AN: I was in such a good mood today, I had to update! And thanks so much to everyone who is reading and reviewing! I'm glad people like this story.

Chapter 7: Morning After

Gabriella's eyes slowly fluttered open. Her eyes focused on the pile of take out cartons that over flowed the coffee table. She weakly lifted herself to sitting position and realized she spent the night on the couch in one of the living rooms. Her friends were scatters all over the room, all still sleeping. Gabriella yawned and tried to stand up to start the coffee, but she couldn't. Gabriella tried to stand up again, but she was forced back down. Confused she looked down and saw Chris's inactive body lying on top of her. "I really must be out of it." She muttered and carefully lifted the boy off of her lap. Gabriella cautiously walked around her friends, empty food containers, and video game cases as she left the room. The walk from the room to the kitchen seemed to take her hours. As the kitchen came into focus Gabriella stopped dead in her tracks. Someone was rummaging through her refrigerator. Trying not to panic she looked around for something to protect herself. She settled on an umbrella that was resting on a coat rack. Gripping the umbrella as hard as she could Gabriella slowly approached the man, "Stop right there!" she yelled; the panic in her voice rung through the kitchen. The man spun around. Gabriella squeezed her eyes shut and swung the umbrella as hard as she could at the man. He was fast and ducked her lethal swing.

"Gabriella it's me!" The man yelled.

She opened one of her eyes, still gripping the umbrella, and saw a terrified Troy standing before her with a cheese stick hanging out his mouth and various items of food in his hands. She sighed and opened her other eye loosening her grip on the umbrella. "Troy you scared me half to death." She said, breathing deeply.

"I could say the same thing about you." He said also breathing heavily. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here." She set the umbrella on the counter and leaned against it.

"It's almost noon." He told her, his heart racing from the scare, but also racing from the fact this is the first time he's seen her since the ran into each other the day earlier.

"It is?" she moaned. Troy shook his head yes. She slammed her head down on the counter. She couldn't believed that the first time she saw him since their awkward encounter she was wearing sweats, had messed up hair, smeared make–up and most likely rancid breath. She lifted her head back up hoping that he wasn't noticing any of the flaws that embodied her at that moment. He was leaning against the counter, chewing on an apple. "Wait, why are you here?"

Troy was taken aback, "I work here." He said, unsure if that was the right answer to give to her. Troy studied her, she was mesmerizing. Even though she obviously slept in her clothes, she still looked amazing.

"But my mom thinks I am at school and she wouldn't leave you guys at the house alone."

"Oh." Troy said, letting out a breath. "She sent someone to 'watch after us.' He's in the backyard."

Gabriella walked over to the glass door that led to the backyard. Sitting in the corner of the yard was a small, timid man, typing away at his keyboard. "Oh. Clifford."

"He's very jumpy." Troy said. Gabriella jumped a little as he spoke. His voice was directly behind her, very close to her. She head Troy let out a low, rumbling laugh, "Kind of like that."

Gabriella felt her face turn a deep shade of red as she stood in his shadow. "I should go get ready for school." She hurriedly scurried away from his back to her friends.

Troy, smirking, watched Gabriella quickly make her way down a hallway. That wasn't as awkward as he thought it would be.

Gabriella walked down the hallway and didn't look back. She was mortified, but she hoped she hid it well enough for him to talk to her again. She walked back into the living room and saw all of her friends in the same position that she left them in.

"It's only been two minutes?" she said quietly as she looked at the clock. "It feels like it's been two hours."

Gabriella started to wake each of her friends. The boys first. She thought if she sent her guy friends into the kitchen soon enough, they would impress Troy. She hoped they might show him that even though she is in High School, she knew how to party, even though she knew nothing about partying.

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Gabriella glanced at her clock. "12:30, I am good." She looked back herself in the mirror. She had managed to shower, redo her makeup and hair, and dress herself reasonably cute in an half an hour. She walked down the stairs and into her kitchen and saw the rest of her friends sitting. The girls were texting, the guys were eating. Her girl friends were all in her clothes and her guy friends were all in clothes that had left at her house before and forgot to pick up. Gabriella herself wore light stonewash jeans, a black tank top with a cropped, white, zip up sweater. "Hurry up and eat guys, we have to go to school."

"Why even bother?" James asked with a mouthful of cereal. She was surprised that they found enough for all five of them.

"Yeah, we only have two hours left anyways." Chris added.

"And some of us have to go all the way to West High." Tom put in his thoughts as well.

"We're going to school." Gabriella decided. "Leave your bowls and the maid will get it when she comes later." She started to shuffle her friends out her front door.

Chloe and Mia hopped into Chloe's car, "You coming Gabs?" Mia asked.

Gabriella shook her head, "I have to lock up. I'll take me own car."

The girls started to move out of the long, brick driveway when James and Chris ran after them, "Wait up! We need a ride!" the two boys jumped into the car, not bothering to open the doors.

"You're shoes better be clean." Chloe warned them. Those are the last words Gabriella heard them say before they drove off to school. Following them out of the driveway was Tom driving himself, Matt, Nate, and Brooke to West High across town. Last was Ashley who was driving herself home. She has been home schooled since 8th grade.

Gabriella ran back into the house and ran into Troy as he was leaving.

"We've got to stop meeting like this." Troy chuckled as his hands held Gabriella's slender arms to keep her from falling over.

She gazed up into his mesmerizing cobalt eyes. "It's not so bad." She blurted out. She immediately turned a deep shade of red.

Troy laughed at what she had said, "You're right." He said. He was partly trying to make her feel better, but he also agreed with her.

Gabriella's mouth hung a little. He was being so nice to her… "So, uh, where are you going?" she asked as she regained control of her voice.

"I have to go to East High. Assistant coaching, you know." He said. He hated that he was forced to bring up that he worked at the place she went to school. Even though she had only found out yesterday, it had felt like weeks.

"Yeah, I'm going to school too." Gabriella said. She glanced at her arms. She noticed that he was still holding onto her.

Troy saw Gabriella's quick glance to her arms. He quickly let go of her. His hands burned from touching her for so long, "I figured you were. So you're friends sure cleared out fast." He was horrible at small talk and he knew it.

"Yeah, they all went ahead. But I think I'll still beat them. I have a feeling Chris and James will convince Chloe to stop for doughnuts."

Troy let out another one of his deep chuckles. He always laughed and smiled when he was around Gabriella. "So you need a ride? I mean since we are both heading over there, there isn't really a reason for both of us to drive…"

Gabriella had lost her voice again. Had Troy seriously just asked her to ride in his car with him? It was at least a ten minute drive to East High. They hadn't spent more than five minutes together at one time. Troy always had to go back to work or Gabriella had to go to dance or to study. "Yeah. A ride would be great." She stumbled over her words a bit, but she hoped that was the only thing bad that happened with her voice when she was in the car with him. Gabriella quickly locked up her house, grabbed her backpack and followed Troy to his truck. For ten minutes, nobody else in the world existed but them.

AN: Well, I hoped that was a good chapter for everyone!