"So where's your boyfriend?"

"He's not my boyfriend," I plopped down on Hannah's couch with my cup of tea, "and he's out with some friends."

Leah and Hannah looked at each other and laughed before Leah spoke up. "You guys have been hanging out allllll week, what's going on?"

I smiled. I couldn't help but smile whenever I thought about him. He's honestly the last person I thought I would like. Part of a frat, parties every weekend, incredibly confident which can come off as cocky. But I like him. I do.

And it's so crazy that he likes me too. "Nothing, we're just having fun... getting to know each other."

"Yeah?" Hannah smiles, putting her feet up and getting comfortable, "is it going somewhere? How much do you like him?"

Geez. Question after question. "I don't know. I mean, I like him, but it's way too early for us to be boyfriend and girlfriend. It's not high school. We're grown up. This would be a grown up relationship and you can't just rush into it, you know?" Yeah, I can't. Plus, we're still getting to know each other. It takes time.

Hannah nods, "yeah, true. Be careful, though."

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've heard this from Peyton. Not long ago, actually.

But for some reason, all I want to do is let down every single wall I have and just let everything happen. If it burns and crashes, it burns and crashes. There's just something about Troy that makes me want to go all in. And it's absolutely terrifying and surprising and wonderful at the same time. It's something that I've never imagined happening... me, Gabriella Montez, dating some frat guy. But it's just working for me right now. He doesn't even feel like a frat guy. I like him and I like the time we're spending together and honestly, he makes me happy. He makes me feel good. And that's all I really want.

And I honestly don't think he's seeing anyone else, fucking anyone else or doing anything with anyone.

"I like him," I tell her, I think a bit offended that she's telling me to be careful and I don't even know why, "I want to keep hanging out with him. He makes me feel good. He makes me laugh. And I have fun with him."

"Well, I guess that's all that matters then," Hannah smiles at me, "I just feel like he's the complete opposite of Brian."

True. Brian didn't care to party. He was mostly a hang around the house kind of guy. But then again, that's how all my friends were. We'd get together at someone's house and just sit around and hang out, drink some beers or whatever else and just talk about life with each other.

There was no loud music, girls half naked running around, people doing tequila shots or drugs.

But even though it's nothing I'm used to, even though Troy's life is the complete opposite of what Brian's was, there's something that's sucking me in.

He's incredibly attractive, yes, for sure, but there's so much more to Troy Bolton, I can feel it. I'm barely getting to it, but I think I could. I think there's a lot that I don't know, but that I would like. Something, my gut, just tells me that he's so much more than a frat guy.

The other day we sat in his car for an hour and a half and laughed about the dumbest things. We sat there, talking about things that just came to mind. And not once did he lean over, put his hand under my shirt, and try to do anything with me.

"Hannah, I can't even describe it," I shake my head, "people probably think I'm crazy getting involved with this fraternity president, but it's just..."

"I can see it all over you, you're smitten and you like this guy."

"Yeah, I do," I smile at her, "I'm not naive to the fact that this could be over in a week when he meets some girl at some party. I'm not going all in yet. But you know, I just don't think there's anyone else and I think we both like where this is headed."

Hannah smiles and looks like she's happy for me. But I could tell she's still a little wary, which is fine. I want my best friend to only want the best for me.

But I get it. I get everyone's concerns. And I'm fully aware of them.

"So, you don't think he's hooking up with other girls?" she asks, "you don't think he's hitting on, flirting with girls at parties?"

"I don't think so," I tell her, confidently even though there was a "think" in there. For some reason, I just don't think so. "I mean, I highly doubt he's sitting in bed at night thinking about me, planning our future or anything like that. But I don't know, we've hung out all week, like you said. When would he even have the time for that, you know?"

"Right now," she laughs, "I mean, I don't want him to be, of course. But it's possible."

True. They were going to some bar and of course I know there will be girls there. And we're definitely not at the point where I trust him not to or whatever, because honestly, he could if he really wanted to. We haven't had some talk about us being exclusive. We haven't even been seeing each other for long.

So, Troy is fair game and if he wants to get with other girls, he could.

The thing is, I just don't think he would.

Call me crazy, but I think we have something great going on here and it's way too soon to be calling each other boyfriend and girlfriend, but I feel like we could get there and I don't think he'd get involved with me if he didn't see that happening because I scream relationship girl. He knows for sure I'm not some casual sex kind of girl. So I just don't think he'd put me through that... you know, of just having fun with someone.

"Whatever," I end this conversation, I don't have it in me to convince people anymore that maybe I won't get burned by him.

And just as Hannah was going to say something, my phone rang.

It was Troy.

Whoa. He definitely knows we're talking about him.

I get up from the couch, and quickly walk outside to her front porch. I needed privacy.

"Hey," he tells me over the phone.

"What's up?" I want him to get to the point of why he called me. Does he need a ride? Is he drunk dialing me?

"What are you doing?" he ignores the question and throws it back to me.

