This was impossible. They couldn't hide it anymore. It was getting too difficult to conceal Gabriella's pregnancy. At the lunch table, she began to discuss the matter with Troy, Chad, and Taylor in hushed tones

"What am I going to do? I can't opt out of school! Besides, I'm almost positive I've gotten some strange looks in the hallways."

Taylor swallowed a bite of sandwich. "It's probably just nerves, honey. Either that or… Troy, you need to have bigger hoodies."

Troy looked up, a defensive expression on his face.

Gabriella ignored it. "We've already had to tell certain teachers. I refuse to tell any more." She was so focused stressing with Taylor that she failed to notice Chad swiping a cookie from her plate.

Taylor patted her friend's hand. "Gabriella, stop stressing. That's not good for you."

Gabriella sighed. "I know, but…"

Troy spoke up. "Gabriella, if you must know… someone on the basketball team did ask us."

Gabriella's head snapped up. "What?"

Troy continued. "Hey, hey, don't worry. We headed him off. Well… Dad did. I had to hold Chad back." He glared at his best friend.

"Hey man, no one is going to assume this of Gabriella. Not on my watch." Chad was adamant.

"No, I agree. But again, we have to be subtle. Unless the occasion arises. Then we can pound them to pulp."

"Whoa whoa." Taylor waved her hands. "Slow down. There will not be any pulverising of anybody. Got that, boys?"

Chad and Troy glanced at each other. "Yeah…"

Gabriella closed her eyes. Four months left. Time was running short. They had to figure out how to keep it quiet for just four more months.

Chad nicked another of Gabriella's cookies. Troy promptly plucked it out of his hand and replaced it before she noticed they were almost all gone.

Above them, on the overlook seating in the cafeteria, Ryan was watching the four. He knew something had been up for quite a while now. They were hiding something… something big. Lately Chad and Troy had been pretty defensive and protective of Gabriella. Not only that, but the girl's clothing choices had changed too.

His twin sister, Sharpay, joined him at the railing. "They're being strange," she said, speaking his thoughts. "They're hiding something. And it has to do with Gabriella."

"We gonna figure it out?" he asked her, not taking his eyes off the group.

She put her hands on her hips. "No. I will. You will help."

She turned and strutted back to their reserved table.

Ryan rolled his eyes. "What else is new?" he muttered.

As they left the cafeteria, Sharpay stationed herself out of sight beside a locker. She was determined to discover what was up with Gabriella… and to make sure it had nothing to do with Troy.

She peered around the corner and spotted the four friends coming her way. She jerked back and watched them go by.

Then she saw something.

She almost didn't.

Gabriella had her arm around Taylor, which pulled the sweatshirt a little tight on her sides and stomach. Sharpay's mouth fell open. She wasn't sure… but the girl's stomach looked… larger.

Wait.

Sharpay leaned her head back on the wall dramatically. Could it be? She had to be sure.

After history, as students surged the halls, Gabriella made her way to her locker for her Decathlon club books. She unlocked it and reached inside, smiling quietly to herself at the picture of her and Troy and Lava Springs. The best summer of her life.

When she shut the door, Ryan's face replaced it next to her, startling her.

"Hey, Gabriella."

She sighed. "Ryan, you scared me."

He tipped his hat, a fedora today. "Sorry. Um, my sister is looking for her pink shoes."

Gabriella huffed a laugh. "Which ones?"

Ryan shrugged. "All I know is that they're pink. The rest was lost in a tumble of drama."

Gabriella locked her door.

Ryan shifted. He was nervous. He didn't really want to help his sister, but after last summer, he was in a strange place. He wasn't one of the gang, but he also wasn't his sister's accomplice. He just did what he was told.

"Sharpay needs help looking for them, and since you were in the drama class last, maybe….?"

Gabriella sighed. "I'll stop by and see if I spot them, but I'm on my way to a Decathlon meeting."

Ryan nodded. "Thanks."

As Gabriella walked away, he swiped his forehead. Now he had to go find Troy or Chad… she was going to need them.

Losing shoes was unlike Sharpay, but if there was something Gabriella had learned in the last year, she always managed to find some strange way to get someone's attention.

The drama classroom was empty, of course, and dark. It was getting towards the end of the school day, and the blinds were closed, chairs flipped onto the desks.

Gabriella cautiously opened the door. "Hello?" She scanned the floor for a pink heel. "Sharpay? Ryan told me I'd find you here."

Finally, after she was certain the classroom was empty, she shrugged and began to leave.

Hands grabbed her shoulders, yanking her back, pink fingernails digging into her skin. Gabriella's gasp was muffled by an arm over her mouth.

The door clicked shut.

Ryan sped to the gym as fast as he could, clutching his hat to his head desperately. He banged through the doors, his shoes squeaking as he raced up to Chad and Troy, who paused their basketball practice.

Ryan doubled over, gasping for breath. "Troy… Chad — Gab…Gab, she's—"

"Whoa man, hey catch your breath." Troy put a hand on his back as Chad stowed the ball under his arm.

All the players stopped what they were doing as Coach Bolton jogged over. "What's the problem?"

Ryan wheezed. "Gab…Gabriella… my sister… drama…"

Chad glanced at Troy. "I don't like where this is going, and I'm only getting every other word."

Troy patted Ryan's back, lowering his voice. "Ryan, so…. something wrong? With… Gabriella?"

Ryan nodded. "Shar… drama… said something… find something… out?"

Troy whipped his head up to Chad. They both looked at their coach.

"Go. Go, hurry," he said to Troy. His son fairly flew out of the gym.

Chad made to follow, then looked at Coach Bolton questioningly.

Coach waved his arms. "You too, go!"

The boys disappeared faster than the rest of the team could blink.

Ryan straightened, adjusted his hat, and strode out, still gasping for air a little.

