Thanks to all those who reviewed. You are the ones who keep this story going. To those who don't: shame on you and review! Oh! That rhymed! Nice

Keep reviewing, and remember there will be a lot of time jumps in their senior year. I am doing birthdays and major holidays plus I have a couple storylines in the works.

AUTHORS NOTE! PLEASE READ!

Okay, so I am thinking of starting another story, but I will keep writing this story, especially since it is coming to a close. I don't see it going over 50 chapters. And some of you are like, that is still ten chapters! I am excited to write some of the stuff, so chapters will be coming out quick, if my teachers ease up. Which couldn't happen, because mid-terms and coming up. But so is Christmas break, more time to write! But I also have this story stuck in my head. It's going to have some of the same things, but some are drastically changing. Note: This summary is not finalized, I am still thinking about this story. I want to know what you are thinking

Gabriella's dad died when she was twelve, leaving her and her five brothers fatherless. With her being the youngest, they all vowed to protect her from everything that their dad couldn't. But the one thing they can't protect her from is falling in love with the resident bad boy Troy Bolton.

Something like that. Should I write it, and if I do in Gabriella's POV or normally?

Review please!

Listen
Do you want to know a secret
Do you promise not to tell, whoa oh, oh

Closer
Let me whisper in your ear
Say the words you long to hear
I'm in love with you

-- Do You Want To Know A Secret? by The Beatles

"Troy, if I had known I would have called you earlier, but my mom just told me, what do you expect me to do?" I asked him about a month later, over the phone. Today is Friday, and there isn't a game tonight, the first free Friday we have had since the season started. Tomorrow is his birthday, which is Saturday, which is usually my family night, but my mom changed it to tonight so I would have tomorrow free for him. But I didn't know she changed it until about five minutes ago when she sent Alex up to tell me. So I made plans with Troy tonight, plans I just had to cancel, which pissed him off.

"We had plans, Gabriella," Troy replied in an angry voice. You would think that the boy would be in a happy mood since his eighteenth birthday is tomorrow, but no, he has been pissy all week. Act like Sharpay much?

"Don't be mad," I said in a sigh as I slowly walked down the steps. "I want to be hanging out with you, I really do, especially since we didn't see each other much while I was studying for the SAT's, but I can't skip family night. Tomorrow is your birthday and I'll be with you all day," I reminded him, reaching the bottom, but I stopped there so the rest of the family who were in the family room wouldn't hear me talking.

"Fine, I'll see you when I see you then," he told me and hung up. In a rash decision I closed my phone and walked to the family room to beg my mother to let me leave. I'm going to figure out what the hell is going on with him. Now.

"Mami, can I please skip family night?" I asked nicely, putting my hands in a praying gesture. "Please, you let Belle skip last week!" I reminded her as I pointed at Isabelle.

Isabelle gasped. "I was meeting Ben's family!" she exclaimed. "What do you have to do tonight? Hang out with your little friends? Because that is SO important!" she questioned.

I opened my mouth to protest but Mami stepped in the middle of us. "Gabi, go where ever you have to go tonight, but you cannot miss family night again, okay?" she told me. I nodded and kissed her on the cheek while glaring at Isabelle. She sneered in my direction and I stuck my tongue out at her as I backed up towards the front door.

I grabbed Felix's car keys off the table and ran out the door. I didn't drive any where at first. I jogged over to Troy's to see if he was home, which he wasn't. Lucy said he took off after we hung up. So I went back and got the car. When he needs to think, Troy goes to a basketball court, or the gardens at school. But he wouldn't go there after school. And he would want to be alone, so he wouldn't go to the basketball court a couple streets down. That meant one place: East Park.

About ten minutes later I was turning off Felix's car and walking up behind the metal bleachers. Troy was at the top of them, he had a basketball in his hands and he was staring at the court. I started up stepping up them. "I come in peace," I told him, holding my hands up in surrender as I reached the top. I lifted my leg over the seat and sat down so I had a leg on either side of the bleacher. I looped my arms through his and rested my chin on his shoulder. "Was that fight about me not hanging out with you tonight, or was it something more like I think it is?" I asked, and brought a hand up to remove some of the hair from his eyes.

