"Well, love is a gift, a lot of people don't remember that. So, you two better brace yourselves for a whole lotta ugly comin' at you from a neverending parade of stupid"

Motormouth Maybelle - Hairspray

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!" She exclaimed.

Her breath was coming in spasms.

To say she was panicking was an understatement.

"Will you just calm down. It's a fair. You're gonna be fine" Cheryl attempted to sooth her worries. But it wasn't just a fair was it. It was officially a date with Troy Bolton. He was picking her up, and taking her home. She was treating it as a date. She hoped that he saw it the same way.

Well they had kissed right? So technically this would make them on their first date tonight. And fuck, it scared the shit out of her. It really did.

Maybe this would be the night they turned into something more? Her whole body was writhing in anticipation. "No it's not just a fair though is it? Oh my god. What can I wear?"

Since she had moved to Albuquerque she had never been so bothered about clothes in all of her life. But now, she was absolutely obsessed with what she was going to wear. "Gabi, do you seriously think he's gonna care about what you wear?"

Hold on a minute. Who said she was talking about Troy Bolton?

Her eyebrows knitted in confusion. "I can tell what you're thinking. Go out naked he'll like that"

Gabriella shot daggers in her sister's direction. Her eyes scrunching together so tight they were like slits in her head. "Get real"

Cheryl chuckled throatily. Gabriella had been getting ready for around 2 hours. And Troy was scheduled to pick her up within the next half hour and she still hadn't decided what she was going to wear. "Well what do you wanna wear?"

Gabriella narrowed her eyebrows. What kind of a question was that? "If I knew the answer to that I wouldn't be throwing a fit would I?"

Cheryl walked into Gabriella's closet and encouraged her to sit on the edge of the bed. Gabriella was washed over with déjà vu; it was completely inevitable this would always happen. Why the fuck was she so nervous? She had already kissed Troy so what did it matter? It didn't did it?

"Gabriella you're over reacting" She really wasn't! But she thought she would have been alot worse if it would have just been her and Troy going out on a date.

"No I really don't think I am" She picked up the bottle of water that was sitting on the side and took a drink from it to steady her nerves.

All of a sudden a bombard of clothes flew in her direction; her body flinched at the impact of the clothing hitting her. Not that it hurt, it was just a shock. "Now you wear them don't complain and I want to see you downstairs in 5 minutes we'll go through what to do and not to do"

Her eyes widened and her lips stuck together into a straight line. She was stunned by how forceful her sister was. Cheryl's footsteps lightly touched the hardwood but she could still hear the echo of them as they walked closer to the stairs.

"DO IT!" Gabriella laughed lightly at how they were telepathically connected. Well they weren't but it was funny how she knew that Gabriella was still sitting on the bed, the clothes covering her.

10 minutes later, Gabriella found herself sitting on the arm of the couch looking out of the window reflexively to see if Troy was sitting in his car or something, too scared to come in. Yeah, Troy Bolton scared? She was hoping for too much now.

"You ok?" The only masculine voice in the house asked her. Dan was standing in the archway that connected the living room and the conservatory together.

"Yeah, fine" She responded distantly. Her head swivelled to look towards the clock. And she was that nervous and not listening to anyone else she was sure she could hear the loud echo of the tick tock of the pointer turning.

"Okay so what we're going to do is" Cheryl's voice instructed as she walked into room and sat herself on the chair. "When we were growing up your sisters and me, we made up a list of rules to follow when going out with a boy. But only a few apply to you"

Gabriella's eyebrows rose, and as if on cue her other two sisters walked into the room and sat on either arms of the chair that Cheryl was sitting in. A throaty laughed escaped from her pouted lips; they looked like Charlie's Angels or something.

"So do you think she's ready?" Alyssa questioned trying to be serious. Gabriella's entire body tensed up. They were going to talk about the birds and the bees. The talk, oh no. This was something she wasn't prepared for. Of course she had befriends before. She had never had sex but she had done things of the kind and her sisters knew that. So she could scratch that off of the list right?

"I think she is" Phoebe's head swivelled towards Gabriella in a staged kind of motion.

