I can't believe so many people like this story. Thanks for the reviews.

Here's chapter 3: First Encounter

Disclaimer: I do not own High School Musical or its characters no matter how much I want to.

Gabriella's POV

By the time I got upstairs my mom was cooking dinner. She saw me and gave me a hug.

"How's the birthday girl doing?" she said going back to cooking.

"I'm alright mom" I said sitting down.

"Your dad said you fell asleep playing your guitar downstairs, so I let you rest"

"That's so… nice mom" I said laughing at how gullible she was.

"Gabriella what is that awful bruise on your face?" she said moving toward me.

My dad tried to change the subject "Did you sell any houses today honey?"

"No, I didn't. Gabriella, please answer my question." She said focusing on the topic.

"I fell" I led.

"If you fell on your face you'd be in the hospital." She replied quickly.

"I mean I walked into a door" I said quickly.

"You said that last week" said my mom on the verge of yelling.

"I um...-" she interrupted me.

"Gabriella Anne Montez if you do not tell me what happened!" she was upset.

"Dad-" I paused. The look on his face scared me to death.

"Dad what?" she said not looking behind her.

"He tried to put make-up on me. I ended up looking like a clown. We were bored. I'll go wash it off now."

I walked upstairs and took a deep breath. That was a close call I thought. I sat in front of my new vanity and looked for my make up. I started putting some on my bruise. When I was finished it looked as if nothing was ever there.

"Gabriella, dinner's ready" my mom shouted from downstairs. She made my favorite, tacos. As we were eating she started the conversation.

"Gabriella, I enrolled you in a high school called East High. It has a great decathlon team, an unbeatable basketball team, and wonderful students. Look at the brochure." She said.

I looked at it. On the front was a picture of the basketball team. All of them were cute but it's not like my dad would let me go out with even one of them. The decathlon team seemed nice, I'd fit right in with them. The school definitely had cliques. I saw the jocks and the "nerds", I even saw the "artists".

"Mom, I don't want to go here. It has cliques, I don't want to be deemed as a nerd." I whined.

"Well I'm afraid you have no choice. That's the only school around here. It's not like New York where there are tons of schools around one area."

I kept quiet. I knew no matter what I said I'd still be going to East High in the morning. After dinner I put out some jeans and a t-shirt for in the morning and went to sleep.

Troy's POV

I woke feeling pain in every part of my body. The air was full of beer and glass was on me and the floor. I got up and slowly walked upstairs to my room. I looked out the window it was morning. I took a shower to rinse off all the beer and shards of glass. By the time I got out it was 9 in the morning. I threw on a turtle neck and walked out the door. No point in running, I'm already late I thought.

I walked into school at 10. It was the end of third period. I sat down just when people were getting up. Ms.Darbus called me over.

"Bolton, you're failing my class" she said calmly yet serious. I freaked.

"I can't fail this class! I just can't!" I started pacing.

"Calm down Bolton. I could give you an extra credit assignment. It'll bring you up to a B-".

"Thanks for the offer but I need an A" I said firmly.

"Bolton, report cards come in next week and so far you're failing. Take it or leave it" she said gallantly.

"Okay, okay, what's the assignment" I said giving in.

"There's a new student coming in today and I want you to give her a tour and help her around the school for the first few days she's here."

"That sounds easy enough" I said shaking my head.

"She should be here already, go check the library." She said as she wrote in her book.

"The library, I can't be seen there!" I whined

"Mr. Bolton" she said giving me "the eye".

"I'm going" I said walking out the door.

I walked into the library looking around to make sure that no one saw me. I saw a girl with a lost look on her face. She had long brown hair and brown eyes. She had on jeans and a white t-shirt. I walked up to her.

"Are you the new girl?" I asked. Oddly, she didn't stare at me like most girls do.

"Are you the rude boy?" she asked picking up some books.

"I see you like to joke" I said smiling.

"No, I just tell the truth" she said returning my smile. She started to walk away.

"I'm Troy Bolton" I said running up to her

"Oh, I know who you are. The captain of the basketball team, part of the jock clique, and apparently my tour guide"

"Yes, yes, and yes" I said. I saw Chad coming this way so I turned the corner leaving the girl alone.

"Hey nerd" he said pushing her into the lockers. She grabbed his hand and turned him around.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to hit girls, and what gives you the right to call me a nerd? "

Chad was so embarrassed he got angry. He was about to hit her but I stepped in.

"So about yesterday" I started pulling him away.

"You blew me off Troy. We were supposed to celebrate your birthday. Before we talk I have to handle one thing." He started walking toward the girl. She backed away from him. I ran in between them.

"Something came up; you could say I was "knocked out" "

"Troy, why are you blocking me from getting to her?

"Well… she's not worth getting kicked off the team was. So just back off" I said trying to sound tough. Chad gave her a death stare and waked away.

"I guess all jocks aren't mean" She said getting herself together.

"Actually, they are I'm just an exception" I said leading her to her next class.

"Well then I guess I'm lucky" she said smiling.

"Yes, yes you are um…" I realized she never told me her name.

"Gabriella Montez" she said shaking my hand.

"Well Gabriella, will you join me at my table next period."

"Where all the jocks will be?" she said knowing the answer.

"They won't try anything" I said opening the door.

"Well then, I guess I'll see you at lunch Bolton" she said as she walked into her class.

I laughed at what she called me. Maybe today might not be so bad after all I thought.

Now that the introductory chapters are established the plot is going to really start. Things will not be terrible every chapter from now on. Thanks for all the reviews so far! They mean a lot. They also motivate me to update faster so press the button and review. Thanks!