It's not the end of the 1st of January yet (at leats here it isn't) so I almsot kept my promise form the very beginning of this story. The one promise however, that I simply can't keep, is to keep this A/N short, because I have an awful lot of thanking to do, not to mention the usual dedications.

Firstly, I'd like to thank all of my First Time readers and reviewers, I was telling the complete and utter truth when I said that it was them who inspired me to write this. Secondly, I'd like to thank a few of you amazing reviewers who have consistently been complimenting me for so long, btu who i couldn;t dedicate to more than once because i've had so many othe rpeople to dedicate to. These people are: xoxstargazerxoxomgitzzzzzzJennyHSMLUVER218heebeejeebeesMoreThanUMoreThanMeScRuPuLoUsBoSoxFanatici heart hairspray and mysupermanwillcome. It's you guys that I looked to every single time that I felt like giving up on this story, and I am bein completely honest. Lastly, I'd like to thank my friends who read my fanfiction stuff, I only know about 4 of you, but I appreciate it, ods are none of you will read this anyway, but still, just in case you didn't know how much my writing and the fact that you bother to waste your time reading it means to me. So thanks, all of you.

I also know that I made that sound like a really big thing, but hoensly this story has been very close to my heart ever since that very first (actual) chapter where I got more reviews than I could dedicate to the next chapter, which is why I've ended up with 5 to dedicate to now!

Dedicated to CJ.xox.Dancerella because she sob-bed, xokylersxo because her entire review consisted of the words 'aww' and 'cute', Con-foosed because I think she gave me the only bit of (contructive) criticism I've recieved for this story, adorkabletwenty7 because she asked her bus driver to wait so that she could finsih reading this (and the bus driver did!) and heavensent666 because I think it'd be terrible to have me as the author of your life, imagine the spelling mistakes! plus, i'd probably kill you if i was in a bad mood or desert you when i couldn't think of anything new or exciting for you to do.

But MOSTLY, who would be my BEST FRIEND and NEVERBREAK my HEART…

Gabriella and Troy sat at a picnic table surrounded by their friends. Chad, Taylor, Jason, Zeke, Kelsi and a few others were all squashed onto the uncomfortable wooden bench, all eating and chatting happily together. Gabriella wasn't sure if it was just her, but it seemed awfully like everyone was trying to make her and Troy fel as awkward as possible, with constant mentions of their relationship and even bets being placed on how far they'd gone, not that anyone bothered to ask.

Troy snuck a sideways look at his girlfriend as Chad loudly proclaimed that he'd once walked in on and Troy and Gabi making out, both of them topless, this, of course, was greeted by much laughter and patting on the back from his friends, but a distinct awkwardness and many mildly disturbed expressions from Gabriella's. She really didn't look very happy in his opinion, and hadn't eaten or spoken much for a while.

"But I mean, she'd seen you shirtless before, hadn't she?" Chad asked Troy, not bothering to keep his voice down at all.

"Well duh, he plays basketball man, he spends like half his life without a shirt on." Jason's comment caused more laughs and sniggers, and Troy could almost see Gabriella actually shrinking on her place on the bench. Kelsi was looking at her too, and shot Troy a quick concerned look before turning away again.

"On that lovely note," Troy began sarcastically, shoving Chad none too gently as he struggled to get off the bench. "I think I've got to be going, after all, time is of the essence, especially when I have some shirtless basketball to play." The bitter tone in his voice rang very noticeably through the assembled crowd, all of whom looked away guiltily, as if now feeling bad for laughing before.

"C'mon Troy, there's no reason to go yet." Chad pointed out, grabbing the base of friend's shirt and pulling him back to the bench.

"Yes there is." Troy shot back, almost angrily but not quite. Everyone was silent as Troy pried Chad's hand from him and stepped out of arms distance, glaring around at his friends before his eyes rested on Gabriella.

