A New Tune Chapter 6: Twist of Words, a high school musical fanfic

Gabriella rubbed her eyes. Sunshine was peeking in through Sharpay's large windows, making her very cozy inside the borrowed flannel blankets. After all, it was middle October, so it was getting rather cold at nighttime. Looking up onto the waterbed, she saw that the drama queen was not yet awake. Rather glad to have some time to herself, Gabbi trudged out into the hallway to look around (she hadn't really seen much of their house).

Suddenly she heard a hacking cough come from down the hallway, and she whipped around in time to see a blue blur zip down the stairs. Running silently over to the railing, she arrived just in time to see Ryan hop off the last step and walk out the door, locking it behind him. She could see him stop for a minute, bend over double, then continue his fast walk.

"I guess he was the one coughing," she thought, confused. "It sounded so bad though; why is he going to school like that? And why is he leaving so early?" Shrugging it off for now, Gabriella made her way back to Sharpay's room to wash up. She wasn't in the mood to explore anymore. When she got back, she saw that the blonde had emerged from under her thick covers.

"Oh, Gabbi!" Sharpay said, slightly startled to see Gabs in her bedroom. "I almost forgot that you and Troy spent the night." She slowly sat up. "What were you doing out in the hallway?"

"I heard someone coughing, so I went to go see who it was" Gabbi said, fudging a little. Sharpay's waxed eyebrows furrowed.

"Someone coughing? Who?"

"I think it was your twin, Ryan," Gabbi said slowly, waiting for the sister's reaction. "He sounded pretty bad"

"Oh, he can't be sick" Sharpay pushed the idea away. "He is never sick. Sure he gets sore every now and then, but Mom wouldn't let him go to school if he was really sick." Sharpay paused. "I think" Gabriella looked at her curiously.

"Your mom would actually do something like that?" Sharpay shrugged, and got up to go look through her massive closet.

"She has before. She usually just thinks he's faking it because Ryan doesn't like school that much. He never has really." Sharpay held up a matching pink skirt and shirt, and held it up against herself in the full-length mirror. "He's never been one to complain, so I guess Mom just takes that as a sign that he is fine." Sharpay sighed, lowering her clothes, showing some rare open affection for her twin. "I wish he would complain every now and then, just to liven things up a bit. " Shrugging again, Sharpay walked over to Gabbi. "Your clothes should be dry by now. I'll be right back"

Sharpay skipped out of the room. After a few minutes, she returned with Gabriella's clean, pressed, and dry clothes from the other day.

"I guess you will just have to wear the same outfit two days in a row," Shar said in a sympathetic tone, as if this was a time of comforting over a great tragedy. Gabbi smiled at her, marveling to herself again how different two friends can be. The two split up to change into their different outfits.

Once the finished their 45 minutes preparation period, the girls came down the spiral stairs and met Troy (also wearing yesterday's clothes) at the bottom, who told them that Will was already at his college classes. They three were eating pancakes together, when Gabbi made a small cry.

"Shouldn't their be an extra plate?" Seeing Troy and Sharpay's blank looks, she explained, "Ryan left earlier and missed breakfast, but no one knew that; so shouldn't there be an plate left over that was meant for him?" Troy shifted in his seat uneasily. Sharpay reached over and placed her hand on Gabbi's.

"You silly goose, you've already forgotten; last night Dad forbid Ryan to eat today because he wouldn't stop shivering. So Ryan isn't going to get breakfast or dinner, and won't be given any money for lunch. My mom called Mrs. Darbus to make sure that he doesn't eat. She just tells her that he is on a dance diet."

"So you mean all those times he just sits there with a carton of milk at lunch, he's not just doing it for dancing's sake? It's punishment?" Gabriella gasped, gaping at the sister who so easily rattled this off. Goodness could those twins hide a bunch! Sharpay squirmed under Gab's stare.

