A/N: Ah, it looks I've got some mixed feelings about my… -ahem- Story. The Troypay in the last chapter is the only seen here (sorry naley4eva93), as I intend only Chadpay and Troyella for this overall fiveshot. The S/T bit in the last chapter really only illustrated a small friendship between Sharpay and Troy. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! -love- Desireé

P.S. For any of the Wishful readers, I'm sorry I haven't updated recently. I've already written the epilogue, but I'm trying to get the other chapter (which will come next) going. Most of the scenes have been rewritten probably three or four times, so I'm trying to overcome the writer's block by tomorrow.

naley4eva93- Oh, I love how you made the 'still too soon' reference. I actually got that whole conversation bit from a book I'm borrowing from a friend right now. Chadpay is so addictive for me… As for the change in Gabriella, it's simply my eagerness to avert the 'shy, good girl who giggles a lot' image she so awfully gained in the sequel… She's my least favorite character in the second one, so I have made it a habit to alter her personality in my more recent stories.

PinkJelly- Don't worry, that's the last of present day Troypay!

polopopiinprepxx- As you can see, I've rewritten Gabriella's character and background quite a bit… (And, actually, the jelly bit was on accident… Haha. What a co-ink-y-dink.)

Fun Fact: Right now I'm watching Jurassic Park, courtesy of Netflix. I forgot how much I love this movie…

Part Four, The Discovery

Sometimes, you had to step outside yourself. That's what her mother always said; it was a sacrifice that would be good for some and bad for others. The only real outcome that mattered was you, and at that very moment, Gabriella liked the new person she had temporarily become. That was one good thing about being the new girl: you could start over any time you wanted, leading people to believe you were someone else entirely. She knew if she continued long enough, she would believe it, too.

They finally took a break as she unwrapped her legs from around his waist and he let her go, watching her slowly slide down to the floor, her back arched against the plaster. Troy took a seat beside her, his long legs pushed up against the opposite wall—the hallway was quite narrow. "I haven't done that in a long time," he said, inhaling and exhaling. Something about the way she glanced at him made him lose his breath.

"That would be the first time I've done something like that," she repeated, twiddling her thumbs as she stared at the floor. They both seemed awkward now, perhaps a little regretful of the very sudden make out session. But Gabriella still liked the person she was becoming. Being the quiet, shy bookworm got old after a while. "Hey, you want an animal cracker?" She realized she had stuffed the snack bag into her sweater pocket when Troy had first kissed her; her hand was extended in front of him, holding the crackers.

"Thanks," he replied. He took a hippo and bit into its head, munching quietly. She took a giraffe and broke its neck off, laying the piece on her tongue and savoring the sweetness before swallowing. Troy leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I'm not like this usually," he told her quietly, his breath still swirling against her skin.

She smiled softly. "No, you're not," she replied with a delicate glimmer in her eyes, "I knew that already, I think."

"Sharpay—" the bushy-haired boy began. She silenced him with a raised hand and Chad obeyed, closing his mouth for what seemed like the tenth time. The drama queen grinned at him and straddled his lap, resting her hands on his shoulders. He raised an eyebrow. "Sharpay—"

The girl rolled her eyes. "Men don't understand what a raised hand and a stern look means," she sighed. "It means silence, which is the only thing that should be coming from you right now. Just, relax." She leaned into him, wondering just how much fun she was about to have. And as their lips connected, delicately at first, she knew it would be one the most incredible times of her young life.

The way Ryan looked at Kelsi made Taylor hate herself every few minutes. She was angry that she had lambasted Chad, especially as that had driven him to that disgusting excuse of a real woman. Ugh, how could an Evans get everything they wanted? When the earth was evolving, did anyone think to give a particular McKessie girl some luck? Something to look forward to when she woke up? Obviously not, but it's nice to dream.

One of the large metal doors in the back of the auditorium opened, light flooding the room for a moment before the door closed again. Taylor prepared herself for another round of ass-kissing, knowing Ms. Darbus would be furious that everyone else had blown off their responsibilities. "I warned them—" she began, but stopped short. Instead of a broad, blond woman, she spotted a young, wiry dark-haired boy casually walking down the aisle with a smile on his face.

"I don't mean to bother you on your, um—" The boy paused, examining Ryan and Kelsi for a moment before locking eyes with Taylor again. "Your activities, but I think I left my messenger bag somewhere around here. If I can just look…"

He said something else, too, but she didn't notice. He was just too… Good-looking. His face was chiseled like that of a Greek god's statue, and there was an inevitable happiness in his eyes that she also envied. "You all right?" he asked, and she blinked.