He turned his head towards me and rested his forehead against mine. "I'm sorry I was a dick," he apologized. "I'm glad that you'll get to spend all day with me on my birthday, I wasn't mad about you skipping our plans tonight," he explained, and looked back down at the court in front of us.

"Then why are you in a bad mood? You have been most of the week, and I have been getting the brunt end of it," I told him, lifting my chin off his shoulder and I scooted closer to him. He opened his mouth to speak but I shook my head. "It's okay, Troy, I know something is going on right now. So why don't you just tell me, we can work through it, then we can have a fun day tomorrow on your birthday," I proposed.

"My birthday is the cause of it," he admitted, and eyes flashed towards me before going back to the basketball court below us. He gripped the basketball in his hands tighter. "My dad left a message on the answering machine at my house on Tuesday," he started. "He's flying out to see me for my birthday, of course him being him he isn't coming out until Sunday. Still, he's using my birthday as an excuse to come out here. Like he even cares."

"What else would he come out here for?" I questioned and immediately regretted it because it caused him to pull his hand back and throw the basketball down to the court below us. It bounced wildly around for a couple seconds. Troy didn't answer my question, and instead his hands turned into tight fists. "Hey," I whispered, and slid my hands down to meet one of his and I unwrapped it from around itself and started to massage it lightly.

Troy sighed and laced his hand with mine. "He's coming out here to see how my basketball game is," he told me and looked towards me. "He doesn't care that I am his only child and that I'm turning eighteen tomorrow. All he cares about is basketball," he said and ran his free hand through his hair. "Fucking basketball. You know the whole year I have been down here he hasn't told me that hes missed me once?" he said and I could hear the hurt in his voice. "All we talk about on the phone, if we talk at all, is basketball. How much am I training? How is the season going? We never talk about what I really care about like you, or my friends," he confessed.

I took in a deep breath. "Come here," I murmured and he lifted his leg up so he was sitting like me and I laced our free hands together. "I know you and your dad aren't the closest people in the world," I started and he scoffed slightly. "But you never know, he could be coming down here to tell you that he does miss you, and he's sorry he messed up," I told him, he stayed silent and looked down at out intertwined hands. "Even if he isn't coming out here to tell you that, he's still your father. You told me yourself that before you started taking in interest in basketball you and your dad got along," I reminded him.

"Yeah, before basketball he was a great dad. He took me fishing, and played with me. Then he realized that I was good at basketball and everything changed. It became all about me going to Duke and doing everything he didn't. I'm not him, I'm never going to be him and it is time he sees that. I'm not the kind of man who would just walk out on his family," he told me.

"I know you aren't," I agreed, and he finally looked up at me and met my eyes. "You're not your dad, Troy," I whispered, knowing deep down he needed to hear it. "And I'm not saying your dad is a great guy, I don't really have the grounds to say so since I haven't met him yet, but he is still your father. And even though you two don't see eye to eye a lot, I think you should still see him and be civil with him," I said and shook my head as he opened his mouth. "You were the one who made me see my dad when I was pissed at him because of what he did to my family. Now I might regret this later, but I think you should see him. You can't really avoid it," I told him.

"Your dad is different from mine, Brie," Troy reminded me, his voice was soft. "Your dad tells you that you can be anything you want to be, your dad believes in you, your dad makes a point to see you two times a week and if he can't do that he makes sure to call you, your dad says 'I love you' when you end a phone call with him. Mine doesn't," he told me.

I dropped his hands and wrapped my arms around his neck and scooted as close to him as possible. That ended up with my legs over top of his thighs and hanging behind him. Troy's breath was uneven on my neck and his arms that were wrapped around my waist were tight, but I wasn't going to say anything. "Your dad loves you even though he doesn't say it, Troy," I whispered into his ear. "No matter how he feels about basketball or anything else, he loves you," I assured him. "Your dad has messed up, we both know that, hell your mom knows that, but that doesn't mean he doesn't love you."

