Hey guys! This chapter is fairly short. I'm not really sure what people will think about it, but don't worry. It's making my story longer. I've decided to put reviews up of the next chapter at the end of the chapters if you know what I mean. This chapter was supposed to turn out very differently, it was supposed to be complete Troyella fluff... but where's the fun and drama in that?

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Read, Enjoy and Review!

It had been two days since everything had happened with Troy. He had went while I was asleep, as Michelle had wanted him home for eight and it was seven thirty. He left a note to explain his absense on my nightstand, which I put in my drawer as I couldn't quite bring myself to throw it away. I looked around my room and my eyes drifted to the clock before I sighed. Six thirty, I had to get up and get ready for work.

After I showered I pushed open the door to my closet. I made my way across the cream coloured, thick carpet and opened the glossy white doors which hid racks of clothes. I pulled out my favourite soft, white, long sleeved blouse and laid it out on my small couch which was in my room. I pulled my black, satin Miu Miu high waisted skirt off a wooden hanger and laid it down with it.

When my hair was dry and my make-up was on my face covering all imperfections, I pulled on the blouse and fastened every button. It was about seven. Hopefully I'll not have much to do at work and nobody will come bothering me so I can just nap on my couch. Again.

I pulled my favourite work skirt up to waist height where it was designed to reach and reached for the zipper.

Shit.

It doesn't go up. Perfect.

I tugged on it furiously, determind to make the damn, favourite skirt fit.

"Bastard," I hissed. "Just fucking go up,"

I attempted the button which was at the top of it.

Either the skirt's shrunk or I've grown. After ten minutes of trying to do the bastard zip, which probably thought it was quite amusing, I sighed viciously and pulled it off and grumpily threw it on the couch before storming into my closet. I ripped another high waisted, satin, black skirt off the hanger and pulled it up to waist height. I pulled up the zipper and did the small button. I stepped into my black, glossy platform heels. I grabbed my black, DKNY jacket and held it as I snatched my Marc Jacobs suede bag off the counter, making sure I had everything I needed and slamming the door behind me.

I reached the office with my irritated face on and got into the lift. Nobody really got in my way. They could see I was annoyed and instantly knew to shut up and look busy and not annoy me. I slammed the door behind me and sunk into my office hair, the annoying skirt poking me in the ribs. My Miu Miu one doesn't fucking poke me in the ribs does it? No. It doesn't.

I heard a knock at my door and put on a slightly nicer face. Slightly. Not much.

"Come in," I yelled. Emma came in with a box of donuts and Starbucks.

"Morning Miss Montez," she said. "I've got your coffee and your donut."

"Thank you," I said nicely, since she was doing me a favour. I picked my usual donut out of the box she was holding open and put it on a napkin and took my steaming coffee in the white and green cup from her.

"You're welcome," she said, walking out and closing the door behind her. I needed my morning coffee. It awoke me, energized me, and soothed me at the same time. I logged onto my computer.

Password change.

SHITSKIRT. I entered and the little pop-up confirming it came up and I pressed 'Ok'.

I looked at my donut, taunting me. As if that's what I need when my favourite skirt wont fit. I picked it up, debating whether to eat it, or throw it away.

Miu Miu skirt.

Donut.

Skirt.

Donut.

Skirt.

Donut.

Trash can it goes.

I sighed and felt my tastebuds going crazy. I could feel them shouting at me to get it back out. But I couldn't, the skirt poking me in the ribs was mocking me, telling me to suck it up, as the skirt is more valuable.

Another knock came to my door.

"Come in," I shouted, slightly proud of myself for not eating the sugary, sweet snack.

"Hey," Sharpay said, popping her head around the door.

"Um, Sharpay, when I say come in, I don't just mean your head. Your whole body is included."

"I know," she said, shrugging and walking in shutting the door behind her. She flopped down on to my couch. "I've not got much work to do, so I figured I'm come and see you."

"How generous." I commented sarcastically. "You could always help someone with their work if you don't have much."

"Let them do it themselves. Hard work and determination is what this office needs." she said.

"If that's the case you would have been fired years ago." I commented.

