Disclaimer: I don't own High School Musical (1,2, or 3) or the characters

Chapter 9: No Reason to be Angry

"Bolton I think you ought to leave." Zeke turned to face Troy.

"I don't think so Baylor." Troy responded icily.

Gabriella watched the staring contest between the two young men for a moment. "Well I have an idea, why don't I leave?" Gabriella deftly turned the lock on her door and stormed out.

Zeke and Troy looked at each other. Neither dared to follow Gabriella.

Gabriella slammed the door behind her and paused at the sound of a small gasp. She turned slowly and came face-to-face with Sharpay Evans. Great, I suppose Sharpay knows now too. Closing her eyes, Gabriella pressed her fingers to her temples, the small headache that had been with her all day was growing steadily.

She cleared her throat, "Can I help you Sharpay?"

Sharpay felt like a deer in headlights, "Um not really I was just looking for..."

"Troy?" Gabriella interrupted her, "He's facing off with Zeke in my room." Gabriella pointed carelessly to the white door, "I suppose you heard that though."

Sharpay looked down at the ground, unsure how to proceed, "Yeah I heard." Gabriella waited patiently for the onslaught of hateful words that would been spewed at her from the tiny blonde at any moment. "Can we talk? Somewhere alone." Her head rose and her light brown eyes met Gabriella's dark skeptical ones.

"I suppose." Gabriella turned and led the way down the hallway into an upstairs den, when Sharpay was inside she closed and locked the door. "What is it? I'm not in the mood for a sparring match right now Evans."

Sharpay nodded, "I know I wouldn't be either, in fact I'm not." Sharpay drew in a deep breath, "So you're the reason Troy's been so happy lately."

Gabriella responded with a shrug.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'." Sharpay paused again, "I'm saying this, not as Sharpay Evans who goes to East High School, I'm just saying this as Sharpay." She took a steadying breath, "Zeke has no reason to be mad at you for dating Troy."

Gabriella let out a harsh laugh, "No one has a right to be mad at us, but that won't stop people. Since you know and Chad knows and Zeke knows I expect the entire world will know shortly. Am I correct?"

Sharpay shook her head, "No you're not correct. Zeke is," Shapray stuttered, "I am," she took a breath again, "well we are," she closed her eyes and sat on the arm of the tan sofa, "well can't you figure this out for yourself? You're supposed to be so damn smart!"

Gabriella stared at her blankly. Her dark doe eyes echoing the speechlessness she felt. She made her way to the matching overstuffed chair. "You and Zeke? But then how? Why?"

Silence fell between the two. After a moment Gabriella roared to life and went storming out of the den slinging her bedroom door open. She stopped when she found the two boys still staring quietly at each other, only now they were sitting on opposite sides of the room.

"Have y'all even spoken to one another?" Gabriella asked tapping her foot impatiently.

"No." The simultaneous response would've been amusing in any other situation.

Sharpay's head popped up behind Gabriella's small frame, "Figures, you're both children."

"Zeke Timothy Baylor," Gabriella began, "how dare you be angry at Troy and at me. My understanding is that you are dating Sharpay."

Zeke's mouth dropped open. Troy's head swiveled between the three people in the room. "Sharpay Michelle Evans you're dating that?" Troy's voice rose with each word.

"Oh please Troy," Sharpay handled him like a pro, "like you're one to talk." Her offhand tone was enough to shut anyone up.

Suddenly another voice appeared, "You do realize that all of y'all missing at once is one of the stupidest ideas ever?" The four turned to find Chad leaning against the banister. "Troy you're dad is looking for you. Gabriella you're dad is trying to get up here to see you. And Zeke, Sharpay try keeping your hands off each other for the rest of the time m'kay?" And he was gone as quickly as he'd appeared.

"Does Chad know everything about everyone?" Gabriella asked quietly.

"YESSSS!" Chad's voice echoed up the stairs. The four chuckled.

"Well I'm going downstairs, Troy you're coming with me. Zeke will stay here with Gabriella. Hush," she pressed her finger to her lips when both boys tried to interrupt, "please no arguments. Now come along. Let's march!" She gave Gabriella a wave, and linked her arm with Troy's, shutting the door quietly behind the two of them. When the two were at the bottom of the staircase she looked at him and said, "We'll discuss this arrangement later alright?" She turned away from Troy and sauntered over to Kelsi and Ryan who were talking with a couple of North High football players.

"Where have you been Ms. Evans?" Kelsi asked shyly.

"Just making the rounds," Sharpay's eyes flicked over the crowd, "You know keeping Troy and Chad out of trouble best I can."

"Keeping those two out of trouble is a full time job." Ryan laughed nudging Kelsi as took another sip of his soda.

"So does anyone know when we get to leave? Or do we have to stick around until the sun goes down?" Chad asked as he slung his arm over Kelsi's shoulder.