Um, what was I doing? Absolutely nothing. I mean, I was with Hannah and Leah, but we've pretty much called it a night. We did a bit of shopping then grabbed some dinner and now we're just here... doing nothing. Probably going to watch a movie or something really chill. "Nothing."

I heard him move the phone from one ear to the other, "mind if I pick you up right now?"

"Pick me up?" I'm confused. "Aren't you out?"

"I was," he tells me, "but I got over it. And I wanna see you."

He wants to... see me. Gah.

I've heard these things before from exes. They've all said these sweet things to me. But for some reason, the way Troy says it, it just makes me want to melt. It brings these intense butterflies to my stomach. And I can't think straight. I get giddy and it makes me blush and happy and excited all at once.

I could easily get away. We didn't have a set girls night. We just ended up here at Hannah's so I wouldn't be ditching them.

But at the same time, as much as I would love to hang out with him, I don't want to be that girl that hangs out with him whenever he says he wants to hang out. I don't want to fall into that pattern. "You're not hanging with your friends?"

"Are you busy?" he ignores the question, "if you're busy, that's fine. But if you're not, I just thought we could get some ice cream or something."

"I'm not busy," I blurt out, ignoring the little voice inside my head, "and ice cream sounds good."

"Okay, good," he chuckles, "because I really want to see you."

And I wanted to see him too.

"So, what happened, why'd you leave guys night early?" I ask Troy as we're sitting on a bench in old town San Diego.

"Nothing happened," he laughed.

I don't really know if I believe that. I know his best friend in the world is in LA going to school, his two other best friends are back home, and everyone else he would consider a close friend is scattered around the country. So the friends he has in San Diego aren't, like, friends he trusts with his life, you know? They're kind of just school friends. Party friends. Well, at least that's how he described them.

So it's not wrong to assume something happened, right? I mean, he's even said that he wouldn't consider them close friends. "Nothing happened?"

"Nothing happened," he says again, "I just didn't want to be there."

"I don't know if I believe you," I tell him with a small smile and then I grab his hand, "especially because you have a cut right there."

He looked down at his hand and then chuckled a bit, "what, you think I got in a fight with someone?"

I mean, sure. That's exactly why I'm asking. He picked me up, looked a little stressed about something, I noticed his cut, it looks fresh, and so I asked. It's not that farfetched of an idea that he got in a fight because he himself has told me that he can't stand some of the guys and blah blah blah.

And for some reason, I should be upset he hit someone, if he did. I shouldn't want to be with anyone who would hit someone.

Yet, here I am, not mad. Just curious.

"Honestly, nothing happened," he turned to me a bit, "I went out with Jeremy and Brad, grabbed some dinner, drank a beer, and then left because like I said, I didn't want to be there. I called you, asked if you wanted to hang out and now here I am."

"How'd you get the cut?" I eyed his hand again. It's not big or anything, but it is fresh. The blood is drying.

"A cat scratched me."

instant smile o my face. "Shut up. Don't do that."

He laughed and then shook his head, "no, it was at the bar. I'm actually not exactly sure how I got it, but I'm fine. I didn't hit anyone."

Well, okay. I guess I believe him because Jeremy and Brad are his good friends here. That I know for sure. And I shouldn't be questioning him like a mom. That's annoying. But this whole situation is just a little strange to me.

He left guys night to hang out with me? Or did he leave, get home and then think, hey the night's young, why don't I call up Gabriella and see what's up?

"Why do you find this whole thing weird?" he calls me out.

"Oh, I don't," I try to diffuse it, but I'm a horrible liar, "no, I just... you were out with the guys, and now you're... here."

"Yeah, because I want to hang out with you," he says, a bit slow, like he's trying to make a point. "I'm just going to say it... I ditched my friends because we weren't doing anything and I wanted to see you. I wanted to hang out with you. That's it."

Oh wow. Okay. Um. I don't really know how to react.

Obviously, this makes me happy, but it also gives me butterflies and I think I may be blushing. Because is this actually real life right now?

The president of a fraternity is actually into me? Is actually ditching friends to hang out with me? Wants to hang out with me?

At the same time, I'm well aware this could be his tactic. I think he's into me, I don't think this is some kind of sick joke or anything like that. But he's used to getting what he wants, probably. He knows what to say to girls. This isn't his first rodeo. He probably knows exactly how to get the things he wants.

And I just have to be strong. Because right now, it's definitely working. I'm aware, yes, but at the same time, I want nothing more than to jump his bones.

"That's a lot of pressure," I joke, "we're just having ice cream."

"Yeah, and talking. Talking to you is enough." Oh, he knows exactly what he's doing. And like I said, I just have to stay strong. I have to be strong. But in this moment, I'm not. "And looking at you."

I smile at him, lean in and give him a kiss. And he deepens it for a moment before pulling away.

Then, we just sit here, eat our ice cream and enjoy each other's company.

I'm in way over my head, but I don't even care right now.