A/N: yeah, I know. I'm bad. Sorrrrry, I don't think I thank you all enough. :)

CHAPTER TEN

When she walked into school the next morning, people all around her were whispering. But as per usual, she didn't pay much attention to the little conversations roaming around her. Although if she would have given her peers the time of day, she would have been quick to realize the star of this week's rumor-mill was in awe; herself.

She shut her locker and headed down the hallway to home room, receiving piercing eyes of jealousy from every cheerleader she bypassed. Before she could cross the threshold into Mrs. Darbus' room, someone stopped her.

His muscular hands grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close to him. Gabriella looked up into his bright forest eyes, dumbfounded. His hands wrapped around her waist and slid down further than she would've liked.

"Do you need something?" she asked, pushing off of him and stepping back.

"This weekend, if your not busy, after the game or something I thought maybe we could..." he winked, seductively. And then it clicked. "... you know." He smirked, and her mouth dropped in shock.

"Are you insane?" she said, as more of a statement than anything else. He replied with a snide remark that made her insides churn in utter repulsion and disgust. She trudged into home room and fell to her desk. Slamming her head into her arms, she sighed. Everything and everyone around her was ignored.

During first period, a note landed on her desk. She looked around, searching for his owner when her eyes landed on a boy with brown, shaggy hair. Gabriella knew she had seen him before, but couldn't put her finger on it. He grinned, suggestively, gesturing to the note as if he was ordering her to open it.

My house? Around five?

Maybe we could hook-up.

-Jason

"What the–?" she mumbled, looking back over at him with disgust etched on her face. He must've not noticed and when the bell rang, she ran out of the room before anyone else.

As she walked down the hallway, the boys around her whistled and howled. She never once took the time to look up from the ground, her determination to get through the rest of the day without being molested was a goal she was sure she would reach. During second period, she had been thrown multitudes of notes – all suggesting the same thing.

When third period rolled to an end, Gabriella was tossed another note. This time it was pink, and written in girly handwriting. The "I's" were all dotted with hearts, smiley faces, and stars. She groaned softly at the sight, her stomach swirling when she noticed who the note was from.

Sharpay Evans: Drama queen, and the school's designated 'slut.'

She sighed, wondering if she should read it. But the suspense became too much as she flung it open, revealing words she would've never thought to be directed at her.

You dirty little skank!

Gabriella turned it over, back and forth. Mentally hoping it would have 'JUST KIDDING!' boldly written on the back. But as she tossed it over, front to back, once more, no 'Psych!' was revealed; no 'You've just been Punk'd'; nothing. She exhaled, depressingly, crumbling it up and trashing it when the bell rang.

Forth period was no better than first, second, or third. Boys were hitting on her, aggressively, and girls were taunting her. By fifth period, she learned to ignore every note that came her way. She focused, or at least tried to, on her studies. Staring intently at the board, she couldn't help but wonder what was going on.

"Miss Montez?" she heard, looking up to see her English teacher standing before her. "Nice of you to join us."

She grinned, already embarrassed enough as it was.

When the bell ending sixth period roared high above the students, Gabriella found herself hiding out in the girls bathroom. She didn't care that she was cutting lunch. It wasn't important and she wasn't hungry. As she sat, leaning against the bathroom sinks, Taylor appeared behind her. Gabriella jumped, caught off-guard by her friend's sudden appearance.

"I've been looking for you everywhere!" Taylor sulted, staring her down with angry eyes. "I've been throwing note after note at you all morning long, and you never even looked my way."

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just..." Gabriella paused, turning around to face the mirror. "The notes I've been getting today are insane! Cheerleaders are calling me a whore, and football players are asking me to have sex with them. Since when did I become East Highs' hooker? I haven't even been here for a damn month!" she fumed, forming a fist with her left hand.

"Yah, that's what I want to talk to you about. That's what all my notes said." Taylor paused, waiting for Gabriella to catch on but she never did. Instead, she turned around, oblivious to the whole thing. "I can't believe you didn't tell me! I was at your house on Saturday. I know we haven't known each other that long, but I still consider you one of my good friends. I would've told you..." She stopped, once again. Still waiting rather impatiently for Gabriella to hop aboard.

"Taylor, what the hell are you talking about?"

"You and Troy! Everyone knows you slept with him. You guys spent the whole freaking weekend together! Sharpay Evans saw him taking you home Sunday night. And I saw him leaving Saturday. Chad said he saw him take you home Saturday night after the party." Taylor sighed, staring at Gabriella; who's mouth had fallen to the floor. "You could've told me, I would've understood. Sure, I can't stand Troy. But still." Taylor rambled on, leaving Gabriella breathless and in shock.

She could barely stand as she forced herself to take a hold of the situation.

"Wait. Stop. Stop everything! You think I slept with... Bolton?" Taylor nodded. "No!" she yelled, repeating the same thing over and over again.

The end of ninth period was signaled with a ringing blare. Gabriella grabbed her books and threw them into her locker, ignoring everyone around her. She knew, now, what they were talking about. She knew, now, who they were talking about. And she wasn't the least bit impressed.

She marched down the hallway, enraged with acrimony and disgust. She had to talk to him, right now, right here. It was free period and she knew exactly where he would be and that was exactly where she was going.

