Under & Over

10. Searching for Normality

One month later

Sharpay paced in front of Gabriella's locker, waiting for her and Taylor to arrive. It had been a little over a month since Troy broke up with her friend and the gang had done everything in their power to try and convince him that he was being a stubborn moron for not seeing that he and Gabriella belonged together. They all knew Matt tricked their friend, but then again none of them saw it, and none of them were actually dating Gabriella and had to endure the humiliation from the entire school like Troy had. However, even though many had seen that uncalled for kiss in front of the bathrooms that fateful day, rumors still spilled over why the new couple had broken up after such a brief moment together. Obviously people didn't stop falling at Troy's feet, he was still king, and so rumors gravitated towards 'oh, I heard he wanted to screw other chicks so she got pissed and used Matt to make him mad' and the occasional 'he got tired of her' or 'he realized she wasn't on his level'. None of them knew shit.

Sharpay's eyes widened in relief as she saw her two closest friends making their way down the hallway together, Gabriella looking almost happy. Little by little she had become less closed off and had opened up to her new best friends. They could still tell how heartbroken she was, but Gabriella refused to put others down because of her dilemma.

"H-hey guys." Sharpay stuttered, having the burden of a secret on her shoulders. She was never good at keeping secrets.

"…Hi Shar…is something wrong?" Taylor questioned as Gabriella opened her locker and got her stuff ready for the day.

"Um…Taylor, could we talk? Alone." The blonde smiled weakly at the newest member of their trio before pulling her darker friend aside. Gabriella smiled and shook her head, not caring that Sharpay was excluding her.

"What is it?" Taylor asked eyeing her friend who looked stressed.

"It's Troy…and Heather." Sharpay shivered, imitating puking and glancing at her oblivious friend who was still at her locker.

"What about them?" Taylor questioned, not liking where this was heading.

The drama queen clenched her eyes shut. "I hear they're dating now, like officially, as of last night…I don't know how Gabriella will take it." She pinched the bridge of her nose painfully.

Taylor's mouth hung open. "No." She breathed. "He's just using Heather as his rebound girl! Troy still loves Gabi, he's just being stubborn." She scoffed. "I'm going to kill him." She growled and then calmed as she saw Gabriella standing by her locker waiting for the two to be finished talking. "I don't think we should tell Gabs…maybe it would be best if she didn't know…I mean, she's just starting to smile again."

The slim blonde shook her head. "She's going to find out some way or another."

The pretty African American gave the blonde a pointed look. "Then let that happen, because there's always a chance that she doesn't find out, and it would just be stupid if we told her and she broke down." Taylor shook her head, not liking this at all. "She's already on the brink of crashing. I mean it's so obvious this 'it's whatever' act is just a charade." She sent a sympathetic glance to her other best friend. "Gabriella's heartbroken." She winced, wanting happiness for the girl she had bonded with so much since they had first met.

"Okay, I suppose you're right. Plus, we don't even know if it's true, Heather could just be starting rumors."

She nodded. "True…we'll find out later. Come on." Taylor and Sharpay walked back to Gabriella and plastered on smiles.

"What's up?" Gabriella asked with a curious perk of her flawless eyebrow.

"Oh, I was just asking Taylor how the English exam was." Sharpay laughed airily.

"Oh…kay." The brunette beauty shrugged it off. She was never one to poke her nose in other people's business.

Taylor smiled widely, trying to be convincing. She inhaled sharply when she saw Chad and Troy enter through the main doors. "Hey guys, I'll see you later. I'm going to go talk to Chad." She waved before speed walking down the hallway down to the boys as they entered the school. She gave Troy a death glare before pulling Chad by the ear. "You. Come with me." The angry decathlon president dragged her boyfriend to the corner of the hallway, away from earshot.

"Ow ow ow ow." Chad rubbed his ear as Taylor released him. "What do you want woman?"

"Please tell me it's not true." She huffed. "Are Troy and that hoe, Heather, official?" She asked placing her hand on her hip.

The built, usually perky, chocolate boy looked down and put his hands in his pockets.

Taylor gasped. "No, no, no, no." She paced in front of him, her stomach coiling with disgust and worry. "What the hell is Troy thinking?"

