ENJOy! ;)

Carmella turned to look at the boy before her. His gentleness and melodic voice that she found herself lost in. His eyes illuminated him and made him stand out from all the rest; he was truly something special.

"Then, you don't have to." She said loud enough for him to hear.

Unsure of whether or not he should speak another word, Troy remained standing still until Carmella simply smiled and walked the other way. Without breaking his gaze of her, he turned towards his locker and felt something tug at his lips; he smiled. The kiss was never a mistake and he should've never thought of it that way. It was just one kiss that would lead to the two teenagers coming closer.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Lunch arrived and Troy was relieved because he had to get away from all the lectures and reading and writing and all the stuff you learn to do in school. The walls of the cafeteria were covered with banners advertising the school dance. It was homecoming soon and the week after that, basketball started. Although, the lunch was never delicious, at least it was sanitary, or so they thought. Today they would have macaroni and cheese, not melted cheese, hard cheese with an occasional uncooked piece of macaroni. Delicious as it may seem, he didn't want to eat. Troy walked over to the table where his basketball team mates sat and silence immediately took over the table. He hadn't sat with them since Gabriella's death. In fact, he had barely spoken to them or even seen them.

"Hey, guys." He said and they simply nodded.

A chorus of 'hey's and 'what's up's were heard throughout the table. After a few minutes the team quickly changed the topic and carried on with individual as well as group conversations in which Troy didn't participate in but only observed. Jason talked about his recent date with Kelsi, Zeke talked about how Sharpay adored his cookies, and Chad talked about basketball strategies with a few other guys. Troy sat scanning the room for her. And then he saw the light blue ribbon that held her hair in a soft pony tail with dangling black curls and then he couldn't hear what his teammates were talking about anymore; he could just hear her giggles as she talked with Kelsi, apparently her new friend.

"And then Jason made his glass fall onto his pants!" Kelsi said and Carmella laughed. "He is so clumsy but it just makes him so much more adorable." She continued.

"Did he ask you out on another date?" Carmella questioned and Kelsi looked at her shoes with a small grin.

"Yes."

"Oooh! Is he going to trip over himself this time?" She teased and Kelsi simply nudged her.

"I just realized! I have a Drama Meeting right now, during lunch." Kelsi informed her. "I'm sorry, Mella." She apologized and Carmella uneasily shook it off and the two girls were separated. She looked around the room for somewhere to sit. There was the artsy people, the smart people, the cheerleaders, jocks, and then the empty table where the drama kids usually sat at. Carmella made her way there but then saw the druggies all sit down there before she could put her tray down. She sighed and decided that it would be the bathroom today.

"Carmella." A familiar voice said from behind and her face broke out in excitement. She turned around to find Troy and his cobalt eyes before her. "Are you busy right now?"

"Not at all." She threw her food out. It's not like she really wanted to eat the hard macaroni and cheese.

"I want to show you something. I only showed it to your sister once; you'll probably like it, too." Troy grabbed her hand and pulled her through the hallways until they came to a set of stairs that seemed to be long forgotten in the back of the school. "Watch your step the stairs aren't very even." He still didn't let go of her and she only squeezed his hand tighter and tighter. He pushed the door at the top of the dusty stairs open and a breathtaking view took over their eyes.

The outdoor room was covered with plants and flowers. Roses, daffodils, and daisies were found everywhere you turned. There was also a quaint little bench near the corner with leaves hanging from above. "It's beautiful." Carmella said as she took a seat on the bench. Troy sat down next to her and watched her eyes widen with every glance. "Thanks, Troy."

"For what?"

"For showing me this place. It probably means a lot to you. You're one of the only people who has ever actually cared about me and you didn't even have to." Carmella said and Troy just looked into her chocolate eyes and felt that she also was losing herself in his.

(FLASHBACK)

"My parents' friends are always saying 'Your sons the basketball guy you must be so proud'." Troy thought to himself. He passed his hands on the metal pole as Gabriella looked at him understandingly. "Sometime's I don't want to be the 'basketball guy' I just want to be…a guy."

"I saw the way you treated Kelsi at the audition yesterday. Do your friends know that guy?" Gabriella suggested intelligently as she walked to the bench.

"To them I'm the playmaker dude." He stated plainly arguing his point.

" Then they don't know enough about you, Troy." She explained. Seeing that he was still unconvinced she attempted again. "At my other schools I was the freaky math girl. It's cool coming here and being anyone I want to be." Troy smiled. "When I was singing with you I just felt like…a girl."

"You even look like one too." He said jokingly and Gabriella giggled softly. He made his way over to her and awkwardly sat down but she welcomed him.

"Do you remember in kindergarten how you'd meet a kid and know nothing about them and then ten seconds later you were playing like you were best friends? Because you didn't have to be anyone but yourself? Singing with you felt like that."

(END FLASHBACK)

"I don't want to forget." Troy said involuntarily. Carmella had been leaning on him on the bench, her head gently laying on his chest. He breathed in her scent and he almost melted with the smell. Vanilla.

"What?" She lifted her head.

"Nothing." He pulled her closer to his body and kissed her forehead. Carmella closed her eyes feeling the breeze hit her eyelids.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"I've never been to a dance!" Carmella said pointing towards the banners while walking next to Kelsi. They were making their way to last period when they passed the red and white banner. "I mean my parents never let me go."

"But they have to let you go to this one!" Kelsi exclaimed.

"Oh, definitely! Let's just say my 'parents' had a change of heart." Said Carmella with a sly smile on her face. "So did Jason ask you yet?"

"I don't think he's going to. He didn't really pay attention to me today." Frowned Kelsi. She looked over her body to see if anything was missing. Kelsi rearranged her coat and straightened her glasses to look presentable. "Is it because I'm a dork?" she asked.

Carmella looked over at her astonishingly. "Of course not! And anyway any guy that would turn you down because of popularity isn't the right guy. Trust me, Kels, he'll ask you." She reassured and Kelsi was smiling again.

"You on the other hand have Troy Bolton eating out of the palm of your hand." Kelsi teased. "Don't pretend like you don't know. I saw you, two all flirty!" she said excitedly and Carmella just shook her head and denied it. Troy didn't really have eyes for her, and with all the girls at this school he would certainly pick one of them before her. She wondered if Troy even went to dances.

"He's just a friend." She dismissed the thought.

"Sure." Kelsi replied knowingly. You could tell from her eyes that she at least wanted Troy to ask her to the dance. For him to hold her in his arms once more and sway to a beautiful melody and at the end of the night he would kiss her. A kiss even better than the one he had already given her combined with the moment in his secret hideout.

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