Another chapter up and running…at last we get to meet Troy. Like I said at the start this story is going to be a little slower paced than the others but everything I write is relevant so please give it a chance. Btw Italics are used to show Joe's directions to Gabriella… Let me know what you think. Love Tink. xxx


Less than an hour later Gabriella found herself stood nervously in the center of the ballroom with Chris and the rest of the panel. In one corner of the room was the largest camera Gabriella had ever seen and she found it impossible to take her eyes off it.

"Okay so Gabriella, all we really want you to do is read through the script and ignore the camera as much as possible unless you are directed to look into it…Pretend it isn't there…Joe might give you some direction but don't acknowledge it, just do it" Chris said as he handed the script to her.

"We already know you can act and sing, all we're really looking to do is see how you look on camera, see how well you would fit in with our existing cast so with that in mind we have asked Troy Bolton to join us…now in this scene-"

Gabriella froze as she heard the name Troy Bolton and nothing more, she knew Chris was still talking but she didn't have a clue what he was saying, total panic had set in. Her heart was racing and her entire body had begun to tremble. Troy Bolton. Troy Bolton, coming here. Troy Bolton was coming to act, with her. The Troy Bolton! She was going to meet Troy Bolton! The words resounded over and over again in her head. She felt breathless with excitement and fear all at the same time.

From his position at the back of the ball room Troy had been able to surreptitiously observe the girl the crew were all raving about. Gabriella Montez, they had said her name was. Perfect for the role of the new girl Mya/Mia. After meeting the other two, she was not at all what he had expected. She was as different from them as night from day. She looked so young and she projected such an aura of innocence that he swore he could feel it clear across the room. She was beautiful in an almost child like way, a petite, slender girl with long flowing ebony curls, a stark contrast in her white sundress, which she fiddled with nervously as she listened to Chris talk. Her head tilted slightly to one side as she concentrated on what he told her, he half expected her to begin to take notes, such was her earnest look of concentration. And she was nervous, hell not just nervous but terrified and right about now she looked petrified, as she suddenly began to glance about her, as though someone was about to appear out of thin air beside her.

Bingo, she'd been told of his arrival. He spotted it every time, the glances, the shakes, the tell tale trembling of the fingers and the deer in headlights wide-eyed stares. He pasted on his fan smile and waited to be called.

"Troy?" Chris called out to him "Why don't you come on over and make a start?"

Troy stood up and strolled across the room with a grace that usually took girls breath away. As he got closer and closer to the "child" he suspected would end up being his co star, she seemed to try and shrink away. He could see she was uncomfortable by the way she ducked her head and shot nervous glances at him, breathing deeply though her mouth as though she could not get enough air into her lungs. Her arms were folded against her chest and she toyed with her fingers, twisting them. He got the distinct impression she was suddenly thinking about running, her body poised almost as if for flight.

Gabriella watched as he approached and prayed she wouldn't hyperventilate or pass out as he moved towards her. Dressed in dark blue jeans and a tight fitting white t-shirt under a gray hoodie, he was every teenage girls fantasy come to life. His usually perfect chestnut hair was unruly and messy as though he had raked his fingers through it recently. And his eyes, oh his eyes, the deepest blue she had ever seen. Gabriella truly thought her heart would stop when he smiled at her in welcome as he stood before her.

She stared up at him her eyes going wide as she took in the fact Troy Bolton was stood before her in the flesh. Her heart thudded in her chest and she felt a little dizzy. This close she could see the beginnings of a five o clock shadow on his jaw, stubble, he had stubble! She felt a little faint. The Troy Bolton/Brody Kaye character, he presented in public, was always impeccably dressed and clean-shaven, like the teenager he portrayed. Now he looked every inch like the man he had grown up to become.

"Hi I'm Troy-"

"-Bolton" she blurted loudly, her cheeks staining a red, as she clapped a hand over her mouth, comically, aghast at what she had said.

His sandy eyebrow quirked sexily and he politely bit back a grin "yeah and you are?"

"Gabriella, Gabriella Montez" she half squeaked, half stuttered, feeling like an idiot.

He grinned this time, showing a perfect set of gleaming white teeth and it nearly knocked her on her backside "Well Gabriella, Gabriella, it's nice to meet you"

Troy was used to this reaction from girls of any age and he usually smiled politely but was always faintly bored by it. For some reason though Gabriella's reaction struck him as absurdly cute. Up close she was older than she initially looked and his first impression had been wrong. She wasn't beautiful, she was stunning. He could make out the slight oval tilt of her large golden brown eyes, the delicate angles of her high cheekbones, the cute upturn of her nose and the fullness of her bee stung lips. Though an aura of innocence surrounded her, she looked as beautiful and as untouchable as any Hollywood leading lady. He hid a curse, it was a damn shame she was a star struck minor because she interested him. The second her heard her soft voice, he'd felt a familiar ache kick in his gut, a twisting of attraction he couldn't deny.

