Chapter 10

Troy and Gabriella stood to where they were standing and hugged. As they broke off, Troy took the yellow handkerchief that he used to blindfold Gabriella earlier.

"Gabby, I want you to have this." Troy said to her as he put the hankie in Gabriella's hands.

"Why?" Gabriella asked.

"Well, I read in a book…" he trailed as Gabriella commented on him reading a book. "Yeah, I read a book, I think it would be the first and last." He smiled and continued, "Well, the book was a story about a yellow handkerchief. And it said that a yellow handkerchief signifies a forever love and forever loyalty of a lover to his/her loved one. That is why I am giving this to you for you to keep and remember my true and forever love for you, Ms. Gabriella Montez. Will you accept it?"

"I do." Gabriella replied. Then she took the handkerchief and looked at it for a few moments, smiling.

"Gabby…" Troy called to her softly. Then Troy caught her eyes. They locked eyes for a few moments as Troy intertwined his fingers to hers. Then slowly, Troy made his lips through Gabriella's. He was sealing his promise with a kiss. Gabriella didn't hold back instead she kissed back. She put the yellow handkerchief in her pocket and wraps her hands around Troy's neck. Troy wrapped his hands around Gabby's waist. Then Troy trailed his kisses down to Gabriella's neck and Gabriella trailed her hands up to Troy's hair. She tilted her head to make room for Troy's kisses. Her eyes were closed and realized that Troy was trailing back again to her lips. They kissed for a few more minutes, and didn't realize that they were standing there for like long enough. The surrounding was cold but neither felt it since they were warm inside and out. Then Gabriella and Troy broke off as they both came back to their senses. Troy smiled at the girl in front of her and Gabriella smiled back. She wrapped her arms around Troy and Troy held her in his arms too. They just hugged there for a few minutes.

Gabriella's head was leveled to Troy's chest and she said, "I love you, Troy."

This made Troy smile and he kissed Gabriella's head and said, "I love you too, baby."

Gabriella was happy to hear what Troy just called her. She was precious to him because he called her "baby" and that means so much to her.

Then Troy and Gabriella sat again on the grass with Troy holding Gabriella, who was on his front.

"Are you cold?" he asked Gabby.

Gabriella nodded and Troy hugged her tight.

Then Troy saw a bright star up ahead. He was not smart like Gabriella but he was fond of stars and the galaxy.

"Gabby…" Troy called softly.

"Hmmm?"

"Look up in the sky. Do you see that very bright star?" Troy asked her as he pointed at the star.

"Yes. Why?" Gabriella asked curiously.

"Well, that's the Polaris Star or the North Star. It's the star that helps travelers travel at night. Since it is the North Star, they can tell where North is once they see that star." Troy explained.

"I always knew that you were not only the jock and the guy but you are as smart as what I thought you'd be or much better." Gabriella said to him with a smile.

"Well, not as smart as you do. I just happen to like stars." He said to her.

"But you're still smart."

"Fine. I won't argue with you." He said and chuckled.

Gabriella and Troy just stayed like that watching the stars and telling each other stories about their childhood. Then it striked 10:00pm and that signals Gabriella's curfew.

"Baby, I'm sorry if we have to cut this short. Well, I promised my mom, I'd be back by 10pm. I hope you're not mad." Gabriella said apologetically as they retreated back to the open space.

"Hey it's fine." Troy replied as he held Gabriella's hand to his.

"Are you going to be alright?" Gabriella asked Troy as she realized Troy's punishment.

"Yeah. Don't worry about me okay?"

Gabriella nodded. And Troy called Zeke. After five minutes, Zeke, Chad and Jason went to fetch the couple.

"Hey! So how are you two?" Chad called to the two people whose hands were intertwined. "Wait a minute! Your hands are connected! Does that mean you guys are like… together?" Chad asked as he was connecting his two index fingers. Jason and Zeke were also waiting for their answer.

Troy looked at Gabby and so did Gabriella. Then Troy looked at his friends and nodded.

"Alright!" Chad called. "Congratulations man! Gabriella, welcome to the club!"

Troy opened the back door for Gabriella. Gabby and Troy slid inside beside Jason. Chad was in the passenger's seat and Zeke was driving. Troy thanked his bestfriends and he returned Chad's phone. They talked on their way home. They dropped Gabriella at her house and Troy bade her goodbye. Then the guys proceeded to Troy's house.

"Man, are you going to be alright? This is the very first time that you ever disobeyed your father that is why we don't know what he's gonna do with you." Chad told his friend sadly.

"I'm going to be okay. Thank you, man. Zeke, Jason, Chad, gotta go. Thank you again!" Then the three bade farewell.

Troy knew that his father and mother might now know what he did so instead of going at the backyard, he decided to confront his parents. As he entered, the lights were turned on.

"Where did you go Troy?" a voice called.

"Mom… I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to disobey you and dad." He told her apologetically.

"Troy, shh… you might wake up your dad."

"What do you mean mom?"

"I saw the clothes you tied up and knew that you escaped. I checked your room and my instincts were proved true. I know that this night is a very important night for you that's why I asked your dad not to check on you in your room because I told him I already checked on you. Now, go up to your room before he gets up and find out that you escaped. " his mom told him.

"Thank you mom. You never know what you did. I really owe you big time!" He told his mom and kissed her in the cheek.

"Yes. That's true. You owe me big time so you have to tell me how your date with Ms. Montez resulted okay? I'll just finish the things I'm finishing as of the moment and I'll check on you okay? Don't you dare sleep on me."

"Sure thing mom." Then he proceeded to his room and changed. He waited for his mom and after a few minutes, his mother came.

"Spill." His mother quickly told him with a smile.

"But how did you know?" Troy asked.