"You know," Troy started and he pulled away so I could see his voice. "I probably would have quit basketball a long time ago if it wasn't for you," he commented, and his hands moved to my hips. "I love basketball when I play for fun with Chad and Zeke and the rest of the guys. But it's different when I'm playing a real game, there's just so much.. pressure. The only thing that keeps me playing is you, because you believe in me. I don't need my dad telling me that I can do it as long as you are," he admitted and one of his hands came up and threaded into my hair.

"Well, I guess you are going to keep on playing because I'll always believe in you," I mentioned and he gave me a half-smile. "And you should have told me when your dad called as soon as he called because aren't you the one who gets annoyed when I don't tell you things? It goes both ways, buddy," I told him.

"Yeah, yeah," he mumbled and kissed me. I smiled and kissed him back while running my hands through his hair. I felt his fingertips dip under my t-shirt sending electric currents through my body. His tongue traced my bottom lip and I let him in almost instantly, making sure to keep our bodies touching. When his hand moved up my shirt more, I suddenly pulled away."Brie?" Troy asked, touching his lips with his fingertips.

I covered my face with my hands. "I'm sorry," I told him as I groaned into my hands. We haven't had sex since the miscarriage. We've gotten close, really close, but every time we do I just pull away. I heard him sigh and his arms wound around my shoulders and he pulled me against his chest. I wrapped my arms around his middle and rested my head in the crook of his neck.

"You don't have to be sorry," he mumbled against my hair. "I know you're scared that it will happen again, and I am too. I'm not rushing you into anything," he reminded me. I nodded in response. "Like I told you before we started having sex, when you are ready, I'll be too," he told me.

I pulled away and laced our hands together. "I know, and I want to, trust me, I do," I replied and he tried to hide his smile. "It's just every time we get close I hit this wall, and I know that you are frustrated about it, even though you don't say you are," I added, and he opened his mouth to speak but I gave him a hard stare.

"Okay, I am a teenage boy so yeah, it sucks a little. But I can handle it," he told me, being honest. "When you are ready, you're still on the pill, I have condoms, we're good," he reminded me. I nodded. "What I'm confused about is why you pulled away a minute ago. I mean we've gone further than that in the last month, like way, way further-" I cut him off by slapping my hand onto his mouth. He smiled and kissed the inside of my hand.

"One, I pulled away because I really didn't want to start to shed articles of clothing in the middle of a park. And two, I heard a car pulling up," I answered, and all of a sudden a basketball came flying towards my head, and I ducked but before it made impact Troy's hands shot out and caught it. "I love you," I told him, straightening my back out.

Troy smiled faintly before turning his body down towards the basketball court where we found our friends standing at the bottom. "Chad, you're an idiot," Troy said before throwing the ball down towards him, it hit him in the gut and knocked the wind out of him. Troy intertwined my hand with his as we stood up and started walking down to the bottom.

Chad was turned around talking to Taylor and I jumped on his back, he dropped the basketball in his hands and hooked them behind my knees. "You know, buddy, next time just say hi instead of throwing a basketball at my head," I commented, and gave him a nookie as he dropped me. Luckily, Zeke was behind me and he steadied me out so I wouldn't fall. "See, Zeke's nice, he doesn't throw basketballs at me or drop me," I said loudly and turned around to hug Zeke in greeting. He laughed and hugged me back. I looked over at Troy who was talking to Ryan about something with Sharpay.

Chad turned around and faced me. "You wanna know what it's like to be dropped?" he asked and picked me up. I squealed and locked my arms around his shoulders in case he actually did try and drop me. But I started flailing my legs just to annoy him. He started walking over to the grass, but was off balance because I was flailing, and he tripped and fell. Unlike Troy, he didn't try and flip us over and just fell on me. Good best friend right? Because I am not the biggest girly girl on the planet, I didn't start freaking out. I proceeded to get in a wrestling match with him. "Hey! Don't pull hair!" Chad exclaimed, flipping us over and he pulled on my own hair.