"Be yourself at all times" Cheryl chimed cheerily. Well of course she was going to be herself! Just because she had kissed Troy it didn't mean that she was going to be anything but herself.

"All dates are official." Alyssa informed her, her green eyes were bulging from her head almost as if to hypnotize her into believing the information.

"Yeah so just because you and Troy are going out with everybody else, it's still an official date for the two of you" All of this information was just making her stomach writhe more in fear. She was just kind of treating it to be as just an 'outing' with the rest of the guys but it wasn't.

It was an official date.

"Don't go too far. It's only the first date" What? As if she was going to do what? Have sex with him in the back seat of his car? Well she was pretty sure he could get her to do anything but she wasn't like that.

"What?" She started but she turned to the bay window, the sunset was low and she had to scrunch her eyes the light was so bright. But in the distance she could see a car pulled up on the pavement. And it wasn't just any car.

It was his car.

Her petite body immediately threw itself up from the chair and her chocolate spheres were enlarged from her head.

He was here.

He was here to pick her up.

And then, as if on cue... The door bell rang.

Her frame was shaking; her 'date' was standing through the threshold. The threshold was keeping them apart. She was looking from back and forth to her sisters to the wall where she knew the door was. As if the wall was going to create a hole so she could silently slip through.

An amused smile was plastered on Cheryl's face, her plucked eyebrows were raised amusingly and she darted towards the door. "I'll get it."

Oh no. She was going to answer the door, but she was too cemented to her spot she couldn't move, but she gathered the strength from inside of her and screamed loudly and darted towards the door, just as Cheryl's arm reached out to grab the handle Gabriella's limb reached out and grabbed her arm but it was too late. Cheryl had opened the door.

And there he was.

Her breath was taken away from her throat.

It wasn't like he was wearing anything out of the ordinary.

He was wearing a plain white t-shirt, but it hugged perfectly to the muscles beneath it. For the first time in her life she had begun to wonder what was beneath it. But what attracted her more was the way that the tan skin radiated like a light beneath it; it glowed to say the least. He looked like he had had his hair cut. Infact he had. Or he had it styled differently, she didn't know. He was wearing a pair of dark denim jeans. He seemed to know exactly what to wear to make her drool because she was pretty sure she was doing it. But she also knew what colours would bring out his earth shattering blue eyes.

And white was one of them.

Her lips broke out into a beam, her shiny white teeth dazzling at him as he looked awkwardly into the house. "Hi..." She let out in a breath.

His thin lips tugged into a closed mouth smile. A crooked smile. "Hey..."

Gabriella soon realised that her hand was still rested on her sisters who still had the same amused smile plastered across her face, but instead she was looking at Troy with a lustful eye, wait. Did she think he was hot? That was complete and utter cringe worthy.

"In an emergency, always listen to what you're best friend tells you" Cheryl whispered above Gabriella's waves. Her eyes jumped out of her head. Did she just say that? More importantly, did Troy hear her?

His face was curved upwards in a smirk as if he was undressing her with his eyes. So he didn't hear her. Gabriella smiled triumphantly and slyly manoeuvred her elbow to connect with her sister's stomach causing her to double over. Gabriella laughed slightly, "Come in, I just have to get my coat"

Troy obliged and stepped inside the house. Gabriella walked away and over to the steps. "So you're taking my sister out tonight huh?" No. Fuck no. Her sister was interrogating him. Fuck. She grabbed her coat as quick as possible and practically ran to where Troy was standing before he had the chance to open his mouth.

She could see in his crystal spheres that he was silently thanking her for getting him out of that hell, the hell that was her family. Of course she loved them but fuck, they were embarrassing. "Right. I'm going; I'll call you when I'm on my way home. I love you and don't wait up"

She attempted to get the sentence out so quick so she could get out of the door; she turned her body and backed into Troy's forcing him out of the hell hole. "Uh excuse me" What did she want now? Gabriella groaned, and heard Troy laugh slightly from behind her. She turned her body around to look at her and was met with an amused smirk. "No later than eleven thirty"

Gabriella nodded swiftly, her eyebrows rose in agreement. "Yeah yeah. Love you"

And with that, Gabriella practically threw Troy out of the house and down the steps to his awaiting car that seemed so far away. "BEHAVE!" Cheryl yelled to the two teenagers. Gabriella closed her eyes in embarrassment feeling her cheeks flash crimson, no scratch that. Blood red. She was pretty sure her full face was as red as a beetroot.