Coach Bolton closed his eyes pinching the bridge of his nose. "Oh gosh, the baby can't come right now. I need Troy and Chad focused," he muttered to himself.

Gabriella was spun around, the fingernails painfully clawing her.

"Sharpay?" she gasped. "What the heck!"

Sharpay stared at her, breathing heavily. Her eyes roved Gabriella's body, greedily attempting to find a fault. "You're hiding something."

Gabriella was taken aback, her heart stopping for a split second.

The ice princess moved closer. "And it's under that sweatshirt that I know is not yours."

Gabriella swallowed hard. "I… I don't have to tell you anything. It's between me and—"

"Who!" Sharpay shouted. She quickly lowered her tone again, not wanting anyone else to hear. "You and who?"

Gabriella tried to reach the door, but Sharpay grabbed her wrist, throwing her, with surprising strength, against Mrs Darbus's desk. She demanded an answer. Bending close to the teary girl's ear, she whispered, "You're pregnant… aren't you?"

Gabriella knew she was finished. She just couldn't find out it was Troy…

"And it'd better not be with my Troy, huh Gabriella?"

Gabriella closed her eyes. "You have no business… you are not his. You never have been and never will. Get. Over. It. Stop trying to ruin everyone's lives. Just because you're spoiled and rich doesn't mean you get to take things from other people."

Sharpay shrieked with rage, shoving Gabriella to the floor.

The boys turned into the corridor just in time to hear Gabriella scream.

Troy sprinted ahead of Chad, arriving at the drama classroom first. He tried the door, but it was locked. Panicking, he turned to Chad. They could hear screaming and crying, and plenty of scuffling.

"The door's locked," he said frantically.

Chad tried it. "What now?"

Ryan ran up to them. "Oh… here," he gasped. "I knew she was going to do that, so I got a key card from Coach Bolton."

Troy snatched it, and unlocked to door, flinging it open.

The sight before made his blood boil with fury. He heard Chad growling behind him. Gabriella was on the floor, crying, curled into a ball as Sharpay kicked her.

"Hey, hey, whoa!" he shouted. He and Chad rushed into the room. "Cut that out!"

Chad instantly pounced on Sharpay, pinning her arms to her sides. "Chill… out, Shar!" he yelled in her ear. She struggled against him, kicking his shins with her heels. Chad dropped to the floor, pulling the spoiled brat with him, and wrestled her down.

Meanwhile, Troy knelt next to Gabriella, gingerly turning her over. He lifted her head into his lap as she continued to cry. "Gabriella, Gabi, heyyy… it's okay. It's okay, I'm here." He swiped her tears away with his thumb, and kissed her forehead. "What's wrong, baby? Tell me what happened."

Gabriella only continued to sob quietly, but she put a hand to her stomach.

Troy glanced at Chad, who was kneeling on Sharpay's shins, holding her arms down. His friend gave a nod.

Troy slowly lifted the sweatshirt, and frowned at what he saw. Her belly was red with scratches all over it… some bleeding, but nothing that couldn't be patched up. He sighed with relief.

Chad spoke up. "Troy? What about the baby?" he asked quietly.

Troy snapped his head up, staring at his best friend. The baby. Of course. He glanced at Gabriella. She had a hand on her stomach, trying to control her breathing, her eyes closed. "I'm fine," she whispered. "I'm fine."

Chad stood, dragging Sharpay with him, and went to kneel next to Troy. "Dude, we need to get her home to rest."

Troy nodded. "You wanna stand?" he asked her, pulling the sweatshirt back down.

She opened her eyes and Troy gently helped her up, having her sit in a desk.

He turned to Sharpay as they stood. He put his hands on the sides of his head. "What. The. HECK!"

Gabriella flinched slightly at his sharp tone.

"What were you thinking?"

Sharpay smiled sickly. "I wasn't."

"Clearly!" Chad shoved her into a desk. "If you knew she was pregnant, why did you have to go and try to kill her!?"

Sharpay rolled her eyes, sticking her hands on her hips. "I was angry. For good reason." She stood and slowly eased towards Troy, not taking her eyes off him.

Troy slowly backed up.

"Troy," she said softly. "You are just amazing. Everything about you. Last summer at my parents club, I tried to make you understand… there can still be an 'our thing.' I know what you need and how you can get there. Basketball. That's your future…" She looked him up and down. "…and me."

Troy's back hit the wall as she was talking. He couldn't believe she still thought he was on the market, like a fish being sold. But when she whispered the part about her being his future, he threw his hand up in defense.

"Whoa. Hold on a second. You really think that you can still get me? This —" he gestured to Gabriella and the floor, "— is some scheme you've got so you can have me like I'm some piece of meat?!" He shook his head and got up from the wall. "No. You've got another thing coming. Gabriella is pregnant and, yes, I'm the father. And the one thing that I know… is that Chad will never stop being protective of her when I'm not around. Gabriella will continue to be sweet and happy and everything else that she is. Taylor will always be the one who's a step ahead of everybody, and I will always… always… make sure that we're all in this together. When I said that to everyone last year, I meant it. You, though, clearly have it in your head that you can possess everything that catches your eye. Well, you're wrong, and the sooner you learn that, the better." He shoved past her and planted himself next to Chad. "It's all a game to you. A game you are very good at that I don't want to play. And I hope…" he put his arm around Gabriella. "…that someday you will step away from the mirror and check the damage behind you."

He leaned down to help Gabriella up and the three of them made their way from the classroom, leaving Sharpay in the rubble of her own plans for herself.

Sorry this took me a couple days to post, and it might be a couple days until I post again because I'm traveling for spring break.

Okay, this was a little hard to write, but WHEW she knows! Yikes. Let me know what you thought!

xx

Annie