"Where are you going?" I ask Cooper as he comes downstairs, looking like he's going somewhere.

"Gonna go grab a drink, watch the game, aren't you coming?"

Wait. What? I put down my ice cream and pause the TV for a minute. "What are you talking about? When do I ever go?"

He shrugs as he grabs his jacket hanging from the couch and puts it on. "No, yeah, I know you'd rather watch the game here than a crowded bar, but Troy asked if you were coming and I just figured you guys had talked about it in class today or something. I don't know. You're not?"

"Oh, um, no," I tell hm, confused as hell for a moment.

Troy asked Cooper if I as going to watch the basketball game with them? In a bar? With all the guys?

What in the world. Does this mean... no, it doesn't mean anything. It might have just been a simple, off handed question. He does know I love basketball and watch every single Laker game possible, so maybe that's why he asked? And it's recent that him and Cooper started hanging out so he doesn't know that Cooper watches the games with his buddies at the bar and I just watch at home with Emily sometimes. Used to be Chris. But whatever. That's irrelevant right now. But we didn't talk about it in class. We hardly talked in class today.

Right now, all I'm thinking about is how he asked for me.

"Okay," Cooper shrugs it off, "Julia's coming with me, though, she's craving some hot wings. So if you wanna tag along..."

"Ugh, it's so crowded at Porters all the time," I complain, "and it's so empty here!"

Cooper laughs as he sits on the arm of the couch and takes out his phone. "We're not going to Porters. We're going to this other place in La Jolla. We've been a couple times and they have really good hot wings, which is why Julia's coming along. You should come. Emily's going out with Tyler right now anyway."

True. They have date night or whatever. And then I'd be by myself.

"Okay," I give in, kind of wanting to see Troy anyway even though I saw him earlier today, "where's Julia?"

"Borrowing a jacket from Em," he shrugs and then gets up and goes to the bottom of the stairs, "Julia, let's go! Game starts in 30!"

And less than a minute later, Julia emerges at the top of the stairs in one of Emily's jackets looking all sorts of cute. It's a bar! But in her defense, she could be wearing sweatpants and I would still think she looks cute. She's just one of those girls who can pull off basically anything. It's honestly not fair at all.

Julia sees me getting my purse and squeals with excitement, "you're coming!? Good!"

"I guess so. I heard something about some amazing hot wings," I laugh, throwing my purse over my shoulder.

"SO GOOD, G, you'll love," she tells me.

And with that, we tell Emily bye and we're out the door.


I'm currently sitting at the end of this table, staring at Troy Bolton.

He's staring at the TV in front of him and he's on and off drinking his beer and he's just so hot.

I'm going to die when he glances over here and catches me staring, but so far, nothing. And so I'm just sitting here, munching on these fries and talking to Julia about life and shit while frequently looking up at him. It's just so hard to look away. His profile view is AMAZING.

We're at a square, long table and I'm sitting at the end, like the head of the table, Julia's next to me, diagonal, Cooper's next to her, Brody's next to him, and then it's Troy and two other friends next to him. And I have such a good view of him.

God, I have such a huge crush on him.

But no. I need to get that out. It can't be happening.

I don't even know why I'm here, actually. Cooper told me what Troy asked, about me coming, and it just made me think that he wanted me here, but we've barely talked. We've barely said anything to each other. He's so into the game. And he hasn't even looked my way. And I would know, obviously.

"I'm gonna go at halftime," I tell Julia, grabbing a fry and dipping it in ketchup, "it's so fucking loud in here."

"Well, I guess it's good you brought your own car," she tells me, "I just came for the wings."

"Do you wanna leave then?"

She shakes her head, though, "nah, we're going to my parents house after."

Oh, right, I forgot. Cooper's going to help them with something or something like that, I don't know. Which is why I brought my own car.

"So it's been a couple of weeks now," Julia starts telling me and I know exactly where she's going with this. Ughhhh. No. Why? Why right now? "This guy, Charlie, he's so nice and he's cute and I honestly think you'll have a really good time with him, Gabs. Just give him a chance. ONE date."

"Yeah, Gabriella, one date," Cooper turns to me with a laugh, "what's the worst that could happen?"

I know he's kidding. He thinks setting people up is weird and he never wants to be the middle man. So he's just playing along with it.

But I don't want to be set up. "No, I'm fine."

"Find your own date, then," she says, rather loudly, like she's pissed, but I know she's not. "You're going to have to start dating eventually. Why go through the trouble or finding someone when I have someone great for you already? Come on."

"Then you date him, Julia!" I get a little fed up, "I'm fine!"

The look on her face was priceless and then I heard a laugh. I looked up and it was Troy, who was FINALLY glancing over here.

Oh fuck. How embarrassing.

"Shut up," Julia says, "I just think now's the perfect time to see what's out there. You're not as busy..."

"Sorry," I say, because I do feel bad. I know she would never. I know she doesn't have feelings for anyone else besides Cooper but still, that wasn't a nice thing to say. I just don't want to be set up. It's just not my thing. "I love you for caring, but honestly, I'm fine, I don't want any help with this."

"Fine," she puts her hands up in defeat, "fine. I'm sorry, too. Matchmaking is just my skill."