Gabriella found she couldn't stop staring at him, he was perfection personified, he really was beautiful, from the tips of his sooty lashes down to the soles of his feet, he was p-e-r-f-e-c-t! She knew she looked like a gawking idiot but she honestly couldn't help herself. Forcing her eyes from raking over him she looked at Joe as he began to speak

"So guys, in this scene Mia is really struggling with the choreography, they are frustrated and they argue, nearly giving away her secret that she is not Mya she is Mia….Gabriella I want to see frustration, at yourself, at Troy, get angry, use your body language, your face, don't just say your lines, feel them" he told her and she nodded attentively, yet still hyper aware of Troy stood only feet from her. She could almost feel the heat from his body.

As Joe delivered his direction to her, Troy watched her from the corner of his eye as she listened to what he said. Her entire posture changed and gone was the shy, embarrassed, star struck teenager in her place an attentive and confidant young woman. The contrast was interesting. He let his eyes rake lazily down her body, resting on the curves accentuated by her innocent yet flirty dress. If it wasn't for the fact he knew that this was a screen test, he would have sworn that she had already visited hair and makeup, she looked just as Mia Cortez was described to him. Innocent. Untouchable. Young. Trouble!

Gabriella could feel his eyes on her and heart beat doubled again in response to his silent scrutiny. Was he trying to figure out if she was any good? She desperately wanted to look back at him confidently, to show him she could be professional and do a good job but she was so scared of what she would see in his face that she didn't dare. Her entire body felt suddenly alive, vibrating with excitement and she knew she only had one chance to prove to them all what she could do. Goose flesh sprung up on her arms.

"Troy, Gabriella if you could take your mark" Joe said and Gabriella moved into position, stood only inches away from Troy Bolton. He was so close she could smell his cologne and her senses reeled, it was all she could do to keep her breath. It was something fresh and cool and something else, something unique to Troy. She forced herself to take several slow deep breaths trying to calm down; she didn't want to screw this up. She made herself look at Troy, testing to see if her heartbeat went mental, it did and she hid a sigh.

He was stood with his hands stuffed in his back pockets and his head skyward, as though looking for inspiration from the huge glittering chandelier above them.

As if sensing her gaze he slowly lowered his eyes to hers and smiled. Her heart beat triple time and she returned it with a wobbly nervous one of her own, feeling as though she wanted to vomit.

"And mark…roll camera" Joe said

"Rolling" the cameraman, replied in a gruff voice.

"Action"

"Why is this so hard for you Mya?"

Gabriella put her hands on her hips and sighed deeply "because it's you Brody…you're not helping the situation, when I tell you I can't do something you ignore me and carry on anyway"

"There's only three weeks left until the showcase we have to practice Mya"

"Gabriella, shake your head, you are frustrated, you're angry with him," Joe said to her and she complied.

"There's no point I can't do it, you need to ask for a new partner"

"Good Gabriella, now turn and walk away"

Her eyes down she did, nearly jumping out of her skin when she felt Troy grab her wrist and spin her back to face him, pulling her against him. Her skin was singed where he touched her and she saw spots.

"Why are you even here? Why did you come to James, you must have passed the audition, so why can't you do what I ask?"

Gabriella froze on the spot, her heart pounding so hard in her chest she was convinced Troy must feel it and she stared up at him, feeling herself getting lost in his beautiful eyes, suddenly noticing that up close there were tiny flecks of green around his pupils, which dilated as she looked at him.

"That's great Gabriella, remember she's developing feelings for him, she's so confused, she's never felt this way before"

I know how she feels, thought Gabriella, as she blinked a little dazed, realizing they thought she was acting, not just lost in the presence of Troy Bolton.

"Brody, I can't do this with you, I'm not who you think I am" she read

"Mya why are you saying these things, I was there, I saw your audition, you were amazing, I know you can do this"

"Brody, you have to believe me I can't do this and I can't do the showcase"

"Yes you can! You just have to work harder, to try harder, we need more practice that's all"

"No we don't, dammit why won't you listen to me Brody! I can't do it!" she tugged against the arm he still held, his fingers burning into her skin. I will never wash this arm again, she vowed silently.

"You can and you will, there's a scout coming from Julliard and this will be my ticket to a free ride…I'm not letting some preppy new girl stop me"

"Fine embarrass us both, see if I care" she bit out tearily.