The familiar beeping sound of Troy opening his car, he opened the passenger seat and smiled at her. Then realization dawned on her. He hadn't spoken to her, well he had said hey but that was it. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? She folded her legs beneath her and sat on the black leather interior that was his car. There was silence and then she heard the clicking of Troy opening his own door and sitting down. He didn't start the ignition. They just let the comfortable silence wash over the two of them.

Finally unable to take it any longer. "I'm sorry about that. They aren't usually like that I... they just like to embarrass me I guess"

Troy chuckled lightly and grabbed the hand that was resting on the black leather and laced it with his own. "Don't worry about it"

Even his voice was intoxicating to her, even if it wasn't above a whisper. So badly did she just want to rest her lips onto his. It was as if he beat her to it. Sparks radiated from her head to her toes. His thin lips connected with hers. It wasn't a forceful kiss but it leaked with passion, it was gentle and careful. Gabriella's eyes were closed in bliss as she let the sparks take over her body and send tingles down her spine.

"God I wanted to do that since you opened the door." He then leaned away from her and left Gabriella wanting more. She wouldn't be bothered if she didn't even meet her friends at the fair. She could just make out with Troy. She wouldn't even care. He connected the silver keys in the hole and twisted it and Gabriella felt the engine roar to life. Troy's foot put pressure on the gas and the vehicle pulled off and started to drive down the road.

Gabriella had never wanted a journey to last longer.

"So I um, I brought 30 dollars will that be okay?" She questioned and she picked her legs up and rested them slightly on the material so she could look at the god like figure sitting in the driver's seat more closely.

Troy's chestnut eyebrows narrowed in confusion before he turned to look at her slightly but then turned his gaze back onto the road. "I told you we're going together. You won't need any money tonight"

Oh no. He was going to pay for her, wasn't he? He couldn't! She wouldn't let him. "Troy no you can't... I won't"

Troy smiled slightly and his masculine fingers reached over to hers and connected them together bringing them to rest on the gear box, like she was helping him drive the car. "Sssh, I'll pay for you and that's that"

How would he even have the money to pay for the both of them? He didn't have a job did he? Or was he a rich boy? She didn't even know, but better yet why was she thinking about it? "Are you sure I don't wanna be..."

Even though Troy's eyes weren't on hers she could see his eyebrows rising. "Gabi, shush okay. I'll pay for you. This is a date isn't it?"

It was like he was stating that it was a date to her. In the distance of her mind she could hear her sister's voice ringing throughout her ears. "All dates are official". And he had just confirmed it. They were on a date. She thought she actually heard her heart skip a beat at the sound of Gabriella Montez and Troy Bolton being on a date.

"Definitely" She whispered and squeezed his large hand, making Troy smile tightly in response.

"I don't normally say this, and i don't want you to think I'm weird" He squeezed her tiny knuckles beneath his own matching her own actions but Gabriella knew he was silently confirming that he was going to say something about her. "I've been thinking about you all day, and all night last night I couldn't sleep."

Gabriella felt her heart twitch and she broke out into a beam. "I've been thinking about you all day too. And for the record you're not weird, no-body's ever been that sweet to me before"

Troy lifted their enclosed hands and pressed his lips against her cold skin. "You've had boyfriends before right?"

Oh no. Total conversation she didn't want to have. But she was interested in his old girlfriends she was positive that there would be a fair few but she was still curious. "One"

Troy didn't seem to be satisfied with her answer, his whole face frowned. "Just one?"

Gabriella sighed and nodded slowly. "Just one" She whispered and she could feel the two crystal blue eyes drilling into the side of her face, but for once she didn't want to meet them.