Chad bit his lip. "He said that she practically begged, so he took her out last night and one thing led to another…" He sighed. "Troy didn't know what to do. He said by the end of the night they just ended up being together."

"They hooked up?" Taylor practically screamed.

His eyes widened. "NO. Oh gosh no, I just meant they ended up official, he said nothing physical happened."

"It better have not." She said angrily. "He's being so stupid, I swear someone better knock the sense into him...or else I'm going to-ugh!"

"Babe, the bells about to ring…" He glanced around the frantic hallways as people started to make their way to their classes.

Taylor sighed and looked around. "Okay, let's go."

…

"Alright!" Ms. Darbus bellowed. "As you all know, there's only two more days left of school! So I'm excited to announce there will be an end of the year pool party, held at none other, than the Evans country club!" She clapped her hands.

The whole class went into a fit of cheers. Gabriella giggled at the excitement and looked down at her fingers as they were placed on her desk.

"Lucky for you, the school staff will not be in attendance, it is just the students. However, I'm warning you all now, that there will be chaperones, so you all are expected to be on your best behavior." Darbus eyed everyone skeptically, slight threat evident in her big scary orbs.

Gabriella shared a glance with Sharpay who smirked in her seat. Sharpay organized the party so that there were indeed chaperones, but they were all staff at the Lava Springs country club, where she ruled. She had already given the whole staff that was scheduled to work the party, the speech on if they interfere even a little bit, they would indeed be fired. It was going to be some party, which East High was paying for. It couldn't get any better.

"Now, for further announcements…" Their crazy homeroom teacher sighed. "I need someone to volunteer to hand out report cards." Ms. Darbus smiled as Taylor raised her hand excitedly. As Taylor handed out everyone's envelopes Darbus stood up and walked to Gabriella's desk. "I would like to inform everyone who had the highest GPA of this year's junior class."

Gabriella clenched her eyes shut. Please don't. She sunk in her seat, knowing what was to come next.

"Out of the whole student body of her generation, and the whole school itself might I add...Ms. Montez had the highest scores of any student at East High, a consistent grade point average of 4.9. Congratulations Ms. Montez, shall you go very far in life." She grinned down at the petrified brunette and returned to her throne.

Gabriella mentally groaned as everyone stared at her, some snickering thinking she was a geek, and some looking at her slightly impressed.

Troy watched as Gabriella sunk further in her seat with humiliation. He looked down at his desk and frowned. He was happy for her, and he wanted to assure her that it was an honor, not something to be embarrassed about. He wanted to hold Gabriella and tell her how proud of her he was. If only he could. Troy was trying so hard to move on, he was giving Heather a chance for god's sake…but he still found himself staring at his ex unconsciously or pausing every time he heard her giggle, what a beautiful sound it was. It had always been one of his favorite things about her. Not to mention the fact that they lived together. Troy was trying. Trying, and failing.

…

"Hey." Kelsi greeted in gym class.

"Hey Kels." Gabriella smiled and passed the basketball to Kelsi, who caught it and passed it back.

"You going to the end of the year party?"

Gabriella thought about it. "I don't know…my mom finally found a house, and I think I might go with her to look at it that day." She lied. Her mother hadn't mentioned their new house since that day in the kitchen. She passed the ball back to Kelsi. Honestly, she just didn't want to go to the party and have to see Troy anymore than she already had to, especially if Heather was going to be there in her bikini all over him.

"Gabriella, you can look at houses anytime, this is going to be the party of the year, you should come." The small girl encouraged.

She shrugged. "Maybe."

They continued to pass the ball back and forth.

…

Gabriella shut her locker and walked to the library, like she did everyday at lunch time. Well, ever since Troy broke up with her…for all the wrong reasons. In a way, Gabriella wasn't only sad, she was angry, and not only at Heather and Matt. Troy had so easily not trusted her, and pointed a finger at her, even though he knew what kind of a person she was, even worse…even though he knew what kind of a person Matt was. Gabriella shook her head, trying to rid her mind of thoughts of the blue eyed boy that seemed to stick to her mind like super glue. She sat down at a table, and opened her textbook as she took small bites of her sandwich.

"Um, hi, can I sit here?"

She looked up and smiled as a petite girl with glasses on and a brown lunch bag in hand looked down at her. She was trying to juggle about three textbooks in her arms as well. "Of course." Gabriella said kindly.