If anything, she'd shrunk even further into her bench since he'd last snuck a glance at her, which had been all of a minute ago in reality, but strangely enough felt like an awful lot longer. Troy gave a sort of half shrug at her, vaguely motioning for her to stand so that they could leave, but her dark eyes were fixed down onto the table; it seemed she'd barely noticed the sudden silence within the group. Beside her, Kelsi looked awkward and slightly confused at the sudden change in atmosphere, but helped by giving Gabriella a discreet nudge in the stomach, which apparently awoke her to what was going on around her. She frowned questioningly at Troy, who inclined his head towards the rest of the park behind them, attempting to communicate his desire for some time alone. Innocent time in which he didn't wish to do anything besides talk… or at least he didn't intend to, that didn't necessarily mean that he wouldn't if the opportunity arose. Nodding in a noncommittal way, Gabriella also stood (with difficulty) and walked quickly over to Troy, trying to ignore the prickling on the back of her neck that told her that everyone's eyes were fixed on her and Troy's retreating backs.

"What happened?" She whispered to Troy, finding his ear in the pretence of brushing some hair off his forehead.

"Chad was getting a little too excited…" was all that he muttered before looking back a shooting Chad one moire glare, which the afro-haired boy gladly returned. Gabriella managed an apologetic glance back at the now muttering group before her and Troy disappeared behind a small cluster of trees.

Troy sped up once he knew they were out of sight, leaving Gabriella behind a little as she jogged to keep up.

"Troy?" she asked quietly, hurrying along in his apparently angry wake. "Troy, what's wrong?" He still ignored her, and, if anything sped up a little. "Troy!" Gabriella's loud voice was heard from the people back at the table, who all stopped speaking and tried to see the couple.

Troy had stopped walking and was now standing still on the winding gravel path that led through the park. His form was rising and falling heavily, as though he was panting or breathing hard.

"Troy?" Gabriella's voice came again, softer and more concerned than before. He turned around to look at her, the angry gleam apparent in his sharp blue eyes as he looked deep into her chocolate brown ones.

"What?" he asked, his tone blank and empty of any feeling. Her face fell as she approached him slowly, worried that he might run away again.

"That's just it Troy- what? Please tell me what's wrong, because I know that you're angry. What is it?" She stopped a metre or so away from him, teetering on the spot between her heart's wish to be closer to him and her brain's thoughts to stay a small distance away; she'd never seen him this angry before and it scared her. He let out a frustrated noise and closed the distance between them, grabbing both her hand in his and squeezing them tight.

"You didn't hear them, did you?" He asked, his tone still dull. She shook her head slowly, trying to flinch at the tightness of his grip on her hands. "They were betting on us, talking about us, prying. I don't even know why…" he trailed off and looked down, resentment clear in his tone this time. Gabriella pulled one of her hands out of his and brought it to his cheek, caressing it softly as she murmured her answer.

"Why does it matter Troy? Why do you even care?" He turned his head away from her hand, but she wasn't put off and just moved her hand with him, still rubbing small circles into his cheek. "People are always going to talk about you. You're the basketball champion and the winter musical star, nothing you say or do is going to stop the bets and the rumours and the whisperings."

"But they're our friends, Gabi! They of all people should know-"

"Know what?" she interrupted sharply, cutting him off and causing him to flinch in surprise. "Know what it feels like to be in love, know about all the pressure and everything that comes from something as serious as this? Don't be silly, they have twice as much reason to talk about it as everyone else does, because they know how deep we're in this and how serious we are about it."

"How can they know when even I don't?" Troy muttered, almost as if eh was complaining.

"It's probably easier to see from the outside." Gabriella answered, shrugging it off as if it wasn't important anyway. "Besides, isn't it more fun when you don't know?"

"No, it isn't." Troy was still grumbling and refusing to look her in the eye. Gabriella held back a laugh and brought her lips up to meet his, not at all worried when he didn't respond to her mildly suggestive kiss. Eventually she pulled away, smiling brightly as if she didn't have a worry in the world.

"Troy, I honestly can't believe I'm saying this to you, but lighten up! It's the holidays and we're with our friends and having fun." He gave a dry chuckle at the last part.

"Fun?"

"Troy…" she said, drawing out his name. "Cheer up, why did you even want to leave the table to begin with?" She asked, trying to change the subject as she continued their way along the path, pulling him with her.

"Because they were all whispering and betting, like I said." He knew she was trying to change the subject to something a little lighter, but couldn't help taking the bait; somewhere deep inside he did want to be happy, he just wasn't ready to acknowledge that yet and let his friends off so easily.