"I do work hard!" she said. "Sometimes, I like, take it to the next level. I do some work at home sometimes." she reasoned. "Infact, I think I deserve a raise."

"You wish." I said, scanning through a crappy e-mail for stuff that I might actually care about before closing it off and going onto the Bloomingdales website.

"You going to the gym tonight?" she said, changing to a different topic.

"Yep," I said enthusiastically, browsing the make-up pages for a certain eyeliner that I wanted.

"It's Pilates," she moaned. "I can't be bothered, but I know if I get out of my routine, I wont get back into it."

"Mmm," I replied. "Be alright."

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Sharpay and I talked and laughed while walking though the office at the beginning on lunch. Michelle was putting on her jacket and putting things in her bag.

"Hey, you coming to lunch with us?" I asked curiously.

"No, sorry. Troy's taking me out for lunch." she said.

My stomach flipped and my skin burned as his name came from her mouth. Not that I was jealous. After all, he was rightfully her girlfriend.

"Ah, right." I said. The elevator pinged and the doors opened. It was him. He came out in black jeans and a white t-shirt with a black leather jacket.

"Hey," he said, kissing Michelle's cheek. He looked at me and akwardly looked away. "So, you ready to go?"

"Just," she said, picking up her bag and throwing it over her shoulder. "I'll see you guys later, otherwise tonight. You guys still going to Pilates?"

"Yeah," we both said casually.

"Alright, well I'll see you then. See you, guys." she said, turning around and walking away with Troy, who slipped his hand on her back. My teeth gritted instantly, and I parted them with great difficulty. We got into the other elevator and went to a small resteraunt opposite the building for lunch. It was quiet, small, secretive and exclusive.

"So, how's everything with Zeke?" I asked Sharpay as I pierced a couple fries onto my fork and put them into my mouth.

"It's great, we're thinking of expanding Baylors." she said.

"Really?" I asked after I swallowed my food.

"We're not sure though. If we have a couple more stores in Los Angeles first, then California, then states, then that'll be awesome for both of us. I could quit my job, no offence." she added. "I could just be one of those stay at home wives." she dreamed. "But Baylor's is kind of exclusive and small and it's great as it is. Right now it's like a resteraunt which people talk about but people are like, booking reservations weeks in advance. It won't be like that if there's more than one, will it?"

"I get what you mean." I nodded.

"So," she said, giving me a mischevious smile, which kind of creeped me out. "How's everything playing with you and Troy?"

I sighed.

"Sharpay, I know you love the drama of it, and believe me, it'd be great to be with Tory again."

"Exactly! It's great for both of us!" she said.

"But think about it. Troy and Michelle are doing fine as it is. I don't want to break them up. I don't want to be the home wrecking slutty whore that comes in and ruins everything they had."

"But, it's Troy. You knew him first. You had him first."

"But I let him go." I said.

"Gabriella, it would be great if you dated Troy again. Imagine it."

I imagined falling asleep to his face as he played with my hair, then waking up the next day to his face with his arms wrapped around my waist firmly.

I wanted it.

But I couldn't have it.

I shook it from my mind.

"Sharpay, I'm not a home wrecker. I can't do it, you know me. Troy loves Michelle, and Michelle loves her. Michelle see's me as a great friend, and she's a great friend to me, too. I can't just betray her. Especially in the worst way I possibly could."

"Well," she said before sighing. "I guess you're right. But, it's just, I know you really like Troy. Gabriella, they've been dating for years. What if they take things further. What if Troy thinks Michelle is the one? He'll ask her to marry him, and she'll say yes, and you'll be sat at the back of the church thinking 'that could have been me'."

"Sharpay," I said, practically speechless. I didn't want to think of the scene she just pictured out for me.

We ate our food practically in silence. Then I thought.

What if Troy does ask Michelle to marry him? What if I am left behind. The high school girlfriend. Left in the past. Never to be mentioned again.

Where will I go from there? What if he's not feeling the same for me? Here I am, practically falling in love with him all over again. What if he's not falling in love with me back? I'm here, thinking I'm meaning something to him in his life. A dirty, thrilling little secret. I don't want to just be some little thing he can have when he's bored of his girlfriend. He must think I'm practically waiting for him. I'll always be here.

