After Gabriella's fifteen minutes of being a princess, she tried to avoid Ryan at all costs and lavish all of her attention on Troy. The rest of the week seemed to fly by and before she knew it, Friday night was upon her. She rushed home, threw on a more feminine top and a simple black skirt then rushed outside into Troy's car.

"Hey you!" He greeted warmly, and she half-smiled back at him.

He leaned in to kiss her and she subtly backed up. He gave her an odd look then turned his attention back to the task of backing out of her driveway.

Upon arrival at the theatre, Gabriella found one of her hand being encased in Troy's and she smiled uneasily up at him.

"So what do you want to see?"

"Um..." She hadn't really thought about what she wanted to see so she quickly scanned the list of movies that were showing.

"Let's see RENT!" She suggested, glad to have foud something she actually wanted to see.

"Ok..." Troy replied, pulling out his wallet and leaving her to go and buy their tickets.

During the movie, Troy, much to her dismay, held her hand again. As Gabriella watched she couldn't help but see herself as Mimi, even though she really wasn't like her. And she also kept seeing Roger as Ryan. Ryan, not Troy...Ryan. Ryan Evans.

Light My Candle came on and Gabriella really lost herself in the chemistry between Roger and Mimi. In fact, she was so mesmerized after the scene, that it took Troy almost the entire scene following it to get her attention. Gabriella started and turned towards him quickly.

"I said, 'Do you want some popcorn?'" She looked at him, really confused, then realized where she was and took a handful from the cup.

At the end of the movie, Gabriella was in tears and Troy was feeling very emotional. She kept thinking about Ryan singing to her while she was dying and how amazing it would feel to have someone care so much about another person.

She pretty much ignored all of Troy's banter as they walked out of the theatre and into the food court. Troy bounded off to get them food and she quickly sat down at the first table she could find. While fiddling with her curls, she surveyed her other dining guests.

Suddenly she felt like she was going to throw-up, or pass out, or both!

Ryan had just walked out of the theatre as well and was looking around for a table. Gabriella felt a small fountain of hope bubble up within her and she was about to stand up and wave when suddenly Ryan turned around and beckoned for someone else.

A blonde someone else.

She felt the fountain inside her dry up into a desert, and she felt an over-powering urge to cry again.

Ryan wrapped his arms around the girl's shoulder and whisper something in her ear. She threw her head back and laughed with him. Gabriella wanted to smash her perfect blonde head into the ground. Ryan suddenly noticed that Gabriella was sitting there and his smile died on his lips.

He lead the girl over to her and cleared his throat. "Hey Gabriella, I-um-this is...Erin." He said shakily.

Gabriella forced a smile onto her face and held out her hand. "Gabriella Montez."

"Erin O'Neil." The girl said affably, shaking Gabriella's hand.

"I don't think I've ever seen you around. Do you go to East High?" Gabriella half asked, half demanded.

"Oh, no, no, no, I'm just here for a few weeks. I really enjoy visiting Ryan!" She shot back, giggling.

Just then, Troy walked up with the food and Gabriella turned towards him. "I'm not so hungry anymore."

She stated then pushed past Ryan and walked out to the car. Troy smiled hurriedly and rushed after Gabriella.

"Hey, what's going on?" He called to her in the parking lot.

"I just want to go home. Please, take me home Troy." She begged and he unlocked it for her.

After a few moments of silence, Troy pulled over and shut the lights off.

"Gabriella, please, no more lies. Tell me what's going on." Troy asked almost desperately.

"Really, it's nothing." Troy slammed his hand down onto the steering wheel and turned towards her. "Gabriella, cut the crap! Just tell me what's going on!"

"No!" Gabriella half screamed and threw herself out of the car.

She ran the rest of the way home and didn't stop until she was back in her room.

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Gabriella slipped off her shoes and went out onto her balcony. She sat down on the swing and curled up into a small ball and groaned. Downstairs, she could hear her mother answering the phone and talking to Troy.

Please don't come up here, I don't want to talk to him! Please, please, please... She thought desperately.

Thankfully her mother told Troy that it was too late for phone calls and told him good night. She smiled in relief then went to rearrange her position and fell off the swing.

Moaning, she pulled herself to her feet and stumbled into her room where she collapsed onto her bed and wept into her pillow.

Gabriella spent a sleepless night rolling around and tangling herself in her sheets, then untangling herself, then getting tangled again then getting angry and throwing the sheets off the bed, then getting cold and pulling them back on again.

She slowly counted down the minutes until 6:45 in the morning, then rolled out of bed and pulling on a pair of jeans and a sweat shirt.

She tiptoed down the steps and left a note for her mom then silently left the house. Gabriella jogged quickly down the road and then paused at the beginning of her destination street.

She slowly but surely made her way towards his house and paused in front of it before slowly making her way towards the back of his house.

Ryan or Troy? Let me know what you think! Thanks! Oh and I don't own RENT or anything else really except Erin, but I don't really own her either so I'm just not an owner of anything.