"Chad, that hurt!" I yelped, and punched him in the shoulder and hit him in the ribs before pushing him over and was about to knee him in the groin when arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me off him. Me and Chad don't really wrestle nicely. It turns ugly and we hurt each other. But I am used to it since we have been doing in forever.

Troy turned me around in his arms and pulled a leaf out of my hair. "You okay?" he asked a smile on his face. I nodded and got the rest of leaves and twigs out of my hair. "At least now I can tell everyone at school my girlfriend beat up Chad," Troy said, grinning at Chad over my head.

"Hey, I was totally winning!" Chad protested and I turned around in Troy's arms so I was facing him.

"Do you wanna re-match?" I asked, and started towards him, but Troy's arms held me back. Uh-uh, not cool! I tried to get out of Troy's arms so I could tackle Chad, but Troy's arms stayed securely around my waist like a steal cage. I frowned and let out a fake whine.

I heard Troy chuckle in my ear and his breath on my neck. "While you just kicked his ass, I'll kick his ass in basketball," Troy said in my ear although it was loud enough for everyone to hear. Kelsi was missing, I noticed.

Zeke did the thing you do when you are in fifth grade and someone gets called to the office. "Oooooh." That thing. "I think that is a challenge from captain to captain. The question is does Chad accept?" he asked, trying to be some weird sports announcer.

Chad glared. "Hell yeah, I accept," he answered, slipping off his button-up shirt and tossed it over to Taylor. "Hold this for a sec," he said to Taylor and walked out onto the court as Troy let go of me. I walked with the rest to the bleachers and sat down on the first set.

A moment or two after their game started, Sharpay turned to me. "So, why are you guys here? I mean, the only time Troy comes here he needs time to think," Sharpay explained as Zeke wrapped an arm around her from her other side. Ryan sat down next to me and Taylor on the other side of him. I heard them saying something about college applications. Ugh, depressing.

"We've been having little arguments all week, you know?" I replied and she nodded. "Well, today he got pissed at me on the phone because my mom moved family night to tonight, but I managed to get out of it to talk to him. His dad is coming to town," I told her and she got a look of 'oh' on her face. Everyone in our group knows that Troy and his dad are not the best of friends. "Yeah, and we talked about it, he isn't totally okay with it, but he can't do much about it. I'm just going to be there for him while he's here, you know?" I finished. Troy never did tell me how long he is staying here. I'll ask later.

"Well, from everything you have told me, and everything I have picked up from his mom and Chad, good luck," she responded. "Did you show him his birthday present yet?" she asked and I coughed and looked down. "You haven't." She came to her own conclusion with a evil smirk on her face. "I don't know why you get so embarrassed by it, he's going to love it," she mentioned, looking out onto the pavement as Zeke yelled a smart-ass comment to them and Chad replied with the middle finger. Boys.

"Who is going to love what?" Taylor asked, getting up and scooting Ryan over because he was watching the game too. He's been kinda into basketball since the old mascot broke his ankle and Ryan has taken the job on for himself. Weirdo. Who wants to be the mascot? Apparently Ryan does.

Sharpay grinned. "Troy is going to love his birthday gift," she answered, and I groaned and ran my hands over my face. "I'm still surprised you got it, it took guts, G," she commended me.

"I still don't get why you couldn't have gotten him a watch or something," Taylor told me. She doesn't exactly approve of what I got. It's weird when my mom approves of something, and Taylor doesn't. She is like a forty year old in a seventeen year olds body.

"Because a watch is boring, and the only people wear watches are nasty old guys. What Gabriella did is sexy," Sharpay insisted. I'm choosing not to tell them that both Chad and Zeke wear watches. "Leave her alone, and it's not like she can return it," she added.

I nodded and stuck my tongue out at Taylor. "Yeah, Tay," I agreed, she rolled her eyes at us and turned back to the game. All of a sudden, an arm was on either side of me, and Troy's head was in front of me.

"You know, your man is winning a basketball game and you're not even watching," he told me, and I noticed his shirt was off at this point. If I wasn't watching before, I sure as hell am now. And he left with that, catching the ball as Chad threw it to him because it was his turn or something.