"Th-thanks."

Gabriella looked at her to see if she was going to introduce herself. When she didn't Gabriella put on a warm smile. "Hi, I'm Gabriella. I don't think I've seen you around school."

The small girl looked up with a timid smile, and then her eyes widened as if realizing something. "G-Gabriella?...Oh, hello. I'm Amy, and I don't really stick out so that's not a surprise." She laughed quietly.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Amy." Gabriella smiled.

Amy hesitated before grinning, her face slowly contorted to a slight frown. "If you don't mind me asking…are you the Gabriella that dated T-Troy Bolton?"

She looked down uncomfortably. A moment of stiff silence washed over the two, before Gabriella took in a deep breath and swallowed the lump in her throat. "Yes." She said quietly.

Amy gulped, lost in her thoughts for a moment before looking at the legend in front of her, who had recently been the talk of the school. "Wow, uhm you're lucky." She frowned. "I could never get a guy like that, let alone any guy."

Gabriella furrowed her eyebrows. "What makes you think that?" She asked, feeling sympathetic for the girl she had just met.

"Uh, I'm not exactly as pretty as you." Amy looked down at her lap.

She smiled sadly, knowing how it felt to think you weren't anything special. "Well, Amy…I think you're gorgeous."

Amy looked up at her new friend and smiled, truly moved at such a statement. Heather was wrong, Gabriella was nice, really nice, and didn't deserve what was done to her.

…

"Gabriella!" Lucille called from the bottom of the staircase. "Dinner!"

Gabriella closed her laptop, ruffled Waldo's hair, and went downstairs into the kitchen. She sat down in her usual seat at the dining table, next to her mother, and unfortunately across from Troy.

"So, honey, how was school?" Maria asked her daughter.

"Fine." Gabriella mumbled.

Maria sighed. That's all Gabriella ever said anymore, or at least whenever Troy was around. Gabriella always became uncomfortable when she was in the same room as him, which made dinner time extremely uncomfortable between the two teenagers. The parents got used to the tension between them and learned to ignore it, obviously Troy and Gabriella didn't want to talk about it so Maria, Lucille, and Jack respected their wishes.

"I heard about the summer party…you guys going?" Jack asked at the head of the table, in between his wife and Maria.

"Uh…maybe." Troy said, picking at his vegetables.

"What about you Gabriella?" Jack asked, making Gabriella look up.

"Same." She said quietly.

"I heard about your academic achievement!" Lucille grinned. "How exciting." She praised.

Jack grinned also. "Yes, congratulations Gabriella."

The young brunette smiled softly. "Thank you."

"Troy, isn't it great?" Lucille asked, making Troy cough awkwardly and put down his fork. He looked at Gabriella for a moment, his leg accidently brushing hers causing him to yank it away and avert his gaze.

"…yeah, uhm good job El-Gabriella." He scratched the back of his head awkwardly and Gabriella looked at him blankly.

"Thank you." She replied numbly.

Troy nodded and the parents shared a look.

"So, Jack…how was practice today?" Lucille asked her husband.

"Great, the boys are definitely ready for the game Sunday. Aren't you Troy?"

He nodded.

Maria put her napkin down and looked between the two teenagers. If she had to spend another evening having a more than awkward dinner because of her only child and Troy, who she already saw as her own son, she was going to scream.

…

"So, Gabi, you going to the party on Saturday?" Taylor asked in history the next day.

Gabriella sighed. "Maybe." She replied.

"You should go, seriously." Taylor pushed.

Gabriella nodded, ever since homeroom yesterday people had been asking her if she was going, and it was starting to get annoying.

"Anyway, I am so glad it's Thursday today, can you believe summer starts tomorrow?" Taylor smiled excitedly as Gabriella giggled. "The final exams have totally exhausted me. Thank god the parties on Saturday, we get to just lay back and relax." The dark skinned beauty smiled dreamily, just imagining summer.

Gabriella giggled again. "What time does the party start again?"

"At noon, so we'll get all the sun we can get." Taylor giggled. "It'll probably end late, so in other words, 12 in the afternoon, to 12 midnight." She smirked. "We'll get to party all day."

Gabriella giggled. "Okay." She really didn't care. She was not going.