"Yes—that's the usual punishment for anyone in this household. Besides, it will do him good, he needs to lose weight so he can dance easier." Gabbi shaked her head, knowing that scientifically that was not quite correct. You need carbs for exercise. She remembered her mother telling her stories about when her dad was a high school football player, and how she would always make him tons of pasta. This was because they were full of carbs, and football players burned many carbs in the game. So this was not the best way to go about it. When your body doesn't have carbs to burn, it burns other more valuable things.

Nevertheless, there was no point in trying to talk science into Shar; it wasn't her language. So the friends finished their pancakes and, after Shar quickly grabbed her stuff, all piled into the Evan's Cadillac. Troy and Gabriella had called their parents the night before, so they would not have to worry about their backpacks; the parents would bring them.

Troy and Gabbi got lots of stares when people saw them climbing out of the Evan Car, but people soon went about their business after Sharpay glared them all away. Turning around to face them, she gave them each a quick hug, saying how much fun it had been having them over. After saying her traditional "tootles" to both, the drama queen waltzed away over her terrain, clearing a pathway through the jocks, who soon consumed Troy in questions, pulling him away from Gabriella. Taylor and other members of the Scholastic Decathlon team swept Gabbi away too, so the "shunning" didn't offend her terribly. They just smiled goodbye at each other, then turned to answer the frantic interrogation of their cliques.

Gabriella couldn't help but giggle to herself. Despite the Breaking Free experience last year, everyone could still act like cliques. There wasn't as much tension, but cliques still existed. That wouldn't change. There was mixing, yes; but nobody actually switched cliques.

♫

"Oh, Gabbi!" Sharpay said, slightly startled to see Gabs in her bedroom. "I almost forgot that you and Troy spent the night." She slowly sat up. "What were you doing out in the hallway?"

"I heard someone coughing, so I went to go see who it was" Gabbi said, fudging a little. Sharpay's waxed eyebrows furrowed.

"Someone coughing? Who?"

"I think it was your twin, Ryan," Gabbi said slowly, waiting for the sister's reaction. "He sounded pretty bad"

"Your mom would actually do something like that?" Sharpay shrugged, and got up to go look through her massive closet.

Sharpay skipped out of the room. After a few minutes, she returned with Gabriella's clean, pressed, and dry clothes from the other day.

♫

By midday things had gotten back into their normal swing. Sharpay didn't really talk to the two, Ryan wasn't to be see anywhere during passing periods (he had a way of disappearing), and Gabbi and Troy continued with their daily flirting; writing notes to each other all Physics class. Their notes read like this;

hey Gabs, whats up? Some night, huh

Yah, some night. How late did you and Will stay up playing video games?

past midnight I think. Its been so long since I've played Halo, but I picked it up real fast and kicked his butt, haha. But then he wouldn't let us turn it off until he won, so I let him win.

Oh yes, I'm sure you just let him win  riiight

oh shut up ;)

you

cant make me

that's last time I come to your games!

fine, you win

haha, told you so. Women got the power

oh hush



you available tonight?

Yah, why?

maybe we could go see a movie or something

Sounds good to me

want me to pick you up 2nite?

Maybe my mom will let you just come straight to our house so we can "study for our English quiz tomorrow", lol

ill ask my dad

See you then! Much love- ♥ Gabs ♥

right back atcha- Troy

Gabbi smiled flirtatiously at Troy, and turned back blushing to her workbook. She couldn't wait to tell Taylor that the Troy Bolton had asked her out to the movies!! Behind her, Troy took a deep sigh of relief. At last he had finally asked her out. He had gotten that hard part over with. But he knew that deep down there in the evil part of his heart, that he was also glad for another reason. Gabriella diffidently like him; she was just being nice to Ryan Evans. Her saying "yes" meant that she liked Troy in the dating way, while Ryan was just a friend. Things belonged this way, so this was easy roads ahead.

