What's this? An update? Oh my.... thanks for your patience guys :)

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Friendly Interference - December 21st

With his parents having left for Maui, Ms. Montez offered the spare bedroom to Chad which left Troy and Gabriella with the apartment if they so wished. Unfortunately, after their little hammock experiment the morning before, both were aware that - until Gabriella's appointment the following day - nothing more could happen. To be safe, as their physical relationship was still new enough to be both explosive and unpredictable, they were spending some time apart.

Troy had begged Chad to stay with him, leaving the girls with Ms. Montez' and Chad, being the pal he was, agreed. It helped that he was in a good mood after having been invited to join them for practice before the Colgate game the day before. The down side, Troy was finding, was that Chad now felt as if he knew the Bears.

"Man, they'd have no problems accepting Gabriella," spinning his ball on one finger, Chad lounged on Troy's sofa. They had a couple of hours before they would be joining the girls at the Montez house for dinner. They had two days before Chad and Taylor flew back home - time they were making the most of. "If they're willing to let me play with you guys, there's no reason to think a spectator is going to make a difference."

"Drop it, man," Troy told him exasperated. Chad had been on the subject since the night before - and not let it go. "I'll introduce her when I'm ready. Preferably after you're back in Albuquerque."

"They're throwing a New Year's Party-"

"No way; you know Gabriella and I spend New Year's together."

"It wouldn't kill you to join them - they're throwing a karaoke party."

Troy arched his eyebrows. "Why don't I believe you?"

"Believe what you want, man, but it's true. I mentioned how you two met and they had the same reaction you just did."

"I told you she's none of their business!"

"Dude, your reluctance to talk about Gabriella's not helping things," Chad stopped spinning the ball to look at his friend seriously. "They know she's yours but that's it; if you'd bring her around a little more, they'd warm to her in a heartbeat."

"I've told you why I can't. Not until after we play Stanford at least once. If they know she's a tree-" Troy shook his head in frustration as he planted his hands on either side of the small window in the room. "With the locker room talk I can't risk it; they'd harass her."

"Only because you're keeping her a secret. Don't you want to spend time with them and your girl all at the same time?"

"Honestly I'd rather not expose her to their collective sense of humor..." his defeated sigh was audible, "I know it's gotta happen, man - and, to be honest, I'm dreading it."

"I don't see why. You know the effect Gabriella had on our senior class; I hear you're going to write a thesis on it - how can you think this would be any different."

"We're not at East High anymore, Chad." Troy let the thesis comment slip without acknowledging it. "I know full well the kind of effect Gabriella has on people - part of me is terrified because of it."

"Of what?"

"What else?" Pushing away from the window, Troy put his back to the wall and stared off into space. "They'll monopolize her - and we barely get time together as it is. She's doing double majors; I'm working on top of basketball and theater in addition to my own school work. If I introduce her to them, she'll charm their socks off - after the obligatory razzing-"

"They'd razz her if they liked her or not, man; they're guys and they're jocks."

"Not all of us are like that."

"No, some of us scheme to get her to cut herself out of your life." Chad tossed the ball Troy's way - and Troy caught it purely on reflex. "You're just going to have to take the good with the bad, Troy - but on the bright side, this is Gabriella we're talking about so the bad won't last long."

Turning the ball over in his hands, Troy contemplated what Chad was saying and had to admit he had a point. Gabriella wasn't someone that people - discounting those like Sharpay - didn't warm up to. And even then, towards the end of their senior year, Sharpay had shown a marked change in her opinion of Gabriella. Or so he believed.

"Bad or good, I'm dreading it - and the party tomorrow after the Colgate game."

"Party?"

"Yeah; I avoided it yesterday because my folks were in town and could cry off. Tomorrow there's a get together for the guys stuck in the dorm over Christmas; I was asked to invite you and Taylor along with Gabriella to come and hang."

"It's the perfect opportunity," Chad grinned. "Come on, wouldn't you rather introduce her to a part of your team now and the rest later?"

"Now's not the time."

"Why not? What other reason could you possibly have for keeping her away from this party?"

Staring at his friend, Troy knew with sudden clarity that Chad was going to insist on their attendance. Not only had he totally enjoyed practicing with the Bears and getting to know them, but he was a party animal. Chad was never one to shy away from a good time.

Neither, Troy admitted, was he - but this was different.

