Disclaimer: HSM is not mine.


"…So, Gabriella, I guess the whole school probably knows by now, huh?" Taylor told her friend later that day. As they walked down the halls, they could hear the whispers and murmurs of their peers. Questions like, 'Why are they living together?', 'Are they secretly together?', and 'What does Sharpay think?' were all they could seem to talk about, and Gabriella was getting annoyed by it.

Gabriella nodded and sighed, frustrated. This was all she had been hearing since around nine that morning. She didn't understand what the big deal was. Just because the new girl was residing in the same home as the popular jock didn't mean anything to her. He was a jerk; of course they weren't together, not even as friends.

"Nerds, what lies did you start?" Gabriella and Taylor turned to see the blonde ice princess coming towards them, her heels clicking with each step.

"What are you talking about?" Taylor asked, irritated.

"The rumors!" she snapped. "I don't know what stunt you're trying to pull but you have no right to spread these lies! Troy Bolton is mine! He would never date the likes of you! Just because you're lucky enough to live with him doesn't give you the right to say you're together!"

Gabriella tried desperately to speak. If she was waiting for a certain time to regain her voice, now was the time, she thought. However, she couldn't say a word.

"You can't even talk! You're such a freak!" Sharpay jeered after realizing Gabriella wasn't going to defend herself.

"Shut it, you blonde Barbie!" Taylor snapped, earning her much unwanted attention from those passing by, but that didn't stop her rant. "Gabriella can't stand you or Bolton! You can have that Neanderthal! We didn't start the rumors! And, she is not a freak! There are more mute people than just her! Wake up from that happy, peppy, pretty little world of yours and face reality!"

Gabriella glanced back and forth between the girls nervously. Both appeared to be irate and Gabriella knew that this wouldn't be good. However, much to both hers and Taylor's surprise, Sharpay simply huffed and sulked away, her head held high.

"That was close," Taylor said once the crowd that had gathered around them began to depart.

Gabriella nodded sadly, looking to the floor.

"What's wrong?" Taylor asked, noticing the depressed look on her friend's face.

Gabriella shrugged. She didn't know what was wrong with herself, either. What Sharpay said did sting a bit, she guessed. However, what Taylor said was right. She wasn't the only person on earth lacking a voice, but at least she knew hers was only temporary.

"Just ignore that dumb blonde. She doesn't know what she's talking about," Taylor assured her.

Gabriella nodded, although, deep down, she agreed with Sharpay. She was a freak; Troy would never date her which she was thankful for, but no other guy would want her, either.

"Come on, let's go to class before we get hollered at for loitering," Taylor said, snapping Gabriella out of her thoughts.

Gabriella nodded and followed Taylor to their next class, wondering what else could go wrong that day.


Out of the corner of his eye, Troy had watched the scene between Sharpay, Taylor and Gabriella. Even though he was supposed to support Sharpay, he had to admit that Taylor may have been right. Sharpay didn't have the right to accuse them of starting the rumors, especially when Gabriella couldn't talk, which made spreading rumors difficult for her.

On the other hand, what if Sharpay was right? He wasn't sure, although, he did have a reason to suspect Taylor and Kelsi were using his predicament as a way to get back at him for all the pranks and mockery he had been apart of. Maybe it was revenge of the nerds….

The warning bell sounded through the halls, snapping Troy out of his thoughts. Groaning, he sprinted down the hall, knowing his father wouldn't be happy if he got another detention.


"…So, Gabi, are you going to let him?" Kelsi asked Gabriella. After school had ended, Gabriella had pulled her aside and explained her predicament to her.

Gabriella shrugged. I don't know. I know he's a jerk and a major nuisance, but I feel obliged to do it. Maybe, under his demeanor, there's a whole other person longing to break free. I won't be out of anything if I'm wrong, but then there's still the trust factor. She wrote and handed it to Kelsi.

"Well, whatever you decide, I'll back you up, all right? But, if he hurts you, I swear I'll--"

"You'll what?" The girls turned to see none other than Troy Bolton himself standing behind them, eyeing Kelsi suspiciously.

"N-nothing," Kelsi denied, feeling unnerved under his gaze. "I'll see you later, Gabi."

When Kelsi was out of sight, Gabriella turned to Troy expectantly.

"Walk with me," he said. Gabriella gave him a quizzical look, remembering the last time he had done this. "Relax," he assured her. "No paint this time, I promise. I just wanna talk to you."

