Hey sorry guys .. haha I was writing this and looking at my reviews on the other two chapters and it seems like not many people like the story since i got hits but mostly on the first chapter .. but yeah I guess I didn't want to let the reviewers down but yeah .. just a note .. anyways to all that did review thank you soo much .. I'm glad you like it and I hope you enjoy . xD

Oh also, Gabriella's mom is going to be Maria.

Previously:

She spent the whole period thinking of a way to get them together.

Soon .. it was after school and Troy was waiting for Gabriella outside her class. There wasn't any practice today so he had all the time to study with her. His dad was okay with Gabriella since Troy was getting better grades ever since he met her. (A/N: ironically .. this was seriously true in my life .. . sorry had to add that)

'Should I tell her I like her? What if she doesn't like me? Maybe we are just meant to be friends. Stupid Chad had to stop me a month ago. (referring to the almost kiss he had)' He thought to himself. Gabriella stepped out of her class and walked by Troy while he was staring at the ground thinking. He shot out of his thoughts when she walked by. He could tell it was her by her scent. 'It smells so nice .. what a minute .. why did she just walk by me?' he thought as he jogged after her.

"Hey," he said as he caught up to her.

She looked up at him . "Oh, hey," she said as she looked back down.

"Ouch..that unhappy to see me?" He said looking at her. She stared at the ground.

"No, no I just want to get to my locker." She said picking up her pace. She got to her locker and opened it. She could feel the awkwardness between them.

He leaned against the locker next to her. "Um..hey Gabi.. are you okay with me coming over today? Seems like you..i don't know .. don't feel like talking to me." Troy said hoping it wasn't true.

"No no it's fine. You have a test tomorrow and I need to help you. So um let's go." She said putting on a smile and trying to be happy. Troy could see right through it.

They started walking back to Gabriella's house. There was an awkward silence since they left school. Gabriella had to try and say something. But Troy said something first.

"Are you sure you're okay Gabi? You know you can tell me what's wrong." Troy said hoping she would tell him.

"No really nothing's wrong." She said smiling. She was never good at letting her thoughts and emotions out. She always kept everything inside.

"Okay.. if you're sure." Troy said with disappointment. She looked up and at Troy. He was walking like he was deep in thought. She decided to go ahead and ask about Susie.

"Hey Troy." Gabriella said. His head shot up.

"Yeah Gabi?" Troy said curiously. Gabriella looked away from him.

"Do you know Susie?" she asked him trying hard not to look at him.

Troy thought about it, trying to think if he knew a Susie. "You mean the girl in your English class?" he asked her trying to think if that was her name.

"Yeah. Is that how you know her?" she asked curious as to why he knew her only by what class she had with Gabriella.

"Sorta. She always said hi to me and I didn't really know her but when she said hi to us in front of your class, I remember you said her name." Troy said remembering that time.

"Such a popular guy." She joked as they continued walking. Troy laughed.

"Well anyways, what do you think of her?" She asked him on a more serious note.

Troy looked at her confused. "What do you mean?" he asked try to get clarity.

Gabriella could feel it get harder for her to say it. "Well .. I mean .. do you like her? Considered liking her?" She whispered the last part but Troy could still hear her.

"Susie? Well.. I don't really know her so that's kind of hard." Troy said. 'Maybe I should tell her now.' Troy thought to himself.

"Truth be told.. I actually have my mind on someone right now.." Troy said looking at the ground but stealing glances at Gabriella to see if she was looking at him.

"Oh.." she said with disappointment in her voice but she didn't want him to know so she changed it. "So who's the lucky girl who caught Troy Bolton's eye?" she asked laughing. He smiled awkwardly.

'It's now or never..' he thought. "Umm.." he started. 'Come on Bolton. You can do this. You know you can! Just say it!' Troy kept thinking. He looked up panicking. He saw they had arrived at Gabriella's. "Oh we're here." He said quickly.

Gabriella looked up. "Oh, well we should get to your studying." She said as she started walking up to her door. 'You lost it Bolton. Stupid idiot! All you had to say was its you! Ergh!' he thought as he hit his head with his hand and followed her.

He saw her wait for him at the door and went in as she closed it. "Mom, I'm home." She yelled.

"Hey hun," Maria said as she walked over to see her daughter and Troy. "Oh.. I didn't know we were going to have company." Maria said looking at Gabriella. "Hi Ms. Montez." Troy said smiling.

"Hello Troy." She said also smiling but turned to Gabriella waiting for an explanation.