Down the hall in English:

Ryan rubbed his sore forehead. His brain felt like a ringed-out towel; all his knowledge had been emptied from his head, and he still couldn't get the first question on the sheet. The letters seemed to be doing Bop to the Top all across the paper. How was he supposed to answer it when he couldn't read it? Ryan looked around the classroom. Everyone else had moved on to the second page of the quiz, and were writing quickly. Ryan stared down at his paper hopelessly, and tried to squint out the answers. Ignore the ticking of the clock, ignore everyone else, only focus on the words. Just concentrate. That had been the tip Shar always reminded him about right before a test. "Just concentrate really hard Ryan, and you can get through the quizzes." Ryan sighed and did just that. He was able to get through question 10 out of 21 before the teacher picked up all the quizzes. At least he had gotten that far. Sharpay met him on their way out of the classroom.

"How'd you do?" she asked in a concerned voice.

"Ten out of twenty-one" he answered, crossing his fingers that she would be proud. No luck. She stared exasperatedly at her twin.

"Ryan," she groaned, "you know mom will never accept that! Didn't you at least try to concentrate!?"

"Shar," Ryan said hopelessly, "I am trying. I concentrated so much that Max had to tap me on the shoulder when Mrs. Johnson was standing right in front of me to pick up the paper." Shar eased off, and sighed, shrugging.

"Ah well. Have you done the extra credit she assigned last week?"

"I still have to read half of that book. It's very slow going" Ryan hung his head dejectedly, and said a soft goodbye as he turned to go to Physics. Shar stared sadly after him, wishing that there was something she could do. But Mom didn't think he needed any help, and she barely had enough time to go do her own homework anymore, so Sharpay drove it out of her mind and made her way to Math.

Gabbi and Troy were in deep conversation as soon as the bell ending that class rang. Gabbi had called her mom from the girl's bathroom, so Troy could come over after school. They swung by Coach Bolton's office during that passing period, and he gave his permission (it wasn't basketball season). So Gabs and Troy grinned ear-to-ear at there successes (in more than one category), and stayed very close to each other in the hallways. Very close.

Ryan saw Gabriella and remembered how she had promised to help him after school that day. He smiled at the thought of a big fat "A" on his next test, with his parents telling the others at work how proud they were of their 2nd son. With "Honor Role Student" going across the brain, Ryan walked happily over to Gabbi, who was currently digging through her locker. He did not see Troy on the other side of her.

"Hey Gabriella" he said happily, leaning against the locker next to her's. She looked up, surprised.

"Oh—hi Ryan" she said, staring at his face. What had happened to his eye?? She quickly withdrew her eyes though; she didn't want Troy to think that anything had happened between them after the Talent Show planning. Cause nothing had happened.

"Hi Ryan" Troy said, coming around from behind Gabbi's locker door. Ryan, who was about to say something, faltered, then continued a bit more on his guard.

"Hi Troy" he said uneasily. "Um, Gabriella, I was wondering if you were still—" Gabbi cut him off.

"Sorry Ryan, I have plans tonight. Troy's taking me out to see a movie. Maybe we could go out together some other time." Ryan opened his mouth several times, his eyes confused, before a stuttering reply came out.

"Th-that's not what —"

"Sorry, I have to go. Talk to you later." Gabbi and Troy almost skipped away, and didn't wait to long to burst out laughing, both convinced that Ryan had just lamely tried to ask "Gabriella" (he was the only one who really used her full name) out on a date. The new couple had fun all of World History trying to imagine what a date with the shy dancer would be like.

If Gabs ever felt bad for treating Ryan that way, she easily forgot it by Troy's presence and ease of character. He was such a fun party guy. She had no recollection that the reason they had stayed so long after on Sunday was that she was getting a head start on Ryan's tutoring. So she had no shame as she giggled and flirted with Troy all class, who flirted right back. Taylor and Chad silently laughed at them from behind, the reliable couple feeling like oldies watching the young lovers act like fools.

When the bell rang, Gabbi and Troy held hands on the way out of class, finally separating as Troy went to Physics and Gabbi went to Spanish. She loved that class because Senior Rodriguez never cared if they talked while they worked on their Spanish worksheets, so she, Taylor, and Sharpay always got to have fun girl talk during that class. However, Spanish did not turn out quite as Gabbi Montez thought it would.