Gabriella didn't budge. Instead, she reopened her notebook and flipped to a blank page. Like I'm supposed to trust you.

"Hey, no one said you have to trust me. Just pretend like you do," he suggested.

Like how you're pretending to be my friend? She questioned.

"Exactly!" he stated.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. Whatever. I'll see you around.

Gabriella started walking away but Troy immediately grabbed her hand, forcing her to stop. "Please don't go. I just need to talk to you, alone," he told her, caressing the back of her hand with his thumb, which was all part of the Troy Bolton charm. When he wanted something from a girl, he learned that all he had to do was show her a bit of affection and they were all his. As predicted, he felt Gabriella's body relax, but before it could take the full affect, she pulled away.

No, Troy. Talk to me at home when I don't have to worry about your jock buddies. She wrote and walked away before he could reply.

"Haha! Finally! A girl who didn't fall for it!" Chad teased, coming out of nowhere.

"Dude, you ruined it!" Troy yelled, ignoring his comment. "She probably saw you and thought we were going to pull another stupid prank!"

"You seriously wanted to talk to her?" Chad asked, dumbfounded.

"No, I didn't want to but I needed to," Troy said.

"And she dissed you?" Chad guessed, grinning.

"I guess you could say that." Troy rubbed the back of his neck out of embarrassment.

"The great Troy Bolton gets dissed by mute geek! I can see it in the headlines!" Chad teased, laughing hysterically.

Troy rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I gotta go."


On the way home, Gabriella stared blankly out the window. She dreaded the fact that she lived with Troy then more than ever before. He would pester her for an answer until she finally agreed to let him in because that's the way Troy Bolton worked. He could be persistent when he had to be, and he wouldn't leave her alone until she said yes.

When the bus came to a halt, Troy, Jason, Gabriella and a few others stepped off the bus.

"Troy, are you sure we have to be nice to that thing?" Jason asked rudely as if Gabriella wasn't standing two feet away.

"Jase, she's a girl, a human being, not a thing," Troy corrected him, slightly annoyed. This comment surprised Gabriella. Maybe he wasn't that bad. Or, maybe it was all a trap. She wasn't sure but she leaned towards her second assumption.

"Whatever," Jason replied. "I'll see you tomorrow."

When Jason was out of sight, Troy turned to Gabriella and spoke. "By the way, I meant that."

Stopping momentarily, Gabriella wrote him a message. Quit pretending to be nice. I know why you're doing this, so don't waste your time because I'm not going to fall at your feet like those bimbos at school.

"Look, when someone tries to get to know you, do you push them all away?" he questioned.

Only the jerks.

"Look, I'm trying to be nice to you. I could be like the others and still insult you but I'm not," he pointed out.

Fine. She gave in. Just promise me you won't go back to your old ways after the season ends.

Troy paused. He never thought about what would happen after the season ends. Would he go back to bullying her? Would his friends? "I do whatever my friends do. I can't make any promises," he stated, thinking that was his best response.

Gabriella rolled her eyes at his answer. She knew he would say something like that but she tried to give him the benefit of a doubt, but he only proved her point. 'Once a jerk, always a jerk,' she thought.

You don't have to be like them. She told him.

"They're my friends. I'm expected to act like them," he said.

Then maybe they're not really your friends.

"What would you know? You're just one of those brains! The only difference is you can't talk," Troy stated. 'And you're slightly more attractive,' he mentally added.

Everyone is different. We're not clones, you know. She wrote. And, you act like just because someone is smart then their whole life revolves around books or math or something like that. That's not true. And, just because you're the basketball team captain doesn't mean your life revolves around a basketball.

After reading her message, Troy thought about it. What she said, or wrote, was true. He did have hidden interests that only a few people knew about. For instance, he loved to play the guitar but he never once dared tell his friends or Sharpay. He had other interests as well that only his family knew about but he never dared mention them to his friends in fear of what they would think.

"I guess you're right," he finally said after a long silence. "But, I still don't know…."

Your friends won't always be there to bail you out, remember that. She advised.

"Uh, so, will you or won't you?" he asked, quickly changing the subject. The thought of not having his friends around for support was a bit too much for Troy to think about at that time.

Gabriella felt relieved, knowing that she at least gave Troy something to contemplate, although she knew he wouldn't. As for her answer, she wasn't one-hundred percent certain it was the right decision, but she went with her instincts and nodded.