"Oh, I'm tutoring Troy. He has a big test tomorrow." Gabriella said to her mom knowing her mom isn't happy about her having a guy there. "We'll be in my room" Gabriella said as she was heading up the stairs with Troy at her heel.

"Wait, Gabriella. May I speak to you?" Maria said with her arms crossed. Gabriella knew what was coming.

"Okay, sure. Um..Troy why don't you go to my room and get everything out?" Gabriella said as she walked back down. Troy shrugged "Um..sure.." he said continuing up.

"Yeah mom." Gabriella said as she took the last step off the stairs.

"Gabi, you kno-" Maria started. But Gabriella interrupted knowing what her mom was going to say.

"Mom I know, and nothing's going on between us. He just needs help and I'm there as a tutor. We're just friends. Nothing more." Gabriella said to her mom.

"Okay good. You know you have to think about your studies. No boys. It was already strange enough that you went to that school event with Troy. It only takes one minute to make a mistake. I don't want you to end up like me. Remember your dad-" Maria continued.

Flashback

Troy and Gabriella were talking on the phone that evening after practice. He was trying to convince her to go to the dance concert being held at school.

"Come on Gabi. You know you want to go. There's still an hour to get here. Come watch it with me." Troy begged on the phone.

"I don't know if I want to Troy. I mean my mom will probably not let me go anyways." Gabriella said as she was walking around her room.

"Just try asking her. She knows who I am. Tell her you'll be fine and you have a ride home." Troy said again.

'That's the problem..she knows who you are. And you are a guy..' she thought to herself. She let out a sigh. "Fine, let me go ask her." She said giving in.

She walked downstairs with the phone still in her hand. She found her mom in the kitchen. "Hey mom, can I go to a dance concert with Troy?" Gabriella said still holding the phone so Troy can hear her ask.

Her mom stopped cutting the celery. "With Troy? Why are you going for him?" Maria demanded.

"Mom, I do want to go, it's just Troy invited me. I'll have a ride home." Gabriella said hoping her mom will say yes.

Maria looked at her suspiciously. "Fine but I'm driving you there." Her mom said washing her hands and picking up the car keys. Gabriella smiled.

"Okay!" Gabriella said and turned back to the phone. "Okay Troy, I'll meet you there" Gabriella said to Troy happily.

"Alright I'll meet you in front" Troy said.

Once Gabriella and Maria were in the car, Maria started talking to Gabriella about it. "Mom, it's not a date. It's just a dance concert I wanted to see and Troy's accompanying me. That's all." She said trying to convince her mom.

"Okay, just be careful." Maria said.

End Flashback

"Mom please. I don't want to talk about him. We've already had this talk. Can't we leave him out of this. I already know. Troy's a good friend. You have to at least let me have friends." Gabriella said tired of getting into this again.

"Fine, but you leave the door open." Maria said watching her daughter make her way up to her room.

"Okay mom." Gabriella said. 'God, please tell her to stop worrying.' She thought to herself as she made her way up to her room.

She walked in to find Troy on the balcony while all the books and everything were spread across her floor. She tiptoed her way around the books trying to avoid getting Troy's attention.

Once she got to the balcony she went up to Troy and poked him on his sides. He jumped a mile before turning around. He saw her standing there laughing.

"Gabi! You scared the crap out of me!" Troy yelled. She couldn't help but laugh even more.

"Sorry. I didn't know Mr. Basketball Star would get scared." She continued laughing.

"You really shouldn't be laughing when I have the advantage." Troy said smiling. She stopped smiling and looked at him puzzled.

"What advantage?" She asked and he came up to her and wrapped his arms around her tickling her sides. She laughed non stop and tried to wiggle her way out of his arms but didn't succeed. Once he stopped she was still in his arms and Troy's face was only a few inches away from Gabriella's.

'Do it Bolton! You know you want to!' Troy said to himself as he started leaning in.. Gabriella saw and pulled away.

"Hey we should get to studying before you fail that test tomorrow." Gabriella said as she walked away from him. 'He wasn't just doing what I think he was doing. Susie likes him! Anyways, he doesn't like you. He has a girl on his mind Gabriella! Get that in your head!' she kept thinking to herself as she sat down.

Troy sighed. "Yeah let's get started" he said. 'Damn. I screwed up again.' Troy said as he mentally kicked himself.

He sat down next to her and they started studying.

Haha really long chapter.. but yeah haha my mom's really overprotective. And thinking back, those were some pretty embarrassing and hard memories.. well there's another chapter.. I hope I get more reviews this time xD I'll post another as soon as I can .. hopefully before Sunday because I'm going away all next week so yeah keep those reviews coming 3