"But we whisper and bet, and they don't get all angry at us."

"That's different…"

"How?" Troy was silent, and Gabriella could tell that he was looking for an argument.

"It just is."

"You just want to be angry at them."

"Do not."

"Yes you do. You just want a reason to be able to do something, and you don't like being the underdog."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked, stopping and pulling her towards him.

"You don't like not being the boss, you don't like being the one who's being made fun of. You're used to being on top." Neither of them could help smirking at this comment, as it brought back memories of a rather embarrassing event a few days ago including them, a brief conversation between kisses and a non-soundproof door. Needless to say it had been hilariously mortifying at the time.

"Maybe I am." He almost purred, his voice dangerously low and silky. Gabriella let out an involuntary giggle as he backed her up against a tree and fixed her with his very intense blue eyes.

"Maybe?" she repeated, her eyes shining mischievously. He cocked his head to the side and raised his eyebrows, vaguely resembling a confused puppy- at least in his girlfriend's eyes.

"No, not just maybe." He decided, finalising it by attacking her lips so ferociously that for a moment her lips were numb from the raw pressure being forced upon them. Soon enough though, Gabriella had adjusted to the new level of passion and let Troy take over, simply wrapping her arms around his neck (although letting herself slip one under his shirt onto his back) and allowed him to creep both hands under her top and up to her stomach, where one paused to massage lightly and the other kept on its steady course up.

"You know Troy," Gabriella said, pulling back and panting slightly as he took the opportunity to start on her neck. "I don't think I ever though you had this side, back when we were just friends." He pulled away and smirked at her.

"When exactly were we friends?"

"Really early on, you know, like ages ago." She said, emphasising the last words.

"You didn't you I could be so-?"

"On top…" she finished, smiling cheekily. He smiled back and nodded in agreement.

"Not all that many people know."

" 'All that many'?" Gabriella mimicked in mock horror. "You mean toher people have seen you like this?"

"Well, there was this girl the other day…" Troy began, but broke off laughing when she slapped him on the arm. "I'm kidding Gabi, no one else knows. Except that one other girl." She rolled her eyes and slapped him again before pulling away and beginning to walk.

"But it mustn't be that hard to know," she thought out loud. "I mean, I think I knew before we were really together, back when we were still just best friends."

"Which we still are now, aren't we?" Troy put in quickly, smiling when Gabriella nodded.

"Of course we still are, but now we're more too."

"Lucky us." He muttered dryly, earning another slap.

"But I sort of think that maybe other close friend's would know it too. Not necessarily from experience." She added, when Troy gave her a weird look. "But just sort of from being so close to you."

"Yeah, I guess…" he murmured, moving his arm to around her shoulders and pulling her closet to him.

They wandered on in silence for a while, slowly following the twists and turns of the ultimately circular path, but barely aware of anything but each other. As they began to near the place where they'd started, their friends' voices drifting vaguely towards them, Troy stopped again and turned Gabriella around to face him.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you before." He said sincerely, looking her deep in the eyes.

"I know, and I'm sorry for winding you up, which I know it did, even if you don't think I did." Troy gave a light chuckle and wrapped his arms tighter around her waist, pulling her closer still.

"I think I'll manage to forgive you." He decided, nodding as if it were a hard decision to make.

"I'm not sure if I will." She said in response, her eyes sparkling again.

"Well maybe I'll just have to convince you." Leaning down and once again engulfing her lips in his, Troy tried to put everything he felt into that one single kiss. He anger and frustration, his sens eof loss and confusion, his happiness and fulfilment. But most of all, he put forward his want, not the lust type, but the love type. He wanted her, he needed her, and he needed her to know that. He needed her to know that he'd never do anything to hurt her, he'd never give up on her or them, he'd never ever break her heart. He wanted her to know. He wanted her to need.

sniff sniff this is actually really sad for me, it's finally over...

thnx again absolutely everyone and please keep a look out for other stories of mine, some of them are actually sort of okayish. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! And you are all expected to wish me a Happy Birthday for the fifth, just to add to your work load! Lol, i was kidding, birthday wishes aren't a must-have.