I smiled and looked intently at him. "So, how is the whole no sex thing coming?" Sharpay questioned, and I purposely avoided answering it by cheering on Troy as he dunked the ball. "That bad, huh?"

I sighed. "It's not that I don't want to," I mumbled, and found my hands very interesting as I stared down at them. "We get into it, and I just hit this barrier. He says it doesn't really bother him, but I know it does. Hell, it bothers me and I am the one who pulls away," I explained, and noticed Taylor was listening to me too.

"I bet Troy loves that," Taylor remarked dryly. I bumped Taylor's shoulder with mine in response. "You're putting more pressure on yourself to do it than he is," she told me. "Which is good, because if he is putting any pressure on you I would kill him, with the help of Sharpay and Chad of course. And Ryan, Kelsi, and Zeke. Not to mention your brothers," she added.

"He's not putting any pressure on me," I informed her. "I just want to know how to get over this humongous fear I have of having sex again," I finished.

"I'm not sure we can help you with that," Sharpay told me. "You've been taking your pill once a month on the same day at the same time like a good girl, you told us Troy keeps condoms in his wallet. You really can't be more protected than that," she reminded me. "But Tay is right. You're putting so much pressure on yourself to make it happen, you have to stop and just let it happen," she said. I would have felt embarrassed about the guys around but Zeke and Ryan joined the game and were playing. "Speaking of boys, how is Alex's little problem coming along?" she questioned, causing me to smile.

"Not so good for him, that girl is still like stalking him," I answered. Alex is having a bit of a girl problem. This girl is like in love with him, and is always coming around the house looking for him, or calling him, she always makes sure to run into him at school. He is freaked out. It's not like he is gay or anything, he likes her too, she is just coming on a bit too strong and scaring him. Whenever she starts following him around at school, he always comes and finds me. Because as soon as he talks to me, she leaves. She is scared of me for some reason. Anyways, her name is Molly Cormier.

Sharpay and Taylor both laughed. "Come on, we all stalked a guy one way or another freshman year," Sharpay stuck up for him. "Tay, you weren't nesicarrily stalking Chad in freshman year, but before you two started dating you did. And Gabi, you were in love with Danny Carlisle," she reminded us.

I gasped and sat up straight. "That was agreed upon to never be talked about again!" I exclaimed, smacking her on her shoulder. "Stop laughing!" I told them. The guys plopped themselves down on the bleachers behind us, and I felt Troy's knees on either side of me. "Sharpay, I swear to God," I warned her, knowing she would want to say something about Danny in front of Troy, especially since he doesn't know the story.

"What are you guys laughing about?" Ryan asked, shedding his shirt like the other guys did.

Taylor managed to stop laughing. "Danny Carlisle," she answered, and Chad and Ryan both started laughing. This is so not fair. I reached over and smacked her. "I'm sorry, Gab, I just remembering your face!" she wailed and started laughing again.

"What about Danny Carlisle don't I know?" Troy asked, and his hands moved to my shoulders and he started to massage them gently. Unfortunately, Troy does know Danny. He's on the basketball team. "Brie?"

I know that if I don't tell the story, one of them will and embellish a little too much. "I had the biggest crush on him freshman year," I started, sighing as I turned around. "I was more toned down than Molly, but I still really liked him. Anyways, we were all in the same gym class, because in freshman year they had co-ed gym classes. We were in the pool that week in gym, and Sharpay thought it would be funny to push me into Danny, then into the pool," I told him. "The problem was that Danny was tightening his trunks when Sharpay pushed me. To make a long story short, when we landed in the pool, his trunks fell off and when I looked down, there was his... thing," I finished.

Troy tried to hide his grin. "You're telling me you saw his.." he trailed off and I nodded. He started laughing, too. Yeah, great boyfriend. I nodded and slapped him in the leg.

"She forgot a few parts to that story," Sharpay spoke up as her laughter ceased. Troy looked at her, ready to hear more of my humiliation. I groaned. "The part where Mrs. Wagner made her dive to the bottom of the pool and grab his swim trunks. But Gabi couldn't breathe under water yet, so she had to use goggles and when she was swimming back up, let's just say she saw everything," she told him.