Troy looked down at her and moved one hand to cup her cheek, to make her look at him, caressing her cheeks as though wiping away tears he knew would have to be there during the scene. Gabriella couldn't suppress a shiver at the sudden zing of electricity that raced through her in reaction to his gentle caress and she looked up at him to see him frowning.

He was frowning, shocked at the current flowing through his fingers as he touched her cheek. Touching her had sparked something inside him that he didn't want to have to deal with, he was forgetting himself, it wasn't about him it was about Brody and Brody was supposed to smile as he wiped her tears not frown.

"You won't embarrass yourself Mya or me, you just have to trust me," he said not needing to try and make his voice husky.

"Trust you? I barely even like you" she murmured and watched his eyes drop to her lips and then back again. There was a long pause as their eyes held, Troy stared down at her, thinking she was one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen yet she was so innocent, so naive, so young, and soo complicated.

Gabriella felt her knees grow weak and she bit her lip nervously as she continued to stare into the eyes of one of the sexiest actors in the world. She felt as though she were drowning in their depths, as they darkened to an almost blue black.

Troy watched as she worried her bottom lip and he had the urge to soothe it with his tongue, just to take a little taste, to see if she tasted as sweet and innocent as she looked. His blood raced in his veins and he knew he would do anything for a taste of her softness. Beg. Plead. Pray.

Gabriella had to remind herself that he was just acting as he lowered his head towards hers, his breathing quickening. He held himself there, so close to her she could feel the heat of his breath against her lips, as he paused the almost kiss. She had the urge to lift her head the last few inches and touch her mouth to his, just to kiss him, once, to alleviate the squirmy feeling in the pit of her stomach caused by his closeness.

"And cut, wrap it" Joe's voice intruded and Troy snapped his eyes away from hers, releasing her and stepping away quickly as though burned. She blinked a little dazed as Joe came to stand beside her and loop an arm over her shoulder.

"That was great Gabriella, good job" he smiled at her. "Good improv at the end Troy with the kiss"

Troy nodded at Joe, who sent him a knowing smirk and then turned and walked away, without even saying goodbye. Gabriella felt suddenly deflated as though all the light had gone from the room, he hadn't even acknowledged her; he'd just walked away.

Troy strode quickly across the ballroom, unable to believe what had just happened, he had nearly made one of the worst mistakes of his career. He had almost given in to his body's urging and kissed her, a fan. It was wrong, very wrong, she was a minor, too young for him and yet his body had given him a message loud and clear, he felt something when she touched her, a stirring inside him that he knew wasn't good.

He had always been in control of himself and any relationships he'd had were secret and usually very brief, he was fussy about who got close to him and past his defenses. Now here was this woman-child and within only a few minutes of knowing her, he'd felt one of the most powerful tugs of attraction he'd ever experienced. So powerful he had almost forgotten himself in the heat of the moment and kissed her, his body still throbbing painfully from being denied.

She was a minor he reminded himself again, a star struck fan, he was twenty-two and a celebrity. Christ! The media would love that, Troy Bolton in underage love affair; he could just the headlines now! Not to mention the fact he was probably gonna be working with her so he had to ignore any reaction he had to her, treat her like a child, remind himself she was a underage.

He did not want to cross the barrier he had erected for himself, no dating co-workers or fans. He realized it didn't leave him with a lot of other options but he wanted that barrier, needed that barrier and this encounter had just proven why. She didn't even know him, the real him, the one that loved to play Xbox and shoot hoops, the one that loved to sleep late but rarely got the chance, the one who just wanted to chill with his friends instead of attending show biz events. She only knew Brody Kaye and his character, not the private basketball mad guy he was at home with his family.

He needed a drink, he thought to himself as he headed to the back exit, meeting up with his burly security guards on route, smiling grimly at them as they followed him from the building and into the waiting car. It been had been a long afternoon and now he was tense and uncomfortable, he didn't like the reaction she had stirred in him, she was still a teenager for gods sake! Troy knew that there was a very strong possibility that Gabriella would get the role, although the most inexperienced of the three she was the producers vision of Mia/Mya, she looked as if she had stepped from the pages of the script, innocent, fresh and young. Zefron Pictures had always been good at spotting new talent and making them into stars, hell they'd done that with him.