"We get to leave now." Coach Bolton came up with Troy and his wife Lucille in tow, "Let's go round up the rest of the elusive Wildcats. Hey Chris, Carlos." Jack Bolton gave a small wave to the two North High players before leading the way towards the door, signaling East's departure.

An hour later the house was empty, save for Gabriella's family. Both her real family and her West High family.

Gabriella, Zeke, Jason, Taylor, and Ashley were quietly scattered in the kitchen. The catering service had left, leaving a fridge stocked full with food and drinks. Everyone had a full plate in front of them, but no one was eating. The tension between Gabriella and Zeke was apparent, but no one knew what had happened during the wake, when the two disappeared upstairs.

"Alright." Ashley's loud voice made everyone jump. "What is going on? I mean seriously, Zeke, Gabriella, what on earth happened up there?"

"Nothing." The simultaneous reply had been the only one the two had spoken in an hour.

"Bullshit." Taylor stabbed a piece of penne pasta with her black plastic fork. "I call bullshit." She stated flatly before biting it off and quietly chewing.

The silence that fell over the room went from tense to disquieting. "Seriously guys," Jason's voice was soft and melodic. It was the voice he used in difficult situations, Gabriella always called it his 'politician voice'. It was a calming sound. It did nothing for the room. "What happened? We're us and you can tell us."

"Nothing happened." Gabriella repeated. "And nothing's going to happen. Right Zeke?" She threw a threatening glance his way.

"How could anything happen?" He asked standing up. He loosened his dark blue tie and unbuttoned the top button on his white dress shirt. He threw the fridge door open and stared inside.

"You do know there's air conditioning in the house." Taylor responded to his actions sarcastically. "Besides your plate is full. You haven't touched any of it."

"It's cause I don't want any of it." He slammed the door shut and moved to the window, staring out at the clouds rolling in.

"Seriously what is your childhood trauma?" Ashley demanded, slamming her fists on the counter. "I mean I get this day is rough, but honestly, this" she motioned around the room, "is ridiculous!"

"Just everyone please stop talking! Please stop asking what's wrong, there's nothing wrong other than the damn obvious so just stop just stop now!" Gabriella stood up shaking, "And just go home, all of you just go home! Just get out of my house now!" She knocked her untouched plate over as she grabbed her keys and purse flying out of the side door.

"Damn it." Zeke muttered following her out the door. He watched as she fumbled with her keys for a moment before walking over and pulling her up to his chest, prying the little bits of metal out of her hand. "I'll drive." he muttered into her hair. He felt her nod against his chest and led her to the passenger door. Helping her slide in he shut the door behind her and waved towards the house, sure that Jason, Taylor, and Ashley were watching from the window.

As he slid in the driver's seat he pulled out his phone and texted Sharpay, 'The usual spot bring Troy'

"Zeke can we" Gabriella began.

"Already done Brie." Zeke threw the car in reverse just as a 'See you there' text came from Sharpay.

"What on earth was going on?" Ashley asked, turning away from the window.

Taylor shrugged from her spot on the floor. She scrunched her face in disgust as she began picking up the mixture of food from Gabriella's plate off the floor. "Who knows."

"I sure would like to." Jason commented, chugging down the last of his Coke. "It seemed like more than her mother to me though. It seemed like something had happened that shouldn't have happened."

"You mean like her mother dying?" Taylor asked sarcastically.

"No I mean like something one of them shouldn't have done. Something bad. Something we wouldn't like. Something we wouldn't approve of. Maybe something no one would've approved of." Jason responded.

"And what the hell could that be? I mean the only thing they could do that we wouldn't forgive is date a Wildcat and come on, it's Zeke and Gabriella." Taylor commented.

"You mean it's Zeke." Ashley paused when they both looked at her, "Gabriella doesn't hate anyone, Zeke on the other hand hates them all. Gabriella probably could care less."

"Yeah but that doesn't mean she'd date say Ryan Evans or Troy Bolton or god forbid Chad Danforth." Taylor laughed. "I mean get real Ashley."

Jason laughed, "That's some imagination you got there Ash, save it for your next book huh?" He nudged her as he carried the trashcan over to Taylor on the floor.

After 20 minutes Zeke pulled the car into the lot of a park just outside of Los Angeles. "Wow, you guys come way out of the way don't ya?" Gabriella joked.

Zeke chuckled, "You would understand better than anyone huh Brie?" Zeke nudged her shoulder lightly. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a flash of pink, he looked up and saw his blonde girlfriend, still in her black skirt, white button down with the pink ascot, pink heels, and pink purse. Troy was sitting on the picnic table next to her. He waved and got out of the car, going around to open the door for Gabriella. "What do you say we see about us all getting along?" He asked quietly as he helped her out of the car.

Gabriella smiled up at him and nodded, "Sounds good to me love." She looped her tiny arm through his as the two made their way towards the table Sharpay and Troy were sitting at.

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XOXO Mollie