Thanks to all those who reviewed. Keep it coming. It means a lot to me. I am so happy you all like the story. It's finally moving along. And I hope you all like this chapter.

Dedicated to:
arctic-monkeys-lottie
Thanks for all the help! And the reviews.

Review please! I am glad you all like this so much.

share with me
cause I need it right now
let me see your insides
or write me off
cause I'd rather starve now
if you won't open up
won't open up

Noise And Kisses, The Used (LOVE THEM!) Listen to the song, seriously

"Yes!" I squealed as Chad groaned. "I won!" I taunted. I know it's mean. But Chad always wins in Guitar Hero. We play and see who has the biggest percentage in notes hit. My ninety-eight percent beats his ninety-six. Ha ha. Loser!

"This is boring," Sharpay spoke up behind us. She didn't play Guitar Hero. She watched, and always repeated 'this is boring' while we played. It's tradition, really. An annoying one. One I wish we would stop. "School starts back up again tomorrow. I don't want to spend it in here watching you guys play Guitar Hero!" she whined. Sharpay whines a lot. But she is our whiner. There is one in every group. She just happens to be an excellent one, one we always wanted to kill. But she is ours.

Yes, it is the end of break. Me and Troy still aren't speaking, unless needed. Me, Marcus, and Lucas aren't speaking. My mom and Dad aren't talking to Serena. Isabelle isn't talking to Serena. Serena isn't talking to Isabelle. Serena and Isabelle, along with Kris of course, have gone back to school.

So my house is really lively.

"She's right, let's go out and do something," Ryan agreed with a head nod. He's only agreeing with her because he is afraid of her. So unfair. No ones afraid of me. I'm too nice. Well maybe Troy. He's been, well, not talking to me. Which is good.. well at least it's suppose to be. I didn't want to be his play thing. I didn't want to be anything with him, but for some reason it hurt. I didn't know why, but it did.

Taylor nodded. "Oh! The mall. I need some stuff," she suggested. We all turned to her in shock, even Troy. Taylor usually suggests the book store, or The Spot. That's it. People call me a nerd, but Taylor's the nerd of our group. We love her for it, though. She's our nerd.

"Let's not ask the girl twice!" Sharpay exclaimed and stood up. Sharpay basically lived at the mall. She could own it if she wanted to. I'm a bit surprised her dad doesn't own it. He owns everything else. Basically.

I reluctantly stood up. "Let's go to the mall," I mumbled. Serena traumatized me as kids when we went shopping once. I haven't liked it since. Sharpay has to drag me by the hair to go there.

Chad put his arm around my shoulders. "Come on, El," he said enthusiastically. "Miracles happen at the mall," he told me. Is he high? Only thing that happens there is, well, nothing really. People buy stuff, annoying teenagers hang out, and little kids runaway from their parents. Wow. I am turning into the lady at the end of your street with fifty cats she considers her kids. Creepy.

"Yeah, like sales!" Sharpay threw in as we all made our way to her SUV. Ryan yelled shot gun and took off in a sprint ahead of the rest of us. Uh oh. Oh, no. Taylor and Chad will want to sit next to each other, that means I am stuck in the back with Troy Bolton. Great. Just what I need today, a body freak out. That's what I decided to call them. Body freak outs. Catchy huh? No, it's not but I am not that creative. So they are stuck with the funky name.

I got in the back after Troy and sat as close to the window as possible. Troy looked comfortable and even put his arm around the back of the seat. This kid isn't talking to me, but he makes a point to touch me at one point or another. It's like he knows. He can read my mind. Aha! He's a mind reader. Wait, what?

"Yeah, Shar. Miracles at the mall are sales," I commented.

I saw her eyes flick to the rear view mirror. "Don't be mean," she told me. That wasn't mean. It was sarcastic. Two different things! I think.

"It was a statement, not a rude remark," I replied. See, that's true. In one way. Hopefully.

"And sales are miracles!" she repeated. What does that have to do with anything?

I rolled my eyes. "They are a sales ploy, not a miracle!" I debated. I am totally winning. Maybe. Possibly. No one really wins against Sharpay Evans. We can pretend, but it's not the same.

"Gabriella Carmen Montez I will pull this car over right now!" she threatened. I laughed as I looked out the window.

"Go ahead, Shar. We're here," I told her. Everyone in the car laughed. Even Troy chuckled next to me. Ooh! He finally speaks. Or chuckles. Well, he has a voice box.