Troy started laughing again and I got up from in between his knees and moved down to the edge of the bleacher. It isn't fun for me when he is being a big meanie. "Come on, babe, you have to admit that it is kinda funny!" he yelled from where he was seated. I crossed my arms and stood up and began to walk away, but his arms were around my waist. I would never admit to him the only reason I got up is because I knew he would come over to me. "I just have one question," he stated, I just stayed silent. "Who is bigger?" he asked, and I scoffed, breaking free of his hold. That was a really guy thing to say. Laughter erupted from behind me and Troy ran up behind, picking me up bridal style. "Come on, I was kidding."

I locked my hands together behind his neck. "I got made fun of for weeks because of that," I replied and he set me down, but my hands stayed around his neck. "Well, until the twins and Felix threatened every guy that made a mean comment," I corrected.

"Do you want me to beat them up? Because I can do that," Troy said and I let out a laugh. Troy grabbed my hands from around my neck and turned around but kept my hands in his so I was pressed up against his back. "How about a guy verses girl game?" he proposed and the guys were immediately up for it. "Come on, you girls can use your womanly charms," he added, and the girls agreed.

"We get ball first," I announced stealing the ball of Chad who had it in his hands. Ryan decided to be referee and watch since Kelsi wasn't there. Her grandma is in town, and is spending time with her, but she did get permission to come to Troy's party at Sharpay's tomorrow night. Well, that is what Ryan told me. We decided to make the game a half court one. I checked the ball to Troy, and he laughed doing it back. I passed it to Taylor who is the sportiest out of all of us.

Taylor kept it out of reach of Chad and passed to Sharpay, who threatened Zeke and he just played around with her, trying to steal it away but never really doing it. I stayed in front Troy, pushing my body back against his. As Sharpay passed it to me, Troy picked me up with one arm around my waist and caught the ball with one hand. Damn. That takes skill.

"This is cheating!" I exclaimed, and laughed as Troy set me back down. Chad passed the ball back to Troy because Sharpay was trying to jump on Zeke's back. Troy caught it over my head and I turned around to face him. "Give me that wall and I will give you your birthday present tonight," I told him, jumping up for the ball.

He squinted his eyes at me. "Why do that when I can just get it tomorrow?" he asked, holding the ball way over his head.

I grinned. "Let's just say that if my brothers knew I got it then they would kick your ass," I answered. He happily handed over the ball and I smiled in triumph. I did a granny style shot and it went in with a swish. Sharpay and Taylor squealed. It was only one basket, but we all royally suck at basketball, even Taylor, and the shot was against three of the best players on the team. They came over and hugged me.

"So when do I get to see my present?" Troy asked walking up behind me. I turned from them.

"Later, " I answered. "But did you see that shot? See, you did teach me something in gym," I assured him. He chuckled and looked behind him as Chad and Zeke walked up.

"Is the game over?" Chad asked. "I mean, if we were only playing to one basket I would have made it a long time ago," he explained. We rolled our eyes and ignored him.

Troy's arms wrapped around my shoulders. "It's getting dark guys, I'm going to get Brie home," he told them all. "You need a ride Chad?" he questioned as he began to walk us back towards the car.

"Wait, Chad, are you leaving soon to go home?" I asked, stopping momentarily he nodded. I threw Felix's car keys at him. "Drive this home and park it in my driveway, and make sure you don't take long," I told him.

"Yeah, thanks Gab," he replied, and me and Troy continued to walk back to his car.

"Are you really taking me home?" I asked, looking up at him. He shook his head and smiled.

"No, my dad is going to be here for a week and I want all the alone time I can with you," he responded. So that is how long his dad is staying. Until the next game which is Friday. "Because as soon as he gets here, and sees how serious we are, he is going to go off on how I shouldn't let a girl interfere with basketball," he told me as I leaned against his car and he leaned on me. "Little does he know you're the only reason I still play."

