a tight hug. "Hey Ella."
"Hey Chadster, hey Tay."
"Hey Gabs, how are you?" Taylor asked her.
"I'm fine, I guess. Where's Sharpay? I should probably talk to her." Gabriella glanced around at the growing party.
"She went over to um, talk to Zeke." Taylor snuck a peek at Troy to see his reaction.
"Well, okay, that's weird?" Gabriella too, looked at Troy.
Troy noticed the looks he was being given, "Well good for her fixing things with Zeke."
"Troy…" Gabriella started.
"No I'm serious, really. God knows I'm the reason they're not talking, so it's good she's fixing things."Troy stated looking away from everyone's eyes.
"C'mon let's go get us some drinks." Gabriella said excitedly, knowing this was exactly what Troy needed. "See you two later." Tay and Chad called after them.
"So… are you sure you're okay with Sharpay and Zeke? I mean, c'mon Troy, she was practically in love with him before you two started dating." Gabriella questioned.
"I'm fine with it. Zeke's a good guy and I ruined things between them, so it's good that they're talking again." Troy replied casually. "Besides now this means I get to spend the whole party with the most important girl in my life." Troy smiled.
Gabriella blushed and thanked him. Troy couldn't help but let his smile grow bigger as he saw the red grow on her cheeks. His smile was soon wiped away though, when he saw Sharpay walking towards them out of the corner of his eye. He grabbed two drinks handing one to Gabriella.
"Hey Gabs, Troy." Sharpay smiled to them.
"Hey Shar, what's up?" Gabriella smiled back, thanking God for the peace going on right now.
"Oh you know? The usual." Sharpay replied.
"Okay well that's-…" Sharpay interrupted, "Gabi as much as I love this small talk, I'm over here to talk to Troy. So can you like… leave?"
"Whatever you want to say to me Shar, you can say in front of Brie. She's going to hear it anyways, right?" Troy spoke before Gabriella had the chance.
"Fine then," Sharpay said angry with both of them. "Troy I like you a lot, enough to stop fighting with you. I want to fix things between us and make up like we always do. I don't want to end things with you, not just yet." Sharpay spoke, looking deeply into his eyes.
"No Shar, I'm sick of all the fighting. And you saying that you don't want to fight anymore isn't going to change anything. You and I both know we would still fight, hell even more than before. I don't know, Shar. We just don't click… anymore, you know?"
"We are not breaking up Troy Bolton. I can guarantee you that." Sharpay spat out at him.
"Fine if not tonight then just know it's coming and you know it. So let's see how tonight goes, while we keep our distance."
"Fine" Troy and Sharpay compromised. Sharpay nodded to Gabriella and glared at Troy as she walked away. Troy just smiled, clearly satisfied. "Well I'm glad you're happy." Gabriella sarcastically said.
"What? Why are you mad?" Troy stated confused.
"She is going to HATE me now. I am not exaggerating either Troy." Gabriella sighed.
"Who cares about her. You got me fully again, babe."Troy smiled a goofy smile at her and Gabriella blushed once more. She smiled as well, liking the idea of having Troy to herself again. 'God Gabi, what the hell are you thinking? Stop it!' "Troy she's still my friend, always has been."
"I'm such a better friend and you know it." Troy joked.
"Whatever loser." Gabriella gently hit his arm. "That's the best you can come up with, loser?" Troy mimicked her. Gabriella just laughed and Troy couldn't help but smile at her. He couldn't help but notice how her face lit up and her eyes glowed when she laughed. He also noticed how he had been smiling with her a lot lately, more than he has with Sharpay. 'Troy what the hell? What are you thinking?' Gabriella gave him a weird look but before she could say anything, Troy was dragging her to the dance floor.
"Troy…" Gabriella whined.
"Aw poor Gabi doesn't want to dance… too bad!" Troy laughed. He put his hands on her hips while she snaked hers around his neck since "Happy Ending" by MIKA was playing. Troy smiled at her once more and pulled her closer. He liked having her this close. The shock was written on Gabriella's face but she never objected. In his arms like this, this close to him, she felt… safe. "So…" Troy started.
"So…?" Gabriella urged him on.
"I've got some shocking news." Troy stated.
"Oh yeah, what?" Gabriella's excited showed through her eyes.
"I am definetly ending things with Shar. The decision has already been made and it is final." Troy paused while Gabriella stared at him wide eyed. "And two, Trever's coming into town next weekend."
"Wait, what?" Gabriella said shocked.
"Trever's coming into town?" Troy replied confused.
"No the first thing you said." Gabriella said still staring at him.
"Oh, I'm ending things with Shar." Troy stated like it was nothing.
"What? Seriously?"
"Yeah, seriously and I figured since you are my best friend you'd want to know my decision. Why are you making such a big deal about this?" Troy asked her. Her reaction to this news shocked him.
"Because it is Troy, Sharpay might actually blame me for this." Gabriella snapped.
"Why are you acting like this? Didn't you tell me I should end things with her?" Troy was confused.
"I didn't think you would actually listen!" Gabriella shot back.
"Well I did, so shouldn't you be happy?"