She glared at me and parked the car. "This isn't over!" she said. Somehow, that made me scared. "Come on, Troyella!" Sharpay suddenly yelled and I noticed everyone had gotten out of the car. Me and Troy both looked at each other and mouthed 'Troyella?'.

I got out of the car and stood in front of Sharpay. "What the hell is Troyella?" I asked. It was so.. Naley from One Tree Hill. Sharpay does act like Brooke from time to time. Then that makes me Peyton, and Taylor is Haley. Oh! Fun.

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Troyella is like Troy and Gabriella together, like Taylor and Chad are Chaylor," she explained. Like I didn't know that! Thanks, Captain Obvious.

"What I meant, Shar," I stressed as we walked into the mall. "Is that me and Troy aren't a couple, 'Chaylor' is. So why did you give us the name?" I asked.

She looked behind to make sure Ryan, Troy, and Chad were a good distance away and pulled me and Taylor close. "I see the way he looks at you, Brie," she told me, giving me a pointed look at the word Brie. She stopped walking and pulled us to the wall, and the guys stopped too, but just kept talking to one another. "And I can see the way you act when he is around."

I was shocked, my mouth opened and I saw Taylor nodded in agreement. "Y-you two talk about this?" I questioned, still looking at them in shock. I thought I was hiding it well. Wait! He looks at me?

Taylor nodded. "It's kind of obvious," she added. It's obvious? He stares at me?!

"He stares at me?" I asked. I snuck a glance at Troy in the corner of my eye to see him looking at me. He quickly looked away and said something in Chad's direction.

They both nodded. "A lot. It's cute," Sharpay told me and smiled.

Cute? "How the hell is it cute?" I asked. "It's more like creepy," I added under my breath.

Taylor smacked my arm. "Be nice."

"It's cute because," Sharpay started, but stopped and made sure the guys were still a good bit away. "When you smile, so does he. It's instantaneous. When you're talking he hangs on to every word, while trying to hide it. When you say something sarcastic, his lips twitch. He doesn't stare at you like a piece of meat. It's cute, G. The question is, why do you act all weird around him?" she finished.

Wow. He does all that? To me? Why? Could I tell them, though? Could I tell them how my body acts up in when he is around. The body freak outs. They are my best friends. "Something.. happens when he is around me," I whispered, but they could hear every word. I knew it. "My heart beats erratically, my breathing picks up, I get these tingles when he touches me. I am going crazy, aren't I?"

Sharpay spoke first. "Fuck, G. You're not crazy. It's more like you're falling for him," she told me. WHAT! NO! She's cracked! I always knew she would be the one in our group to do drugs. Well, no I didn't, but whatever!

I shook my head back in forth vigorously. "Uh uh. Nope. Hell no!" I denied.

"Gab, for once, Shar's right," Taylor whispered next to me. Traitor!

"Yeah," Sharpay said. "Wait, what? What do you mean for once?" she asked, but we both ignored her.

"This is what I didn't want to happen. This is why I was mean to him at the diner last Wednesday," I told them. Oops. Taylor wasn't suppose to know that. Or Sharpay for that matter.

Her eyes went wide. "You're the reason he was acting weird last Wednesday. At the diner. I knew I saw you there!" Taylor exclaimed. "He was acting like someone killed his puppy. He was so sad, and confused and annoyed because Chad wouldn't leave him alone about it. You're the reason," she pieced together. "What did you say?" she asked.

I took in a deep breath. "We got to talking. Troy told me he was already a starter for the basketball team. Then I told him how the school was run by cliques, you know?" I asked, they both nodded, hanging onto every word. "Then I told him how I am a geek-" I continued but they both cut me off.

"You're not a geek!" they both said in unison. Thanks, not helping, just listen!

"And how he is already popular," I went on, ignoring them. "Then I asked him why he would hang out with me because he was already in the 'in' crowd at school," I finished.

Sharpay nodded her head, obviously wanting me to go on. "And?" she asked.

"He said he liked hanging out with me. So, I told him he didn't even know me. Then he told me he wanted to get to know me, and I lied and said I didn't want to know him," I finished in a whisper. I could tell they both saw the pain in my eyes from telling Troy that.

"Why would you say that, Gab? You obviously want to know him," Taylor said. No duh, Sherlock! I am just realizing that, thanks.

I looked from Sharpay to Taylor and back. "Because of what he did at my house," I confided. Normally, I would be sarcastic, but this is a serious moment. Also it would earn a smack from both of them, something I didn't want because it's not fault my personality is great, and the words just slip out. I shouldn't be punished for that. I do have a pretty good filler to where I can control it, though.