"I just know. You escaped yesterday just to do the callbacks with Ms. Montez and now who else could be the reason why you escaped, right?"

"You're very smart mom." He complimented.

"I know. Well…?"

"Well, I have a girlfriend now."

"Really? I have to meet that lucky girl." She said with a smile

"No mom, I am the one who's lucky to have her."

"You really do like her lot, huh?"

Troy simply nodded. "Don't worry, someday you'll get to meet her."

"You also owe me one song." His mother quickly said.

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't know you sing well. But Gabriella knows. So you have to sing to me. And I mean now."

"You're quite demanding mom but okay, I'll sing since you did me a favor." He said with a laugh.

His mother also laughed and waited for her son to sing.

It's hard to believe

That I couldn't see

You are always there beside me

Thought I was alone

With no one to hold

But you were always right beside me

These feelings like no other

I want you to know

I never had someone

That knows me like you do

The way you do

So lonely before

I finally found

What I've been looking for

"Wow. Bravo! Troy, you sing great." His mother complimented

"Thanks mom."

"Now, go to sleep since you had a long night." His mother said. As soon as Troy was under his blanket now, his mother said, "Goodnight Troy."

"Goodnight mom. Thank you."

His mother simply smiled and went out and back to her own room.

The next day was a Sunday. Troy can't get out of his room but his father returned his cellphone. Since his father thought that he didn't do anything wrong yesterday. That's why all he could do was to text Gabriella or call her minute-to-minute just to hear her voice.

Gabriella was also happy that even though she can't see her boyfriend she could feel him and hear his voice. She asked Kelsi to hang out with her again.

"Hey girlfriend!" Gabriella greeted Kelsi as she opened the door to let Kelsi in.

As soon as Kelsi got inside she asked Gabriella, "Are you alright?"

Gabriella simply nodded and was still feeling in cloud nine.

"So, what happened last night?" Kelsi asked as soon as she sat on Gabriella's bed.

"Well… Troy and I ate dinner…"

"And?"

"And… he let me see the meteor shower last night…"

"Really? There was a meteor shower? Wow! That was so romantic… then…"

"Then…"

"Gabriella, will you please tell me without pauses?"

"Fine… He's my boyfriend now!" Gabriella said fastly.

"What? I didn't catch that…" Kelsi replied.

"Troy Bolton is officially my boyfriend now!" Gabriella slowly said.

Kelsi was stunned. "Oh… my… GOSH! Gabriella! Congratulations! Oh my gosh!"

"Really… Oh my gosh!" Gabriella said acting as if she too can't believe it.

Kelsi and Gabriella lay back on the bed, side-by-side. Kelsi was really happy for Gabby. She was the witness through everything that Gabriella and Troy shared throughout their time as partners for the musical and now, they're together! She was also happy for Troy because Troy was also her friend and she knew that Troy Bolton really fell in love with Gabriella.

"I have an idea, Gabby." Kelsi said as a brilliant idea popped into her mind.

"What?" Gabriella asked as she sat up.

Kelsi too sat up and said, "Why don't you compose a song for Troy?"

"Me? A composer? No, that's your job…"

"No Gabriella. I'm not the guy's girlfriend. Don't worry, I'll help you." Kelsi said. "You'll make Troy happy if you get to finish it and present it to him before graduation…" Kelsi teased.

"Really?" Gabriella looked at her friend and Kelsi nodded. "Okay! Let's start…"

That afternoon, Gabriella and Kelsi worked on their plan. At the end of the day, all that Gabriella and Kelsi did were verses without any music.

"That was tough…" Gabriella said.

"That's how composers work. We do have many things in mind that's why we can get something go confusing but if we are really into it, we get to finish it just in time."

"Now, if we work like that, I think we can't finish this before graduation."

"Hey, don't worry. It's still day one. Just take your time."

"Now, I know how hard it is for you to compose the whole production. Don't worry; I'll work hard for Minnie's role." Gabriella said to make Kelsi smile as a return for her effort in keeping her company for the day.

"Promise?" Kelsi asked. Gabriella nodded. "Thanks. Okay, see you tomorrow at school." Then they bade their farewells and Gabriella closed her front door.

The next day at school, Troy got to school earlier than Gabriella. Instead of getting inside, he waited out in the front door. Then after a few minutes, the next school bus came and Chad and Zeke came to him.

"Hey, waiting for Gabriella?" Chad teased.

"Yep. Just called her. She said she took the school bus." He said.

"Hey, there's the next bus. I think she's in there now." Zeke said. Chad and Troy looked at the direction Zeke was looking. Then Troy caught the figure of his girlfriend.

"Thanks Zeke. See you guys later!" Troy said. Then he walked to Gabriella.

"Okay man!" Chad called back to him and he and Zeke went inside the campus.

Troy walked in front of Gabriella. She was bringing her four hardbound books and her big hip bag.

"Hey baby!" Troy called to her. Then he quickly took the large bag and the four hardbound books then gave Gabriella his almost empty bag.

"Thanks…" Gabriella said after she got his bag. Then she kissed Troy in the cheeks. "How was your day?"

"Fine. Especially now that I saw you." He teased.

"Really?" she teased back.

Troy nodded and asked, "What's with all this stuff?"

"Well, I was doing my research on the mortality of tarantulas. Ms. Franco asked me to do such research since she told me that it could help me get a Scholarship at Brown." She replied.

"Oh…Need help?" Troy asked.

"Nope. I can manage. I know you have your play-offs this Friday, you must focus on that. I don't want my superstar not fit on Friday's game." She smiled as they entered the building.

They didn't know that as they passed, many jealous girls were looking at Gabriella like they would want to kill her.

A/N: hello! new chappy in the house... tnx to all those who reviewed my previous chapters! hope you like the chapter... please send in all your reviews! please tnx!