I lifted my hand and layed it on his cheek. "You looked like you were having fun playing tonight," I mentioned, and his hand came up to rest on mine.

"I told you I still have fun playing with my friends. It's playing an official game with all the pressure that makes it not fun," he explained, reaching over and opening the passenger door for me. I kissed him quickly before moving to sit down in the seat. Troy got in his own seat and started the engine. "How did you get out of family night anyways?" he asked.

I grabbed right hand and pulled it into my lap so I could lace it in between both of mine. "I asked my mom. She said it was cool as long as I don't miss another one," I answered. He nodded. It wasn't very long after before we were walking into his house with his arm slung over my shoulders.

"Hey, Ma," Troy greeted, walking into his kitchen where his mother was. "Take out tonight?" he questioned, seeing the Chinese boxes sitting on the island in the kitchen.

She nodded. "Yeah, I hope you don't mind that I don't spend the night before your birthday with you because I have a date," she answered. Troy spit out the cookie he was chewing on, out. I hid my smile and patted his back.

"Huh?" he replied coughing on the cookie.

Lucy smiled. "You know, that thing you and Gabi do sometimes on the weekend?" she said.

Troy was silent for a second so I nudged him in the stomach. "My mom dates," I supplied. She does? I'm just spouting stuff off here. "Well, she goes out with her friends a lot so I guess there are guys there. Which is really weird to think about, but, yeah," I explained. I looked over and Troy was staring at me. "Um, yeah, so I'll get the plates," I mumbled, walking over to the cabinet across the kitchen so he and his mom could talk. Five minutes later Troy walked back into the kitchen and I was sitting on the counter, swinging my legs back and forward. "Do you think my mom dates?" I randomly asked.

Troy looked up at me, and handed me a plate. I jumped off the counter. "I don't know, did you just say she did?" he responded.

"I was just saying that to make it not weird, but of course it turned everything weird. But do you think she does? She just broke up with my dad!" I spouted off. Troy put a hand on either of my shoulders.

"I'm sure if she was, she would tell you guys," he answered. "My mom asked me a while ago if I would think it would be weird if she started dating. I said no, but of course I meant yes. Just because I think it is weird doesn't mean she has to stop living her life," he explained his earlier actions. He grabbed a couple of the Chinese boxes and nodded his head towards the living room. Let's eat.

An hour later I was laying in Troy's arms on the couch, and we were talking about anything we wanted to, with a rerun of Friends playing in the background. "Was basketball fun for you ever, I mean playing an actual game that is?" I asked, my voice soft. Troy's plaid shirt was pulled off and thrown on the arm chair, leaving him in a white V-neck vintage T. My fingers were underneath it, caressing his chest lightly.

"Mmm, yeah," he answered, thinking about it for a moment. He dipped his head into the curve of my neck to kiss it gently and then he pulled away a little to look me in the eye. "In middle school. My dad didn't coach those teams. My coaches name was Coach Leon, and he was the best. He didn't put pressure on any of us, of course he told us to do our best, but it wasn't all on me, you know?" he said and I nodded. "He played all of us equally, and if we lost he didn't yell at us. He gave us the disappointed speech, but he never said that we couldn't improve or do better next time. God, I loved playing when I was on that team. The game still gave me that rush, and if the team lost the whole school wouldn't hate me. It's not like here at East High where if we lost the whole school would give me the cold shoulder. I guess it's a good thing we are undefeated."

"I'm sorry the school is like that," I whispered, and kissed his shoulder.

Troy shook his head. "It isn't your fault. Now, enough boring talk, where is my present?" he asked, sitting up and pulling me with him. "Come on, you said if I gave you the ball you would give me your present tonight, and I want it!" he added.

I laughed at his childish demand. "Okay, I'll give it to you now, but before I do, I need to explain something to you," I told him. He nodded vigorously and held his hands out. "First, my brothers can't know, at least for now, or they will be mad at you. Second, this is the only present you get for your birthday, because it cost a lot, and it hurt to get," I said. He looked at me with worried eyes. "But I think it was worth it, so I don't care that it hurt," I added to ease his worry. "Alright." I stood up and turned on the light behind him that we turned off earlier and turned around before flipping up my shirt so he could see the small of my back.