He had to admit she was a natural and had needed very little direction, how much of that was instinctual and how much was luck he couldn't have said. Although the other girls were good, they didn't look right for the part, he couldn't imagine them playing innocent, put upon teenagers especially not when it appeared Gabriella herself was one. He expected the call to confirm his suspicions by the end of the night and he already knew they had on screen chemistry, just what Joe would look for. How much Gabriella understood about that he didn't know but again he guessed very little. She was so naive and green that if she wasn't careful she could be eaten alive by both the industry and the media. Joe and Chris were good guys, they had given him his first break and transformed him from average Joe Jock to the Household name, which women all over the world went crazy for. They would see her okay, protect her interests. Whether she knew it or not she more or less had the role in the bag, but for Troy didn't know whether to whoop or weep. Things were about to get very interesting.

Gabriella was still brooding over encounter with Troy Bolton as she sat alone in one of the many offices in the convention center. In the hour that had passed since her audition she had the chance to replay her scene over and over in her head, it had been like a dream. It had felt so right, so natural, that it was almost as if she didn't have to act at all. At the start she had been terrified unable to see past Troy Bolton stood before her but after a few minutes, she didn't see him, she saw Brody Kaye, the character she knew from Fame Academy.

She thought it had gone well but then he had simply walked away without a word to anyone, had she done something wrong? Had she annoyed him in some way? Had he thought she was really bad and didn't want to offend her by telling her that, so he had chosen to say nothing at all? Whatever the reason Gabriella was a hurt by his behavior but then he was the world famous Troy Bolton, she supposed he could do what he wanted. Glancing at her watch she saw it was close to dinnertime and she was starting to get hungry, with her nerves she had not eaten all day.

The door opened and she looked up as Chris and Joe entered each carrying a bundle of papers. They took a seat across from her with obvious relief, and there was silence for a moment before Chris spoke.

"Gabriella, thank you for coming today. Firstly I want to apologize for keeping you in the dark about the role for which you were auditioning, I gathered from your drama teacher that you were shy and I thought that if I told you I wanted to cast you for one of the leads you wouldn't come…I didn't want you to second guess yourself, to over prepare….anyway it's taken us a long time to make the decision and it was a close thing…. In the end we had to go with the girl who was right for the character of Mia and the screen test helped us see that" he said gently, looking at her with a smile.

Gabriella knew what he was going to say, the thank you for coming but maybe next time speech and she nodded, a surge of disappointment welling in her, so strong that it brought sheen of tears to her eyes. She hadn't realized how much she had wanted this part until this second, the second she had known she wasn't going to get it.

"So Gabriella if you would like it, we want to offer you the part of Mia/Mya" he finished with a grin.

Gabriella's mouth dropped comically, had she just been offered the part? Had she misheard him?

"So what do you think?" he prodded after a minute of her just staring at him.

"Me?" she squeaked, "You want me, but I'm a nobody"

"And that's exactly why we want you. …You're an unknown quantity" Joe said eagerly "We were looking for someone young and fresh and raw, somebody new and that's what we found in you…Chris told me the day he heard you sing that he had found Mia and after seeing you this afternoon on camera with Troy, I have to admit he was right…we want you for this movie Gabriella, what do you say?"

Gabriella's mind whirled, she wanted to say yes desperately but the only thing she could think of to say was,

"I'll have to ask my mom, it will mean missing a lot of school" she blurted, then looked embarrassed to be saying something so child like.

Chris nodded "To be honest Gabriella I expected this reaction and I asked Ms Darbus to sound your mom out on this one when she spoke to her. Your mom knew the role you were up for and she also realized that it would fund your entire college career… I think if it's handled correctly your mom will have no objections…the first things you need to do are these" he handed her two cards "You need to call Mike, she's one of the best agents out there, you need representation now…the other one is Alistair Morton, he's an attorney, you'll need to give them both a copy of this contract and go through it with them…we've given them a heads up and they are expecting you and your mom this evening….we can give you the weekend to think this over but after that we need to know….we have a production schedule to keep to….and Gabriella I must ask you not to tell anyone about his until all contracts are signed and sealed, especially not the media…we are very protective about FA and we don't like leaks" he said with a stern look.

Gabriella nodded trying to take it all in, at once, she had so many questions whirling about in her head, how long would it take, what about her school work, would she have to give interviews, what should she wear? How much would they pay her? She didn't know where to start. Would her life change?

"Can I call my mom and come have her pick me up, so we can discuss it?"

He nodded and handed her his cell phone, watching as she made a quick call. She seemed shaken but calm and Chris knew it was a good sign, she was sensible girl, and would make the right choices.

"Are there any questions you would like to ask us?" Joe asked her kindly as she ended the call.

"Hundreds" she admitted with a wry smile " But I really don't know where I should start" she paused for long seconds "I guess I really want to know what sort of impact this will have on my education"

"As your still in high school, we will get you a tutor, your class teachers can set the work and every day on set you will have three hours of coaching…we can deal with any problems as they arise, but I do have to tell you that it's a lot of hard work Gabriella, early starts, late finishes and then school work too"

She nodded "Okay, what about the media? What happens when they find out?"