How did he explain to his best bud that the very thought of trying to merge two of the three worlds he was a part of left him with a sick feeling to his stomach. Oh, he knew Gabriella would get along with his team - eventually - but the reality of what had occurred at East High when the Wildcats had discovered their friendship colored every possible first encounter. The Wildcats hadn't cared about their relationship... until it had promised to interfere with Troy's obligation to his team. If his friends, guys he'd gone to school with for years could do that to him, there was no telling what the Bears could or would do.

Then again, they might not care.

A lot of the guys had girlfriends - just none from Stanford. Of course, if Troy had his way, Gabriella would never need to have anything to do with his team... but that wasn't in the cards and he knew it. Besides, he didn't want to compartmentalize his life and, honestly, he didn't really want to keep her away from his team it was just...

"Things are too new, man," Troy's admission was soft as he stared at the skin of the ball, rubbing his finger tips over it. "Gabriella and I haven't been... intimate for that long, ya know? I don't want to share her with anyone."

Chad was surprisingly silent, drawing his gaze. They shared a look, the silence stretching at length between them and Troy finally threw the ball back at his friend, breaking eye contact. Chad couldn't resist teasing him to get past the awkward moment - as Troy knew he would.

"Not even Taylor, man? I mean, she is her Christmas present after all."

With a short laugh, Troy pushed him away from the wall. "Not even with her own mom. Don't get me wrong, it's been a blast having the two of you here, but I can't wait until you're gone."

"I hear you. Think Gabby feels the same way?"

Heading for the kitchenette to get a glass of water, Troy grinned over his shoulder. "She ended up in the hammock with me; what do you think?"

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"Truth."

"Are there any really cute guys in your classes at Stanford - including Profs?"

Laughing, Gabriella didn't bother looking up from the magazine quiz that Taylor had insisted she take, circling another response as she did. "There are other guys than Troy?"

"Yes; so spill - are there?"

"A few; Richard Melbourne and Alan McAllister to name a couple-"

"Ha!" Taylor's exclamation was triumphant. "I knew you weren't blind."

"-but they're don't hold a candle to Troy." Gabriella looked up from her quiz, their gazes locking and both dissolved into laughter. "You knew I was going to say that, didn't you?"

"Honey, you haven't looked another guy's way since you met Troy without mentally comparing them. I swear, if anything were to happen between you two-" Taylor rolled her eyes as Gabriella's smile started to fade at even the mention of the possibility before reassuring her friend, "- and it won't, you'd be ruined for other guys entirely. You'd have to start going for girls!"

"Ha! Why settle for an inferior model when I've already got the best?" Looking back down to the quiz, Gabriella read another question before circling her answer. "Truth or Dare?"

"Dare."

"I dare you to... read aloud the diary entry you wrote about last night's hammock escapade."

Taylor's jaw dropped. "Gabriella!"

"Fair's fair. Come on; unless you're gushing about Chad and his appearance in the morning?"

"You're asking for it." Reaching for her diary, Taylor found the page and then, with a glance Gabriella's way, began to read. "Dear diary,

Gabi's about the luckiest girl on the planet. I don't know of a single other guy who would do the things Troy does for her for their own girlfriends. Don't get me wrong, Chad was sweet, but we always knew it was a passing thing. Gabi and Troy are going to be together forever."

Gabriella put down her quiz, and wrapped her arms around her legs as she watched her friend read the entry - and couldn't help the shy smile that crossed her lips. But then, she didn't even try.

"Like tonight, he couldn't sleep without her so he showed up on the balcony - despite the fact his parents, her mom and I were all in the house. I know what they almost did on the balcony - I've never seen so much of her skin outside of a locker room! - but Gabi won't tell me any juicy details about what happened after he carried her down. Yes, that's right diary, Troy carried Gabi down the tree just so they could get all cozy in the hammock. Cozy; right. The gleam in her eye this morning suggests she got lucky again... in more ways than one - I only hope I'm so luck some day."

Taylor finished reading and closed the cover with a dark look at her friend. "No more diary dares."

Holding up her hands in surrender, Gabriella agreed. "I couldn't resist. I know you'd tell me, but... you know, you'll find your Prince Charming some day, Tay."

"After I'm president, you mean."

"You're so going to be married to your career. I bet you don't have time for guys."