"What happened?" Sharpay nudged me along. For some reason I didn't want them to know. The moment was mine and Troy's. It felt weird telling them. But I had to tell them. I have been holding it in too long. They are my best friends, if anyone can help me, they can. Well, maybe Vince, but I didn't want him to know either.

"We, we flirted," I told them. "He's cute, and nice and sweet, then we went in front of my brothers and he just-" I started but was cut off.

"Are we going to do something?" Chad asked, walking over. Sharpay and Taylor shot him dirty looks, but he didn't notice. "We didn't come here to talk, we could have done that at my house."

I kept my eyes at my shoes. Now that I knew Troy was staring me, I could feel it. I could feel tingles run threw my body. So, I knew it was him. It would only be him.

"I want to go to the arcade," Troy told us all.

"I need a new hat," Ryan informed.

"I am hanging with Tay," Chad threw in.

I looked up and for a second my eyes connected with Troy's. I gasped softly and turned my gaze to Ryan.

"G wants to go to the arcade, too. Me and Tay will go with Ry to get him a new hat, and Chad will join us," Sharpay said. My mouth opened in shock and I stared Sharpay.

The rest of them shrugged. "Let's go then," Troy said looking at me.

My feet started walking along with him. I looked over my shoulder and Shar mouthed: 'talk to him' to me. Easy for her to say. She says what ever the hell she wants when she wants to. I can somewhat control what comes out of my mouth. Somewhat. Big word there.

We walked into the arcade and no one was there. No time like the present. Plus, if I don't talk to him, Sharpay would be pissed. Sharpay is not fun when she is pissed. "I-I have to talk to you," I said, and looked down at my feet once again.

I saw his shoes stop in front of me, so I knew he was standing there. "If you're going to tell me off again, can you at least look me in the eye while you do it?" he asked.

Okay, I deserved that. I hesitantly looked up and into his eyes. "I.. I wanted to say I'm s-sorry," I stuttered out. His eyes went wide, but I saw his lips twitch. He was trying to stop himself from smiling. I'm trying to apologize! Don't smile. This is a somber moment. Not a happy one. "I shouldn't have been so.. mean at The Spot," I continued. "You just don't get it."

I wrapped my arms around myself, Serena's last day was this morning and she forced me into a jean mini skirt and a tank top. But as soon as she left I changed it into a tight t-shirt that was green and lime green, striped. It said Go Green on it. Remember those t-shirt's at Walmart I told you about? This is one. The mall is, like, forty degrees. Freezing!

My eyes found his again, and he was looking at me with a questioning gaze. "What don't I get, again?" he asked. Do we have to go over this again, dude? He leaned back against the wall and waited for my answer.

"We haven't even started school yet and you're already popular, Troy!" I exclaimed. "I already told you that I am a geek. Why would someone like you want to hang out with someone like me?" I asked.

He pushed off the wall and walked closer to me. Whoa! Stay five feet away, buddy. I am not in the mood to control my body when we are having a serious convo! "What's that mean? Someone like me?" he asked.

Do we really have to get in to this? "Someone who is popular no matter what school they are in, someone who can have any girl they want. I mean, look at you! You have high school wired, Troy. You're popular, I'm considered a geek, why would you want to hang out with me?" Did he get it now? Shit, did I tell him he is hott during that little speech? Yep. Damn. Oh, like he didn't already know that. He has looked in the mirror some time in the last, I don't know, ten years.

"Maybe because I like you," Troy told me. Wait? Is that friends, or a more than friends way? I need to know! Which one? Speak up, buddy! "How come you can be friends with Chad, but not me?" he asked. Oh, so it is a friends sort of way. I felt my stomach drop. It didn't feel very comfortable.

"Because Chad is Chad, and you're Troy," I answered. That made sense, didn't it? Sorta. Well to me it did. I better explain. "Chad has been my friend since I was eight. So, naturally he would hang out with me. You have a choice. And I don't know why you would choose me if you didn't have to. In our school, geeks like me and stars like Chad don't hang out. You should have seen the looks me and Chad got freshman year. Along with Taylor, Sharpay and Ryan. In school, us hanging out is weird. Well, not now. People have gotten used to it."

Troy walked closer, ignoring my five feet perimeter. "Then our school severely sucks," Troy said bluntly.

I nodded in agreement. "At least on that we agree," I joked, and he laughed.