"What?" He stared at the paintbrush she held, which had dripped onto her carpis. Now two big acrylic green spots decorated the knee of the left pant leg. Great. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just um… Vamping up my style." Oh god, did she just say 'vamping up my style?' Someone shoot her, too.

"Ah," he said, nodding slightly as if this made any sense. "Well, I guess my bag isn't here but I've got another half hour until my ride comes. You need any help?"

He was offering her help. Take this, Taylor, she urged herself silently. Take this proposition and accept it. Don't think about your damn school studies, he's a gorgeous boy, take it. "Yeah, actually," she said with a smile. "I'm the only one who hasn't abandoned our detention punishment, so I guess an extra hand would be great."

Grabbing a paint brush, the boy came to stand beside her, humming a tune as he swished the brush back and forth. In an easy five minutes, he had covered the entire Christmas present in its appropriate green. "I'm Danny, by the way," he said to her with a smile.

"I'm Taylor," she responded, her lips curling into a grin equivalent to his. "I haven't seen you around here before, and I'm actually pretty active in the extra curriculum group."

"Oh, I'm actually a freshman in college. I'm just volunteering while I visit my mom here," he explained. "She's the district superintendent, and she wants me to kind of 'look over' the schools around here. East High's my last school, though. I go back to Harvard next week."

Her heart melted like a snow cone in the desert. "You go to Harvard?"

The tousled locks cascaded down to her shoulders, the bobby pins shaken from her bangs. Her blouse was unbuttoned just enough so not to reveal her bra, and his shirt was slightly twisted. "Wow," he whispered, sliding up behind her.

"I never expected detention to be so fun," she said dryly, although she felt like she was doing a bad job at concealing the thrill building inside her.

"Neither had I," he mumbled in response, withdrawing his arms around her shoulders. She turned and raised an eyebrow. Chad bit his lower lip. "What did I say?"

"You sound bored."

"I do not."

"Yeah, you do."

"Well, get your hearing checked, but that most definitely was not boring."

She grinned, and leaned into him. While the drama queen could see the slacker expect another kiss, she shook her head. "We should get back to the auditorium," she whispered, glancing at the pink alarm clock on the coffee table. "It's five-thirty."

"Darbus won't be here for another hour."

"Exactly." She gave him a quick peck on the lips and skipped out the door, perfecting the plan of leaving Chad wanting more.

"Aren't you, um, supposed to be the golden boy of East High?" Gabriella asked. She was still sitting in the back hallway with Troy, and they had been staring at the same ant on the wall for ten minutes now. The question surprised him a little, and then it embarrassed him. A reputation like that wasn't so flattering.

"Yeah," he replied, and then bit his lip in regret. "I mean, I guess… The team counts on me for a surefire win, but it's not like I'm a…"

"An It Boy?" she proffered with a soft giggle. He smiled weakly. It Boy? That was what they were calling him now? Pass the barf bag. Gabriella drummed her fingers on his knee. "What I'm trying to say is… Why are you hanging out with a girl like me?"

He glimpsed at her. "You're… cool?" he guessed. She sighed softly and shook her head.

"No, that's not what I mean," she explained, tapping his knee again. A shock shot through his body. Reflexes, he decided. "I mean—it seems like you're a really nice guy and you can get any girl you want. I was thinking Sharpay was more your type… No offense. But she's popular, right? I'm… new. And kind of shy."

A laugh from him surprised her. "Could have fooled me," he replied, quoting the drama queen. "No, I guess I do have a rep for being the guy who can get whatever he wants. But I told you I don't do this very often. It was the truth." She smiled softly.

"Let's get back out there," she said. "It's a quarter to six."

A dreamy look floated in Taylor's eyes. Sharpay put her hand on her hips. "What's got you all wound up?" she slurred, squinting. "You look like you just met Brad Pitt."

"Ugh," Taylor replied, snapping out of her quixotic state. "I'm a George Clooney girl, actually." Sharpay rolled her eyes. "I've just met the most incredible boy and he's a college freshman at Harvard and he's actually smart—" At this, she glared Chad's way. "And he's nice!"

"Sorry I asked," Sharpay sighed, turning away to look at the slacker boy standing beside her. Chad grinned, and heard Taylor scoff. "So, Monsieur Danforth, do you have any ideas what we can do for the next half hour?"

He moistened his lips with his tongue. "I've got a few things in mind," he said slyly.

"Things appropriate for a very big room filled with other people," she corrected herself. Chad frowned, and Sharpay shrugged lightly, kissing him again. Maybe the afternoon was worth going home and changing. She did look quite good in skinny jeans.