"I find that hard to believe. You're absolutely beautiful. What happened?" Gabriella felt her face blush crimson. He said she was beautiful. Although she was in the middle of a conversation she really didn't want to have, he just said she was beautiful. He had said she was gorgeous but now he said she was beautiful. Her heart was on cloud nine. Nothing could have brought her down.

"It was just a rough break up" She explained. Troy must have sensed that she didn't want to go any further as he nodded solemnly before turning the car and halting it on the gravel. In the distance she could see the outlines of 5 people standing around the entrance.

The bright lights illuminated the fair. She could see the reflection of them in Troy's beautiful eyes. "Come on then"

Gabriella sighed in disappointment that the journey was over. That was the last time she would spend with Troy alone for a couple of hours.

She officially couldn't wait for the ride home.

An hour later Gabriella, Troy, Taylor, Zeke, Sharpay, Kelsi and Chad were all sitting on a bench eating burgers, Gabriella and Sharpay were sat tightly on the end of the bench so no one else could hear what the two were saying.

"Its next week" Sharpay informed her and Gabriella saw her eyes haze over in a clear liquid.

"You sure it's what you want?" Gabriella picked up her burger and took a bite out of it, Sharpay nodded slightly.

"Yeah, it's what I want" Gabriella had learnt that Sharpay still hadn't informed anybody else her pregnancy. She had told her that she was going to do it in her own time. She just needed to deal with it herself first.

"Hey" An exasperated voice came from behind her before jumping down at the side of her and touching his hand against her leg. From the impulses and sparks she was feeling she could tell that it was Troy straight away. The only thing that worried her was how long had he been stood there? Had he listened to her and Sharpay?

"So are we all going on the big wheel huh?" Chad called enthusiastically. "Come on Evan's you've been quiet all night what's wrong?"

Sharpay's eyebrows rose and fell, her lips pouted together, Zeke was looking at her with pure concern written on his face. But Gabriella knew, from what Sharpay had told Gabriella it was a rule that they weren't allowed to communicate with one another infront of everyone else, well not in any way other than a friend. Stupid? Gabriella thought so too.

"Nothing. Everything's great. Fabulous" Sharpay's tired milky brown eyes were trained onto the burger that was sitting infront of her that had gone untouched.

Nobody seemed satisfied with Sharpay's answer but they seemed to drop it. Chad picked up his burger and bit into it, and a drop of ketchup fell onto his t-shirt. "Fuck!" He groaned, trying to wipe it off but he only smudged it and it stood out like a sore thumb. "Hoops have you sent you're application off for U of A yet?"

Gabriella knew that Troy was looking at going to U of A, he had told her so. And he was like, amazing at basketball so he deserved it. Troy cleared any congestion from his throat and the hand that was resting above Gabriella's knee beneath the table began to draw circles soothingly. But she didn't need soothing did she? "Um... not yet"

Chad seemed to be alarmed at Troy's response. "So are we going on the wheel then?" Taylor seemed to sense that there would be an unwanted conversation washing over the group of them.

Gabriella teamed up with Troy and sat in a basket on the wheel and as soon as she sat down she felt her insecurities rise. She was scared of heights.

Really terrified.

"What is it?" He seemed to know that she was feeling insecure, her eyes turned to look at him. Rather than looking down.

"Would you hold it against me if I said that I was afraid of heights" Gabriella laughed lightly not knowing what else to do. It was more of a nervous laugh.

Troy wrapped his arm around her and she felt his muscle contract around her shoulder. He hugged her closer to him and her head rested against the left hand side of his chest, in the distance she could hear his heart beating. In perfect sync with her own. "Never"

Troy pressed a kiss onto the cushion of her black hair. "So what was that about college?"

He sighed deeply and kept Gabriella's head pressed against his chest. As if he was trying to shield her from the height or weather he was just holding her close to him so he could take as much of her in as he possibly could. "I'm just confused about what to do, where to go. You know?"

Gabriella hadn't even thought about college. She had thought that she would probably take a year out after she had graduated from school and then think about college then because she had only just settled in Albuquerque so she didn't want to be moving again. "This is simple. Close your eyes"

Troy obeyed her and closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "Look right back into your mind" She whispered, but even over the wind that was whipping over the two he seemed to close his eyes even tighter. "What do you feel like you're born for?"