"Oh yeah, I'm so happy!" Gabriella said sarcastically. "Now I get to hear her going off about how you ended things with her. I'm just estatic!"
"Brie, I thought we went through this? Don't let her get to you, it's not worth it. I still don't even understand why your still friends with her." Troy said calming down.
"Because underneath her horns, she's still a good person." Gabriella whispered.
"Okay sure, way underneath." Troy laughed bitterly.
"She really is a good friend, Troy." Gabriella tried to get that through to him.
"Okay, Brie, you keep thinking that, while I, along with everyone else, know the real truth." Troy told her seriously.
"People need to stop judging her! Especially you, I thought you didn't do that!" Gabriella pointed a shaky finger at him.
"Ella, what's gottin' into you?" Troy asked concerned.
"Nothing, I'm fine!" She answered, not really sure what was wrong with her.
"Brie, we both know that's not true. You can tell me anything, you know that. C'mon let's talk somewhere quieter." Troy grabbed her hand and led her up the stairs. Sharpay saw this out of the corner of her eye, taking it to mean something else. "AHHHH! Can you believe them? I can't believe they would do this!" Sharpay shrieked to Zeke, Chad and Taylor.
"Oh c'mon Shar, Gabi and Troy would never do that." Taylor reassured her.
"Yeah they probably just want to talk." Zeke added on, while Chad stayed silent.
"Well curly-Q, aren't you going to say something comforting?" Sharpay glared at him.
"Who really cares Sharpay? You and Troy are over and everyone knows it, hell you know it too! God knows that there is something between Troy and Gabs. They'd be the perfect couple after all. You're just standing in their way. They both just don't want to hurt you for whatever reason, I can't figured out since you're a crappy friend to both of them. And since you constantly hurt them." Chad shocked them at his outburst.
"He doesn't mean Shar. The alcohol's getting to him." Taylor really tried to be a good friend, while she glared at Chad.
"No, I meant it. We all wanted to say, I was just the one who had the guts to bring it out onto the table."
"You're a jerk!" Sharpay yelled at Chad and stormed off.
"What? It needed to be said and you know it!" Chad reasoned after getting disproving glares from Taylor and Zeke.
Troy led Gabriella to an empty bedroom and sat down on the double bed, motioning for her to come and sit by him. "Okay, spit it out, what's wrong with you?" Troy finally spoke.
"What a nice what to put that, not. Nothing's wrong with me either Troy. I don't see why were even up here?" Gabriella snapped.
"Brie I know you better than anyone. You can't hide from me when something's wrong. If I was Sharpay you'd talk to her!" Troy was slightly annoyed now.
"If you were Sharpay, we wouldn't be up here." Gabriella retorted.
"Listen to me and listen to me good, okay?" Troy continued not waiting for an answer. "Your attitude is bothering me. This isn't you Brie. You're defending Sharpay? What the hell is that about? After all the crap she makes you go through, all the crap she says about you. Snap out of lala land Brie and face reality. Life is going to get harder in these next few weeks and if you're acting like this it's a no brainer about who you'll be spending more time with!" Troy finally stopped talking and drew in a deep breath, looking away from Gabriella's eyes.
"Troy, what… what brought all this on? Why are you acting like a jerk? Newsflash, Sharpay is still you're girlfriend. She's just as much of a friend to me as you are!" Gabriella was mad, beyond furious as to how he was speaking to her.
"Well then, why are you with me and not her? Why do you always put me before her? Why do you always tell me you're on my side? Are you just lying to me to make me feel better? Do you tell her the exact same thing you tell me? If she is as much as your best friend as me than why are you her with ME!?" Troy shot back at her.
"Fine you want me to be with her? I will, I'll leave right now. You won't ever have to deal with me anymore, EVER! Troy this… this, friendship is done. It was done a long time ago! Once you started dating Sharpay, it was done! She changed you, and we haven't been the same since you two started going out!" Gabriella retorted. She left the room as fast as she could. She found Taylor and Chad talking at a table and walked over to them, grabbed a cup from them and chugged it down as fast as she could.
"Ella? Where's Troy? What happened?" Taylor asked, concern filling her eyes
"Don't know, don't care." Replied Gabriella, while downing another drink.
"There he is." Chad pointed out. "He does not look happy. What the heck happened up there?"
"Nothing! Now if you excuse me, there is a boy calling my name. Todd Riley to be exact." Gabriella said, setting her cup down and walking towards Todd.
"Todd Riley, are you nuts? He's been after you since like eighth grade. That's Troy's worst enemy. He captain of the West High Knights basketball team! Are you crazy!?" Chad grabbed Gabriella's arm and pulled her back whispering, "If Troy see's this you are dead. The both of you." Chad pointed at Todd and continued, "Troy would be very angry and upset with you Gabi. You know how much he hates the guy. You two would be in deep shit!"
"Well Troy and I aren't friends anymore, so I guess I have nothing to worry about, now do I?" Gabriella said while pulling her arm out of Chad's grasp and walking over to Todd putting her arms around his neck and his hands down on her waist.
"What did she just say?" Taylor asked, with Chad just starring at her, mouth wide.