Okay, fair enough. She set up two of her friends with their boyfriends and they're all happy so I'll give her that.

But it's just not for me.

And when it's finally halftime on the game, I'm so happy.

"Alright, guys, this was nice, but I have things to do," I get up, basically only telling Julia, Cooper and Brody since those are MY friends.

"Where are you going?" Brody asks me.

I'm not going anywhere. Actually, I'm going to stop by the store because I need groceries and it's on the way. But then I'm going to go home and lay on the couch and watch Netflix all night while I put off my homework. Sounds like a great time right? "Don't worry about it."

He gives me an annoyed look at Cooper barely cares, I think. Julia gives me a small smile and a wave and then I get up and head to the front.

But then I feel someone grab my shoulder from behind... Troy.

"Sorry," he says since he scared me a bit.

"Yeah? I asked him.

"Do you mind giving me a ride?" he asks me, looking back at the table he just left, "my friends wanna stay the whole game and I kinda have things to do. If not, it's fine. If you're going somewhere else and..."

He was so cute when he rambled. Honestly. The cutest. "Oh, no, it's fine. I'm stopping by the grocery store, though."

Troy laughed and nodded his head, "yeah, yeah, that's fine. Whatever you want."

So we walked out of there, I don't even think he told his friends goodbye and headed to my car.

This was weird. I never thought he'd be in my car. And I never thought we'd be hanging out... the two of us. Well, it's not really a hang out, I'm just giving him a ride home. But still, it's not school related and there's no Cooper here. So, it's kind of weird. But I don't mind, obviously. I don't mind at all.

"I know the guy Julia wants to set you up with," Troy starts conversation.

"What?" I glance over at him as I'm waiting for traffic to pass so I can turn onto the street.

He chuckles, "yeah, Charlie Wheeler. He's cool."

Okay. Um. Why is he bringing this up? Obviously, he heard the conversation we had. Julia was loud as fuck and I kind of screamed the last part so yeah, obviously, he heard. But I just don't get why he needs to tell me this. "Yeah, no, I'm not really interested."

"You don't do set ups?"

"Something like that," I shrug as I turn on the street.

"Well, that's good, I guess," he says, "Charlie's nice and all, but he's boring as fuck."

I chuckled. I don't know if I can trust his judgement because I don't know him all that well, but that is something Julia would definitely overlook or not think about. She just cares if someone's a nice, god person and that's all when she wants to set up people. "Yeah, I can't do boring."

Troy laughed and didn't really such much else, just went on his phone during this two minute ride to the grocery store that wasn't far from the bar.

When we got there, I thought he'd just wait in the car or something because I only needed a couple of things.

But nope. He got out.

And he grabbed a cart and offered to help.

"No," I shake my head, "just grab a basket because I'm gonna end up shopping more with that."

"I'm not in a hurry," he shrugs, "if you need to shop, go ahead and shop."

Well, I was going to, but the second I knew he was coming, I decided to just get the things I would need tonight because I didn't actually want to make him grocery shop or keep him away from whatever he needed to do. But if he says he doesn't mind, then whatever, I'm taking him up on that.

Because I need fruits. And I need veggies. And chicken. And lots of nutella and chips.

So here we are, Troy and I, walking through this grocery store together and it's so fucking random and weird.

"This way," I motion to him, "I need some chicken."

"Do you cook a lot?'

"I try, yeah. My friend, and roommate is the one who cooks more."

We come upon the chicken and I grab a pack of chicken breasts and also some ground turkey because we love making turkey burgers. I see what other kind of meat I need or might want and when I don't find anything else, I move onto the baking aisle to grab the nutella that is for sure there.

And when I pack the cart with two bottles, it earns a small laugh from Troy.

"What?" I turn around with a smile, "you've never heard of a girl eating a whole bottle of nutella?"

"It's so cliche," he laughs.

"True," I pull the cart away from him so I can push it, "but it's so good. With fruit, on toast, with crepes. Oh my gosh, nutella crepes, the best thing, ever."

He shrugged and looked unimpressed. "Never had them."

What the fuck. He's never had nutella crepes? Is he... kidding me? I feel like that's the only way to have them or else they're too sweet. "Are you serious? You've never had nutella crepes? Or you haven't had crepes in general?"

If he hasn't had crepes in general, it's different, it's excusable. But if he has, then oh my gosh. What's he waiting for?

"I've had crepes, a breakfast crepe with like spinach and eggs and one in France. Really good."

"Oh, well you're excused because in France it's the real deal," I feel kinda silly now fawning over nutella crepes ha, "but seriously, nutella ones are the best."

"I'll have to try one then."

I don't really know how to respond to that immediately because it seems like it might have been said in a way where he wants me to make him one, but it very well could not be and he'll make them on his own. Or get them somewhere, I don't know. I'm being weird about this whole thing.

God, he's just so hot. And this is so random that he's here with me.

But it's kinda... nice. He's cool. And I mean, we do have a class together so why not be friends?

"What else do you need?" he asks me.

"Oh," I snap out of my thoughts, "unhealthy shit. Chips, things to make guac, sour cream. Cereal. Milk. Orange juice."

He laughs, but doesn't look turned off by it so that's good. "Lead the way."

So I did.

What a weird afternoon.