Troy opened his eyes and Gabriella pulled her body from his embrace to look him in the eye. "Basketball, of course"

Gabriella smiled tightly and lowered herself back down onto Troy's waiting embrace. "Well there you go then"

Gabriella swore she heard Troy smile from above her. "You're not looking down right?"

Well that comment just made her want to look down. Her head lifted from Troy's stone chest and looked down. Her eyes jumped in fright and her body stiffened. Troy manoeuvred his body so his chest was touching her arm and she felt it vibrate as he laughed over her.

"Come here." He coaxed, but she didn't have to go anywhere near him, the built trunk of his body hovered over her as he gingerly grabbed her chin and pulled her face to him. His lips pressed to hers, it wasn't a hunger kiss, but it was just as good.

Troy moved his hand from her chin and rested it on the curve of her hip. Gabriella breathed into the kiss and she pushed her groin up against his.

And he was as hard as rock.

She felt a proud smile onto her face. She had made him hard. Little Gabriella Montez had made the mighty Troy Bolton hard, and it wasn't the first time but who was counting? His tongue ran over her bottom lip, asking her for entrance. She didn't even think about rejecting him and pushed her own tongue into his mouth. The sparks she was filling just about killed the fear of looking down. But it felt dangerous at the same time, but safe.

She felt safe.

She had once been to a valentines fair with her sisters and grams and she went on the big wheel and it broke down at the top. When she was at the top, she had never cried so much in all of her life. She wouldn't have been more scared if a murderer was chasing her.

She hadn't been on one since.

Troy's hands were now running down her side and her arms were wrapped around his neck playing with the stray hairs. Her fingers were taking turn in making a rhythm against his golden skin. He reluctantly pulled away from her but he was still close enough that she could hear his hot hitched breathing from above her. "I could kiss you forever"

As the words left his mouth she felt them tickle against his skin in the form of his hot breath. She smiled in response and her nostrils flared at the same time. "Forever works for me"

Troy chuckled lightly and pressed their lips together. They lingered there for a minute, but she wouldn't have traded it for anything. "Gabi, I...I...w-want you"

Oh no. He wanted to have sex with her on the big wheel. Her eyes bulged in surprised and his did also, his mouth opened as if he wanted to speak but the words weren't leaving, his beautiful head shook rapidly. "No.... fuck no I didn't mean that, I mean, fuck I'm sorry. I just... Gabi...I"

This was it. Was he going to ask her out? What was he doing? Her body was writhing and waiting in anticipation.

He smiled gingerly and inhaled a deep breath, his eyes closed in the process. "I know this sounds cheesy, but do you wanna be together like as in a couple?"

Gabriella's heart was soaring through the sky like a shooting star, it was out, and it was up there. And she never wanted it to come back down. All sources of oxygen were cut from her lungs and the cavern of her mouth dried up like the Sahara desert. Seconds were turning into hours as she looked at him dumbfounded. She felt like a child at 18 months old learning how to talk. She could think of what she wanted to say YES!!! In her mind but saying it wasn't working.

Suddenly a beam broke out onto her face, and her thin arms threw themselves around his sturdy neck. She felt his own hands wrap around the small of her back producing warmth. "Of course I will"

Troy pulled his sturdy body away from hers momentarily to look at her like she was crazy. "Really?"

Now it was her turn to look at him like he was crazy. As if he was asking her if she meant it. It wasn't every day a sex god like Troy Bolton asked a girl like her out. "Why would you doubt me?" She chuckled.

His hypnotic laugh escaped from his lips and he pressed his electric lips to her forehead. Gabriella closed her eyes in response.

She had a boyfriend.

Troy Bolton was her boyfriend.

"I guess that makes you my girlfriend then?" He smiled blissfully as Gabriella tried her best to look down but his grip was tightened around her like he would never see her again.

Gabriella smiled blissfully and closed her eyes before speaking. "I wouldn't have it any other way"

A/N: I liked this chapter I had a lot of fun writing it! I hope you guys did too! Thanks for reading and reviewing and you know what to do :)