His hands brushed over it, causing me to shiver not from coldness, but of his touching my bare skin. "You got that for me?" he questioned and I turned around nodding. I pushed him back and straddled his hips.

"Your initials are TB," I answered vocally. About two weeks ago, I got an idea for Troy's gift. All I had to do was get my mom's permission. She made sure I was sure I wanted to get it. After that, it was easy. Her, and Belle took me to a tattoo parlor. I already knew what I wanted: TB incased in a red heart, but the heart wasn't filled in. It was just outlined in red. The words TB were in black. It hurt like hell, but I love it. Troy's fingers slipped under my shirt and ran over my tattoo again. "I was thinking about getting the number fourteen, but you might not play basketball forever, but you will always be Troy Bolton."

"It's the best birthday present ever," he murmured, shifting us so he was lying on top of me on the couch. "Not to mention hott, sexy and kinda naughty," he whispered, his mouth brushed against mine and my breathing picked up, my heart rate went through the roof, and I wanted to put my hand at the back of his neck and push his lips against mine. But I couldn't, as I did move my hand, he grabbed it and pinned it against the couch. "And now everyone will know that you're mine and no one elses," he said, being possessive. But I didn't get annoyed by it like most girls would. I liked it. For some reason, the way he was talking, and what he was saying, along with the way he was saying, made me want him. No, need him. And he knew it. Just as he was about to kiss me, my cell phone went off. He groaned and dropped his head to my shoulder. "Don't answer it."

I sighed and wiggled my hands free from his grip and scooted up from under him. He stayed in his position and continued to lay on me. I reached for my phone which was on the side table and opened it without looking at the caller ID. "Yeah?" I answered it, and Troy whined lightly on my shoulder. I kissed the side of his head and wrapped my free arm around his shoulders.

"That isn't a very nice way to answer the phone, you know," Serena informed me from the other end. "I already announced this to the family who were at family night, but you weren't there so I had to call you," she went on. I stayed silent so she could tell me what is going on, then I can hang up. "I'm pregnant!" she exclaimed.

I snapped up so I was sitting straight, which pushed Troy off the couch and onto the floor. "Like for real?" I asked, ignoring Troy's protest from the floor.

"Yep. Me and Kris got it confirmed by the doctor today. You're going to be an aunt," she replied, her voice happy. "I'm six weeks along."

I nodded and pulled my legs up to my chest. "That's great, Serena," I told her. She's farther along than I was when I miscarried. "I'm really happy for you, but look, I gotta go. I promise to call you tomorrow, okay? I love you, bye." I hung up before she could say it back. By now, Troy was sitting on the edge of the couch and was rubbing his back.

"Okay, what the hell happened?" he asked, turning to me, and he rubbed a hand over my knee before hooking his finger under my chin, making me look at him.

"That was Serena," I answered, only now straightening my legs out and onto his lap. "She's pregnant," I whispered. Troy's hand moved to my cheek and he scooted closer to me. I dropped my head to his shoulder and nestled into his arms, fitting perfectly. Other than me being scared of getting pregnant again, me and Troy have successfully moved past my miscarriage. We both still don't know why, but we know it happened for a reason.

"Are you okay with it?" Troy asked, his voice low. His hand started moving up and down my spine slowly, providing comfort.

"I think so," I mumbled against his neck. "I mean, I happy for her. If anyone should have a baby right now in my family, it should be her. She's married, finishing up college. It wasn't meant to happen for us, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't for her," I explained. "But I just wonder, you know, about the baby. What would have happened if I didn't have a miscarriage."

Troy kissed the underside of my chin. "Me too, all the time," he agreed.

Okay, I lied. Next is Troy's actual birthday, and his dad's week of being there. I am going to skip Halloween, and work a flashback in from it later.

Review please. I need some cheering up! Friend drama, ugh, don't you hate that?

REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!!

-- Kayleigh