The gym door slammed open revealing an open court packed with players running drills and plays. She stood there for thirty minutes, watching him glance up every so often. Finally Troy looked up, acknowledging her presence standing there. The vexation written on her face was enough to make him nervous. Gabriella took one step into the gym and stomped down the rest. Shoving aside the other players, she stared at Troy with exasperation.

"You." she yelled, pointing towards him. He tossed the basketball to the player next to him, and slowly approached her. "We need to talk."

He raised his eyebrows, dubious to what was going on as he followed her into the locker room.

They stood there, surrounded by red lockers and red benches. Her back was turned to him as she bottled up the anger inside of her. And then it exploded. She popped.

Her fist pounded down against his cheek, taking him aback. She brought herself aimlessly closer to him, watching him raise a hand to his cheek. Her eyes squinted with menacing lust. He knew she was mad, but wasn't sure as to what had made her this mad.

The rest of the team had gathered around them, standing only a few feet from where they were. Gabriella took it upon herself to hit him again, harder this time. She slapped him just seconds later. And when she went to hit him once more, she found herself detained by a boy with curly brown hair, much taller than she. His arms had a good grasp on her waist and as she went to hit Troy again, her body was raised into the air. Her feet were lifted off the ground and her hair was dangling in front of her face.

She stopped, regaining her composure and spoke, softly at first but then it turned into a loud yell.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she blared, swishing the long brown locks out of her eyes. "You son of a bitch!" Troy's eyes narrowed, his forehead scrunched.

"What is wrong with me? You just fucking attacked me and your asking if I have a problem?" he shouted back, angered inside. But it wasn't malicious anger that succumbed inside of him, it was lustful anger that made him pleased and oddly turned on.

"Put me down!" she yelled, staring at the boy holding her in the air. Troy nodded, watching as Chad released her from his grip.

"Get out – run a few laps around the school." Troy ordered, directing his attention to his teammates. They nodded and exited the locker room one by one. "Now, what are you talking about?"

"You!" Gabriella yelled, stepping closer to him. "You told everyone we had sex, you mother–"

"What? No I didn't." he interrupted, suddenly desirous of her fiery temper.

"Don't you lie to me! I know you did."

"I swear, I didn't." he reassured, placing his case. "I might not be the most truthful guy at East High, but I'm not going to lie about sleeping with you."

"That's bull!"

"Gabriella, seriously. Do you think I would do that?" Her name coming through his voice made her knees buckle. She sighed, looking up at him. His eyes pure with sincerity. She shook her head.

"Maybe not."

"If I wanted to sleep with you, I would've Saturday night when you were wasted, laying on some bed, naked." he stated, smirking with amusement.

"You jerk!" she yelled, taking another step towards him. There faces were an inch apart as she glared at him with the ut most ferocity. Her hand met the side of his face with one barely grazing blow.

"You bitch." he said, cooly. Glaring back with the same amount of ruthlessness.

"You're a disgusting, horny teenage boy, just like the rest of them!" she shouted.

"Oh, please. You're just mad because you missed your chance."

"What chance?" she screamed as he took a step towards her. He towered her with a good six inches, but she wasn't intimidated. "You don't honestly believe I want to sleep with you?"

He let out a wispy chuckle, sultry and debonair. He smirked, the unforgettable famous Troy Bolton smirk, and exhaled. His breath tickling her cheeks with it's warm, minty touch. "You know you want me."

"Don't be so sure of yourself, Bolton. You're a sickening pig who wants nothing more than a girl to screw and a kid to pound into the floor."

"You think you have me figured out, don't you?" he shouted, making her feel unpowered.

"I can say the same for you!" she bellowed, her voice quivered as he took a step backwards, leaving a gap in between them.

"You don't have me figured out, Montez. You don't know shit about me."

"Are you kidding? You're the predictable bad boy. Totally cliché. Nothing ever happens with you that isn't predictable. You think with your fist, not your brain; easy as that." she fumed, knocking on his forehead with her fist.

"Oh yeah? I'm predictable?" She nodded, her own nervousness surfacing.

"Yeah. You are!" she balled, "Horrid, gruesome, predictable, hostile–"

Before she could continue with her insult, his lips were attacking hers. His arms wrapped around her waist, strengthening as he pulled her close. She held back at first, but quickly melted against him. Her hands made their way to the back of his neck, surrounding his back and making their way back up to his neck. She found her fingers tangled in his hair as their kiss deepened.

He pulled away, breathless. A smirk wiping his face as he spoke, rigidly.

"Still predictable?" he questioned, his eyes calming.

"Yeah." she said in a whisper, pushing him against the locker while her lips met his. She could feel him smirk into the kiss and she pulled away. "What?"

"You can't resist me."

"You conceited, low-life asshole!" she said, her hand smashing across his left cheek making a 'smack' noise with the blow. He didn't answer, his mouth collided against hers. He kept his hands firmly mounted on the sides of her waist, as she let her hands explore his back. She moved them from around his neck to down his back, sliding them comfortably onto his sides. "...um?" she spoke, pulling away from him. Her hands still smoothly placed around his torso. She didn't know what to say, and from the look in his eyes she assumed he didn't know either.

"...So, that was fun." he answered, pushing himself off of her and heading back to the gym, shaking his head.

She stood there, dazed and confused, for quite some time. Finally when the tenth period bell rang, she peeled out of the locker room and marched to her car. Fumbling with her keys, she leaned against the door and sighed.

"This won't happen! I won't let it happen!!" she mustered, hopping into her car and heading home.