okay, so i know this chapter is short. but i need it to be there, and to end where it did. so enjoy and please review :)

Against All Odds

Caring Is Creepy

For the next week Gabriella spent Monday through Thursday at the school from morning til night. The practice for the musical had frown more intense as the show quickly creeped up. Gabriella didn't mind being there though, she wanted to get as much practice in the next two weeks that she could, and having Troy there was only an added bonus.

Troy had picked up the role of entertaining everyone during the long hours of practice. One night, he came out for the scene with a gorilla mask on his head, making it almost impossible for Gabriella to keep a straight face. The next day he and Ryan switched clothes, and Gabriella burst out laughing a she watched Troy dance around on stage in Ryan's eccentric shirt and weird hat. Spending all this time with him, Gabriella knew she loved Troy more than anything, and she couldn't think of a time where she was happier.

Friday rolled around and Gabriella once again had to stay at the school to tutor Tim. She wasn't exactly looking forward to it either. It wasn't that she minded helping him, or that she didn't like him, she just had had an extremely busy week and wanted nothing but to go home, relax and watch movies with Troy.

She dragged her body to library, slunking herself downing into one of the chairs.

"Hi Gabby!" She heard an excited voice behind her. She turned and saw Tim approaching her.

"Hey Tim. How ya doing?'

"Oh, I'm doing okay. It's finally Friday."

"You can say that again." Gabriella said chuckling.

They worked for almost two hours, having as little success as the previous time. Gabriella got to a point where her brain was so bogged down she had to stop.

After she and Tim said goodbye and separated ways, Gabriella went to her locker to gather up her stuff. As soon as she opened the door, a note fluttered down. She reached down and immediately recognized the handwriting as Troy's.

Hey there beautiful,

I'm down in the gym, so

come find me when you finish.

-Troy

Gabriella smiled and closed her door before walking towards the gym. She could hear the sounds of running, dribbling and shooting as she approached the double doors. She quietly stepped in, and looked in. There Troy was in all his glory: white cut off, blue gym shorts, running around the gym shooting baskets. These were some of the little things Gabriella had always loved about her and Troy. She loved to sit and watch him play basketball. She knew how much he loved the game. She loved it when he would sit and play video games and she would read her latest, greatest book. They could sti for hours in complete silence or talk to each until their tongues turned blue. They had this sense of comfort that she wouldn't give up for anything. She sat down on the bleachers, finally being noticed by Troy.

"Hey! Freaky Math Girl!" He said panting, chuckling a little bit.

"You think you're funny don't you?" She said crossing her arms, trying to act mad.

"Ah, I know I'm funny." He said putting two of his hands on the seat in front of her, leaning in to give her a kiss. "But I love you."

Gabriella leaned to kiss him again. "Oh, I guess I love you too."

"You guess? Well that is just not acceptable." In one swift motion Troy picked Gabriella up and carried her over his shoulder so that she was staring straight at the ground. Gabriella broke out into a fit of laughter.

"This is so unfair."

"Say I love you."

"I love you."

"Nope. I don't think I heard that." Troy began spinning around, causing Gabriella's hair to go everywhere.

"Ahhhh!!" She screamed. "I love you Troy!!"

Troy stopped and allowed Gabriella to slide down so she nose to nose with him, her voice still echoing through the gym.

"And I love you." He said in a whisper that made Gabriella's throat hitch. She put her arms around his neck and pulled him for a kiss. As they pulled away, Troy slipped his arm around her back and they began to walk out of the gym.

"So how did the tutoring go?"

Gabriella groaned. "He just doesn't get it. I'll probably be tutoring him until I'm eighty before he gets this."

Troy laughed. "I'm sure it's not that bad."

"You have no idea. It's horrible."

"Well, I think you're doing a great thing for Tim. I can't think of anyone better than you to help him."

"Thanks Troy."

A week later, Gabriella and Taylor stood in Chemistry working diligently on a lab.

"So you ready for tomorrow?" Taylor asked, staring at a beaker with a bright blue liquid.

"Actually. I think I am. I'm just so nervous." Gabriella said, stirring the solution.

"You're going to do great, Gabs. I just know it. Besides you'll be up there with Troy."

"Yeah. I'm excited about that. He's been doing so good in practice. I think a lot of people are going to be surprised."

"Chad's so excited." Taylor laughed. "He bought tickets for the front row last week when they went on sale."

Gabriella laughed. "Well I'm glad you guys will be there."

"We wouldn't miss this for the world."

"Thanks Tay. I'm going to run to my locker real quickly. I left the question sheet in there. You got this?" She said motioning to the beaker.

"Yeah. No problem."

Gabriella quickly went asked for the hall pass, and walked out into the hall. As she turned one of the corners on her route, she bumped in to someone causing papers to fly everywhere. She immediately began to gather them back up. She looked up and saw it was Tim she bumped into.

"Well hey Tim."

"Hi Gabby. Sorry I bumped into you."

"Oh, it's no problem. Let me help you gather up these papers." Gabriella gathered up the rest of the papers, noticing they were drawings. She looked down at the one on top of the pile. It had the most incredible detail but the drawing scared her. It was one of the most disturbed things she had ever seen.

"You draw really well." Gabriella said, not sure of what else she should say about it.

"Oh, thank you. No one really knows I draw."

"Well, you definitely have an artistic talent." She said pausing for a moment. "I'd better get going before I miss too much of class."

"Okay, well it was nice bumping into you. I'll see you tomorrow after school."

Gabriella looked at the hope in his eyes and felt horrible. "Oh Tim. I forgot to tell you. I have the musical tomorrow so I won't be able to help you."

Tim's expression grew angry. "But what about the tutoring. You said you'd be there."

Gabriella, a little scared, stepped back. "How about Monday after school? I know the Spanish Club uses the library so we could go somewhere outside of school."

"How about my house? I told my mom about the project and how you were tutoring me and she said she would love to meet you."

"Uh, well that works. I'll find you after school on Monday then. Sound good"

"Sounds great. See you later."

"Bye Tim. Don't forget to come to the musical."

Gabriella quickly walked away. What she just saw in Tim scared her, but she knew Tim was normally a nice guy. But why did she agree to go to Tim's house?

"Well if it wasn't my beautiful girlfriend." Troy said catching up with Gabriella in the hall after school. Gabriella smiled at him, and put her head on his shoulder as they walked towards the auditorium.

"What's wrong Brie?" Troy stopped and turned to look at her. She quickly explained the incident with Tim in the hallway; the drawings, him getting upset, and her agreeing to go to his house to tutor him.

"I just don't want to go Troy. It was really uncomfortable."

"Then don't go."

"I can't just not go. He needs my help."

"Gabriella, you're going an honorable thing by trying to help him. But you have to think of yourself too."

"You're right. I just don't want to let him down. I feel like I'm the only friend he has."

"You'll figure it out Brie. Don't worry."

They walked into the auditorium to begin their very last practice.