"Oh! I almost forgot! I'm having Sharpay over for a sleepover tomorrow night, and then we're getting ready at my house in the morning and going straight to the country club to officially start summer, you in?"

Gabriella hesitated before biting her lip and shaking her head. "I don't think I'm going to go, I was just asking when it started, just in case."

Taylor frowned and clasped her hands together. "Please, please come! It'll be so much fun." She pleaded. "Look at me, I'm begging here."

She giggled. "Tay…I don't know."

"Come on Gabriella, please." She gave her best friend a puppy dog pout.

The raven haired beauty rolled her eyes and sighed. She hesitated before sighing. "Fine, I'll come."

Taylor grinned. "Yes!" She said excitedly, before checking to see if their teacher had noticed them. "Okay, well come to my place at around seven tomorrow, and bring you're over night stuff…and you're pool stuff."

She nodded reluctantly.

The aspiring politician screeched quietly. "It's going to be so much fun! I promise!"

Gabriella smiled and shook her head as she focused back on her paper. She hoped Taylor was right.

…

Gabriella was walking to her locker at the end of the day with Taylor and Sharpay at her sides. "Gabs, I'm so excited you decided to come to the sleepover and the party, it's going to be the best two days ever." Sharpay clapped her hands together excitedly. "It's going to be fabulous."

"I kind of have a problem though…" Gabriella bit her lip and shot her friends an innocent look.

"What is it?" Sharpay asked.

"I don't really own a bathing suit…Sitka doesn't have indoor pools, and it's you know, really cold…" She laughed lightly.

The blonde of the bunch rolled her eyes dramatically. "Oh, that's it! Girl, I have you covered, I'm bringing over like ten suits to Tay's house, so you guys can help me choose which one to wear. You can borrow one of them." She smiled kindly.

"Okay, I guess that will work, thanks Shar." She smiled unurely.

"No problem." Sharpay giggled.

She giggled also, before her smile faded as Heather pushed past her and Taylor to get ahead of them.

"Bitch." Taylor hissed.

Gabriella watched as Heather strutted to Troy's locker just as he had closed it and swung his bag onto his shoulders. He looked so suave, and handsome, seeing him always made Gabriella want to run away and hide somewhere in a corner. It had been over a month and she still found herself crying at night. Her eyes widened as Heather leaned forward and kissed Troy passionately, he hesitated yes, but he didn't pull away. They started making out in the middle of the hallway. Gabriella winced silently and quickly walked ahead of Taylor and Sharpay to her locker, wanting to get out of school as soon as possible.

The two best friends exchanged a horrified glance. As Taylor walked to Gabriella to comfort her, Sharpay strutted up to Troy and Heather and coughed to get their attention. The blonde was not one to mess with, and no one made her friends suffer. Not on her watch.

Troy pulled away from Heather and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand as he saw who stood before them. "Sh-Sharpay, what's up?"

"Don't 'Sharpay' me!" She said placing her hand on her hip. "You really have no idea what you're doing Bolton, you've stooped to one hell of a low level…" She sent him daggers before turning to Heather. "Slut." She hissed, pushing through the new couple, separating them and walking away towards her best friends. Troy watched warily as she did so. He ran his hands through his hair and cursed.

"Come on baby, just ignore them." Heather interlaced her hand with Troy's and led him towards the exit. He glanced down at their hands and then at Gabriella who stood between Sharpay and Taylor with a blank expression on her smooth tan face as they tried to talk to her. She looked frustrated, as if trying to convince her friends that she didn't care.

Troy adjusted his hand around Heathers and couldn't help but notice how it didn't fit right.

Review for next chapter. Trust me, IT GETS GOOD. The party is going to be very eventful and hint hint- Amy has a big part in the next chapter. (: & I'm sorry this chapter wasn't that great…it was kind of just a filler and I rushed a little. Next one will be amazing.

Also, the drama with the reviewer who was being slightly rude is over now, we decided to just let it go and not speak to each other anymore.

I'd like to say thanks though, to all my loyal, amazing, sweet reviewers. You guys can truly make me smile or even cry, just by reading your long, and kind reviews. (: I truly write my chapters only because of the motivation I get from you guys. So thanks for everything. Mwah. (moi)-lol I don't like spelling it the correct way cause it doesn't sound right.