Well I wont.

"What are you doing Friday night?" I asked Sharpay.

"Nothing..." she replied.

"We're going out. I need a guy."

She gave a mischevious smile. Again, creepy.

"I think that can be arranged."

The waitor took away our plates and we paid, making it back to work unusually on time. We usually only got back a good twenty minutes after we were supposed to get back to work. Atleast we didn't get stuck in the rush like we always did. In the building, there were fifteen floors, all for different parts of the company. It was one of the most important buildings in the whole of the country. Each floor had different assigned times for lunch in forty five minute intervals, so hundreds of people weren't trying to get out at once. Clever? I came up with it after my first week of experiencing the rush to get in and out.

I stood by Sharpay's desk and we talked for the remaining few minutes of the lunch hour. Well I should really say three quarters of an hour. The elevator pinged and Troy and Michelle came in, laughing and smiling.

'I'm not just waiting around for you.' I thought to myself as I saw him.

"Hey Gabriella," she said inbetween laughs. She burst out in hysterics again and Troy had an amused grin on his face. I stood still with a straight face. "Gabs, can I get out of work early today? I've got this big hunk to tend to."

My jealousy took over me.

"Have you got any work left?"

"Tons!" she said. "Can you distribute it out by any chance?"

I gritted my teeth.

"Michelle, you may be my friend, but I'm your boss first. So you aren't getting out early, you're staying until it's closing time. As for your assigned work, that's work for you to do, and you know the rules, you have to finish that work by the end of the day, or you stay late. I'm not having slacking off in my office." I calmly explained, but the irritation could see easily be seen in my voice.

She frowned at me.

"What's up with you?" she asked.

"Excuse me, you seem to keep forgetting. When we're at work, I'm your boss. You don't speak to me like a friend. You get on with your work like you're supposed to. You got that?" I said, trying to keep calm.

"Got it." she said quietly, confused and taken aback.

"Now, last time I checked this isn't a hospital. I don't think it's visiting time, so Troy will have to go." I said.

She frowned at me again at I gave her a piercing look. She wiped it away quickly and looked at Troy before mumbling a goodbye. He smiled at her briefly and gave me a weird look that made me feel slightly angrier.

"Gabriella," Michelle started, with a concerned look.

"Miss Montez, it's the office." I said, walking away and going into the office, slamming the door behind me. I felt like punching the mirror so hard the glass would break. I felt like picking up that damn flower pot and throwing it against the wall. My phone buzzed in my bag and I looked at it.

Troy (text)

My phone read. I breathed out through my nose and looked at it.

What the fuck was that all about?

I didn't know what to reply. He was mad at me. I could tell, and it was all because of her. I pressed clear to the conversation and turned off my phone and sunk down into my chair.

I felt like I'd been used. I was once his favourite. I was his number one priority once. Now I'm old news. He has a new, glossy, Los Angeles born and bred woman. I was like a quick fuck. An easy lay. I bet that was it. He wasn't falling for me. Why would he. I'm just some old Alberquerque girl who can't even fit into a Miu Miu skirt anymore.

Hope you liked my chapter! Review if you did!

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Here's a preview of the next chapter!

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Suddenly, a body collided with mine and I was on the floor. He turned around and crouched down to help me up.

"I'm so sorry," he said.

"It's fine, it's fine." I insisted, getting onto my feet. I crouched down with him and we picked up the contents of my purse while Sharpay held onto my dress.

"I really am sorry, I should look where I'm going." he apologized again.

"It's fine," I said, looking up as he did. His eyes were an amazing brown, which allured you. His face was tanned and his hair was dark brown, almost black. He flashed his white smile at me, and I instantly returned it.

My eyes darted away and he cleared his throat, stretching out his legs and becoming full height again, as did I.

"Gabriella," I said, holding my hand out to him.

"Matt." he replied, taking my hand.

"Well, nice to meet you." I said, still amazed by how someone's eyes could be that... distracting. His hands were strong, yet they were soft, warm and smooth. His face was gorgeous. His jaw was masculine.

"You too, Gabriella." he said, my name rolling off his tounge perfectly.