"So, can we do it? Hang out and be friends?" Troy asked, I saw the hope in his eyes. He even put a small pout on.

I laughed. "Who can say no to that face?" I asked while laughing.

He nodded. "That's good to know for future arguments," he told me. "Now, let's play a game," he said. "First," he added taking off his plain black hoodie. "Here, you're cold." I reluctantly put it on, it is cold. His scent enveloped my sense of smell. He smelled good. Bad, Gabriella.

Change of conversation needed. I looked around. "I haven't been in here since I was, like, ten," I commented looking around. It changed. It was Chad who always begged to come here. Me, Shar, and Tay always shopped. Against my own will of course.

"Then why did you want to come here?" he asked, a smile placed on his face. My heart fluttered. Stop! I commanded it. It didn't help much. Once again, you cannot control your heart. Then I noticed his white polo, and how it hugged his body, and looked good with his slightly baggy jeans. Stop! Answer question! My mind commanded me.

"Sharpay just said that because she thought we should talk," I told him. It wouldn't do any good to lie. As soon as Sharpay found us in here, she would ask aloud in front of him.

Troy nodded. "Let's start you on something easy then. How about pinball?" he proposed. Pinball. Minor flashbacks came back to me. Sounded easy enough.

I nodded in agreement. He brought me over the machine in the corner. It looked lonely. He put a few quarters into it and pulled a lever. A ball shot out then dropped down a hole. How the hell do you play this thing? I looked over to Troy and he was fighting back a laugh.

"You're suppose to hit these buttons here," he told me, showing the buttons on either side of the machine. Now he tells me? Thanks. That would have been good to know before he pulled that lever thing.

"Ha ha. Real funny. I am arcade-stupid. It's not nice to laugh, you know," I snapped at him, looking back at the game and pulled the lever thing myself. I tried, miserably. I am not this uncoordinated am I? Apparently.

I heard Troy finally stop laughing. "Here," he started and came up behind me, pressing his body against mine. I stifled a gasp at the heat that radiated from my back now. I am definitely not cold anymore. Even with the sweatshirt. I am actually a bit too warm now. My heart wanted to thump out of my chest, my breathing increased and I tried to control it. He put his arms on mine, so his hands were resting against mine. One hand reached down and pulled the lever thing and then came back to my hand. "I'll help you," he whispered into my ear huskily. Remember that mind reader thing? That theory is becoming more and more true.

When the little ball came rolling down to the slappy-things he pressed my fingers into the buttons, causing his body to jerk into mine, pressing me even closer to the game. He pinned me to it, his body behind me. Tingles were running threw my body like blood.

After a few jerk movements the ball fell through the hole again. Finally! My mind screamed, but my body wanted him to stay close.

"Like it?" he asked in my ear, not moving away. Like what? The game or him? I wasn't sure on either.

I turned my head towards him, but no other body part moved away from him. It felt safe, perfect and just.. right. I can't really explain it. "I'm not sure," I murmured, answering either question her could be asking.

In one swift movement Troy's lips were on mine. Fireworks erupted throughout my whole body. It was like nothing I've ever felt before. My mouth moved with his in complete unison. He must have liked it too because he turned my body around so my front was pressed into his and then pinned me against the pinball machine again.

It was the best thing I have ever felt in the world. Like nothing else, but then my mind connected with my emotions and I pulled away. My mind was foggy and my eyes were glazed over, but I shook it off.

"Oh, my God," I whispered to myself. I kissed him, well he kissed me. And I liked it, no I loved it. I looked up at him and his fingers were touching his lips. It would have been cute if I wasn't freaking out about it. I saw this is eyes looked glazed like mine were when I pulled out of it. It was my chance to bolt, and I took it.

I ran to the nearest bathroom and went into the handicapped stall and leaned against the door, hyperventilating. My hand went to my heart, and I tried to will it to stop throbbing in my chest. The tingles still remained, but only in my lips. I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and text-ed Sharpay and Tay.

I hate it wen ur rite. i'm falling 4 him

Chad was right, for once. Miracles do happen at the mall. Not sales, but actual miracles. Whether you want them to or not.

And I still had his sweatshirt. Without him touching me, I was suddenly cold again.

Do you like it?

For whoever said it wasn't obvious Troy liked her, is it now? Ha ha.

REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! I NEED feedback. It helps.

Up next: more Troyella action, and the long awaited Marcus, Lucas, and Gabriella showdown. Plus a rebellious act. Not necessarily in that order.

-- Kayleigh