"Only during vacation." Rubbing her hands together as she finished stashing her diary, Taylor pinned a look on Gabriella. "Okay, Gabi. Truth or Dare?"

"Truth"

Taylor rolled her eyes as she rolled onto her back to stare at the ceiling. "Can't you pick dare just once?"

"And have you dare me to run naked through the streets?" Gabriella pinned her friend with a pointed look. "I think I'll pass thanks. Besides, it's not like you don't get to embarrass me this way."

"It's only embarrassing if you're uncomfortable with the answer."

"Which is why you wrote it in a diary?"

"Exactly." Taylor's eyes gleamed as she considered what she could ask as payback for the diary question. "Truth... You're in for it Gabi - once the doctor gives you a clean bill of health, what's the first thing you're going to do to Troy?"

"Taylor!"

The grin that crossed the Poli-Sci major's face was positively wicked. "Hey, you're the one who didn't want to do dare."

"Kiss him," Gabriella responded peevishly, thwarting Taylor's attempt with a raised eyebrow. "We'll be in the doctor's office."

"I meant when you get him alone!"

"You didn't quantify it, so I don't have to answer - though it would probably be the same one way or the other. Kissing comes before anything else."

"You guys are so unimaginative." Taylor's eyes sparkled. "But I asked what you're going to do to him, not with him. So fess up. I bet you just can't wait to tear his clothes off and see him naked again, huh?"

"Taylor!" Gabriella laughed, despite the fact that her cheeks were overly warm and her inner temperature had spiked sharply just thinking about it. "You make it sound like I'm some sex crazed maniac."

"With Troy as your bed warmer? I'm surprised you're not."

"There's more to it than that."

"Honey, there' always been chemistry between you two, but now that you two have gone all the way, it's so volatile all of us can practically see it."

Squirming in her seat, Gabriella wasn't immune to the envy in Taylor's tone. Good-natured though it was, it only reminded her of the fact that her charming and adorable boyfriend was absent - and it only made her want him more. This conversation was doing nothing to help her keep her mind off him; not that she should ever have agreed to Truth or Dare with Taylor.

"So, answer the question, what are you going to do to him?"

Scrubbing her hands over her face, Gabriella abandoned the magazine and pushed to her feet. The breeze coming in through the open balcony door did little to cool her heated skin - and the memory of what she and Troy had been doing on that very balcony the night before was no help at all. And, God help her, she wanted to finish what they'd started out there. The hammock had been fun, but-

"Gabriella?"

"Drag him back home."

"And?"

Gabriella pinned her friend with an exasperated looked. "And what do you think Tay?"

"Give him his Christmas present?"

Laughter erupted at Taylor's cheeky question before Gabriella could smother it - and surprised herself with an admission. "I think he got it early."

"Well, there's more than one present a girl and give her man."

"We'll see. Honestly I'd like to drag him back here," Gabriella waved to the balcony, "only come prepared this time."

Taylor's eyes widened. "Against the tree?!"

"You asked - it was... wild." With a self conscious shrug, Gabriella paced back to her magazine and sank back to her previous seat. "Can we please move on?"

"Wild Gabriella, who knew?" But Taylor held her hands up at the glare she received for the tease. "Okay, okay, we'll change the subject - it's my turn, right?"

"Right - so... Truth or Dare, Tay?"

"Hmmm.... Truth."

Gabriella couldn't hide her surprise. "Not dare?"

"Hey, one of us has to spice this up."

Gabriella grinned. "So how far did you really go with Chad in High School?"

"Obviously further than you did with Troy." Taylor's grin was unrepentant. "How detailed do you want me to get?"

"I don't think I need them anymore," Gabriella told her honestly. "Just give me a general."

"If penetration wasn't required to deflower a virgin, I wouldn't be one." Taylor's grin was saucy. "General enough for you?"

Gabriella threw her magazine at Taylor in response.

"Does that mean our game is over?"

"Yes!"

Taylor smirked, righting the magazine as she scanned the questions and tallied them up in her head. "Five points. Mr. Perfect - your guy is one in a million." With a roll of her eyes, she threw the magazine away. "As if there was any doubt."

"Go to sleep, Tay," Gabriella replied, reaching over to shut off the light. "I've got a physical to finish-"

"-and a boyfriend to jump."

"Goodnight Taylor."

"Goodnight Gabi; sweet dreams."

Right.