"We'll appoint a publicist and between them and your agent they will handle it all, you'll be coached, what to say what to do, that sort of thing…you'll also need a stylist but we can organize that for you" he paused looking at the bemused young woman before him and decided to level with her,

"You do realize that there will be a lot of traveling involved too, not only between here and the studio in LA but also promotional tours, all over the world…Your life will change beyond compare Gabriella in the next few months, you will find yourself questioning every move you make, wondering how you will perceived…it's long hours, hard work and a lot of public scrutiny"

Gabriella paled a little at the thought and sighed loudly.

"We're only telling you this Gabriella, so you can be prepared and make an informed choice…. we're offering you the chance to be famous, be a household name along side Troy Bolton but it all comes with a price, there will be stipulations in your contract, people you once thought were friends will sell stories about you, if they can't find any, the media will make them up, any relationships you have will be criticized and analyzed, any boyfriends researched and vetted"

She swallowed slightly, wondering what was the right thing to do. She wanted this so badly but at what price. Was she happy as she was? Did she want her life to change? She did, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and she couldn't turn it down. She would spend the rest of her life wondering, what if?

"I want to do this" she said quietly, confidently with a nod.

Chris and Joe exchanged smiles " We hoped you would…. the most important thing is to get in touch with Mike and Alistair and have them check the contracts…anything you, your mom or they don't agree with, we'll need to discuss"

Gabriella felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, seconds before the theme tune from the second Fame Academy movie floated into the air. She blushed as she retrieved her phone

"So you're quite a fan then?" Joe asked with a grin, as Gabriella nodded and blushed some more.

"Hey Mom, I'll be down in a second, 'kay, bye" she murmured.

"Don't be embarrassed about being a fan Gabriella, if anything it will be to your advantage, the press always love to ask if you were a fan before you got the role and a genuine fan, with genuine knowledge will be a boost for you, all positive publicity is good publicity, remember that"

She nodded "So will I speak you to both soon? How do I contact you?"

"Mike has our numbers, come on we'll walk down with you"

As Gabriella left the building she was hit with a sense of unreality. She had just been offered a lead role in one the most popular teen movie franchises ever! She, Gabriella Montez would be joining the cast of her favorite movie! She wanted to pinch herself in case she was dreaming but she didn't dare. Kelsi would flip a shit when she found out and she couldn't wait to see her reaction. Her mother was a different story. Her mom was parked close by and after saying goodbye to Joe and Chris she climbed wearily into the car.

"Have a good time hija?" she asked looking at the subdued girl, who looked a little pale and tired.

Gabriella nodded, staring dazedly into space.

"Well, how did it go" when Gabriella didn't reply, she took that as an answer and hugged on arm around her daughter "I know you must be disappointed but remember Gabriella this was only a one off for you, all the other girls would have had a lot more experience, so please don't be too upset you didn't get it" her mother said softly as they drove off, looking at her quiet, still daughter.

"I got it Mamai," she said softly, if slightly hysterically.

"You what?"

"I got it, they offered me the role and it's a lead role Mamai"

"Oh Gabriella, I don't know what to say"

"Say that you're proud of me, say that I can do it," she pleaded, looking at her mother with wide eyes.

"Of course I'm proud of Gabriella, but is this really what you want to do?"

Gabriella nodded "It is, you know how when I do a math equation and I get it right and it just fits, and the feeling I get is amazing…well it's the same with this, it just fits mamai, it works"

"But honey there is a lot of work involved here, you'd have to miss school and travel and be away from home, from me, from your friends for such a long time….are you really prepared for that?"

Gabriella shook her head "Not yet but I will be…I've talked to Chris and Joe about this and they've warned me, it's hard work, long hours and invasions of privacy but I still wanna do it…the feeling I get when I act, well it's addictive mamai"

"Gabriella" her mother reproved

"It is Mamai, and I'm good, it works," she said simply. "They have given me the numbers of an agent and attorney and I'd like to go visit them, will you take me?"

Her mother looked at her for long silent seconds and then sighed, "Is this really what you want to do?"

"It is Mamai, tell me I have your blessing"

"You have my blessing but also my warning…just be careful Gabriella, keep your eyes open and your wits about you, you're a smart girl and I would hate to see that change all because of some movie"

"Thank you Mamai" she rushed out, clutching her mom's free hand as she drove, grateful that she could talk to her, high on the adrenline rush. It was a feeling Gabriella loved and would come to crave. She had her rushes.